Once More, With Feeling... – Chapter 31: False Witness
Summary: The Disciplinary Hearing Formally Commences. And it has several surprises in store for all involved.
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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It was a small room, set adjacent to an averaged sized 'meeting room', and intentionally designed as a waiting area. It was small enough, that it felt crowded with the eight figures sitting quietly inside it. Cloud was feeling particularly self-satisfied, having many years prior painstakingly overcome his own claustrophobia. Now he sat comfortably in his seat, calmly watching his six squad-mates as they fidgeted or stared sullenly at the walls.
There wasn't much else for him to do, his seat was positioned away from the other boys, next to the 'guard' who was watching the door. Glancing up at Rude's expressionless face, Cloud almost smiled at how intimidating the stoic man must appear to the young teens. Cloud found it difficult to fear the quiet man. He'd simply known him too long.
Despite the effects of two potions and sleeping all morning after Sephiroth left. The nurse had insisted on placing his right arm in a sling. Since Cloud was quite unaccustomed to the strangely restricting fabric, it was distracting. The bandages wrapped on his head and left ankle itched. But he knew better than to scratch at them. Pausing at another thought, Cloud shifted a little in place, raising his left arm and with deliberate care, unwinding the bandages wrapped around his head and tossing them in the nearby trash, he sighed when Rude's gaze flicked to him. Even though the Turk had his customary shades on, Cloud could tell when he was being watched by the older man. His own eyes glanced up, and he shrugged.
"The nurse didn't say I had to keep them on…" He informed the other man quietly, "After the potions, they're kind of superfluous." He heard Rude sigh softly, before he looked away.
Cloud's gaze traveled back to the other boys in the room, Wyatt had a brace on his knee, and Cloud still felt a twinge of guilt at the damage he'd caused. The other boys had no outwardly visible injuries anymore, thanks in large part to potions and cure materia, but it didn't change the fact they HAD been hurt. Cloud heaved another sigh, this time silently. He was already longing for a good quiet training bout to clear his head, so he could think this over more carefully, but according to the nurses, he was restricted to bed-rest as much as possible for the next three days. … The Disciplinary Hearing was an exception. Cloud's presence was required, and he WAS mostly recovered. He already missed his Mako enhancements, despite everything he'd gone through to get them, he hadn't realized just how CONVINIENT it was to be fully healed and ready for more with just a few potions and a nights sleep. No matter how bad the injury, Mako would have healed even the residual stiffness by now.
Cloud shook his head and smiled, how spoiled he was! He had to resist the urge to chuckle at himself. Ah well, he'd learned to appreciate it, … and if everything went according to his plans, he'd get into SOLDIER soon enough.
Lost in his own thoughts, Cloud didn't notice right away when Rude gestured to catch his attention. When he finally looked up, he could hear the soft footsteps behind the door. He nodded at the stoic Turk and straightened in his seat. A moment later they heard the knock. The door slowly opened and Zack Fair poked his head in.
"Hey, we're ready for the Cadets." He flashed a grin at Cloud when their eyes met, only to sober quickly as he gazed sadly at the other boys. Cloud's conscience twinged at the sight, poor Zack… Cloud had no doubt the cheerful teen was having a hard time dealing with having 'delinquent' students. He smiled encouragingly at the raven-haired boy, cheered slightly when Zack smiled back.
Rude wasted little time, once Zack disappeared from the doorway, he stood and motioned for the Cadets to do the same. Cloud stood carefully, his left ankle was merely stiff thanks to the potions, but it was still a little awkward. Flicking his gaze over the other six boys once more, Cloud came to another decision. While the other youth's were filing out ahead of him, Cloud swiftly removed the sling on his right arm, tucking the fabric in his pocket. He carefully rotated his shoulder, testing it, and shifted his pants to cover his still bandaged ankle, before nodding and stepping past the dark-skinned Turk.
Rude's gloved hand dropped gently on Cloud's left shoulder as the boy moved past him. Blue eyes darted to the shade-covered ones, and a single blond eyebrow rose. One of Rude's dark eyebrows mimicked the move, and he gestured at Cloud's right arm with his chin.
"I'm fine, it doesn't hurt." Cloud murmured quickly, flashing a smile at the older man. "It was really more of a reminder not to use the arm too much." He barely heard the gentle sigh, but the gloved hand released him and the two continued walking.
Cloud had always liked that about Rude, he never pressed an issue if it was personal.
By the time they stepped into the main meeting room, Cloud was walking casually. He was expecting the familiar cold shiver up his spine, that alerted him to Sephiroth's presence, and so he was able to keep his pace steady, and his face calm. But he wasn't able to resist the instinctive urge to glance in the Silver-haired General's direction. Sephiroth was watching him walk, his brows drawn down and a slight frown marring his face, he looked … puzzled. Cloud could practically hear the keen mind turning something over and over, narrowed green eyes watching him carefully.
Cloud pulled his attention away from his long-time rival and instead gazed over the rest of the council. Zack had returned to his own seat, and was fidgeting in his chair uncomfortably. Angeal sat next to him, occasionally glancing at the youth in silent reprimand. On the other side of the General sat the Weapons Training instructor Sergeant Kerring, in the center was a middle-aged gentleman Cloud was unfamiliar with, followed by his kindly economics teacher, professor Jaegar, after that was Tseng, and a rather disgruntled-looking Reno.
As soon as he met eyes with the red-head, Reno deliberately scanned him, fidgeting almost as much as Zack. Cloud could easily read the unspoken question on his face, and he smiled comfortingly in response,
"I'm fine." The blond mouthed. Reno visibly sighed, his face clearly saying he didn't entirely believe his partner, but he settled back down none-the-less.
Almost as soon as he'd finished soothing Reno's frazzled nerves, Cloud felt a sudden rise in tension within the room. His eyes flicked unerringly back to the General Sephiroth, and he had to forcibly root himself to the spot as his body tried to move. Green slitted eyes glared at him furiously. Had he somehow made Sephiroth angry? Cloud stared back in puzzlement. With visible effort the general tore his gaze away, muttering something under his breath to the Lieutenant at his right.
Cloud sat gingerly in his seat. Rude sat in front of the door, between him and his six squad-mates, becoming, for all intents and purposes, a statue with shades. Once all of the boys were seated, the man Cloud had no name for cleared his throat.
"Now that everyone is present, let the Disciplinary Hearing Commence."
His pale grey eyes turned to Cloud, "SOLDIER Prep. Cadet, Cloud Strife correct?"
"Correct Sir." Cloud met his gaze solidly.
"I am Director Newat. I am in charge of the SOLDIER Preparation classes."
Ah, that made sense, Cloud nodded respectfully at the introduction, and then followed along, repeating the action as he was 'introduced' to the rest of the council.
"Now as the Offended party in this particular case, the disciplinary Council would like to request your interpretations of last night's events." Director Newat continued.
Cloud nodded again. He had been expecting this. Ever since the nurse in the infirmary had informed him that they had called for an official Disciplinary Hearing, he'd anticipated sharing his views.
He'd prepared this speech, very carefully.
Cloud took a deep breath, mentally shook himself to clear any possible lingering fuzziness, and gazed intently at the odd motley of men behind the long desk.
"Last night, I had entered into one of the training rooms for some extra practice. While I was there, these other six boys from my class also entered the room. Words were exchanged, and I ended up fighting with four of them." Cloud paused, taking another deep breath,
"Four boys against one, did this seem like a planned assault to you Cadet Strife?" Sergeant Kerring took Cloud's pause as an opportunity to inquire.
"No, it did not, Sir." Cloud returned evenly, Sephiroth was glaring at him again, green eyes blazing. Cloud ignored him. "I believe that I provoked them Sir, … it really was my fault."
Several eyebrows rose, and professor Jaegar looked stunned. "You provoked them? Please explain that Cloud."
Cloud offered a sheepish smile, "I have not put forth any effort to befriend my Squad-mates, and though I did not intend it, I believe my actions may have been quite insulting to them. It is understandable therefore, that what started as a group training session, devolved into a fight."
"So it was just a training session?" Director Newat raised one eyebrow questioningly, "According to General Sephiroth's statement, it looked like a very purposeful fight."
"By the time General Sephiroth witnessed the fight, I imagine that it would have appeared that way to him." Cloud barely noticed the slight wincing at the corners of the General's eyes, the motion puzzled him, but judging by the fact he couldn't make sense of anything Sephiroth was doing right now, he disregarded it.
"It was just a spar that got out of hand." Cloud reiterated.
Sergeant Kerring sighed, his tired eyes gazing Cloud over with vague curiosity. "Cadet Strife," He began, glancing over the other boys before returning his gaze to Cloud, "Even if the fight went as you say it did, why would you defend these boys? Even provoked, they ganged up on you, and badly injured you… so why are you so quick to jump to their defense?"
Cloud sighed, scratching the back of his head with his good arm. "Despite everything that happened, and whether or not they were more at fault for the fight, … I think these boys still have a lot of potential. They could make great SOLDIERs someday, if they learn from their experiences. I don't want to deprive them of the opportunity, nor do I want to deprive Shinra of their future talents. Just because I provoked them into a fight, … it's really not fair to ruin everything for them. … and they're really just boys still, they have a lot of room to learn and grow."
For several moments the council was silent, a few of them staring at Cloud in astonishment, Sephiroth was glowering at nothing in particular, and Angeal looked amused. Zack was grinning, just like his usual self, and Reno had the strangest 'closed off' look on his face.
Finally Director Newat nodded slowly, "Very well Strife, you present a … powerful argument. Thank you." Cloud ducked his head in response and settled back into his chair.
"Cadet Cyril Lenysen" the Director continued, the young boy in question sat instantly straighter in his seat. "According to the testimony of Lieutenant Angeal Hewley, you were found having participated in a similar, 'sparring match' which got 'out of hand'. You were also present for last night's fight. What do you have to say about these incidents?"
Cyril glanced at Cloud, his brown eyes regarding the other blond somberly for several moments, before returning to Director Newat. "Cloud is a bit too humble Sir." The teen said slowly, Cloud's blue eyes widened at his Squad-mate. "I … I admit that I was jealous of Cloud, and that was a large part of the reason I sparred against him. But … after that first fight, I … well, he's better than I am… and I realized it's because he works hard. I didn't really want to spar with him again after that."
Director Newat nodded at Cyril, before turning to the other boys. Each one in turn confirmed Cloud's story that it had been a training session pushed too far, and Logan firmly denied having planned or premeditated any part of the attack.
By the time the Council had finished questioning the boys; Sephiroth's dark looks were causing most of the room to squirm uncomfortably, especially the six other boys. The members of the Council murmured quietly amongst themselves for a few moments, and finally Director Newat glanced over the Cadets once more and nodded at Rude.
"The Council must Confer in private, if you would please escort these cadets into the next room for the time being, we will call you again once we have reached our verdict."
Rude nodded once, and stood. The Cadets, Cloud included, stood without further prompting, and filed into the next room. They took the same seats they had the first time around, and sat in silence. Cloud was very calm, at this point the decision was out of his hands, but he was confident it would go how he'd planned. There was a slim chance they might opt to punish Cloud himself, his admission to 'provoking' the boys could warrant that. But it was a chance Cloud was willing to take. Glancing around the room, Cloud noted that Cyril was staring at him. The other blond was regarding Cloud with that strange expression on his face again, the same one he'd worn when he'd backed out of the room last night. Cloud frowned, gazing back steadily. After several moments the older Cadet shook his head, silently mouthing one word.
"Why?"
Cloud smiled, he couldn't help it, "I meant what I said." He murmured softly, "You have a lot of potential; I'd hate to see it wasted."
Cyril's brown eyes flicked to the floor, his expression considering, he stayed that way for the rest of their wait. It didn't seem to take longer than expected to Cloud, but he was sure it was an agonizing eternity for the other boys, when the knock on the door finally came he heard a few sighs.
Once again Zack poked his head in, and once again all of them filed into the other room, taking the same seats as the first time.
"Cadet Cloud Strife." Director Newat began without preamble, "Are you certain you have nothing further to add?"
Cloud nodded. And he heard a long-suffering sigh, that seemed to come from Sephiroth's general direction. Director Newat acknowledged him silently, before continuing.
"Then without your testimony against them, we cannot in good conscience discharge the other Cadets."
Cloud nodded again, satisfied with this verdict.
"However, despite your defense of them, the six Cadets from Squad Sekhmet still require punishment for their actions. … Cadets Wyatt Boden, Logan Kade, Kyle McKinzie, Fisk Sutherland, Cyril Lenysen, and Lucas Parker… you are all to be suspended for the next three weeks. You are to remain in your rooms at all times, unless escorted by a superior officer of at least 3 ranks above your own. All privileges will be stripped from you, and any further disregard of rules and regulations will be met with severe consequences."
The boys in question nodded meekly.
The Director carefully arranged a few of the papers on the desk before sternly regarding the youths still situated before him.
"Squad Sekhmet is just now approaching its half-mark as far as the general progression of classes and training. Under normal circumstances, you and the rest of your squad would be progressing from standard training, to leadership training in two weeks time."
Cloud vaguely remembered hearing something about that the first time he'd worked for Shinra, but he wasn't very certain on the details. Unconsciously leaning closer, he regarded the director with open curiosity.
"At that time, one of the boys within Squad Sekhmet would be granted Captainship over his fellow Cadets. And that particular youth would be required to appoint one Second-in-command to assist him."
Here the Director paused, his gaze pointedly drifting to Cloud, "Due to the current circumstances, it has been decided that this Leadership training will be instigated early. Your instructors have already unanimously voted Cloud Strife to be the Captain of Squad Sekhmet."
Cloud paused, and stared, … Captain of the Squad? … he honestly had NOT seen that coming… But he had to put off considering the inherent complications, as the Director was not finished.
"So in affect as of this moment, Cloud Strife is your superior officer, should any of you strike him for any reason, it will be considered as an assault to a superior officer, and as such will result in immediate Discharge, no questions asked, EVEN if he provokes you. … is that Understood?"
"Sir, Yes Sir!" The boys hastily chimed.
The Director sat back for a moment and sighed, "This promotion is in effect only for the boys in this room. You are not to reveal this information to any of your squad-mates, or any outside sources until the formal announcement in two weeks."
Cloud was stunned, well THIS certainly wasn't what he was expecting… he spared a glance at the other boys, and they looked even more floored than he felt. Logan looked particularly unhappy, and maybe even a little resentful, but Cloud wasn't particularly worried about that. He just sincerely hoped the youth would be able to put it behind him.
"In addition to Cloud Strife's early 'promotion'." The Director continued after a brief pause, "We have assigned him new bunking arrangements to allow for his recovery, and remove the temptation of retribution. … This meeting is now adjourned… Rude, would you please escort the suspended Cadets to lunch? … and I am certain that Reno and SOLDIER 2nd Zachary Fair would be happy to assist Cloud. Thank you, Dismissed."
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