Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.
A/N: I am going to try to get these chapters out as evenly spaced as possible, schedule permitting. If I'm late or miss a day or two, sorry about that. Both me and my beta are in school and as a woman with children, I insist that school comes first. Although I have shortened the chapters, that doesn't mean I took anything out. I simply took each chapter and cut it into two chapters.
Also, instead of writing the word out like SOLDIER, I have opted to just capitalize the first letter. (Regular infantry soldiers will not have a capital so that will distinguish the difference.) To me, sometimes I just find it distracting if I see the word a few lines down and my eyes are drawn down to it instead of the line I'm on.
There is a poker game in the flashback and I'm not real sure on how to play. I think I got it right, if not, sorry, just pretend.
I want to thank my fantastic beta SubZeroChimera!
"He who devotes sixteen hours a day to hard study may become at sixty as wise as he thought himself at twenty." –Mary Wilson Little
Nexus
Chapter 2
Waking to the sound of a door opening, he looked to see that it was a slightly shorter man than him, well-muscled with dirty blond hair. Weirdly enough, he was walking backward and carrying someone's pale legs. Another man who was slightly taller than the silent blond and muscled, but with a little pudgy stomach, followed behind with pale shoulders. The man's dark brown hair parted down the middle showed the beginnings of a bald spot on the top of his head.
Sitting up and looking over at them, the naked man covered himself and watched them curiously, then he recognized that they were the same ones that brought him from the lab to the cell. The man who was carrying the legs looked around a little nervously but the second guy said with quiet confidence, "We're not supposed to talk to ya'll but... my name is Davis."
Zack's nervousness made his voice slightly quiver, "Please tell me what's going on." Looking over to the other bed, they put Cloud on it as gently as they had him. Davis and the silent guy turned and left without another word. The silent one took the sheet that covered Cloud with him as they left.
Calling his name, he ran on tip toes across the arctic cold tiles over to see Cloud, still groggy and his eyes were rolling around aimlessly. With a sigh, he relaxed at the thought of him at least still being alive.
Having a little more strength back, he decided to explore his new 'home away from home'. That thought made him let out a nervous little scoff. The entrance to the bathroom sat situated in the corner of the back wall. Stepping into the room, he passed the sink, then the toilet to the shower stall at the other end. No towels or anything at all to put on. Damn he was cold and it felt like he was getting colder. With his feet cold enough that he couldn't really feel them anymore he explored the heavy metal door that served as the entrance to the cell. A little window about the size of his face was at eye level. 'Very welcoming' he thought to himself sarcastically. He couldn't see through it, so he guessed that their captors would be able to see in. Heading back over to his bed, he lay back down and curled up and waited for Cloud to wake up.
Not having to wait too much longer, Cloud sat up slowly and looked around at his new surroundings. Noticing Zack across the room, he blushed when he noticed his friend across from him, and naked.
"Geez, Zack, put something on would ya?" Cloud said as he rubbed his forehead and eyes.
Zack sat up at the movement and sentence from his friend, "I could say the same thing about you, buddy," The former Soldier said with some amusement in his tone.
Cloud looked down and blushed even more and tried to cover himself. After swallowing down some of his embarrassment, the blond asked, "Where are we?"
Zack started speaking to Cloud, but then ended by addressing their captors, if they were listening, "Don't know, but it sure is cold and we sure could use some clothes and blankets in here!"
Trying to stay calm, the infantry soldier searched his memory for what might be going on, "I remember some tanks and water. You?" Cloud was visibly shaking from the cold and maybe a little anxiety to top it off.
"Yeah, I woke up while you were still in that tank. No one told me anything except our new names," Zack rubbed his arms with his hands trying to warm up.
"What new names?" Cloud asked puzzled.
"Yeah, I'm specimen Z, your specimen C. Real original, I know," Zack immediately regretted saying that when Cloud just looked at him with puzzled eyes. He realized that he was going to have to remember that Cloud was just a kid and scared. Hell, he was scared too, but he had to be strong for his friend. Cloud was looking to Zack to fix it and he was going to fix it, even if it killed him. Trying to back pedal his statement, he added, "Not that it means anything. We won't be here for very long, I'm sure of it."
The four soldiers that carried the crystal into the lab were standing around the crystal studying it. The more curious, but clumsy, Private Barber sat down on the floor next to it to re-tie his boot that had come untied when he stepped on the lace.
"Damn Barber," said Specialist Abbot, "Born a klutz, die a klutz!"
Barber just chuckled in a mocking tone while the other soldiers laughed, leaving a smirk on his young face.
"Hell, you almost dropped that crystal and got us all in trouble," Private Stringer added to the insults.
Barber stood up and faced the others, "Yeah? Well I didn't drop it now did I?" Knowing his argument was useless, he still felt the need to defend himself against his friends and peers.
Laughing loudly, Private Lawrence said, "Yeah, thanks to us!" Finishing up with a jovial slap to Abbot's shoulder.
Barber just stood there and shook his head in defeat.
When Hojo came in the room, he was a man on a serious mission and made a B-line toward the laughing soldiers. Glaring at them until they backed away, Hojo turned his attention to the crystal, checking it over for damage.
Barber and the others scattered in two different directions. Unfortunately the lack of grace that Barber was born with, tripped him up on a hose that went across the floor. It went to a tank that looked like the other ones in lab 2 only this tank was on its side. It resembled a big clear coffin. Of course, the other three soldiers started a whole new set of laughter as Barber tried to right himself before he broke something. Catching himself next to a large vat of what looked like mako in it, sure it stopped his fall, but the vat cracked down the side, 'Oh Shit' was the less than helpful thought in Barber's mind.
Snapping over to Barber quicker than he ever moved before, Hojo got up close to his face and said in a threatening tone, "Get out of here, if you can leave without breaking something else. If you do break anything else, I will have your job and maybe even your head!" As the last part came out of Hojo's mouth he could swear that he saw an evil flicker behind those eyes. Stringer, Abbot and Lawrence came around to Barber, being chastised, and grabbed his arm to pull him along with them. As they left out the door, Hojo cackled to himself and repeated, "And your head!"
Standing out in the hallway, waiting for further instructions they all just stared at Barber until Stringer said jokingly, "This is becoming a habit. You know, rescuing you from certain doom!" Muffled laughter erupted from the other two.
Barber wasn't amused and downright alarmed, "He seemed so serious. Didn't you see and hear it too?" Asked the soldier that was the center of amusement.
"No. I was too busy watching to see if you were going to fall into the tub of raw mako," responded Lawrence trying not to laugh.
Under his breath, Barber reaffirmed, "Well I think I'm gonna steer clear of him."
"Probably a good idea," Abbot continued, "We don't know how long we're going to be stationed here and getting on his bad side from the start is definitely not in your best interests."
After a long pause, "I wonder if those other guys that we picked up survived?" asked Stringer.
"Don't know, but I think I know the dark-haired one though," Abbot continued, "If he is who I think he is, we were on a mission and I was with the squad that was his back-up. He's a Soldier first class. Awesome in battle… Zack Fair. He always seemed like such a nice guy, but when battle started, he was all business."
"Do you know the other one?" Stringer asked.
"I do," Piped up Lawrence, "We were in basic training together. Private Strife. We didn't get along very well."
"Hey, you guys, you two go guard the front door to the mansion and you two guard the entrance to the lab sectors," Ordered the Sergeant in charge.
Quickly Stringer and Abbot headed for the front door and Barber and Lawrence went to the entrance to the labs.
As two of his techs entered the room their eyes locked on Hojo. Caressing the crystal as if trying to comfort it, he talked quietly to it, but they couldn't tell what he was saying. Looking at each other, they shrugged their shoulders and went to their workstations.
Wolfe was an excellent lab assistant. Excellent in the way that he did whatever he was asked and never questioned. The man was a superior's wet dream all wrapped up in a package that strongly resembled Burton. Not really knowing a lot of what they would be doing there at the labs, he was willing to please his superiors in any way they wanted or needed. Of course that creeped Harding out to no end.
Harding on the other hand, knew that no good could come from Hojo. He was well aware of what kind of man Hojo was. Originally joining the resistance in hopes of helping the planet, he had no idea how deep he could get until the phone call that brought him here to the Nibelheim mansion. Being the only Physician's Assistant, he was so far being underutilized. Sooner or later, he would be in possession of something that could be useful.
So far since he got there, all he saw was a Soldier and an infantryman. Harding considered both his enemy, but he needed to separate himself from his emotions so he was able to get the information necessary for the resistance's mission. In doing that, it would need him doing things to these men that Hojo saw as an everyday and perfectly sane thing to do. After all, the way Hojo's thinking went, he didn't know how no one had their own laboratory/torture chamber in every basement though out the suburbs.
Now he was in front of this crystal, he couldn't tell who or what was in it, but Hojo seemed to know and he was almost over the top excited.
"Alright, you two come over here; you need to put this crystal into the tank in a mako bath," Hojo ordered.
Pointing to his own chest, raising his eyebrows, Harding's anger at the implication of manual labor was at the forefront. A short glaring contest ensued between Harding and the Professor until Hojo's glare became something less than human.
Finally complying, the crystal was very heavy and still on the heavy-duty metal stretcher the soldiers brought it in on. Slinging the straps attached to the crane that lowered from the heavy-duty framework on the ceiling, under the crystal and securing them in place went smoothly. The soldiers that brought it in, however, had it perfectly balanced in a precarious and dangerous position on the carrier and it was just waiting for an opportunity to fall. When it slid off to one side, it trapped Harding between one of the larger jagged edges and the floor. The naturally sharp edge sliced into his calf muscle and hot liquid pain followed.
Aggravated, Hojo phoned Dr. Chase to come to Lab 1 immediately. Sighing in annoyance, he waited until Chase entered and began to assess Harding's injuries. Looking over to two of the three guards that came with him, the Doctor ordered, "Davis, Drake, come move this crystal."
Watching the Professor closely, the painstakingly way he displayed his impatience, did nothing for Harding's own desire to not be there right then. If Hojo had tasked him to do something within his job description, he would be relatively pain-free and for sure not pinned to the floor. His blood wouldn't be leaking slowly out instead of staying inside his body, the way Gaia intended.
"Carefully!" Hojo added.
Operating the crane Davis slowly lifted the crystal a few inches at a time and once Harding's leg was pulled from under the crystal, Wolfe took over at the controls. Davis and Drake, the muscle who guarded the prisoners, picked Harding up and moved him to the infirmary while Dr. Chase quickly followed.
The third guard, Charles, stayed behind to help with Harding's duties. Moving the crystal into the tank that laid on its side went without another incident. Wolfe emptied the contents of the vat that Banner had cracked into the tank with the crystal.
When Hojo went to the control panel for the tank, he raised it upright, "You there. Wheel this vat out of here and dispose of it." Hojo ordered Charles indicating the cracked vat. Thankfully the vat cracked but did not leak. As Charles left, Hojo eyed the tank, "Yes, very good." Leaning in closer to the tank that had the eerie green glow of mako he whispered, "We will make everything right again."
Zack and Cloud were sitting in their cell for what seemed like days but it was really only hours. Trying to get some sleep was out of the question, their shivering from the cold kept them from getting any real sleep. Lying on his side, Cloud's shivering had turned into shaking uncontrollably. Facing Zack, the blond kept his eyes closed, trying harder to fall asleep.
When Zack looked at him, he saw just how young he really was. 'Damn it!' Zack cursed himself, he felt like he is the one who got them into this mess. Cloud didn't have to be involved at all. He could have run and gotten away, gotten help somewhere. However, knowing Cloud, he would never have left. Sephiroth had taken everything from him, his mother, his home and his girl. Zack really couldn't blame Cloud for wanting justice, but was it really worth the price they were paying now?
Zack got up and walked over to Cloud and nudged the pale shoulder with the back of his hand, "Hey Buddy, sit up."
Opening his deep blue eyes, it sank Zack's gut at the panicked look behind those eyes. When Cloud sat up, Zack sat down next to him and started to put his arms around him. Alarmed, Cloud jerked back quickly and tried to push the larger man away, "What are you doing?!"
Zack smirked, "Easy there Spike, don't flatter yourself."
Cloud raised a questioning eyebrow, "You don't think it's a little weird?"
"You're not exactly who I want to be naked with," Zack sighed patiently, "Listen... your cold, I'm cold… just shut up and cuddle with me already," Zack's added half-smile almost made him chuckle at the confounded look that crossed the blonde's young features.
Slowly, Cloud leaned his side closer to Zack and let him finish wrapping his arms around him. Cloud kept his arms across his own chest, but lowered his head slightly to fit better against the larger chest. After a few minutes, sure enough, he was starting to warm up a little. Trying to relax, Zack leaned his back to the wall, put his chin on top of Cloud's head and closed his eyes.
"Z…Zack?"
"Hmm?"
"What do they want with us?"
"...Don't know…"
"You think we will get out of here?"
"Oh definitely. I always have a plan," Zack said with a small grin.
"Humph...Yeah…I know how your plans work," Cloud said between his diminishing shivers.
"I have no idea what you're talking about..." Zack grinned bigger knowing exactly what Cloud was talking about.
It had been about six months since they had met on the mission to Modeoheim. Zack was back to his normal self after the loss of his mentor and friend Angeal. Cloud and Zack had become friends like they had grown up together. Cloud still couldn't understand how Zack saw him as a friend. The larger man was out going, fun, loud, a people person and a ladies man. Cloud on the other hand was quiet and kept to himself for the most part. However when the First Class would show up, Cloud was always happy to see him.
On their off weekend, the infantryman knocked on the door to dark haired Soldier's room one evening. Answering the door wearing a pair of exercise shorts and a t-shirt, Zack's smile broadened when he saw his friend.
"Hey Zack, I brought a few snacks," Cloud said as he entered when Zack stepped aside.
Not having to wait too much longer, Kunsel and another guy and fellow Soldier and friend of Zack and Kunsel's showed up and they got down to business. Rick, being a big red-headed Second Class was soon to follow in Zack's footsteps in his promotion to First. Still having a slight grudge against Zack for the dare that cost him three of his fingers, but in a way, he thanked the kid-like fun-loving guy, now his expertise was materia. Magic was something he didn't know he would be any good at, but here he was on the verge of a specialty that very few Soldiers had.
Now, sitting across from Zack, he grinned as he won another hand of cards.
Game after game, each one of the guys took turns winning but then Zack decided to open his mouth, "Hey, let's make this more interesting."
Chewing on a large piece of beef jerky, Rick asked, "Sounds cool. How?"
Dealing out the next hand, Kunsel asked halfheartedly glancing between Cloud and Zack, "How about the winner dares the loser to something."
"That sounds awesome," Rick took a drink of his beer.
Dipping a chip in the dip, Cloud glanced around nervously, "Uh, can't we just play the way we've been playing?" He didn't want to call attention to it, but he was the one losing the most and knowing this group, there was no telling what they would come up with.
"Pfft! Come on Cloud, stop being such a downer," Kunsel sideways grinned at the blond and raised his eyebrows at Zack, "Well, let's make it a deal unless you don't agree."
"Sounds great," Watching Kunsel deal out their cards for the next hand, Zack glanced over to the blond and noticed that a few sweat beads were making their way down his temples. With a grin, he made his first bet, "I'll bet 20."
Rick rubbed his chin and looked at his hand and up at Zack's smiling face, "I'll see your bet and raise you another 20."
Kunsel looked at Zack, then Cloud. Tapping his finger on his lips, Kunsel studied his cards and took his time, "I'll see your bet and raise you 40." Moving his part of the bet in, he waited.
All three pairs of eyes went to Cloud's wildly anxious face. With all of them still looking at him, he asked a little angrily, "What?!" Feeling the pressure, he moved his gil in to see the bet and slowly looked over his cards.
"Nothing, okay. Well, I'll go ahead and call it then," Zack waited and then when they all lay their cards down it was revealed. Zack had three of a kind, Kunsel had a straight and Rick held a royal flush.
With Rick's smile not getting any smaller he asked, "Well Cloud, what do ya got?"
Slowly laying his hand down, it showed a pair of 2s. Quickly slamming his head to his folded arms on the table, he spoke in a muffled tone, "I knew this would happen."
Zack smacked Cloud on the back, "Hey, I'm sure that Rick won't come up with anything really bad, I mean look at him. I doubt a well thought out plan has ever crossed his mind."
Shooting a glare at the raven haired man, Cloud knew what strange and off the wall things that these men could think of and that statement just sealed his fate. Feelings of dread shivering up his spine, he slapped Zack in the arm, "Shut up! You're going to get me in even deeper!" Dropping his eyes, Zack fiddled with his fingers and waited for the verdict.
"Oh, really Zack?" Rick got up and opened another beer. Kunsel got up and went closer to the kitchenette where they whispered for several minutes. With huge smiles, they looked at the two men who still sat at the table.
"Okay, since you are so fond of my ideas Zack, Cloud's dare has to include you too."
"Hey wait a minute! I didn't lose the hand," Zack stood and put his hands on his hips.
"Oh, it won't be that bad for you, because Cloud is going to need some help," Rick put his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his palms, "Okay, here we go. Zack, that big party for Rufus' birthday is coming up this coming weekend, right?"
Pinching his eyebrows together while he almost questioned insecurely, "Yeah?" Zack's fidgeting got a little more noticeable. Cloud kept his head down on the table.
"Here's the deal, the dare is that Cloud has to go and get in a picture with Rufus," High fiving, the two Second Class Soldiers laughed out loud and Kunsel smiled behind his beer as the blond wanted to slink off the table and to the floor.
Cloud paused a minute, raised his head and stared at him, pushing his eyebrows together, "What?!"
"I wasn't invited and besides, I already have a date that night, sorry. You're going to have to find something else to torture Spike," Crossing his arms, Zack stared at his gloating friends.
"Didn't I hear you on the phone with Aerith earlier? She's leaving town or something that weekend with her mother?" Rick leaned back and crossed his arms and grinned.
Kunsel grinned and lifted his drink, "I saw your invitation at your apartment, it is for you plus one."
Zack's face and arms dropped, he looked at Cloud and murmured, "Oh, hell…"
Cloud's mouth dropped open and he quickly looked around, "What are you…huh-wait…?" Cloud stuttered then whispered, "We're guys, people will think that we're... you know... a couple."
Kunsel smiled from behind his beer and added with glee, "Don't worry about that Cloud, no one will know it's you, because you'll be dressed like a girl."
Zack half expected Cloud to hit the floor with that news, but he couldn't look at the blond bundle of anger, so he bit his lips closed to stifle the laughter.
"Oh come on! You guys are being unreasonable," Cloud pleaded, "Can't we do something else?!"
"It's okay Spike, we will get in there and get back out before anyone really notices us," Zack tried reassuring his friend, but the blond wore a defeated look on his face.
The next day, Zack found the despondent infantryman alone in the almost deserted mess hall. Waking up that morning, he felt better about the situation than Cloud did. But then again, he wasn't the one who had to wear a dress. Looking up from his hot cereal-turned cold, Cloud sadly greeted the dark-haired First, "Hi."
Walking over to the sulking boy, he tried to explain himself, "I'm sorry I said anything to him, but I've been thinking about it and I have a plan."
"I figured, but I don't know if I want to hear what you have to say…" Cloud slouched, pushed his tray away and lay his head down on his arms.
"I brought you something that might cheer you up," Pulling out a chair, Zack plopped down.
"What is it?" Cloud mumbled.
Opening the box, Zack said as he revealed the contents, "My mom sent me a care package. Wanna know what she sent me?"
Cloud lifted his head slowly and focused on the now open box.
"Homemade Chocoberry Pie!" As if by magic, the Soldier produced two forks and handed one to his friend.
Taking one of the forks, Cloud sank it into the soft crust on the top, scooping up a healthy bite and tasting it. Closing his eyes, he moaned as he savored the taste, "How do they expect me to pass as a girl?"
Leaning his elbows on the table, Zack scooped up some of the pie and ate his bite, also with a moan, "Well," Swallowing hard, he tried a compliment, "Your pretty…uh…in a good way!" Cloud huffed and rolled his eyes, "I've got a plan and Kunsel is going shopping with us. We can do this, I know we can," Zack said with a confident smile.
"…Fine…" Cloud cautiously agreed.
"Great," Zack affirmed with his remarkably comforting smile.
A/N: Thanks to all of you who favorite, subscribed and/or reviewed, I appreciate your time. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."
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