A full meeting had been called within Shinra.
Every department Director had been roused out of their beds and told there was an emergency. A red alert, if you will. Normanly these powerful individuals would have told the messenger to jump off a bridge and that unless their life was endangered they were going back to sleep. At least they would've, if the message wasn't carried to their door by a Turk. And more importantly, under the direct order of president Shinra himself. Needless to say, the current assembly had gathered in record time and had been discussing the recent upsetting events for the last hour.
"It's obviously the work of Avalanche! Only those terrorist scum would be so bold!" Heidegger unnecessarily screamed in the room. He then turned to the president, noticeably lowering his voice. "Sir, just give me the order and I'll have the infantry scouring the slums for those responsible. We'll go in with full arms and armament, scare the truth out of these rats. I could–"
"We can't just indiscriminately attack the citizens of Midgar!" Reeves argued, cutting into the General's spiel. He could already tell the direction his fellow director wanted to take their response. It'd be a bloodbath if the big man had his way. "We only know that Avalanche is in the lower sectors, but not where. You'd be putting millions at risk just to catch a few. Who we also don't know is responsible!"
"Who else could it be?!"
"That's what we're here to find out! We need to investigate this thoroughly and get the facts. All we know is Hojo is dead, but not the how and why."
"The how was with fire and the why was because he was a Shinra executive! More than enough of a reason for those terrorists to make a play against us! "
"That doesn't explain anything! What about the blood splatter or the broken machinery? There's too much we don't know and harassing the innocent people under the plate does nothing to help us solve this!"
"Listen here Tuesti!" The General stood up with a roar, hands slamming down on the table as he faced the Head of Urban Development. "Those miscreants have been a thorn in our side for the entire year! And have been escalating with every new attack. Protest one day, checkpoint bombings the next! They even blew up a goddam reactor for fuck's sake!" At that part the former soldier's eye flicked over to the president for a fraction of a second. It happened everytime Avalanche was brought up. But what for? Another secret that Reeves wasn't in the know. "Killing a director fits their pattern to a "t". And every second we waste lets them think they can get away with such travesty. The murder of one of our own needs to be answered with equal or greater force!"
"And I support that idea." Scarlett interrupted before Reeves could respond, her fingers drumming on the table as her eyes quickly rescanned the incident report. "But Reeves is right, nothing here indicates that it was them. Nothing obvious at least. I don't mind you busting the heads of some peasants Heidegger, but let's make sure we actually catch the killer. It could be an inside job, for all we know. Someone who knew that lab was one of the professor's creepy blackout rooms. That creeper Hollander has always been jealous of Hojo's position. Could be the work of an envious man and a few co-conspirators. Maybe we should execute the science department, just in case? I'd rather not be the next victim of Hojo's friend , all because we didn't give this due diligence."
"I hardly think they were friends." Palmer piped up, wringing his hand nervously. It stopped the heated debate cold in its tracks. "Friends don't burn each other to ashes!"
"That's not what I meant Palmer." The beautiful woman gritted out behind clenched teeth.
"Well why would you say such a thing if you didn't mean it?" The rotund man said in obvious confusion. "This is a serious matter Scarlett. You are an adult, you should know better than to spout out whatever comes to your mind."
"Listen you–!"
"I believe our Head of Weapons was trying to be sarcastic." Rufus Shinra cut in helpfully, his drawl stopping the incoming tirade. The young vice president had entered without anyone noticing and had taken his seat at the foot of the table. Though judging from the lazy smile on the young man's face, he was enjoying the circus before him. "It was her attempt at a joke."
"Well, it wasn't a very good one." The Head of Space replied, an aghast look on his face. "Please show some tact Scarlett, one of our's is dead and we need to find out who did this! This is no time for tomfoolery."
The blonde woman had to close her eyes and take a deep breath as the rest of the board stared at the man in confusion. The tension in the room seemed to have deflated significantly due to the odd non sequitur. The two arguing men retook their seats in embarrassment from getting so heated. Still, Reeves couldn't help but shoot a glare at the Heidegger who returned it in kind. They didn't continue right away, no doubt the General's mind still reeling after Palmer's odd nonsequitor. The Head of Urban Development was also trying to rebalance his own thoughts from the sudden shift in mood and conversation.
It was hard to think straight after such an odd interruption.
Not for the first time Reeves wondered how Palmer became a director of anything. Sure he was the president's cousin, so the man wasn't going to be working in the mail room and getting peoples coffee orders, but running a whole division was another story! The amount of failed projects and lack of department structure was maddening. The other Heads at least knew what they were doing–they could be cruel, violent psychopaths and spendthrifts who held human lives to no value but at least they were competent. Still, this wasn't the time to bring up old gripes, there was a killer on the loose who needed to be caught and coworkers who were taking advantage of the crisis to indulge in bloodsport..
"Hmmm, yes well…." Heidegger coughed out lamely, straightening out the front of his uniform as he straightened in his seat. "We can't just sit on our hands waiting for the next attack! We need a response."
"And thus we shall."
The voice of the president cut through the noise in the conference room like a knife through butter. The most powerful man in the world took his time cutting his cigar and lighting it up, leaving everyone with bated breath as they waited for him to continue. And wait they would, because no rushed the ruler of Midgar until he was good and ready. Taking a few slow puffs and blowing smoke down the long table Rigel Shinra finally addressed his subordinates.
"As much as I would personally like to just drop the plate on these nuances, all sides make excellent points." The blonde man acknowledged, reclining in his chair and flicking some ash off his cigar. "The news of Hojo's death will stay private with the exception of a select few outside of this room. Hollander will take over the Science department for now, but will be watched for foul play. An internal investigation of all your departments will be done for any irregularities in the last six months and going forward. Anyone suddenly quitting, requests for long leave of absences, sudden transfers of funds, etc. If there is truly a snake in our midst, the Turks will catch it."
Taking another long puff, the man considered his next words.
"We'll send the infantry through the sectors to stir up trouble and provoke a reaction from Avalanche. Nothing overt, in case we alert the true culprit and it isn't them. Just have the men hit notable infrastructure and see who fights back. The ones who don't know their place tend to move in packs. If they aren't part of the group, they should at least know someone that is. We'll round up all the rabble we can find and make an example of them for the city to witness. Those terrorists will be forced to act. If we can't find them, then we make them come to us."
The members of the room were grinning in glee at finally having targets. Even if it meant that the people of the slums were going to be collateral damage. Reeves could only fret at how many people were going to get hurt, or killed, before the bloody job was over. But what could he say to the president's plan? Especially since it was a better alternative to everything else suggested?
After a moment of consideration, the president continued.
"A review of our dear departed doctor's recent activities and current projects in the works. The man held many secrets but kept meticulous notes. If they are missing, then it may be corporate espionage and we know where to shift our focus." Taking a deep sigh, he reluctantly added, "Hojo wasn't a very well liked man, so we'll consider the possibility that there may be a personal motivation in his death."
They all nodded to that. The departed professor was a qualified as they came, but no one could deny he creeped them all out.
"For all of Hojo's faults, the man was a genius and a great asset to the company." The Head of Shinra stated, giving voie to they thoughts, a hard look forming in his eyes. "An attack on him was an attack on me and my legacy. When we find this perpetrator, we will make them regret ever having been born!"
"Hear! Hear!" Heidegger shouted, meaty fist pounding on the table once again. The other's in the room soon followed his enthusiastic cheering. Even as Reeves gave his own polite clapping, his mind was already working out ways he could minimize the inevitable massacre that was soon to follow.
A loud smack on the table drew everyone's attention to the foot of the room.
"And if it was an accident?" The vice-president asked, his sardonic smile still in place. The young man boldly looked his father in the eyes. Probably the only person in the world brave enough to do such a thing, and get away with it. "On the initial investigation, we only found DNA samples from Hojo and some animals. No doubt from one of his experiments. While it doesn't rule out assisination….it is possible that the broken machinery simply malfunctioned and killed him. A faulty fire materia that blew up? Maybe one of Scarlett's experimental samples that he pushed too far and it went critical?"
"It couldn't have been one of mine!" Scarlett protested, eyes frantically shifting between the father and son duo. Reeves could almost feel pity for her...if she hadn't shoulder checked him on their way to the meeting. He knew the woman already lacked morals, but the pettiness always surprised him. "I'll have you know Mr. President, that nothing leaves my labs without thorough testing and retesting! On the small chance something of mine there, Hojo probably took it without my permission."
"Yes, yes Scarlet." The older man said with a dismissive wave of his hand in the air, his expression already bored by the excuses. "We are all aware of the good doctor's sticky fingers. Any circumstantial evidence found will not be held against members of this board." Ignoring the relieved look on the woman's face, he addressed his son. "On the off chance this is an accident…then we will use this golden opportunity."
"And how do you propose we do that father?" Rufus asked skeptically, eyes flickering to Tseng who stood in the back corner for a moment. If Reeves saw the slip up, no doubt the president did as well. The hint of a smile at the older man's lips all but confirming it.
"Because my child, just because no one might actually be at fault doesn't mean we can't assign blame." Rigel said as he stood up and walked to the back window. Looking out at the city below, he spoke in a murmur that could clearly be heard across the conference room. "I never did like those sector 7 slummers."
000
Hidden high up in the ventilation system, Al let out a slow breath when he saw the meeting conclude. It took him a minute to let the hard ball of anxiety in his stomach unclench enough for his mine to start working again. The Avalanche spy made a quick shuffle crawl out of the enclosed space and towards open air. Sweat dripped down his face as he tried not to make any noise.
It wouldn't do to get caught by this group of sociopaths!
He risked crawling a little faster out of the dusty metal cage. The entire way Al only thought of one thing.
'I need to get hell out of Midgar!'
As he jumped out of a vent door and into one of the maintenance chutes, the former terrrorist belatedly realized he should give someone from Avalanche a heads up before he booked it out of the city. Pulling out his phone and looking through the contacts of his PHS, he wondered who he should call first.
000
BANG BANG BANG!
Tifa cracked her eyes open a little to the sound of her door being pounded.
All around her there were groans of discontentment and misery at the sudden noise. Even an angry curse or two from somewhere on her left. The barmaid felt like throwing a few out herself at the incessant knocking. Her head throbbed, throat felt like a desert, and skin gross with night sweat. She felt like shit.
And the door pounding just would not stop!
"Yo merc, where've you been!? None of the group came to the bar. The boys aren't answering their phones. Tifa's not in her room, and Jessie's roommates said she moved out!" The very loud voice of Barrett rang through the metal barrier. That door was made out of three inches of thick steel! Yet, it felt like the gunman was screaming right into her ear. "Hey Soldier Boy, answer me! I know you're in there. I hear you moving around! We gotta go find our people! They might be in trouble!"
"I think that's for you." One of her bed companions murmured groggily in her ear. "You might want to hurry or Marle's gonna kill him."
"Why can't you do it?" Tifa whispered back groggily.
"Wifey privileges. Being number one has its pros and cons." Jessie muttered sleepily as she snuggled deeper into the barmaid's shoulder. "It can't be all fun and sex."
She almost wanted to huff in disdain at that argument. Instead the fighter rubbed open her crusty eyelids, staring soullessly at the plastered ceiling. She wondered if she could wait it out. Maybe Barrett would get tired and leave? Perhaps one of the other girls would get off their lazy bums and answer the door for her?
Taking a quick peek to the side, the dark haired brunette knew that was a pipe dream. Aerith was buried under her comforter, lost to the world. Kyrie hadn't moved an inch from the spot they deposited her on when she passed out. It had been a team effort to get her changed into Jessie's spare pajamas, and she was as dead to the world now as she was last night.
BANG BANG BANG!
"Yo, Spiky!"
Exhaling out a sigh of resignation, Tifa gently moved Jessie's arm off of her and shimmied to the foot of the bed. Her thoughts were still a muddled mess, the room wobbling slightly. What happened to the extra sheets? The barmaid could have sworn they had taken out at least five. She didn't have the energy to fight with any blanket hoggers last night, so they busted out the spares. Well, that was a mystery for later. She tried not to disturb anyone as she moved but was less than successful. But could they blame her? She was sporting a monster hangover! Aerith might have taken an elbow to the thigh during the journey if the pitiful yelp from the bundle was any indication. Thankfully, she managed to slide off the end of the mattress without further incident. Settling on wobbly legs, she crossed the short distance until her hand met the cool steal of the handle. Mentally preparing herself to not kill Barrett for all his yelling, she wrenched the door open.
"Bout damn – Tifa!?" Barrett verbally backpedaled, surprised to see her. Even physically took a step back with a bit of revulsion in his expression. The hell? The gunman quickly put his sunglasses back on, as if he needed a barrier for the monster that appeared before him. In the dim reflection of his shades, Tifa could see the analogy wasn't far from the truth. Gods she looked like an absolute wreck!
And this bozo was exposing her to the world!
Stiffly clearing his throat, he started up again. "You've been here this whole time girl! Are you okay? Have you seen Jessie or the boys?"
"I'm fine Barrett and Jessie's in the room too." Tifa answered hoarsely, even as the bright lights of the artificial morning nearly cracked her skull in half. And it wasn't just her head, her body felt like it's been through the wringer as well. Why did everything hurt so much? It was like the other girls had decided to stuff her in a bag and beat her with a stick. At least it distracted her from the fact that she looked, and felt, like a banshee. "We were having a girls night with some friends and were drinking for a while. We're just trying to sleep it off right now."
"Pfft, how come I didn't get an invite?"
"The key word was girl's night." Tifa replied patiently as she closed her eyes, reaching both hands to her temple to rub at them. The sharp pain had settled down to a dull ache. It still sucked but at least she didn't want to kill the man in front of her anymore. "Now why are you screaming about missing people? What happened to Biggs and Wedge?"
"They never showed up to the bar after they left last night." Barrett supplied, relief palpable in his voice now that he had a distraction from Tifa's disheveled form. She almost wanted to roll her eyes at his childishness. The gunman didn't exactly paint a pretty picture himself after a night of drinking! "We were supposed to have a team meeting bright and early but no one showed up!"
"This is the first time I've heard about it."
"Well…. It was a last minute decision." He admitted a little abashedly. "But word should have spread to all relevant people to get their butts to the bar before breakfast! We need to plan our next move! Unfortunately, all your little workers set up shop before I could say anything. Now we gotta wait till the sheep clear out of our base on top of our missing people."
"Don't call our customers sheep." Tifa mumbled reflexively through a yawn, stitching her arms to crack her back. Only after the first pop did the rest of Barrett's words register in her mind. "Wait. Is breakfast still going on?"
"Yeah." He answered, tone a little confused at her question.
The fighter took a peek back into her room, squinting at the alarm clock on her nightstand. "Barrett! It's eight a.m.! On a Tuesday . Everyone's probably still asleep."
"I know exactly how early it is." The big man said, shaking his head snootily. "And no , not everyone should be asleep. Unlike you underachievers, I've been up for four hours. One of which was spent waiting and worrying about you lot. Biggs and Wedge should've finished their neighborhood watch patrols and come straight to the bar. I asked Wymer and he said they showed up but had to leave early because of an emergency. Didn't say what it was though. Another hour of my morning was spent hauling ass across the sector, doing house calls and looking for them before coming here. "
'Well.' Tifa begrudgingly admitted to herself. 'That does sound like a reasonable cause for concern."
"Okay, okay. Let me just…. " Tifa trailed off, gesturing to her wrinkled nightwear, body already half turning to get back into the apartment. "Freshen up a bit. I'll even drag Jessie out of bed to help out with the search. We'll meet you at the bar and brainstorm where we should look."
"Cloud too?" Barrett asked, crossing his arms with an unexpectedly heavy air about him. A rather fatherly air that unusually only came about when the big man saw Marlene about to make a mistake, but wasn't sure if he should intervene. The barmaid could only blink at the sudden shift in demeanor, wondering what misstep she might be making. "Aren't you, uh, gonna wake him up to help out also?"
"Oh! Well, Cloud's not here. He had stuff to do last night." She almost wanted to wince as the lame excuse for why the blonde wasn't in his apartment. Her brain wasn't exactly firing all pistons this morning, so making an actual alibi for her childhood friends was a bit beyond her abilities at the moment. At Barrett's frown she quickly scrambled for more to say. "But don't worry! I know exactly where he is right now, so we don't need to add him to our missing person list or anything.."
Tifa didn't think the merc would forgive her if she accidentally let him get caught in bed with Nayo. By Barrett of all people! Having a 6'6 man burst into your bedroom while you're trying to be intimate with someone was a recipe for disaster. Talk about traumatizing. She honestly wouldn't blame him if he decided to high tail it out of Midgar the very next day.
Well, she wouldn't blame him as long as he took her with him, she corrected herself.
"Uh, huh." Barrett said with a very unimpressed look on his face. Signing deeply, he placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Look I'm not gonna stick my nose into your business, especially not the mushy gooey stuff, since you're an adult. But if I don't at least say my piece and make sure you're alright, else I'm gonna explode! But now is not the time and place. So let's go find the wonder twins, and after I've yelled at them for a sufficient amount of time for making me worry… you, me, and the blonde puppy are gonna have a long talk about this new group dynamic."
Oh sweet Odin! He was trying to engage in father mode with her!
Most of the time Tifa appreciated the pseudo parental figure he tried to be with the younger members of Avalanche, especially since she lost her parents so young, this was not one of those moments. Discussing the details of her unique relationship with her, ehem, boyfriend…. was definitely not on her list of things the barmaid wanted to do. Ever.
Probably sensing her trepidation, Barrett gave a hearty laugh. "Relax! I'm not gonna geld the merc, I just want to make sure everyone is on the level with each other. And maybe offer some…. Fatherly advice."
Well that was a lie if Tifa ever heard one. But he only answered with a chuckle at her disbelieving look.
"Now get moving." The gunman said, letting go of her shoulder after giving it one final pat, then turning around and making his merry way back down the stairs. Stopping near the first step he threw a look something above Tifa's head at the apartment. Did she have something stuck in her hair? Giving an amused eye roll and a shake of his head, the gunman resumed his descent, shooting one final call over his shoulder. "Now go tell Jessie to get her butt in gear. And once this mess is behind us, she's joining our little pow wow too."
She could only blink in confused silence at the incredible six senses from the big man. How the hell did he know the hacker was a member of the relationship? Could it be just a guess? Was this the power of being a father? Claudia did once tell her that being a parent was like having a radar in your head for your kids.
"Shit."
Tifa jerked a little in surprise at the redhead's voice behind her, almost slamming the door closed on her own foot. Turning around she saw her friend was wrapped in one of the discovered blankets, face haggard, and nose runny. It'd be funny if the barmaid hadn't just seen her own terrible reflection in Barrett's sunglasses. The redhead gave an apologetic shrug at the reaction before stepping a little closer.
"You think he knows about my 'involvement' with you and Cloud?" Jessie asks quietly, trying to stifle a yawn.
"I don't know, but he definitely knows something's up."
"Maybe it's a blessing in disguise?" The redhead mused, rubbing her nose a little. "I never did understand why you wanted to keep everything a secret. I mean it's just sex. Everybody does it. Well, most people do at least." She amended, glancing over her shoulder at Kyrie's sleeping form with a grin.
The barmaid could only roll her eyes' at the subtle jab aimed towards their new friend. Really! The mechanic acted like being a virgin was a sin against humanity or something.
"Because I'm trying to–you know what? It's complicated." Tifa said, already heading towards her shower. "My head feels like it's stuffed full of cotton. I don't have the brain power right now to explain my reasoning. Again ." Turning the showerhead on, she stuck her head out the bathroom door. "How much of our conversation did you hear anyway?"
"Most of it. So I know the important bits." Jessie answered, already pulling out fresh clothes from the draws. Just the usual styles for the both of them. While everyone had their own fashion, it tended to be the same ensemble. Life in the slum taught people to buy their clothing in bulk. Gotta save your coin where you could after all. "I doubt my boys are in any real trouble. If they were, they would've found me first or put up one of our signals. We should check the usual haunts or safe houses before we freak out too much."
"Don't you think Barrett might have already checked those?"
"Maybe, maybe not." The redhead said, stretching her back a little. "We were on a bit of a shuffle since that split last year. Some of those spots were under 'refurbishment' or have squatters in them now. Others got taken over by the…. Well, the main group." She censored, shooting a pointed look at the two still sleeping people in the room. They were knocked out but it was always good to be cautious. "And you know our fearless leader, not exactly allowed near certain places after all that stuff he said to our other half when we left. But Biggs and Wedge are, like, the most lovable people in the sector. They can squirrel themselves wherever they want and no one would bat an eye."
Tifa nodded in agreement at that assessment. Wedge was, bar none, the most helpful person on this side of the slum. He was basically like Cloud, except he didn't accept payment or took monster hunting jobs outside of his usual patrols. Biggs was a rather well respected pillar of the community, both as the owner of the Leaf House orphanage in sector 5 and a school teacher. Being an educator didn't exactly pay the bills in the slums, but it did win you a lot of favor with the parents.
"Now what do we do about our sleeping beauties?" Jessie aske, pointing a thumb behind her, towards the bed.
"Let them rest for now." The fighter decided, sticking her hand into the water and checking the temperature. "If we feel terrible, then those two are probably fighting the nine hells right now. We'll get ready first and tell them where we're going before we leave. If they want to stay we'll leave them a key and let Marle know there's guests. And if they want to leave…. We'll give them a bottle of water and hope they make it back home okay. But hopefully they'll decide to snooze the morning away in the apartment."
"Already giving them a key to the house?" The mechanic teased, as she stepped into the bathroom herself. "I don't know whether I should be jealous or ecstatic. After all, it took me five years to get into your bed. And I only got a key two days ago. But they get all that in one!? Is it because I like to wear a bandana and they got a ribbon and hat? I can change, I swear!" She finished dramatically, hands clasped before her, fake tears in her eyes. "I'll burn them all this afternoon if I have to! You won't see a single stitch after today!"
Tifa could only roll her eyes at the theatrics, before saying sarcastically. "Yes, pink bows and funny hats are my weakness. And you better have one or both the next time I see you, Rasberry or your out of the apartment."
"I knew it!" Jessie said triumphantly, snapping her fingers for extra effect. "Unjust discrimination of headwear! Ooohhh, just wait till I tell Biggs and Wedge about unfair treatment. They'll never look at you the same again Lockhart! And how come Cloud doesn't have to put anything on that mess he calls hair? He walks around shamelessly with his bare head for the whole world to see! Absolutely disgusting if you ask me."
"Okay, okay! Enough joking, you." Tifa admonished, even as she chuckled a little. "We got stuff to do, so let's get clean and meet with Barrett." Looking over at the other girl still in the cramp bathroom with her, she asked curiously. "Are you joining me?"
"Wouldn't be in here if I wasn't." Jessie answered with a saucy grin, already peeling off her pajamas.
000
A pair of blondes were making the trek through Scrap Boulevard after their quiet breakfast.
Nellie had business with Barrett about something or other and Cloud wanted to go see Tifa, so the two of them had decided to make a detour through the junkyard. While an incredibly stupid idea for most people considering how infested with monsters the landfill was, especially just to shave a few minutes off their journey, the merc was pretty confident that he could take care of anything that came their way. Thankfully, it had been a peaceful and murder free morning so far. The Soldier only had to glare at a few curious wererats before they retreated.
It seemed that even fiends had off days.
"Let's go this way, it'll get us to the bar faster." Nellie said, indicating a narrow passageway between a stack of broken cars.
Another shortcut for a shortcut? Cloud had never ventured that way before, noting what a tight fit it'd be even for his smaller stature. But he was willing to give anything a try once. Who knows, maybe it'll become his new way home from the monster hunting jobs? It might have some nasty critters lurking in its depths but nothing he couldn't handle he was sure. Trusting the smaller blonde's recommendation he gestured for her to remain close as he walked through first. Best not to get caught unaware because of negligence.
"Don't wander too far from me." Cloud said, fighting the urge to just grab her hand and guide her . Gods, what was it about short people that brought out his protective instincts? It was like an instant trigger then made him want to wrap them up in a blanket and hide them from the world. Maybe it was a good thing he wasn't taller? "If we run into anything, follow my lead and instruction."
At the last second he noticed that she was in the process of an eye roll before catching herself.
Well, well. There was some hidden sassiness under all that shyness. Admittedly he was being a little overbearing at the moment, especially since she was the one who knew the way. Still, it was a funny thing to see the introverted blonde show such bite. Usually Cloud would have shot a smirk at someone acting so out of character. A little teasing between companions. But considering they had exchanged maybe five or six words of pleasantries of bacon and eggs, that might be the wrong move. As much as they might look like siblings, they weren't. And the two of them weren't quite at that stage of friendship either.
When was it acceptable for friends to start poking fun at each other? Half his current social circle never took it too far. Tifa, Biggs, and Wedge at worst teased or made light hearted comments. Honestly, the barmaid's jokes about him tended to be borderline compliments sometimes. Only Barrett and Jessie had a habit of trying to dig the knife in deeper. But those two did that to everyone, so the merc tried not to take it too much to heart.
Zack was somewhere in the middle of that range. He'd push the envelope with people sometimes. Many times actually. But even those moments when he might accidentally step on someone's toes, they'd forgive him the very next moment. Somehow always giving an aura of playfulness that made even the grouchiest and thin skinned person like him. It had fascinated the blonde to watch in action at times.
Whatever happened to the brunette Soldier?
It's been a while since they spoke, a few years at least. They were good friends for a while before…. Something happened. Was he still working for Shinra? Maybe he defected like Cloud did? The bigger man had gripes about the company way before the blonde ever did, so it was possible. The merc resolved to look into his old friend's whereabouts when he had some free time. It shouldn't be too hard. Soldier's weren't exactly easy to hide.
"Are you ok?!"
"What?" Cloud opened his eyes and asked in surprise at the sudden question. He had to blink a bit to get rid of the spots forming around his vision. Why had he closed his eyes? And for how long? "I'm good. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you–you were squeezing your head." Nellie stuttered as she watched him cautiously, gesturing frantically with her hands. "A-and you had this really painful expression on your face."
(Say it's mako poisoning.)
"Sorry, it's my mako poisoning." Cloud said, the words flowing from his mouth without thought. "Before I came to Midgar I had an incident where I got overexposed to the stuff. I'm mostly healed but sometimes an episode might creep up on me. Trust me, it's pretty rare for it to happen these days."
He didn't realize he had been holding his breath till he saw her nod slowly in understanding.
"Yeah…I think I remember. Tifa did mentioned something about that when she first found you." Nellie confirmed, though it seemed mostly to herself. Searching his face, she began nervously playing with her hands. "Said you were a walking ghoul and barely recognized anyone before she got you back to her apartment. And even then you were in a coma for a few days."
For a few days? That was news to him. Cloud had been under the impression that it had only been one night before he woke up on Tifa's bed. He would have to ask his girlfriend about it later.
Noticing the other blonde still looking at him oddly, he scrambled to reassure her.
"Trust me, I would be running around Midgar doing mercenary work if it was a big concern." Cloud said, trying his hand at a reassuring smile. But it must have come off a lot weaker than he hoped because it had Nellie side-eyeing him suspiciously. "Come on. Let's keep going. Once we get to the bar you can play doctor all you want."
She chewed her bottom lip in indecision before nodding in agreement.
(Phew! That was a close one. Almost scared this cutie away.)
Although, he could feel her staring a hole into the back in his head.
They kept walking in a single file, taking in the tall walls around them. Well he was at least. She seemed pretty nonplussed about the endless refuse. Cloud couldn't blame her. To a slum girl, who lived her whole life here, it must be more of the same. Hell, he didn't exactly enjoy the sight around him either but at least there was something new to see. Even if it was just more garbage. Credit where credit was due, it wasn't boring. Due to the scrap yard being the dumping ground for everything above the plate, the scenery had a tendency to change constantly. He much preferred this then looking at the same old crusty mountains day in and day out.
Unfortunately, it meant any enterprising slum dweller who wanted to try their hand at mapmaking was doomed to failure.
The merc learned that lesson the hard way after he took a commission to do that very job. The pay wasn't great but he figured he could stash a copy for his own future use. Only for it to be a waste of time and paper the very next day. Most of the lanes were still usable but almost every single one of his landmarks was useless. However, it didn't stop people from trying to hire him to make another go at it. And like an idiot he did a few before wising up. Although It went from infuriating to kind of funny, when the constant request wouldn't stop. It was like they were trying to outstubborn reality!
"What's got you so happy?" The quartermaster asked, unconsciously pouting a little at being left out of the joke. At some point they had entered a clearing, giving more space to walk side by side. Cloud realized that he had been unknowingly chuckling a little at the memory of map making endeavor.
"I just thought of something funny."
"Yeah? I like funny things. What was it?"
A little surprised by her interest, he decided to humor her. "Okay, so back when I first started taking jobs–."
A split second off motion. A thump of feet. An image reflected in her irises. The thrumming of heartbeats, as the blood rushed in his ears. Three heartbeats.
Cloud's body moved as he launched himself towards Nellie, throwing them both to the ground and into a roll. A sharp rush of wind sailed over them as the massive figure that had lounged at them missed by inches. It was huge, easly equaling the size of one of Shinra's mutated dogs. And unbelievably, the red beast flipped in midair before settling lightly on the ground a dozen feet away. A it settled on it's four paws, the merc got a good look a thw thing. It was big, it was red, and it had some very sharp fangs. But there was no time to admire it or it's feat of acrobatics, because the four legged creature was coming back for seconds.
"Stay down!" Cloud shouted to Nellie.
Twisting back onto his own feet, his sword was already unsheath, the materia in its slots pulsing with life. Cloud rushed forward, ready to meet the creature head on, swinging the Buster Sword with all his might. One hard downward slash to finish the kill. He have this fucking monster's head on a goddamn platter.
(Hey is that my cat?!)