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!
Bahamut: Hey everyone! Yes, this is Bahamut Fury, but as you can see I've changed my username to fangirlMasquerade, to match my dA name. (You can find me there with Marvel's Thor stories with Loki in them if you're interested!) Ahem, now that my self advertising is done, sorry we didn't get a new update before the new year, but! A week later isn't too bad of a wait. Holidays are crazy you know. But the craziness should be dying down now. So here's a new update!
Shade: Happy New Year everyone! I'm so glad the holidays are over. They were fun, but now I just want to sleep for a month. J/k too many stories to write for that. xD If you guys haven't picked up a copy of Final Fantasy XV yet you guys are missing out! It's done wonders for my writing muse and it's an amazing game to boot! With a new year comes a new update for this little collab of ours and I hope you enjoy!
Hey Cadets - Pop Quiz
Genesis's eyes lit up at bit at the mention of Materia and offered a rare smile. It was small, but he was impressed. "It's about time someone takes an interest in a SOLDIER skill other than simply swinging a sword around." He looked over at Zack. "Mind if I have a look at the Materia you're going to use?"
"I've got it," Replied Cloud as he pulled out the box and opened it for the Commander to see.
Genesis studied each one and pulled out the Fire Materia and then the Ice followed by the Barrier. "Not a bad set, though they're all pretty weak, even for a starter set. This Ice looks to be the best of the bunch, though you'll want to make sure your defensive and healing Materia are strong in the beginning. You can work on increasing your offense later."
He smirked as he placed the Materia back in the box. "Trust me, a strong Cure will save you a lot of pain in the long run."
Cloud nodded as he closed the box and gave Zack a look that asked if this behavior was normal for the Commander? "Um, thanks Commander, and about last night...with your books? I'm sorry."
Genesis resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Water under the bridge, cadet." He looked over at Zack before pulling out a copy of Loveless from his coat pocket. "And to answer your question, Fair, I was woken up early this morning by some unknown stranger who had returned my books to me. I can only assume it was Reeve. After all, he wouldn't know about the order not to return my collection so soon so, he couldn't get in trouble if he were to give them back. He probably assumed they were mine, and I certainly wasn't about to leave them in the hall all weekend." He gave Zack a sly look, which said he knew full well it wasn't Reeve. The man probably would never had noticed them in his cluttered office.
He then gave Cloud an evil grin. "It's very fortunate that you're here and not in your bunk, Cadet. It seems your fellow classmates got themselves into a pickle and I've been assigned to have a...friendly chat with them."
Zack shook his head at the Commander about how weak the Materia was. "He's still just a cadet, he doesn't even have any Mako in his system. I didn't think I should start him off with something like a mastered Fire." He said dryly, grinning a bit at Cloud and ruffling his hair. "He'll get them worked up on his own time anyway, right Spiky?"
Of course Genesis would think anything that isn't even leveled up twice is weak, the man being a master at Materia and all. But Zack knew a thing or two as well, and a weak Materia was best suited for someone who had no experience with them at all.
He still remembered when a cadet in his bunk back when he was still a cadet himself had gotten ahold of a Thunder Materia that was almost mastered. The idiot had tried using it in an attempt to show off and say Materia was easy to use at any level. But when he summoned the energy of the Materia, it ended up practically blowing up the bunker the cadets were all in and frying some of them before a 2nd Class managed to swipe it from the teen and stop it's raging bolts of lightning flying all over the place.
Zack swore his hair wasn't nearly as spiky before that incident.
When Genesis answered his question about being awake so early, the teen stood at attention and looked at him a little warily. He obviously knew it was Zack, the look on his face said as much. But he was actually going to cover for him about 'disobeying' an order? He must have really put Genesis into a good mood by returning the books.
"Well it did take him a whole day to find it." He said, just playing along and shrugging with a slight smile aimed at the Commander.
Though the smile faltered a bit as Genesis talked about having a 'friendly' chat with the other cadets. He couldn't imagine what they had done to earn a visit from the 1st Class, because Genesis and cadets? It would not be friendly, or pleasant for that matter. Everyone knew how much Genesis loathed cadets, so him going to see them would end badly.
For the cadets, anyway. He silently sent a little prayer up to the Goddess for their safe passage.
Genesis wasn't one for spreading rumors, unless they were in fact true, plus he loved to embarrass Sephiroth any chance he got. "I'm sure the cadet will do better then Sephiroth on his first try. As long as he doesn't try to freeze his hair."
That had been the best training session ever. The three Firsts were only Thirds back then and it was their first lesson with Ice Materia. Sephiroth was the last one to shower and his hair was still damp by the time they started. He grabbed a level two Ice since it was expected of him by Hojo that he get used to mastering things at a faster pace than others. What the good professor didn't take into account was waist-length silver hair. Sephiroth cast Blizzard, but instead of blasting a beam at Angeal who was working on his defense the room was coated with a light layer of snow and Sephiroth's hair was frozen solid.
The Commander snickered at the memory. They had the best times as Thirds. The elevator arrived at the lobby, but Genesis only shook his head before stepping out. "Just don't bring that story up at dinner tonight, Fair. Not if you want the night to end on a painless note." With that he took his leave, leaving a slightly stunned and very confused cadet.
Cloud turned to Zack. "Does he really think I could do anything better than the General?" He certainly didn't think so.
Zack guffawed at the idea of Sephiroth having frozen his hair. The mental image was too good not to laugh at, and he wished he had been there to see it in person because he doubted he'd ever see anything like it ever. He stepped off the elevator sniggering and looked at Cloud with a shrug. "Don't worry Cloud, you won't freeze your hair. Besides, I'll be there just in case you do." He grinned and wrapped an arm around the cadet's shoulders.
He looked after Genesis and waved his hand. "See you tonight!" He called after him before he strode out of the lobby and into the street of Midgar. He looked at Cloud and smiled. "We're gonna make a quick stop at a convenient store to grab a couple bottles of water." He informed the teen.
He'd learned the hard way that having a bottle of water when going out for training was a life savor. He wouldn't let the poor cadet die of dehydration like he'd practically done when he'd gone training like this. The 2nd Class made his way through the street, leading the teen to the convenient store he liked going to. He was so excited about going training he had an extra pep in his step it seemed.
Cloud rolled his eyes at the very idea. Though, he had to remind himself that Zack still had not experienced a winter in Nibelheim. He'd find out soon enough though. How surprisingly easy it was for hair to freeze in extreme sub-zero temperatures.
He was careful to watch the sword as they headed for the store. It didn't exactly come with a sheath nor did it have a harness. What was the Commander thinking when he suggested Cloud use this sword? There were smaller swords better suited for rookies. Was this a test?
"I'm looking forward to today." And he was. This was his chance to show Zack and everyone else what he could do and more importantly, if he did good here then it could only help his chances of making Third. His training had already begun since it took a lot just to keep up with Zack who was a little too excited about their training. Honestly, did he not realize he was almost running?
xoxo
Genesis made sure he had the right bunk room first before letting himself in. As he suspected, the cadets were all still asleep. Checking the clock on the wall he noted that it was only 6:13 in the morning. He was going to enjoy this.
"Cadets, could I please have your attention?"
He arched an eye brow as his polite request went unnoticed. He crossed his arms and tried again, choosing to be civil. "I said, I'd like to address you properly-"
"Shuddup 'n go back ta sleep Dork," Said one cadet who lazily threw one of his pillows which hit Genesis in the face. The cadet hadn't even opened his eyes before he threw the pillow and then turned over to place his remaining pillow over his head.
The temperature in the room started to rise slowly. Suddenly flames spread forward from Genesis's Fire Materia and snaked it's way in the air, showing off his complete mastery of the element. The flame snaked it's way and spread to each and every cadet in the room before striking out like a snake hitting every one of them in the rear.
All five boys yelped and hollered as they grabbed their hind ends and jumped out of bed. The smell of singed skin hung in the air.
"I tried asking nicely," Genesis seethed, not very happy. The cadets' eyes grew wide as they stood to attention when they noticed the Commander standing in front of the door.
"Pathetic. This is the future of SOLDIER?" He asked as he looked over each one. Sure, they had muscles and height and looked more formidable than Strife, but they lacked far more in the long run. He had a way of getting his point across and wanted to make sure to take care of what he and Angeal had discussed the previous night. However, he wanted to beat around the bush first and pretty much just make them squirm.
"How much MP does a Neo Bahamut cost?" He asked one cadet.
"I-I don't kn-know, sir."
He glared at another cadet. "You, where is the Zolom's weak spot?"
"Um...it's tail?"
Genesis held up his Materia and the cadet flinched as it glowed. "Are you guessing, cadet?" He pointed at another cadet who only had his boxers on. "How many levels does a Materia have to reach before it creates a new one?"
The boy only whimpered in response.
Genesis gave an exasperated sigh as he shook his head. "Pathetic. You want to be in SOLDIER, yet you know none of that?"
"Commander, sir," One cadet piped up, "We're not going to start Materia until next week, and everything else will be covered after that- eep!"
Genesis got right in the boy's face and glared him into silence. "Had I been an enemy you would be dead. No enemy you encounter will give you time to wait and learn the information. If you want to survive in SOLDIER you have to know your shit ahead of time. I don't care if this is your first few weeks or not. If you want to survive in this program you had best learn survival skills quickly."
He then looked around at the five boys. He knew just how to approach this topic without showing any sort of favoritism. "I see five boys and six bunks. Where is the extra cadet?" He purposely looked towards the bathroom.
"Cloud's not here," Said one teen.
"And where might this Cadet Cloud be?" He asked, trying to make it seem that saying that word as a name was odd, which it was, but he was used to hearing weird names.
"Off playing SOLDIER's pet with Zack."
Genesis remained silent and only tilted his head, he was waiting to see if they'd take the bait.
"Sir, he's the one whose the problem here." Mathews had hated the way that Cloud had glared at him last night, it felt like a challenge and this was the perfect chance to get him back for it. "He doesn't respect the higher ups. He was trying to order around a Second Class like he was the General. He cut classes all last week and he's pretty wimpy. Not well-built or anything. He's really not cut out to be here, Sir. I think he cheated his way in."
Genesis knew now where he had seen this boy. He was the one on the security camera and also knew that this was a pathetic revenge tactic. "I see..." He could tell this poor fool lacked enough IQ to get into SOLDIER so he'd let the boy fail on his own. As far as he could tell the only one in this group that deserved to be a Third was Cloud. It was time to cut to the chase.
"Well, cadet, for your information, the other Firsts and I have noticed the potential within Cadet Strife. We've been watching him and from what we saw, he's perfectly qualified to become a Third."
The look on the boy's face was priceless. "But, Sir! He's a wimp! He can't even lift over a hundred pounds!"
"SOLDIER isn't all about strength," Genesis snapped. "You have to be strong, fast and smart to survive. Mako will take care of the strength issue, but he has the right qualities which makes him a promising choice. But that's not why I'm here. You stumbled onto something last night when you saw the cadet and SOLDIER Fair out back. If you ever hope to make SOLDIER, you'll not tell a single soul that you saw them. In fact, I want you to forget the event entirely. If not then I will personally come and fire you from the program." He ignited his Fire Materia once again to show he wasn't kidding.
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Sir!" They all shouted at once.
"Good, now, which bed is Strife's?"
One of the cadets pointed to the bunk in the corner. Genesis wandered over to it and opened the drawer to the night stand and collected the last of Cloud's things that he didn't bring with him to Zack's. He'd have to talk to Angeal later, but the cadet couldn't stay here any longer. Not only was he in danger from Hojo, but Genesis didn't trust these boys not to try something with the cadet the moment he returned.
Making sure he had everything he gave the boys another death glare before holding out his Fire Materia one last time. "I mean it, say anything to anyone and you will regret it." There was a bright flash as the fire engulfed the Commander, forcing the cadets to shield there eyes. When they looked back, Genesis was gone.
Genesis had to fight his laughter as he hurried from the barracks. He loved scaring the living daylights out of them. Serves them right for throwing a pillow in his face. This would make a fun story to tell at dinner.
xoxo
2nd Class Fair was inside the convenient store and heading to the back where the refrigerated drinks were kept, grabbing about four bottles of water. "Want anything else? Snack?" He asked over his shoulder, grabbing a couple bags. One being a bag of mixed nuts, and the other a bag of cheetos.
He wasn't hungry, but knew nuts would be good for giving boosts of energy when they'd used up all the calories from this morning's breakfast and it wouldn't ruin their lunch or dinner later on. The cheetos were for the fiends in the Train Graveyard, because Zack had found it was easy enough to lure out fiends that were wary of 2nd Class Mako enhanced SOLDIERs for the cheesy snacks. They really weren't that bright, honestly.
The teen grinned at Cloud and winked. "Grab whatever you want. Nuts are better though, healthier." He shrugged. So Angeal rubbed off on him a little with eating a bit healthier. He wasn't ashamed to say he looked up to the man and admired him. He grabbed one last bag -a bag of jerky because he just loved it- and turned to see if Cloud wanted anything while sitting everything on the counter for the cashier to ring up while he got his wallet out.
Cloud shrugged and looked at the shelves for something more to his taste. Nuts were just fine and pretty tasty, but there was something else he was looking for. He smiled when he found it. Taking a few packets of it he held them up for Zack to see.
"Energy bars." He had three of them. One was mixed with blueberries, the other with strawberries and the last with almonds. Candy wasn't very common up in the mountains, but to Cloud, these bars were no different than a chocolate bar really. It gave him more energy and didn't leave any weird after taste.
Zack beamed and paid the checker for everything. "Nice choice! Angeal doesn't like it when I eat them, really don't know why but nuts do the same thing either way." He shrugged. Angeal didn't like Zack having anything to eat or drink that had 'energy' in the title. It wasn't like it changed anything about the teen's energy levels. At least he didn't see a difference, but he shrugged it off and grabbed the bag of bottles of water and snacks for energy later.
"Come on! The train will be leaving for the Slums soon." He said, glancing at his watch and grabbing Cloud, dragging him from the convenient store and toward the train station.
Cloud rolled his eyes as he followed Zack out the door. He thought about telling him there was a difference between energy drinks and snacks that claimed to boost energy only for the consumer to crash later and the Nuetra energy bars that he had picked up, but decided to save his breath since Zack probably wouldn't have heard him anyway. Zack seemed more excited about this then he was. Cloud was pretty stoked, though he was trying to reserve his energy for the training. Unlike Zack, he didn't have endless stores of energy thanks to Mako, even if Cloud did have trace amounts in his system which came from living near a reactor.
As they made their way towards the train station Cloud took in all the sights around him. If this was going to be a regular thing then he best get used to such big crowds. It had been busy last night, but nothing compared to the daytime rush, even if it was still early. He didn't think it would thin out anytime soon.
The train itself was pretty busy with commuters going about their day during the morning rush, but the car they were in seemed to be the least crowded of the group. Cloud wondered if it was because of them for a moment, since not everyone felt comfortable around SOLDIERs. He couldn't understand why. Sure if it were the General or Genesis maybe, but this was Zack, the most friendly guy around. What was not to like? Though, he'd never say that out loud.
One woman was giving Cloud a worried look and constantly motioning with her eyes between him and Zack as if trying to warn him. Another man standing up and holding onto one of the swinging metal handles mouthed the word, 'SOLDIER' to him.
He knew they probably meant well, but it took everything he had not to roll his eyes at them. He decided instead to ignore their warnings and turned to Zack. "Why are people here afraid of SOLDIERs?" The man and woman both gave him shocked looks as if they couldn't believe the boy had the guts to actually talk directly to him. Cloud wondered if they would have even bothered if he had been wearing his cadet uniform.
Zack seemed pretty oblivious to the worried looks and glances being shot his way. He was used to the citizens in how they feared SOLDIERs, though he did try his best not to seem all that intimidating. Even if he wasn't wearing his 2nd Class uniform though, they'd be wary of him strictly because he couldn't hide the fact he was a SOLDIER with his Mako glowing eyes.
Every SOLDIER had that very distinguishing mark.
He blinked and looked at Cloud when he asked and then looked at the man and woman both, offering a gentle smile but they probably didn't see because they immediately turned their gazes away from him when he looked their way.
"Try not to take it to heart. It's not just the people here but everywhere. It's because of our enhanced strength for the most part, that and we're trained to kill." He looked back at Cloud and ruffled his hair with a bright smile. "But once they've been saved by a SOLDIER that look disappears." He whispered with a grin.
He gripped Cloud's shoulder reassuringly. "Of course there's always the stories that SOLDIERs are some kind of monsters, what with all the Mako they pump into us. Like we'll just snap and tear people apart." He drawled, flashing a grin at the two that had been trying to 'warn' Cloud about him.
Who knew people could be so jumpy about a simple gesture? He sniggered a bit and looked at Cloud with a shrug. "Like I said, don't take it to heart. We can't help the rumors that fly around about us. When you make SOLDIER you'll start hearing the whispers behind your back about that stuff from civilians like them." He motioned to the others in the car.
"They're just afraid because they don't really understand that we're no different, just enhanced with Mako is all." He smiled a bit and looked back out the window so the people in the car didn't think he was aiming at any one of them in particular.
Cloud could only blink stupidly at his friend. Zack? A monster? That'd be the day. Still he never really realized that while many boys like him dreamed of being in SOLDIER there were many who would fear them. Cloud was used to being shunned, but to be feared left a very unsettling feeling.
"Well, someone should show them that SOLDIERs aren't killers. I've always heard that they protect people. I thought that was basic knowledge." He looked back at the two who had tried to warn him, the woman looked like she was trying to make herself look as small as possible. She was really scared he realized. The man, he could see was looking up at the ceiling, the look on his face told Cloud just what he thought of what the boy was saying. It was those two reactions that decided it for him.
Turning back to Zack he had a determined look that spoke volumes. "I don't know what gave everyone reason to believe such garbage, but I won't be like that. I'll give them reason to praise SOLDIERs. I want to be the kind of SOLDIER that people look up to. I don't want to kill anyone, I won't be a monster. I want to be a hero."
The teen looked back at Cloud with a somber smile; a look that was rare on Zack's usually happy face. He didn't disagree with Cloud in the least, he tried every day to be a SOLDIER people could look up to. But the cadet would have to eventually learn that he couldn't be a SOLDIER and not kill; it was impossible to do so.
Zack still remembered his first kill and it had been hard for him, but he had Angeal to help him through it. He silently vowed to be there for Cloud, because it was going to happen sooner rather than later once he became SOLDIER.
Patting the cadet's head, he looked up when the train came to a halt at their stop in the Slums. His eyes lit up and the somber mood he'd been put in wiped away in an instant at the screeching of the train's wheels stopping. "Hey, this is our stop! Come on!" He grabbed Cloud and dragged him from the car and onto the platform with the few others getting off here as well, along with a few people getting on the train.
The smell of the Slums was a unique one, but Zack was immuned to it by now. Though he couldn't help but grin and look at Cloud to judge his reaction as they walked off the platform. "How about that fresh air smell?" He asked dryly, nudging the blonde with a laugh.
TBC