The mighty have fallen

“The mighty have fallen”
Part 15


Sephiroth never said a word as the helicopter arrived and they loaded Cloud, Rude and the two boys into it. There wasn’t room for more so he and the others had to make their own way back to the barricades. Sephiroth spotted Fenrir and he knew that Cloud would be very upset if his beloved motorcycle was left behind to risk damage by falling rubble and monsters. He motioned Tifa over and she followed him to the bike. He inserted Cloud’s sword into the sheath designed to hold it and turned to Tifa.

“Can you ride?”

She looked at the bike with round eyes and shook her head. Sephiroth sighed. He’d noticed the blond woman moving gingerly and he was going to suggest that Tifa take her on the bike and go on ahead, with Nanaki running alongside for added protection. He looked at the blonde Turk and said; “What about you? Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?”

“Yes,” Elena answered hesitantly, “but this isn’t an ordinary cycle and my shoulder’s sore, so I’ll have to take it slower than usual.”

“Good enough,” Sephiroth said. “You and Ms. Lockheart ride to the base encampment. Nanaki, I want you to go with them.”

Tifa was confused. “I’m not hurt…why do you want me to go?”

Sephiroth stepped closer to her. “The Turk girl is hurt and she’ll need added protection. We can’t leave Cloud’s motorcycle here. Someone needs to be there to watch over Cloud and make sure he gets the care he needs. As his oldest friend I thought you’d be the most logical choice. Do I need to explain further?”

“I understand,” she said as she searched his face. “I’ll look after him.”

“Good,” Sephiroth replied shortly. He peered around and spotted Yuffie. Turning to Nanaki he asked; “Do you feel strong enough to carry a passenger?”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Yuffie griped, having guessed where he was going with the question. “Save the sexism for someone else. I’m sticking with Vinny.” She grabbed Vincent’s arm and put on a stubborn face. Vincent looked at her with an expression long-suffering patience generally found on the face of a parent used to dealing with an unruly, stubborn child.

“Sexism?” Sephiroth inquired.

“Oh, don’t play dumb,” The ninja girl sighed, “You’re trying to get all of the girls out of here faster. I’m just as capable as any of you penis wielders!”

Sephiroth’s mouth almost twitched in response to the term “penis wielders”. He cleared his throat. “My suggestion was based on your weight, not your gender. We should get everyone out of here as quickly as possible. Nanaki can cover more ground and you’re the lightest person here.”

“Oh,” Yuffie said, looking somewhat contrite. “Well, I’m still staying with the group. The more of us there are, the better.”

“It isn’t productive to argue with her, at this point,” Vincent said with a faint quirk to his lips.

“So I’ve noticed,” sighed Sephiroth. He turned to Elena, Tifa and Nanaki. “Then the three of you just go.”

“Watch yourself, girl,” Barret said to Tifa. “Just get to Spiky and don’t worry ‘bout us.”

As they took off, Reno asked; “I’ve got a question for ya…why the urgency? We’ve got the people to handle ourselves if we run into any more freaks.”

“The sun will be setting soon,” Vincent answered, having guessed Sephiroth’s reasons and agreed with them. “Navigating in the dark isn’t an issue for me, nor I suspect for Sephiroth. The rest of you, however…”

“Oh,” Reno and Cid said in unison.

~********************************~

Cloud felt like his right thigh was on fire and being chewed on at the same time. His whole leg throbbed and his body was overheated. He moaned faintly as he was lifted, jostled and lifted again. He vaguely heard people talking as if from a great distance, but the words were like gibberish.

The last thing he remembered was looking up at Sephiroth, who looked like an angel with prismatic glow pulsing around his head. He’d been too out of it to realize that the glow was just the effect of the Wall spell the general had activated. He’d lost consciousness after that and woken up to pain.

Now all he could see what a white blur when he tried to open his eyes. He felt something prick his left arm and he tried to recoil from it, but hands held him down. Something rubbery pressed down on his face, covering his nose and mouth. He struggled against his restrainers and cursed, adrenaline giving him added strength.

Tifa’s face came into focus above him, haloed by the white light. “Cloud? Stop struggling, they’re trying to help you!” She said.

“That injection and the gas should have put him out by now,” an unknown female voice said from somewhere to Cloud’s right. “We need to put him under…under…under…”

An odd buzzing sound followed the echo of the mystery woman’s voice and Tifa’s face blurred. Darkness again claimed him.

~****************************~

“Okay, he’s out,” the anesthesiologist said with relief. “Talk about stubborn!”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to leave the tent, my dear,” the doctor said to Tifa. “Try not to worry, we’ll get Strife’s wound cleaned and stitched in no time. With any luck, the infection hasn’t had time to grow too severe.”

Tifa stared down at her pale, stricken friend as they started him on an IV and a blood transfusion. “What’s going to happen if the infection is severe?” Her voice was raw and strained.

“That…depends,” The doctor said. “Let’s not worry about that now.” He laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. “Go and get some rest and we’ll send word to you as soon as we’ve finished.”

“This way, Tifa,” Tseng murmured as he gently took her arm to guide her away. She allowed him to do so reluctantly, looking over her shoulder at Cloud as they left. Tseng took her into another tent that was furnished with chairs, cots, blankets and a television with an aerial for receiving broadcasts. Nanaki was curled up miserably on a blanket there and when he saw her arrive, he stood up hopefully. Always polite, Tseng guided Tifa to a chair and turned the TV on, flipping it to a channel broadcasting a sit-com. “Would you like something to eat, or perhaps some coffee or hot coco?”

Tifa looked up at the Turk briefly and shook her head. Tseng regarded her silently for a moment before kneeling down in front of her and catching her gaze. “We’ve brought a very competent medical team with us,” he assured her, “you can’t do your friend any good if you exhaust or starve yourself. I’m sure the rest of your group will be here soon but in the meantime, I really think you should try to relax and rest.”

The barmaid chewed her bottom lip and nodded. “Thank you. Tseng, will Cloud lose his leg?”

His expression was politely ignorant. “I’m no doctor, and I can’t tell the future. I wish I could answer that question but all I can say is that the medical staff will do all in their power to stop the infection from spreading to a point where it would come to that.”

“This is my fault,” Tifa whispered, her voice breaking as she clasped her hands in her lap. “If I hadn’t gone to his house and asked him to come—“

“Knowing Strife, he would have come regardless and the same thing would have happened,” Tseng interrupted firmly yet gently. “He’s a fighter and he knew the risks. It could have easily been you lying in that hospital stretcher, so there’s no purpose to blaming yourself for his decision.”

Tifa looked up at him again thoughtfully, blinking tears out of her eyes. “I love him,” she said softly. “Not in a romantic way, but he’s like family to me now. Please, make sure he gets all the care your staff can give him.”

“I will,” Tseng promised. “Now, try to relax and I’ll bring you something to eat and drink.”

When the Turk left, Nanaki rested a paw on Tifa’s leg and said; “I don’t trust the medics here to take the more difficult route and give their full attention to saving Cloud’s leg. I fear they’ll give up on it too soon and choose the simpler path of amputation.”

Tifa looked at him with horror and tears spilled down her cheeks. “We…we can’t let that happen, Nanaki. Can you think of any way to stall it until the others get here?”

“Perhaps,” the lion considered. “I can at least try. You should stay remain here. If Tseng returns and you aren’t here, it could raise suspicion.”

Tifa reluctantly agreed and bowed her head, trying to hold her tears at bay.

Nanaki exited the tent, moving casually out in the open to avoid arousing suspicions. The humans tended to overlook him as a beast of lesser intelligence. While that normally grated on his nerves, it worked to his advantage now. Most of them only spared a curious glance at him, a couple patted him on the head as he passed and he swallowed his pride and didn’t react to the indignant treatment. He approached the medical tent where they held Cloud and he peered around with crafty orange eyes, searching for some way to stall for time.

As he moved around the side of the tent, he heard the doctor inside say: “We don’t have the time to try and save this leg and we have to preserve our resources. It’s going to have to come off.”

Nanaki snarled silently, his heart thumping heavily. ~I knew it! Those lazy, cold-hearted humans! I’ve got to stop them!~

A smile curved he feline lips when he moved around the back of the tent and saw the unguarded power generator. He glanced around to be sure nobody was in sight and approached the machinery, eyeing the different cables and labels. He didn’t want to risk harm to Cloud by pulling the plug on something required to keep him stable, so he avoided the cords labeled “med equipment”. After a few moments, he found one labeled “lights”. Without further hesitation he gently closed his teeth around the cord and pulled.

A commotion resulted inside. “Something must have tripped the fuse! Send someone to check the generator, I need light!”

Nanaki quickly slinked beneath a nearby supply truck and waited. After a few moments, a pair of guards came around from the front of the tent and approached the generator. “Huh,” one of them said with a puzzled frown as he picked up the cord. “That’s weird. Maybe someone tripped on it.” He plugged it back into the socket and he briefly looked around with his companion. When they didn’t spot anything they shrugged at each other and started back.

Nanaki waited until they were out of sight before he crept out from under the truck and pulled the cord free again. He dove beneath the vehicle and felt a little guilty for getting some amusement out of the cursing from inside of the tent that inevitably followed. He put a paw over his mouth to stifle a chuckle and watched the same guards return again.

“What the hell?” exclaimed the sandy-haired guard who had re-plugged it the last time. His dark haired companion scanned the area with narrowed eyes.

“Wait,” said the dark-haired guard. “Maybe we should have a look at it and make sure it isn’t the circuit. I’ve heard a tripped breaker can make the plug pop out sometimes.”

“I’ve never heard of that,” the other guard replied doubtfully.

“Well, there’s nobody around and who in their right mind would sabotage the medical tent anyway? Let’s look just to be sure.”

Both men knelt and inspected the generator for a couple of minutes, then shrugged again at each other when they didn’t find anything significant. “Maybe someone inside pulled it by accident,” suggested the fair-haired one.

“Maybe,” agreed the other. He plugged it back in again and they returned to their post at the front of the tent.

Nanaki repeated his earlier actions, this time shaking with silent laughter as the doctor inside cussed up a storm and the guards hurried back again.

“That’s it,” the sandy-haired one snapped in frustration. “Someone’s playing a prank. You can’t tell me the damned plug is really jumping out of the socket on its own!”

The dark-haired guard spread his hands in bewilderment. “We’ve searched the area already and I haven’t seen anyone sneaking around from the side. What other explanation is there?”

The sandy-haired one started to reply but closed his mouth and looked at the truck that Nanaki was hiding beneath. “What’s that?” he said, looking at Nanaki’s reflective eyes. Both of them approached the truck cautiously, drawing their guns.

~Oh, no!~ the lion thought. He considered trying to retreat out the back, but they’d already spotted his eyes and the glowing tip of his tail was an even bigger giveaway. The guards knelt down and peered directly at him, recognition lighting their features.

“Ah-ha…it’s Strife’s lion friend,” the dark-haired one said with a sigh. “Fooling with the cords, were you?”

Nanaki put forth his best effort to look like a stupid beast. “Uh…meow?”

~*****************************~

Tifa felt her heart plummet to her shoes when Nanaki came back under the escort of two guards. The lion’s eyes met hers in silent communication, sharing dread.

“You need to keep an eye on this fellow, Miss,” the dark-haired guard told her, “he was playing with the power cords by the medical tent and he could have cost someone their life. He might be smart for a lion but he’s still a cat and kitties like to play.”

She didn’t bother to correct him. “I’ll be more careful,” she said through numb lips. The guards left and Nanaki sat down beside her miserably.

“They are going to amputate,” the lion whispered. “I’m sorry, Tifa. I stalled it for a time but they discovered me.”

“I…I’m going outside for some fresh air,” she said faintly. “Will you walk with me?”

He nodded, snuffling softly.

~********************************~

Cloud opened his eyes to find himself in a familiar field of flowers. The warmth of sunshine eased the pain out of his muscles and he stood up and stretched, looking around. “Aeris?” he called.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he whirled around.

“Boo,” Aeris said with a smile, her green eyes alive and sparkling.

“’Boo’ yourself,” Cloud grinned, swallowing a lump. “Thanks for coming.”

Her thick hair shone in the sunlight and her smile was warm. “Of course I came! I don’t get to see you very often, these days. I just wish it wasn’t because you were hurt.”

“Yeah,” Cloud scratched his head and almost stumbled as he put too much weight on his right leg. It didn’t exactly hurt, but there was an uncomfortable tingle in his thigh and the muscles felt weak. “I did something to my leg, but I can’t remember.”

She gazed at him with tender concern. “You should try to be more careful, Cloud. But, now you have Sephiroth to look out for you.”

Cloud closed his eyes, feeling guilty. “So you know about the two of us.”

“Yes. I want you to be happy. Besides, he wasn’t the one that brought me here.”

Cloud’s eyes opened to regard her and he frowned. “Aeris, did you know all along that it wasn’t really Sephiroth?”

She looked sad and she nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Cloud demanded. He didn’t ask harshly—it was impossible for him to be harsh with Aeris. He just wanted to understand.

“I thought about it,” she answered as she picked a flower and examined it, “but I didn’t think it mattered. We were trying to stop evil and I never really knew how you felt about him until recently. I can only watch; I’ve never been able to see what’s inside of people’s heads and hearts.” She met his eyes again and her expression was apologetic. “If I’d have known, I would have told you as soon as I realized what the Sephiroth we were facing really was. I’m sorry, Cloud.”

“I understand,” he said, “don’t be upset. I just wish I’d have known. Maybe I could have done more if I knew he wasn’t really—“

“No, you couldn’t have,” Aeris interjected with a sweet smile. “I know you did everything in your power to protect me, Cloud. Knowing it wasn’t the real Sephiroth wouldn’t have made you any more willing to protect your friends and the planet, though it probably would have made it easier on you. Please stop doubting yourself.”

“Yeah kid, stop blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong in the world,” a male voice said from behind Cloud’s shoulder. “You know what I think is funny? The guy hardly breaks a sweat against baddies like Jenova but put him in a house and he’s down for the count.”

Cloud turned his head to look into bright, blue-violet eyes. “Boo,” Zack said with a grin, prompting a smile from the blonde. “How are you feeling, buddy?”

“Tired, mostly,” Cloud answered. “How about you?”

“Well, there isn’t much to feel here by the way of mortal senses, but I can tell you I’m really thrilled about you and Sexyroth.”

Cloud blushed, his sapphire eyes going round while Zack and Aeris chuckled. “Okay, first of all, I called him that when I was a frustrated teenager,” Cloud defended bashfully, “and second…well, I guess there isn’t a second. How much do you guys spy on me anyway?”

“Don’t worry, we don’t invade your privacy,” Aeris assured him with an amused wink. “We don’t even really ‘watch’, per say, except on rare occasions. We just sort of know what’s happening with everyone we love.”

“Uh…how much do you ‘know’?” Cloud dared to ask, wanting to melt into the ground with embarrassment.

“We don’t get all of the spicy details, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Zack said with a wink. “What do you take us for, a couple of pervs?” To Aeris, he said; “He’s cute when he blushes, isn’t he?”

“Very,” She agreed, stroking Cloud’s flushed cheek with a giggle. “Don’t worry Cloud. All we know are basic details. Whatever the two of you do together doesn’t make it through. It’s against the rules here to peep.”

Cloud was relieved. “There are actually rules about that?”

“Well, yeah,” Zack said with an incredulous grin. “I mean, can you imagine a bunch of dead people watching you every time you take a dump or a shower or have sex?” He shivered. “There has to be boundaries, ya know.”

“Thank goodness for small favors,” Cloud muttered. He grimaced as a pain shot through his thigh and his two companions both sobered and looked at his leg.

“Okay, our time is just about up,” Zack said as he squeezed the blonde’s shoulder. “You’ve gotta be strong, Cloud.”

Cloud regarded him suspiciously. “That doesn’t sound good. What’s up?”

“Just remember, your friends are there for you and we’re watching over you,” Aeris said softly.

The pain in Cloud’s thigh increased and he had to put all of his weight on his other leg. Comprehension began to surface in his mind and he looked each of his friends in the eye. “Is something going to happen to my leg?”

Zack and Aeris looked at one another, then back at him.

“We don’t know,” Zack answered with a frown. “It depends on how things go.”

“We can’t see the future,” said Aeris, “only the present. Just remember to fight, okay Cloud?”

“I will,” he promised, swallowing. He began to have trouble focusing on them. “I guess I’m leaving now.”

“Yeah,” Zack said. “Take care of yourself, Cloud.”

~*************************~

Tifa stood at the fence of the encampment, watching the sunset. She absently stroked Nanaki’s ears and tried to be brave for Cloud’s sake. “We’ll make sure he has all the help he needs,” she whispered.

“Of course,” Nanaki agreed in a choked voice.

Tifa tried not to imagine the saw cutting off Cloud’s leg, tried not to imagine the look on his face when he woke up. If only a Cure Materia could have healed it! But the metal shard was filthy and rusty…closing the wound wouldn’t have stopped the infection.

Her thoughts froze as she spotted several figures approaching from Midgar on the winding path up the hill. Her heart hammered in her chest and she squinted. There was no doubt about it…the lead figure was Sephiroth. Her friends were coming back…there was still hope!

“Nanaki, do you see them?” she cried, pointing.

“Yes! I’m going!” The lion bounded away, running as fast as his paws could carry him and leaping the fence between two startled guards. He howled as he approached, warning them that all wasn’t well.

Sephiroth stopped as Nanaki skidded to a halt before him. “No time,” the lion panted, “they’re going to remove Cloud’s leg instead of trying to fight the infection!”

Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed to slits and he plowed ahead. The others followed quickly behind. When they reached the gate, one of the guards began to ask a question and Sephiroth shoved him aside so hard he flew through the air and landed several feet away. The other guards began to react and Cait Sith hollered for them to stand down.

~*******************************~

Dr. Alerick took the bone saw from the nurse and started to lower it to the patient’s exposed leg, where the blue line had been marked horizontally across his thigh a few inches above the wound. He heard a commotion in the background but he remained focused on his task.

“Hey, you can’t just bust in here!” someone yelled.

The doctor paused briefly in annoyance and took a moment to regain his concentration. As he began to lower the saw again, the curtain surrounding the surgery area was yanked open and a black-gloved hand caught his wrist in a vice-like grip. Dr. Alerick looked up in surprised shock and paled when he stared into the emerald gaze of Sephiroth.

“I suggest you rethink that decision, doctor.” The general’s cat-like eyes promised him that he had no choice but to comply with the suggestion, unless he wanted to suffer horribly. Behind Sephiroth stood most of the team Strife brought with him, all of them looking grim and threatening.

“It’s infected,” the doctor tried to explain, “it could go gangrene and kill him.”

“It hasn’t yet,” Vincent observed.

“Amputation will only be used as a last resort,” Sephiroth continued in a dark, dangerous tone, holding the frightened man’s gaze. “Is that understood?”

The doctor nodded convulsively and Sephiroth released him. The general stared down at Cloud’s pale countenance and covered his exposed leg with the sheet, then removed the gas mask from his face.

“I…I’ll have him moved to recovery and put on 24/7 observation,” the doctor said.

“That’s wise of you,” Sephiroth murmured. He looked at the rest of the group. “Someone has to be here at all times to make sure they don’t get hasty with their medical equipment. Nobody lets a doctor near Strife with any cutting tool unless he’ll die without it.”

There were certainly no objections from Cloud’s friends and Reno felt that he and the Turks were indebted to Cloud and owed him the chance to keep his leg, at least. Even if that weren’t the case, he wasn’t suicidal. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Sephiroth would put major hurt on the first person to so much as look at Cloud the wrong way.

~*****************************~

After they moved Cloud to the recovery section of the large tent, a nurse came and gave him a shot of antibiotics, nervously explaining what it was to Sephiroth and waiting for his nod before giving it. She also injected some morphine into his IV to manage his pain before leaving. Everyone was crowded around the area, watching and wondering what was going to happen to their friend. Sephiroth sat by the bed and brooded silently. He didn’t join in the soft conversation between the others. He just sat with his eyes lowered and a frown on his face.

After a while, Cloud’s lashes fluttered and he stirred. Everyone went quiet as his bright blue eyes opened slowly. His pupils were dilated from the drugs and he blinked with disorientation. Eventually he saw his audience and was able to focus his vision enough to recognize them all.

“Hey,” he said faintly.

“Welcome back, Spiky!” Barret said in a gruff voice. The others greeted him warmly as well, except for Sephiroth—who gazed down at him with a slight softening to his features.

“Did we…get the kids and…the Turks out okay?” he slurred, seeming to struggle to keep his eyes open.

“Yup,” Yuffie informed with a grin. “Rude’s resting in his own tent and the boy that was trapped got out of it with a twisted ankle. You took the worst beating.”

Cloud shifted and immediately moaned in pain, reaching down with one hand to touch his damaged leg. He seemed relieved when he felt the limb there and his friends looked at each other, horrified by the realization that he was aware he might lose the leg. Sephiroth impulsively reached out and stroked the blonde’s hair out of his eyes. Cloud settled and looked up at him dazedly. His cracked lips smiled gently and he sighed; “You got me out.”

“Yes,” Sephiroth murmured in agreement.

Cloud’s golden brows furrowed at the strained expression on the taller man’s face. “What’s…what’s that look? Were you…worried?”

Sephiroth glanced around uncomfortably. “I thought you might not make it,” he whispered.

Cloud gave him a sweet smile. “Did that make you…sad?”

The innocent question and sleepy blue eyes hurt Sephiroth’s chest. He nodded silently, all too aware of the audience but unable to refuse Cloud a response.

“Guys, I think we should give them some privacy,” Tifa said, her face heating. The others didn’t seem to hear her. They were enthralled like soap addicts on a Sunday—except for Vincent, who quietly left the tent.

Cloud struggled to move, groaning softly. Sephiroth put a hand on his chest and gently restrained him, shaking his head. “Don’t,” the general murmured. “You should rest.”

“I have to…tell you something important,” Cloud slurred, “I’ve wanted to say it for a long…time.”

“You’re heavily medicated,” Sephiroth said in a gentle tone, stroking the blonde’s hair again. “It can wait for later.”

Cloud shook his head weakly and licked his lips, his sapphire eyes fighting to keep focused on the other man’s face. “Nuh-uh. I wanna say it now…while I’ve got…the courage. I know…what I feel.”

“Come on, guys,” Tifa said again, “this is private!”

Finally agreeing with her that it was getting too personal to listen in, most of them began to leave. Yuffie remained rooted to the spot, her brown eyes wide and tearing up as she watched Cloud struggle to say what was so damned obvious. Tifa grabbed her arm in exasperation and dragged her out, ignoring her harshly whispered protests.

Sephiroth looked over his shoulder and felt relief that they had some privacy. Cloud was squeezing one of his hands weakly when he turned back to him. The blue eyes were earnest even though they were drugged as they looked up at him, and Sephiroth allowed a smile for him alone. “What is it, Cloud?”

“I love you,” the blonde said, smiling as if a weight were lifting. “I…I always have, Sephiroth.”

Sephiroth lowered his eyes and stared blankly at the floor.

~God, Strife…I thought I thought I knew that already but hearing you say it makes me feel dizzy. How did this happen to me?~

“S-Sephiroth?” Cloud murmured.

Sephiroth raised his eyes from the floor and looked at him again. He tried to say something but he couldn’t find his voice. He swallowed, trying again, and Cloud smiled at him.

“It’s okay,” the blonde whispered, stroking his hand. “I didn’t say it…so you’d say it too. I just wanted you to know.” Even in his drugged state, he noticed that the right sleeve of Sephiroth’s jacket was torn open and he saw the bloodstained bandage wrapped around his lower arm. “You’d better have that…taken care of.”

“I will,” Sephiroth answered softly.

Cloud sighed and relaxed, looking up at the ceiling with heavy-lidded eyes. “Am I…going to lose my leg?”

A surge of emotion went through Sephiroth and he shook his head. “No.”

Cloud’s sleepy eyes flicked to him and he smirked weakly. “You’re not…lying…are you?”

Sephiroth leaned closer and kept his eyes on Cloud’s. “You aren’t losing your leg,” he said in a firm whisper.

Cloud smiled again, his eyes closing. “I…believe you,” he sighed.

Sephiroth continued to stroke Cloud’s soft hair with his free hand until he fell asleep. He watched him for a few minutes, then hesitantly lowered his mouth to his and kissed the parted, chapped lips. When he stood up and turned to go, he found that he had an audience comprised of all of the girls and Cait Sith, watching from the entrance of the tent.

“Fuck it,” Sephiroth muttered. There were more important things to worry about than whether Strife’s tag-team knew he cared about him. Sephiroth spotted the doctor and he motioned him over. The man knew better than to refuse and he obeyed. Sephiroth leaned down and whispered in the man’s ear, then pulled back and looked him in the eye, smiling evilly at him and waggling his brows once before clapping him roughly on the arm and leaving the tent.

Cloud’s friends witnessed the scene in bewilderment, watching as Dr. Alerick’s face turned five shades of pale while Sephiroth walked away from the man. When the general stepped outside to join them, Tifa mustered the nerve to question him.

“What did you just say to the doctor?” She asked.

“I gave him incentive,” Sephiroth replied evenly, not pausing his stride. “I’ll be back after I eat something.”

~*******************************~

-To be continued