Crisis Core: The Novel

Chapter 41 - Striketeam

Cloud and Zack messed with each other on the helicopter like little boys on a school bus, but when they saw their SOLDIER 3rd Class companion slumped snoring against the window, it was on. A flash of mercurial evil gleamed in Zack's eyes, and Cloud picked up on it, adopting the same wicked spark in his own gaze that until now had been so tranquil. Oh Zack was such a bad influence.

They drew on his face and arms, pot-marking him with phallic symbols and fake makeup. Zack drew hooker-eyelashes on him with the concentration of a makeup artist, and Cloud drew male genitalia next to his mouth. Zack's eyes flew wide, giving him silent props. Cloud was like that kid in the back of the classroom who never said anything and then one day mouthed off to the teacher making her cry and quit her job, but Zack was like that little boy who'd be brought home by the cops for pulling the same illegal stunt over and over again. Sure he'd get caught, but the devilish deed would still be done. They took their buddy's helmet and Zack pulled a sandwich out of his sac-lunch, discarding all the fillings and squeezing all their mayo packets in between the bread slices—twenty in all. They put the bread in between the webbing of his helmet and set it back on his lap, chuckling like gremlins.

Sephiroth sat with his legs crossed in reserved silence, observing the two boys romping around like puppies. He seemed to enjoy watching them play, the older instructing the younger in the art of being dastardly. As he gazed from his peripherals at Cloud and Zack making a ruckus, something stirred behind his eyes, deep and welling, yet illusive.

When they'd satisfied themselves by setting the sleeping SOLDIER's ringtone to a girlish bubblegum-pop song they found hidden in his playlist, they settled back into their seats. The big silver man stared at the little blonde boy who now sat across from him in silence.

"You are Cloud Strife."

Cloud froze. Sephiroth was speaking to him. His eyes shot up from under his helmet, whirling at the hero of Shinra addressing him.

"Um, yessir," he nodded.

"A Shinra Guard. Do you enjoy your work?"

Cloud struggled in his mind to come up with a succinct answer, but his thoughts clunked together like kitchen pans. Sephiroth implored further. "...What do you enjoy doing in your spare time off-duty, Cloud? Do you game like this guy here?"

Zack smiled a big HIIII next to Sephiroth and Cloud found his thoughts.

"I, uh, I read. I read a lot."

And Zack rolled his eyes. Everyone in this outfit was just a big dork, except him.

"What do you read?" Sephiroth implored further, ignoring the bored kid next to him who shifted in his seat.

"...Anything really. Everything. Anything I can get my hands on."

"And you want to be SOLDIER."

He stopped, realizing how ridiculous a little twerp like him talking about his dreams to an elite operator like Sephiroth must seem. Cloud sunk right back into his shell, preparing for the abusive lecture he knew was coming, until the slightest grin crossed Sephiroth's eyes. "...You should go to school first, do a few years in SOLDIER when you get out and move right into upper-management. That's the mistake your brother Zack and I made by not doing..."

Cloud gasped, his eyebrows hit the roof of the chopper. He knew what he'd meant, that everyone in the unit was family, and he guessed Sephiroth was giving him a compliment by saying it applied to him too, that maybe he would make SOLDIER after all. But something about the way he said it, so blatant and blunt, made everything inside Cloud crash together