Work Text:
1.
When Cloud Strife arrived at Shinra's army intake center, there was obviously something strange about him. Everyone agreed he was slightly to the left of a "normal" person. (Whatever that meant. Nobody could agree exactly, but once you heard it, it made perfect sense.)
It was hard to pinpoint what was so offputting about him. When asked to describe him, his superiors all had about the same thing to say. ("Average pretty boy with average scores." … "Who?" … "Just another SOLDIER-hopeful. Nobody special.")
He was either forgettable or someone you just couldn't get out of your head. It was a jarring experience being around Cloud. One could stand right next to him and not even know he was there despite having a shining beacon of a hairstyle.
What's worse were the stares. His blue eyes were both innocent and held the weight of the universe. Meeting his gaze felt more like staring right back at yourself; as if he knew everything about you.
Hell, he probably did.
Cloud Strife knew things he shouldn't. ("Did you know President Shinra has two illegitimate children?") It was easy for the average cadet to write off his random tidbits about the higher-ups because how could he really know? How could they prove it? Yet when it was about a fellow infantryman and confirmed true, it had his peers rethinking their doubts.
Asking Cloud where he came from resulted in different answers every time. The one straight answer you could get was that he was from a small village on the western continent: Nibelheim. That was the only answer truly confirmed since there was one other cadet from the remote place. Anything else he answered with were just tall tales anyways. Honestly, being from space is impossible.
("I was born from a seed planted in the ground." … "I was a Nibel wolf granted a human body." … "Seriously, guys, I'm a sentient robot created by Science and Research.")
2.
The grounds of Sector 6 were a mess. Shinra hadn't bothered to clean up the mess from when the plate collapsed, so debris and junk were everywhere. Movement was a bit hard, but over the years, the people who still lived there cleared paths around the area. Just like other Sectors, Sector 6 sometimes had issues with violent wildlife or escaped lab specimens roaming too close to the civilized parts.
Reports came in of a group of not just Kalm Fangs terrorizing the locals, but also some grotesque lab specimen that crawled up out of some hole. Normally, it'd only be the infantry that would head down and deal with such a small threat, but with whatever crawled out of the abandoned lab added to the mix, it was decided that there ought to be a SOLDIER leading the group.
That SOLDIER was one Zack Fair.
… Who was currently doing squats on the helipad as he waited for the assigned infantrymen to arrive.
A group of footsteps had him pausing and standing up straight. Zack turned to meet the squad assigned to him. Seven men stood in parade rest with their rifles strapped to their backs. His eyes swept over everyone's nametags. He paused for a second on Infantryman Strife.
Zack had heard rumors about the random grunt people called strange, but this was his first time actually meeting him. ("People say he's a ghost. That's why he's always sneaking up on people and knows everything," Kunsel had said. Zack didn't even bother asking why Kunsel was caught up in Infantry rumors. That was just how his friend was.)
Honestly, he looked and behaved normally. Probably just some cruel jokes from his peers.
If anything, he just felt bad for the kid. Especially now as they flew down to the slums. The helicopter flight didn't seem to agree with Strife. He was hunched over with a puke bag and green around the gills. The other members of his squad had scooted down to the opposite end of the helicopter, eager to huddle together rather than be the victim of Strife's stomach contents. Zack didn't blame them.
Landing was difficult due to the collapsed metal. The helicopter jerked to the side, narrowly missing a beam that stuck out a little too far. That's what finally did it for Strife, as he lost his fight with nausea. Poor kid.
The rest of the squad hopped down from the aircraft, eager to get far away from their sick squadmate. Poor display of camaraderie, but whatever. Handling a sick person was different from handling blood and fighting.
Zack sent the rest of the squad on their way to handle the Kalm Fangs while avoiding whatever escaped from the labs. Kalm Fangs should be a cakewalk for them, so he wasn't worried. He watched them disappear behind a pile of scrap before turning to Infantryman Strife.
"Hey, man, you good?" He asked, crouching down. Strife was panting on the ground, having hauled himself from the helicopter. Shaky hands reached up and unclipped the bulky infantry helmet. Sliding it off revealed blond hair styled in spikes.
Huh, he was cute. Beautiful blue eyes stared up at him.
"I'm okay, sir," Strife responded in a soft voice. His forehead was slightly damp with sweat, both from the strain of being sick and from how hot those helmets got.
"Can you stand, Infantryman Strife? Sucks you're sick, but we oughta catch up with the others." Zack stood and put his hand out, eager to help Strife up. Strife accepted the hand and was pulled up to his feet. "I'm alright now, sir. Motion doesn't agree with me," Strife replied.
"Hey, no problem! Call me Zack. Sir makes me feel old," Zack smiled, crossing his arms behind his head as they began making their way to the area where the Kalm Fangs were sighted.
"Okay," Strife nodded, his spikes waving with the shaking of his head. It made Zack want to touch them. "Uh, you can call me Cloud." He added.
As they rounded a corner, the sound of gunfire and yelling caught their attention. Instantly, Zack's hand was on the hilt of his issued broadsword. Cloud nearly walked on past him, but Zack stuck a hand out to stop him. "Wait up, Spike." ("Spike..?" Cloud whispered to himself.)
He peeked around the nearest corner, brows furrowing. Kalm Fangs shouldn't be this difficult. Zack was half expecting the rest of Cloud's squad to be waiting around already. Cloud saddled up beside him. He had his rifle at the ready, waiting for Zack's command.
There was a medium sized clearing. A small pack of Kalm Fangs lay dead on the ground alongside stray shell casings. No trouble, clearly, but what was causing trouble was not one, but three lab specimens. They were all humanoid, tall, and bulky. Tendrils with glowing red veins protruded from their bodies and skin like plated armor. One was clearly the leader, as it was even bigger than the other two. The trio of creatures were clearly too much for the infantry squad, as they had been ripped to shreds.
"Shit," Zack swore to himself. He shouldn't have let them go off on their own. Cloud made a questioning noise. "Stay here, Cloud. This is bigger than I thought." He pulled his broadsword free from his magnetic harness and twirled it.
"Wait, Zack," Cloud began, before being interrupted. "Don't worry 'bout me! I'm a SOLDIER, I can handle this." He gave Cloud a thumbs up before running out into the fray.
Zack used a stray hunk of metal to propel himself upwards, honing in on the neck of the largest specimen. If he could take down the leader, then the other two shouldn't be as hard. The sharp end of his blade struck the specimen's trapezius, but the thick plating did not relent.
The creature swung at Zack as he landed, forcing him to quickly duck out of the way. The second and third specimens had jerkily walked over after Zack had made his first attack. They reached out with clawed hands, but Zack quickly swung his sword in a large arc to push them back. The sound of their claws raking against the metal of Zack's sword rang out.
He hopped backwards to get a better view. Shit, maybe it'd be better to deal with the smaller ones first. Zack straightened up and took a running swing towards the closest specimen. The plating didn't totally give, but it cracked under the strength of his strike. He followed it up with a diagonal strike, staggering the specimen. Quickly, he swung straight down which fully cracked the specimen's plating.
Before he could end the creature, the other small thrust its claws at him. It pushed him backwards, wherein the leader's tentacles struck out. Zack grunted as he took multiple hits before he could push his sword upwards to block. Blood welled up from multiple cuts across his body.
Angeal was always telling him not to rush into battles like this, but he never listened. Enemies usually fell to Zack's blade with ease. If they didn't, Zack always had backup to switch in while he prepared for his next strike. Now that he was alone, however, he finally understood his mentor's advice.
The leader specimen rushed forward, reaching out with both its claws and tentacles. Making a quick decision, Zack turned his sword and swung at the tentacles. They weren't covered in any armor plating, so if he could get rid of them, then the creature wouldn't have a ranged attack anymore. His blade cleaved through three of the tentacles. They dropped to the ground with a spray of green-tinged blood and squirmed. ("Gross," he thought to himself.)
The claws of the creature hit him straight in the side. Pain exploded in the area as it drove straight through his skin. The strength of the attack threw him back, skin tearing even more as the creature's hand was forcibly pulled from his insides.
Zack hit a pile of sheet metal that was once a shelter. His head snapped back against the metal. Things became hazy and his ears rang. ("Well, this mission went FUBAR. Hope Cloudy's okay.")
Vaguely, he could sense someone drawing near. An oppressive pressure suddenly bore down on Zack, nearly taking the wind out of him. He opened his eyes, (When had he closed them?) and he gazed at a black mass swirling into the area. It was both solid and formless. Like a thick fog, maybe.
Something brushed up against him. It wasn't fog, like he thought. It was thicker, more solid. More grounding. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. The dark, sprawling mass of fog-watery-solid-gas-whatever cradled Zack in its… mass? It covered him like a thick blanket, protecting him.
Zack could see its epicenter, or something vaguely like an epicenter, sway towards the specimen trio. Before he could see what happened next, his awareness slipped away again.
He jolted, hissing at the pain in his side. An intense headache pounded behind his eyes. He squinted, seeing that the swirling mass was still present. Eyes he hadn't noticed before focused on him. They floated around aimlessly, some staring at him, at the specimens, at nothing, at everything. The fog began collapsing into itself, folding like origami towards a forming humanoid figure.
A familiar humanoid figure.
From the figure black ichor dripped onto the ground. Hissing, spitting, then turning to steam and dissipating. It melted away to reveal Cloud Strife.
("Okay, this concussion is worse than I thought.")
Cloud rushed to his side, gently shaking him. "Zack… Zack..!" He said, worriedly.
Zack closed his eyes.
("The candid photographs
that Turk took
before crashing are
interesting. Perhaps
bringing this subject
in would be
enlightening…")
3.
The hospital was so boring. Zack was bored. Zack was bored and a bored Zack was an unhappy Zack. They wouldn't even let him do squats. Or use the bathroom on his own. Or shower on his own.
The wound in his side had already healed, so why was he still forced to be here?! (Sure he still had a bad concussion, but c'mon, he could recover back at his apartment!)
A knock on the door had him perking up. It opened and in walked Angeal. He had paperwork in one hand and had an overflowing gift basket in the other. A confused look was present on his face, though. It smoothed out when Angeal looked up and noticed Zack was awake.
"Hello, puppy." He said, taking a seat in the uncomfortable hospital chair by Zack's bed.
"Hey, 'Geal! What's up? Can I go now? Are the doctors done with me?" Zack fired in rapid succession. "I'm so ready to get outta here! I'm about to start going stir-crazy."
Angeal spoke while Zack took a breath. "Calm down, Zack. I've spoken to the nurse at the front desk. She said the doctor's gonna come by soon and clear you." As if his words were a summoning materia, the doctor walked in.
"No combat for a week," the doctor said after unhooking Zack from the IV. "You might have some memory issues, but it should go away soon. Even faster because of your SOLDIER healing. Whether the moments leading up to your concussion come back or not, though, I can't be sure."
Zack and Angeal left the medical floor together, returning to Angeal's apartment. It had a cozy atmosphere and an even more comfortable couch, of which Zack threw himself down on. He stretched out dramatically, wincing at the slight twinge that persisted in his side.
"Hey, Zack." Angeal sat down in his lounge chair. "Do you remember what happened on the mission you were assigned?"
Zack perked up, thinking back to the previous day. "Yeah, well, I remember meeting the infantry squad I was assigned at the helipad. There was one guy who had real bad motion sickness. He ended up puking after a rough landing, so I sent the others ahead to deal with the Kalm Fangs." Zack paused, thinking.
"I remember making sure the sick infantryman, Strife, was okay. He was. Just needed solid ground beneath his feet. We went to catch up with the rest of his squad and then…" His nose scrunched up. "I remember fighting and thinking whatever I was fighting was strong. Nothing after that." After he was done talking, he turned to Angeal. "So, what's the deal?"
Angeal hesitated. "Infantryman Strife called reinforcements. When they arrived, whatever you had fought was just… gone. Like it never existed. The only signs anything happened were three unmoving tentacles. Infantryman Strife said you had defeated three mutated lab creatures. The creatures had killed the rest of Strife's squad, and he says you charged in." He sighed, rubbing his temples.
Zack looked sheepish. Angeal was trying to get him out of the habit of charging in, but clearly it wasn't working. "So, I killed some creatures from an abandoned lab. And they disappeared. Maybe they just, I dunno, melted or something? I mean, you can never really tell with those things, right?"
Humming, Angeal wrote down what Zack said. "I suppose so. Alright, I'll have to give your statement to Lazard. The Turks might have some more questions, though, so don't be surprised if they come knocking later. You can rest here or go back to your apartment." Angeal stood and left the apartment.
Zack decided to head back to his place. As he waited for the elevator to stop on his floor, he began thinking. Thinking turned into wondering how Cloud was doing. "Wait, Cloud!" He said aloud, earning a weird look from the lone secretary in the elevator with him. "Sorry, 'scuse me," he reached around and pressed the button that went to the floor with the infantry barracks.
Cloud's new squad were running laps. He could easily tell Cloud apart from the others. His hair was really noticeable. It was kinda cool. Made Zack wonder if he used product in his hair or if it was naturally that spiky.
It took a few minutes before they were finished. The group lined up and waited to be dismissed by their drill sergeant. Once released, Zack made his way over to Cloud before he could wander off too far. Zack wrapped an arm around Cloud's neck, scaring the poor guy until he realized who it was.
"Hi, Spike! They released me from medical. Took forever, though!" He rambled.
"Hello, Zack." Cloud hid the lower half of his face in his green scarf. "You remembered my name?"
"'Course I do! I may have gotten a concussion, but I'd remember how bad I felt for you in that helicopter!" Cloud looked away in embarrassment. "Anyways, wanna grab lunch? I just wanna make sure you're okay after losing your squad. My treat."
Cloud paused before shyly smiling. "Sure, Zack." Zack ruffled his spikes. ("Wow, they're softer than they look!")
"So, Cloudy-Cloud," Zack said, dragging Cloud to one of his favorite hole-in-the-wall places, "where are you from? And gimme a real answer! Kuns said you give bullshit ones a lot!"
"I'm from Nibelheim. How about you?" He asked in return.
"Me? Gongaga." Zack said proudly. Cloud began to laugh, turning his face away from Zack as if he wasn't. "Hey, what's so funny!" He wasn't mad at all, just messing with Cloud. If anything, he wants to hear that laugh more often.
"It's such a backwater name." Cloud said, turning back. "Ditto, Nibelheim!" Zack smiled. He was right in wanting to know Cloud. Another backwater boy was just the friend he needed.
4.
That night, Zack laid in his bed, thinking back to the multitude of events that happened in less than two days. It seemed weird how he couldn't remember defeating three escaped experiments. There was something in the back of his mind, but he couldn't pull it to the forefront.
Something about Cloud…
His eyes shot open. Cloud was… Did he imagine that? Concussions cause hallucinations, he knew, but he could still feel the… Fog? Mist? Whatever it was, he could still feel it around him. It was comforting in a way.
Zack needed to ask Cloud about what he saw. It was all falling into place. If he had a concussion as bad as the doctors say, he couldn't have defeated those creatures, right? … Right?
"Aghhh," he groaned, rolling around in bed. "What the hell, man!" Zack grabbed his PHS and opened his messages. Cloud's contact was staring at him. They had swapped numbers to stay in contact before they split ways after lunch.
He hesitated, but began writing.
____
To: Cloud Strife
From: Zack Fair
Subject: Need to talk
Heya, Cloud,
When's your next day off? I need to ask you something.
You're not in trouble, so don't worry! Just something on
my mind.
____
He hit send and waited. Zack was almost asleep when his PHS buzzed. Quickly, he picked it up to see who it was. Cloud had replied.
____
To: Zack Fair
From: Cloud Strife
Subject: RE: Need to talk
Zack,
I am off on Wednesday. No patrols or
anything. We can talk then.
Hope you're okay. See you
then.
____
Wednesday… Just four days away. Okay, he could do that.
Zack spent those four days anxiously waiting. Being on light duty gave him nothing to put his mind to, which made the wait even worse. He invited Cloud to his apartment for some privacy.
A knock on his door broke him from his thoughts. Cloud was on his doorstep, pretending like he wasn't looking around.
"Cloud!" Zack smiled, "come on in! Make yourself comfortable!" He paused after stepping in, but took a spot on Zack's couch. Zack couldn't sit due to his nerves, though, so resorted to his usual squats to work off some energy.
"So, um, what'd you need to talk about?" Cloud asked cautiously.
"This may sound weird, but, like, I don't think I really killed those lab specimens. The timing just doesn't make sense. But you were there and…" He paused mid squat. "Cloud, this part's real weird, and I think it was just my brain being all funky 'cause I hit my head real hard but like, this black foggy stuff filled the area. Was that you? I remember it transforming into you. Was I imagining that? Sorry buddy, I'm just real confused."
Zack's rambling tapered off and he turned to Cloud, who went very still. "No, I think you were just imagining that, Zack!" Cloud squeaked.
He squinted at Cloud, who looked even more nervous the longer he stared.
"You know what happened. I didn't imagine that. What was that, Cloud? I won't judge, I just wanna understand." Zack said, placatingly.
"I really can't explain it, Zack," Cloud sighed. "It's just something I've always been able to do. Not even my ma could explain when I asked. Or maybe she knew something, but didn't want to tell me. I don't know. I just know things somehow, and can change into that… mist you saw. I didn't intend for anyone to know, but you were in trouble and I…"
Zack walked over and placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder. If what he said is true, then… "That's pretty cool, Cloud. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to! Your secret's safe with me! Can I see it again?"
Cloud hesitated. His eyes shifted to the left, away from Zack. "I don't want to hurt you. It's… strange. Incomprehensible. I'd never forgive myself if it harmed your mind. Ma told me to keep this hidden for a reason."
Zack understood, but hadn't he proved himself capable when he first saw it? Of course, he did have a concussion, so maybe that had something to do with it. He wasn't going to force Cloud, though.
"Okay! That's okay," he threw himself down on the couch next to Cloud and slung an arm around his neck. "I won't force the issue, but I support you and still wanna be friends! You're a cool dude, Cloud. I wanna get to know you!"
The smile Cloud hid by turning away was worth his unanswered curiosity.
5.
("Bring him to me."
"Yes, Professor.")
Getting to know Cloud was an experience. It felt like an honor to crack his shell and learn how snarky and entertaining he really was. Zack had learned Cloud didn't have other friendships as deep as theirs was. Their loss, honestly.
Zack also knew he was in danger. He should've known as soon as Cloud took off his helmet that first day. Now, months after meeting Cloud, he knew he was hopelessly in love with his chocobo-haired friend.
He had yet to introduce Cloud to his mentor and the other Firsts. Zack knew they would like him, but Cloud was adamant that he wasn't ready. He understood the hesitance. Sephiroth alone had an intense presence, but Zack would get Cloud to attend one of Angeal's dinners some time!
Cloud at least got along with Kunsel! They weren't as close as he was with Cloud, but Zack was glad Cloud was expanding his friend circle.
Zack made his way to the infantry barracks. He had just gotten back from a mission in Gongaga (It was so good to see his parents again!) and he was itching to visit Cloud. It was midday so the unit should be at lunch.
The cafeteria was busy, normal for this time of day. Tables were full and chatter filled the entire room. Cloud's usual table was in the corner so he could partake in some people-watching. Zack wormed his way through the crowds of infantrymen towards said table, but Cloud wasn't there.
Frowning, he scanned the room for a member of Cloud's squad. It took a moment but he spotted one Rifleman Emil Owens. He squeezed his way to the man, gathering the whole table's attention.
"Yo, Owens!" Zack smiled. Said man jerked up at attention. "At ease. Have you seen Strife anywhere?"
Emil relaxed, crossing his arms. "Sarg summoned him this morning. Overheard he was sent out for an impromptu medical exam. Seemed fine to me, but hell, I'm no doctor so maybe he did have something going on. Wouldn't surprise me."
A random medical exam? Huh, medical did bring people in at random sometimes. Zack shrugged. "Thanks, man. I sent him an email, but can you tell him I stopped by when he gets back?"
Emil saluted with a sharp "Yes, sir!" as Zack left.
Zack sighed and blew a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. Well, that sucks.
(It was so cold. The
restraints dug into his
skin uncomfortably.
Everything was so
hazy, he couldn't
even think straight.)
6.
Zack was worried. More than worried, even!
Cloud had never returned his emails, or even returned to the barracks. Zack had gone to question Cloud's sergeant, but the man said he went AWOL. Cloud would never leave like that! Especially without even telling him!
It was too suspicious.
"I'm telling you guys! Something happened to him!" Zack gestured, accidentally slinging food across the table. Genesis scrunched his nose, glaring at Zack who sheepishly cleaned up the mess.
"I'm sure he's fine, Zack." Angeal said, placatingly. "He'll be back as soon as he can."
"C'mon 'Geal, I know you don't believe that! What do you think, Seph?" He turned his infamous puppy eyes at Sephiroth. "You gotta agree that it's strange! I mean, even his sergeant thinks it's weird! He listed Cloud as AWOL. Spike just isn't like that!"
Sephiroth dabbed his mouth with his napkin, pointedly not looking at Zack to avoid the puppy eyes. "Zackary, I cannot say what happened to-" He was cut off by Genesis.
"Infinite in mystery, mutt, we know as much as you do. Infantry go missing at random, you know. It's just something that's always happened, and digging for information is more dangerous than you think. If he truly doesn't return, then maybe something did happen, but it's way above our heads." Genesis explained, waving his hand dismissively.
Zack groaned. "I can't just leave my buddy in the hands of whoever has him!" He turned to Angeal. "You wouldn't leave me in the hands of some evil whoevers, would you!?"
Angeal sighed. "Gen is right, puppy." He dodged the question. "Shinra won't put anything towards finding a random grunt. I'm not saying he didn't mean anything to you, but in the eyes of the higher ups, it's not worth trying to find him."
Frustrated, Zack pushed his plate away and stood. "You guys don't get it! He's not just a forgettable nobody! He's special!" He suddenly lost steam. It hurt to know they weren't worried. Maybe he was a hypocrite since it only mattered to him once it was Cloud who went missing, but it still made him unhappy. "I wish he was here."
His outburst was met with a moment of silence before Angeal sighed. "I'm sorry, Zack. I really can't give you advice. I know you're going to do something rash, though. Whatever you do, please keep yourself safe."
Zack stormed out of Angeal's apartment. If they wouldn't help, he would just have to go to someone he knew would!
He knocked on Kunsel's door. It took a moment but the man opened the door, frowning. "Zack? I thought you were with the Firsts? What's up?" Kunsel asked, moving to the side so Zack could get in.
"Kuns, I need your help. I need you to figure out where Cloud is. Please. I'm so worried, and I know you've noticed his absence as well. Angeal said he wouldn't help 'cause it could be dangerous but I'd rather brave injuries and have Cloud than to leave him alone!" Zack collapsed face down on Kunsel's beat up couch.
Kunsel made himself comfortable on the arm of the couch, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Listen, Zack. I can't say too much because I'm not totally sure myself, but there's a chance I do already know where Cloud is."
Zack perked up. "I keep tabs on Hojo. Not long before he went missing, Hojo created a new file archive. I haven't been able to crack the encryption on it yet, but there might be a chance it's a report on Cloud. Hojo might have Cloud."
Instantly, Zack hopped to his feet and grabbed Kunsel's shoulders, shaking him. "Then we gotta go confront him! He can't just kidnap random people!" He turned to the door, but Kunsel grabbed his wrist.
"Zack, this is what Angeal was talking about. If Hojo does have Cloud, which I don't even know if he does, then you can't just storm the labs demanding he release Cloud. Remember, Hojo is on the Board of Directors. He is your superior. You can't just rush into it without planning or anything!"
Zack paused, hanging his head. Kunsel was right. Angeal was right. "But I can't just leave Cloud."
"I know you're in love with him and want him back, but we gotta be smart about this. I'll help you as much as I can." Kunsel smiled before being tackled by Zack.
"Thank you, Kuns! I knew I could count on you!"
(Something was injected
into his veins. It wriggled
through his body,
making him nauseous.
He fought the
intrusion. It felt
similar to him. But
different.)
7.
The more information they (Kunsel) drug up, the more worried Zack felt. Hojo had figured out Cloud wasn't human. He had gotten ahold of images from when Cloud broke his human shell to save Zack somehow.
("Y'know, I thought Cloud was just a weird kid with weird tales. I mean, how often is it that you actually meet something not of this world?" Kunsel had said when he found out.)
They were in Kunsel's room, surrounded by all sorts of electronics. Zack still didn't understand how and where he got all of this equipment, but he was thankful Kunsel had it.
"So he's being held in The Drum. That's purely Hojo's domain. I don't know if these floor plans are still valid, but it's the best I have." Kunsel explained, tapping his index finger on a screen where a map was displayed.
"Do you know what part he's being contained in?" Zack asked, distracted. He couldn't get the pictures of Cloud they had found attached to the document. His Cloudy was fully restrained and even muzzled and blindfolded as if he were a rabid animal.
"I assume around here," Kunsel pointed to an area in the middle of the first level. "It would make sense, considering the photographs and the-"
Kunsel was interrupted by a loud explosion and the room shaking violently for a moment. Both SOLDIERs paused before looking at each other silently. A smaller explosion shook the building again.
"Dude, what the fuck," Zack finally said. He grabbed his broadsword and connected it to his harness. "We gotta go see what that was."
Kunsel grabbed his own sword and followed Zack out. Other SOLDIERs on the floor were peeking their heads out to see what the commotion was, but were unsure if they should respond. Zack and Kunsel ran past them and to the elevators, hopping on one and heading to The Firsts' floor.
Once the elevator opened back up, Zack ran face first into Angeal.
"Zack!" Angeal said, steading the younger man. Sephiroth and Genesis boarded the elevator while Angeal was distracted. Kunsel made himself invisible in the corner.
"Stay here until I call for you," Angeal commanded, moving Zack out of the way. However, Zack stuck his hand out before the doors could close and squeezed into the elevator.
"I'm coming with you guys! If it's where I think it is, then I need to be there!" He said firmly.
"Ugh, let the puppy come. We don't have time to dawdle!" Genesis groaned, tapping his foot impatiently. Angeal acquiesced, making room for Zack.
Just as Zack expected, the explosion was from The Drum. The doors opened on floor 68. Collapsed walls and floors made it easy to slip down into the secret facility between floors. Dust still floated in the air, making it hard to see.
Mako tanks were destroyed around them, leaking onto the floor. Makonoids roamed the floors but were easily dispatched by Sephiroth, who led the party. They weren't far from the stairwell to Level One when Kunsel yelped.
Everyone whipped around at the sound and tensed at a beast with a flaming tail growling into Kunsel's face. Kunsel had his hands up attempting to push the beast off while avoiding gnashing teeth.
"Woah, Kuns!" Zack yelled, swinging his sword. The beast jumped away then turned to face them, teeth bared. Zack grabbed Kunsel's arm and hauled him upright. "The hell is that?"
"You're not Hojo, nor any of his scientists." The beast growled. Everyone tensed.
"It can talk!" Zack exclaimed, stating the obvious. During the standoff, they were able to get a good look at the talking beast. It had red fur and a brown mane. Gold bangles circled its ankles and wrists and hindlegs. Dark tribal tattoos were painted onto his fur alongside one saying XIII.
"Of course I can. Are you with Hojo?" It said, still posed to pounce.
"Nobody's with that sleazebag," Genesis huffed. "Who are you, my beastly friend?" The tension melted slightly and both sides relaxed a bit.
"I am Red XIII. Who are you, if not with Hojo?" The newly identified Red XIII explained.
"Uh, I'm Zack and the one you tackled is Kunsel." Zack said hesitantly, still unsure of a talking animal. "And the other guys are Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth."
"Wait, Zack?" Red XIII exclaimed. "There was a poor young man nearby who would mumble your name in moments of vague lucidity."
"You've seen Cloud?!" Zack approached, eyes wide.
"Yes. If you're truly here for him, then I'd suggest waiting. He… I don't really know what happened but the explosions were from him. A dark miasma has consumed the floor below. I was there when it started creeping across the floor. Staring at it gave me quite the headache, but luckily the explosion knocked my cage open so I could escape it." Red XIII glanced towards the stairwell.
Zack and Kunsel exchanged a knowing glance. Something was deeply wrong with Cloud if he couldn't even hold his human form. They needed to get to him as fast as possible.
"We'll be fine. We are SOLDIERs, stronger than the average man." Genesis sniffed, turning away. He took a few steps towards the stairs before pausing. "Is this the miasma you mentioned?"
Darkness floated up the stairs and towards them. It was thick and almost looked like liquid as it reached the ceiling. No longer able to go upwards, it turned to fill the area it could reach. The air began to feel thin, as if the miasma was sucking it all up.
"Hey, Kuns, why don't you get Red XIII outta here. I know I can handle this. It's just Cloud." Zack whispered to Kunsel. The man nodded.
"If you insist on going forward, do be careful. I cannot stop you, but I will not go with you." Red XIII said grimly before turning and bounding up the stairs. Kunsel followed.
"What is this?" Angeal said, wincing. He rubbed his temples roughly.
"Close your eyes. Looking at it hurts." Sephiroth said. Sure enough, he had his eyes closed. Genesis and Angeal followed his lead and the relief on their faces was instant. Zack's eyes remained open.
If this was really Cloud… He was beautiful. Like looking at the night sky. Millions of tiny eyes blinked around, staring at everything. Zack reached out to touch Cloud. He was freezing and boiling, solid and mist. He was everything and nothing.
The group made their way down, using the walls and railing as support. As they went further down, however, it was clear something was wrong. The miasma of Cloud cycled through their lungs, through their blood and veins and brains.
Sephiroth was the first to collapse.
"Seph? Sephiroth!" Angeal called out after hearing the echo of his body hitting the floor. He waded through the thick mist, but fell half way there.
"Shit!" Zack exclaimed, watching Genesis begin to speak before he, too, succumbed to whatever was happening to them. Suddenly, he was alone. "I gotta get to Cloud. This isn't good. Not good at all!"
He pushed forward. It was hard to see. Zack remembered the floor plan Kunsel had shown him, and used that as his only frame of reference. If he just continued straight, he should find Cloud's center.
A sudden wave of pressure pushed him back and something nearby exploded. He shielded his face with his arms, waiting a moment to make sure it was safe. Squinting, he tried to make any sort of sense of the space when something caught his eye.
There! The vaguely humanoid shape of Cloud's center wasn't far in front of him. He pushed towards it. The pressure on his body grew as he got closer, but it was nothing.
"Cloud!" Zack screamed. "Cloud! Wake up!"
Nothing happened. Cloud didn't hear him.
Step by step, he approached Cloud's center. He was still so beautiful, but clearly in pain and deeply unaware. Cloud wouldn't have let anyone see this under normal circumstances.
Zack reached out. Cloud's center mass was more solid than the rest. He floated above the floor slightly. It made Zack sad to see Cloud like this; forced into this form and not by his own will. Zack pulled the vague mass into his arms, hugging Cloud tight.
"It's okay, Cloud. Reel yourself in. Come back to me, Spike." Zack whispered, nuzzling into the cold-warmth of Cloud.
There was a guttural gasp from somewhere-nowhere-everywhere. Suddenly, Cloud's center mass phased through his arms. He curled into himself as if in pain. Cloud's voice echoed all around Zack. Some words he could understand, but others were in various different languages he didn't know.
It made his head spin, but he blinked and shook his head, trying to focus back on Cloud. Before he could try speaking again, there was another giant explosion. Light filtered through Cloud's mist. He had just put a hole through the wall to the outside. Zack inhaled.
While Zack was distracted, Cloud slipped through the hole and away from the tower.
In a blink of an eye, all of Cloud was gone.
7.
The aftermath of the destruction became clear after Cloud left. Hojo was dead. There was no body, but his entire uniform was left on the ground. It was as if his body just turned to dust. Maybe that's exactly what happened. There were other abandoned scientist and lab technicians uniforms around the area as well.
It was kind of jarring to see.
Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth were all fine. Well, physically fine. There were clearly changes deep within them, but nobody knew what those changes were.
Except for Sephiroth getting a new eye color…?
Zack stared at the man's eyes, once a vibrant green, now a deep brown with streaks of green from mako. Okay…
Still, there were more pressing issues to deal with. Such as how half of the tower had collapsed and slid down onto Sectors 2-4. Nobody knew where President Shinra was either. Some of the members of the Board of Directors were yet to be accounted for, as well.
And Cloud was still missing.
It was all a mess.
The Firsts (and Zack…) were in Lazard's office. The man looked exhausted. Whether it was even safe to be here was ignored for the moment. Sephiroth was leaning back in a chair, Genesis was pacing, and Angeal was leaning against a wall. All three were on edge.
"So, you're telling me that was the AWOL Infantryman Cloud Strife?" Lazard said. He sounded as exhausted as he looked. "And how did you know about his… about him?"
Zack grimaced. "I've known since that mission a few months back. The one with those higher tier escaped lab specimens. He kinda saved my life." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Angeal's eyes lit up with recognition, then realization.
"Just great. There's reports of a giant dark mass around Nibelheim's reactor. I assume it's Cloud. You seem to be able to get through to him just fine, so I'm sending you to deal with that. Sephiroth's going to be accompanying you, too." Lazard waved his hand dismissively. "One of the Turks will fly you there."
Zack saluted.
9.
Kunsel had learned Red XIII was from Cosmo Canyon. It was easy to convince Rude, their pilot Turk, to take him home after dropping them off in Rocket Town. Zack thought he was still thrown off by a talking animal. He didn't blame Rude; Red XIII still caught him off guard sometimes.
They couldn't fly directly to Nibelheim. It was too windy. Instead, they landed in Rocket Town and took a van up the mountains.
Nibelheim was a small village. Smaller than Gongaga, even. It wasn't surprising. Cloud had told him Nibelheim got dangerously cold in the winter. It was a wonder how anyone lived there at all.
The moment they exited the car, the pressure pushed down on them. It was a familiar pressure.
"Cloud's here!" Zack exclaimed, glancing towards Mt. Nibel where the reactor was. He could see the dark, swirling mass in the distance. It swallowed the reactor, but Zack couldn't tell if Cloud had truly destroyed it or was just covering it.
Still, why did he come here? There's reactors closer to Midgar. Something clearly made him come here. Zack turned to Sephiroth. The man had a pinched look on his face.
"Are you here to deal with that Thing?" A voice suddenly called out. Both Zack and Sephiroth turned to the man approaching them. He looked bad.
"We are." Sephiroth replied coolly.
"I'm Brian Lockhart, the mayor. If you're going up there, y'all're going to need a guide. No way I'm sending my daughter up there, though. When we tried going up, it just made all our migraines worse. Not even she was spared. I don't know what's up there, but y'all better deal with it. Claudia Strife is the only one unaffected. I'm sure she can take y'all up there." Brian crossed his arms.
Claudia! Cloud's mom! Zack had heard about her strength and perseverance from Cloud. She was a single mom raising a son alone. A son who wasn't human, at that. He didn't understand why he and Claudia weren't affected by Cloud's mental attacks, but it would be best to take her with him.
"Where does Claudia live?" Sephiroth asked. Brian pointed to a house near the forest edge. They thanked Brian and headed to the house.
Claudia Strife looked so much like Cloud. It was almost like looking at an older, female version of Cloud, actually. Hmm.
"Are you Zack?" She questioned. Zack perked up. Had Cloud talked about him to Claudia?
"I am," he replied, giddy.
Her face softened. "My son mentioned you. I'm glad you're here. I can't get up the mountain alone. There are some stronger beasts on the path that I couldn't handle by myself."
Sephiroth breathed out. It was clear he was being affected by Cloud. "We should leave as soon as possible." Zack agreed. He wanted to see Cloud.
The trek up the mountain was slow. Just as Claudia said, there were many Nibel wolves, a few dragons, and other creatures. They were clearly agitated and not thinking clearly, so dispatching them wasn't as hard.
As they approached the fence around the reactor, Sephiroth's head suddenly whipped towards the treeline. A gunshot rang out, and Sephiroth hopped out of the way. A red form swirled towards them.
It wasn't part of Cloud. This was something else. Whatever it was reformed and revealed a tall man with black hair and a red cape. "Who are you?" He asked, pointing a gun at them.
"Who are you?" Sephiroth snarked back.
"I am a man who is supposed to be repenting for his sins. However, whatever this thing is has interrupted my sleep." The still unnamed man replied.
"My name is Sephiroth. We are with Shinra and are here to deal with the reactor." Sephiroth said, tense. His hand was on Masamune, ready to draw it if needed.
"Wait, Sephiroth?" The man was suddenly in front of Sephiroth. "I knew your mother. She was…"
Sephiroth interrupted. "You knew Jenova?"
Before the man could reply, Cloud lashed out. Sephiroth and the man collapsed in near agony. Was it something they said?
"I'm going in. Talk later." Zack said, rushing into the miasma.
Light footsteps behind Zack alerted him to the fact Claudia was following. He slowed to let her catch up.
"Are you going to be okay?" He asked.
"Of course. Cloud's my son. He'll listen to me. He better listen to me." She replied sternly. Thousands of eyes surrounding them focused on Claudia, then on Zack. They followed as he and Claudia made their way inside the reactor.
The place was eroded. Maybe it had something to do with how long Cloud had been here or something. Either way, they probably needed to get Cloud and leave as fast as possible. There was no telling how stable the reactor was.
Cloud's presence got stronger towards the mako pumps. It was still hard to see more than three feet in front of them. Claudia hung onto Zack's arm so they wouldn't get separated.
Finally, they found him. His core was consuming something. He ripped and tore into a mass of flesh and sinew, chewing and crunching and devouring it in large chunks. Zack held a hand over his mouth. Whatever it was left a horrid stench in the air.
"Cloud Strife!" Claudia yelled in an authoritative tone. The sounds of eating quieted for only a moment before continuing. Hysterically, it reminded Zack of someone catching a dog eating something it shouldn't. But Cloud wasn't a dog. He was an essence from space. He was Zack's friend. He was Zack's crush, his everything.
Undeterred, Claudia approached and shook Cloud. Some part of him turned to look at them. Recognition bounced around his form. Zack could taste it on his tongue.
("Ma." "Devour." "Bad." "Evil." "Must consume." "Ma is here." "Save." "Parasite." "CONSUME." "Jenova." "Listen to ma." Cloud only had one goal. He must consume her. Consume it. The entity so close to himself yet so different. The entity whose will tried to overtake his own. It must pay.)
With a final crunch, whatever Cloud had been eating was absorbed into him. After that, Cloud just stayed there, kneeling in front of a giant, broken mako pod. Claudia pulled him into a hug and began speaking to him in Old Nibel.
Zack shook his head to refocus and went to hug Cloud as well.
"Come on, Cloudy," he murmured. "Let's go home. Your ma's here. I'm here. You're safe." Zack hesitated, glancing at Claudia. She had a knowing look in her eyes. "I love you. I love you so much. Please come back. I promise I'll take you on any type of date you want."
Slowly, the pressure eased. Cloud slowly pulled back into himself. Spiky blond hair, long blond eyelashes, fair skin. Cloud was back. He was feverish and unconscious. His cheeks were flushed and a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Zack stood and scooped him up out of Claudia's arms.
"Let's go." He said softly.
10.
Zack sat at the kitchen table. Claudia placed a cup of tea in front of him and he thanked her.
Sephiroth and the man with the red cape, Vincent, had left to talk in private. Zack hoped things went well for them.
The reactor was destroyed. It caved in as they left, nearly killing them. But they were safe. Cloud was asleep in his room, still with a fever.
"It was 18 years ago when Cloud came to me," Claudia started. "It was a clear night. The stars were so bright, and twinkled wondrously. The rest of the village was asleep, but I was still awake. I can't remember why, but maybe it was fate."
"A shooting star crossed the sky, and I made a wish. I wished for a better world. Then, the shooting star got closer and closer. I watched as it burned and glowed. It crashed into the forest. I snuck out of the house and made my way over, following the smoke in the sky."
"A dark mass left a small crater in the soil. It was not a rock. I touched it and it was warm. Something bit me, drawing blood. And suddenly, the mass reformed itself into a baby. The baby wailed into the night. I picked him up."
Claudia sipped on her tea, staring out the window. "I did not give birth to him, but he is mine. I may not understand what he truly is, but I love him just the way he is."
Zack stared at her.
"I love him so much."
"I know you do, Zack. I know. You have my blessing."
11.
Shinra was still a thing. The previous president had perished when a section of the tower collapsed, so it was now headed by Rufus Shinra. He was horribly pompous and annoying, but he was going to try and turn Shinra into a better place.
The truth about how SOLDIER came to be was thrust into the light after Sephiroth spoke to Vincent. Genesis and Angeal learned of their place in the experiments. Safe to say they were not happy at all.
Reparations were being paid to anyone affected. That included Wutai, of whom Shinra was currently holding peace talks with. That also included those who lost their homes and their loved ones when the tower collapsed. It was looking to be real expensive, but that was something Rufus was going to have to deal with.
All in all, things were hopefully looking up.
Zack stared out the window into the plains of Kalm. Cloud didn't want to return to Shinra after what had happened, so they left together to become delivery drivers of all things. It wasn't that bad of a business, honestly.
He preferred it. If you had asked him a year ago, though, he would've rolled his eyes. Now, knowing what he did, Zack was glad to be out of there.
Not that Shinra wasn't involved in their eyes, though. The Turks watched them since Cloud was deemed a person of interest. Zack would die before allowing anything to happen to Cloud, but Turks were like cockroaches. Can't really get them to leave, so as long as they didn't do anything funny, he'd just leave them be.
Lost in thought, Zack missed the black mist surrounding him until the vague feeling of arms wrapped around him. He blinked then smiled.
"Hiya, Spikey, what's up?" He turned to hug as much of Cloud's malleable center as he could. It was an honor that Cloud felt comfortable enough to see this part of him. He still refused to let anyone else but Zack and Claudia see it.
"What are you thinking about?" Cloud asked. His voice echoed all around them.
"Nothing much. Just how much has changed." Zack said, rubbing his cheek against Cloud.
"Mhmm," Cloud agreed, nuzzling back just like a cat as he reformed into a human.
"I love you, Cloud." Zack smiled. "Love every part of you. Even the thousands of eyes that just stare at me, unblinking.
"Love you too, Zack."