Author's Note: Here we are at chapter 8. We combined two chapters together because, separately, they were too short. The result is an extra long chapter. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 08 – FLAME WARS AND BUDDY SYSTEMS
Denzel and Erily seemed to be having a lot of fun together. Angel watched them curiously, wondering why Denzel blushed every so often. And then to add mystery on top of mystery, sometimes the girl would blush as well. She didn't quite understand blushing. She knew that Cloud and Tifa blushed a lot, and she felt what he felt when he did... but she didn't fully comprehend it. There were so many things she still didn't understand, but Tifa had told her that they hired a teacher for her. Perhaps, this person would help her to understand things a little better.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Cloud and Tifa were in the living room with Denzel and Erily; Angel was the only one in the kitchen. She stopped doing the dishes, wiped her wet hands with the towel, and opened the door. The person standing there was a man with brown hair and dark blue eyes, about 6 feet in height. Seeing him drove a spike of fear into Angel's chest as she backed away from the door, shaking her head.
"No... no... no..." she mumbled, her eyes as wide as they could possibly be.
"Wait... please... let me explain..." the man began, but he didn't get a chance to finish. Angel erupted into a primal screech, backing into the wall and sliding down into a sitting position as she hugged her knees to her chest.
*FT*
The waves sprayed ocean mist as the ferry glided along the water's surface aiming for the city of Junon. Angeal was leaning over the rail of the lower deck, taking in the sights and letting his mind wander over the past few months. He had managed to put most of Kane's crimes to rest, but he couldn't help the nightmares that tormented him.
Holding Tifa like that, forcing Cloud to make that choice and then crushing the hero's spirit the way he had. He admired the noble warrior and acknowledged that he'd always be more honorable than himself. Angeal knew he had lost that part of his honor, and he knew that he could do good to make up for it. In his mind, however, it'd never be enough, even if both Cloud and Tifa had put it behind them. It had become easier to deal with it; he just hoped this new SOLDIER program would work out… and that he was worthy to help run it.
Down the hall and towards the front of the ship, Sephiroth was resting in their cabin. He hadn't been getting much sleep lately. He had been worrying about his mother's health and wanted to be with her, but both she and his father understood that Angeal didn't need to be alone. Sephiroth didn't want the guilt to get the better of his friend… again.
Suddenly Sephiroth's eyes flew open as he launched to his feet, an insane fear ripping through him, and he held his head in raw pain, grunting as a shriek that sounded like a banshee's wail tore through his mind.
Angeal clamped both hands to the sides of his head as he let out a growling roar, his eyes wide and glowing brightly as he forced himself to fall back instead of forward to prevent himself from falling overboard.
*FT*
Over at the WRO compound, Zack was smiling as he and Reeve finished going over the funding, mission assignments, and supply arrangements for their new partnership. They were making a toast when Zack's eyes glowed brightly, and he dropped the glass. It shattered on the floor as Zack backed up against a wall, drawing his sword, his mind raging with fear, and he tried to keep his thoughts in the now, as it kept forcing him back to that rainy cliff. He had kept his PTSD secret from everyone, but right now in this moment, he had no control over it!
*FT*
In the apartment Genesis shared with his daughter, he was in the middle of cleaning up to make it a proper place for his two friends to stay until they could find their own living spaces while the new SOLDIER got set up. He had just finished cleaning out the fridge of outdated food when his eyes widened, his wing emerged, and he found himself writhing in mental agony and fear, but he refused to fall to his knees or cry out. That had already happened once this week, and he was NOT going to make a habit out of it.
*FT*
Back in the Strife home, Cloud was watching as Tifa cared for Denzel's wounds, using the materia to heal his ribs as best as she could when the onslaught attacked him. His eyes glowed so brightly it rivaled the glowing materia in Tifa's hands. He fought to keep the roar of mental pain and fear in check, and just managed to let out a continuous series of growls and grunts. He didn't need to scare anyone in the room. He then heard the scream, but it wasn't in his head this time. It was in the other room.
"ANGEL!"
He turned and flew into the kitchen, giving the room a quick glance. Angel was huddled up on the floor, terrified, and a tall man was standing in his house looking down at her. It didn't matter that the blond was shorter; Cloud grabbed the man by his collar and slammed him against the far wall, easily lifting him up a few inches.
"What did you do to her!" The man was very lucky Cloud didn't have his sword on him.
"Wait! Please!" the man cried, blinking in pain, "I didn't do anything! Let me explain! Please!"
Angel continued to whimper, completely horrified.
"Cloud?!" came Tifa's voice from the living room as she dashed into the kitchen. She saw that Cloud had the intruder, so she crouched next to Angel, trying to get her to calm down.
Cloud couldn't make his eyes stop glowing because of the connection. At the moment, however, it was helping his cause, so he didn't fight it. "You've got two minutes to explain before I ask Tifa to get my sword."
"I used to work at the lab... for Dr. Licer... Please, don't kill me... I just... didn't know where else to go," he stuttered and stammered, trying to get the words out, but staring at the glowing-eyed warrior was intimidating.
"A jail cell for starters," Cloud retorted. His anger was flaring mainly because he could feel Angel's terror, and it was urging him to act and protect her. He was struggling to really do anything other than hold the man against the wall, considering he was unarmed. Cloud was, too, but it was clear this man had no fight in him.
"Why come here?" he demanded to know, before trying to comfort Angel mentally.
Angel, it's alright. I won't let him hurt you. Please, calm down.
"My friend was... shot and killed last night... and I think I know who's behind it... they're targeting people who have mako and people... who worked at the lab... I was afraid I was next..." he blubbered, "Please, don't kill me... we were just following orders."
As Cloud reached out to Angel mentally, visions of the laboratory shot back at him... the glass box... drowning in liquid mako... whippings that tore up her back... electric shocks... endless injections... all with this man implementing it.
Cloud's shoulders shuddered as the images flashed through his mind, and his breathing started to become panicked. He managed, somehow, to make it look like he was enraged and not traumatized. His grip around the man's throat tightened, and when he spoke, it was calm, but it was deadly, "So you come to the house of the girl you tortured, begging for help? Not interested."
His grip tightened still, and he found himself blind to the fact that he was suffocating the asshole.
The man began to turn purple, his tongue coming out of his mouth. As Tifa took in the scene, she quickly cast a sleep spell on Angel in an attempt to sever the connection. Once done, she jumped up, placing her hands on Cloud's muscular arm.
"Cloud... stop!" Tifa tried to reach him, "You're killing him!"
The mental images stopped suddenly, and Tifa's words brought him back to the present. He wasn't seeing Angel's torture, and he wasn't seeing his own personal hell. His eyes stopped glowing, and he let go, realizing what he had almost done. He took a step back and turned to Tifa, regret clear on his features.
The guy dropped to the floor on his hands and knees, coughing and trying to catch his breath.
"I'm... I'm sorry, Tifa. I couldn't see anything else except her torture. The things he did to her..." He looked down at the man, "Tell us who these people are. You said they're after people with mako and the scientists?"
After a moment, the scientist finally stood back up, rubbing his neck.
"That's what I came here for... I didn't know she was here," he said, looking at the now sleeping form of Angel. Even now, his eyes were cold. Not one ounce of regret resided there. "The people who funded Dr. Licer, Enixus... they are pulling the strings. They're bigger than you could possibly imagine. They have their hands in everything. And I'm pretty sure... you really pissed them off by shutting down the labs."
Cloud's cold gaze intensified as he scoffed. "Shinra was the planet's dominant force until my team ripped it apart. Nothing was bigger than that company, and if they're angry that the labs were taken down, then they can expect one hell of a fight."
He gave it some thought, "Why should I believe you, anyway? Enixus is a legit company, but nowhere as big as Shinra."
The man smirked, "They're a lot bigger than Shinra... Shinra was just public about their dealings."
He sighed, realizing they weren't getting anywhere. "Ask Rufus Shinra about the breach they had 12 years ago. They caught the hacker who did it, but she mysteriously vanished from their custody. She is the main computer technician for Enixus, though you won't find her name listed under their payroll. She's good at making things disappear... including a huge chunk of money out of Rufus' main bankroll."
The glare Cloud shot the man said how deadly serious he was when he pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "You'd better not be lying."
He dialed Rufus's number, prepared to find out the truth right now.
"Cloud? What can I do for you?"
"I'm not sure who was slacking more during the extermination of Licer's labs, whether it was the Turks or the WRO, but you guys missed one annoying little cockroach. The scumbag is standing here...and his life depends on whether or not you can confirm his story."
"I see your friendly demeanor has improved if he's still living. But we imprisoned all the scientists and lab techs we found. They didn't have a list of employees, so we couldn't confirm if we got them all. It is possible we missed one or two."
Cloud huffed in annoyance. "I don't mindlessly kill without good reason Rufus, but I have a good reason to take out this one. I'm only holding back because he asked me for help."
He sighed, forcing some of his anger to fade away. "Twelve years ago, he says you had a problem with a hacker and lost a bunch of money. Is that true?"
There was silence for a pretty good chunk of time.
"Yes. There was a hacker... We caught her, but then she disappeared. And I believe I shared the loss of finances with you when we spoke at the Mansion."
If he didn't know any better, Rufus sounded slightly annoyed.
Cloud shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He so badly wanted to drop the phone, dust off his hands and walk away from the hero role to retire on one of the many southern islands, ignoring the rest of the world. Damn it, he just wasn't allowed some fricking breathing room to actually enjoy his life!
"Be at peace," Minerva had said. He really didn't want to tempt the anger of a goddess, considering what she had done, but at the same time, he couldn't help but ask when he'd be getting this 'peace' she was teasing him with.
He turned to the man before him and glared, "Lucky for you, your story checks out."
He concentrated back on Rufus then, "If you're working with Enixus, keep your guard up, and try to do some digging without getting caught. Looks like they're a shadier group than we thought."
"Enixus? We didn't find anything the first time, but we'll see if we can't dig something up."
"Look, I know you don't think much of me, and that's fine," the man stated, "but this group will have you in their sights, too. Enixus will make sure of that."
He looked again at Angel, "That means her, too."
Cloud glared at him, and the look of pure, barely controlled contempt was clear for anyone to see.
"I don't think anything of you," he told him coldly.
"I did give you some good information," the man replied.
Cloud took in his words, knowing he had been honest about that, and realizing he still had Rufus on the line, he chose to keep him waiting while he finished dealing with this pathetic excuse for a man.
"You wanted protection? Fine. You'll have it. Behind bars."
With that, he took the materia from Tifa, casting sleep on the man before handing it back to her. He headed over to Angel, kneeling next to her and leaning her up in his arms.
"Rufus, you should contact Reeve and let him know what's going on. I'll be busy on my end trying to speed up the revival of SOLDIER. The faster we get it going, the faster we can find a way to stop them."
"Will do..."
A pause.
"You're reviving SOLDIER?"
As he leaned her up, Angel began to stir from the sleep, looking up groggily at Cloud. After a moment of disorientation, her eyes widened and then watered, tears spilling out as she sobbed into his chest.
From the kitchen doorway, a child's voice spoke up.
"Is she alright?" asked Erily.
Denzel stood right behind her, watching Angel, compassion on his face.
"Reeve will fill you in on the details," Cloud finished his call before hanging up and then focused his attention solely on Angel.
"Shhh, it's alright. I'm right here." He gently rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down, his heart breaking from her pain and fear which started to trickle back through his mind, though nowhere near as intense as before. He looked over to Tifa, silently asking for her help with the kids.
Tifa nodded, catching his message loud and clear, and walked over to them.
"Angel has been through some things, but it's okay now."
Erily looked down at Angel as Cloud comforted her. "Poor girl."
"It's getting late," Tifa said, "Your parents must be worried about you."
Erily shook her head. "Not really... but I sent Marta a text when I came here. She wanted me to ask if one of you wouldn't mind giving me a ride home. She doesn't want me walking."
Her answer surprised Tifa just a little. "Your parents don't care that you're here?"
"They don't really involve themselves with me," Erily explained, shrugging, "They hired Marta to take care of me. "
Tifa gave a sideways glance at Cloud after Erily turned around to face Denzel.
"I had a really fun time, Denzel. Maybe we can hang out again," she smiled.
Denzel tried to hide the blush... unsuccessfully.
Cloud nodded silently with Tifa, before looking down at Angel, "I'm going to take her home, but I won't be gone long, okay? Tifa and Denzel are gonna be right here though."
He slowly stood and gently pried her hands away from his shirt, before dragging the still unconscious man into the bar area and tossing him towards a corner. He then dialed another number.
"Sanders Supply Store, how can I help you?"
"Sanders, I need a favor," Cloud asked.
"Cloud? Um, sure. I've made more space for the holiday rush like you asked."
"Not with work, sorry. I need you to come by the bar. There's someone you need to keep an eye on for me until Tifa can call someone from the WRO to swing by and arrest him properly."
"Oh... oh?! Okay, sure. I'll uh, be right over."
"Thanks," Cloud said before hanging up. He then made his way back into the house area. "Teef, you wanna call the WRO and get that guy taken care of? Sanders is gonna swing by and help in case he tries to cause trouble."
He looked down at Erily next. "Sorry about all of this. This is a pretty busy house. You never know what each new day will bring."
"It's refreshing," the child replied cheerfully, "My house is usually pretty empty."
Angel leaned into Tifa, her sobs calmed to mere soft whimpers.
"I'll give them a call," Tifa nodded, taking out her phone.
"Are you taking me home?" Erily asked Cloud, "I live over in Sector 5... on Wentworth Hill Drive."
Cloud wasn't surprised by how she spoke of her parents earlier. "Yeah, I am. Whenever you're ready."
Even if he was in a rush, he wasn't going to force the kid to leave as soon as possible. She was a guest and Denzel's friend. She deserved the proper respect. Child or not.
She turned around and smiled at Denzel. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, Denzel."
Turning back to Cloud, she nodded. "Let's go."
Cloud led her to the garage and walked over to Fenrir, waiting to help her mount the massive bike. Once she was on, he mounted it behind her, making sure she was protected before he revved up the engine.
"Don't be scared," he told her. "This bike has power, but I've got full control."
With that he took off, trying to keep it calm, but Fenrir always did like to announce it was ready to fly with a strong lurch forward.
Erily showed no fear at all as Cloud sped through the streets of Edge, though her hair flew up in his face a little.
The house on Wentworth Hill Drive made the Shinra Mansion look like a shack. The manor, itself, could have contained its own small city. It could have easily housed all the homeless residents of Edge with room to spare. Most of this enormous place was dark, seemingly void of any residents. As soon as Cloud pulled up to the front entrance, to which Erily had directed him, a sweet, older woman was waiting at the door, and she strode out to meet them.
"Welcome home, Miss Erily," the woman smiled lovingly at her.
"Hello, Marta," Erily responded, "I hope we didn't keep you waiting long."
"Not at all, child," Marta replied.
"Marta, this is Cloud Strife," she introduced. "The father of the boy I texted you about."
Cloud had examined the house as he rode along the long driveway and saw the rows of darkened rooms. It only further cemented his own personal tastes. Big rich mansions had a lot of space, but little love. His home might be smaller, and they might often bump into each other sometimes, but it was filled to the brim with warmth, comfort and love. Snapping out of his personal musings he nodded a greeting to the girl's caretaker.
"Ma'am," he offered with respect. "It's a pleasure. I hope she's not home too late. It's not her fault."
"Oh, no," Marta shook her head, "Not at all. I appreciate you giving her a ride home. The streets aren't safe anymore."
Cloud huffed in agreement to that as he got off and then helped the girl down. "Hopefully the winds of change will kick up soon, Ms. Marta."
He wasn't ready to announce the rebirth of SOLDIER just yet. That would have to wait until the public announcement, and only the new General deserved that honor.
"I'd like to stay, but I'm needed back home," he said as he mounted Fenrir once again. "Erily, you're welcome at our house any time, alright?"
With that, he put on his shades and revved the bike back up, turning back down the driveway.
The sound of Fenrir's engine rumbled along the empty city streets as Cloud made his way home. He was so tired, and yet he had more to do when he got back to the bar. Checking on the kids, ensuring Angel was alright, seeing if Tifa needed any help, and he had calls to make to ensure any other loose ends were tied up. He pulled up to a red light and covered his face with his hands, to rub away the stress he was under. So much was happening too fast, and he felt himself being tested again.
As he brought his hands away from his face, he caught a glimpse of a small pinpoint of red light, but when he looked again, it was gone, perhaps a trick of the shadows. When he checked his rear-view mirror, however, there was, indeed, a red light sitting in the middle of his forehead...
His eyes, hidden behind the shades, widened and he ducked his head down just as the wind zipped right above him. He winced as the bullet ripped through his hair, clipping a few strands but thankfully missing his head. He revved up the bike and floored it, racing to get away, and kept his head down. More bullets bounced off the bike whose design wasn't just made with aerodynamics in mind, but also as an effective shield for bullets to bounce off if he had to ride into battle, which had helped him out immensely many times, especially now. The worst part was, he couldn't hear where the shots were coming from, and it wasn't because of Fenrir's roaring engine through the streets.
He noticed something, as he turned down the road and raced down another street, dodging bullets aimed to kill. They were lined up, and there were many of them. There's no way they could move ahead of him and fire from the front. This rogue force was a lot more organized than he gave them credit for. As he sped along, he realized he couldn't go home, so he growled in anger and turned down a different route… and that's exactly what they seemed to be anticipating!
As he turned, a bullet fired from behind. It missed Cloud, but it struck a critical section of the bike's dashboard console, causing Fenrir to start losing power. Another bullet pierced the front tire, and Cloud had to swerve to keep it from spinning out. The instability sent the bike crashing to its side, throwing the rider backward. Cloud rolled away from it, as the assailants unleashed a barrage of bullets.
The warrior pinned himself against a garbage bin in a back alley as he watched the heartless monsters shooting down Fenrir like it was some rabid dog, and he glared in anger watching it bleed out oil into the streets. He was just thankful it didn't catch fire. What he needed to do was call for backup, but as he reached for his pocket his eyes widened with shock for a second time when he realized that both his phone and his sword were still stashed in the bike! There was no way he could get to either of them now!
Realizing the serious trouble he was in, he backed away, keeping his wits about him as he headed down the back alley. He knew that this one wasn't a dead end and tried to get away from the goons this way. He got to the other side of the alley, and the streets were still empty. Cloud had hoped to come across some people to blend in with, or to at least deter the gunmen from attacking into a crowd, but it was as if no one else even existed in the city.
Five shadowy figures emerged from in front of him, all of them armed with guns, and trained the weapons on him. They advanced, seemingly attempting to force him back into the alleyway and out of sight.
"We got him," one of them said.
Cloud took a step back, but not because they were trying to corral him. He was bracing himself.
"Ever try to catch a wild Chocobo?" he asked with a smirk. He didn't give them any time to think it over as he launched into the air, aiming right for them. He turned at the last second, delivering a powerful kick to one of the goons, and taking two others by their heads, he slammed them together before he took off running again.
The two that were left gave chase. It didn't take them long to catch up, and the rapport of gunshots sounded from behind him. He could hear shouts from above, as well. Four more figures clad in black and armed with guns cut off his escape. The ones chasing him caught up and were joined by two more. They closed in, attempting to force him backward towards a small alcove.
"There's no escape," one of them said, taking aim.
Cloud backed up. He hated it, but he knew he had lost. Raising his hands up he nodded to the leader of the group. "Alright, I surrender."
The man smirked in return. "Sorry, we're not taking prisoners. Anyone with mako must die."
"Why?" He was trying to keep them talking, trying to stall, hoping to find some way out.
"Because you're monsters," was the reply as the leader lifted his arm, readying the signal. Just like that Cloud's chest lit up with over a dozen red laser dots. His eyes glowed with fear as a flashback greeted him, of another warrior who had been gunned down on a cliff.
"Ready..." the man called, "Aim!"
Cloud shut his eyes.
Sorry, Teef.
The man dropped his hand, "Fire!"
Suddenly a wall of flames rose up between the hero and the gunmen, protecting him, and spread out towards the attackers, igniting any who didn't scramble out of the way, while another fire blast erupted from the roof tops. Genesis and Bella landed next to the blond.
"We heard the crash from our apartment," Bella told him, pointing up to the balcony.
He couldn't be more grateful to see them. "Gen... thanks."
The redhead smirked at him as he handed him a sword. "Those of us blessed by the Goddess must stick together."
*FT*
With Denzel and Marlene finally in bed, Tifa sat down at the kitchen table, exhausted. With so many things happening at once, she didn't know how much more she could take. Now, every time Cloud left the house, she would worry, and worrying, apparently, gave her an upset stomach.
She sat in the living room with Sanders and their 'guest', still waiting for the WRO to show up. She leaned forward, grabbing one of the peppermint candies from the candy dish, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth, hoping it would settle her stomach.
Angel remained upstairs, still quite shaken from the afternoon's ordeal, and Tifa couldn't blame her. She came face to face with a man that tortured her for 12 years. Her reaction was perfectly acceptable given the circumstances. It took a while to calm her down enough to go to sleep.
"We really appreciate your help, Sanders," Tifa smiled at him.
"It's not a problem, Tifa," he replied, "Anything I can do to help, you just name it."
The scientist had awakened but wasn't speaking to anyone. Tifa tried not to glare at the man, but it was not an easy task. Cloud had described the torturous existence Angel had endured, and it was all Tifa could do to keep her anger and indignation at bay. She sat back in the recliner, noting how comfortable it was.
When her phone rang, she was a little surprised to discover that she had to open her eyes. Had she nodded off? She must be more tired than she thought. Opening the phone, she brought it up to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Oh, thank Gaia somebody answers their damn phone!"
It was Zack. He sounded flustered and on the verge of panicking. "Tifa, please tell me Cloud's just got his head stuck under that damn bike's motor or something! I got this stupid crazy panicked feeling earlier and it's been driving me nuts ever since. I called Seph and he got it too. So did 'Geal, and I can't reach Gen, but he never answers when I call... which I need to kick his ass for... again, but Spiky hasn't picked up, and I've called over ten times! Is it Angel? Is she okay? Let me speak with Spike!"
It was amazing, how Zack hadn't taken a single breath during that entire spiel.
"Wait! Slow down, Zack!" Tifa tried to stop him, "Cloud is giving Denzel's friend a ride home, so he probably won't answer while he's driving."
She looked at the clock, only expecting 20 minutes to have passed. Her heart almost exploded with fear when she saw that it had been nearly an hour. What was taking him so long? Maybe he stopped to talk to Erily's parents?
"We had... a visitor here at the house... a scientist who used to work for Licer. Angel freaked out when she saw him. That was probably what you felt... I'm surprised it reached you."
He said the feeling had affected Sephiroth and Angeal, too. She must have been so terrified for it to have happened to all of them.
"We're waiting on the WRO to come and collect him and get him the hell out of my house," Tifa told Zack.
"That explains my escort," Zack commented, as if her explanation cleared up some confusion. "I was wondering why Reeve sent a squad in a WRO van over with me. I didn't even have to drive. I'm in the passenger seat and my bike's stashed in the back. I thought Reeve was worried I might freak out again. Poor guy! I think I almost made him need a trouser change when I hollered the way I did."
He waited a moment before answering in a more serious tone. "Tifa, that's not like Spiky though. I know you said it's just been an hour since he left, but normally by the fifth time I call he'd pull over and yell at me for annoying him while he's driving. I doubled that and got nothing."
Those words drove her mind right back into the worry-circle.
Dammit, I was trying not to think about that! she thought.
"How far from the house are you?" she asked, her voice overflowing with concern.
"We're... uh... hang on," he told her before turning his attention to the driver. "Hey, how long 'til we get there?"
The man's voice could be heard from the other line, but it was quieter. "About fifteen minutes, sir."
"We'll hit the city in fifteen, probably another ten before we get to the bar. If he's not back there by the time we get there, I'll hunt him down myself, Tifa, and I'll knock his chocobutt out if I have to, okay? You just relax and try to keep it together, which... I know you excel at, and we can both chew him out together, alright?"
"Yeah," she replied, not feeling so calm...
So much for settling my stomach.
"I'll see you when you get here."
And she hung up, shooting another glare at the scientist.
Exactly twenty-four minutes later the van's headlights reflected off the bar windows as the WRO vehicle pulled up to the house. The doors opened and Zack jumped right out. "Just park my bike in the garage, for now, okay? Thanks guys!"
Two of the six men nodded and went about the task while the other four followed the warrior inside. Once in the bar, Zack looked around but didn't see a single spike of blond hair.
"Tifa, I'm here," he called, "I brought the WRO with me."
Tifa had already been pacing, so when they came in, she was ready.
"Get that lowlife out of here," she snapped, pointing at the scientist, "That's one of the scientists that tortured Angel for her entire life."
"Yes ma'am," one of the officers replied as another headed over and cuffed the man, adjusting them and making sure that were tight, "They're mako-strength, so don't even try to break 'em. They were designed to hold someone of Cloud Strife's strength."
He then glanced over at Tifa, "Not that he'd ever need them, but he did help Reeve test them out."
He seemed a bit sheepish towards her stern glare but knew it wasn't personal. He turned his attention back to the man. "Get movin'!"
With a shove, they escorted him out. Zack glared at the scumbag as he passed by. Most people knew Zack as a hyper, friendly, goofy, big brother figure, but there was a battle-hardened First Class SOLDIER buried deep within and the deadly shine in his mako eyes reflected it.
"He's still not back..." she informed Zack, "and he won't answer his phone."
Zack turned to Tifa and took her in a comforting hug. "It's okay. When he gets home, we'll back him into a corner, and I'll make sure he doesn't worry us like this again. I can also head out and search if you'd like? Where was he headed?"
She embraced him back before whipping out her phone to dial his number for the 18th time that evening.
"Wentworth Hill Drive," she told him, holding the phone to her ear.
Zack nodded and turned towards the garage where his bike was when he heard the faint sound of a phone ringing, coming from the very direction he was aiming towards, followed by a voice.
"Are you ever going to answer that thing?"
That sounded... almost like Genesis, Zack registered with the tilt of his head, confused.
"When I can get the stupid compartment open I will," grumbled another voice that sent a wave of relief washing over Zack. Cloud was fine.
"I do wonder if it's your lady in waiting, worried you may have faced the gallows. Should you not fly in there and sweep her off her feet?"
"She's more than likely to knock my ass out for not answering," he replied.
Zack placed his hands on his hips and pouted at the door. "Hey! Both of you knock it off and get your butts in here!"
Cloud was surprised to hear Zack's voice of all people, but he complied and entered through the door. Oil stained his right shoulder and trailed down his arm, and his hair was a horrible mess. "I know you're probably mad, but I have a reason I didn't answer."
Tifa didn't give him the chance. She flew at him, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. And she refused to let go.
He froze when she embraced him, not wanting to cover her with dirt. He was sweaty, stinky, covered in motor oil, grease, and dirt, but then he took into account what almost happened... what would have happened… if Genesis and his daughter hadn't arrived when they did, and he wrapped his arms around his fiancé... his amazing, beautiful, wonderful fiancé, shuddering with relief. He was trembling slightly, and he hoped only she would be able to tell.
Genesis followed behind and graciously stepped around the two in order to stand next to Zack. "We really need to take care of this serious threat, before one of us doesn't get to come home at all."
His voice was quiet, and only Zack could hear it. The fearful look Zack gave him said he understood what almost happened. Genesis returned it with one of understanding.
Finally, Tifa pulled back from the hug and looked at Cloud.
"What happened?" she asked him, her expression warning him to refrain from underplaying the event.
The blond looked down, casting his glance to the side, a telltale sign he was hiding something, and Zack was having none of it, especially after what Genesis had just told him. "Cloud, just tell us. If it's those guys from the other night again then we need to know."
"They..." he started, before looking over at Tifa, regret and shame reflecting in his eyes. How can I be so weak? How can I admit it to the woman I love?
"They... got the jump on me. There were at least twenty-three that I encountered, and I'm sure there were more on other rooftops. There had to be, with how far I drove to get away, and they were still shooting. They... wrecked my bike, and I was cut off from my sword and my phone."
His fist clenched tightly, and the leather creaked against the force. "They had me cornered. I would've been... I'd be dead now if it hadn't been for Genesis and Bella."
He looked over at Genesis, and the ex-First Class huffed as he raised a hand. "Comrades in arms don't keep track of how many times we save each other's lives, Strife. It only strengthens the camaraderie bond. How often do you think Sephiroth, Angeal, and I have saved each other?"
Cloud offered him a thankful nod before turning his attention back to Tifa. "I... I was prepared to charge head-on into the gunfire. I wasn't going to just stand there and be gunned down."
The worry lines on Tifa's face multiplied as she realized that she almost lost him.
He almost died!
After everything they had been through and all the obstacles they overcame, she wasn't about to lose him because of some idiots who were afraid of the mako-enhanced.
"We need to implement the buddy system," Tifa declared, "None of you should go anywhere without someone else."
"How do they even know who's mako-enhanced and who isn't?" Bella spoke up, "They don't seem to know that I am..."
Zack walked over and clapped a powerful hand down on Cloud's shoulder, making him wince. It showed just how worried he was and how protective he was about to get. Cloud knew, he was about to go full big-brother mode, and there was no stopping it. "I kept him safe for an entire year; there's no doubt in my mind that I can't do it again."
He then cast a glance at Cloud and smirked. "And I'm sure his common sense and quick reflexes will save me a few times, too."
Genesis nodded as he looked over to Bella. "My daughter and I shall be a team, so that leaves Sephiroth and Angeal to pair off, which is fine. With Seph's speed, Angeal's defense, and their combined power, they are a terrifying force to be reckoned with."
He then focused on his daughter's words, "You said you got to see the leader. Perhaps she only targets those she knows about?"
Bella nodded, finally feeling able to contribute something after her blunder earlier. "The two men who were engaging me looked to this woman for orders, calling her Ness. They mentioned that I had seen their faces, but she shook her head... she told them that they don't kill the unenhanced. They have no idea that I am.
"They are not above opportunity, however." Bella continued, "They were perfectly willing to use me to draw out my father."
"What about Angel?" Tifa asked, "She's enhanced, too. She can't just go wandering around by herself."
Cloud folded his arms as he thought of Angel. "No, she can't."
He sighed then and shook his head. "Damn it!"
He hated this. He just couldn't understand what the hell this group's deal was! What made it worse was Angel loved her freedom, able to come and go as she pleased. Cloud had never forced her to stay if she didn't want to, but for her protection and for the love a brother had over a sister, (which he understood Zack's position, finally), he would have to.
"She'll just have to deal with an escort for a while."
He turned to the group then. "If you have mako, you're automatically a monster that deserves death."
Zack shook his head. "That doesn't make any moral sense. How can anyone brand a group of people just because of a single, defining trait? Did it ever occur to them that some of us didn't want mako willingly?"
"Oh sure," Genesis added.
"Let's just look them up in the phone book and tell them our life story. I'm sure it'll appeal to their better nature," he finished with a roll of his eyes.
"Why not?" Tifa finally revealed, wondering if there was a way to simply talk to them, "What if someone... without mako... has a chat with one of them? They've already shown that they're unwilling to hurt 'unenhanced' people. Let's find out what their problem is with the enhanced."
"Just going to dial them up on your phone, are you?" Bella smirked.
"It doesn't look like they are difficult to find," Tifa shrugged, "We can't live in fear... especially with the plans for SOLDIER in the works."
Cloud gently grabbed her shoulders and the fear in his eyes was clear to see. "I can't let you just stroll right up to them. Didn't you hear what Bella said? They were going to use her to get to Genesis. I can't...let that happen to you again..."
He thought back to the cliff in Cosmo Canyon. That pure, soul-shattering heartbreak he suffered. He couldn't deal with that a second time.
"What if Reeve did it?"
Cloud, Genesis, and Zack looked over to the corner where Sanders was still sitting. He got really nervous when the attention was on him.
"Reeve?" asked Zack.
"Yeah," Sanders returned, "He's not enhanced, and he's well-liked by the people. He has ties to you guys, but not something they might think would warrant using him to get to you guys, and he's smart enough not to fall for their behemoth crap."
Sanders was enhanced, so what threatened them threatened him, too. But he saw the bigger picture.
Tifa put her arm around her fiancé's shoulders and leaned in.
"I wasn't suggesting me," she smiled. "Reeve, however, is a brilliant idea."
"Yes, but it still leaves us with a conundrum," Bella interjected, "How do we contact them in the first place?"
Tifa grinned. "Well, that's easy. We need someone who has street contacts but can handle themselves should things go bad, someone who is really good at finding people who don't want to be found."
She turned her grin to Cloud. "You happen to know anyone like that?"
Cloud smirked then and huffed. "Yeah, I do. The cocky punk with the stupid red hair."
"HEY!" Genesis barked, offended, and Zack burst out laughing.
"Not you, Gen. He means Reno. Cloud hates his long ponytail."
"How can he function as a Turk and not get it caught in a chopper blade or something?" Cloud defended.
*FT*
It had taken a couple of days to arrange the meeting, but luckily, this Ness agreed to it, as long as it took place very late in the evening. The city was quiet, locked in sleep's warm embrace. In the abandoned section, not far from where the twenty-story building had come crumbling down months prior, stood Reeve Tuesti on the roof of a six-story shell of a building. It was structurally sound according to both sides, and so both agreed to meet there.
On his right stood Rude of the Turks, and on his left, one of his best men.
"I can't believe we're meeting here of all places," Stevens said, glancing down the street, remembering that day when the announcement was made. When the world's hero cleared the world's villain of all charges. It was... rather awe-inspiring to say the least.
"It's neutral ground," Reeve replied. "And if it keeps our city and all its people safe then I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
*FT*
She wasn't sure she should be meeting this man at all. It wasn't that she had anything against Reeve Tuesti; it was just bad practice for vigilantes to meet with any type of law enforcement. He hadn't said what the topic would be, but she could guess. He was there to make excuses for criminals, people that were turning this city into a shell of what it used to be... mako junkies.
Shan finally came back from his walk-through. "Well, there's no trap and no ambush waiting for us."
"That's something, at least," Ness replied.
"That we know of," came the protest she was waiting for. Fritz was always the naysayer, but his pessimism kept her from getting caught.
"Hey, I was real thorough," Shan reassured, "Left no corner unsearched... no stone unturned... no-"
"Ugh... do you ever stop talking?" Fritz rolled his eyes.
"Do you ever loosen up?" Shan shot back.
"Enough!" Ness shut them both up. "You're like children! Smarten up! This is serious."
Both of them quieted down.
"Now let's go," she commanded, leading the way to the rooftop. The three of them walked out to meet Reeve.
"Mr. Tuesti, I presume?" she questioned, "This better not be a trap."
*FT*
Stevens jumped slightly at their sudden arrival, but Reeve nodded kindly to him before he turned to greet their guests.
"It's not, and you would be correct. Forgive me, I don't know your name, Miss...?"
He already knew her name. When Cloud told him the information, the blond had given it, but he wanted to keep this civil. He would not bring up any talk of enhanced unless she brought it up first.
"Just call me 'N'," she said, nodding politely. She looked at Rude and then Stevens before returning her gaze to Reeve, "So, what are we here for? Not to be rude, but we have work to do."
Reeve nodded, "Of course Ms. N. We are both busy, but this is a rather important matter. First, I'd like to offer my gratitude for your efforts pertaining to reducing the drug rings regarding street mako. The hospitals have reported a severe reduction in overdoses and mutations as of late. I am only assuming you are to thank for it?"
"You're welcome..." she smirked.
Rude adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, and Reeve nodded. "I know; I just dislike bringing up negative news in a fresh meeting."
Rude gave him another pointed look and Reeve conceded. "You're right."
He then looked to her with regret. "I don't enjoy this. I'd rather skip over it entirely, but this needs to be addressed."
He sighed as he pulled out a file. "Two nights ago, there was an incident in town. A biker was attacked by armed men dressed in black. Reports aren't clear of the aftermath of the incident, but there was quite a stretch of city streets where the bullets rained down, and I'm afraid one of them struck through an apartment and hit a young child, about two years old."
He held out the file which showed the young one's hospital record and an image. "The child was struck in the foot. It wasn't a severe injury, but I would like to know why, if it was your group, you would attack a biker, and ignore the fact that there are innocent people in this city who are still trying to recover from living in fear under the tyranny of Shinra Corp."
Apparently, Ness was not good at hiding her emotions... if she was even trying. The knowledge that her group had injured a child made her look like she was about to throw up. She turned away from Reeve, clapping a hand over her mouth, and the expression right before her face disappeared from view was distraught. Shan gave a glance to Fritz and then whirled around, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Ne-... N... it was an accident."
Fritz looked at Reeve, obviously upset himself.
"We were chasing a dangerous enhanced," he explained, "We... we didn't... we can pay for the expenses..."
Reeve held up his hands to calm them. "We didn't request an audience to place blame. We merely wanted to propose the idea of a possible alliance. We just wanted to know if that had been your group. There have been quite a few attacks as of late. People vanishing without warning, or simply being found dead. The reports show traces of an agent that paralyzes its victims, but it's a severe dose and froze nearly every muscle in their bodies, including their lungs and hearts, preventing blood from flowing or oxygen intake; they died from suffocation. It's rather concerning."
He folded his arms in thought, "A dangerous enhanced, though? There are a few that still pose a threat, but I can't think of one still alive that uses a motorcycle. At least not since the Remnants attack almost two years ago."
He looked over to Rude then. "Have your Turk friends managed to ID the biker in question?"
Rude pulled out his phone and sent a text, asking the question. About forty seconds passed before he got a message back and his eyes widened. Looking over at Reeve he adjusted his glasses.
"Bad news."
"What, do they still not know, or... is it a new threat," asked Reeve.
Rude shook his head and gave Reeve the phone and his eyes widened. "Cloud Strife?!"
Rude nodded. "Tseng says the red lights he had to run to evade the shots snapped a very clear photo image of him, once the blur was cleaned up enough."
Shan whipped around, his eyes wide. "WHAT? We were... we were attacking... Cloud Strife? Protector of the planet?... Defender of the innocent?... Hero of Gaia?... Badass of-"
"Shut up!" Even Fritz was thrown off by this revelation.
"The enhanced on the motorcycle... was Cloud Strife?" he tried to clarify.
"They told us he was a dealer!" Shan exclaimed. "They said they saw him almost two weeks ago talking to a group of local dealers and that they took off without fighting him."
"Shut up, Shan," Fritz shouted. "We... Ifrit! We didn't know..."
"They were so sure," Ness had finally turned around, having reigned in her emotions and spoken up, "We were given... incorrect information. We thought we were taking out a head dealer; at least, that's what we were led to believe. We launched a full attack on him."
"This is not happening," Shan walked away from them, running a hand through his hair and continuing to mutter.
Fritz's expression darkened. "They have a lot of explaining to do."
Ness shushed her friends and then looked back at Reeve. "As soon as the girl with the winged father told us the paralytic almost killed her, we stopped using it. And... I know it's probably too late... but... tell Mr. Strife... we are... so sorry... and we ... we won't attack him anymore."
She attempted to maintain a strong front, but it was clear in her posture... in her face... in her eyes... she was completely demoralized and devastated.
Reeve hadn't quite expected this reaction. If anything, he expected it to swing the other way. For them to feel indifferent or to claim that his friend deserved such a fate because he had mako in his veins. This changed a few things, and he felt it was appropriate to try and clear the air now, while they could.
"Would you like to tell him yourself?" He looked over to Rude, still keeping some of their hand close to their chest. "I'm sure the Turks have the numbers of all high-profile individuals in their phone banks, am I correct?"
Rude nodded. "We have Strife's number on file."
Reeve handed him back his phone, "Would you do the honors? I know it's probably encrypted."
Rude simply scrolled down and hit Strife's number, though he had to scroll a bit farther past all of Reno's useless texts. It helped make it look harder to find... because it was, buried under 32 other useless texts.
He hit dial, and it started ringing. Rude set it to speaker mode. It rang a few times before someone on the other end answered.
"Rude? I know you don't call without a good reason, but do you know what time it is?"
The Turk gave the slightest of smirks as he held the phone out. "Cloud, you have an audience. I believe you met them a couple of nights ago?"
There was a pause and then, "What do you mean?"
Ness took a deep breath. She wasn't a person who ran from her mistakes. She wanted to own up to them... even if it meant possibly going to jail or disappointing a person she held in high regard.
"Mr. Strife..." she began, "I am the one who ordered the attack on you. I was misinformed that you were a high-end street mako dealer, but I should have verified it."
She tried so hard to keep her voice strong, but a minor quivering crept in. "I am... we... we are deeply sorry... and we will not be attacking you... now that we know who you are..."
She thought about it for a moment and then amended her statement. "Unless you start dealing mako on the streets, of course."
She cringed and rolled her eyes at herself. Her two friends were thankfully quiet, leaving her to make the apology free of their constant bickering.
On the other end, Cloud's voice came through crystal clear.
"First, before I say anything else know this. While I am furious that I was attacked, I do want to thank you for at least waiting until I was alone before you acted. You had my route mapped out, so you obviously knew I had a young girl with me. I appreciated that you waited until after I dropped her off home before you set your plan into motion.
"I'd also like to note that I did ask your men why I was being targeted. They simply replied that I was a monster. I don't appreciate that, and I don't take it as a valid excuse either."
He sighed. "I understand that mistakes happen. I may be angry, but I'm still alive, thanks to some friends."
He paused again and his tone seemed honestly concerned. "I'm sorry about the ones who were burned by my rescuers. I hope no one died on your end."
There was a pause. "If you're willing to believe the word of an enhanced like me, I can give you a list of other that are not evil or guilty of anything, other than trying to make an honest living."
He then chuckled, adding humor, "and they certainly aren't drug dealers."
The grin could clearly be heard in his reply.
"Thank you, Mr. Strife," she replied, still unable to get that minor tremor out of her voice, "for being so gracious. We have nothing against the enhanced. We only have a problem with those that use mako on the streets and those who deal it. And we would appreciate that list, please, so there are no further mistakes on our part."
His apology took a moment to register.
"Wait... you were almost killed?" she asked, "That can't be right... we couldn't catch you. Your bike left us in the dust. We didn't lose anyone, and no one was burned."
One could almost hear the revelation in his tone. "It seems like you've got snakes in your coop."
He was about to say something else when the phone was taken from him. "Hey! what are you doing?"
"Sorry, Spike, but I have something I need to say. Hi, um, Anti-street mako drug leader? Zack Fair here, best friend of Cloud's and totally at the top of his 'Do not kill me. I'm innocent' list. I was going to wait and save this announcement for the public when we announce it later after our full team arrives, but I'd actually like to invite you to join in. Me, Cloud and a few others are going to do something to help lower the crime rate in this city.
"We're just as tired of it as you are, but we have a solution. I plan to command a force as general to act as a shield to protect the innocent. We have branches for both enhanced and normal individuals, and before you think the mako-brutes will get special treatment, know that Cloud will be in charge of them to keep them in line. I'd be honored if you'd help us. Hell, I can even give you the rank to command your own branch. What do you say?"
Ness blinked.
"I... think I can speak for everyone when I say... yes, we'd be honored," she answered, "We're not very many... maybe about twenty or so."
Zack's smile translated through his voice, "Are you kidding? Even one is a huge help! We'll happily take you and your team! I've already set up a deal with Reeve. You're meeting him now, right? I kinda fell out of the loop a little because Cloud was kinda mourning his dead bike."
He pulled away from the phone, "Which I said Wade and I can fix if you'd quit moping!"
He then leaned back into the phone. "But you should totally trust Reeve. The guy's awesome! Really knows his stuff and he's got some great ideas to help make people's lives easier! Don't let his strict posture fool you either, he's a teddy bear, really!"
Zack yelped suddenly, and rustling sounds could be heard, "You've overtaken my call long enough Zack."
Cloud focused his attention on the woman again. "Sorry, he's just a bit riled up tonight. His big brother complex is on overdrive. I'd like to meet you in person if I could. Think you could stop by the Seventh Heaven bar? I'll have a full list for you there. Just, do me a favor and don't target Genesis or his daughter? It's not easy cleaning up after him."
Genesis's retort could clearly be heard. "I'll have you know I keep my apartment very tidy, Strife."
"Shut up; you had three-week-old pizza in your fridge. That's not normal," the blond shot back.
"Genesis... the winged one?" Ness questioned, "If he's a friend of yours, he's a friend of ours. Can you just... assure me that none of the names you'll give me are using Street Mako or dealing it? If I have your word, I need no other assurances."
Shan had finally recovered from his freak-out and resumed his place next to Ness. Fritz glared at him, probably annoyed that he lost his composure.
Cloud went to reply regarding Genesis, but he fought to hold back a laugh.
"Sorry," he said after a minute, and he wouldn't deny that a laugh slipped. "He just got so offended that you'd even consider he stoop that low. I don't think I've ever seen him speechless before. It's kinda funny."
"When would you like me to come by?" she asked.
"Anytime tomorrow is fine, I don't have any deliveries scheduled and we're still waiting for our other team members before we make our public announcement, and I have to wait for them anyway."
He turned serious then. "I give you my word: none of my friends have any dealings with drugs of any kind. The only time we get involved with that is when we try to stop it."
He decided he wanted to learn more about her two friends, as well. "I can hear your team members with you; bring them along if you want."
"Thank you. I think you should meet them, anyway... we'll all be working together." she said, pausing for a moment before adding, "Mr. Strife... is there a pinball machine there?"
Cloud blinked, feeling very confused by her odd question, but decided to humor her. "We used to have one, but it was destroyed with the old bar. We haven't added it back. If you like pinball though, I can always ask Tifa if she could order one. We have an empty space next to the jukebox."
"Nah, it's fine." she responded, shaking her head, "We'll talk to you tomorrow, then, Mr. Strife..."