Chapter One: Strike the Midnight Hour
"The answer is no." Cloud Strife looked at his latest customer with disdain, oil-covered nose twisting in irritation when the customer gave him a look of irritation before taking the helmet and stomping out of his shop making sure that Cloud heard the rather colorful curse aimed in his direction before slamming the door shut. Alone and without a single customer as a witness, Cloud's annoyed face slipped into one of exhaustion as he slumped into the wobbly chair that his mother refused to replace. It was the one that his Father always sat in so he could understand the sentimentality, but the day where he slipped and busted his ass wasn't far too off in the future.
"You ran off another one?" Claudia Strife peaked her head out of her small, cramped office shooting him an irritated stare over her glasses. "You know Gil isn't made out of trees, right? We're already in the red."
"I know," Cloud grumbled giving her an apologetic stare. "He wanted me to repair an Orichalcum-laced helmet and you know that's stuff illegal in these parts." He nudged his head in the direction of the wall where their various licensees hung. "We worked too hard for all that paper to go to waste."
Claudia snorted at the excuse before sticking her head back into the office and the clacking of keys continued. "A Master Mechanic for a month and he thinks he running things. If I remember correctly didn't you deal with Orichalcum-laced equipment six months ago? You did that job for Gladio?"
"That's different." Cloud protested. "It was for his engine to one of his bikes and I didn't finish it because Ignis didn't want me to risk the reputation of the shop." Cloud felt a touch of regret about it. The motto of Strife Ignition was, "We'll Get the Job Done - Big or Small." and for as long as Cloud remembered, their motto rang true until that particular job. Of course, they were still compensated, but it was the fact that Cloud didn't finish that beautiful engine that rubbed him the wrong way.
"Let it go, baby." Claudia peeked her head back out with a small smile. "You know it's up to the customer's discretion to keep the job going and you didn't do anything wrong, alright?"
"I know, Mama."
Claudia's lips thinned at the sight of her son's slumped shoulders. She knew a loss when she saw it. One of the things that she loved about her son was the pride he took in his work, but the thing she hated was how hard he let it hit him when he failed. It was like staring at her husband all over again and she loathed it when he got in one of his moods, but thankfully, Cloud never sulked more than a few hours.
"Why don't you head to the BASE?" Claudia slipped out of her office and reached out to wrap an arm around Cloud's slumped shoulders. "I heard they finally got that shipment of beer from Gongaga you like?"
"Oh?" Cloud's ears perked up from the news. It had been months since they got a shipment from Gongaga. That must mean - "They cleared out the JENOVA nest?"
"Yeah. I heard it was a nasty one, but TITAN and SIREN cleaned up pretty well." Claudia pressed a kiss against her son's temple. "They're finishing clean-up so the trade routes were re-established."
"That's good to hear. I was worried."
"Worried about the beer or worried about Zachary?" Claudia watched with a sly grin as her son's cheeks turned a deep red at the mention of the Marquess. Who knew that her son, who was known for his sass, would clam up like an oyster at the sound of a name? But, she supposed that it wasn't just a normal name. Marquess Zachary Fair of the City-State of Gongaga was not only the leader of that territory, but the pilot of the TITAN - a mechanical suit of armor that held the spirit of Titan, God of Gaia, or so the stories say, but who knew?
"You're thinking about the man, but what about the machine? What I wouldn't give to have a chance to get my hands on a Minerva UNIT. And what about the God Core?"
"Do you believe it?" Cloud met his mother's curious gaze and pressed. "The stories about the God Core? That they hold spirits?"
"I believe that the God Cores hold a semblance of power belonging to the Old Gods." Claudia pursued her lips thoughtfully. "Your Father believed that the Old Gods were trapped inside to fight JENOVA and considering the power that the Minerva UNITS hold, it isn't a far-fetched idea."
"All of them could hold the Old Gods themselves?" Cloud's brows furrowed. "All of them? All of that power? In human hands?"
"Better us than the hands of JENOVA." Claudia nudged him in the direction of the door. "Get out of my hair and enjoy that beer you've been waiting on."
"Are you sure-?"
"Cloud. Out."
With no choice and less than willing to face his mother's wrath, Cloud stepped out into the cooling air and was immediately met with the towering statue of his late Father, Crimson Sttrie, and wanted to run back inside. He should be used to seeing it - he was used to seeing it - but, that didn't make him feel better knowing that his Father sacrificed his life wiping out a JENOVA's nest. He was claimed as a hero, but he wasn't immune to the whispers. To some, Crimson was a man who should be honored, but to others?
He was the one who lost the Minerva UNIT - ODIN. One of the final lines of defense against JENOVA.
It was a precious resource that could have been stripped and used for spare parts for the remaining UNITS, but the tunnels where the nest was hidden had collapsed, not only losing the UNIT but his father's remains as well. So, Cloud didn't have a chance to say goodbye. He, along with his mother, had to bury an empty casket and watched as the world moved on while it stood still for them.
It was still standing still.
He would never admit it, but he could still hear his mother cry at night when it days were too much to bear. She would be fine in the morning, but he didn't fail to notice the tearstain tracks and the red-rimmed eyes. His mother was grieving just as strongly as the day his Father lost his life. And in different ways, so was Cloud. He would often find himself in situations and think of what his Father would do in the same problem. It was sad that he would never have the opportunity to find out, sadder still that his Father would never see that hard-earned piece of paper on the wall that deemed him a Master Mechanic.
"I'm gonna need something stronger than that Gongaga brew," Cloud muttered, turning on his heel and marching towards the BASE, wincing when he realized that it had a decent crowd. He shouldn't be surprised - the BASE did serve not only as a bar/grill but a central hub of information, and thanks to the precious metal that was hidden in Mt. Nibel, it served as a trading hub as well. It was a good business for their small village and Cloud wished he had invested in it like his mother asked, but what can one do?
He meant to slip inside the building quietly, but Tifa Lockhart, owner, and self-designated childhood friend decided that it was best to announce his presence by tossing a beer in his direction just as he slid onto the bar stool.
"Master Mechanic Cloud Strife," Tifa announced, wine-red eyes twinkling in the low lighting of the bar. "Congratulations." She reached out, ruffling his hair before turning back to the bar. "How's Mama Strife doing?"
"Fine." Cloud didn't hold back the groan as the lager slid down his throat. Gongaga knew best. "She's still on my ass about driving away customers."
"You keep doing that and you're going to be in the red," Tifa warned, nodding and shooting one of her customers a small smile. "You know that Mama loves that shop."
Chastised and flushed, Cloud lowered his gaze. He knew how much his mother loved that shop. She wanted it to stay in the family, but with the orders and the rising cost of materials, it was starting to look like more and more of a pipe dream.
"It'll be nice if we can draw in more customers from the Midgar region or if I can learn different types of crafts. We keep sticking to the same style and we're going to get left behind."
"You can cut the bullshit." Tifa snorted. "Strife Ignition's reputation is fine. It's your reputation that you're whining about, right? You just upgraded so do you really expect people to trust you with large projects?"
"Of course not."
"So?" Tifa continued softly. "It's time to get those feet and ears wet." She reached and poked him on the forehead. "Once you found the courage."
"You think I can't strike it out on my own?"
"Not without Mama Strife's consent and blessing." Tifa countered swiftly. "And I dare you to do it otherwise. You're all she has left so don't be an asshole about it." Tifa's eyes softened as she watched Cloud's shoulders tense. "It's hard, I know, but I have all the faith in the world for you, Cloud. I know that one day all of the world is going to hear about Cloud Strife just as they heard about Crimson."
"He's a hero and I'm-"
"Just as good, kind-hearted, and stubborn." Tifa finished with another flourish and a second beer. "You will be what you want to be Cloud, but with time and patience." Tifa shook her head. "You will have time - I promise."
Cloud's lips curled into a small smile. "You can see the future, Tifa Lockhart?"
"Nah," Tifa denied. "I just call them like I see em and I can spot a good mechanic." Like Cloud, her own lips curled into a small smile of her own. "We need those, you know? We need all the help we can get."
The statement forced Cloud's throat to tighten. It was never at the forefront of his mind how much time humanity had remaining, but the thought lingered nonetheless. It was the reason why he pressed so hard and kept his business legit. He wanted to be one to go out and help the ones who wielded the Minerva UNITS.
He wanted to be a Master Operator.
But, he would never admit it to his mother or to Tifa, who, too, had lost her mother to a JENOVA nest when she was a child. Being a Master Operator - one who guided Minerva UNIT into the thick of it was not only a massive responsibility, but it was a death sentence for the bond between Pilot and Operator was spiritual, and if the Pilot died? It was the endgame for the Operator. It was a responsibility Cloud didn't take lightly, but he wanted such a burden. He never wanted others to go through the same pain he did after losing his father.
He wanted to give the people a sense of peace for as long as he could because Tifa was right:
This world and humanity were running out of time and Cloud wanted to do all he could before that piece of paper and the loss of his Father meant nothing at all.