The Beginning is the End...

Beta’d by CaseyAnn’sPrecious!

AN: *bows* Hope you enjoy!

Ratings, Disclaimer, and iWarnings! are still the same.

I'm On a Boat
(By: The Lonely Island ft. T-Pain)
Chapter 4

Cloud’s lungs were burning from just running to his barracks. It still amazed him that he even knew where to go, but not really. Actually, he wasn't even going to think about it anymore. Yeah, that seemed like a good idea. He wasn’t skewer with Masamune, wasn’t to strangle to death as he escaped the building. Maybe… just maybe, the man wasn’t insane yet. His pace slowed when he passed the doors and walked down the hall.

‘He didn't chase me. If he did get sent back with me then it would have, of course, ended horribly. He's not out to kill me.’ He relaxed as a huge weight seemed to disappear from his shoulders, and his breathing evened out as he took comfort in his logic.

The blond opened up the door to his room and went inside. His three roommates were sitting in front of the TV watching the news, since it was the only thing they were allowed to watch.

Freed from one of the worries that had him so tightly wound for years, Cloud didn't notice the open mouthed stares that the others were sending his way. He was so tired, mentally exhausted, and he knew he needed rest before it affected his reaction time.

"Uh… hi," one of them said.

"Hi," Cloud returned, "can you wake me up in an hour? I'm going to get some shuteye."

The two that pushed him in hesitantly glanced at each other while the third replied with a ‘Yeah, ok’.

Reassured, he tossed back the blankets to his bunker and crawled in. At this point in time Sephiroth was still the good guy, many of his friends and family were still alive, and he'd been given a second chance to make everything right. All doubt was pushed away, and though the small bed was hard, Cloud had fallen asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.

-

Out in the middle of nowhere**

"This is the start of your tests, you second-class scum! You will be put into groups of three! You will be leading your First Class brothers to victory against other teams that are going for the same targets as you! You will not be getting any hints, help, or sympathy from your brothers! You will act as if your team is consisted of you as the ranking officer and your two First Class team members that, whom you are going to assume, know nothing! You are going to treat them as if they are cadets and they will act as if they are cadets! You are going to give them the knowledge you have acquired with your stay in Shinra while you 'teach' them how to do the required skills to get past certain points!"

Zack looked down the line of Shinra SOLDIERs. Fourteen men were recommended to take the First Class tests, and two First Class SOLDIERs were behind each one to make a team of three. Being a First Class SOLDIER meant that you would have to lead others, so they designed the test to see if you fit the 'leadership' criteria. Also, being First Class would mean that not only would you have to know your stuff, but you had to make sure your subordinates knew what they were doing. If not, then you'd have to teach them quickly and make sure they understood. Shinra made sure to have two supervisors, or 'subordinates', for each trainee to keep accidents to a bare minimum.

The wind picked up, and the hot gusts coming from the plain raised dirt. The little shade that was there decided to disappear as the single cloud blocking the sun decided to move, and a brilliant light reflected off of all the metallic equipment.

The sergeant was walking back and forth in front of the table during his speech, knowing that the items sparked new interest. His boots crunched on the dry dirt below and his voice grew louder to compensate for the rising winds.

"Each team will be given one of these cases. The cases have information enclosed to continue your mission. There are riffles here that are specially modeled to fire off electroshots. These 'bullets', that when fastened onto an object, send off electrowaves that will send a shock throughout your system. They don't hit has hard as real bullets, but they will still feel like they do reasonable amount damage.

"Also on this table are belt pieces, shoulder guards, wrist guards, and knee guards. These are given to you to not only protect, but to see how many times you get shot and by whom! Each gun is adapted to pick up signals from your wrist guards to keep track of who is shooting. Even if the gun in your possession wasn’t issued to you, you'll still get counted for your accuracy! You are not to take off any of the guards to improve your score! If you are caught doing that, you will be barred from Shinra and given a one-way ticket home."

The man, back straight and face set, came to a halt. "You may now come forward and take one case. That is all I have to say, the rest is up to you. Good luck, try not to die, and welcome to Fort Condor!"

--

"Well," Zack said as he stood up; his group now geared and ready to go. "Let's mosey!" The other two didn't move from their spots as they gave him a look that said you did not just say that. Feeling awkward, he picked up the case and supplies.

"Um, we're going about five miles north," Zack told them and received blank looks in response as the two stayed on the ground. "So, yeah, north." Again, no physical response, none what. so. ever. The other teams were already up and on the move, but his team remained blank, unresponsive, that was a blink… "That way," he tested as he pointed to the north.

Both leisurely got up while they hid their amusement. They were going to have fun with this year's kid.


-

*Back in Junon*

Inside the Shinra building, Genesis stood in front of the crowd of foot soldiers with a growing smile on his face that looked almost half mad. The quality of the Thirds had been slipping every year, and every time he demanded to know why most were allowed to pass. So, this year he decided to volunteer for the job to test the Third Class wannabes, and he had taken careful measures to ensure that anyone less than standard would be purged.

The Commander stood formally and glanced at the clock; five minutes until start. Looking back at the crowed he noted that all wide, young, innocent eyes were focused on him. He couldn't help but widen his smile, just to see the rest of the blood drain from their faces. This was going to be enjoyable.

A man in SOLDIER uniform walked in front of the crowd. "Sir," the other said, "the Vice President said that you may begin."

"Very well," Genesis grumbled back in a whisper and watched as the other departed.

"Congratulations," he began with a voice that lacked sincerity, "you have decided that you are good enough to try and become the real thing."

The foot soldiers below gave worried frowns. As they should, he was mocking them and in no way was he pleased with how many had decided to try for the tests.

"I have been given the pleasure of being your examiner this year. So if you have been given advice from past testers, or have even failed the previous tests, then I am pleased to inform you that this year’s will be incredibly different.

"Like previous, you will be given a drug test to determine if you are corrupting your body. Remember: Shinra doesn’t care what cadets and foot soldiers do in their spare time so long as it's legal; however, as Third Class SOLDIERs you are required for light mako testing and many muscle enhancers or illegal supplements have unpleasant side effects when introduced with mako. You may inform the doctors, they have a confidentiality requirement, and you may bow out gracefully. You will also be checked to see if you are physically fit. If you are not, then don't try to complain or sweet talk your way in. It’s for your own safety. If you fail then get stronger and come back next term."

Genesis' eyes moved through the crowd. He knew that many of them didn't meet at least one of the requirements and some of them would, or should, give up then and there.

His eyes came to rest on a familiar blue-eyed cadet.

He began to continue with his speech, but something about the gaze made him contemplate. The eyes that seemed so hesitant at the foot soldier promotions had changed, they’d become confident.

He tore his eyes away and made himself snap out of it. Now was not the time to get into another one of his musings, he could analyze more important things when he was alone.

"Afterward you'll be given tests created to physically strain you. Anyone that has what it takes to be in SOLDIER will pass, and anyone who isn't will be discontinued from the program. If you pass the physical that means you are able to partake in my tests. If you fail those then you’re done. PERIOD! You will NOT be allowed a second chance. The end!"

Gasps went through the auditorium as the youths looked around with frightened eyes. Whispers could be heard going around in hopes that the threat wasn’t serious. He looked to the SOLDIERs sitting off to the side, every single one of them had approved of this new method. All of them had experience with the types of people that came into the program year after year. Being good men, they all believed in second chances, but they also knew that in some cases second chances should be denied, and one of the areas in this particular test was going to be a prime example of it. Just like on the battlefield, there should be no second chance; it was the end.

"A few doctors will come and call off your names. Follow them, and head to the docks afterwards. I will be waiting there." Genesis opened a door, and some men in white coats came through.

"Ah, many testers this year!" one could be heard saying. "This will take a while with only the ten of us." The others nodded in agreement as Genesis split the list of names before departing.

"Remember," he said while standing in the door frame, "being strong for the sake of helping your comrades is one thing, but gaining power just to be strong will result in nothing. You only get one shot; it's you who decides if you're ready to waste it." He shut the door behind him and the doctors immediately got to work.

"Mickurn, Archy!" "Yakoo, Youou!" "Aurbern, Jaques" all the doctors called out at once, blurring the names together. The testers had to pay close attention to if they were being called out and by whom. It continued until each doctor had a small group to follow them out the door.

Cloud sat there quietly and listened to the others’ complaints about the latest testing the newly nicknamed 'Bastard Commander' came up with. It seemed most of them had decided to take the test because they wanted to know the details on how the Commander did his, and if they didn’t pass it this time then they’d be ready next time.

“If you pass the physical then that means you are able to partake in my tests.” Cloud remembered the words and looked down at his own frame. He was small, but he could do it.

In my case the 'just try to see what's up' would've been close. Only difference is I want to pass, I never planned to just look. The blond sat there in silence, mulling. Deep down, he knew that he needed to be in Shinra, even if he didn't want to. What Cloud really wanted to do was to go back to Nibelheim or join AVALANCHE, but it wouldn't work. Doing anything different than becoming a SOLDIER wouldn't help save anyone.

He needed mako.

-

At Fort Condor**

Zack led his team to their destination while fighting with the large case and the three sets of binoculars since the other two didn't want to put them on.

"Why're there so many foxholes out here?" he wondered.

"You mean the gun-pits? Fort Condor was the old SOLDIER training area. Then Fort Junon was built and it became popular because of the easy access. It's not much of a fort anymore so no one calls it by the original name."

Zack's head whipped around to the guy talking. He didn't think he'd actually get a reply to his question. "I thought you weren't supposed to answer anything!" And… really, who called them ‘gun-pits’?

"We can't answer anything related to the test," the other explained. "That didn’t breach any of the rules set for us."

"Oh, ok, well thanks," he smiled and they continued to scout the area… well, more like he scouted while the other two followed behind. They soon came across one of the DFPs with items inside. "Ha, found it!" He called out and hopped in. Inside were three one-man tents and a suitcase that held more information on their next assignment.

"Ok, here's my idea," he said as he crawled out from the hole, "we need to head to some area between this place and Junon, but since that's the area in which the real bad beasties are out at night I think it would be better to travel a few miles west and pitch a tent there."

"Why?" one of the guys asked.

"Uh, because west is our general direction. So it would cut our time down instead of pitching a tent here and wouldn't put us in the danger zone for night beasties while we sleep."

Both of them just nodded their heads while grumbling. "So, let's go!" He tossed one of the tents to the closest member. Instead of catching it, the man kept his arms crossed and let it flop onto the ground. There was heavy silence as Zack looked back and forth between the tent and the two un-amused First Class SOLDIERs.

"Oh." Zack realized that they weren’t going to help at all. He latched all three tents to his back while carrying two cases in one arm three binoculars in the other. This was not looking good.

--

Back in Junon**

Cloud was a simple man, really, he was. He came from a simple town with simple morals and ideals that you had to meet to be considered normal. It was a dream for the men in his town to get married to a woman who was pretty and modest, have two kids (a boy and a girl), have a normal sized house that had freshly cut grass bordered by a wooden fence, and maybe a dog or two.

This… this was not normal.

When he was called in to take blood tests for the physical examination he was prepared for needles, urine samples, stethoscopes, an aneroid, and even those tools that they hit you on the knee with to judge your reflexes, but this was not what he had in mind.

"Mr. Strife, this is just a practice that we do to make sure that-

"Like hell I'm letting you come near me!" he yelled at the man. They were currently on different sides of the bed, and somehow it turned into a game of ‘ring around the rosy’ as the doctor attempted to catch him.

"It's fine! We do this to all of our employees at one time or another!" the man tried to reason.

"I've never had to have that done to me before, so therefore it does NOT need to be done, and therein you are not doing that!" Cloud was fully aware that his blue hospital gown was much too revealing and was actually in the process of finding his pants. Screw the last part of the physical, he was just fine in every other part of it, and he doubted that Shinra wouldn’t allow him to take the test just because of… that.

"Oh, thank God," the doctor sighed out to someone coming in from behind, and Cloud paled. He forgot he couldn’t sense things like he used to and quickly turned as to not show anyone his uncovered back.

"I heard from the nurses that there's a problem with one of the examinees," came the baritone voice of the General, and Cloud's vision was torn between a man that wanted to do something considerably inappropriate and the man that might possibly go insane at any given moment.

"The boy refuses to finish the physical! After this he'll be free to go, and I can continue to look at the others!" the doctor complained in annoyance.

"That's bullshit!" Cloud, then and there, had decided which one was currently the more evil in the room. "That's not needed for any physical testing skill. What the hell do you think I'm going to use that for in a fight?"

The General glanced at the doctor's note board and checked what was last on the list. "I see. If you're having problems with him then I can take it from here."

"Wait, what?" he asked in a deadpanned voice.

"General, thank you very much for the help, but trained professionals are su-"

"Are you implying that I am anything but professional in my work?" Sephiroth questioned, and Cloud kept glancing between the two as the conversation went in a direction that was not safe.

"No, Sir, of course not!"

"Then it’s settled, I'll give this back to you when I am done."

"Wait… what?!" he was almost on the verge of panic as the doctor was lead out of the room. And that's when all hell broke loose.

Cloud tried to merge himself into the wall as the General of his worst nightmares pulled out two gloves from a box and put some type of clear, slick substance onto the left one. Motioning with the other hand, the General told him to go to the bed and face the opposite wall. He did the only thing he could think of, and that was to shake his head in a subtle yet definite 'no' as he clearly defied the command.

Everyone in the hospital stopped what they were doing as a scream as loud as bloody Mary tore throughout the wing and all eyes focused on the door that they’re coworker was standing by. Soon the silver-haired General walked out of the room and was followed momentarily after by a soldier sporting a beat red face.

“General?” the doctor nervously questioned. The man had waited by the doors for them to finish and was handed the notes. The General quickly coughed into it his hand, but Cloud almost growled from the snort he could have sworn he heard…

-

Genesis was waiting for the foot soldiers at the port. He was impressed… with himself, of course. Not one-third of the crowd that had signed up for the test even bothered to show up. Unfortunately about half of what was left looked like they barely passed the physical.

The last boy was leaving the hospital and an accompanied doctor waved to give the all clear. It was time to get started. Genesis’ eyes drifted back to Zack's blue-eyed friend. The kid’s face was flushed, obviously trying not to move too much, and looked extremely uncomfortable standing there. Of course he'd heard the gossip on what happened with the General. Kids…

"Alright, soldiers," Genesis stood up from his position on the supply crates, "follow me." And the fifty-nine foot soldiers gathered up outside followed the redhead as he boarded the massive battleship.

-
‘Oh, Gaia, this is horrible!’ Cloud looked every which way in the sky, hoping to see some type of light shining between the dark clusters surrounding them. He wasn't worried, not at all. They were all out in the open water miles from Junon, and a huge storm was brewing up only hours from them… and rain had just started to downpour.

"Congratulations on reaching this point!" the Commander had to yell for everyone to hear. Cloud had to squint to keep a visual of the red leather clad man. "This is your first test! The examination is quite simple! Jump off the side of the ship and swim toward Junon. If you do not reach Junon by 2400 hours, then you fail!"

‘Oh, shit.’ He mentally swore as a similar disagreement was voiced through the crowd.

"QUIET! The tests will only get harder from here! This is your last chance to back out. This ship is headed to a port near Midgar so the longer you wait to decide, the further you'll have to swim! If you decide that this test is not for you then stay on the ship, wait for transportation to arrive at the other dock, and take the test next year!"

The gathering of foot soldiers stood agape in the wind and rain. They were motionless in their silence and their brains were unresponsive.

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" roared the Commander. "Begin!!"

Half of the men on the ship seemed to get a jump start from the yell, and they ran to the ledge and hurriedly dove off. He winced. A dive from high up wasn't recommended unless you were used to high-diving and, even now, this height wasn't recommended to go in head first. It was a particularly quick decision to the rest left on board. Most went back into the cabin, preferring their own safety to some crazy, life threatening test, and the few that stayed seemed to pray to whatever god they believed and also jumped.

Cloud knew he could swim, but up against this? He needed all the help he could get. He was going to make it into SOLDIER! He took off his boots, socks, gloves, belt, and any loose pieces that could conflict with the water. Looking around, he noted he was the last on deck. Climbing over the railing, he brought his a hand up to plug his nose and jumped in.

The fall itself wasn’t bad… just set his nerves on high, but he froze at the drastic change in temperature when his body broke through the cold surface. Fighting against the water's rough movement, he spat out disgusting, salty ocean water and began his long swim to the mainland.

-

Genesis entered the ship's control room and threw his soaked coat onto one of the empty chairs.

"The rain was a nice touch."

"Yes, I thought so myself," he grinned at the stowaway. "This test will be much better than the previous ones before it. Thank you for the idea. I didn't think you'd make it on board, Seph."

"I almost didn't," the other replied and began rubbing at his arm again.

"Is that why you were there?"


"Where?" Genesis pointed at the action his friend was subconsciously doing. "Hm, yes. The professor is testing some new form of mako."

"Professor Hollander is too… or will be once Angeal and I return from these exams." He walked over to the cupboards to take out a small rectangular box. He opened it up and emptied its contents onto the counter. He knew from experience that it was pointless to dwell on the actions of scientists in the presence of Sephiroth.

"So, what do you think?" the redhead asked as he dealt the cards.

Sephiroth gathered up his share while Genesis turned the last one face up on the table."Duce's wild."

To be continued…

AN: I’m aware that some people might not know military terms or the names of medical supplies. DFP isn’t commonly said and the name aneroid might be easy to either leave the mind blank or think about something else, so here’s what they are to those who don’t know.

*DFP: acronym for Defensive Fighting Position. Americans have the slang called ‘foxholes’ (which I think is cute) and Australians call them ‘gun-pits’. They’re holes that allow men to lie horizontally while shielding their bodies from shell bursts and small arms fire.

*Aneroid: tool used by doctors to measure blood pressure. The most common one in my small town is the inflatable one that goes around the arm and cuts off all circulation until you die. I mean...

Have any questions? I might have matching answers!

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