Disclaimer: Finial Fantasy belongs 100% to Square Enix. Plotline is our own.
A/N: Sorry it has been longer than we hoped, but here is the next chapter. This is also one of those chapters I was talking about with references to other fanfics. There are multiple references to LordShinta's story Snow Day, such as the energy drink obsession that is just starting to show, and the soldier pms. We highly encourage anyone to go read her stories. They are awesome. Thanks. Enjoy!
Chapter Three: Training with the best isn't always the best…
Ryu looked up from where she was idly flipping through one of Cloud's mechanics magazines as Reno came in.
"Yo, Little Me." He called to her from the doorway, before tossing some clothes at her. Ryu barely caught them, dropping the magazine in the process. In her hands, she saw what must have been a pair of Reno's gym clothes. Shorts and a sleeveless tee. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Just 'cause I like to role-play doesn't mean I want your clothes…"
"Didn't you notice the others are being tested already, yo? Got to see what you can do," He said, trying hard not to laugh at the thought of her stealing his clothes.
"Oh, right. I forgot about that." Ryu nodded her head and went to change.
Reno picked up the forgotten magazine from the floor. "What is so interesting about these magazines?"
When Ryu came back out a few minutes later she stood in front of him, hands propped on her hips. "Are we going to go, or are you to busy reading?"
Ryu entered the VR observation room behind Reno. Reading the magazine in the room had made the two of them much later arriving than they should have been. Even Alanna and Genesis had beaten them there, and they took the longest to get ready. Piper, Matti and Morgan were waiting in various chairs, while Zack, Tseng, Genesis and Rude stood near the control panel along the far wall. Alanna waved Ryu over to her, where she was watching the first test between Mary and Angeal in the VR room.
They were standing in the center of the room, just facing each other. Angeal had a large, heavy looking, wooden staff in his hands rather than his buster sword. Mary also had a wooden pole, and looked like she was still getting used to the feel of it.
"They're just standing there." Reno complained.
"It's already been ten minutes of this. Problem is, he won't hit a girl." Zack explained. Ryu and Alanna looked back at Piper to see a mischievous grin growing on her face, to match their own. This day could turn out to be way more fun than expected.
"Well then, he has no worries." Alanna told the men standing at the control panel. She walked up behind them quickly and looked down.
"This is the microphone button right?" She asked pointing to one. Genesis nodded his head, looking curious. Alanna pressed the button down, watching it light up a bright green.
"Don't worry Angeal we're pretty sure she's only 25% girl. Provided you don't hit her in two places you'll be fine." She said into the mic. Mary glared at them, furious that her friends would start in on that again.
"Fuck off 'Lanna." She yelled up to them. The other three giggled at the confused look on Angeal's face. Even Morgan and Matti were laughing quietly behind their hands, being careful not to let Mary know. Reno had to turn away because he had to fight not to laugh.
"It's a joke." Piper managed to get out between giggles.
"Cause she acts like a guy most of the time." Ryu added, "We say she is a guy."
"She's still a girl." Angeal said stiffly. He seemed slightly offended at the joke. This set off another peal of laughter.
"No one can verify that for us." Alanna told him, having regained her composure. Slowly, the other quieted down.
"If you don't fight her how is she going to learn how to protect herself from guys without honor? Shouldn't an honorable man teach her?" Piper asked him fully knowing it was not a fair way to ask.
"Mary just hit him." Alanna sighed when Angeal only got irritated by Piper's comment. Mary shrugged and did as she was told, swinging hard at his left side. Angeal's staff swung out to block hers.
"Oh so he'll block." Ryu commented as Mary went after him.
"Would you fight back?" Mary snapped at him, after three attempts to hit him were blocked.
"Oh, right. Did I forget to mention that she's something of a brute?" Alanna asked sarcastically before stepping back to just watch the fight.
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"How did they end up on Costa del Sol?" Angeal asked watching as Zack and Piper played with a beach ball. They were currently playing a rough game of volley ball against a couple of NPCs.
"Because he's Zack." Genesis pointed out with a sigh. Zack was supposed to be testing Piper, but somehow they'd ended up playing rather than fighting. Tseng sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn't bother trying to get the two to fight.
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"You're going to use Materia aren't you?" Alanna asked Genesis as they stood in the VR room once it was their turn. They each held a staff very similar to the ones that Angeal and Mary had used, but slightly thinner. Genesis shrugged.
"It wouldn't be much of a test otherwise would it?" He asked. Alanna shrugged. –Sure it would. Since when am I being tested on something that does not even exist in my world?-
"This is going to hurt." She muttered.
She was right. She had managed to dodge several Fira, and had even come close to hitting him at one point. After a few minutes, she was forced to block a Fira with her staff, thus lighting it on fire and throwing her backwards. After that, she was done for. Genesis had to carry her out of the VR room.
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Matti stood facing Tseng in the VR room. It had been set up to put them in an old forest. Piper covered her eyes in the viewing room. Ryu wrapped her arms around her. Alanna was lying on a couch resting, still out cold from the last Fira that had knocked her out. Mary was icing her fingers that Angeal had smacked with his staff. Morgan was completely oblivious to Piper's fear, too busy watching what Matti would do.
"He'll be fine." Ryu said.
"Didn't you say Tseng is the best assassin?" Piper hissed up at her. Ryu nodded her head.
"But he's not trying to kill Matti." She pointed out watching the screen.
"Do your best."Tseng said softly. Matti bit his lip.
"Yeah, bye." He said and dropping his staff, he booked it. He knew better then to confront Tseng. Each fight had a time limit, ten minutes, and if Matti could stay out of reach for that long he'd be fine.
"See?" Ryu said, "Matti can run fast, Tseng will have to work to catch him." She said as Tseng stared, startled, before taking off after Matti.
"Then again," Ryu said, "We might have to worry. Tseng's fast."
Ryu cheered as Matti, having found a sturdy branch, sent it flying into Tseng's face. Tseng almost lost his footing as the branch knocked him back.
"'ATTA BOY!" Ryu yelled. Piper looked up to see Matti running away again.
In the end Matti was caught, but he put up a pretty good fight.
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Morgan stood facing Rude. He was shorter and much smaller than the silent Turk.
"Uh-oh." Alanna said, having recovered from her fight. Ryu nodded her head.
"He's gonna get his butt kicked." Mary added.
"HEY!" Ryu protested.
"You know he is." Mary pointed out.
"I know no such thing." Ryu said, turning away and sticking her nose in the air. The others sighed and shook their heads, laughing a little at the butt kicking they knew was coming.
Rude sent Morgan flying several times but he managed to get in several hits, before Rude knocked him unconscious.
Ryu swallowed, "My turn I guess." She said. Reno laughed.
"Yep, come on yo." He said gesturing her to follow him.
Rude stopped her, Morgan slung over his shoulder, and handed her his EMR. She smiled back at him grimly.
"Thanks. Now I have half a chance." She said shakily. She hadn't let on, but her shoulder, elbow and knee all on the left side still hurt terribly from the fight in the alley.
"Is she favoring her left side?" Piper asked suddenly as they watched Ryu brace herself. Alanna peered at their housemate's stance.
"Yeah, she is. She must have hurt herself in the fight the other day." She said. Morgan slowly came to.
"Is Ryu fighting?" He asked as he walked over to the screen.
"Yeah."
Ryu hopped back and away, as Reno came at her. She already knew Reno could land painful blows. She kept hopping and twisting away, blocking with the EMR when she couldn't get away. The force of his blows sent shock waves through her arm numbing it and aggravating her elbow.
"Is she running away?" Zack asked, surprised when Ryu suddenly turned tail. Ryu had been holding her own against Reno, surprisingly. But she'd just cut and run, heading up a very steep hill. Her short legs carried her up the hill quickly, while Reno scrambled after her.
"He must have jarred her elbow," Morgan said as Ryu crested the hill, Reno not far behind her. Desperate, she whirled around and slammed her EMR into Reno's leg as he caught her, and triggered it. Reno went down gasping as Ryu staggered away.
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"Well given your lack of training." Tseng started, glancing at Alanna and Ryu. Alanna was wrapping a bandage around Ryu's left elbow, after having just causing it to make a sickening popping sound. How they all just ignored it surprised him. "You all did very well. You all attempted to use your own skills, and knowledge, in an attempt to outwit your opponent." He pointed to Alanna, Piper and Mary.
"You three will undergo SOLDIER training, hopefully making your way up in the ranks to equal 1st class."
"Question," Alanna said, "They don't let girls into the SOLDIER program, so how is that supposed to work?"
"I have already thought of that issue. That is why you each will be trained by one of the first class SOLDIERs, most likely the one you appeared as. You will not actually be in the program, but you will get the full training." Tseng told them. He turned to the other three.
"You three will go through Cadet training with them, and then you will go through Turk training, under the guidance of the Turk you were dressed as."
"Why?" Matti asked. Tseng sighed.
"Because we make good decoys," Morgan said, having already figured it out. Tseng nodded his head.
"You won't be sent out on normal Turk missions. Your long standing mission is to protect the 1st class SOLDIERS, and," He paused, "Be their friends." Six heads nodded in understanding.
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"NO" Alanna protested staring at the hideous Cadet uniform.
"No you're not like Genesis at all." Ryu told her friend sourly as she took her uniform.
"Just because you look good in military doesn't mean I do." Alanna protested. Ryu sighed. Mary and Piper had already taken their uniforms and gone to change. Matti and Morgan had also already finished and left. Morgan at least was excited for Cadet training.
"Think of it as a good reason to train harder." Ryu said before she turned and left, leaving Alanna to stare at the uniform in horror.
"I hate these god damn boots." Alanna protested when she came out of the room a few minutes later. Morgan looked up from where he was shoving a knife into the top of one of the military combat boots, Alanna was so fiercely protesting.
"They have a reason 'Lanna." he said, as he tucked a pistol into the other boot. He handed her the two long daggers left on the table for her. Ryu had changed and breezed out before Alanna could get dressed, muttering about possibly putting Alanna's head through a wall if she kept complaining. The others were also long gone, but he'd lingered to make sure Alanna was all right.
She took them and scowling tucked them into the boots.
"They're heavy, awkward and clunky. I can't feel anything in them, and they are warm." She protested. Morgan sighed, thinking she really was throwing a temper tantrum, and picked up one of Ryu's sneakers.
"How do you think Ryu feels?" He asked showing her the sneaker. It was a special sneaker called a barefoot minimalist. It had no cushion, no raise from heel to toe, and was designed to allow her feet complete and total freedom of movement, as if she was truly barefoot. Alanna glared at the offending boots and sullenly followed Morgan out the door, to the training room.
"I am aware… but I still don't like them."
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"Are they really any good Tseng?" Cissinei asked Tseng as they stood in the observation room watching the six new Turks go through cadet training. They looked bored out of their minds, as Sephiroth sent them through drill after drill. Surprisingly they were all catching on quickly.
"Yes." Tseng said, thinking back on how most of them had done anything to keep from getting hurt in the VR room while trying to take down their opponent.
"They'll make good doubles." He said.
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"OWW" Alanna moaned as she collapsed on the couch. Ryu flopped over her legs. Piper curled up on the floor, her head on Matti's lap. Morgan perched on the arm of the couch next to Ryu. Mary sat on the other arm.
"Who knew drills and basic training would hurt so much. And get off my legs Ryu. You weigh a ton." Alanna said, kicking out lightly.
"Dinner?" Zack asked bouncing into the room. A collection of groans greeted him.
"Moving," Ryu protested as Morgan got up and pulled her to feet.
"Just because you aren't sore doesn't mean the rest of us aren't." She protested leaning against him.
"You aren't sore? Morgan, you bastard." Alanna cursed. Morgan just laughed.
"I never get sore." He said with a shrug.
"That's handy." Zack said, as he hauled Alanna to her feet.
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"At this rate," Sephiroth said during dinner, while drinking another energy drink with the meal. "You'll be done basic training before too long."
"Ooo, yeah so we can go on to harder training," Alanna muttered.
"Stop bitching, 'Lanna," Ryu snapped across the table. Morgan nudged Alanna when she glared at Ryu.
"So you wanna stay in that uniform?" He asked her, tauntingly.
"You'll only progress if you can handle the Mako bath." Tseng reminded them.
"Oh yeah, that." Alanna sighed and put her head down on the table.
"Well there they go off for their baths." Morgan said standing next to Ryu a few days later. Matti was standing on her other side.
"Don't think you get off the hook, yo." Reno said coming up behind them.
"What do you mean?" Matti asked.
"You get a Mako bath too, just a smaller amount of Mako. Even Turks have some, just enough to give us an edge, you know, yo." He said.
"Oh." Ryu said.
"Come on, yo." He said gesturing for them to follow him.
"Well this should be fun." Morgan said.
"SOLDIER pms," Ryu muttered under her breath. "Oh, goodie."
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Ryu came out from her room when she heard the apartment door slam. She padded into the living room, forgetting she was dressed in pajamas and holding her Zack plushie. The three SOLDIER Turks were braced between Zack, Angeal and Cloud. Genesis was following them.
"Are they all right?" She asked worried. Angeal nodded his head.
"Well, as all right as they can be after a Mako bath." He told her. Ryu nodded her head. She looked at Piper, who was falling asleep.
"Zack can take her to her room and tell Matti she's back." She said. Zack nodded his head and steered the sleepy Piper to her room. Mary seemed very quiet as Angeal placed her in a chair. Now that she wasn't braced between two people Alanna started clenching her hands in the bottom of her shirt.
"Ryu, some help?" She growled quietly. Sighing Ryu turned around and disappeared briefly. She came back with Morgan and a pile of clothes.
Morgan took a sweatshirt and forced it over Alanna's head. Threading her arms through the sleeves he took them and tied them together before he tapped them together. He went on proceeding to make the sweatshirt into a straight jacket, using rope, tape, a couple of belts and a needle and twine.
"Should I ask why you're so good at this?" She asked fidgeting, her curiosity overpowering her need to fight back against the extra clothing. Morgan grinned.
"I liked seeing if I could get out of them." He said. Ryu pushed Alanna into a chair and headed to the TV to find some kind of movie for Alanna to watch until the Mako pms wore off.
Like other SOLDEIRs, Alanna was exhibiting a personality change. Similar to a rumor about Genesis, she was resisting the urge to strip and run through the halls singing. Something she'd be mortified if it happened.
"Is that necessary?' Genesis asked. Alanna nodded her head.
"Yes it is." She said.
"Or she'll have stripped, and be running down a very specific hall." Ryu giggled as she put in a movie.
"Shut up Ryu." Alanna snapped. Ryu grinned and curled up on the couch with her Zack plushie. The Turks weren't exhibiting any side effects like personality changes. Morgan left to go back to the room where Rude had been teaching him how to make explosives.
Zack came back into the room, and looked at the odd sight in the living room. Alanna was in a make shift straight jacket, sitting in one chair. Ryu was curled up on the couch with her plushie. Both of them were watching a movie. Mary was curled up in a chair sitting quietly not moving a muscle. Genesis and Angeal were still standing in the room slightly bewildered.
"Either sit down or go away, Genesis, Angeal." Ryu said finally tired of their hovering. Angeal turned and headed to his greenhouse. Genesis sat down.
"What if she gets loose?" He asked. Ryu laughed,
"It won't be the first time I've seen her less then fully dressed. I've lived with her for almost three years now." Ryu said.
"Fuck you Ryu." Alanna snapped embarrassed. Ryu grinned.
"No thanks I'll pass. You're not my type." Ryu said laughing as Alanna struggled to flip her off.
"Shut up and watch the movie." Alanna finally gritted out sticking her tongue out at her house mate.
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"No" Alanna moaned, staring at the purple 3rd class SOLDIER's uniform.
"I'd forgotten how bad all these uniforms are. I like purple, but not when my hair is red, it clashes." She protested. Mary and Piper had already taken their uniforms and disappeared with them. Genesis was standing in front of Alanna his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk firmly in place, as his doppelganger issued the same protests he had once issued.
"'Lanna just think of it as incentive to get to 2nd class bright blue won't clash as much with your hair." Ryu said coming up behind Alanna. She had a grin on her face. Genesis scowled seeing her uniform. Like all Turks she was dressed in black slacks, white shirt and black jacket, and taking after Reno her shirt was untucked, the top few buttons undone. Her goggles, the lenses replaced with special lenses, hung around her neck.
"Ryu switch with me!" Alanna said desperately. Ryu shook her head grinning.
"Uh-uh. I ain't stupid enough to volunteer to train with Genesis, that's your kind of crazy. You're just going to have to live with it." She told her. Alanna scowled but took the uniform and left to change.
"In that case, tuck in your damned shirt. You look like a slob," She tossed over her shoulder on her way out of the room.
"Why do you always just randomly appear?" Genesis asked Ryu. She grinned, purposefully rumpling her shirt more.
"Because I like being were the fun is. And besides, I'm a Turk now. So it's good training for me." She said before she turned and shoving her hands in her pockets walked away.
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As the next few months passed the six saw changes in themselves. They all had Mako blue eyes to some degree. Luckily no one had had a Mako reaction. Alanna, Mary and Piper had brilliant blue eyes. While Matti already had blue eyes, a smaller dose appeared to have made his eyes glow slightly brighter blue. Morgan's hazel eyes took on a more blue hue. Ryu lamented the loss of the green in his eyes. Her own dark brown eyes became hazel in appearance. Little by little they bulked up. The most noticeable change was in Morgan who filled out with muscle as he ate as much as the SOLDIERs did and trained with Rude. It was bound to happen. The others toned down, riding their bodies of excess body fat, and replacing it with muscle.
Over time each of the six doppelgangers as they called themselves bonded with their other half. Although some had more issues then others and some, being Alanna, had no bonding experience. Zack and Piper had hit it off and become like twins, inseparable twins, to poor Matti's dismay. Mary and Angeal seemed to get along well enough. Rude and Morgan also got along, mostly because Rude didn't say much. Matti had a very hard time getting Tseng to trust him. Ryu had the hardest time other then Alanna in getting Reno to trust her or even like her a little bit. It came to a head one day in the VR room.
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"Not good enough." Reno grunted as he slapped his EMR into Ryu's side. Ryu growled.
"Bastard," She hissed under her breath. He was really pissing her off. No matter what she did it wasn't good enough for him. He was supposed to be care free and lazy but when it came to training her he seemed to take fiendish delight in pushing her as hard as he possibly could and then some. She came back bruised, battered and sore. Alanna got plenty of cure materia training though.
"I've had enough." She snapped out, her eyes flickering a brighter shade of blue just before she blocked his swing, her foot slamming into the muscles just under his knee, popping it up, making his leg collapse, she brought her EMR down on a nerve cluster in his hip and pressed the button.
Ryu stood over Reno realizing that once he got to his feet he was going to be pissed. Deciding to cut her loses while she could Ryu ran from the VR room and headed for the elevator.
She entered the apartment at a dead run, skidding to a halt she ducked behind Rude, who was standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee.
"He's gonna kill me." She muttered pressing herself small behind the large Turk's back just as Reno came bursting in, limping but still running.
"Where the hell is she?" He snapped.
"Why do you need to find Ryu?" Zack asked surprised at the violence between the two.
"I'm gonna kick that brat's butt."Reno snapped. Ryu squeezed her eyes closed and clung to Rude's jacket, praying he wouldn't give her up.
"Reno I think you've been very unfair to her." Zack protested, "You've pushed her harder than any of the others have been pushed." He pointed out. Reno made a face.
"She needs it."
"What did she do Reno?" Rude asked.
"She EMRed me."
"Isn't she supposed to?" Zack asked.
"And what did you do that would send her running from the VR room?" Rude asked wondering what his hot-headed partner had done.
"So she is up here!" Reno said beginning to look around. Ryu shivered behind Rude's back. Rude shifted to the side and brought her against his side, his arm draping over her shoulders as he set his coffee cup down. Reno whirled and spotted her.
"You're gonna get it." He snapped, Rude pulled his fist back to punch his partner, but Ryu stopped him first, her EMR planted firmly in Reno's chest her finger hovering over the button.
"I am not going to let me bully me. Train me right or don't train me at all but don't be a bully." She snapped. Reno slapped her EMR away.
"What's a kid like you know about fighting anyways?" He asked looking away as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Ryu stared at him.
"Did you see them in the alley? They were covered in blood. She was covered in it! They killed people." Zack protested.
"They got sick afterward." Reno sneered, Ryu flushed, yes she and the others had gotten sick that night, and had had nightmares but they had gotten over it.
"Of course I did. I never wanted to be a fighter but now I have to be, and since I have to be I am going to do my best." She snapped. Reno glared at her.
"You got no idea what it's truly like to have to fend for yourself." He snapped, "You're a spoiled kid hoping you get to go home to your mommy and daddy." He sneered before he turned and stormed from the room. Ryu looked up at Rude confused.
"He probably went to the helicopter pad. You should go talk to him." Rude said. Ryu nodded her head and followed after Reno.
She found him sitting in the primary chopper, just sitting in the cockpit. Silently she sat in the co-pilots seat.
"My grandpa flew small planes back home. He'd fly injured people to the hospital, transport prisoners, he did a lot of things, or so my dad says." She said. Reno grunted.
"I don't understand why you don't like me. I haven't been slacking off, and I haven't been shirking my job." She said. Reno merely grunted again. Sighing Ryu settled into the seat and waited. Sometimes you just had to wait the person out.
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A/N: So this one is a little longer than the others, finally. Hope you enjoyed it. If anyone has ideas of something they would really like to see happen, by all means let us know and we will see what we can do. Please review. Thanks.