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Butterfly Effect: Chapter 8
Authors: Bard Linn and Kiraya
Genre: General/Drama
Pairings: Light ZackxAreis
Rating (Overall): PG-13
Summary: Zack was playing undercover agent.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Square Enix and its associates. We’re just borrowing them for a while.
Chapter 8
Over the next four months, Cloud saw Zack on a pretty regular basis. The SOLDIER appeared to be interested in nothing more than talking with him when he could. Cloud, however, didn’t believe for a second that the man’s intentions were so innocent. Sinclair was Sephiroth’s aide, after all, and that meant that not only did he have to be good — the General would never allow incompetence from those under his direct command — he had to have some kind of ulterior motive. Why else would a SOLDIER First Class be interested in a mere cadet?
Cloud was just lucky that Zack was a busy man. He had a full time job and social life, and wasn’t going to alter that too much to hound one insignificant cadet. As it was, though, it seemed the sergeant’s attentions had attracted someone else’s notice. The blond kept getting this strange feeling he was being watched. It drove him to distraction on a regular basis, and was making him more than a little paranoid. He had the feeling his watcher didn’t necessarily have his best interests in mind, either.
Not a pleasant thought.
The only solution would be to divert Zack’s attention until he left Cloud completely alone, and hope that this mysterious watcher would follow suit. However, the odds of that happening on their own seemed nigh impossible; Zack continued to show up at the oddest times, despite Cloud’s hints that he didn’t want the SOLDIER’s company. So it was that the blond had taken to studying Zack’s movements. Now that he thought he finally had a sense of where the sergeant usually was during his usual free hours, Cloud could make himself scarce. Hopefully the SOLDIER would eventually get bored and go onto easier prey.
Studying Zack’s movements had invariably led to studying the General’s as well — not surprising, considering Sinclair was the man’s aide. Now that Cloud could think about Sephiroth without flushing bright red (the embarrassment of that incident in the corridor had plagued him for weeks afterwards), he couldn’t help noticing how intriguing the man was. The image that immediately sprang to his mind was that of radiant flame. The man was bright, intriguing… and dangerous. At the same time, though, he was a comfort to have around, his mere presence ensuring the safety of the entire compound.
It might not be a bad idea to keep an eye on Sephiroth, Cloud decided, if he could do it without being caught. He did want to gain the man’s trust, after all, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get to know more about him…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack was playing undercover agent.
Or, perhaps more accurately, he was pretending to play undercover agent. He was off duty, technically; his current mission wasn’t from ShinRa, either. He had foregone his distinctive blue SOLDIER First Class outfit for his jaunt in the city, as he usually did, but this trip wasn’t for pleasure. He was trolling for Turks. Rude, specifically.
He hadn’t been so blind as to notice the reticent man’s recent interest in Cloud. He was undoubtedly checking out the cadets for new recruits — the company gave the Turks first pick of the most skilled SOLDIER applicants, something that had caused tension between the two groups in the past — and had noted Cloud as a possibility. That Zack had decided, would only happen over his dead body. True, the youth appeared to have some of the skills that would be useful for a Turk, and his preference for solitude — no small disadvantage for SOLDIERs, who generally worked in groups — would make him a good fit for the close-knit group. Many of the Turks were the same way.
But Cloud was a better person than that. Zack would bet every last gil of his salary on it. Working for the Turks, dealing with all the crap they had to go through on a day-to-day basis… it would chip away at the boy’s soul until there was nothing left. Zack had seen it happen before; this time, though, he would not stand aside and watch another innocent kid waste away like that.
His sources told him Rude would be headed out this way today. All he had to do was confront him, persuade him Cloud wasn’t worth the trouble, and go on his way. It shouldn’t be too hard, really; even among the Turks, few would dare take a SOLDIER First Class lightly… especially one in Zack’s position.
The sergeant was startled out of his thoughts when a young woman came running through the crowd, looking very frightened. Zack quickly stepped forward, catching her arm. “Are you okay?” He caught a glimpse of blazing green eyes, strikingly similar to those of his superior officer, and then found himself blocking an incoming attack from the staff held in the woman’s hands. “Whoa, there! I’m not going to hurt you!”
The woman — teen, really — lowered the weapon, finally seeming to notice him. “I’m so sorry!”
“Hey, that’s okay.” Zack smiled reassuringly. Glancing over her shoulder, his enhanced eyes caught sight of a pair of advancing figures in the distance, dressed in familiar suits. Dammit, what was with the Turks trying to pick up the good-looking ones? And this girl didn’t look like Turk material to him… meaning there was definitely something fishy going on. “How about I take you for something to drink? You look like you could use some time to unwind.” The young woman bit her lip, looking torn. “My treat.” Zack gave his most winsome smile.
The girl paused for a long moment, eyes growing unfocused as she considered the proposition. “Okay.” She reached into the basket she held. “Would you like a flower? As an apology?”
Zack carefully took the blossom, amazed at its beautiful color. It took a lot of work to get flowers to grow in Midgar, and he’d never seen any as healthy and vibrant as this. “No apology is necessarily, dear lady. If only such beautiful women would run by me on a more regular basis, I truly would be a blessed man.” She blushed very prettily. “May I ask your name?”
“Aeris. Pleased to meet you, ah…?”
“Zack. And the pleasure is mine.” Zack held out his arm, which Aeris, still blushing, gracefully took, and the pair of them started down the street, seemingly oblivious to the world. The SOLDIER was pleased to notice that the pair of Turks had retreated from the scene, but he still moved a little closer to the girl he’d rescued. He may have just met her, but… there was something undeniably alluring about this lovely young woman. Zack made a note to come down to the slums more often to visit her. It couldn’t hurt, really; the Turks might lay low for a while if they thought someone was watching out for her. Satisfied with this plan, he struck up a conversation, flattering Aeris outrageously, smiling at her silvery laughter.
Unfortunately, he’d completely forgotten why he had come down there in the first place.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cloud Strife was beyond tense. His entire body felt like a coil wound too tight, ready to snap at any moment. He tried to control himself, to act naturally, but every once in a while his eyes would break free, darting around the room to look for his unseen watcher.
The sad thing was that his paranoia was the only thing keeping him awake.
Their training had increased, in energy demand if not in difficulty. The cadets were finally starting to learn a few new things; adding in the steadily rising amount of physical conditioning they engaged in lengthened their training time by several hours. Cloud wasn’t letting himself work to his full potential, either; when it felt like his every move was being watched, he really couldn’t take the risk. He worked hard to ditch his watcher and practice in secluded parts of the gym, but doing twice the number of workouts was really wearing him down.
Worse, his appetite had dropped, and he could barely sleep at night. Cloud’s thoughts just would not settle, trying to figure out exactly what he had done to gain this attention. It couldn’t just be from Sergeant Sinclair; the SOLDIER had hardly been around recently, and within the past two weeks or so, Cloud hadn’t seen him at all. The blond often found himself losing focus a lot, too: in the corridors, during lessons, in the dining hall. Not in safe places… though there were even fewer of those than there had been before.
He couldn’t go on like this. He could hardly remember what he had done yesterday, much less what his instructors were saying and what he was supposed to be learning. Coupled with a recent growth spurt, his nervous exhaustion left him feeling rather clumsy and unsure of his movements. He never knew exactly where his feet were going to land, and it was absolutely madden—
CRASH.
Cloud slowly lifted his head from where he had fallen, sprawled on the floor. To his horror, he realized he’d managed to knock over a rack full of training equipment, scattering the stuff everywhere.
“STRIFE! Clean that up, and KP duty tonight!”
“Yes, sir!” Cloud moved quickly, shame burning his cheeks. Returning the rack to its upright position, he started to gather up the assorted practice weapons, ropes, and various other items the rack had been holding, returning them to their rightful places.
When he finally left the gym, still flushed with embarrassment, he realized something very important.
His watcher was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rude walked away from the gym feeling somewhat dissatisfied. He had been hoping Cadet Strife would have made a good Turk candidate; recent events, however, had made him begin to doubt his judgment. The overwhelming clumsiness of this latest incident had made it obvious that the boy was simply not fit for the job. A shame, really, since there was no one else in this group who was even remotely suitable.
Oh well, the Turk thought as he walked back to the ShinRa building proper and started up the stairs, heading to a particular office. One couldn’t always expect positive results in these situations.
“Ahh, Rude. What brings you here?”
The man stopped, nodding to the older Turk who had moved out of the shadows. “Reporting on the SOLDIER cadets, sir.”
“And…?”
The bald man straightened. “Not a very good batch this year. Thought Strife had potential, but observation has proven otherwise. Other than that… several of the others show significant improvement, but…”
“Our agreement with SOLDIER puts all but the first-time cadets out of our reach,” Tseng finished, dark eyes thoughtful. “Ah, well. We’ve had an unusually high passing rate among the trainees this year, so it shouldn’t be much of a loss.”
It would be more accurate to say ‘survival’ rather than ‘passing.’ Turk trainees had a 33% fatality rate before even being officially accepted into the outfit. Of course, a lot of that had to deal with the intensity of the training they received; usually working with their more experienced seniors, they polished their skills in a wide variety of disciplines while out on the same sort of field assignments full-fledged Turks had.
The younger man nodded, and they waited outside the Turk Leader’s office in companionable silence for a while.
“…Why are you here, sir?”
I’ve found someone whom I’d like to sponsor.” At Rude’s questioning glance, he elaborated, “A Sector Four slum rat. He’s cocky, somewhat irreverent, and heavily involved in activities of dubious legality, but very skilled, and has a knack for survival despite his faults. I think he’d be a useful addition to the outfit.”
It was hardly uncommon for more senior Turks to sponsor people with great potential, young men and women who demonstrated loyalty, quick thinking, and intelligence. Many of these sponsored Turks went on to even greater heights than those hand-picked from among the SOLDIER cadets or, before that unit’s creation, the general army. Some of the finest Turks in the group’s history, like expert marksman Vincent Valentine, had become trainees through sponsorship.
Yes… a new sponsored Turk might make an excellent addition to the team.
If he makes it through the training period. The unspoken thought hung in the air between them until the office door opened, and a voice inside called, “Come in.”
Tseng inclined his head. “Go on in and make your report, Rude. Veld-san so hates to be kept waiting; it would be most unwise to upset him.”
Rude stood, pushing his glasses up. “…It’s a good thing you’re a patient man, sir.”
His senior gazed steadily at him for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m not Turk Leader, Rude.”
“Yet,” was all the other man said as he entered the office, closing the door behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ever since that constant feeling of being watched had left, Cloud felt his life had become infinitely easier. His appetite and sleeping habits had returned to normal, and best of all, he was finally able to get some real training done. If he kept going like this, he should be able to make up for all of the time he had lost, which was very comforting indeed.
By now the weather in Midgar had turned hot, as it was close to June, and most of the other cadets chose to stay holed up in their air-conditioned rooms away from the heat, occasionally going down into the city at night for a round or two of cold drinks. Cloud, however, had spent what little free time he had during the last few months following Sephiroth’s movements whenever the man was outside restricted areas. Unfortunately, this wasn’t very often, but Cloud enjoyed every chance that he got. Watching the General, a truly remarkable figure in his grace and intensity, was his greatest pleasure.
It was on one of those very rare days that Sephiroth was practicing alone in the gym before curfew that Cloud got the scare of his life.
The youth had been quietly watching from the shadows as always, analyzing the elite SOLDIER’s every movement, when a hand abruptly fell on his shoulder. He had stiffened immediately and pulled away, readying a counterattack without even thinking about it. Seeing his ‘attacker,’ though, he froze. “…Sergeant Sinclair?”
A scolding shake of the head. “Really, Cloud! How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Zack, please.” The man grinned cheerily as he examined the cadet before him, but was inwardly quite surprised by the kid’s reaction to his touch. Cloud had never been a touchy-feely type, but the SOLDIER’s casual act hardly seemed like the sort of thing to call for an attack… which was what had nearly happened, unless Zack was off base today.
Not bloody likely.
“So, watching the General?”
The boy flushed a little. “Yeah…” Blue eyes crept back to the silver-haired figure. “He’s incredible.”
“He is,” Zack agreed, not at all joking. The pair stood there in silence for a long moment, enjoying the sight of a master at his work. “So… want to tell me why you’re tracking Seph all over the place?” Zack raised an eyebrow.
Cloud blinked in startlement. “Huh? Er…” The slight blush on his face darkened.
A sly grin appeared on the SOLDIER’s face. “Ahh… I got it,” he said, winking at the cadet. “Perfectly normal, really; a lot of people get crushes on Seph. It’s got to be the hair, I think. Just makes you want to play with it, right?”
By now Cloud was beginning to resemble a tomato as he stared at the older man, wearing an expression of sheer mortification. “…But he’s a guy!”
“Yeah, well, that’s hardly…” Zack trailed off, quirking a dark eyebrow at the blond. “…Where did you say you were from again?”
“Nibelheim,” Cloud replied, still bright red. What in the Planet did his hometown have to do with anything?
“Ah, that’s right; middle of nowhere.” Zack nodded sagely. “That explains it totally. I remember when I first came to Midgar. It was pretty shocking for— hey, where are you going?” The SOLDIER First Class blinked in surprise as Cloud zipped out of the room… then shook his head, amused. The kid was too naïve for his own good in some ways. Of course, spending so much time off by himself certainly didn’t help matters…
“What have you done now, Sinclair?”
Zack spread his hands wide as if to ward off the question, making a curious gesture. “General, I swear I am as innocent as the day I was born!”
“Somehow I doubt that.” Sephiroth strode quickly out of the gym, his aide following at his side.
“As it so happens,” the dark-haired man said loftily, “I was just talking to a stalker. You’ve apparently gained another one.” Sephiroth did not groan; he wouldn’t, not in public. There was no doubt in Zack’s mind, however, that the man dearly wanted to do nothing less. “Relatively clean this time, though. He seems to have a normal hero complex, nothing more… not yet, anyway. Was shocked I even hinted in that direction.”
“That is something to be thankful for, I suppose.” The pair made the rest of the trip back to Sephiroth’s office in silence. Once inside and having completed a bugging check, the General raised an eyebrow at Zack, having caught the signal that the man had something to say away from prying eyes… and ears.
“The odd thing about this kid— Strife, you remember him?”
Green eyes closed in thought. “The one who ran into me in the hallway several months ago, no?”
His aide clucked reprovingly at him. “He’ll be horrified if he ever finds out that’s how you remember him. Anyway, the odd thing is… he reminds me a lot of a Turk trainee.” Sephiroth raised both eyebrows at him — the closest the General would come to showing shock. “He’s extremely good at shadowing people, better than anyone else I’ve seen among the cadets. Took me a while to catch him following you. And I’m ninety-nine percent sure he almost attacked me today when I startled him. Very similar to Turk hand-to-hand style, too, from the look of it. Add that up with all the little things, and it gives me this strange feeling…”
“Could he be a plant?”
“I doubt it.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Why bother? He’s not going to pass the exams anyway. He may be skilled in some areas, but… he just doesn’t have what it takes. Completely lacks the interpersonal know-how for group work. It’s kind of odd the Turks didn’t pick him up… but I’m just as glad they didn’t. He really is a good kid, Seph. Working for them would destroy him.”
“And yet it seems like they have already had contact with him.” Sephiroth frowned thoughtfully. “Try to find out more about him, if you can. I don’t like this.”
“Will do,” Zack replied.
“By the way, Zachary…” Sephiroth began almost casually as his aide turned to leave. “Your promotion was approved.”
The younger man tensed up, not even reacting to his full name. “Oh. I thought I’d lost the paperwork for that,” he said carefully. Next time, he reminded himself, he shouldn’t just shove it in the bottom of the filing cabinet under the order forms for female SOLDIER uniforms. It had seemed like such a good hiding place, too, considering that there were no female SOLDIERs…
“I managed to find it,” the General said dryly. “Make sure to get your new insignia from Supply, Sergeant Major.”
“Yes, sir.” Zack gave a brief salute. “And my duties, sir?”
“To remain the same.” Dark indigo eyes widened in surprise as his superior continued, “It appears Heidegger has decided your presence makes mine easier to deal with. I suspect you will remain at your current post even after your rank would normally take you away from the position for a command of your own.”
“Good,” Zack replied simply. He was quite pleased that this time he wouldn’t have to march down to Heidegger’s office and change the man’s mind by threatening him with a little bodily harm. “I still have work to do, after all.”
Sephiroth knew the other SOLDIER wasn’t referring to paperwork. “Perhaps you do, Zack. Perhaps you do.”
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Genre: General/Drama
Pairings: Light ZackxAreis
Rating (Overall): PG-13
Summary: Zack was playing undercover agent.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Square Enix and its associates. We’re just borrowing them for a while.
Chapter 8
Over the next four months, Cloud saw Zack on a pretty regular basis. The SOLDIER appeared to be interested in nothing more than talking with him when he could. Cloud, however, didn’t believe for a second that the man’s intentions were so innocent. Sinclair was Sephiroth’s aide, after all, and that meant that not only did he have to be good — the General would never allow incompetence from those under his direct command — he had to have some kind of ulterior motive. Why else would a SOLDIER First Class be interested in a mere cadet?
Cloud was just lucky that Zack was a busy man. He had a full time job and social life, and wasn’t going to alter that too much to hound one insignificant cadet. As it was, though, it seemed the sergeant’s attentions had attracted someone else’s notice. The blond kept getting this strange feeling he was being watched. It drove him to distraction on a regular basis, and was making him more than a little paranoid. He had the feeling his watcher didn’t necessarily have his best interests in mind, either.
Not a pleasant thought.
The only solution would be to divert Zack’s attention until he left Cloud completely alone, and hope that this mysterious watcher would follow suit. However, the odds of that happening on their own seemed nigh impossible; Zack continued to show up at the oddest times, despite Cloud’s hints that he didn’t want the SOLDIER’s company. So it was that the blond had taken to studying Zack’s movements. Now that he thought he finally had a sense of where the sergeant usually was during his usual free hours, Cloud could make himself scarce. Hopefully the SOLDIER would eventually get bored and go onto easier prey.
Studying Zack’s movements had invariably led to studying the General’s as well — not surprising, considering Sinclair was the man’s aide. Now that Cloud could think about Sephiroth without flushing bright red (the embarrassment of that incident in the corridor had plagued him for weeks afterwards), he couldn’t help noticing how intriguing the man was. The image that immediately sprang to his mind was that of radiant flame. The man was bright, intriguing… and dangerous. At the same time, though, he was a comfort to have around, his mere presence ensuring the safety of the entire compound.
It might not be a bad idea to keep an eye on Sephiroth, Cloud decided, if he could do it without being caught. He did want to gain the man’s trust, after all, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get to know more about him…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack was playing undercover agent.
Or, perhaps more accurately, he was pretending to play undercover agent. He was off duty, technically; his current mission wasn’t from ShinRa, either. He had foregone his distinctive blue SOLDIER First Class outfit for his jaunt in the city, as he usually did, but this trip wasn’t for pleasure. He was trolling for Turks. Rude, specifically.
He hadn’t been so blind as to notice the reticent man’s recent interest in Cloud. He was undoubtedly checking out the cadets for new recruits — the company gave the Turks first pick of the most skilled SOLDIER applicants, something that had caused tension between the two groups in the past — and had noted Cloud as a possibility. That Zack had decided, would only happen over his dead body. True, the youth appeared to have some of the skills that would be useful for a Turk, and his preference for solitude — no small disadvantage for SOLDIERs, who generally worked in groups — would make him a good fit for the close-knit group. Many of the Turks were the same way.
But Cloud was a better person than that. Zack would bet every last gil of his salary on it. Working for the Turks, dealing with all the crap they had to go through on a day-to-day basis… it would chip away at the boy’s soul until there was nothing left. Zack had seen it happen before; this time, though, he would not stand aside and watch another innocent kid waste away like that.
His sources told him Rude would be headed out this way today. All he had to do was confront him, persuade him Cloud wasn’t worth the trouble, and go on his way. It shouldn’t be too hard, really; even among the Turks, few would dare take a SOLDIER First Class lightly… especially one in Zack’s position.
The sergeant was startled out of his thoughts when a young woman came running through the crowd, looking very frightened. Zack quickly stepped forward, catching her arm. “Are you okay?” He caught a glimpse of blazing green eyes, strikingly similar to those of his superior officer, and then found himself blocking an incoming attack from the staff held in the woman’s hands. “Whoa, there! I’m not going to hurt you!”
The woman — teen, really — lowered the weapon, finally seeming to notice him. “I’m so sorry!”
“Hey, that’s okay.” Zack smiled reassuringly. Glancing over her shoulder, his enhanced eyes caught sight of a pair of advancing figures in the distance, dressed in familiar suits. Dammit, what was with the Turks trying to pick up the good-looking ones? And this girl didn’t look like Turk material to him… meaning there was definitely something fishy going on. “How about I take you for something to drink? You look like you could use some time to unwind.” The young woman bit her lip, looking torn. “My treat.” Zack gave his most winsome smile.
The girl paused for a long moment, eyes growing unfocused as she considered the proposition. “Okay.” She reached into the basket she held. “Would you like a flower? As an apology?”
Zack carefully took the blossom, amazed at its beautiful color. It took a lot of work to get flowers to grow in Midgar, and he’d never seen any as healthy and vibrant as this. “No apology is necessarily, dear lady. If only such beautiful women would run by me on a more regular basis, I truly would be a blessed man.” She blushed very prettily. “May I ask your name?”
“Aeris. Pleased to meet you, ah…?”
“Zack. And the pleasure is mine.” Zack held out his arm, which Aeris, still blushing, gracefully took, and the pair of them started down the street, seemingly oblivious to the world. The SOLDIER was pleased to notice that the pair of Turks had retreated from the scene, but he still moved a little closer to the girl he’d rescued. He may have just met her, but… there was something undeniably alluring about this lovely young woman. Zack made a note to come down to the slums more often to visit her. It couldn’t hurt, really; the Turks might lay low for a while if they thought someone was watching out for her. Satisfied with this plan, he struck up a conversation, flattering Aeris outrageously, smiling at her silvery laughter.
Unfortunately, he’d completely forgotten why he had come down there in the first place.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cloud Strife was beyond tense. His entire body felt like a coil wound too tight, ready to snap at any moment. He tried to control himself, to act naturally, but every once in a while his eyes would break free, darting around the room to look for his unseen watcher.
The sad thing was that his paranoia was the only thing keeping him awake.
Their training had increased, in energy demand if not in difficulty. The cadets were finally starting to learn a few new things; adding in the steadily rising amount of physical conditioning they engaged in lengthened their training time by several hours. Cloud wasn’t letting himself work to his full potential, either; when it felt like his every move was being watched, he really couldn’t take the risk. He worked hard to ditch his watcher and practice in secluded parts of the gym, but doing twice the number of workouts was really wearing him down.
Worse, his appetite had dropped, and he could barely sleep at night. Cloud’s thoughts just would not settle, trying to figure out exactly what he had done to gain this attention. It couldn’t just be from Sergeant Sinclair; the SOLDIER had hardly been around recently, and within the past two weeks or so, Cloud hadn’t seen him at all. The blond often found himself losing focus a lot, too: in the corridors, during lessons, in the dining hall. Not in safe places… though there were even fewer of those than there had been before.
He couldn’t go on like this. He could hardly remember what he had done yesterday, much less what his instructors were saying and what he was supposed to be learning. Coupled with a recent growth spurt, his nervous exhaustion left him feeling rather clumsy and unsure of his movements. He never knew exactly where his feet were going to land, and it was absolutely madden—
CRASH.
Cloud slowly lifted his head from where he had fallen, sprawled on the floor. To his horror, he realized he’d managed to knock over a rack full of training equipment, scattering the stuff everywhere.
“STRIFE! Clean that up, and KP duty tonight!”
“Yes, sir!” Cloud moved quickly, shame burning his cheeks. Returning the rack to its upright position, he started to gather up the assorted practice weapons, ropes, and various other items the rack had been holding, returning them to their rightful places.
When he finally left the gym, still flushed with embarrassment, he realized something very important.
His watcher was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rude walked away from the gym feeling somewhat dissatisfied. He had been hoping Cadet Strife would have made a good Turk candidate; recent events, however, had made him begin to doubt his judgment. The overwhelming clumsiness of this latest incident had made it obvious that the boy was simply not fit for the job. A shame, really, since there was no one else in this group who was even remotely suitable.
Oh well, the Turk thought as he walked back to the ShinRa building proper and started up the stairs, heading to a particular office. One couldn’t always expect positive results in these situations.
“Ahh, Rude. What brings you here?”
The man stopped, nodding to the older Turk who had moved out of the shadows. “Reporting on the SOLDIER cadets, sir.”
“And…?”
The bald man straightened. “Not a very good batch this year. Thought Strife had potential, but observation has proven otherwise. Other than that… several of the others show significant improvement, but…”
“Our agreement with SOLDIER puts all but the first-time cadets out of our reach,” Tseng finished, dark eyes thoughtful. “Ah, well. We’ve had an unusually high passing rate among the trainees this year, so it shouldn’t be much of a loss.”
It would be more accurate to say ‘survival’ rather than ‘passing.’ Turk trainees had a 33% fatality rate before even being officially accepted into the outfit. Of course, a lot of that had to deal with the intensity of the training they received; usually working with their more experienced seniors, they polished their skills in a wide variety of disciplines while out on the same sort of field assignments full-fledged Turks had.
The younger man nodded, and they waited outside the Turk Leader’s office in companionable silence for a while.
“…Why are you here, sir?”
I’ve found someone whom I’d like to sponsor.” At Rude’s questioning glance, he elaborated, “A Sector Four slum rat. He’s cocky, somewhat irreverent, and heavily involved in activities of dubious legality, but very skilled, and has a knack for survival despite his faults. I think he’d be a useful addition to the outfit.”
It was hardly uncommon for more senior Turks to sponsor people with great potential, young men and women who demonstrated loyalty, quick thinking, and intelligence. Many of these sponsored Turks went on to even greater heights than those hand-picked from among the SOLDIER cadets or, before that unit’s creation, the general army. Some of the finest Turks in the group’s history, like expert marksman Vincent Valentine, had become trainees through sponsorship.
Yes… a new sponsored Turk might make an excellent addition to the team.
If he makes it through the training period. The unspoken thought hung in the air between them until the office door opened, and a voice inside called, “Come in.”
Tseng inclined his head. “Go on in and make your report, Rude. Veld-san so hates to be kept waiting; it would be most unwise to upset him.”
Rude stood, pushing his glasses up. “…It’s a good thing you’re a patient man, sir.”
His senior gazed steadily at him for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m not Turk Leader, Rude.”
“Yet,” was all the other man said as he entered the office, closing the door behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ever since that constant feeling of being watched had left, Cloud felt his life had become infinitely easier. His appetite and sleeping habits had returned to normal, and best of all, he was finally able to get some real training done. If he kept going like this, he should be able to make up for all of the time he had lost, which was very comforting indeed.
By now the weather in Midgar had turned hot, as it was close to June, and most of the other cadets chose to stay holed up in their air-conditioned rooms away from the heat, occasionally going down into the city at night for a round or two of cold drinks. Cloud, however, had spent what little free time he had during the last few months following Sephiroth’s movements whenever the man was outside restricted areas. Unfortunately, this wasn’t very often, but Cloud enjoyed every chance that he got. Watching the General, a truly remarkable figure in his grace and intensity, was his greatest pleasure.
It was on one of those very rare days that Sephiroth was practicing alone in the gym before curfew that Cloud got the scare of his life.
The youth had been quietly watching from the shadows as always, analyzing the elite SOLDIER’s every movement, when a hand abruptly fell on his shoulder. He had stiffened immediately and pulled away, readying a counterattack without even thinking about it. Seeing his ‘attacker,’ though, he froze. “…Sergeant Sinclair?”
A scolding shake of the head. “Really, Cloud! How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Zack, please.” The man grinned cheerily as he examined the cadet before him, but was inwardly quite surprised by the kid’s reaction to his touch. Cloud had never been a touchy-feely type, but the SOLDIER’s casual act hardly seemed like the sort of thing to call for an attack… which was what had nearly happened, unless Zack was off base today.
Not bloody likely.
“So, watching the General?”
The boy flushed a little. “Yeah…” Blue eyes crept back to the silver-haired figure. “He’s incredible.”
“He is,” Zack agreed, not at all joking. The pair stood there in silence for a long moment, enjoying the sight of a master at his work. “So… want to tell me why you’re tracking Seph all over the place?” Zack raised an eyebrow.
Cloud blinked in startlement. “Huh? Er…” The slight blush on his face darkened.
A sly grin appeared on the SOLDIER’s face. “Ahh… I got it,” he said, winking at the cadet. “Perfectly normal, really; a lot of people get crushes on Seph. It’s got to be the hair, I think. Just makes you want to play with it, right?”
By now Cloud was beginning to resemble a tomato as he stared at the older man, wearing an expression of sheer mortification. “…But he’s a guy!”
“Yeah, well, that’s hardly…” Zack trailed off, quirking a dark eyebrow at the blond. “…Where did you say you were from again?”
“Nibelheim,” Cloud replied, still bright red. What in the Planet did his hometown have to do with anything?
“Ah, that’s right; middle of nowhere.” Zack nodded sagely. “That explains it totally. I remember when I first came to Midgar. It was pretty shocking for— hey, where are you going?” The SOLDIER First Class blinked in surprise as Cloud zipped out of the room… then shook his head, amused. The kid was too naïve for his own good in some ways. Of course, spending so much time off by himself certainly didn’t help matters…
“What have you done now, Sinclair?”
Zack spread his hands wide as if to ward off the question, making a curious gesture. “General, I swear I am as innocent as the day I was born!”
“Somehow I doubt that.” Sephiroth strode quickly out of the gym, his aide following at his side.
“As it so happens,” the dark-haired man said loftily, “I was just talking to a stalker. You’ve apparently gained another one.” Sephiroth did not groan; he wouldn’t, not in public. There was no doubt in Zack’s mind, however, that the man dearly wanted to do nothing less. “Relatively clean this time, though. He seems to have a normal hero complex, nothing more… not yet, anyway. Was shocked I even hinted in that direction.”
“That is something to be thankful for, I suppose.” The pair made the rest of the trip back to Sephiroth’s office in silence. Once inside and having completed a bugging check, the General raised an eyebrow at Zack, having caught the signal that the man had something to say away from prying eyes… and ears.
“The odd thing about this kid— Strife, you remember him?”
Green eyes closed in thought. “The one who ran into me in the hallway several months ago, no?”
His aide clucked reprovingly at him. “He’ll be horrified if he ever finds out that’s how you remember him. Anyway, the odd thing is… he reminds me a lot of a Turk trainee.” Sephiroth raised both eyebrows at him — the closest the General would come to showing shock. “He’s extremely good at shadowing people, better than anyone else I’ve seen among the cadets. Took me a while to catch him following you. And I’m ninety-nine percent sure he almost attacked me today when I startled him. Very similar to Turk hand-to-hand style, too, from the look of it. Add that up with all the little things, and it gives me this strange feeling…”
“Could he be a plant?”
“I doubt it.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Why bother? He’s not going to pass the exams anyway. He may be skilled in some areas, but… he just doesn’t have what it takes. Completely lacks the interpersonal know-how for group work. It’s kind of odd the Turks didn’t pick him up… but I’m just as glad they didn’t. He really is a good kid, Seph. Working for them would destroy him.”
“And yet it seems like they have already had contact with him.” Sephiroth frowned thoughtfully. “Try to find out more about him, if you can. I don’t like this.”
“Will do,” Zack replied.
“By the way, Zachary…” Sephiroth began almost casually as his aide turned to leave. “Your promotion was approved.”
The younger man tensed up, not even reacting to his full name. “Oh. I thought I’d lost the paperwork for that,” he said carefully. Next time, he reminded himself, he shouldn’t just shove it in the bottom of the filing cabinet under the order forms for female SOLDIER uniforms. It had seemed like such a good hiding place, too, considering that there were no female SOLDIERs…
“I managed to find it,” the General said dryly. “Make sure to get your new insignia from Supply, Sergeant Major.”
“Yes, sir.” Zack gave a brief salute. “And my duties, sir?”
“To remain the same.” Dark indigo eyes widened in surprise as his superior continued, “It appears Heidegger has decided your presence makes mine easier to deal with. I suspect you will remain at your current post even after your rank would normally take you away from the position for a command of your own.”
“Good,” Zack replied simply. He was quite pleased that this time he wouldn’t have to march down to Heidegger’s office and change the man’s mind by threatening him with a little bodily harm. “I still have work to do, after all.”
Sephiroth knew the other SOLDIER wasn’t referring to paperwork. “Perhaps you do, Zack. Perhaps you do.”
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