AN sorry for the delay, i was watching rebirth walkthroughs and cutscenes and changing my fic timeline and outline based on what i liked.
… okay so i was mostly watching the different gold saucer date scenes, but hey, that's valuable research for a final fantasy vii fic writer.
thanks to all those who listened to me struggling and gave suggestions
there's a major canon break coming up this chapter.
A Stitch in Time, Saves Nine
If Cloud ever had to shop again, it would be too soon.
The final outfit that had been decided was his, and it was a grey sleeveless shirt and blue vest with blue pants that sort of matched an outfit Tifa had gotten.
It honestly reminded him of the trooper uniform, just a little. (It might have even been a repurposed troopers uniform. The harness and pouches looked very familiar.)
Much to his bafflement, He was forced to let Aerith keep his old clothes and wore the new outfit back to sector five. Zack also changed when they got back to their apartment, but he seemed to know what was going on.
"Now I can clean your clothes, they were smelling awful!" Aerith grinned, "You can pay me back by being my bodyguard for a day!"
"Uh, yes … I could?" Cloud managed.
"Thanks Aerith!" Zack grinned. "Ah, Tifa, you said you had a job?"
"Yes, but it's kinda dangerous." She came in. "And secret."
"Won't tell anyone. What is it?"
"We want to sabotage a reactor's extractor pump." Tifa gripped her hands together. "I … We believe that mako is the lifestream and that ShinRa is draining it. We can't stand by and do nothing."
"… Even if you're right, that's risky." Zack noted.
"I'd do it for 2,000." Cloud blinked as they looked at him. "I don't know about the lifestream or whatever, but … I kinda want payback."
"I don't know." Zack frowned.
"You have a plan, right?" Cloud asked Tifa who nodded. "I go with Tifa, I hear out the plan. If it's good, I'll go, if not, I won't. Deal?"
"Fine. Just be careful."
"I will." Cloud promised.
"Great! Come tomorrow night to the bar, we'll go over everything then." Tifa left to make curfew.
"Cloud, are you sure?" Zack asked.
"Those people in those tanks … ShinRa is not gonna stop hurting people, even the ones that work for them. I know you're trying to do something with Kunsel, but …" Cloud sighed. "I don't know. I kinda want to just see what other options there are."
"… Yeah." Zack sighed. "Just promise me you'll back out the instant you feel something wrong."
"I will." Cloud promised. Falling asleep took a while.
Cloud kept feeling a hand on his shoulder even though Zack was across the room.
Zack woke up to Cloud stumbling in the dark.
"Cloud, you alright?" He turned on the light.
Cloud turned to look at him, and his eyes were green with slitted pupils before they closed and Cloud hit the floor.
"Cloud?" Zack got up and checked Cloud over. No wounds.
"Zack, what are you doing?" Cloud blinked awake.
"You were sleepwalking." Zack didn't mention the eye color change.
"Huh. That's weird." Cloud blinked at him, eyes remaining blue.
"Yeah. let's go back to sleep, alright?" Zack suggested.
'Subject has no notable changes to eyes, increase dosage to-' Hojo's rambling notes came back to his memory as he settled back down.
Would Hojo know what was happening to Cloud?
Zack would rather be shot than hand Cloud over, but without anyone else to ask … Hojo was the only one who knew what was happening to them.
Maybe Minerva would intercede, but that had been a miracle she had helped Genesis.
Maybe Aerith would know.
Gainsbourogh House
"Your clothes are almost done- everything okay?" Aerith had been having a good day, even if the soldier uniforms had turned the water black the first time she had put them in the water.
"Yeah, Cloud's gone to talk to Tifa about a job." Zack looked good in the new clothes, and he looked tired. "Aerith … I don't know if it's overstepping, but … that whole, being an ancient … Can you talk to Minerva?"
"Who's that?" That wasn't a name she knew.
"The goddess that healed Genesis. She wasn't much of a talker …" Zack plopped onto the ground next to her. "I'm worried about Cloud … I caught myself wondering if Hojo would know what was happening with him and that's the worst idea ever."
Aerith froze.
"Why would you even think of that?" She managed.
"… I know our times in the labs are kinda something neither of us wants to talk about, but Cloud's eyes went green with slitted pupils while he sleptwalk last night and I remember Hojo talking about his eyes." Zack looked at her. "I don't … I'm not a science person, but I'm scared of what Hojo did to Cloud and I'm scared that the only one who does know what's happening to Cloud is Hojo."
"He wouldn't help, he'd just make it worse or kill Cloud."
"I know. I don't actually want him near Cloud, I just want to beat some answers out of him." Zack admitted.
"… When I was little, I lived in the labs. it was mostly routine doctor visits for me, occasionally 'Can you tell me what's in the next room' or something." Aerith looked at the flowers. "But mom … they just told me she was frail. She kept getting weaker and sicker. But I wasn't an idiot. I could hear it when that man asked them to draw extra vials of blood from mom, and when they objected to injecting her with a disease to see if she survived it he'd always make the nicer ones disappear." She twisted the fabric in her hands as her vision blurred with tears. "I hate that man."
"Want me to kill him for you?" Zack took her hands to stop her from mangling the fabric. "After I get some answers, or at least the keys to his notes."
"Am I a terrible person if I think that would be the nicest thing ever?" Aerith asked.
"Nope. You're the sweetest person ever, some people just don't deserve your mercy and Hojo is one of them." Zack cupped her cheek with one hand and wiped a tear away with his thumb. "Sorry if I scared you, I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize you and Cloud, and keeping you two away from Science is definitely my priority."
"But if you could save Cloud by handing me over-"
"Nope, I'd take you both and Run. possibly while setting fire to Hojo and ShinRa in the process." Zack promised. "No more sacrifices. I'm being selfish, if we have to we'll leave midgar together and we'll be chocobo farmers."
"Chocobo farmers?" Aerith giggled.
"Know a better way to hide a flower girl and our Chocobo head?" Zack grinned, wrapping his arms around her.
"… Zack, do you believe in ghosts?"
"Yeah, I think I do. Why?"
"… I'm not sure yet, but it might be an answer to what's wrong with Cloud." Aerith admitted. "I just … need more time."
"Ok."
Seventh Heaven, Sector 7 Slums
"What's the plan?" Cloud asked, looking at the sketches of the reactors.
"Already underway. I called in the threat, they haven't shut it down so we go tonight-" Barret started to explain.
"You what?" Cloud blinked. "You called it in? Why?"
"Need to let them have a chance."
"Please tell me you didn't tell them which reactor."
"Nope, I told them. Sector 8."
"Barrett, no." Cloud groaned. "I worked security, standard protocol following a threat is evacuate the workers for 48 hours and shoot to kill anyone that approaches the area for 24 hours."
"I'm not afraid of fightin'!" Barrett scowled.
"I'm afraid of getting shot while carrying a bomb." Cloud grimaced.
"I did not think about that part." Wedge realized.
"New plan, we go tomorrow night, before the workers resume normal operations and Security has relaxed." Cloud suggested. "Which gives me time to help you with the layout. The newer reactors have roughly the same layout."
"I ain't scared!"
"I know you aren't! But I'm not risking my life by going into an ambush!" Cloud snapped. "Damnit Barrett, I'd love a chance at ShinRa but I'm not going in guns blazing on a suicide run."
"Too scared to fight your old master?"
"No, I just want you to live more than I want them dead." Cloud snapped, a headache building. "I'm not letting anyone lose another parent to ShinRa!"
"Whoa!" Jessie and Tifa stopped Barrett from lunging forward.
Biggs had to catch Cloud as the headache became blinding.
"Run Cloud. Get away." The voice whispered, mocking.
The next thing Cloud knew, he was on the ground looking up at Marlene and Biggs.
"Hey, you're awake! Zack's on his way." Biggs looked relieved. "You remember what happened?"
"Arguing with Barrett. Then a headache." Cloud blinked as Marlene patted his head with a dry rag.
"Little more than a headache this time. Might've been a seizure, you've been unconscious for a couple hours." Biggs glanced up.
Someone was yelling upstairs.
"I think Zack just arrived." Biggs grimaced.
"Yeah, him and Barrett are going at it." Cloud sighed and sat up.
"No! Stay down!" Marlene shoved him back down and sat on his stomach.
"I'm okay." Cloud wheezed. "Marlene, I'm okay, but I need to get to Zack before he and your dad get mean."
She narrowed her eyes at him, but allowed him to sit up while she slid to his lap.
"You sure?" Biggs asked. "You just woke up."
"Yeah, don't feel sore or tired or anything." Cloud held up a hand and flexed it. "Nothing feels numb or weak."
Barrett's voice got louder and something broke, followed by Tifa yelling and everything going quiet.
"Uh-oh." Marlene shrunk slightly against Cloud. "Tifa's mad."
"We better get up there." Cloud stood up, but made sure Marlene wasn't dropped to the floor.
"Yeah. Marlene, maybe you should stay here until the glass is picked up." Biggs suggested.
"Okay, but I'm gonna stay up until Daddy tucks me in." Marlene huffed.
"Thanks for looking after me." Cloud thanked her.
"You're welcome, take better care of yourself or you'll make Tifa sad again."
"I'll try." Cloud followed Biggs up.
Sonon was standing by the pachinko machine and looked surprised at the elevator.
"Came in for some food and stayed for the drama. You alright?" Sonon asked, briefly gesturing to a bag of takeout.
"I'm fine." Cloud tugged on his scarf.
Tifa was in between Zack and Barrett, and looked relieved when she saw Cloud.
"Cloud!" She left her spot to come over. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Fine, which is probably weird." Cloud glanced up, and his eyes caught the news. "Please tell me Wedge and Jessie didn't go to blow the reactor."
"Uh, no, we're right here." Wedge piped up from where he and Jessie were by the dartboard. "Why?"
"Look." Cloud pointed at the TV.
"What?" Tifa turned on the volume.
"Reports indicate massive loss of life in the nearby blocks of Sector 8." The Newscaster said. "Fires have spread as far as four blocks and calls are still coming in as emergency responders are scrambling. Security forces are sweeping the area."
"At least someone was on the ball. Your work?" Barrett huffed.
"No. Reactors are off limits." Sonon admitted. "Too many possible casualties."
"Just got word, there's a video of one of the perpetrators is being extracted from the reactor."
The video was shaky, but it showed a body in wutai armor before cutting off.
"Don't look at me. If this is a new offensive, I haven't heard anything." Sonon held up his hands.
"It's not a new offensive. That armor looks the same as the ninjas I helped arrest about six years ago." Zack looked pale. "I don't know for sure."
"Anyway to find out?" Sonon asked.
"Maybe." Zack was cut off by the newscaster speaking again.
"This just in, we have a recording of a bomb threat made just a few hours ago."
Barrett's voice, slightly distorted came on. "Damn ShinRa killing the planet, Avalanche won't stand for it! Turn off the reactors by tonight or the sector 8 reactor will blow!"
"Early indications are a collaboration between Wutai and Avalanche." The newscaster continued but Tifa muted the TV.
"The hell?! Are they framing us?!" Barrett demanded.
"Does it count as framing if it was something you were going to do?" Cloud asked.
"What do we do now?" Biggs asked.
"Stay low. They'll send either the Turks or Soldier out. We go on as normal, they won't look twice." Zack looked around. "Tell me that bomb isn't in a place someone can find it."
"No, it's hidden." Jessie grimaced at the fires on the news. "I better double check my specs."
"Okay, Sonon, do your best to be invisible, maybe stay in your apartment for a couple days?" Zack looked at the ninja who didn't grimace but did seem to shift. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing you need to worry about." Sonon left with a bag of food.
"Okay, we can do normal." Tifa breathed.
"Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Cloud looked at her.
"Yeah. I will." She assured him. "Not exactly what I promised, huh?"
"Could have been worse." Cloud sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pass out …"
"Hey, you're the first person we know who has recovered from mako poisoning. There's no way to know what that recovery is supposed to look like." Wedge pointed out.
"We're glad you're okay." Jessie added. "But for scaring us, you owe me and Tifa a date each!"
"Huh?" Cloud blinked.
"How do you like pizza?" Jessie asked.
"It's food?" Cloud glanced around. No one was coming to his assistance as Jessie gasped and got into his personal space.
"It's not just food, it's an experience!" She informed him.
"Okay …" He said in agreement at the experience statement, at a loss of what to actually say.
"Great! It's set!" Jessie took it as acceptance of the date.
'Why does this keep happening to me?' Cloud wondered as Biggs patted his shoulder in sympathy.
At a cliff overlooking Midgar, a rider dismounted from her chocobo.
"Don't worry everyone! Your girl will arrive soon!" She grinned. "Now for my moogle disguise, oh, and I need to improve my intro, that Chocobo kid walked away in the middle of it!"
"Kweh." The chocobo started eating some greens it found.
End Note: total canon break, but i couldn't do the stations of canon and have it feel natural, more like i shoehorned it in.
Cloud is allies with Barrett already, and not deep in his mercenary persona, so he would be more willing to call Barrett out. Barrett has somewhat mellowed to Cloud's existence, and while ShinRa makes him angry he does care about his friends and family, enough that Cloud's objections and collapsing would have delayed him. (a delay that cost him getting to the train on time so he decided to scrap the plan on that basis, but that's gonna be covered later)
now, Barrett's still willing to bomb a reactor, but the plan has definitely changed.