Disclaimer: Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- and it's characters (c) Square Enix. Me no own. Just playing with the characters here. ;) Half of this story was done by Shade the Hero. Thanks!
Shade: Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Chapter three has finally arrived! :) I realize that there are some detail issues and a few spelling and grammar errors here and there and while in the middle of the RP they didn't seem that big of an issue, but once the story gets farther underway previous chapters will be gone over and edited. So, just hang tight, alright? Enjoy! ^_^
Bahamut: Bahamut here! I completely forgot to update this last week, haha! But here it is, and hopefully it will be worth the wait! ;) As Shade mentioned, we know there are a couple spelling/grammar errors here and there and we'll try to fix them up. I am proofreading it but no one is perfect and I'm far from it myself. XD And also remember, this is still pulled from an RP. I promise you nothing is out of order, so no worries there. :) Now enjoy chapter three everyone! :D
Pranks Ahoy
While Cloud didn't believe most of the rumors floating around the Cadets about the three Firsts there was far too many warnings about the Science Department for some of it not to be true. While the blonde hadn't heard of Hojo much by name, there were plenty of things said about him to know to avoid him like the plague. Even some of the Thirds had said terrifying things about the man. And hearing it confirmed by Zack made it even worse.
"But, if he's so dangerous, then why is he even in charge?" He ducked his head shyly around the other Second Class SOLDIERs as they passed them by. Had he not been so focused on staying close to Zack he would have thrown them a respectful salute.
When Zack mentioned playing a joke on him Cloud blinked in confusion. "Is that why we're going to get the fertilizer?"
"Because by all reports he's the smartest guy on the planet. To be honest though I think Sephiroth's smarter." Zack grinned a bit and glanced at Cloud. "Don't tell him I said that though, he doesn't know how to take a good compliment like that I don't think." He sniggered and walked out of the main doors of the Shinra building.
With the barracks located across the way, Zack marched toward them and where the shed would be that should have the fertilizer. "And to answer your other question, that's definitely why we're going to get the fertilizer. Trust me on this little dude!" He patted Cloud's head, which didn't even flatten a single spike.
Zack had recently come across a blueprint of the ventilation shafts of Shinra (Courtesy of a specific redheaded Turk) and his plan would be perfect to ruin whatever Hojo was currently working on. If nothing else, he'd be stuck with the smell for weeks. That alone made Zack suddenly burst into laughter at the very thought.
Cloud raised an eye brow at Zack's comment regarding the General. When Cloud would ever get a chance to speak with the great Sephiroth was beyond him. Heck, Cloud still found it hard to believe that he was on speaking terms with a Second Class SOLDIER, let alone his friend.
It was all the cadet could do not to shrug. If he made SOLDIER chances were he'd have to meet Hojo sooner or later, so getting some form of payback may be worth whatever discomfort the scientist would cause him in the future. "Well, you can count on me," He told Zack as they made their way towards the barracks.
Glancing over at the cadet compound Cloud saw some of his squad hanging about. They were staring at him and Cloud overheard one of them chuckling. "Looks like Strife's gotten himself into trouble." Said one. Cloud couldn't see the speaker clearly in the dark, but it sounded like Mathews.
"'bout time that punk did something gutsy," Commented another. Was it Daniels, maybe? Either way they thought he was in trouble. Cloud merely rolled his eyes. Those guys were the same as the kids back home. Not worth his time. Always judging him and never willing to get to know him before passing judgement. This only made Cloud grateful for Zack's friendship all the more. He had been the complete opposite.
The teen beamed at Cloud and slung an arm around his shoulders. "Yeah, that's what I thought! You're a real trooper, Spiky!" He grinned and looked ahead, spotting the shed where their objective was. "There's our next objective!" He said, jogging ahead and using his keys to open said shed.
Because some cadets might get the same ideas as a certain puppy, the shed was kept locked and only SOLDIERs actually had keys. Of course, no one had taken into account that once in SOLDIER, one Zack Fair would be just as bad as any cadets when concerning pranks and the like.
Especially when Angeal was busy. When the mentor was away, the puppy will play.
"If you ever need anything outta here -not that there's much to get, really- but if there's something you need just ask me! Most don't like cadets going to where they're not supposed to, but really, what trouble could they cause in a shed?" Zack failed to see what he himself was attempting to do with the contents of the shed as being trouble, it seemed.
It was all Cloud could do to not laugh at his friend's actions. Seriously, what was with this guy? Cloud had never had the urge to laugh before, let alone fight to hold his laughter back. He never really had a reason to laugh before. The blonde really needed to stop being surprised by this kind of thing.
As Cloud hurried to catch up with his friend he didn't even pay attention to the shocked expressions of the other cadets who had seen the entire display. Their jaws had hit the ground with shock. The blonde cadet nodding in response to the offer. He wasn't sure when he'd need something in here, but you never know.
Swinging the door wide open, Zack walked in and looked around. He quickly found a bag of fertilizer and a bucket and he turned to look at Cloud with a wry smile. "So, which do you wanna carry? The fertilizer or the bucket of water? C'mon, I can't carry it all!"
Well, technically he could carry it all but it was more fun if the teen actually participated in the prank. And it would seem less suspicious if Zack wasn't the only one carrying something. He did have a bit of a reputation around Shinra, after all. Not that the unsuspecting chocobo knew that.
Cloud walked over to the bag of Fertilizer and lifted it up, before almost falling right over. What was this, a fifty pound bag? He checked the weight on the bottom. Oh. It was. Oh well. He needed to put on some muscle anyway and this (odd or silly as it was) would do nothing but help him get stronger.
"I'll carry the heavy stuff this time." Which only seemed fair after Zack carried two boxes to and from Genesis's apartment.
Zack tried not to laugh, he really did try for Cloud's sake, but the laughter burst out of him before he could truly put the brakes on. The way the teen had nearly fallen over was so comical it almost didn't seem real. But he had to remind himself Cloud didn't have any Mako in his system yet.
Still sniggering, Zack grabbed the bucket and ruffled Cloud's hair. "Alright, sure thing tough guy. The fertilizer's all yours. Let's go fill this bucket up and head to our next stop." He said, smiling at Cloud.
It looked a little funny to him when he was carrying an empty bucket and a cadet was carrying a bag of fertilizer, but he had given Cloud the choice and he wouldn't belittle him by taking that choice away. So he walked out of the shed with bucket in hand and a spiky haired teen carrying a bag of fertilizer. Nothing suspicious about this, nope.
As Cloud followed Zack out of the shed and back across the yard he noticed that the number of cadets had grown. At least, it sounded that way from the hushed voices he could pick up. The buildings around here made sound carry and bounce very well. He'd have to remember that in the future.
The other cadets didn't know what to make of the scene they were watching. The original two thought they saw the SOLDIER being all chummy with Cloud, but now it seemed more like a punishment after all, or so they assumed, considering he was carrying a heavy bag of fertilizer. He wouldn't falter under their gaze though. Adjusting the bag on his shoulder he held his head up high as he followed in line behind Zack.
Let the others think what they want. He knew the truth and he didn't give a Chocobo's butt what they thought.
The teen didn't even seem concerned with the growth of cadets watching them as he locked the doors back up and started walking toward the hose that lay near by. He stopped near it and swiped it up, starting to fill said bucket he'd brought and glancing at Cloud. "You don't have to stand there and hold that while this is being filled up." He offered a smiled and ruffled the teen's hair.
Rocking back on his heels he looked around and spotted the large crowd of cadets. He'd seen a few faces before that were in Cloud's classes. Grinning a bit deviously, he could only imagine what they thought the two teens were doing.
"So, Cloud, those your friends?" He asked, jabbing a thumb in their direction. He didn't miss the startled looks at being gestured at by a 2nd Class. Even if Zack was in casual clothing, he was well known and if nothing else his bright Mako glowing eyes gave him away. He didn't actually think Cloud had any other friends because he hadn't seen him even talk to anyone else.
Glad for the small break, he set the bag down carefully at his feet while he rolled his shoulder. It popped a few times, but felt better afterwards. When Zack gestured to the other cadets Cloud couldn't resist rolling his eyes. "Not really. They just like to make a habit out of watching every move I make."
He never did fit in well with groups, but with those other teens he felt even more out of place than he did back home. At least he knew what boys like Kevin and Danny were capable of. One well-aimed rock or fist to the jaw sent them home crying, but these boys, they came from different backgrounds and Cloud would be that they were tougher than a couple of neighborhood bullies. They were trying to enlist in SOLDEIR after all.
Zack hummed thoughtfully, wondering what he could do with that information. "Well, cadet, wanna play a little practical joke on them?" He asked, winking at the teen.
He shifted where he stood so they couldn't see his huge grin, still filling the bucket with the hose. "How would they react when a little cadet like yourself yelled and gave a 2nd Class an order, for, say, 'accidentally' getting water on your pants? I'd have no choice but to drop and give you twenty." He grinned mischievously at Cloud.
He didn't mind making a fool out of himself like others might, and if it helped boosted the teen's confidence then he'd be more than happy to. Besides, he'd love to see the look on all the cadets faces when Cloud yelled at him. That would just be too funny.
"Wha'd'ya say, Spiky? Think you can make it look real?" He waggled his brows at Cloud, eyes glinting with the deviousness he was so well known for.
Cloud wished that he had met Zack years ago. His childhood would have so much different. It wouldn't have been lonely, or boring that's for sure. Cloud took back what he originally thought of the Second Class. He wasn't crazy. He was a genius!
Cloud didn't smile, because the other cadets were still watching him, wondering what he was doing with a SOLDIER with Zack's reputation, but his eyes said it all. Though, he couldn't help but smirk a bit when Zack asked if he could make it look real. "Does my hair look like a chocobo?" Hey, if everyone else got to tease him and point it out, then so could he.
Cloud was all for Zack's plan. And maybe it would get the other cadets to actually leave him alone for a while.
Zack beamed at the teen, glad to know he'd be on board. Cloud seemed to slowly be opening up more and relaxing around Zack which made all his efforts worth it. "You bet your skinny butt it does." He said wryly, snickering so hard he snorted a few times.
But he had to keep from laughing. The thing about Zack though, when he was given an order (Even a fake one) he could make it look good.
So with the simplest of ease his wrist flicked and the hose sprayed the bottoms of Cloud's pants. He looked at Cloud then, his eyes going comically wide at the sight of what he'd done. "Oh, shi-, hey I'm so sorry about that!" He quickly turned the water off and made a show of trying to apologize to Cloud for getting his pants soaked.
He could hear the cadets laughing at Cloud. Now he'd see how the chocobo would react and if he could go with the plan in full swing.
From where Cloud stood, he could see Mathews motioning towards Cloud's now wet pant legs and leaning against another cadet as they shared a good laugh. Cloud was going to enjoy this...
Glaring down at Zack, he attempted to give him the most intense glare he could muster. Think cold, like Sephiroth, He thought to himself. "What the HELL! I heard you were crazy, but are you so incompetent that you can't even fill up a bucket of water?! This is SOLDIER, not Kindergarten! Drop down and give me twenty!"
Zack's eyes went even wider -if that was even possible- and he gave his biggest teary-eyed, whipped puppy look. "I-I'm so sorry! Yessir!" He said, dropping down with years of practiced ease to start doing the pushups. He had to admit, Cloud was a pretty good actor.
And man could he be scary serious for a cadet. Zack did everything he could to not laugh as he did the desired pushups. Especially when he could practically hear the other cadets' jaws hit the ground. He couldn't actually control the choked back snorts of laughter, but from his position and with the distance between them it probably came out more like choked sobs.
Which could only add to the whole scenario of Cloud sticking it to a 2nd Class. Oh yes, this was one of Zack's best ideas to date.
Cloud was both surprised and a little impressed with himself. Except for that one incident at the bridge leading to the Nibelheim reactor he had never yelled at another person before. He was just glad this time he didn't stutter, and boy was it hard not to break into a grin when Zack dropped down. Seeing the reaction of the other cadets was another challenge to keep a straight face.
Mathews who had been laughing before was still leaning on his buddy's shoulder, but it was only to hold him up from falling in disbelief. Cloud Strife, the shyest, quietest, most timid cadet had yelled at a Second Class SOLDIER and the guy actually listened!
Cloud looked up at them with the same intense glare. He wanted to ask them if they wanted to be next, but he didn't want to push his luck. It was hard enough keeping a straight face as it was.
It still had the desired effect when a few of them walked away the moment Cloud made eye contact, but two others, including Mathews hovered for a moment longer. That is, until Cloud's glare intensified even more and the one Mathews had been leaning on tugged him by the arm, finally pulling him away.
When they had finally left and Cloud and Zack were the only ones left in the area, he fell back and landed softly in the dirt. "Man, that was...wow. What just happened?"
Zack sprung up to his feet in an instant, not even having broken a sweat and he burst into laughter. Wow that had been tough to hold back. He squatted down to his haunches and looked at Cloud with a mile wide grin. "You, my little chocobo, just prankd your whole class. Congratulations and welcome to the ranks of master pranksters."
He laughed and reached out, ruffling Cloud's blonde spikes before holding his hand out for the cadet to take. "That was priceless! Man, you actually looked so serious it was kind of scary on such a cute face!" He laughed again, the look on Cloud's face had been utterly priceless.
This was the greatest thing the teen had pulled off in a while and it felt good to give Cloud that boost in confidence that he obviously needed around the other cadets. He'd call that a win even if he had to make a fool out of himself to get it.
xoxo
Genesis could only shake his head. "Isn't it obvious Sephiroth? The President doesn't want the war to end. During the war everyone was busy. There was always only one of us stationed here at any one time. Many more SOLDIERs were brought into the program, and his stocks and earnings went through the roof. War has made him rich and power hungry and ever since it ended he's been wanting more. If the princess were to be killed the war would start up again and who knows how long it'd last this time?"
Genesis knew he did the right thing, but hearing what Angeal said only made him angry at himself. "I should have lied further and said I had killed her. At least then she'd be out of danger for a while longer."
He suddenly realized something worse. Turning to Angeal he glared at his friend with determination. "We can't let him send a Turk. Those second-rate assassins won't even hesitate." He hated that he had let the girl get so close to him personally. But it was just so damn hard. It both angered and thrilled him to have such a strong urge to protect her.
"Besides, as his only living heir, Princess Yuffie would make an excellent ruler when her time came to take her nation's throne. I think the President wants to stop that from happening."
Normally Sephiroth would have been agitated by Genesis's attitude toward him, but considering his state of mind he let it slide. He still hated to think that was the reason, but he knew it had to be more than likely true. Which made the General angry at the President, though he hid his anger easier than Genesis.
"Have a little faith in the Turks, especially with Tseng as their acting leader right now. Tseng's a reasonable man and even he knows when the President has gone too far. I'll speak to him about this later." He turned his gaze toward the wall like he was considering something, but he shook his head instead.
"It was better that you didn't lie about having killed her." He said, turning his gaze back on his friend. "President Shinra would have eventually found out the truth, and when he did you'd have been court-martialed. There would have been nothing I could have done for you then. This way however, was the smarter path to take on the situation."
Angeal nodded in agreement with Sephiroth on that. "Sephiroth's right Gen, it's better that you simply said you couldn't find her then saying you killed her when you didn't. Look, Sephiroth will talk to Tseng about this. I know he's a Turk, but he's actually a good man, and the other Turks are loyal to him, not Shinra." He tried to offer a smile to settle Genesis down.
"What you need to do right now though, is not worry about this. You just got home, Seph will talk to Tseng and Shinra won't send anyone else under our noses after her, so for now she's safe and sound in Wutai. You need to relax, get something to drink and Goddess forbid quote a little Loveless to settle your mind after this whole thing." He chuckled a bit at that last statement, but even he could only handle so much Loveless before it started to grind on his nerves.
Genesis tried to put a face to the name Tseng. In all honesty, he hadn't met many Turks. There had been those two he had seen in the SOLDIER mess hall once. A red-headed pony tail punk with goggles and his suit untucked and unbuttoned and the other had darker skin with sunglasses and a frown that rivaled Sephiroth's.
Normally Genesis would hate that Sephiroth would be right, but the fact that his General agreed with him made it more tolerable. The Commander was many things, but he hated lying. If it hadn't been to save a life or angering his two friends or the energetic pup he wouldn't dream of telling a fib.
"I'll take your word for it," He replied to Angeal before his eyes grew wide with realization. He was right! He hadn't quoted his beloved Loveless once since his return! That had to be fixed immediately!
"The gift of the goddess is what the three men seek
But their fates are scattered by war
One is taken captured, one flies away
And the last becomes a hero
But the three are still bound by a solemn oath
To seek the answer together, once again"
With that fitting quote out of the way he sighed with relief. Loveless was like therapy to the Commander which was one of the reasons he was still sane after all his time as a SOLDIER.
Snorting quietly, the General turned to Angeal. "You had to remind him. I'll be sure to pay you back in training next time." He said, though he was serious about that. But even he could notice a difference in Genesis's personality, and he was pleased to see the Commander relaxing -even if it was at the cost of his possible sanity.
Shaking his head, Sephiroth looked back to Genesis as he started walking up the stairs. "Before he goes on further with the context of that quote, I'll be heading to my office. Did you get those forms done?" He asked, raising a single silver brow at his friend.
Angeal tried not to groan outwardly, he had suggested it after all. But he was well used to Genesis's obsession by now and he managed a smile instead. "That's more like the Genesis I know. Now that we're all settled on those matters, how about we have dinner together this weekend? Seph's place? Since you just got back." He asked with a smile.
He didn't miss the look Sephiroth shot his way about having it at his place, but they all knew the General secretly enjoyed having his friends at his empty apartment.
"I think I can manage to keep Zack tamed long enough to sit through dinner." He chuckled, knowing that if he had dinner with his friends he had to bring his puppy along otherwise he'd never hear the end of it.
Genesis pouted a bit at the expected responses from his friends. "Insulting a pure golden novel such as Loveless, You two should embrace the classics." Though, he was inwardly smiling. This was more like it. He slung an arm around his raven-haired friend's shoulder. "Dinner you say? You mean real food? I like Wutai noodles as much as the next guy, but eating it for two weeks straight is no way to keep a healthy diet. Will there be pizza?"
He grimaced a bit at the mention of paperwork. "Oh please, my dear General. I just got back and am trying to come out of a bad mood and you want to drag me back down with talk of paperwork? I know mercy isn't your thing, but just this once you might want to practice?"
Sephiroth had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "No to pizza in my apartment. Perhaps Italian will be more to your liking though." He walked up the steps and when they reached the floor where his office was he walked out. "And I'll show you mercy the day you don't quote Loveless."
He allowed himself the smallest of smirks because he knew that day would never come. Genesis couldn't go a single day without quoting it.
Angeal let out a laugh at their exchange and wrapped an arm around Genesis's shoulder. "Well, that's that. Sorry Gen, doesn't look like you'll ever be given mercy from Sephiroth." He smiled wryly and patted his shoulder. "Don't feel too bad, you torture him just as much with your quotes of Loveless so I think you two are even."
He smiled fondly at the two. Times like these were what reminded him how close they really were. "Back on the topic of dinner tomorrow, I think Italian will make everyone happy. Can you live with that?" He smiled a bit at Genesis.
Genesis scrunched up his face a bit in a pout towards the General before Angeal laughed. It was strange how that man's laughter could brighten up a room. It even did the impossible on many occasion and made Sephiroth smile. Genesis had tried, sure, but only Angeal had ever succeeded. "No pizza and paperwork? I'll have to drill that entire play into his subconscious in return. Sephiroth will be quoting Loveless in his sleep by the time I'm through with him."
And there came the famous Genesis grin. By now they should both know that he could back up his threats when pushed far enough.
He turned and grinned brightly at Angeal. "For you my friend, I can endure almost anything, even that annoying little pup of yours. Have you managed to find a strong enough leash for him while I was away? Or even better, a muzzle? At least tell me he's finally house broken."
Sephiroth gave a grunt in response and walked into his office without another word. He knew Genesis would hold true to his word, and that was something to be concerned for when it dealt with the General's mental health.
Stepping around his desk, green Mako glowing eyes immediately spotted the dirt left on top of it. He stopped, not even sitting down. Who had been in his office? Staring at the dirt his lips twitched to a slight frown. "Someone was in my office." That shouldn't normally be alarming to him, but it was when he hadn't been in it for an hour.
Angeal chuckled at his friend's comment about Zack. "No leash this side of the continent is strong enough for him, trust me I've tried them all." He said teasingly, smiling fondly at the thought of the teen. "He'd just whine nonstop with the muzzle on. And sadly he's yet to be house broken."
He was about to laugh but stopped himself when Sephiroth suddenly spoke up about someone being in his office. He broke away from Genesis and looked at the dirt on his desk, eyes flashing with concern.
Genesis wanted to sigh in defeat upon hearing that his friend's pupil still had yet to be properly trained, but stopped short before hearing Sephiroth mention something about a possible intruder? Genesis entered the room and glanced around. Nothing seemed amiss, then again there wasn't much to the large place. It was a shame to have such a massive space and hardly use any of it.
Looking down he saw something that the General seemed to have missed. He lowered himself until he was balancing on his ankles and gently poked the carpet with his finger. There were indents of a pair of boots here. They were starting to fade, but the detail was still easy enough to see for a First Class SOLDIER.
"It seems we have a curious SOLDIER here, possibly even a cadet, judging by the standard Cadet-issued boot prints here." He examined the direction the boots were facing as well as their position. "I think there was more than one. This fellow here was obviously a lookout." He nodded his head to indicate the distance between the prints and the elevator doors.
Sephiroth looked up from his desk and the dirt that was annoying him to see the foot prints Genesis had spotted. So two intruders were in here while he was gone. That wasn't good. He looked around the rest of his desk but didn't notice anything missing.
As he sat down to go through his drawers, he immediately noticed how all of them had been gone through. "They were looking for something in my desk." Now he was more than just alarmed. He had papers that shouldn't be seen by anyone lower ranked than himself and no executive needed to see his papers either.
Then the one thing he didn't even find to be important was missing and he leaned forward to press his fingers against his temple. "Zack."
Angeal was getting more alarmed until one word came out of Sephiroth's mouth, and he facepalmed immediately. "What did he do Seph..." He had only left Zack alone for an hour, an hour! And the teen had gone to the General's office with someone? He couldn't even fathom what had gone through that teen's spiky haired head.
Upon hearing that name Genesis looked up at Angeal with a big grin. "Remind me to keep a look out for leashes the next time I'm deployed to Wutai." He stood up and brushed himself off before making his way over towards the desk. "Tell me, General, how did you realize it was our favorite puppy who was in here? And better yet..."
He glanced back to the spot where the foot prints were stationed. "What poor fool was roped into his games?"
"I don't know who he brought, but I know it was him." Sephiroth closed his drawers and glanced up at them. "That slingshot I confiscated from him after he was using Heidegger's...rear...as target practice, is missing." He snorted. Honestly it had been amusing but he still had to take the slingshot away from the teen.
Angeal groaned and rubbed his face, glancing at the General with a weak smile. "I'm sorry Seph, I'll make sure to get it back from him." Only Zack would be brave enough -or stupid enough, Angeal couldn't tell- to actually break into the General's office and steal something that had been taken away from him to begin with.
Genesis burst out laughing. "I'll never forget that day. The poor fool clapped his hands to his behind and rolled around in the dirt shouting 'I'm hit! I'm hit! We're under attack!'" The Commander held his sides he was laughing so hard.
It took a minute or two, but when he finally managed to control his laughter he wiped a tear from his eye. "That was the only time I felt like praising the young pup." Yet, he also wished it had been him who had done the same, only with a fireball instead of a simple, harmless rock. The only thing injured that day was the fat man's pride.
Genesis was suddenly struck with an epiphany. One that could get him out of doing his paperwork for a while.
Placing a hand on Angeal's shoulder he shook his head in understanding. "Zack has come to expect you to always be the one to catch him when he gets into trouble. Perhaps this time I should be the one to confront him. I might be able to get him to use his brain for once and think about his actions in the future. After all, they do not call me a fiery red-head for nothing." He threw in a wink with his smirk to make it look good.
The Silver General was capable of containing his amusement far better than Genesis, though he'd be lying if he said it hadn't amused him even a bit when it happened. "As humorous as it was, he shouldn't have had a slingshot or shot people with it. Especially people like a Shinra executive such as Heidegger."
Shaking his head, Sephiroth glanced to Angeal. He did feel a little bad for the man, having to put up with Zack all the time. And he really had become soft, favoring the teen and such. When Sephiroth reached for his usual pen -more out of habit when sitting at his desk for more than five minutes- he was surprised for a second time since entering his office that day.
His pen didn't budge.
He applied more strength but it wasn't going anywhere. Eyes glowing with annoyance now, he turned to Angeal and Genesis. "It appears he also decided to glue my pen down." Now he was more involved than he had been about the slingshot.
The bigger 1st looked at Genesis warily. "You're not going to try and set him on fire are you? I can handle taking back a silly slingshot without possibly maiming my student or anyone else in the vicinity." He said wryly as he crossed his thick corded arms over his chest.
He didn't actually think Genesis would hurt his student but with that temper of his one couldn't be too careful.
"If you can do it without maiming him fine. But at least go easy on whoever he talked into helping. The poor cadet probably doesn't know any better about being around a hyperactive 2nd Class like Zack." He rolled his eyes a bit, he could only imagine what Zack had said to the cadet that had helped about what they were doing.
He turned to Sephiroth though when he suddenly said that his pen had been glued down and the stoic Commander did a full on facepalm. "Oh Goddess tell me he didn't..." He should have leashed Zack to his apartment until the meeting was done. He knew better by now, really he did.
Genesis couldn't resist sticking out his lower lip in a pout. "Aw, but torching cadets is one of my favorite pass times."
He was lying of course. He had never actually harmed a cadet in his life...except that one time when a cadet had come to summon him to a meeting and Genesis was in the middle of training with his Materia. But it was an accident and Genesis immediately put it out and took the cadet to the infirmary. The only reason he needed to be summoned that way was because he had melted his phone. But that was how the rumors started and Genesis hadn't been able to live it down since.
"Fine, fine, I'll let the little grunt off with a warning. As for Zack, well, it depends if this room was his only target. After all, We know when the pup gets into trouble it often creates a domino effect." Genesis snorted when he heard of Sephiroth's newest discovery. "You've got to give him points for creativity."
Sephiroth shot a cold glare aimed at Genesis before he pressed his fingers to his temples and gave a quiet sigh. His favorite pen was now glued to his desk, and it would take a lot of work to get it freed without ruining either the pen or the desk. He liked this desk too.
Before another thought could cross his mind -primarily how to neuter a certain puppy with Masamune- he looked up at Genesis and Angeal with a snort. "Find him and find out what else he's done, and stop him before he can do anything else." The General ordered.
Angeal could only groan at the thought and rub his neck, looking at Sephiroth sympathetically. "Sorry Seph. We'll make sure he hasn't caused any other trouble and bring him here ASAP." He shot Genesis a look before walking out of the General's office. He had a feeling they were too late and the teen had struck somewhere else already; and he didn't dare think of what else the 2nd Class could have done during the hour they were in the meeting.
Especially when he'd stole away into Sephiroth's office, took back his slingshot and glued his pen down. Oh Goddess his puppy was so dead...
Genesis did a mock bow before following Angeal out of the office. He had to admit, Zack was one clever SOLDIER. He was thinking of pranks that Genesis could only dream of, and he seemed to know the best ways to get under the General's skin. True, Genesis knew a few tricks of his own, but Zack just had that gift of going the extra mile. If it weren't for Genesis's reputation he'd probably team up with the pup for a few good pranks on Sephiroth.
Chancing a glance at his best friend, however, Genesis knew it wouldn't be fair to Angeal. The poor man was stressed out enough already. "So, where do you think we should begin our search?" He asked Angeal.
Leaving Sephiroth to try and free his pen, Angeal hit the button for the elevator with a grumble. "With Zack? I have no clue. But I have a feeling we need to check our apartments to make sure they're in one piece, because if Zack came to Sephiroth's office, I guarantee you he went to the 1sts apartment floor."
He huffed and rubbed his face as he stepped onto the elevators and pushed the button for their apartment level. Granted, the 1sts kept their apartments locked, somehow he doubted that would deter the teen for even a second.
"What did I do in a pass life to deserve this?" He muttered wryly, glancing at Genesis with a weak grin. "I swear Zack's trying to get himself killed sometimes just to torture me." He chuckled dryly and shook his head.
TBC