Butterfly Effect: Chapter 28
Jun. 30th, 2007 07:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bard_linnAuthors: Bard Linn and Kiraya
Genre: General/Drama
Pairings: That'd be telling!
Rating (Overall): PG-13 NOTE: This chapter contains harsher language than usual. Read at your own discretion. This chapter is more PG-15 or so.
Summary: “Your apprentice seemed somewhat… upset.”
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 28
Tseng stared at the picture frame in his hands. Like most Turks, Veld hadn’t accumulated much in the way of personal possessions, but that hardly meant he didn’t have any. With his death, it had fallen to Tseng to dispose of them, and now all that remained was this photograph, a picture that had sat inside the Turk Leader’s desk through every promotion of twenty-nine years. The glass displayed a pair of dark-haired young Turks, and Tseng frowned at the figure on the right.
Vincent Valentine.
One of the best snipers in Turk history. An incredible covert operative. A dedicated and talented bodyguard who had watched over the very beginnings of SOLDIER. Veld’s former partner.
The new Turk Leader was, by his teachers’ own admission, everything a Turk should be. Calm, collected, focused, and mindful, skilled in a variety of weapons, talented in covert operations and information gathering. Yet none of that had been enough to garner even a little of Veld’s respect. Once he had become second-in-command to the Turk Leader, Tseng had found himself fighting an invisible ghost every day he stepped into Veld’s office. And like most memories, Veld’s recollection of Valentine had only become more skewed as time went on. He had forgotten the man’s faults and overemphasized his strengths, and not a thing Tseng could do even came close to measuring up against the legend of “Vin.”
The Wutaian’s eyes narrowed as he dropped the photo, frame and all, into the trash. Stay dead, Valentine. There are enough ghosts in this company without you.
“Boss?”
Tseng looked up to see Reno standing in the door, the barest touches of distaste on his features. “We’ve got a call from our favorite mad scientist again. Wants us to go round up something or other from the Junon labs.”
Hojo. Tseng sighed. There was another thing that would have to change. Veld had aligned the Turks with the professor out of some bizarre sense of duty, but Tseng knew where his loyalties lay, and it was not with the man who would kidnap and experiment on the Turks as soon as work with them. “Don’t answer him just yet.”
Reno raised an eyebrow. “Sure that’s wise?”
“Necessary,” Tseng mumured. “The good professor takes us too much for granted. I’ll answer him soon enough.” He had never really liked Hojo; one of his first assignments as a Turk had been to track young Aeris Gainsborough down and attempt to return her to ShinRa. While he didn’t have many moral qualms — a Turk couldn’t — he had never approved of harrassing children, particularly those whose most dangerous skill was coaxing flowers to bloom in a city where hardly anything grew.
“Just be careful, boss. You’re playing with fire,” Reno warned, glad that they were here, in the Turk’s most secure spot in Midgar. Here, at least, they could speak without fear of Hojo finding out what they were up to — outside the Turks no one but the President himself could access this office, ruling out the possibility of normal eavesdroppers, and the room was swept every so often for surveillance equipment just to be safe.
Tseng nodded at the young man he had sponsored. While the redhead often played the drunk, dumb, sex-obsessed lout, he had a quick mind under that mass of flaming hair, and was much sharper than many realized. “I am well aware of that.”
“Well, you know board politics an’ all that better than me,” Reno replied, shrugging. “But anyway, thought at all about who you wanna bring into the fold to bring our numbers back up?”
“None of the current trainees has shown extraordinary potential.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure how many will survive their first missions.”
“What about… dammit, what was her name, Anna’s sister? The little one.”
“Elena?” Tseng stopped to consider it. “She’s a bit young yet, but with the right training she might prove a welcome addition to our group. Assuming she were interested, of course…”
“I’ll check it out, then. She’s anything like her sister, she’ll be cute as well as smart, and we can never have enough pretty girls ‘round here.” Reno grinned. “Back soon, boss.”
Tseng shook his head as the younger Turk left the room. Some things, it seemed, never changed. For now, however, he’d best go and find out what exactly the head of ShinRa’s Science Department wanted, and see exactly how much he’d have to do to extract his people from Hojo’s clutches.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“You said you found something?” Zack asked Vincent.
“Yes.” The former Turk was definitely frowning. “As hard as it may be to believe, there may be a ShinRa scientist who is actually more insane that Hojo is.”
“I don’t believe it.” The dark-haired SOLDIER stared. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.” Vincent folded his arms. “Thomas Darrow is a specialist on bio-terrorism. However, it seems he would be quite happy to experiment on the populace at large, dumping drugs into the water supply and such. I know for a fact Hojo suspects Darrow has executed multiple assassination attempts against the other scientists in the department, many of which have succeeded. Unfortunately, the man is still useful to Hojo, and there has never been any clear evidence that he’s been responsible for the deaths of his fellow scientists.”
Zack shook his head disbelievingly. “Does sound even more cracked than Hojo. At least that bastard likes to perform his experiments under a controlled setting.” The SOLDIER First glanced over at Sephiroth, who remained quiet. “Gil for your thoughts?”
“If Hojo is eliminated, will Darrow be a threat?”
Vincent nodded. “Undoubtedly. Hojo’s extensive network and the Turks are the only reason the man hasn’t wiped out all of his opposition. If anyone else becomes head of the department, they’ll need Turk bodyguards constantly. The easiest option would be to eliminate Darrow, of course. However, most of the other scientists aren’t much better, and a mass assassination on the entire department would be too suspicious.”
“No one left to take the blame,” Zack observed.
“And enough of a threat that the President could possibly gather even more power to himself,” Sephiroth pointed out. “He’s been doing the same with what little terrorist activity manages to evade the Turks.”
“Next think you know he’ll be making up threats to justify it,” Zack muttered. The door chime rang abruptly. “That must be Cloud.”
“Sorry I’m late,” Cloud apologized once the door had shut securely behind him. “Arthur caught up with me again, and I had a bit of a hard time pushing him off without being obvious I was up to something.”
“Again? That has to be the third time this week.” Vincent frowned.
“Oh, don’t look like that, Vincent. Arthur is hardly going to be spying for Hojo. Or anyone else, for that matter. He’s not like that,” Cloud said, sounding exasperated. “I think he’s just lonely, myself.”
“Still, it is somewhat suspicious his path is crossing yours so often,” Sephiroth observed.
“…Oh, for the love of…” Zack slapped his forehead as a completely different possibility popped into his mind. “Is he having a hard time meeting your eyes?”
“Yes, but I was under the impression that was a professional hazard, not having people meet your eyes,” Cloud replied dryly.
“It is, to an extent,” Zack admitted. “Does he seem really nervous around you, though? Stutter at all or anything like that?”
“Maybe…” Cloud shrugged. “I don’t really know him well enough to be sure, though. I mean, I did bunk with him for a while, but that was over a year ago. He could have changed in that time,” the blond pointed out. “He keeps asking me out for drinks or dinner or just to hang out. I feel bad putting him off all the time, but I have been pretty busy this past month.”
“He actually asked you out, huh? Braver than I took him for,” Zack mused aloud. “Combined with nervousness and pretty serious stalking—”
“He’s not stalking me, Zack,” Cloud objected. “Don’t you think I’d realize if he was?”
“Civilian stalking is pretty different from military surveillance,” Zack pointed out. “In any case, it seems the guy has a pretty serious crush on you.”
Cloud stared at his friend suspiciously. “Zack, Arthur is a guy, and trust me, he knows I’m a guy, too. We did share quarters, after all.”
Zack threw Vincent a pleading look. Please help me out here, ‘cause I really don’t want to do this.
“I believe social interaction is your area of expertise, Sinclair,” Vincent replied smoothly, rising from the couch to return to his research at Sephiroth’s computer. The General meanwhile gave Zack a look that promised bloody retribution if his subordinate even asked and disappeared into the kitchenette to remove himself from his aide’s immediate vicinity. Knowing his life was on the line hadn’t always stopped Zack before.
The dark-haired SOLDIER First sighed hugely, looking at the young man waiting with some annoyance in front of him. “Um, Cloud… you should probably sit down. There’s something I need to explain to you…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Contrary to popular belief, Cloud Strife wasn’t completely dense when it came to matters of sex. He understood the general references to those certain activities one engaged in late at night, quiet enough so one’s roommates wouldn’t hear too much, and knew about some of the racier stuff down in Wall Market and other places like it below the Plate. He was, thankfully, pretty good at keeping a straight face, thanks to Vincent’s teaching, and had managed to suppress his embarrassment and disgust when he found out people had such a casual attitude towards sex in Midgar. He knew he was a little old-fashioned, but some things stuck with you from home, whether you intended them to or not.
And while he had heard the guys in the barracks saying sexual things to each other before, always mocking, well, he’d dismissed them as some sort of stupid cityfolk joke implying some “girliness” on the part of the guy they were talking about. (Considering the women he knew, Cloud had always thought it wasn’t much of an insult — Tifa could’ve held her own against most of the regulars around here, and Aeris was cleverer than probably two-thirds of the army.) He’d never found it funny, and had made sure to avoid it when it started up, not wanting to get involved. He’d had more important things to worry about, anyway.
But apparently it wasn’t just some ridiculous joke, and people actually—
He cut that thought off before it went places he wasn’t ready to consider, biting back a sigh as he made his way back to his room. His mom had never addressed the issue, despite being pretty progressive for little Nibelheim — out there having sex out of wedlock was a high offense, and while she hadn’t exactly condoned the activity, she had at least made sure he knew how to protect himself from disease and his girl from pregnancy.
And to think he’d thought that had been the most embarrassing conversation of his life…
Much to his disgruntlement, all of Cloud’s roommates were in the room when he entered. Scott and Paul took one look at his face, exchanged a glance, and then Paul was abruptly dragging Matthew out the door, babbling about picking up Wutaian take-out for the whole group. Grumbling, Cloud stepped out of their way as they hurried out.
“So,” Scott said, looking up from his work as the door clicked closed, “I take it Zack has finally told you.”
Cloud kicked off his boots, flopping on his bed with a scowl. “Is this another one of those things everyone in ShinRa except me is all ‘in the know’ about?”
“Hardly. Just about every kid coming in from the middle of nowhere has no idea that guy-girl couples aren’t the be-all and end-all of relationships.” Scott closed his folder and dropped it on the desk. “Most of ‘em end up dealing with the issue earlier, though. Honestly, we were a bit surprised you hadn’t yet, considering how bright you are, but then again we have been… well, playing interference, if you will, so I guess we should’ve expected it.”
“…Playing interference?” Cloud echoed.
“Well,” Scott said, “it’s not like you’re unattractive, Cloud. Dunno if you’d believe me, but really, more than a few people have asked after you.” He shrugged a little, and continued, honestly, “Paul and I have been working to discourage your younger… uh, suitors, I guess, for a while now, and I’d bet a month’s pay Zack’s been doing the same for the higher-ups. Otherwise you might’ve been invited to some general’s bed by now with pretty much no way to refuse.” The other SOLDIER smiled wryly. “You’re lucky you look younger than you are. Most of ‘em still believe us when we say you’re underage and not up for anything like that right now.”
Anger flared hotly in Cloud’s mind — what did they think gave them the right to interfere with his life like that? He wasn’t some child, incapable of making his own decisions, needing to be protected from what his elders viewed as potential danger. He was a full-grown man, Turk-trained and a SOLDIER to boot, and…
…and yet some small, traitorous part of him was grateful his friends had intervened for him, leaving him room to focus on his goals. There was no way in Ifrit’s hellfires he would’ve known how to deal with anyone who’d approached him about it directly — especially a superior officer — and the distraction might well have thrown him off kilter long enough to risk messing up his chances of passing the exams the second time he’d taken them. He bit back a frustrated sigh. Damn logic. “Yeah, but—”
“But you are of age, and we won’t be able to pull that off much longer,” Scott finished. “So shut up and listen.” Cloud, about to interject, closed his mouth, startled. “Look, I know your parents probably told you some mushy stuff about sex being for people in love and all that, but it’s rarely like that. Sex is coin here in Midgar, and not just down below. It’s not unusual for those seeking promotion to offer sexual favors to their superiors. It’s illegal, trust me, but as long as nobody gets caught, none of the higher-ups are going to do anything about it.”
“Not even the General?” Cloud asked dubiously, pretty sure such behavior would be one thing Sephiroth would never tolerate among his men.
Scott made a face. “Well… it’s not exactly the same thing in his case. The problem is, if he cracked down on superior-subordinate relationships, he’d end up having to break up a number of consensual, long-term pairings that aren’t being exploited.” He shrugged. “It’s a little more common in the army than the rest of the company, especially in SOLDIER.”
The logical part of Cloud’s mind understood that; in a group that consisted almost entirely of men, close bonds between comrades sometimes becoming a little more intense wasn’t entirely surprising — especially if the girls for hire below the Plate were really as expensive as he’d heard some people complain (though he privately thought the risk of disease was more of a deterrent there). However, that didn’t explain the last bit. “Why especially in SOLDIER?”
Scott leaned back in his chair. “You remember how different you felt after your enhancements — especially your strength, and how you’d often break things unintentionally before you learned to be more careful?” Cloud nodded. “Well, imagine losing control of it again when you’re with a girl. Women can’t get enhanced — more’s the pity; I don’t know about you, but I know a couple who’d’ve probably made great SOLDIERs — so you have to be real careful when you sleep with ‘em. You can never really let go of your control. But if you’re with another SOLDIER, it’s really not a problem; even if you do lose control, he can at least handle it, you know?” He leaned forward again. “And apparently there’s all sorts of pregnancy issues. Not that many SOLDIERs settle down and have kids, but among those who do there’s a higher rate of miscarriages and complications and things like that. And contraceptives do weird stuff, too.”
“What’d you do, research this or something?” Cloud asked, flabbergasted. Sure, as a native of Midgar he expected Scott would know a little more about this kind of thing, but this was ridiculous.
“Actually, yeah,” Scott answered. “April’s coming up soon, Cloud. It won’t be too long until the promotions start coming down, and to be blunt, once Paul and I get moved out of here it’ll be a lot harder for us to watch your back.”
“You made Second?” Cloud asked with a smile. “Congratulations!”
“We don’t know officially yet, but we’ve heard that it’s rather likely,” Scott admitted. “Which is why you need to be warned — especially if some kid comes up to you, wanting to ‘get to know you better.’”
“He could just be acting friendly,” Cloud muttered, and sighed. “Why me? I’m nobody special.”
The older SOLDIER raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right? First of all, you’re a SOLDIER. That’s reason enough in itself, but to top it off you’re also friends with Zack, and the General himself has taken an interest in your training. Whether you like it or not, you have influence with both of them, and there are people who’ll try to take advantage of that. And just look at you — you’re going to rise pretty high in the ranks yourself, that much is clear.” At Cloud’s skeptical look, he added, “Trust me.”
The younger man shrugged. “I’m not gonna get my hopes up.”
“Yeah, well, when it comes true I’m going to be the one saying ‘told you so,’” Scott replied. “But anyway, don’t let any of this stuff bother you too much, okay? It’s important for you to know, but there’s no reason for you to worry about it constantly.”
“Right,” Cloud agreed… though knowing him, that was exactly what’d happen. He sighed, flinging an arm over his eyes. For the next few days he’d undoubtedly be overanalyzing the relationships between his fellow SOLDIERs. How many pairs were really sometime… well, lovers in addition to being good friends?
He blinked. Come to think of it, Zack spent an awful lot of time with Sephiroth in the General’s quarters…
Cloud shook his head violently. Stop thinking about it!
Scott gave his friend an amused glace. “Who was it?”
“Zack. And the General,” Cloud muttered, his face blazing. Gods, they’d likely skin him alive if they caught him thinking that!
The older SOLDIER actually laughed. “You’re not the first one to wonder about those two, trust me. Nobody’s ever been able to prove anything one way or the other, though. It’s one of the great unanswered questions of ShinRa, like ‘how does Scarlet manage to stay in her dresses’ and ‘where do Turks go when they die.’ There’s somebody in the company who knows, but they ain’t telling, and asking’d get you nothin’ but a quick end to your career.”
Cloud rolled his eyes. Titan’s bones, it seemed SOLDIERs could be as bad as old women when it came to gossip! He shook his head again, reaching for his Wutaian instruction book. If anything could help him focus on something other than this nonsense, it’d be grammar practice.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack left shortly after Cloud, an odd mixture of embarrassment and amusement on his face. Vincent had hardly noticed, already back in the depths of Hojo’s files, still searching for information. Though it chafed some part of him to have to proceed so slowly, for the time being he would concentrate on trying to determine exactly which of Hojo’s potential replacements would be least dangerous to the general populace, and work from there.
The former Turk had not forgotten Sephiroth’s presence, however, and he looked up when the General came to stand at his side, holding a mug which he offered to Vincent. A sip proved it to be rich brewed coffee, a rarity in the ShinRa complex. Like many of the company’s employees, Vincent had developed a near-addiction to the stuff during his time as a Turk; it had been a long, long time since he’d drunk it, and it was nice to have a decent brew as his first real reaquaintance.
“Any progress?”
Vincent’s eyes flickered from the screen to Sephiroth’s face, momentarily surprised that the man had made the inquiry. He’d only recently reported his newest findings, and much like himself, Sephiroth wasn’t one for casual conversation. “Not much.”
The General nodded, retrieving his own mug from the kitchen and settling onto the couch with a stack of papers. Silence reigned for a time.
“Your apprentice seemed somewhat… upset.”
It appeared the General was indeed trying to make in small talk. Vincent briefly wondered if he had Cloud or Sinclair to thank for this. Sinclair seemed more likely, given the man’s constant pressure on Cloud to be more social… but then again, Cloud had been encouraging Vincent to talk to Sephiroth, and who was to say he hadn’t done the same on the General’s end? Chances are pretty good that both of them are to blame, I suspect. “Cloud is resilient, in his own way. He has heard far more shocking things at younger ages and adjusted perfectly well. I expect he’ll get over it soon enough.”
Sephiroth glanced at him, understanding Vincent meant his own story. The green-eyed man briefly looked as if he was about to say something else, but chose not to, returning to his paperwork. Vincent, meanwhile, slipped into what he had scrounged up of Hojo’s personal logs and skimmed the newest available entries, checking up on the scientist’s more recent activities. Often there were more rants about his underlings’ incompetence and complications in his experiments than anything conclusive, but thus far it had proven the best way for Vincent to keep track of Hojo’s current plans.
His eyebrows rose unexpectedly. Sensing his companion’s surprise, Sephiroth put down his paperwork and moved to look over the Turk’s shoulder.
“Apparently, between the loss of Red XIII and Veld’s apparent murder, Hojo is beginning to believe someone is attempting to sabotage his efforts. This ‘Tseng’—”
“The new Turk Leader,” Sephiroth supplied.
“—isn’t jumping to follow his orders the way Veld did.” Vincent stared at the screen. “The professor seems to be deeply disturbed.”
“Moreso than usual, you mean?” the General commented dryly.
Vincent inclined his head, conceding the point. “He’s becoming more paranoid as well, increasing his precautions against sabotage.” Vincent logged out of the system and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Perhaps we should test those safeguards…”
“Perhaps we should make it appear that the President is testing them,” Sephiroth suggested.
“I like the way you think.” Vincent quickly began outlining the weaknesses he had found in Hojo’s defenses as Sephiroth listened. Now here is a man who would have made a good Turk.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cloud might not have had the precise command of his emotions that Vincent did, but he could mostly control himself, especially when given a little bit time to adjust to a new idea and and he’d had a chance to rationalize the situation. Some might think he was a little cold, actually, but Vincent had always disapproved of overwrought behavior. In general, once Cloud had thought something through he was able to act normally, if he put a little effort into it.
Thus four days after Zack’s little talk Cloud had calmed down substantially, even if he was scrutinizing all of the relationships around him with a magnifying glass. He supposed he’d get used to having his life turned upside down, one of these days.
“Strife!”
The SOLDIER turned to see a familiar red-haired Turk in the hallway behind him. “Reno.”
“Man, I haven’t seen you since you took those exams. Obviously you passed, though.” Reno glanced the blond up and down. “My my, and looking good, too! You free tonight? We could go out for a few drinks, maybe stop by my place afterwards.” His smirk grew ever wider. “I never did get to show you my rod, like I promised. What d’ya say, Cloud?”
The SOLDIER Third reddened at the innuendo — to his annoyance, it’d seemed lately he was hearing them everywhere, even when they weren’t so blatantly obvious as that, and it was harder to dismiss them than it used to be — and Reno, of course, picked up on it immediately. “Well, well. That’s certainly different from last time, isn’t it…?” He took a step closer, wearing a look that only could be described as predatory.
The blond took two steps back before he realized what he was doing and forced himself to stand his ground. He stared warily as the Turk came closer still. “Look, why don’t you just—”
“Why don’t I just what?” Reno murmured, suddenly very much in Cloud’s personal space, and the SOLDIER froze for the barest instant, distracted by a sudden strange fluttery feeling as he was torn between reacting violently to this intrusion or just shrugging it off since it lacked overt hostility and his traitorous body was intrigued by this new nonviolent close proximity thing, but then the Turk smirked a little, leaning a bit closer and—
Fuck no went Cloud’s mind, and threat hissed his instincts, and years of training sprung into action as he jerked away, lashing out with a vicious kick that sent his assailant into a wall with a loud crash. The entire episode took under a minute — if there had been anyone watching, they would have been shocked at how fast the SOLDIER moved.
Cloud breathed deeply and wiped his hand across his mouth, glaring death at the Turk. “You…” he began acidly, but trailed off as he became aware of several curious pairs of eyes peeking around the doors in the hallway. Unwilling to cause any more of a scene, the SOLDIER decided to retreat, resuming his calm (but now quickened) walk towards Zack’s quarters, only sparing a venomous glance backwards at Reno as he went.
The redhead shook his head slowly, checking for damage. Luckily he seemed to have escaped relatively unscathed, minus the ringing in his ears and the nasty bruises he’d surely have later. While the other Turks would have undoubtedly made some jokes about Reno being hardheaded, he had built up a tolerance to getting knocked around, always a plus in his line of work.
Leaning back against the wall, he chuckled to himself. The kid was a feisty one when provoked, it seemed, but his reaction had been worth the SOLDIER bootprint he’d have on his side for the next week. Pity he hadn’t accepted Reno’s offer to join the Turks; it would’ve been such fun corrupting him…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By the time Cloud met Zack at his door, the blond was practically seething with rage. “What’s wrong with you?” the older SOLDIER asked, perplexed.
“Reno,” Cloud growled, biting off the word savagely. “That good-for-nothing bastard of a Turk…”
Zack watched with some surprise as the younger SOLDIER continued with some of the most vile epithets he’d heard out of him. “If Vincent could hear you, he’d probably want to wash your mouth out with soap,” the dark-haired man observed. “So, do I get to find out what happened?”
Cloud’s face reddened again. “Well, first he was saying things…”
“Let me guess, heavy on the innuendo? Reno does that to everybody.” Zack waved it away. “Don’t let it bother you.”
“Don’t let it—? Yeah, sure, and I bet he goes around trying to kiss everybody, too!” Cloud snapped.
“He did WHAT?”
“Tried to kiss me,” Cloud repeated harshly. “Right out of the blue, without so much as a ‘by your leave.’” And if that brief contact it had taken to jar him into acting counted, the bastard had succeeded, too.
Zack looked positively murderous. “That son of a bitch. I told him—”
“Yeah, well, at least he shouldn’t be trying it again any time soon,” the blond said with icy satisfaction.
Sudden wariness cooled the edge of the SOLDIER First’s anger. “…What did you do, Cloud?”
“I kicked him.” At the look on Zack’s face, Cloud hastened to add, “It was only once. And not that hard, really…” He at least had the grace to look slightly sheepish.
While Zack completely agreed with Cloud’s actions on principle, beating on other company employees was generally frowned upon, traitors and runaways being the exceptions. He sighed. “Well, come on. We better go drop by Seph’s office; we’ll have to report this.”
Cloud winced.
When they finally arrived at the General’s office, Cloud did his best to explain what had happened in a manner that made it seem somewhat less absurd. It wasn’t long before Turk Leader Tseng arrived, but Cloud did his best to ignore the man’s entrance.
“Reno physically assaulted you, then,” Sephiroth summarized, “and you, in turn, retaliated.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Physical assault?” the Turk Leader inquired. “An assault a SOLDIER could not handle?”
“My apologies, Turk Leader,” Cloud replied politely, inclining his head. “I wasn’t expecting it — and, to put it bluntly, was never trained how to handle that exact… sort of assault.”
The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, studying Cloud closely, looking almost… thoughtful. “…I see.” Apparently he had heard enough, however, for he continued, “Well, if Turk Reno is to provoke a new SOLDIER, certain results are only to be expected. He has not been seriously harmed by the incident, but I still expect this won’t happen again.”
“No, sir,” replied Cloud.
The Turk Leader turned to Sephiroth. “I don’t believe it necessary to note this incident on Strife’s record. Turk Reno should have known better than to… approach a new SOLDIER in such fashion.” The General inclined his head in acknowledgement. “If you have no further need of me, then, I will take my leave. Gentlemen.” Nodding to each of them, he departed.
Once the door was closed and Tseng’s footsteps had faded away, Zack let out a sigh of relief. “That went well. I was afraid he’d press you on it, Cloud, but I guess that detour really paid off.”
“Detour?” Sephiroth echoed.
Zack grinned. “No one better to ask about how to handle a Turk Leader than somebody who knows the Turks inside and out.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Rocket Town?”
“Rocket Town,” Zack confirmed. He handed Cloud a thick packet. “The details are in there, but what it really comes down to is you’ll be accompanying a scientific expedition. The President wants to expand the company’s horizons.”
“Okay…” said Cloud, thoughtfully paging through the packet for a minute before looking up at his mentor. It was clear the President wanted to garner some positive PR with the company’s name attached, something that had been a rarity since they had “gloriously triumphed” in the war against Wutai. “Anything special I should be aware of?”
“You’ll be escorting a VIP. There will be another five Thirds and at least two Seconds with you, and a whole bunch of regulars. You’re getting a squad of your own to command, so make sure you keep an eye on ‘em.” Cloud’s eyebrows shot upwards in surprise at that; he hadn’t expected a command position so early in his career as a SOLDIER. “The rest you should get from the briefing.”
“Yessir.” Cloud saluted, and Zack grinned, shaking his head. “When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow. Make sure you’re ready to go. Also, drop by Supply and give them this,” he added, handing the blond an additional form already filled out. “You’ll need that dress uniform, finally.” Zack dismissed his apprentice with a nod, then tidied up his desk and left himself. He had an errand to run.
It took him a little while to track down his target, but not as long as he’d expected. He was still in uniform, the Buster Sword slung over his back; people parted nervously before him like soil before a plow. He finally found his target in a rundown bar in the Sector 8 slums; it was clear he’d known Zack was coming, but he remained calmly in his seat, nursing his drink.
“Reno,” he said curtly.
“Heya, Zack. Fancy meeting you here.” The redhead gave him the once-over, and smiled. “Or should I call you Lieutenant Sinclair? What brings you down below in uniform, anyway?”
“You.” Zack was not in the mood to make small talk. “I wanted to talk to you about what happened two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks ago? Well, it has been a while…” Reno took another sip of his whiskey, frowning thoughtfully. “I must’ve forgotten.”
“The hell you did,” Zack growled, well aware his target knew exactly what he was talking about. He’d itched to confront the Turk earlier, but Tseng had been keeping Reno on a short leash after what had happened.
The Turk looked thoughtful. “Well, there was a brawl in that bar in Sector 7… that awkward situation over in Wall Market… a fight at that Sector 2 place where they have telecasts of the Gold Saucer chocobo races, and— oh, now I remember!” He snapped his fingers. “That thing with that cute little SOLDIER back topside!” A slow smirk crossed the redhead’s face. “Strife’s pretty sexy when he’s angry… but surely he’s cooled down by now, hasn’t he?”
Zack’s narrowed eyes blazed with more than just Mako. “The day you two met, Reno, I told you: nothing physical unless he wanted it.” He gestured angrily. “I’m not about to dictate his choices, but he sure as hell didn’t want what you forced on him.”
“Geez, you’re making it sound like I fucked the kid against his will when I didn’t even get a proper kiss out of ‘im.” Reno shook his head, drumming his fingers on the tabletop, but before Zack, glaring, could reply, he continued, watching him steadly. “The thing I wanna know is, if he’s no longer so totally clueless about guys, why haven’t you gone for ‘im yet? Wouldn’t be the first time. Strife’s quite the looker, and now he’s a SOLDIER I’m sure he could handle whatever a stud like you could dish out.” The Turk leered appreciatively. “Or are you holding back ‘cause the General has his eye on ‘im? Can’t say I’d blame him in the least; the man’s certainly got good taste.” He pursed his lips. “Though I really don’t see why you couldn’t just share…”
“You low-minded son of a bitch,” Zack hissed as he shook his head in disgust, nails digging deep into his palms as he angrily clenched his fists. “Ever stop to think that, unlike a slimy little Turk bastard like you, some of us actually have a sense of honor? First of all, it’s wrong to—”
Reno rolled his eyes. “Right, right, how could I ever forget all that ‘thou shalt not sex up thy students’ bullshit?” He snorted, waving his hand dismissively. “Please, Sinclair. Show me a little respect by using a more solid defense, will you? After all, the kid won’t be your charge much longer. It’s already March. Come April your mentorship will end, and he’ll be free game. You can’t protect him forever.”
We’ll see about that. Zack’s eyes narrowed even further. “All I’m saying is you better watch yourself, Reno. You’re lucky Cloud has as much self-control as he does, or you’d be dead. And next time he won’t hesitate to beat you into a bloody pulp.”
“No one’s invincible,” Reno replied lazily, half-shrugging as he ran a finger over the rim of his glass. “Even your precious star student has his weak points. You can never tell how things will turn out.” His eyes met Zack’s, smiling that mirthless smile that was every inch a Turk. “For all you know, he could be dead next time you see him.”
Zack knew when he had lost an argument, but he was unwilling to let it go at that. “Just don’t mess with him anymore, or I’ll make you regret the day you were born,” he said in a low voice, glowering.
“Wouldn’t dream of it… sir,” Reno replied with a mocking salute.
The SOLDIER turned on his heel and left, irritation and new worry tightening his throat. Cloud’s mission was supposed to be a pretty easy escort job, but Zack was suddenly, irrationally afraid something might happen. For a moment, he was tempted to pull the blond from the mission, keep him home… but he shook his head. Seph would kill me — abuse of power and all that. Besides… given how Midgar is, he’s probably safer out there.
He’ll be a safe distance away from Reno, at least.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cloud sighed as he settled into the old-fashioned wooden chair. It had been a long three months since he had left Midgar, and personally he was glad he was here, in Shera Wright’s kitchen, rather than outside listening to Skylar Starrider — a pseudonym if ever there was one — delivered the same sad lines about “the greatness of the ShinRa Company” and their bold plan to “venture beyond the realms of the known world and towards the stars of the final frontier: space.” It was absolute drivel, and hearing it at every stop on their world tour had only made it worse. Still, the man was a charismatic speaker and had drawn in huge crowds everywhere they went, save the places they’d visited during their two-week tour of Wutai.
The Wutaian people seemed to go against anything ShinRa did on sheer principle, but they had taken to the announcement of this planned space exploration particularly poorly. The old folk had decried it as an act in defiance of the gods; the younger ones had shouted that ShinRa’s oppression was not enough for the eastern devils, that they plotted to spy on Wutai from sky as well as land and sea. Starrider had handled that little incident— well, he hadn’t handled it at all, really, counting on his honor guard to protect him from the often inhospitable crowds. It was amazing they’d made it off the island in one piece.
Despite the unrest, however, Cloud had liked Wutai quite a bit. The mist-shrouded mountains looming on the horizon had reminded him a lot of his hometown, and he’d even gotten a chance to practice his poor Wutaian with one or two of the less hostile natives until they had to restrain themselves from bursting out laughing.
‘In ShinRa good-speak few are,’ indeed, the blond thought wryly. When they finally returned to Midgar, he might have to track down the Turk Leader and beg him to offer him lessons; he never wanted to embarrass himself that badly again.
Still, the Wutai leg of the trip had been the highlight of what had ended up being three months of boredom. It had been mid-March when he’d left Midgar as an escort for the team that was supposed to be launching the No. 26 Rocket at Rocket Town, newly reviewed and refurbished by ShinRa engineers. Little had either Zack or Cloud realized that launch wasn’t scheduled until late June, and the entire thing was to be preceded by a huge propaganda tour, led by the ‘space pilot’ Skylar Starrider.
A number of the troopers had entertained themselves for a week or so debating whether Starrider was a product of the Science Department or a bastard son of the President. Cloud privately though the bastard option was more likely; there was a bit of a physical resemblance to the pictures he’d seen of the President, and Starrider was far too… well, ordinary to be one of Hojo’s subjects. He hadn’t seemed too familiar with his topic, either, generally fielding questions to his more scientifically-minded personal assistant (though he was always quick to take the spotlight back) and using notes for the technical terms in his speeches. Cloud knew better than to say anything about it; on a mission like this, one was always on duty, and had to be careful not to voice an inappropriate opinion. Some of the other SOLDIER Thirds hadn’t been so circumspect, though, and they’d received quite a reprimand from the Seconds in charge of the mission. His silence, however, had earned him the honor of helping his superiors personally guard their VIP.
All three of them had taken turns sneaking off and practicing their skills on the local wildlife. Monster hunting really was a wonderful thing for the easing of one’s frustrations.
The tour was finally almost over, thank goodness. They had finally arrived in Rocket Town, and Cloud personally was looking forward to the launch tomorrow. Afterwards, they could finally go home.
“Thank you so much,” his hostess said for at least the fourth time, smiling at him. “The Captain hates it when other people tinker with his things without permission. Would you like a cup of tea?”
Cloud nodded, smiling in return. When their entourage had finally arrived in Rocket Town, they had met Cid Highwind, the pilot who was supposed to have gone with the newly refurbished rocket on its first attempted launch. The SOLDIER Third had found himself impressed by the loyalty of the townsfolk to this rough-around-the-edges man they called ‘Captain.’
As for the woman before him, Cloud had won his way into Shera Wright’s good graces by scattering a few of the regulars showing a bit too much interest in the little plane in Highwind’s backyard before they could do any permanent damage. “Are you looking forward to the launch?” he asked her.
Ms. Wright was an engineer, and was supposed to join Starrider on the mission — probably to make sure the rocket actually got somewhere, considering how little Starrider seemed to actually know. However, she didn’t look particularly happy about the idea of going into space, even though she had worked on the rocket herself. “It shouldn’t be me going up there,” she said finally. “It should be the Captain.”
Cloud tried not to wince at that. Highwind had been rather vocally angry when he’d discovered ShinRa had replaced him, audible several houses over even without SOLDIER hearing. The man’s rant, however, had demonstrated exactly why he had been replaced — namely his short temper and blunt attitude. No matter how impressive his flight history was, Cid Highwind was a loose cannon, and ShinRa wanted someone they could control for what was this time more media circus than scientific exploration. “…Sometimes circumstances change, I guess,” Cloud replied finally, trying to keep his voice light. He hoped that didn’t sound too stupid — he’d never been any good at reassuring people when they were were upset — but really, what else could he say?
“It’s my fault he didn’t get into space last time.” Ms. Wright looked positively heartbroken.
Zack, part of Cloud’s mind pointed out, probably would have insisted that such a lovely lady couldn’t possibly be the cause of any such thing. Cloud just took a sip of his tea, put on an interested face, and said, “Oh?”
And so the entire story came spilling out: how Ms. Wright had helped work on the rocket before its first launch, how Captain Highwind had aborted the launch because of her, how upset he’d been that he’d never fulfill his dream.
Cloud nodded slowly as she finished, feeling sober himself now. “It’s sad, sometimes, how these… things turn out.” He finished his cup of tea, rising. “I’m really sorry Mr. Highwind won’t end up going on the rocket.”
His hostess smiled a little at him again. “…Thank you for listening.”
“Of course,” Cloud replied. He paused at the door, and after a long moment ventured, “Ms. Wright—”
“Please, call me Shera.”
Cloud nodded. “Would you mind ensuring there isn’t any citrus at the table during the pre-launch banquet tomorrow morning? Mr. Starrider has an unfortunate allergy to it, and breaks out in a terrible rash if it’s used too near him.”
Shera pursed her lips. “That is unfortunate. But please, don’t worry about it; I’ll make sure the table is properly set.”
“Thank you.” He nodded again. “I really should go back to my patrol now, though. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ms— Shera.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Squinting, Cloud watched the rocket speed upwards into the sky, unable to hide a smile at the sight. It was nice to see things turn out right for once.
Something, it seemed, had gone wrong for Mr. Starrider this morning during breakfast. By the end of the meal, the poor man was rather sporting several large blotches on his cheeks, his eyes watering and face puffy. The doctor had declared him unfit for launch that morning, which left them with a problem: the launch window was rapidly closing, and if they waited till tomorrow the storm front coming up the west coast would have kept them grounded for at least a week. Fortunately, they had a capable substitute in Captain Highwind, and so after some photographs and a few brief questions — Highwind had clearly been caught off guard by the sudden change in the situation, but he still managed admirably — he and Shera had blasted off into space.
“It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! Someone deliberately set me up!”
Cloud allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. Even if someone listened and there were an inquiry into what had happened, the commanders for the mission would ensure it was cursory at best. Every one of the SOLDIERs had disliked their charge from the minute they’d been introduced to him, and Starrider’s barely disguised contempt towards them hadn’t earned him any friends. The SOLDIER wasn’t sure of the exact details (and certainly wasn’t going to ask; what he didn’t know wouldn’t incriminate him), but Starrider had finally gotten his due, and Captain Highwind had gotten to live his dream. Not too bad for a day’s work.
As the rocket disappeared even from a SOLDIER’s sight, Cloud felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Soon, he’d be returning to Midgar… finally. He’d missed a lot in the past three months: Scott and Paul’s promotion to Second Class (and the subsequent arrival of new roommates), the SOLDIER exams, Zack’s promotion, Tifa’s birthday… So much had happened, and he only knew of it from letters. At least he had managed a present for Tifa, though; he thought she’d like the tiger claws, and shipping had been pretty cheap since they’d been in Cosmo Canyon at the time.
Cloud decided then and there he would do twelve hours of paperwork a day if it kept him off assignments like this. Killing monsters and helping civilians was all well and good, and but escort duty like this was torture, no matter how nice it’d been to see a little more of the world on this trip.
As he looked down to earth again, glancing at his commanders, Cloud noticed Kaplan, the SOLDIER Second in command of this mission, listening to his PHS with a silent frown on his face. The blond tilted his head in silent inquiry. Kaplan motioned for him to help Garrett, the other Second, gather everyone up and return to their temporary headquarters. Once they had all gathered and secured the building, Kaplan addressed them. “I’ve just received new orders. We are to report to Midgar as soon as possible.”
A murmur of surprise rippled through the men. “Why?” someone asked. “What’s happening?”
Kaplan looked grim. “The President has been assassinated.”
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Genre: General/Drama
Pairings: That'd be telling!
Rating (Overall): PG-13 NOTE: This chapter contains harsher language than usual. Read at your own discretion. This chapter is more PG-15 or so.
Summary: “Your apprentice seemed somewhat… upset.”
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 28
Tseng stared at the picture frame in his hands. Like most Turks, Veld hadn’t accumulated much in the way of personal possessions, but that hardly meant he didn’t have any. With his death, it had fallen to Tseng to dispose of them, and now all that remained was this photograph, a picture that had sat inside the Turk Leader’s desk through every promotion of twenty-nine years. The glass displayed a pair of dark-haired young Turks, and Tseng frowned at the figure on the right.
Vincent Valentine.
One of the best snipers in Turk history. An incredible covert operative. A dedicated and talented bodyguard who had watched over the very beginnings of SOLDIER. Veld’s former partner.
The new Turk Leader was, by his teachers’ own admission, everything a Turk should be. Calm, collected, focused, and mindful, skilled in a variety of weapons, talented in covert operations and information gathering. Yet none of that had been enough to garner even a little of Veld’s respect. Once he had become second-in-command to the Turk Leader, Tseng had found himself fighting an invisible ghost every day he stepped into Veld’s office. And like most memories, Veld’s recollection of Valentine had only become more skewed as time went on. He had forgotten the man’s faults and overemphasized his strengths, and not a thing Tseng could do even came close to measuring up against the legend of “Vin.”
The Wutaian’s eyes narrowed as he dropped the photo, frame and all, into the trash. Stay dead, Valentine. There are enough ghosts in this company without you.
“Boss?”
Tseng looked up to see Reno standing in the door, the barest touches of distaste on his features. “We’ve got a call from our favorite mad scientist again. Wants us to go round up something or other from the Junon labs.”
Hojo. Tseng sighed. There was another thing that would have to change. Veld had aligned the Turks with the professor out of some bizarre sense of duty, but Tseng knew where his loyalties lay, and it was not with the man who would kidnap and experiment on the Turks as soon as work with them. “Don’t answer him just yet.”
Reno raised an eyebrow. “Sure that’s wise?”
“Necessary,” Tseng mumured. “The good professor takes us too much for granted. I’ll answer him soon enough.” He had never really liked Hojo; one of his first assignments as a Turk had been to track young Aeris Gainsborough down and attempt to return her to ShinRa. While he didn’t have many moral qualms — a Turk couldn’t — he had never approved of harrassing children, particularly those whose most dangerous skill was coaxing flowers to bloom in a city where hardly anything grew.
“Just be careful, boss. You’re playing with fire,” Reno warned, glad that they were here, in the Turk’s most secure spot in Midgar. Here, at least, they could speak without fear of Hojo finding out what they were up to — outside the Turks no one but the President himself could access this office, ruling out the possibility of normal eavesdroppers, and the room was swept every so often for surveillance equipment just to be safe.
Tseng nodded at the young man he had sponsored. While the redhead often played the drunk, dumb, sex-obsessed lout, he had a quick mind under that mass of flaming hair, and was much sharper than many realized. “I am well aware of that.”
“Well, you know board politics an’ all that better than me,” Reno replied, shrugging. “But anyway, thought at all about who you wanna bring into the fold to bring our numbers back up?”
“None of the current trainees has shown extraordinary potential.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure how many will survive their first missions.”
“What about… dammit, what was her name, Anna’s sister? The little one.”
“Elena?” Tseng stopped to consider it. “She’s a bit young yet, but with the right training she might prove a welcome addition to our group. Assuming she were interested, of course…”
“I’ll check it out, then. She’s anything like her sister, she’ll be cute as well as smart, and we can never have enough pretty girls ‘round here.” Reno grinned. “Back soon, boss.”
Tseng shook his head as the younger Turk left the room. Some things, it seemed, never changed. For now, however, he’d best go and find out what exactly the head of ShinRa’s Science Department wanted, and see exactly how much he’d have to do to extract his people from Hojo’s clutches.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“You said you found something?” Zack asked Vincent.
“Yes.” The former Turk was definitely frowning. “As hard as it may be to believe, there may be a ShinRa scientist who is actually more insane that Hojo is.”
“I don’t believe it.” The dark-haired SOLDIER stared. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.” Vincent folded his arms. “Thomas Darrow is a specialist on bio-terrorism. However, it seems he would be quite happy to experiment on the populace at large, dumping drugs into the water supply and such. I know for a fact Hojo suspects Darrow has executed multiple assassination attempts against the other scientists in the department, many of which have succeeded. Unfortunately, the man is still useful to Hojo, and there has never been any clear evidence that he’s been responsible for the deaths of his fellow scientists.”
Zack shook his head disbelievingly. “Does sound even more cracked than Hojo. At least that bastard likes to perform his experiments under a controlled setting.” The SOLDIER First glanced over at Sephiroth, who remained quiet. “Gil for your thoughts?”
“If Hojo is eliminated, will Darrow be a threat?”
Vincent nodded. “Undoubtedly. Hojo’s extensive network and the Turks are the only reason the man hasn’t wiped out all of his opposition. If anyone else becomes head of the department, they’ll need Turk bodyguards constantly. The easiest option would be to eliminate Darrow, of course. However, most of the other scientists aren’t much better, and a mass assassination on the entire department would be too suspicious.”
“No one left to take the blame,” Zack observed.
“And enough of a threat that the President could possibly gather even more power to himself,” Sephiroth pointed out. “He’s been doing the same with what little terrorist activity manages to evade the Turks.”
“Next think you know he’ll be making up threats to justify it,” Zack muttered. The door chime rang abruptly. “That must be Cloud.”
“Sorry I’m late,” Cloud apologized once the door had shut securely behind him. “Arthur caught up with me again, and I had a bit of a hard time pushing him off without being obvious I was up to something.”
“Again? That has to be the third time this week.” Vincent frowned.
“Oh, don’t look like that, Vincent. Arthur is hardly going to be spying for Hojo. Or anyone else, for that matter. He’s not like that,” Cloud said, sounding exasperated. “I think he’s just lonely, myself.”
“Still, it is somewhat suspicious his path is crossing yours so often,” Sephiroth observed.
“…Oh, for the love of…” Zack slapped his forehead as a completely different possibility popped into his mind. “Is he having a hard time meeting your eyes?”
“Yes, but I was under the impression that was a professional hazard, not having people meet your eyes,” Cloud replied dryly.
“It is, to an extent,” Zack admitted. “Does he seem really nervous around you, though? Stutter at all or anything like that?”
“Maybe…” Cloud shrugged. “I don’t really know him well enough to be sure, though. I mean, I did bunk with him for a while, but that was over a year ago. He could have changed in that time,” the blond pointed out. “He keeps asking me out for drinks or dinner or just to hang out. I feel bad putting him off all the time, but I have been pretty busy this past month.”
“He actually asked you out, huh? Braver than I took him for,” Zack mused aloud. “Combined with nervousness and pretty serious stalking—”
“He’s not stalking me, Zack,” Cloud objected. “Don’t you think I’d realize if he was?”
“Civilian stalking is pretty different from military surveillance,” Zack pointed out. “In any case, it seems the guy has a pretty serious crush on you.”
Cloud stared at his friend suspiciously. “Zack, Arthur is a guy, and trust me, he knows I’m a guy, too. We did share quarters, after all.”
Zack threw Vincent a pleading look. Please help me out here, ‘cause I really don’t want to do this.
“I believe social interaction is your area of expertise, Sinclair,” Vincent replied smoothly, rising from the couch to return to his research at Sephiroth’s computer. The General meanwhile gave Zack a look that promised bloody retribution if his subordinate even asked and disappeared into the kitchenette to remove himself from his aide’s immediate vicinity. Knowing his life was on the line hadn’t always stopped Zack before.
The dark-haired SOLDIER First sighed hugely, looking at the young man waiting with some annoyance in front of him. “Um, Cloud… you should probably sit down. There’s something I need to explain to you…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Contrary to popular belief, Cloud Strife wasn’t completely dense when it came to matters of sex. He understood the general references to those certain activities one engaged in late at night, quiet enough so one’s roommates wouldn’t hear too much, and knew about some of the racier stuff down in Wall Market and other places like it below the Plate. He was, thankfully, pretty good at keeping a straight face, thanks to Vincent’s teaching, and had managed to suppress his embarrassment and disgust when he found out people had such a casual attitude towards sex in Midgar. He knew he was a little old-fashioned, but some things stuck with you from home, whether you intended them to or not.
And while he had heard the guys in the barracks saying sexual things to each other before, always mocking, well, he’d dismissed them as some sort of stupid cityfolk joke implying some “girliness” on the part of the guy they were talking about. (Considering the women he knew, Cloud had always thought it wasn’t much of an insult — Tifa could’ve held her own against most of the regulars around here, and Aeris was cleverer than probably two-thirds of the army.) He’d never found it funny, and had made sure to avoid it when it started up, not wanting to get involved. He’d had more important things to worry about, anyway.
But apparently it wasn’t just some ridiculous joke, and people actually—
He cut that thought off before it went places he wasn’t ready to consider, biting back a sigh as he made his way back to his room. His mom had never addressed the issue, despite being pretty progressive for little Nibelheim — out there having sex out of wedlock was a high offense, and while she hadn’t exactly condoned the activity, she had at least made sure he knew how to protect himself from disease and his girl from pregnancy.
And to think he’d thought that had been the most embarrassing conversation of his life…
Much to his disgruntlement, all of Cloud’s roommates were in the room when he entered. Scott and Paul took one look at his face, exchanged a glance, and then Paul was abruptly dragging Matthew out the door, babbling about picking up Wutaian take-out for the whole group. Grumbling, Cloud stepped out of their way as they hurried out.
“So,” Scott said, looking up from his work as the door clicked closed, “I take it Zack has finally told you.”
Cloud kicked off his boots, flopping on his bed with a scowl. “Is this another one of those things everyone in ShinRa except me is all ‘in the know’ about?”
“Hardly. Just about every kid coming in from the middle of nowhere has no idea that guy-girl couples aren’t the be-all and end-all of relationships.” Scott closed his folder and dropped it on the desk. “Most of ‘em end up dealing with the issue earlier, though. Honestly, we were a bit surprised you hadn’t yet, considering how bright you are, but then again we have been… well, playing interference, if you will, so I guess we should’ve expected it.”
“…Playing interference?” Cloud echoed.
“Well,” Scott said, “it’s not like you’re unattractive, Cloud. Dunno if you’d believe me, but really, more than a few people have asked after you.” He shrugged a little, and continued, honestly, “Paul and I have been working to discourage your younger… uh, suitors, I guess, for a while now, and I’d bet a month’s pay Zack’s been doing the same for the higher-ups. Otherwise you might’ve been invited to some general’s bed by now with pretty much no way to refuse.” The other SOLDIER smiled wryly. “You’re lucky you look younger than you are. Most of ‘em still believe us when we say you’re underage and not up for anything like that right now.”
Anger flared hotly in Cloud’s mind — what did they think gave them the right to interfere with his life like that? He wasn’t some child, incapable of making his own decisions, needing to be protected from what his elders viewed as potential danger. He was a full-grown man, Turk-trained and a SOLDIER to boot, and…
…and yet some small, traitorous part of him was grateful his friends had intervened for him, leaving him room to focus on his goals. There was no way in Ifrit’s hellfires he would’ve known how to deal with anyone who’d approached him about it directly — especially a superior officer — and the distraction might well have thrown him off kilter long enough to risk messing up his chances of passing the exams the second time he’d taken them. He bit back a frustrated sigh. Damn logic. “Yeah, but—”
“But you are of age, and we won’t be able to pull that off much longer,” Scott finished. “So shut up and listen.” Cloud, about to interject, closed his mouth, startled. “Look, I know your parents probably told you some mushy stuff about sex being for people in love and all that, but it’s rarely like that. Sex is coin here in Midgar, and not just down below. It’s not unusual for those seeking promotion to offer sexual favors to their superiors. It’s illegal, trust me, but as long as nobody gets caught, none of the higher-ups are going to do anything about it.”
“Not even the General?” Cloud asked dubiously, pretty sure such behavior would be one thing Sephiroth would never tolerate among his men.
Scott made a face. “Well… it’s not exactly the same thing in his case. The problem is, if he cracked down on superior-subordinate relationships, he’d end up having to break up a number of consensual, long-term pairings that aren’t being exploited.” He shrugged. “It’s a little more common in the army than the rest of the company, especially in SOLDIER.”
The logical part of Cloud’s mind understood that; in a group that consisted almost entirely of men, close bonds between comrades sometimes becoming a little more intense wasn’t entirely surprising — especially if the girls for hire below the Plate were really as expensive as he’d heard some people complain (though he privately thought the risk of disease was more of a deterrent there). However, that didn’t explain the last bit. “Why especially in SOLDIER?”
Scott leaned back in his chair. “You remember how different you felt after your enhancements — especially your strength, and how you’d often break things unintentionally before you learned to be more careful?” Cloud nodded. “Well, imagine losing control of it again when you’re with a girl. Women can’t get enhanced — more’s the pity; I don’t know about you, but I know a couple who’d’ve probably made great SOLDIERs — so you have to be real careful when you sleep with ‘em. You can never really let go of your control. But if you’re with another SOLDIER, it’s really not a problem; even if you do lose control, he can at least handle it, you know?” He leaned forward again. “And apparently there’s all sorts of pregnancy issues. Not that many SOLDIERs settle down and have kids, but among those who do there’s a higher rate of miscarriages and complications and things like that. And contraceptives do weird stuff, too.”
“What’d you do, research this or something?” Cloud asked, flabbergasted. Sure, as a native of Midgar he expected Scott would know a little more about this kind of thing, but this was ridiculous.
“Actually, yeah,” Scott answered. “April’s coming up soon, Cloud. It won’t be too long until the promotions start coming down, and to be blunt, once Paul and I get moved out of here it’ll be a lot harder for us to watch your back.”
“You made Second?” Cloud asked with a smile. “Congratulations!”
“We don’t know officially yet, but we’ve heard that it’s rather likely,” Scott admitted. “Which is why you need to be warned — especially if some kid comes up to you, wanting to ‘get to know you better.’”
“He could just be acting friendly,” Cloud muttered, and sighed. “Why me? I’m nobody special.”
The older SOLDIER raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right? First of all, you’re a SOLDIER. That’s reason enough in itself, but to top it off you’re also friends with Zack, and the General himself has taken an interest in your training. Whether you like it or not, you have influence with both of them, and there are people who’ll try to take advantage of that. And just look at you — you’re going to rise pretty high in the ranks yourself, that much is clear.” At Cloud’s skeptical look, he added, “Trust me.”
The younger man shrugged. “I’m not gonna get my hopes up.”
“Yeah, well, when it comes true I’m going to be the one saying ‘told you so,’” Scott replied. “But anyway, don’t let any of this stuff bother you too much, okay? It’s important for you to know, but there’s no reason for you to worry about it constantly.”
“Right,” Cloud agreed… though knowing him, that was exactly what’d happen. He sighed, flinging an arm over his eyes. For the next few days he’d undoubtedly be overanalyzing the relationships between his fellow SOLDIERs. How many pairs were really sometime… well, lovers in addition to being good friends?
He blinked. Come to think of it, Zack spent an awful lot of time with Sephiroth in the General’s quarters…
Cloud shook his head violently. Stop thinking about it!
Scott gave his friend an amused glace. “Who was it?”
“Zack. And the General,” Cloud muttered, his face blazing. Gods, they’d likely skin him alive if they caught him thinking that!
The older SOLDIER actually laughed. “You’re not the first one to wonder about those two, trust me. Nobody’s ever been able to prove anything one way or the other, though. It’s one of the great unanswered questions of ShinRa, like ‘how does Scarlet manage to stay in her dresses’ and ‘where do Turks go when they die.’ There’s somebody in the company who knows, but they ain’t telling, and asking’d get you nothin’ but a quick end to your career.”
Cloud rolled his eyes. Titan’s bones, it seemed SOLDIERs could be as bad as old women when it came to gossip! He shook his head again, reaching for his Wutaian instruction book. If anything could help him focus on something other than this nonsense, it’d be grammar practice.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack left shortly after Cloud, an odd mixture of embarrassment and amusement on his face. Vincent had hardly noticed, already back in the depths of Hojo’s files, still searching for information. Though it chafed some part of him to have to proceed so slowly, for the time being he would concentrate on trying to determine exactly which of Hojo’s potential replacements would be least dangerous to the general populace, and work from there.
The former Turk had not forgotten Sephiroth’s presence, however, and he looked up when the General came to stand at his side, holding a mug which he offered to Vincent. A sip proved it to be rich brewed coffee, a rarity in the ShinRa complex. Like many of the company’s employees, Vincent had developed a near-addiction to the stuff during his time as a Turk; it had been a long, long time since he’d drunk it, and it was nice to have a decent brew as his first real reaquaintance.
“Any progress?”
Vincent’s eyes flickered from the screen to Sephiroth’s face, momentarily surprised that the man had made the inquiry. He’d only recently reported his newest findings, and much like himself, Sephiroth wasn’t one for casual conversation. “Not much.”
The General nodded, retrieving his own mug from the kitchen and settling onto the couch with a stack of papers. Silence reigned for a time.
“Your apprentice seemed somewhat… upset.”
It appeared the General was indeed trying to make in small talk. Vincent briefly wondered if he had Cloud or Sinclair to thank for this. Sinclair seemed more likely, given the man’s constant pressure on Cloud to be more social… but then again, Cloud had been encouraging Vincent to talk to Sephiroth, and who was to say he hadn’t done the same on the General’s end? Chances are pretty good that both of them are to blame, I suspect. “Cloud is resilient, in his own way. He has heard far more shocking things at younger ages and adjusted perfectly well. I expect he’ll get over it soon enough.”
Sephiroth glanced at him, understanding Vincent meant his own story. The green-eyed man briefly looked as if he was about to say something else, but chose not to, returning to his paperwork. Vincent, meanwhile, slipped into what he had scrounged up of Hojo’s personal logs and skimmed the newest available entries, checking up on the scientist’s more recent activities. Often there were more rants about his underlings’ incompetence and complications in his experiments than anything conclusive, but thus far it had proven the best way for Vincent to keep track of Hojo’s current plans.
His eyebrows rose unexpectedly. Sensing his companion’s surprise, Sephiroth put down his paperwork and moved to look over the Turk’s shoulder.
“Apparently, between the loss of Red XIII and Veld’s apparent murder, Hojo is beginning to believe someone is attempting to sabotage his efforts. This ‘Tseng’—”
“The new Turk Leader,” Sephiroth supplied.
“—isn’t jumping to follow his orders the way Veld did.” Vincent stared at the screen. “The professor seems to be deeply disturbed.”
“Moreso than usual, you mean?” the General commented dryly.
Vincent inclined his head, conceding the point. “He’s becoming more paranoid as well, increasing his precautions against sabotage.” Vincent logged out of the system and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Perhaps we should test those safeguards…”
“Perhaps we should make it appear that the President is testing them,” Sephiroth suggested.
“I like the way you think.” Vincent quickly began outlining the weaknesses he had found in Hojo’s defenses as Sephiroth listened. Now here is a man who would have made a good Turk.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cloud might not have had the precise command of his emotions that Vincent did, but he could mostly control himself, especially when given a little bit time to adjust to a new idea and and he’d had a chance to rationalize the situation. Some might think he was a little cold, actually, but Vincent had always disapproved of overwrought behavior. In general, once Cloud had thought something through he was able to act normally, if he put a little effort into it.
Thus four days after Zack’s little talk Cloud had calmed down substantially, even if he was scrutinizing all of the relationships around him with a magnifying glass. He supposed he’d get used to having his life turned upside down, one of these days.
“Strife!”
The SOLDIER turned to see a familiar red-haired Turk in the hallway behind him. “Reno.”
“Man, I haven’t seen you since you took those exams. Obviously you passed, though.” Reno glanced the blond up and down. “My my, and looking good, too! You free tonight? We could go out for a few drinks, maybe stop by my place afterwards.” His smirk grew ever wider. “I never did get to show you my rod, like I promised. What d’ya say, Cloud?”
The SOLDIER Third reddened at the innuendo — to his annoyance, it’d seemed lately he was hearing them everywhere, even when they weren’t so blatantly obvious as that, and it was harder to dismiss them than it used to be — and Reno, of course, picked up on it immediately. “Well, well. That’s certainly different from last time, isn’t it…?” He took a step closer, wearing a look that only could be described as predatory.
The blond took two steps back before he realized what he was doing and forced himself to stand his ground. He stared warily as the Turk came closer still. “Look, why don’t you just—”
“Why don’t I just what?” Reno murmured, suddenly very much in Cloud’s personal space, and the SOLDIER froze for the barest instant, distracted by a sudden strange fluttery feeling as he was torn between reacting violently to this intrusion or just shrugging it off since it lacked overt hostility and his traitorous body was intrigued by this new nonviolent close proximity thing, but then the Turk smirked a little, leaning a bit closer and—
Fuck no went Cloud’s mind, and threat hissed his instincts, and years of training sprung into action as he jerked away, lashing out with a vicious kick that sent his assailant into a wall with a loud crash. The entire episode took under a minute — if there had been anyone watching, they would have been shocked at how fast the SOLDIER moved.
Cloud breathed deeply and wiped his hand across his mouth, glaring death at the Turk. “You…” he began acidly, but trailed off as he became aware of several curious pairs of eyes peeking around the doors in the hallway. Unwilling to cause any more of a scene, the SOLDIER decided to retreat, resuming his calm (but now quickened) walk towards Zack’s quarters, only sparing a venomous glance backwards at Reno as he went.
The redhead shook his head slowly, checking for damage. Luckily he seemed to have escaped relatively unscathed, minus the ringing in his ears and the nasty bruises he’d surely have later. While the other Turks would have undoubtedly made some jokes about Reno being hardheaded, he had built up a tolerance to getting knocked around, always a plus in his line of work.
Leaning back against the wall, he chuckled to himself. The kid was a feisty one when provoked, it seemed, but his reaction had been worth the SOLDIER bootprint he’d have on his side for the next week. Pity he hadn’t accepted Reno’s offer to join the Turks; it would’ve been such fun corrupting him…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By the time Cloud met Zack at his door, the blond was practically seething with rage. “What’s wrong with you?” the older SOLDIER asked, perplexed.
“Reno,” Cloud growled, biting off the word savagely. “That good-for-nothing bastard of a Turk…”
Zack watched with some surprise as the younger SOLDIER continued with some of the most vile epithets he’d heard out of him. “If Vincent could hear you, he’d probably want to wash your mouth out with soap,” the dark-haired man observed. “So, do I get to find out what happened?”
Cloud’s face reddened again. “Well, first he was saying things…”
“Let me guess, heavy on the innuendo? Reno does that to everybody.” Zack waved it away. “Don’t let it bother you.”
“Don’t let it—? Yeah, sure, and I bet he goes around trying to kiss everybody, too!” Cloud snapped.
“He did WHAT?”
“Tried to kiss me,” Cloud repeated harshly. “Right out of the blue, without so much as a ‘by your leave.’” And if that brief contact it had taken to jar him into acting counted, the bastard had succeeded, too.
Zack looked positively murderous. “That son of a bitch. I told him—”
“Yeah, well, at least he shouldn’t be trying it again any time soon,” the blond said with icy satisfaction.
Sudden wariness cooled the edge of the SOLDIER First’s anger. “…What did you do, Cloud?”
“I kicked him.” At the look on Zack’s face, Cloud hastened to add, “It was only once. And not that hard, really…” He at least had the grace to look slightly sheepish.
While Zack completely agreed with Cloud’s actions on principle, beating on other company employees was generally frowned upon, traitors and runaways being the exceptions. He sighed. “Well, come on. We better go drop by Seph’s office; we’ll have to report this.”
Cloud winced.
When they finally arrived at the General’s office, Cloud did his best to explain what had happened in a manner that made it seem somewhat less absurd. It wasn’t long before Turk Leader Tseng arrived, but Cloud did his best to ignore the man’s entrance.
“Reno physically assaulted you, then,” Sephiroth summarized, “and you, in turn, retaliated.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Physical assault?” the Turk Leader inquired. “An assault a SOLDIER could not handle?”
“My apologies, Turk Leader,” Cloud replied politely, inclining his head. “I wasn’t expecting it — and, to put it bluntly, was never trained how to handle that exact… sort of assault.”
The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, studying Cloud closely, looking almost… thoughtful. “…I see.” Apparently he had heard enough, however, for he continued, “Well, if Turk Reno is to provoke a new SOLDIER, certain results are only to be expected. He has not been seriously harmed by the incident, but I still expect this won’t happen again.”
“No, sir,” replied Cloud.
The Turk Leader turned to Sephiroth. “I don’t believe it necessary to note this incident on Strife’s record. Turk Reno should have known better than to… approach a new SOLDIER in such fashion.” The General inclined his head in acknowledgement. “If you have no further need of me, then, I will take my leave. Gentlemen.” Nodding to each of them, he departed.
Once the door was closed and Tseng’s footsteps had faded away, Zack let out a sigh of relief. “That went well. I was afraid he’d press you on it, Cloud, but I guess that detour really paid off.”
“Detour?” Sephiroth echoed.
Zack grinned. “No one better to ask about how to handle a Turk Leader than somebody who knows the Turks inside and out.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Rocket Town?”
“Rocket Town,” Zack confirmed. He handed Cloud a thick packet. “The details are in there, but what it really comes down to is you’ll be accompanying a scientific expedition. The President wants to expand the company’s horizons.”
“Okay…” said Cloud, thoughtfully paging through the packet for a minute before looking up at his mentor. It was clear the President wanted to garner some positive PR with the company’s name attached, something that had been a rarity since they had “gloriously triumphed” in the war against Wutai. “Anything special I should be aware of?”
“You’ll be escorting a VIP. There will be another five Thirds and at least two Seconds with you, and a whole bunch of regulars. You’re getting a squad of your own to command, so make sure you keep an eye on ‘em.” Cloud’s eyebrows shot upwards in surprise at that; he hadn’t expected a command position so early in his career as a SOLDIER. “The rest you should get from the briefing.”
“Yessir.” Cloud saluted, and Zack grinned, shaking his head. “When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow. Make sure you’re ready to go. Also, drop by Supply and give them this,” he added, handing the blond an additional form already filled out. “You’ll need that dress uniform, finally.” Zack dismissed his apprentice with a nod, then tidied up his desk and left himself. He had an errand to run.
It took him a little while to track down his target, but not as long as he’d expected. He was still in uniform, the Buster Sword slung over his back; people parted nervously before him like soil before a plow. He finally found his target in a rundown bar in the Sector 8 slums; it was clear he’d known Zack was coming, but he remained calmly in his seat, nursing his drink.
“Reno,” he said curtly.
“Heya, Zack. Fancy meeting you here.” The redhead gave him the once-over, and smiled. “Or should I call you Lieutenant Sinclair? What brings you down below in uniform, anyway?”
“You.” Zack was not in the mood to make small talk. “I wanted to talk to you about what happened two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks ago? Well, it has been a while…” Reno took another sip of his whiskey, frowning thoughtfully. “I must’ve forgotten.”
“The hell you did,” Zack growled, well aware his target knew exactly what he was talking about. He’d itched to confront the Turk earlier, but Tseng had been keeping Reno on a short leash after what had happened.
The Turk looked thoughtful. “Well, there was a brawl in that bar in Sector 7… that awkward situation over in Wall Market… a fight at that Sector 2 place where they have telecasts of the Gold Saucer chocobo races, and— oh, now I remember!” He snapped his fingers. “That thing with that cute little SOLDIER back topside!” A slow smirk crossed the redhead’s face. “Strife’s pretty sexy when he’s angry… but surely he’s cooled down by now, hasn’t he?”
Zack’s narrowed eyes blazed with more than just Mako. “The day you two met, Reno, I told you: nothing physical unless he wanted it.” He gestured angrily. “I’m not about to dictate his choices, but he sure as hell didn’t want what you forced on him.”
“Geez, you’re making it sound like I fucked the kid against his will when I didn’t even get a proper kiss out of ‘im.” Reno shook his head, drumming his fingers on the tabletop, but before Zack, glaring, could reply, he continued, watching him steadly. “The thing I wanna know is, if he’s no longer so totally clueless about guys, why haven’t you gone for ‘im yet? Wouldn’t be the first time. Strife’s quite the looker, and now he’s a SOLDIER I’m sure he could handle whatever a stud like you could dish out.” The Turk leered appreciatively. “Or are you holding back ‘cause the General has his eye on ‘im? Can’t say I’d blame him in the least; the man’s certainly got good taste.” He pursed his lips. “Though I really don’t see why you couldn’t just share…”
“You low-minded son of a bitch,” Zack hissed as he shook his head in disgust, nails digging deep into his palms as he angrily clenched his fists. “Ever stop to think that, unlike a slimy little Turk bastard like you, some of us actually have a sense of honor? First of all, it’s wrong to—”
Reno rolled his eyes. “Right, right, how could I ever forget all that ‘thou shalt not sex up thy students’ bullshit?” He snorted, waving his hand dismissively. “Please, Sinclair. Show me a little respect by using a more solid defense, will you? After all, the kid won’t be your charge much longer. It’s already March. Come April your mentorship will end, and he’ll be free game. You can’t protect him forever.”
We’ll see about that. Zack’s eyes narrowed even further. “All I’m saying is you better watch yourself, Reno. You’re lucky Cloud has as much self-control as he does, or you’d be dead. And next time he won’t hesitate to beat you into a bloody pulp.”
“No one’s invincible,” Reno replied lazily, half-shrugging as he ran a finger over the rim of his glass. “Even your precious star student has his weak points. You can never tell how things will turn out.” His eyes met Zack’s, smiling that mirthless smile that was every inch a Turk. “For all you know, he could be dead next time you see him.”
Zack knew when he had lost an argument, but he was unwilling to let it go at that. “Just don’t mess with him anymore, or I’ll make you regret the day you were born,” he said in a low voice, glowering.
“Wouldn’t dream of it… sir,” Reno replied with a mocking salute.
The SOLDIER turned on his heel and left, irritation and new worry tightening his throat. Cloud’s mission was supposed to be a pretty easy escort job, but Zack was suddenly, irrationally afraid something might happen. For a moment, he was tempted to pull the blond from the mission, keep him home… but he shook his head. Seph would kill me — abuse of power and all that. Besides… given how Midgar is, he’s probably safer out there.
He’ll be a safe distance away from Reno, at least.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cloud sighed as he settled into the old-fashioned wooden chair. It had been a long three months since he had left Midgar, and personally he was glad he was here, in Shera Wright’s kitchen, rather than outside listening to Skylar Starrider — a pseudonym if ever there was one — delivered the same sad lines about “the greatness of the ShinRa Company” and their bold plan to “venture beyond the realms of the known world and towards the stars of the final frontier: space.” It was absolute drivel, and hearing it at every stop on their world tour had only made it worse. Still, the man was a charismatic speaker and had drawn in huge crowds everywhere they went, save the places they’d visited during their two-week tour of Wutai.
The Wutaian people seemed to go against anything ShinRa did on sheer principle, but they had taken to the announcement of this planned space exploration particularly poorly. The old folk had decried it as an act in defiance of the gods; the younger ones had shouted that ShinRa’s oppression was not enough for the eastern devils, that they plotted to spy on Wutai from sky as well as land and sea. Starrider had handled that little incident— well, he hadn’t handled it at all, really, counting on his honor guard to protect him from the often inhospitable crowds. It was amazing they’d made it off the island in one piece.
Despite the unrest, however, Cloud had liked Wutai quite a bit. The mist-shrouded mountains looming on the horizon had reminded him a lot of his hometown, and he’d even gotten a chance to practice his poor Wutaian with one or two of the less hostile natives until they had to restrain themselves from bursting out laughing.
‘In ShinRa good-speak few are,’ indeed, the blond thought wryly. When they finally returned to Midgar, he might have to track down the Turk Leader and beg him to offer him lessons; he never wanted to embarrass himself that badly again.
Still, the Wutai leg of the trip had been the highlight of what had ended up being three months of boredom. It had been mid-March when he’d left Midgar as an escort for the team that was supposed to be launching the No. 26 Rocket at Rocket Town, newly reviewed and refurbished by ShinRa engineers. Little had either Zack or Cloud realized that launch wasn’t scheduled until late June, and the entire thing was to be preceded by a huge propaganda tour, led by the ‘space pilot’ Skylar Starrider.
A number of the troopers had entertained themselves for a week or so debating whether Starrider was a product of the Science Department or a bastard son of the President. Cloud privately though the bastard option was more likely; there was a bit of a physical resemblance to the pictures he’d seen of the President, and Starrider was far too… well, ordinary to be one of Hojo’s subjects. He hadn’t seemed too familiar with his topic, either, generally fielding questions to his more scientifically-minded personal assistant (though he was always quick to take the spotlight back) and using notes for the technical terms in his speeches. Cloud knew better than to say anything about it; on a mission like this, one was always on duty, and had to be careful not to voice an inappropriate opinion. Some of the other SOLDIER Thirds hadn’t been so circumspect, though, and they’d received quite a reprimand from the Seconds in charge of the mission. His silence, however, had earned him the honor of helping his superiors personally guard their VIP.
All three of them had taken turns sneaking off and practicing their skills on the local wildlife. Monster hunting really was a wonderful thing for the easing of one’s frustrations.
The tour was finally almost over, thank goodness. They had finally arrived in Rocket Town, and Cloud personally was looking forward to the launch tomorrow. Afterwards, they could finally go home.
“Thank you so much,” his hostess said for at least the fourth time, smiling at him. “The Captain hates it when other people tinker with his things without permission. Would you like a cup of tea?”
Cloud nodded, smiling in return. When their entourage had finally arrived in Rocket Town, they had met Cid Highwind, the pilot who was supposed to have gone with the newly refurbished rocket on its first attempted launch. The SOLDIER Third had found himself impressed by the loyalty of the townsfolk to this rough-around-the-edges man they called ‘Captain.’
As for the woman before him, Cloud had won his way into Shera Wright’s good graces by scattering a few of the regulars showing a bit too much interest in the little plane in Highwind’s backyard before they could do any permanent damage. “Are you looking forward to the launch?” he asked her.
Ms. Wright was an engineer, and was supposed to join Starrider on the mission — probably to make sure the rocket actually got somewhere, considering how little Starrider seemed to actually know. However, she didn’t look particularly happy about the idea of going into space, even though she had worked on the rocket herself. “It shouldn’t be me going up there,” she said finally. “It should be the Captain.”
Cloud tried not to wince at that. Highwind had been rather vocally angry when he’d discovered ShinRa had replaced him, audible several houses over even without SOLDIER hearing. The man’s rant, however, had demonstrated exactly why he had been replaced — namely his short temper and blunt attitude. No matter how impressive his flight history was, Cid Highwind was a loose cannon, and ShinRa wanted someone they could control for what was this time more media circus than scientific exploration. “…Sometimes circumstances change, I guess,” Cloud replied finally, trying to keep his voice light. He hoped that didn’t sound too stupid — he’d never been any good at reassuring people when they were were upset — but really, what else could he say?
“It’s my fault he didn’t get into space last time.” Ms. Wright looked positively heartbroken.
Zack, part of Cloud’s mind pointed out, probably would have insisted that such a lovely lady couldn’t possibly be the cause of any such thing. Cloud just took a sip of his tea, put on an interested face, and said, “Oh?”
And so the entire story came spilling out: how Ms. Wright had helped work on the rocket before its first launch, how Captain Highwind had aborted the launch because of her, how upset he’d been that he’d never fulfill his dream.
Cloud nodded slowly as she finished, feeling sober himself now. “It’s sad, sometimes, how these… things turn out.” He finished his cup of tea, rising. “I’m really sorry Mr. Highwind won’t end up going on the rocket.”
His hostess smiled a little at him again. “…Thank you for listening.”
“Of course,” Cloud replied. He paused at the door, and after a long moment ventured, “Ms. Wright—”
“Please, call me Shera.”
Cloud nodded. “Would you mind ensuring there isn’t any citrus at the table during the pre-launch banquet tomorrow morning? Mr. Starrider has an unfortunate allergy to it, and breaks out in a terrible rash if it’s used too near him.”
Shera pursed her lips. “That is unfortunate. But please, don’t worry about it; I’ll make sure the table is properly set.”
“Thank you.” He nodded again. “I really should go back to my patrol now, though. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ms— Shera.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Squinting, Cloud watched the rocket speed upwards into the sky, unable to hide a smile at the sight. It was nice to see things turn out right for once.
Something, it seemed, had gone wrong for Mr. Starrider this morning during breakfast. By the end of the meal, the poor man was rather sporting several large blotches on his cheeks, his eyes watering and face puffy. The doctor had declared him unfit for launch that morning, which left them with a problem: the launch window was rapidly closing, and if they waited till tomorrow the storm front coming up the west coast would have kept them grounded for at least a week. Fortunately, they had a capable substitute in Captain Highwind, and so after some photographs and a few brief questions — Highwind had clearly been caught off guard by the sudden change in the situation, but he still managed admirably — he and Shera had blasted off into space.
“It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! Someone deliberately set me up!”
Cloud allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. Even if someone listened and there were an inquiry into what had happened, the commanders for the mission would ensure it was cursory at best. Every one of the SOLDIERs had disliked their charge from the minute they’d been introduced to him, and Starrider’s barely disguised contempt towards them hadn’t earned him any friends. The SOLDIER wasn’t sure of the exact details (and certainly wasn’t going to ask; what he didn’t know wouldn’t incriminate him), but Starrider had finally gotten his due, and Captain Highwind had gotten to live his dream. Not too bad for a day’s work.
As the rocket disappeared even from a SOLDIER’s sight, Cloud felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Soon, he’d be returning to Midgar… finally. He’d missed a lot in the past three months: Scott and Paul’s promotion to Second Class (and the subsequent arrival of new roommates), the SOLDIER exams, Zack’s promotion, Tifa’s birthday… So much had happened, and he only knew of it from letters. At least he had managed a present for Tifa, though; he thought she’d like the tiger claws, and shipping had been pretty cheap since they’d been in Cosmo Canyon at the time.
Cloud decided then and there he would do twelve hours of paperwork a day if it kept him off assignments like this. Killing monsters and helping civilians was all well and good, and but escort duty like this was torture, no matter how nice it’d been to see a little more of the world on this trip.
As he looked down to earth again, glancing at his commanders, Cloud noticed Kaplan, the SOLDIER Second in command of this mission, listening to his PHS with a silent frown on his face. The blond tilted his head in silent inquiry. Kaplan motioned for him to help Garrett, the other Second, gather everyone up and return to their temporary headquarters. Once they had all gathered and secured the building, Kaplan addressed them. “I’ve just received new orders. We are to report to Midgar as soon as possible.”
A murmur of surprise rippled through the men. “Why?” someone asked. “What’s happening?”
Kaplan looked grim. “The President has been assassinated.”
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