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"What's the matter, Hol?" Rory stepped over to his sister, who waited anxiously at the back door.
"Claire said she was on her way almost an hour ago."
"What?" Rory looked outside, seeing no sign of his friend. "Maybe.... She ran late?"
"Claire's never late." Holly took a shaky breath. "What if she came alone in the dark?"
"Are you kidding? She would never."
"She would if it meant she could get here faster!" Holly stomped her foot and looked up at her brother with wide eyes. "I'm worried about her, Rory."
"Let me find Zack and have him call her."
"Okay..." Holly sighed as her brother walked away. She looked down at her phone, waiting for a text. Upon checking to see if her friend arrived, she saw a beaten, bloody Claire trudging her way through the yard and up the steps. She fumbled with the lock, only to collapse before she could open the door. "Oh my God!" Holly shrieked, the loud club music swallowing it whole. "Claire!" She whipped open the door, bending down in front of her friend. "What happened?!"
A puddle of tears began to form beneath Claire's head as she cried. Her legs were too bruised and battered for her to move them. "Where is he?" She rasped, hardly able to speak.
"Who...?" Holly covered Claire's bloody ear. "What the hell happened?"
"Zack... I need him. Please, get Zack..." She groaned, bringing her knees further into her chest.
Holly looked around desperately, not knowing what to do. "Zack!" She called. "Zack!"
Zack immediately stopped dancing upon hearing his name echo across the house. Girls had been calling his name all night, but this time it sounded too frantic. He quickly handed someone his drink and drunkenly maneuvered through the crowd, bumping into everyone as he passed. He felt himself sober up the moment he saw her. There were bloody marks all over her face and extremities as if she was held down and beaten. "Claire?!" He bent down, grabbing her arm. She screamed, her body writhing as she tried to pull away. There was a large bruise where her shoulder connected to the rest of her arm. It must have been broken. "What the hell happened to her?!"
"I don't know!" Holly was crying out of fear and panic, holding onto her friend's other shoulder in an attempt at comforting her.
"Holy shit..." Rory ran a hand through his hair and stepped back, shocked.
"Don't let anyone see her!" Zack shouted, turning towards Rory.
"Yeah, yeah, I gotchu." He placed his drink on a nearby table. "Should I... get my dad?"
"No!" Zack snapped, shaking his head with wide eyes.
Rory was taken aback. "Why not?! She needs help!" He gestured toward Clarity, who was now falling unconscious.
"Just trust me!"
"Zack..." More tears continued to run down Holly's cheeks. "What's going on..?"
"Claire, I'm picking you up." Zack lifted his sister, holding her as gently as he could. She gasped and groaned at the pain he caused by simply touching her. With great difficulty, Zack managed to find a way to hold her without causing too much discomfort. Unexpectedly, she wrapped her good arm around his neck, clinging to him for life. Together, they raced up the stairs with Holly following closely behind. On his way, he passed Elaina. "Rory's room. Now!"
"What the hell happened?!" Elaina stared at Clarity's body.
"Hurry!" Holly cried, turning back around and running up the stairs.
"Uh..." Elaina watched as Zack hurried past her. "Amara!" She motioned for her sister to follow. "Upstairs!" The twins raced up the stairs, nearly tripping over each other's feet.
"Wait wait!" Holly laid a towel across Rory's bed. Zack set Claire's petite frame onto it, preventing any blood from seeping into his sheets. She fit perfectly.
Zack ran for the bathroom. He felt horrible. Nausea and dizziness were quick to set in amidst his panic. He looked at the toilet, unable to keep his eyes focused. There was no time to throw up. He splashed water on his face, looking in the mirror. "Shit..." He whispered to himself. "I did this..."
Holly started opening windows to let in fresh air while Elaina and Amaryllis used towels to clean up her open cuts. Zack reentered the room and looked to his sister. He sat on the bed, feeling her forehead.
"Does she have a fever?" Elaina leaned over.
"Yeah." Zack nodded, placing his head in his hands. "I don't know how to fix this..." He groaned. "I don't know how to help her."
"She texted me an hour ago saying she was on her way." Holly replied. "I didn't think she would come alone." She lowered her head into her hands.
"Claire," Zack called, ignoring everyone else. "Who did this to you?"
Claire wasn't responding. She seemed alright, despite her shocked state. "I'm not seeing any serious injuries, Zack..." Holly turned Claire over ever so slightly. "She's really banged up, but I don't think she needs a hospital."
Rory walked into the room. "Everyone's out." He places his hands on his hips.
"How did you get them out so fast?" Holly asked, lifting her head in confusion.
"I shouted 'security' and they all ran." Rory shrugged and sat down beside his best friend."Is she alright?"
Zack nodded. "Thank God..." He whispered. "She's exhausted, and they beat the hell out of her, but—"
Holly squinted her eyes. "Who's 'they'? What're you hiding from us, Zack?" She raised her eyebrows, smirking slightly:
Zack looked around nervously, the three girls surrounding him. He couldn't lie to them. Just as he was about to speak, a dark figure appeared at the door.
"You kids okay?" Zack Fair leaned on the doorframe. Almost immediately, his eyes turned to Claire. "What the hell happened?" He made his way toward the bed.
"Dad, hold on." Holly held her hands out, urging him not to step closer.
"Take it easy Squish, no one's in trouble." Zack leaned over Claire's curled up body. He touched her gently, only to hear her whimper. "Who did this?" His voice shook as the anger inside him began to rise.
"We don't know." Elaina replied.
"Where's Cloud? Little Man?" His voice grew louder as he spoke. Zack looked to his younger counterpart, infuriated.
"I don't know." Zack shook his head, in a complete panic.
"Let me get her some ice. I have big packs in the training room." He bolted out of the room, leaving the kids alone once more.
"Zack, tell us what's going on," Rory urged.
"You can trust us," Holly assured, moving closer to her brother.
Zack sighed, giving in. "...Remember the last time we got Seventh for lunch?"
"You're saying it was..." Rory began.
"The Turks." He glanced at him, then continued. "Rory and I saw them outside my house. They were staring at us. I saw them at the game, too. God, they were looking right at her!" Zack gestured to Claire. "They were... analyzing her or something. I watched them type something while they kept watching her cheer. Fuck!" Zack slammed his fist on the bed. "I should've known." Zack reached for his sister's blue hand, shaking his head. It was frozen to the touch. He held it in between his own hands as she shivered. "I need a blanket for her." He looked toward Rory.
"Yeah, here." Rory opened his closet, taking out a heavy fleece duvet. He walked to the bed, examining Claire. Her lips were tinted blue, accenting the various shades of purple and red dispersed throughout her body. "Is she...?"
"She's asleep." Zack sighed, taking the blanket as he moved her hand to his cheek for warmth. "My dad is going to flip out when he sees this."
"Here." Zack Fair returned to the room. "I got some bandages and stitches." He looked to the twins. "Girls, I know Vinnie taught you a thing or two about stitches." The twins nodded in return, taking the roll from his hands. "You don't need the ice, Little Man?" He held the ice pack over his shoulders, waving it.
Zack shook his head. "No, but do you know how to pop a shoulder back in?"
"Yeah, he does." Rory chuckled. "He popped mine in a few times."
"Is her shoulder dislocated?" Zack Fair kneeled on the other side of the bed and examined Clarity's arm.
"I think so."
"Alright." He leaned back, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what I can do."
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Cloud zoomed down the empty freeway atop Fenrir, moving from lane to lane as he increased his speed. He was halfway home when he overheard an ear-splitting noise. It was a familiar sound, especially to someone from the city. When he looked up, he saw what it was. A bright red lightning strike was accompanied by another deafening crash of thunder. Strange. Lightning wasn't known to strike any part of Edge City, let alone solid ground.
Two lightning strikes with no sign of a storm screamed trouble to the worried father, especially when his precious daughter specialized in lightning and fire magic. The west side of the city was where it came from. It wasn't too far from home, which was only cause for more concern.
Parking alongside the sidewalk, Cloud slowly and carefully stepped off his motorcycle and began his search. It was late at night and he was well aware of the dangers, but he was also more than capable of defending himself should he need to. He seemed to arrive at a convenient time, for he was all alone. About twenty minutes had passed since he saw the lightning from the highway, and he could only assume whoever was responsible was gone. As much as he wanted to believe Clarity was playing around, he couldn't. She wasn't quite so foolish. Cloud carefully looked into each alleyway he passed, finding nothing. As he came closer and closer to his own home, his suspicions only decreased upon finding next to nothing. He peered into one of the last few alleyways, finding two small craters in the ground. He bent down, brushing his gloved hand over it. Ashes. He flashed a light onto the crater, finding that the surrounding area was covered in intricate designs that had been burned into the ground, a hallmark of Clarity's magic. "Clarity..." He remained squatted down, pondering over what might have happened here. Before he could draw any conclusions, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, reading the caller ID. Tifa. He had no choice but to answer his wife. She'd kill him for not doing so and there was a chance her call had to do with what he'd witnessed. He swiped to answer, holding the phone to his ear. "Tifa."
Cloud? Is Claire with you?
"No." He looked around. "Did you hear the crash?"
Yes. Is it raining?
"No. It was Claire's lightning, I'm looking at her symbols on the ground right now." He ran his thumb over the markings carefully, eyes fixated on them.
Oh my God... Where are you? Where is she?
"I'm close to the house. When did you last see her?"
A little over an hour ago. I closed up the bar to take her to Zack's for Rory's party, but when I went to find her, she wasn't anywhere in the house.
"She must have gone by herself..." Cloud stood, scanning the area for people or any sign of where his daughter could be. "Tifa, I don't see any other reason for her to use lightning other than..."
She was defending herself, I know. She never uses lightning.
"Call Zack. All the kids are at his house - he has to know something. Maybe she's there with them." He ended the call as he climbed atop Fenrir and sped off in search of his daughter.
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The process of popping Claire's shoulder in was painful. She woke up in the middle of it. She didn't have any energy left; all she could do was cringe and groan as her concerned brother held onto her. She felt a wave of relief immediately followed by soreness around her shoulder as Zack Fair made one final push, popping it back into place. "You okay, Claire?" He nodded in return as she closed her eyes and indicated she was alright. He stood up, his work done. "It's the best we can do. I think she'll be fine without a sling. She is a kid of a SOLDIER." He chuckled, attempting to make light of the situation as he rested the large ice pack on her shoulder, wrapping it underneath her pale, shaky frame.
All of a sudden, headlights shone through the dim bedroom as a vehicle quickly pulled into the driveway. Or rather, one singular headlight. It could only mean one thing. "Oh, man...." Zack Fair stepped over to the window, watching as Cloud hopped off his motorcycle and hurried up the driveway. He turned to Claire and Zack. "Your dad's here."
"Dad, Cloud can't know about this!" Holly whispered sharply, not wanting to be heard through the open windows. "He'll freak out!
Zack gave his daughter a suspicious look, but nodded. "I trust you, Hols."
Holly nodded in return. Rory took a step towards his father, gaining his attention. "What do you want me to do?"
"You all need to stay here," He ordered. "Rory and Little Zack, cover her up to her head. Don't let anyone see those cuts and bruises. If Cloud comes up, he'll only see his sleeping daughter." Zack pointed at one of the twins, and then at his own daughter. "Holly and Amara."
"I'm Elaina!"
"Sorry!" He sighed, clenching a fist. "Get on the bed or the floor and sleep. Got it? He'll never believe that only one kid passed out drunk."
"Yes, sir." Elaina obeyed his orders as she went to rest on a beanbag, covered up by one of Rory's sweatshirts she found lying around. Holly jumped onto the bed, snuggling up next to her best friend.
The doorbell could be heard all throughout the house. The children were silent, frozen in fear. Zack Fair winked at them as he exited the room, leaving the door ajar. Rory stood, grabbing two video game controllers and handing them to Zack. "Here, man. Play this with me."
"Y-Yeah..." He sat up, his head pounding from dehydration and stress.
Zack Fair opened the front door, widely smiling at the man he called his brother. "Hey, man. The back door was open, you know."
"Are my kids here?" Cloud stepped inside without a greeting, a look of concern and suspicion painted across his face.
"Yeah, they're upstairs." Zack smiled again, awkwardly.
"Claire's okay?"
"I mean... She passed out up there along with some of the other girls."
"And my son?" Cloud crossed his arms, stepping inside without permission.
"He's hanging out with Rory. You know how it is."
Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Bring Zack down."
Zack's smile disappeared for a moment, not sure what to say to him. "Okay." He chuckled, his voice slightly shaking. He stepped over to the bottom of the stairs, shouting up. "Little man!"
"Uh, yeah?" Little Zack called from behind the closed door.
"Your Dad's here to see you! He wants to talk!"
"Screw this." Cloud brushed past his friend, trudging up the stairs to find his children and see them for himself.
"Dad!" Little Zack scurried in front of the bedroom door before Cloud could reach it. "It's like.... Midnight. Shouldn't you and Mom be asleep?"
Cloud leaned on the doorway, suspicious. "Where's your sister?"
"In here, sleeping." He gestured toward the room. "Her, Holly, and Laine all passed out."
"She's alright?"
"Yeah."
"Let me see."
"Uh, what?"
"Let. Me. See." Cloud pushed himself past him and peered into the room. It was dark, but he could make out her blonde hair behind Holiday's brown curls. He looked around, finding Laine passed out on a beanbag, Rory setting up a battle royale game, and Amaryllis scrolling through her phone. "...Huh."
"See? She's fine." Zack closed the door. "Don't you trust me to take care of her?"
"Did you really just ask me that?" Cloud raised a brow. "Did you hear the lightning outside?"
"Um, yeah......" Zack's eyes widened. "Is it raining?"
"No. No, it's not. It was her lightning. Did you know that?"
"Uh... No, I didn't." Zack hesitated, racking his brain for a believable lie. He looked up at his father once more and shrugged. "But then again, she was pretty drunk. I didn't want her walking home alone where Mom would bury her alive, so I grabbed her and brought her here to sleep it off." He laughed a little too loudly, scratching the back of his neck.
Cloud crossed his arms, tapping his index finger on his elbow impatiently. "So everything's good?"
"Yep. Yep yep yep." Zack nodded, smiling.
Cloud knew something was up, but he was too exhausted and worried to care. Besides, Zack had already been acting weird for the better half of the month. There really was no explanation for his behavior. "I want to talk to Claire." He reached for the doorknob.
"Yo! Cloud! Let's get a little midnight workout in while you're here! Aerith hasn't come home yet, she'll never know I was up this late!" Zack Fair shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
Cloud sighed, looking to that end of the hallway. "You watch her. Don't let her puke."
"Would you not wake the kids up? Just let Clarity sleep here!" Zack Fair shouted again, causing Cloud to wince as his migraine only worsened.
"Alright, alright. I hear you." Cloud uncrossed his arms, stepping away from the door. He turned back to his son. "Call your mother if you're planning on staying." He walked back down the stairs, his heavy steps reminding everyone of his presence. The children felt a wave of relief when they heard the basement door close.
Rory exhaled deeply as the other two girls got up from their fake positions. "That was too damn close."
"Holy shit..." Holly stood up, breathless. "I thought I was gonna twitch like crazy, right Laine?" She turned to her friend, only to find that she had actually fallen asleep. "Laine?" She looked around to find everyone was completely exhausted. "What time is it anyway?"
Rory shut off his TV, looking at his phone. "Almost 2."
"Oh my God, It's wayyyyyy past my bedtime!" Holly groaned loudly.
"Zack, are you sleeping here?" Rory ignored his sister's obnoxiousness and looked to Zack.
"My dad probably won't let me. He'll want to take my 'drunk' sister home."
"That's not gonna happen," Rory shook his head. "If he takes her home, he'll see what happened to her."
"Let's hope your dad can talk him out of it, then."
________________________________________________________________
Cloud walked down the stairs slowly, thinking carefully about the odd conversation he had with not only his son, but the other children as well. As he traversed through the house, he saw the aftermath of Rory's party. It was like a fraternity warzone: beer cans, bottles, and solo cups were scattered in all directions; every step Cloud took resulted in a sticky mess on the underside of his shoes from all the spilled alcohol. Tables were flipped, and the refrigerator was wide open, completely emptied.
"You gonna clean all this?" Cloud asked, stepping over a knocked-down vase.
"Yeah, probably after I finish this workout. I'll make the kids help me, too. It was part of the deal. I supply, they help me clean before Mom gets home."
"You really thought this would be a good idea?"
"The kids should have some fun every now and then." Zack Fair shrugged. "Why, you'd never let Zack and Clarity host?"
"I own a bar. I see enough drunk people every day." Cloud followed Zack down the stairs leading to the basement. "Besides...I gotta keep Clarity in check. She's a wild card most of the time."
"Yeah, the girl can't seem to slow down." Zack laughed nervously at the mention of Clarity. "She got... pretty messed up tonight."
"About that..." Cloud sat down on one of the lifting benches. "Do you know what the hell's going on upstairs?"
"Uh... What do you mean?" Zack turned around, feeling his face redden. He had to think of something, and fast.
"The kids. All of them. They're acting weird."
"Why do you say that?" Zack looked back at his friend.
Cloud paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes, thinking to himself. "You know something. Don't you? Out with it, Zack."
"Now, Cloud, it's nothing to worry about." He tensed, raising his hands up.
"What's nothing to worry about?" Cloud urged. "Spit it out."
Zack sighed, knowing he couldn't keep it in any longer. Sorry, Little Man... "Cloud, it's Clarity. Something did happen to her tonight."
"What do you mean?" Cloud felt a pit in his stomach, feeling a concoction of nervousness and pure rage swell up inside him.
"Claire got here all.... Beat up. I mean, she's covered in cuts and bruises. Her shoulder was popped out, and she couldn't even talk."
Cloud looked down. What he'd seen in the alleyway made sense, and the pieces were coming together. "Shit..." Though, there was still something missing. Who would want to hurt her? Who would try to kill her? Why? Why would Zack keep this from me? Maybe this is why he's been acting weird. He knows something. I have to get the truth out of him. He returned his attention to Zack. "Zack...who did this to her?"
He shrugged. "Don't know. They wouldn't tell me, but something tells me this wasn't your run-of-the-mill mugger. Nah. I think it's something big, and I'm worried about our kids."
Cloud rested his head on his hand, playing with a spike in his hair. "Yeah..." He pulled at the strand and closed his eyes, feeling defeated. "Me too. I just hope... We can protect them."
"We will, man." Zack nodded, suddenly more serious than he liked to be. "We're the best protection they've got."
Cloud suddenly snapped, realizing his daughter was unconscious upstairs with more injuries than anyone could count. He stood up abruptly and began making his way upstairs. "I have to go home. I gotta get my kids."
"Whaaaat? You're not even gonna squat?"
"I already worked out this morning."
"Without me?!" Zack threw his hands in the air. "I thought we were friends, man!"
"Sorry. Tifa wanted to spar. She was feeling anxious."
Cloud disappeared up the stairs as Zack kicked a dumbbell. "Whatever happened to bros before hoes...?" He mumbled to himself.
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Zack Strife was setting down a blanket on the floor for him to sleep on for the moment. He was exhausted, and he needed a nap. He hoped Cloud would forget about him and go home, leaving his children to recover from tonight's ordeal.
"I'm dead." Rory sighed heavily, covering himself up after taking a shower. He slept next to Claire for now, as she curled up on one side of the bed.
"How's my sister, Rory?" Zack mumbled from the floor as he lay down.
"Uh...." He lifted his head up slightly, peeking over to see her. Her eyes were closed, dried tears speckled along her cheeks. "She's asleep. Looks pretty peaceful if you ask me."
"Good, good..." Zack closed his eyes. "I'm going to bed." Everyone else was out cold. Elaina remained on the beanbag, while Holly and Amaryllis moved to her bedroom to sleep on her bed. After such a hectic night, there was finally peace in the house. That is, until Cloud swung Rory's bedroom door wide open.
"Zack. Get up. Now." His father growled as he flipped the lights on.
"What...?" Zack whispered, squinting.
"We're going home. Get in your car and go. I'll meet you there."
"What about Claire?"
"I'm taking her." He stepped into the room.
"Dad, no." Zack sat up in horror as his father approached the sleeping blonde. "Wait!" He was shocked to see Cloud uncover her without an intense reaction to her injuries.
Cloud paused, examining his daughter up and down. Her injuries were worse than he expected. He bent down, picking Claire up, taking the duvet with him. "Let's go, Claire."
"Hm..." Clarity winced in her sleep, but didn't seem to awaken. Cloud, emotionless, exited the room with his daughter, not waiting a second for Zack.
"Dude, did he find out?" Rory sat up.
"I think so..." Zack picked up his keys, shaking. "God, I hope I don't get beat up tonight."
"Don't be so dramatic." Rory tilted his head.
"I wish I was." Zack and Rory performed a handshake. "Thanks for tonight, bud." He walked out, nervously heading down the stairs, finding his father and sister already gone. He got into his own car, leaning his head on the steering wheel as he cursed to himself. At this point, he just hoped Tifa was awake to protect him.
Rather than go straight home, he opted to drive around in an attempt to clear his head. Edge City this late at night was a completely different atmosphere in comparison to during the day. Not a single person could be seen outside; instead, they were found seated inside local bars, relaxing after a hard day's work. Zack scrunched up his nose at the thought of alcohol. His head was still pounding from the amount he drank. Nonetheless, he drove on as the neon store lights blinked through his windows, illuminating the car. He reached the end of the strip mall, finding an old storefront formerly known as "The Silver Disc", according to the ripped sign plastered above the doors. From the outside, Zack could tell it hadn't been touched for years: there was a padlock secured around the door and graffiti ornamenting the vicinity. He stopped the car, stepped out, and peeked inside the windows, finding several arcade cabinets surrounding a holographic platform. He smiled, knowing exactly where he was.
Cloud reached his hands out to his eight year-old son. "Come on, bud." He lifted him by his armpits, setting him down gently on the ground. "Oof. You're getting big."
"I thought you were taking me to swimming, Dad." Zack looked up at his father, confused.
"Yeah? Well, not anymore. Mom and Clarity are out shopping, so I thought you and I could hang out." Cloud bent down. "Is that alright?"
"Yeah!" Zack nodded, happy he wouldn't have to go to another practice. He turned his attention to the building before him. "Where are we?"
"This is an old arcade I came to once or twice. I thought you'd have some fun here." Cloud placed his hand on his son's shoulder, looking down at him almost lovingly.
Zack looked back at Cloud. "Will you play the games with me?"
Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I'll play a few."
"Cool!" Zack grabbed his father's hand, dragging him through the doors. "Whoa!"
"Cool, right?" Cloud looked around at the explosion of colors. He was glad his son would be able to see something so vivid and colorful in such a grayscale city. Cloud separated from his son for a moment, looking over at one of the video games. "Come here, Zack—" He looked back, seeing his son wasn't there. "Zack?" He looked to the center of the room to find him staring at the fighting simulator. Strange. He expected his son to be interested in the more childish games. "What are you looking at?"
"I want to try this."
"What? Why?" Cloud was taken aback. "Don't you think you're a little young for that?"
Zack shook his head joyfully. "It's what you do, isn't it?"
He shrugged. "Well, yeah. But I was a lot older than you are."
"You said years of practice helped you get really good! I want to get really good."
Cloud bent down next to Zack, looking him in the eye. "You really want to do it?"
"Yes, Dad." Zack nodded. "I wanna try."
"Alright. I'll guide you through it." Cloud lifted his son onto the platform. "Ready?" Cloud opened up the screen, selecting the difficulty of the simulator. He chose a beginner-leveled defense heavy fighter, giving Zack a chance to work on his coordination and speed. The boy had never picked up anything close to a sword before. Cloud didn't intend to start training so early and he had a feeling Tifa would be angry with him, but he couldn't say no to his son.
"Alright, bud." Cloud finished setting everything up. "Pick up that rod. That's your weapon."
"This one?" Zack held up the rod.
"Yep." Cloud nodded. "I'm starting it in 3...2...1."
The character appeared, raising a shield to Zack. Zack swung with all his might, unable to land a hit. "No, no. Don't use brute strength, Zack." Cloud reached over, tapping his son's calf lightly. "Get off your heels. Stay light on your feet."
Zack listened to Cloud as best as he could. "Okay, okay!" Zack jumped left and right, trying to gain his composure. He swung again, missing completely as the character dodged. "It's not working!" Zack shouted, growing frustrated.
"Don't get mad, just take a step back and try again. Don't overthink."
Zack turned around, angry. "I'll never hit him!"
"Watch it!" Cloud pointed to the character behind him, but it was too late. Cloud watched as his son was pushed off the platform and onto the tile floor. He shut the game off and rushed to his aid, only to overhear a group of teens bickering.
"Why the hell is a little kid here?" One pointed out, sticking a thumb out in Zack's direction.
"Isn't that game meant to beat up... adults?"
"Why the hell is he crying?"
"Look at him, he's all red!" Another snickered.
Cloud lifted his son up by his arm as he wailed. "On your feet, son." He rubbed Zack's back, checking his nose for a break or blood. "You're good."
"Hey, kid. Maybe try the Chocokart!" The group busted out into a roaring laughter, holding their stomachs.
Cloud stood, turning around slowly. "Is there a problem here?" He eyed the teenagers menacingly.
"Yeah, actually." The boy who seemed to be the leader stepped forward. "This place ain't for kids."
"Really?" Cloud raised a brow, crossing his arms.
"Dude, what are you doing?" One of the teen's friends grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Don't you know who that is?" He whispered.
"What the hell are you talking about?" The leader looked back at him, confused.
"That's Cloud Strife!" Another replied in a hushed tone.
The leader turned back, eyes wide. "Uh...." He chuckled nervously. "Mr. Strife." He moved back as Cloud stepped closer. "I didn't mean to— uh, your son really is talented."
"I didn't know he had kids..." The teens whispered amongst each other.
"He doesn't seem like a family guy."
Cloud observed the group closely. "I thought I heard you saying something else about my son. Care to repeat it?" He narrowed his eyes. "Something about... not being allowed here?"
The young teens stumbled over each other's words as they attempted to come up with an excuse. "Uhhh.... We just think he'll get hurt you know? A lot of these games are meant for... bigger people?"
"Mmhmm." He stepped back. "I think you kids should get out of here before you all get hurt." They all stared back, petrified. He gestured to the door. "Go!"
"Ah! Yes, sir!" The teens all turned around at once, hitting each other and tripping over themselves.
By this point, Zack had stopped crying. He was staring up at his father in admiration. He was a hero. The little boy wanted nothing more than to be the hero his father was. Cloud turned back around, bending down in front of Zack. "You alright?" Zack stared at his father with wide eyes, speechless. "Zack?"
"Dad, are you famous?"
Cloud looked down, scoffing. He smiled lightly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." He placed his hand on his son's head. "Come on, let's find another game."
As they walked around, Zack stopped, staring at one of the fighting games. He observed the sword and shield. "You like that?" Cloud asked.
"I want to be a swordsman, too." Zack turned to his father. "Will you teach me?"
Cloud bent down once more. "Is that what you want?"
"Yes!"
Cloud nodded, rustling his son's hair. "Alright then. I'll make you just like your old man."
More than anything, he wished to be as strong as his father. To be a hero. For years after that somewhat tragic morning, Cloud trained Zack, spending many hours every day teaching him to be a swordsman. As expected, Zack became a master, nearly surpassing his father. All he ever wanted was to save people. He felt like he'd already failed at that. Still, he had to make up for it. He had the strength, power, and skill to be that man he dreamed of becoming. All he had to do was wait for the time to come. He had a feeling his time would come sooner than expected.
Zack closed his eyes and turned away from the arcade, seeing it had started raining. "Can't believe he brought me here." He chuckled to himself as he fished his keys out of his pocket, making his way back to the car and heading home.