Once More, With Feeling... – Chapter 24: Turk in Training

Summary: Old Friends, New enemies, things are getting more interesting as far as Cloud Strife is concerned.

Author: Illusor Meaneld

Rated T: for Descriptive violence and injuries, No Adult Situations, No Cussing.

Disclaimer: I did not create, and do not own the characters from Final Fantasy 7, They are owned by Square-Enix, and I am simply borrowing them for my own (and hopefully your) enjoyment.

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Cloud lay awake in his bunk that night. Thinking as he waited for his squad-mates to drift into their deepest sleep. His thoughts centered on the weapons neatly stashed in a reinforced chest he'd been given by Tseng. Tomorrow he'd be going on a 'real' mission with Reno. The first mission outside of Shinra he'd be allowed. Tonight, Cloud knew he wanted to get used to the feel of his new blades. He couldn't practice with the materia, or the gun. … but a sword wasn't something you just went into battle with cold. It was a friend one had to get to know. It was more difficult than usual to wait quietly in bed, unmoving, and feigning the regular breathing of a sleeping individual.

Last night, he hadn't gone out to train … one of the boys in his squad seemed to be having sleeping problems or something, his breathing pattern changed subtly. But it was exactly the same tonight… As Cloud lay awake, listening to the other teenagers he wondered if perhaps the boy had a cold? … Last night Cloud had identified the sound as coming from Kyle McKinzie's bunk. Cloud didn't know the boy that well, despite his recent sparring experiences. But the heavier breathing worried him slightly. After another half-hour passed with no changes around the room, Cloud sighed silently. He NEEDED to practice with his new sword. If Kyle was sick, Cloud would do his best to see if he could help, but he hoped the boy was sleeping deeply either way.

It only took Cloud a few moments to slither silently out of bed and gather his things. Unlike previous nights, he changed into his Turk suit instead of his Cadet uniform, hiding the weapons on his person. If he WAS spotted somehow in the hallways, it would look really bad to be visibly armed. With his pack tucked under one arm, and a hair-tie in his pocket, he padded soundlessly from the room.

Once Cloud was safely ensconced inside his usual practice room, he let out a sigh of relief. He carefully removed his Turk jacket, neatly folding it on one of the benches at the side of the room. The same was done with his shirt and tie, and off came the polished Turk shoes as well. He wanted to keep his suit as nice as possible, so he would avoid training in it if he could. Cloud started off with his warm-ups, which he did without even needing to think about them. He could hardly finish soon enough for his taste and happily retrieved his new blade from the same bench once he was done. He skipped his usual martial-arts and other practices, in favor of spending some 'quality time' with his new partner. The blade was slender, and shorter than the practice swords he'd been using. But it was just a bit heavier with the real folded steel instead of wood. It was in a state of near-bliss that Cloud moved through his practice forms, testing Ninjutsu techniques he hadn't hitherto practiced due to a lack of appropriate weapons. The small throwing knives saw their share of action against the practice dummies he'd removed from the storage closet.

By the end of the session Cloud was humming contentedly as he polished his blades. He thoroughly enjoyed the smell of special mineral oils and the smooth swipe of his polishing cloth across the blade. The sword didn't NEED it… not by any stretch of the imagination, the black metal was immaculate. But Cloud could have spent all day just doing that and been perfectly happy. A weapon was like a piece of a soul to a warrior, and though this one wasn't the old friend he longed for, it was still a friend Cloud had needed.

The next morning Cloud woke feeling relaxed and contented. Weapons practice passed in a blur, his squad-mates odd looks barely registered in his mind. Marksmanship class was oddly relaxing, despite his continuing struggle to adjust to the weight and feel of a pistol in his teenage hands. He cheerfully spent his lunch period with Zack, and ignored the raised eyebrow of Angeal as he chattered on whatever subject the SOLDIER 2nd happened to bring up. When Reno came to pick him up, Cloud waved goodbye to his SOLDIER friends with a smile.

"If get'n ya a weapon was all it took ta make ya this happy yo…" Reno murmured in amazement, shaking his head as Cloud chuckled.

"I didn't think I would be getting a weapon for MONTHS!" Cloud explained with a grin,
"It feels pretty good of course."

Cloud didn't even object when Reno tossed an arm over his shoulder for the rest of the walk to Tseng's office. The older Turk made no mention of Cloud's bright demeanor, but immediately started on the Mission briefing when they both arrived. It was a fairly simple assignment all things considered, and not unlike what Cloud expected as his first out-of-compound job. The only surprise was exactly how far outside of the Shinra building his first mission was going to be! Cloud had honestly expected some sort of task involving the Midgar slums somewhere. So he had to chuckle when he found himself in the back seat of a standard Shinra Helicopter. He glanced up between the seats at their pilot. It had been a long time since he'd seen Rude. The stoic Turk looked little different than Cloud remembered. Younger of course, but Cloud had always remembered the younger Rude best, his left ear sported a few less piercings, (though at the moment that was hidden by his headset.) and the faint scars he'd acquired were just a preventable possibility at this point. It made Cloud mildly nostalgic to see the two of them sitting side-by-side in the front of the helicopter. The red-head chattered intently about the controls and maneuvering of the machine, Rude calmly explaining when needed. Tseng had mentioned that if Cloud became a full Turk, he would be expected to learn how to pilot a helicopter as well. Cloud almost grimaced at the thought of pretending he didn't already know HOW.

Clouds was abruptly distracted from his musings when the bright flash of sunlight reflecting off the ocean dragged his eyes to the window. He blinked several times and smiled slowly, the sister ray… it had been such a VERY long time since he'd seen the great cannon. And here it was, landmarked in its original position. The massive Shinra company logo emblazoned on the walls of the city itself. The city of Junon looked like the old photographs, blazing with life and prosperity. The pale sandy-colored buildings were a drastic change from the slate-grey that was so prominent in Midgar. As the helicopter passed over the broad streets of the city, Cloud couldn't help a soft chuckle. He STILL couldn't eye those wide lanes without hearing a certain parade song in his head.

In short order Rude had landed on one of the helipads further inside the city limits. As the whirring blades of the vehicle slowed, the senior Turk took a moment to reiterate their mission parameters.

"I got it, I got it…" Reno waved at Rude cheerfully, "Me an' Cloud'r supposed to assist in the arrest of Mr. Aidan Murphey. You're gonna stay here with the chopper, an' we give ya a call if anything goes bad."

Rude's lips twitched slightly at Reno's impatience. "Tseng also indicated the two of you were to hunt some monsters outside the city if you have any extra time."

"Oh we'll have time yo! Nothin' like the present for baggin' criminals and beatin' up nasties."

Rude nodded, and as the two of them disembarked he sat in the helicopter quietly. Cloud knew he was watching them go. His instincts told him as much, that and he knew Rude too well to be deceived by the sunglasses. Never-the-less, Cloud didn't look back, or let on what he knew. He walked contentedly beside Reno as the two of them proceeded to their destination.

Mr. Aidan Murphey, as Reno had referred to him, was an accountant working in a small sub-firm of the Shinra Company. It had come to Shinra's attention recently, that the amount of money coming in wasn't quite what the sales suggested it SHOULD be. Further investigation had brought forth evidence indicating that Mr. Murphey was embezzling. It was a short walk from the helipad to the police station. Their original mission details indicated they were supposed to meet the squad of officers intended to arrest their target. But upon arrival they were informed that the police squad had already proceeded to Mr. Aidan Murphey's office. Cloud and Reno, after receiving directions, made their way briskly to the scene.

As Cloud stepped from the sun-warmed streets into the air-conditioned office, he took a moment to assess his surroundings. From the generically painted white walls, to the non-descript grey carpet, and simple wooden chairs. The interior was everything one would expect from this sort of business. It even had the simple little fake plants in the corners. Already inside ahead of them were three of Junon's stationed officers. From their vantage in the lobby, Cloud and Reno could spot one of the officers through the open door of the main office. Both Turks moved, almost as one to step inside the room. The walls went from white to a soft beige, the lights in here a little dimmer to service the tired eyes of someone who stared at numbers all day.

Cloud and Reno took their place slightly behind the officers, but in clear view of the occupants. Reno lounged against the wall with a cocky grin. Cloud simply folded his arms across his chest and affected a bored look. Aidan Murphey was a middle-aged man, slightly balding but not overweight. If anything he looked too thin. The large glasses on his face, and simple button-up collared shirt, only lent to his image, a simple accountant. Mr. Murphey paled at the sight of the distinctive blue suits. Despite the fact both Cloud and Reno looked obviously juvenile. Cloud wasn't certain what the man had been up to before He and Reno had entered the building. But in the face of the young Turks he followed the officers relatively quietly as they cuffed him and walked him from the room. The bored look on Cloud's face was no longer feigned at this point, and Reno looked rather disappointed.

"Of all the luck yo… guy's a wuss." Reno heaved a sigh. The remaining police officer glanced in their direction with a raised eyebrow.

"You boys for real?" He muttered, though he couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years their senior. Short cropped brown hair, and inquisitive grey eyes. He probably cut a fairly dashing figure for the local young woman. His badge read "Officer Ferris"

Reno snorted, "Wha? You think Shinra'd send us if we weren't? C'mon yo, I could take ya down without even breakin' a sweat!"

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Chill Reno," He chuckled softly at his partner.

The officer shook his head and frowned slightly, "Well if you two are really Turks,… then why are you here? I mean… you didn't even DO anything!"

Cloud quickly laid a forestalling hand on Reno's arm before answering the question. "Since Mr. Aidan Murphey was within the Shinra Company's employ, standard procedure dictates that Shinra must be present to officiate his arrest."

Officer Ferris blinked twice, his frown deepening, "So basically… what you're telling me is,… the only reason you Turks are even here is for show? To make the arrest look good?"

Reno grinned broadly, "I'm ALWAYS here for Show!" The red-head stretched a little, in his "show-off" pose Cloud knew all too well. "And I make EVERYTHING look good!"

Cloud promptly elbowed his partner in the stomach he'd exposed while posing. "I'm here to keep him in line." The blonde added jerking a thumb at the red-head who was currently rubbing his stomach with one hand. "We were mostly witnesses at this point Officer Ferris. … Consider the arrest witnessed."

"Yeah, the second half of our mission ain' even in Junon." Reno added with a chuckle. Cloud smiled sympathetically at the policeman's puzzled expression. He could very easily imagine what the man thought of the two 'boys' running around in Turk suits 'officiating' arrests. Being outranked by someone that visibly younger than you was always a blow to one's pride.

Rising to the bait, Officer Ferris stepped a little closer to the two Turks, "Second half? What else do you need to do here?"

Cloud stifled a sigh, Reno did always love to brag when opportunity presented itself.

The red-head grinned slyly, "According to our records, there's been a slight increase in the local monster population."

Ferris' eyes widened, "Wait… you don't mean…" Reno continued to smile smugly, "I thought they'd send some MP's … or maybe a SOLDIER 3rd… you're just KIDS."

"No, we ain' just 'kids' we're TURKS yo!"

Before the Officer could add another protest, Cloud took a slight step forward, bringing the attention back to himself, "While we are grateful for the efficiency and professionalism of the Junon police, it is time that Reno and I continued on with the rest of our mission parameters Officer Ferris."

"Now hold on just a minute" the officer stepped quickly forward as if to grab Cloud when the blond turned to leave, he rethought his decision however when Reno shot him a dangerous glare. Still the officer folded his arms over his chest and glowered down at the two teenagers. "We can't just let a couple of boys run off into the wilds like that. It's dangerous!"

Reno rolled his eyes but Cloud spoke first again, "Officer Ferris. It's not really your decision as to whether or not we venture outside the city walls, but rather than call our superior and get you and yours in trouble, is there some procedure that would make you more comfortable, while allowing us to do our job?"

Reno blinked, … Ferris blinked… Cloud stood quietly waiting while the other two digested the fact that a fourteen year old boy had said that. (though there was a distinct possibility the officer thought Cloud even younger.)

Reno recovered first, laughing as he tossed his arm over Cloud's shoulder, "Turks get the pick o' tha litter yo."

Ferris shook his head in slight disbelief. "Sure, um… Let's talk to my commander and we'll see what we can arrange." He eyed Cloud strangely as he stepped past the two Turks to lead the way from the small office. It was a look Cloud was oodly used to; people always underestimated him due to his size and apparent age. Unperturbed, Cloud followed the officer, the walk was a short one, and the commander, a much older, stocky man with a thick build, was less shocked by the idea of the two young Turks fighting monsters in the wilds outside the city. He did however agree with Ferris' assessment that the two boys not go alone. Much to Reno's exasperation he insisted on sending a pair of young officers in addition to Ferris to accompany them.

Cloud simply smiled softly as the Junon policemen followed Reno and himself out of the city, easily passing the gate guards and striding through the grass into the fields.

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