Final Crisis: Costa del Sol

Chapter One: Bar del Sol

[ ν ] – εγλ 0002, Early Summer

Costa del Sol.

The setting sun was shining, casting a pink glow across the waves of the ocean as they lapped against beautiful sandy beaches that stretched far off into the distance. Vacationers meandered the resort town without a care in the world, shopping, swimming, relaxing, eating, drinking, laughing… making memories that would last a lifetime…

"This. Is bullshit."

Zack Fair sat down heavily on a stool at the Bar del Sol, the premier nightlife location in a town that catered to everyone's unique desires. The two men he'd joined looked up from their drinks, one, his expression unreadable, the other, openly annoyed.

"Well, lookie who's decided to join us… Mr. fuckin' Buzzkill." The redheaded Turk took a long swallow of his fruity cocktail with a tiny umbrella, finishing off the glass and tapping it on the bar. He made eye contact with the attractive, long haired, deeply tanned bartender who winked at him while she mixed a drink for another customer. The bar was hopping. Zack hated it.

"Ze usual, Mizter Reno?" The woman asked, her accent unplaceable and exotic, like so many things at Costa del Sol.

"I told you to stop calling me Mister," Reno said, resting his jaw in one hand. "And no, I need something stronger. I've got a long night ahead of me…"

Rude's silence sounded a lot like a laugh. Zack side eyed the Turks, scowling. "I know why I'm annoyed, but what's got you in such a bad mood?"

"Oh, I dunno," Reno said, but from his tone it sounded like he did, in fact, know exactly. He spread one arm, taking in the crowded bar full of beautiful tanned people all seemingly having the time of their lives. Then he pointed dramatically in Zack's direction as though the answer was obvious. Music played, drinks flowed, and Zack found himself even more irritated. Nobody understood or cared what he was going through… Even his supposed "friends".

Zack used the term very loosely when it came to most of the Turks.

Zack sighed and leaned into his elbows on the bar. A beautiful, scantily clad woman in a red bikini walked behind him, her fingertips casually trailing across his broad, bare shoulders as she went. Zack hadn't worn a shirt in weeks, and the sun and his endless exercises made his perfectly tanned skin glisten. She was probably drunk and had no idea she'd bumped against him. It seemed to happen a lot at Bar del Sol… Zack gave her a polite smile and an appraising look as she headed for swinging double doors beside the bar that led upstairs to the VIP Lounge, supposedly… a place Zack hadn't been and didn't care to visit. He'd heard only the vaguest rumors about what happened upstairs. It didn't seem like his scene, though Reno and Rude had ended their nights upstairs more often than not… She stopped, pushed open the doors, gave him a wink and blew him an inviting kiss before she disappeared.

People were certainly friendly at Costa del Sol, but Zack couldn't appreciate it, stuck in his head as he was…

Reno watched the whole thing and groaned, dramatically. "Do ya think for one damn night you might be able to just relax and enjoy yourself? You know that's actually your assignment right now?"

The beautiful bartender came over with a tray and three freshly prepared drinks. She winked at Zack and placed one in front of each of them. Zack hadn't ordered a drink but he picked it up and took a sip anyway. The establishment knew what he liked and Shinra was footing the bill, supposedly, though Zack was skeptical. They'd even put him up at the President's Private Villa. With the Turks keeping a constant eye on him, of course…

The drink was strong and tasty, but no amount of alcohol in the world would drown Zack's sorrows.

"We need about six more of those, for starters," Reno said with a grating undertone. He pointed his thumb at Zack and there was some kind of unspoken conversation between himself and the bartender as she nodded, smiled and walked away.

"You can't force me to have a good time," Zack said, taking another long swig of his drink. "And neither can the brass. Mandatory Vacation might as well be a prison sentence."

Reno hummed or groaned, low in his throat, and closed his eyes, rolling his neck and making audible popping sounds. Rude leaned forward, just slightly, so he could peer past Reno at Zack. The man's black tank top left his powerful arms exposed and they flexed as he shifted. Tasteful mythril chains draped over his collarbones, matching his many earrings and making him look more Wall Market than Shinra, but maybe there wasn't much of a difference. Even with his eyes hidden by the sunglasses he always wore, his dark shaded look spoke volumes, and Zack didn't want to hear it.

"I don't think you guys can even imagine what it's like for me. I need to be out there, helping people, doing my job, and instead I'm stuck here, doing nothing, with you two."

Zack didn't think his words were particularly funny, but even Rude couldn't keep himself from chuckling. Reno laughed so hard he dropped his forehead to the countertop and started pounding it with his open hand. There were tears in the corners of his eyes by the time he finally lifted his head. One rolled down his cheek, right over one of the ridiculous red tattoos on his face. Reno definitely had a head start on the alcohol consumption and a lifetime's head start at being a jerk.

Zack scowled and finished off his drink, glaring at the rows of fancy liquor bottles lining the bar's shelves, his jaw set, neck and shoulder muscles flexing as his feelings of irritation intensified. Maybe he'd go back to the room, do squats until he got bored and turn in early for the night… It was leg day. He could probably set a new personal best before bed and maybe tomorrow he wouldn't even be able to walk.

At least then he'd feel like he'd accomplished something.

Reno saw his stiffening posture and put one hand on Zack's shoulder, his expression softening slightly. "Look. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed. You're right, you've got it real bad."

Zack didn't believe his words and gave him a look that said it.

"No, I'm serious," Reno said, taking his hand from Zack's shoulder and putting it on his own half exposed, shaved chest. The man was wearing some kind of bright blue, flowery, short sleeved shirt that he'd only buttoned once, showing off a collection of twine and tiny seashell necklaces and one white gold chain with what looked like a lightning bolt. A pair of his usual stylized dark lensed goggles sat high on his forehead, his dyed red hair cascading around it. Most of his exposed skin was still pale as the day they'd arrived and Zack had even seen Rude helping him apply copious amounts of sunblock every time the two men had actually hit the beach. The tips of his nose, ears and cheeks were pink and there was dried skin peeling above his eyebrows from a healing sunburn. "I couldn't do what you do, and that's the honest truth."

Whenever Reno talked about honesty it sounded like a lie. Zack was going to say as much when someone tapped him on the shoulder, derailing the thought. Zack turned to see a young couple, the man draped possessively around his girl's shoulders, but the woman was staring intently at Zack, clutching some kind of booklet in her hand. "Are you Zack? SOLDIER First Class, Zack Fair?" she asked.

"Yeah, he is," Reno said, not bothering to be polite as he swung around to face the couple. "What, you want his autograph or sumthin'?" The tipsy Turk had been half joking, but the young woman nodded vigorously and held out a First Edition Official Zack Fair Fan Club membership book.

Zack packed his irritation with his life into the back corner of his mind and grinned, holding out his hand for the book. "I'd be happy to!" He looked down at his own cocky smiling face, remembering the photo shoot shortly after his promotion to First. Things had been difficult then, but it was amazing what a couple months, a new hairstyle, a permanent facial scar, the death of a mentor and a few botched missions could do to a guy's confidence and well being. It was a wonder he still had any fans…

There was another small issue. He unconsciously reached for the pocket of his custom designer sunflower decorated black swim trunks. "I don't… have a pen…"

Rude was already holding out an expensive looking Shinra logoed pen, like he'd anticipated the need. He pushed it into Reno's view and the red haired man snapped it up before handing it to Zack with another annoyed sigh. Zack did his best to make his signature look like what the Shinra marketing department had taught him. He stuck his tongue into the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on keeping the letters nice and neat, but there was nothing he could do about the heavy leftward slant he'd always written with. "There… you go." The young woman blushed and thanked him profusely, shooting rapid fire questions about his future career plans as her boyfriend practically dragged her away, looking embarrassed and more than a little jealous.

Zack just kind of laughed and scratched the back of his head until they were gone, not really listening and trying not to think about it. He had no more idea about what his future held than his fans… All he could do was go where Shinra told him and do what they said…

Once they were alone again, Zack's smile dropped and he turned back to the bar, leaning into it heavily. He cupped his hands around a fresh drink a server had delivered and stared into the glass. Reno watched him intently.

"You just turn it on and off like that, don'tcha? Must be nice."

Zack ignored him and downed his second drink in a single swallow. Familiar, exciting victory music cut through the din in the bar and Rude reached into the pockets of his black cargo shorts, pulling out his handset and flicking it open with a smooth move.

The man rarely said anything when he answered his phone. If you knew Rude, you knew to just start talking. "...Uh huh." There was another long pause. "Uh huh…" Rude held the phone over to Reno. His deep voice had a soft rumble to it that was kind of comforting and a definite contrast to his partner's higher pitched, cutting tones. "It's for you…"

"Go for Reno." The red haired Turk listened intently and cast a sideways glance at Zack. "Yeah… Obviously." Reno gestured with his free hand and the bartender brought Zack two more drinks. "I can be subtle," Reno said and Rude's lips twitched, but the stoic man didn't say a word.

"You're just gonna have to trust me." Reno's eyes narrowed. "You're more than welcome to come handle it yourself… Fine. Yeah. Yeah, I got it."

"Is that Tseng?" Zack asked, even though he knew the answer. He held out his hand for the phone and Reno glared at him for a moment.

"Zack wants to talk to you…"

Zack ignored Reno's tone and took the phone. "Tseng. You gotta get me outta here."

There was a long pause. "I can't do that, Zack." When Tseng spoke, every word was meticulous and purposeful. "Not without official recommendation."

"Well, when's that gonna happen?" Zack realized he'd raised his voice, but he didn't care.

"When you're ready."

Zack blew air between his lips and glared at Reno. "So what, you want me to relax? Get drunk? Have a good time? Talk about my feelings?"

"I've heard enough about your damn feelings," Reno said, under his breath but still intentionally loud enough so they could all hear him. Rude smirked into his drink but stopped so quickly Zack wasn't sure he'd really seen it.

"Whatever," Zack said, not bothering to disguise his anger and disappointment. "Thanks for nothing." He hung up on the Assistant Director of General Affairs before Tseng could make any more excuses. Zack took one drink in each hand and downed his third and fourth.

Reno whistled, impressed. "Now we're talking. This takes me right back to our Wall Market days." He raised his hand into the air, making a circling gesture and raised his voice. "Shinra Inc is buying a round for the house!" There was scattered cheering as the bartenders and servers hurried to put drinks in everyone's hand and bill the company. A few of Zack's new beach bodybuilder buddies came by and slapped Zack enthusiastically on the back in thanks as they took their brews. Reno looked annoyed that he hadn't gotten any of the credit, but everyone in the bar knew Zack was the local celebrity and face of Shinra. Half the people on vacation were probably there because they'd heard SOLDIER "party boy" Zack Fair was in town.

It was all so stupid. And such a fabricated lie he'd been forced to take part in. But Zack didn't see any solutions to his problems. So he sat at the bar, sipping his drinks. Trying not to think about them…

Somebody put upbeat dance music on the jukebox and the emotional energy of Bar del Sol kicked up a notch. The sun had well and truly set, and everyone was ready to appreciate the relative coolness of the night by partying, dancing and working up a sweat.

It was an endless boring cycle and Zack still wasn't feeling it. He wasn't feeling much of anything, including the alcohol. Zack suspected Reno had made sure his drinks were twice as strong as he and Rude were drinking. It wasn't the first attempt Reno had made during their after hours and vacation time together to take Zack's edge off. But it didn't matter. "Y'know I'm not gonna get drunk, right?" He had to lean toward the red haired Turk to be heard over the music and growing revelry.

"I'm very aware of your ridiculous SOLDIER stamina and resistances, yes."

Reno sounded like he was mad at Zack and Zack didn't feel like he deserved it. "Hey, it's not my fault. You know I was a kid when I started mako treatments. They didn't exactly explain to us the things we'd be giving up."

Reno snorted and stirred a tiny black straw in his newest drink. "The company isn't real good with disclaimers."

"Heh. You can say that again…" Rude said, his voice rumbling just above the heavy bass of the music. He rubbed the neatly trimmed vacation stubble on his usually clean shaven chin and for a moment, the three men stared into their drinks and shared the same unspoken feelings. Zack realized his negative attitude was infecting the two men who were stuck in just about the same situation he was in. He made up his mind to try harder. If not for himself, then for them.

"Y'know… I heard a rumor once that Genesis got into President Shinra's private wine stash," Zack said, starting the conversation off slowly and watching the Turks for their reaction.

Reno tried to hide his smirk with his drink. He took a sip. "It's not a rumor. Totally happened."

Rude grunted his displeasure and Zack assumed the information was supposed to be classified. Zack continued, "I heard he made it about halfway through the expensive stuff before anybody caught him."

"I caught him," Reno said, tilting his head and giving Zack a cocky grin.

"I helped," Rude said, not to be left out of the story now that it was being told. Zack didn't know how much alcohol Rude had consumed, and while the man had nearly SOLDIER levels of built up resistance to the stuff, he was definitely beyond buzzed.

"We'd lost contact with him for hours after a mission," Reno said, gesturing with his drink as he talked. "Which happened a lot more than Lazard liked to admit."

"So you guys are the ones who chased him, completely naked, onto the rooftop and had to call in air support to get him off the control tower?"

"Why is that the part of the story everybody likes to talk about?" Reno said, shrugging at his partner. He spilled a bit of his drink.

"Tabloids were running nude pics of Genesis for months after the incident," Zack said, laughing with genuine amusement. There were more drinks in front of them and Zack hadn't seen them delivered. "I wouldn't exactly call that one a brilliant Turk success."

"I mean, at the end of the day, we got the job done." Reno held up his glass and Rude clinked his own against it.

"To the Turks," Rude said, and both men took long swallows of their drinks. A spontaneous competition happened, and they both kept drinking until their glasses were empty, not to be outdone in their love or loyalty to their squad. They grinned stupidly at each other.

Zack paused for a moment and started his fifth or maybe sixth drink. "I guess what I'm wondering is… how did Genesis get drunk?"

Reno smiled and nodded, seeing what Zack was getting at and liking the direction the night was heading. "Well, it's not impossible. Obviously." The beautiful bartender slid past them, depositing fresh drinks for the Turks without being asked and Reno took his, on autopilot. "Most SOLDIERs don't want to spend the time or money it would take to actually get buzzed, let alone wasted. And frankly, our jobs would be a lot harder if they did." There was a pause and Rude and Zack both nodded along with the sentiment, imagining Genesis levels of drunken SOLDIER chaos at Shinra HQ. Reno looked at Zack, his eyes softening in an uncharacteristically sympathetic yet guarded look. "The longer you receive your SOLDIER treatments, the harder it's gonna get…"

There was something there Reno wasn't saying, but Zack got the gist. Every moment, every missed opportunity mattered. "This vacation," Zack paused, still disliking the word, "is all inclusive? My drinks are totally covered? It's not secretly comin' outta my paycheck later?"

"That's what I've been tellin' ya from the start…" Reno said, rolling his eyes, but with much less sarcasm and a hint of playfulness.

Zack scanned the Bar del Sol's collection of whiskey, rum, gin, brandy and other distilled spirits he'd never really paid much attention to. "Is there enough here to get me drunk?"

Reno lifted his shoulders in a quick, amused shrug. He glanced at Rude, got a nod and gave Zack a lopsided, dangerous grin. "Only one way to find out…" Reno raised his hand, signaling the beautiful bartender. "Hey, Eliza! Shots for the SOLDIER!" He pointed his finger like a gun at Zack, pulling an imaginary trigger.

Reno probably hadn't meant to say it so loud, or maybe he had, but there were more than a few of the other patrons in the bar who heard his words and looked over in interest. It was like Eliza, the bartender, had been waiting for the moment. She readied a tray of ten small glasses that Zack thought looked a little silly. Wouldn't bigger glasses have made more sense if they were trying to breach his unnatural resistance to every kind of poison known to man? The alcohol was going to break down in his system almost as fast as it hit it.

She placed the tray in front of him and stepped back, smiling with encouragement. Zack had the feeling there were a lot of eyes on him as he took the first tiny glass in his fingers, feeling like he was going to break it. He downed it, then the second, then the third, in rapid succession. There was a burning sensation in his throat, but once the alcohol hit his stomach it seemed to vanish into a pit that might have been bottomless. Zack kept drinking. The chatter in the bar started to fade as more people realized the spectacle that was unfolding right before their eyes. Eliza readied another tray of ten.

Rude lowered his sunglasses and stared wide eyed as Zack methodically finished each tiny drink. Zack really didn't get what all the fuss was about, but he'd started to gather an audience. By the time he'd finished the next ten shots, people had started chanting his name.

Zack still didn't feel anything. He made a confident gesture to Eliza to keep the drinks coming and the woman glanced at Reno, who had maybe started to reconsider his decisions, but nodded anyway. Zack started in on the next set and Rude leaned forward, whispering something in his partner's ear.

Reno shrugged but didn't take his eyes off Zack. "I have no idea…"

It was kind of like doing squats, Zack decided. There was a rhythm and flow to the process of picking up a tiny glass, lifting it to his mouth, drinking the burn, setting the empty glass upside down without breaking anything and starting the whole process over again. But unlike squats, he felt like his rhythm was slowing down instead of speeding up.

But he was still getting pumped.

"Zack, you're incredible!" he heard his earlier fangirl practically squeal above the full chant that the entire bar had taken up.

"Zack! Zack! Zack!"

He spilled a shot. That was okay. Somebody patted him on the back, encouraging him and he picked up the next, intent on showing everyone what he was capable of. They were counting on him, literally, somebody in the back was just shouting numbers for some reason.

"Forty One! Forty Two!"

Zack wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the pile of upside down empty shot glasses around him filled the bartop as he kept drinking.

"Forty Nine!" the crazy guy in the back shouted and Eliza handed him a single shot to make up for the one he'd spilled. He held up the glass, feeling like it was significant but not really understanding why. The crowd went wild as he tossed the drink back into his mouth, slamming the empty shot glass onto the counter where it dented the lacquered wood and shattered under his hand.

"Fifty!"

He caught Reno making a not so subtle cutoff gesture out of the corner of his eye and Eliza smiled and spread her empty hands, bringing the cheering to a crescendo like a musical conductor at one of the operas Zack had been forced to attend during his First Class career, except this time he was actually having fun.

Zack felt the energy and excitement in the bar. He could practically hear the thoughts and encouragement directed at him. He stood, fully intending to throw his hands in the air and get another cheer out of his audience, but something had happened to the floor while he'd been drinking and he staggered back into the edge of the suddenly tilted bar counter, spreading his hands and feet as he tried to stay upright. He knocked a couple shot glasses off onto the floor where they shattered. It was kind of hilarious for some reason.

Zack giggled and grinned at his best buddies in the whole world. "Oops."

Reno and Rude exchanged a meaningful glance. "Uh oh."

Notes:

Costa del Sol is a part of Zack's past that provides so many opportunities for character study and exploration. I'm not saying this is Remake Compliant, exactly, but my entire writing project revolves around taking what Remake gave us and trying to apply it to Crisis Core and the FFVII Universe in general, while turning up the realism and filling in some of the gaps and details we don't know. Rebirth is right around the corner so there will obviously be a lot of Lore and characterization answers and even more mysteries to consider. I've had a lot of fun imagining Zack's relationships with the Turks. I've got an outline for more chapters for this side story if people are interested. I need something to do to pass the time til Rebirth! Cissnei, Rufus, and maybe possibly even YUFFIE make an appearance in the other chapters of this fic... ;)

Other Backstory Ideas (some I've even started writing, all of which come into play either as flashbacks, mentions or influencing my main story down the road):

Hojo's Lab - Cloud and Zack, I think we all know how these go, but I've got some interesting twists you might not see coming.

Wutai War - Zack and Sephiroth go to War. It didn't end at Fort Tamblin. Teenage Zack spends a month, boots on the ground, trying to be a hero while everyone else just wants to survive.

On The Run - Can we ever get enough Zack and Cloud On the Run? I thought it would be hard to write with two characters when one of them can't respond. Surprisingly easy. Questionable Sanity is a plus.

Young Zack's Journey to Midgar - Just like it sounds. Thirteen Year Old Zack gets to Midgar. How did he do it? I have some very specific ideas. Turk Involvement Highly Likely.

Wall Market Anti Mafia Operation - Teased in Reno's dialog right before he buys a round for the house in this fic. Zack and Reno of my world ended up being unlikely partners for a SOLDIER/Turk Joint Anti Mafia operation that is almost Crisis Core canon. Zack did some side missions against Don Corneo in Wall Market. I turned it into a whole epic thing in my head. Zack Fair Policed Wall Market with Turk Assistance. Mayhem Ensued. Aerith and Zack's relationship highlights. Zack was a good, basically naive guy but maybe picked up some bad habits from Reno and Wall Market.

Let me know if there's something you'd like to see! Reviews and Favs Appreciated 3