Fic: After the World's End - Chapter 14
Title: After the World’s End
Chapter: 14/19
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~5000
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud
Genre: adventure, hurt/comfort, alpha/omega
Warnings: non-con
Chapter 1
Summary: Offered up as payment to an alpha for ridding the town of monsters, Cloud discovers that the outside world is vastly different than he expected, and that he could play a role in changing it.
Sephiroth never wanted to mate, preferring his independence as a SOLDIER that allows him to travel the world at his leisure. When he finds himself caring for a traumatized omega, however, his values start to shift.
***
Cloud left Dancer outside the bar that also claimed to be an inn with her lead wrapped loosely around the pole to give the appearance of her being tied. Gaia, he really hoped there wasn’t an omega in a place like this. It wasn’t even a proper town, really. Just a bunch of shacks outside the mines and, of course, a bar.
Loud, drunken voices came from inside, and the topic of conversation appeared to be the bartender’s tits. “Seems like a lovely place,” he muttered to Dancer. “Okay, be a good girl. Try not to bite anyone. Hopefully I’ll be back soon.”
He pushed open the door and wrinkled his nose at the smell of stale beer, smoke, and vomit. A large group of men clustered around some tables that were covered in glasses, telling crude stories and laughing while the bartender, a young woman with long brown hair, looked on with disgusted glare.
She barely looked at him when he walked in. “Sit anywhere you want.”
He opted for the bar. The patrons were loud enough that he’d be able to listen for clues, and he really didn’t want to engage with them unless he absolutely had to. He wished that the message that had arrived at Shinra had been less vague. He supposed the writer hadn’t wanted to risk getting caught, but all it said was that there was someone here that they might be interested in. Was he even looking for an omega?
He noticed the bartender staring at him with wide eyes as he sat down, then her eyes slid to the Shinra logo on his jacket. She blinked and gave her head a small shake. Maybe she had been the one who sent the message. Did she need help? It wasn’t exactly in his job description, but if she needed it, he could certainly get her somewhere better than this.
“What’ll you have?” she asked.
“Umm, got anything in a bottle?” He was up to date on all his shots, but the beer tap looked absolutely foul.
She laughed and bent down, causing a deluge of comments about her ass to come from the tables. Her face was bright red and angry when she stood up again, but she didn’t say anything as she wiped off a bottle of beer with a clean cloth. She set it on a coaster and pushed it over to him. “My personal stash.”
“Thanks, then.” When he lifted the bottle, he noticed a scrap of paper between it and the coaster.
Cloud. Get a room for the night. I need to talk to you.
How the fuck did she know his name? Well, he supposed there was only one way to find out. He casually crumpled the paper and slipped it into his pocket. “Sign outside said you have rooms for rent. How much for the night?”
“Thousand gil.”
Gross. He didn’t even want to imagine what he’d get for so little. Probably lice. He pulled out his wallet.
“Slip her another thousand and she’ll give you the ‘special’ room right next to hers if you know what I mean.” One of the miners made a circle with one hand and thrust his index finger in and out.
“That so? Thanks for the tip.” He pulled out two bills and pushed them across the bar to the bartender who looked like she wanted to break the man’s neck. “I’ll take the special room.”
“It’s just got a nicer bed,” she snapped.
“Yeah, of course. I’m looking forward to having a nice, comfortable sleep.”
One of the drunks wolf-whistled and Cloud rolled his eyes. He was so bad at playing along with shit like this. This may have been a better assignment for Reno. Nothing ever fazed him when it came to being crude. He downed his beer as quickly as he could manage and put another thousand gil on the counter. He figured the poor woman deserved a decent tip for putting up with the assholes.
“Thanks for that. I’m beat, so can I grab my stuff and head to the room?”
“Yeah, stable’s ‘round the back if you need it.”
The stable was actually slightly nicer than the bar, but he hosed the stall down anyway and scrubbed out the water trough as best he could before refilling it. “Only eat your food,” he said as he got some out of the saddlebags. “Don’t lie down. And don’t touch anything you don’t have to. And try not to breathe too much.”
Dancer kwehed and flapped her wings.
“Oh, all right, you can breathe if you must. Here’s to hoping we don’t actually have to stay the night.” He gave her a hug, then grabbed his pack.
“Upstairs, second door on the left. Key’s in the door.” The bartender didn’t look at him as she poured another round for the miners.
Cloud sat in the middle of the floor with his pack. If this was the nice room, he shuddered to think what the others were like. It reminded him of Nibelheim, but with a flowery pattern on the stained quilt instead of leaves. He pulled out the newly developed portable radio he had been assigned and put the earbuds in, then flicked the switch.
“Hello, hello? Sephiroth, you listening?” He spoke quietly but didn’t think he needed to worry too much about being overheard.
“Since the moment you left my sight.” Just the sound of his mate’s voice was enough to make him relax a little. “How’re you doing?”
“I guess it's a good thing you have the solar charger. Something’s definitely up here. I think the bartender’s the one who sent the message. I don’t know if she needs help or if there’s an omega or something else. I think she’s going to meet me after she closes the bar. But, Sephiroth, it’s fucked up. She knew my name.”
“What? And you don’t know who she is?”
“No, I have no clue.”
“I don’t like that … do you want to abort and work out a new plan?”
“No, I’ll meet with her. It doesn’t feel like she’s setting me up, but stay close, okay?”
“All right. If things go south, hit the emergency transmitter. Or just scream. Fairly sure I’m close enough that I’ll be able to hear. You’re in the two-storey place, right?”
“Yeah, second floor.” He stood up and went to the window.
“Okay, I see you. Keep me updated.”
“Will do. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Cloud set the radio aside, then opened the window and sat down on the ledge to wait. He could pick up a slight hint of Sephiroth’s scent on the breeze, and he knew that being able to see him would make his alpha feel better about being separated.
A few hours later, he heard the bartender kicking everyone out. It didn’t take her long, and it soon grew quiet. The stairs creaked, and moments later there was a tap on the door before she slipped in.
“You’re from Shinra?” she said.
Cloud stood and shut the window in case someone was outside, but remained in front of it. “Yes. How do you know my name?”
“I’m sorry, I-you don’t recognize me?”
“Should I?”
“I … I’m Tifa. Tifa Lockheart. My father was the mayor of Nibelheim.”
Cloud backed up so fast that the window rattled when he crashed into it. He scrambled for his transmitter and held his thumb over the button.
“Please, I didn’t mean to scare you, I just-I’m so, so sorry.”
“What the fuck do you want with me?”
“Nothing!” She held up her hands like she was surrendering. “I swear, I had no idea that you’d-I just hoped that someone would come. That Shinra would help.”
“Why would Shinra help you?”
“Not me, there’s-they’ve got an omega here. They keep him in the mines.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’ve never seen him, but they talk about him sometimes when they’re drunk. They treat him worse than we did you. I hoped … I hoped that Shinra could save him.”
Cloud tilted his head, frowning. “Why do you think that Shinra would do that?”
“Because that day, before the SOLDIER took you away-when he took you into your house to check if you were a virgin, I snuck around the outside. I felt so badly for you, Cloud, you’ve got to believe me, but there was nothing I could do. But I snuck around and hid outside your window. I heard what he told you. About Midgar and how they buy omegas to try to keep them safe. When I realized that there was an omega here, I knew I had to do something. I had to at least try to make up for not being brave enough to help you. I didn’t know for sure about Shinra, but I just hoped he hadn’t been lying. I didn't know who else I could ask for help.”
He sighed and relaxed his grip on the transceiver. “He didn’t lie. Can you take me to where the omega is?”
“You’ll help him?”
“Of course.” Cloud pulled one of his cards out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “Tell me everything you know about the situation.”
***
When Tifa finished talking, Cloud stared at the notes he had taken, apparently thinking hard. She looked at the card he had given her.
Neo Shinra Electric Power Co.
Cloud
Turks Division
Field Officer, Spec. Rescue
He specialized in rescue? Did that mean this was his job? What on Gaia had happened after he left Nibelheim? The SOLDIER who had taken him had said he needed to mate. That he only had a few heats left. That had been years ago though, so shouldn’t he have an alpha? She had tried to learn a bit about alphas and omegas since leaving Nibelheim, and everything she’d heard said that a mated omega had to stay with his alpha all the time. That they were basically subservient to alphas.
“If they’re not planning to sell him, then taking him is pretty much the only option …” Cloud appeared to be talking mostly to himself. “But if he’s being treated as badly as you fear, I don’t want to waste time setting up something like what Sephiroth did to get me.”
“What?”
Cloud glanced up, seemingly surprised that she was listening. “The SOLDIER. He set the monsters on Nibelheim on purpose so he could make you guys give me to him.”
Tifa sat there stunned. “He set it all up?”
“Yeah.” He paused and laughed softly. “He heard a rumour about an omega, but didn’t have enough money to buy me.”
“He …”
“Anyway, I think my best bet will be to just go in and take him, to hell with whether they want to let me or not. If they realize you told me about him, you might be in danger. You can come with us if you want. We can get you as far as Midgar.”
She nodded, grateful for the offer. “I won’t miss this place.”
“What? But the atmosphere is so quaint and the people are so lovely. All right, stick with me and do exactly as I say until we get the omega to safety.” He picked up a small machine and put something in his ears, then held the machine to his mouth. “Hello? Hey, yeah, there’s an omega here. It sounds bad. I’m going for an immediate removal, no negotiations.”
Tifa stared wonderingly. He was talking to another person and there were no wires that she could see. That was amazing! They didn't have technology like that in the boonies, that was for sure.
“It’s complicated, but the bartender’s from Nibelheim. That’s how she knew me. No, I’m fine. Well, not fine, but fine enough. She’s going to come with us, so keep your shit together. She’s at risk if they find out she helped. Did I not just tell you to keep your shit together? She never hurt me.”
It had to be his mate he was talking to. She’d heard of how protective alphas were of their mates. Maybe she’d be better off taking her chances with the miners.
“He’s being held in the mine. Tifa knows approximately where, and she’s going to show me the way. I need you to make a big fucking distraction on the northwest side of town. I want it to draw out anyone in the mine and give me time to sneak in and get him. Tifa says those buildings we saw are abandoned, so maybe a fire? If it goes smoothly, we’ll regroup at the rendezvous point. Okay, yep, that timing sounds good. Good luck, we’ll move on your signal. Love you.” Cloud took the things out of his ears and put the machine in his pack, then pulled out a hand-drawn map and spread it out on the floor.
“We’re here, the mine entrance is here. It faces east. That way is north. The rendezvous point is here. If we get separated, go south until you hit the stream, then follow it in the direction of the water flow and you’ll come across a tree that was struck by lightning after about ten minutes. It’s easy to spot. Wait there for me.”
“Understood. Was that your mate you were talking to? Is it okay to ask?”
“Yes to both questions. Now, in fifteen minutes, we’re going to go to the stable and wait there. Once my mate makes his move, we’re going to need to be fast. Follow behind me, keeping out of sight and as quiet as possible. Once we’re in the mine, I’ll need you to take the lead and show me the way. Depending on the omega’s condition, our escape plans may change. For the time being, it's get in, grab him, go out the way we went in, then directly east until we’re out of sight of the town, then south to the rendezvous point.”
“Got it. Can I pack up some things before we go? I don’t have much.”
“Yes, as long as nobody will notice you.”
She gave a quick nod and hurried to her room next door. She grabbed her savings and tucked the cash into her bra, then put on her mother’s locket and gathered up a few clothes and necessities into a bag. She couldn’t believe it was really Cloud. Of all the people who might have turned up in response to her message, it had to be the boy her father had tortured. His screams from whenever her father took the switch and left the house still haunted her nightmares.
After the SOLDIER took him away, everyone had been so angry that they hadn’t been able to sell him. It was sickening. They all believed he was being raped by that SOLDIER, and they were just upset because they hadn’t profited off of it. Her father most of all. When he found out that SOLDIER fees were actually fairly reasonable-only meant to cover some of the costs of dispatching a SOLDIER-and that they just waived them if a town couldn’t afford it, he had flown into a rage like she’d never seen before. She had run away that night, unable to cope any longer.
Her plans of making it to Midgar had failed miserably, but travelling from place to place and finding work where she could was manageable enough. She had intended to leave this dump as soon as possible, but then someone had drunkenly mentioned going to fuck the omega, and it was like she was back in Nibelheim all over again. Only this time she refused to be a bystander.
She double-knotted the laces on her boots and pulled her leather gloves on. She could hold her own in a fight if she needed to defend Cloud while he helped the omega.
“Ready to go?”
“Let’s do this,” she said with determination.
Cloud led the way downstairs, moving silently. How he even knew that there was a back door was beyond her, but given the details on the map he had shown her, she supposed he must have spent some time scouting the town out. She locked the door behind her and followed him to the stable.
The biggest chocobo she had ever seen was in the first stall, and Cloud shushed it when it noticed their approach.
“Sneaky time, Dancer,” he whispered.
The bird went completely still while Cloud removed a sword from a bundled-up blanket and strapped it to his back.
“Can you carry this?” He traded her bag of clothes for a small pack with a large red cross on it. While Tifa fitted it snugly to her back so it wouldn’t move around and make noise, Cloud wrapped a utility belt around his waist, then saddled the chocobo and put everything else on its back.
When he was ready, he went to the door and waited. The chocobo followed him silently. Not five minutes later, there was a yell.
“Fire! Fire!” A bell began clanging loudly, and Cloud turned to her.
“That’s us. Dancer, go to Birdy, don’t get caught.”
The chocobo bumped its head against Cloud’s chest, then ran off, quickly disappearing into the darkness. Cloud didn’t look to see if she was following as he moved swiftly in the direction of the mines, keeping to the shadows. There was yelling from all over as the town woke up, but nobody noticed them in the chaos. They ducked behind a large trolley and watched as men came running out of the mine entrance carrying buckets. Several appeared to be fastening their pants.
“Okay, let’s hope that was everyone.” Cloud looked around carefully, then darted in. Tifa followed hot on his heels.
The lights were on, but it was quiet as a grave in the mine. Tifa took the lead and followed the signs that pointed to equipment storage. The omega was supposedly kept somewhere in there. They stopped to listen at each corner but otherwise moved fast. When they arrived, Tifa balked at the size of the area.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know where from here.”
“This way. I can smell him.” Cloud pushed in front of her and ran flat out. He skidded to a halt at a sliding metal door that was locked with a padlock and chain. He didn’t even pause before unclipping a pair of bolt cutters from his belt and cutting through it with a small grunt of effort. “Fuck,” he whispered when he slid the door open. “Escape plans have changed.”
He ran forward, allowing Tifa to see what was in the room. She reeled in horror and only just managed to turn away before the contents of her stomach splattered across the ground.
The omega was chained to the wall by his neck. He was naked and covered in semen and other fluids. They were leaking out of every hole in his body. He had been curled up in a ball, probably trying to keep warm on the bare concrete floor, but when he noticed them, he rolled onto his back and spread his legs.
“… in your pack. Hey! Pay attention! I don’t have time to babysit you. You’re not the one who needs help.” Cloud had the bolt cutters out again and was cutting the chain from the omega. “There’s a blanket in your pack. Get it out.”
Her hands shook as she fumbled with the zipper. In the top section, there was a thin, but soft blanket. Cloud snatched it from her and spread it over the omega. He didn’t have any testicles. Someone had cut them off. She fought not to throw up again.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, you’re safe now. We’re not going to hurt you. Can you smell me? Yeah, that’s it. I’m like you. I’m safe, and I’m going to take care of you.”
“What-What can I do?” She forced herself to calm down and focus. She had to help.
“Blue bottle in your pack. There’s a tab on the side, pull it out, then shake the bottle for thirty seconds.”
Tifa did as she was told, marvelling as the bottle began to warm up. Wondering how it worked was far better than thinking about what had been done to the omega. Cloud kept him mostly covered, but moved the blanket around as he checked his injuries. He talked to the omega nonstop, assuring him over and over that he was safe now.
“Okay.”
“Come around to his head and pour it into his mouth slowly. Lift him up a little so you don’t choke him. This is Tifa. I know she’s kind of scary, but she’s not going to hurt you, I promise. This drink is going to help warm you up. It might make you feel a bit strange, but it’s okay. You’re safe. It has some medicine in it that will help you.”
She lifted the omega’s head as gently as she could and rested it in her lap. He didn’t seem to really know what was going on, but he began drinking when she held the bottle to his lips.
“There you go, that’s good. Drink it all up. The bottle has painkillers and stimulants keep him from going into shock.” Cloud finished whatever emergency first aid he was doing and tucked the blanket around him. “I think he’s stable enough to move, so as soon as he finishes it, we’ll go.”
“Will you now?”
They both looked up to see a bunch of men in the doorway. A miner named Herman, who was a regular at the bar, was at the head of the group with a sledgehammer resting on his shoulder.
“Yes,” Cloud said as he stood and planted himself in front of them with his arms crossed. “We will. Keep him drinking, Tifa. Gentle touches to his head and face if he doesn’t try to move away from them.”
“Okay.”
Cloud didn’t seem worried, despite all of the men holding pickaxes and hammers. Cloud had a sword, but they were vastly outnumbered.
The miners laughed at Cloud’s statement. “You think we’re going to let you walk out of here with our omega? We paid good money for him.”
Cloud just shrugged. “You can let us or not, I don’t care, but we’re going to go as soon as he finishes that bottle.”
“Or maybe we’ll just kill you and keep Tits as a second come-dump. Not like anyone would come looking for either of you here.”
“Her name’s Tifa, not Tits. And it seems a bit of a waste to kill me. I’m an omega too, so you could triple your fun.”
“You’re an omega?”
“Yeah." Cloud tilted back his head to show them what she guessed was his scent glands. What was he playing at? Surely he wasn’t overconfident to the point of stupidity. Was he trying to buy time? "How's that’s that bottle coming, Tifa?”
She blinked a couple times, then looked down. The omega was still latched onto it and drinking steadily. He must have been so dehydrated. “About a third left.”
“Fantastic. I should probably mention that I’m mated. That's the scar on my neck. And alphas really don't like it when people threaten their mates.”
His confidence was definitely throwing the men off-balance, but Herman laughed anyway. “Your mate isn’t here now, is he?”
“Oh shit, I hadn’t noticed. I wonder where he could possibly be?”
Someone else snorted with laughter. “Probably lost in the mines, searching for his fucktoy.”
“Funny fact you might be interested in: an alpha always knows where his mate is. It’s fucking impossible to hide from them. Even when you’re pissed off and wish they’d just fuck right off for a while, they pop up, wondering what they did wrong and how to fix it. I could be knocked out and carried in a sack of rotting fish through a maze, backtracking all over the place, and my mate would follow the shortest route to me like there was a gold-paved road showing the way. And another funny fact: technology these days is pretty neat. I pressed this little guy as soon as you showed up.” Cloud held up a small black disc. “It let my mate know that some monsters dressed up like human beings were bothering me.”
“The bottle’s done, Cloud.”
“Perfect. We’re going to go now.”
“You think you can fight us?”
“A few of you, at least. I’m not going to bother, though. My new friend is more important than proving I can fight, and I believe I gave you fair warning about my mate. You could have left. Sephiroth, if you’d please clear the door.” Cloud turned back to them as a primal roar shook the room. There was just a blur of silver and black, followed by red as something began tearing into the men. Cloud knelt, ignoring the screaming, and very gently lifted the omega up. “There we go. Good job drinking all that. Let's get you out of here.”
By the time Tifa stood up, the mine was silent once more, and the same silver-haired man who had come to Nibelheim stood in the doorway, wiping blood off his impossibly long sword. "Do you need help carrying him?" he asked.
"I'm fine. You're nice and light, so it's no problem at all. My name is Cloud. Can you tell me yours?"
The omega's head wobbled a bit as he attempted to look up at the man carrying him. "Bitch."
Cloud's mate stumbled as he walked, and he looked back at them in horror. She felt as appalled as he looked. They really had seen him as something completely subhuman.
Cloud, on the other hand, didn't even falter. "Oh, I see. That's really not a very nice name at all. I think they called you that to be mean and make you feel bad. Hey, what if we gave you a new name to celebrate a new start away from all of this?"
"New … name?"
"Yes. Would you like me to think of one?"
The omega bobbed his head in a sort of nodding motion.
"Okay, let me see what I can come up with."
The fire appeared to be out when they exited the mine. Sephiroth wasn't trying to hide at all, and he still held his sword ready to use. When someone noticed them and shouted, the alpha spoke calmly in a voice that carried far.
"By order of the Turks, we are taking this omega into the custody of the Neo Shinra Electric Power Company. Anyone who feels like arguing can take it up with me. I haven't worked off anywhere near enough anger."
The approaching people paused, taking note of the deadly sword, and Sephiroth whistled loudly. While the townsfolk were dithering, with a relievedly large number wondering what was going on and where an omega had come from, two chocobos came running up the road. One she recognized as Dancer, and the second, slightly smaller one, Tifa figured must belong to Sephiroth.
"This is my friend, Dancer," Cloud was saying to the omega, who was looking rather alarmed. "She's a chocobo, and she's very nice to people I like. Fortunately, I like you a lot, so I expect you'll become good friends with her too. She's going to help us get back to a safe place where we can take care of you and get you feeling better. Would you like to go for a ride with me?"
"Stay with you."
"Okay, let's stay together." Dancer dropped down in front of Cloud and spread her wings out so he was able to simply swing his leg over and settle himself in the saddle. He didn't need to touch the reins at all, and on his command, she stood up very carefully.
As soon as Cloud was up, Sephiroth leapt onto the other bird's back. "With me, girl." He held out his hand to her, and when she took it, he swung her up behind him.
"Her name's Tifa," Cloud said as the chocobos started walking. It seemed like no one was going to try and stop them again, and she supposed they had to go slowly so they wouldn't risk hurting the omega more. It was still slightly terrifying to have her back exposed to them, but Sephiroth kept his sword drawn and an eye out behind them.
"What do you think of being called Luke?" Cloud asked when they were a little bit further away.
"Luke?"
"Yeah. See Sephiroth over there? He's my mate. I love him more than everything else in the whole world put together. His mom was an omega like us, and her name was Lucretia. I never got to meet her, but I've heard so many wonderful things about her, and I admire her very much. She was brave and smart and loving and so very, very strong, just like you. I think that Luke would be a fitting name for you."
"Not strong … not brave …"
"You are. You're so strong. Look at you, you're a survivor. You survived such awful, awful things. You had to be brave and strong to do that."
Sephiroth turned to look at his mate and the boy cradled in his arms. "My mother would be so proud if you were named after her, and I would be honoured."
The moonlight was bright enough that Tifa could see the tears running down the omega's cheeks. "Would like … Luke."
"It's so nice to meet you, Luke. You're going to be okay. I promise."
***
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
A/N: I don’t want to whine about being lonely, so I’m going to update you on my foster children. Spidey Starman, space explorer, likes to journey across my (star-patterned) curtains and back again every day. Banana Man likes yellow and orange, and hangs out exclusively either on my dust cloth (yellow) or hoodie (orange). Fami appears to want to play the Switch, but is sadly too small to press the buttons. I think he wants me to get Animal Crossing. Maybe he heard about the tarantula island.
Chapter: 14/19
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~5000
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud
Genre: adventure, hurt/comfort, alpha/omega
Warnings: non-con
Chapter 1
Summary: Offered up as payment to an alpha for ridding the town of monsters, Cloud discovers that the outside world is vastly different than he expected, and that he could play a role in changing it.
Sephiroth never wanted to mate, preferring his independence as a SOLDIER that allows him to travel the world at his leisure. When he finds himself caring for a traumatized omega, however, his values start to shift.
***
Cloud left Dancer outside the bar that also claimed to be an inn with her lead wrapped loosely around the pole to give the appearance of her being tied. Gaia, he really hoped there wasn’t an omega in a place like this. It wasn’t even a proper town, really. Just a bunch of shacks outside the mines and, of course, a bar.
Loud, drunken voices came from inside, and the topic of conversation appeared to be the bartender’s tits. “Seems like a lovely place,” he muttered to Dancer. “Okay, be a good girl. Try not to bite anyone. Hopefully I’ll be back soon.”
He pushed open the door and wrinkled his nose at the smell of stale beer, smoke, and vomit. A large group of men clustered around some tables that were covered in glasses, telling crude stories and laughing while the bartender, a young woman with long brown hair, looked on with disgusted glare.
She barely looked at him when he walked in. “Sit anywhere you want.”
He opted for the bar. The patrons were loud enough that he’d be able to listen for clues, and he really didn’t want to engage with them unless he absolutely had to. He wished that the message that had arrived at Shinra had been less vague. He supposed the writer hadn’t wanted to risk getting caught, but all it said was that there was someone here that they might be interested in. Was he even looking for an omega?
He noticed the bartender staring at him with wide eyes as he sat down, then her eyes slid to the Shinra logo on his jacket. She blinked and gave her head a small shake. Maybe she had been the one who sent the message. Did she need help? It wasn’t exactly in his job description, but if she needed it, he could certainly get her somewhere better than this.
“What’ll you have?” she asked.
“Umm, got anything in a bottle?” He was up to date on all his shots, but the beer tap looked absolutely foul.
She laughed and bent down, causing a deluge of comments about her ass to come from the tables. Her face was bright red and angry when she stood up again, but she didn’t say anything as she wiped off a bottle of beer with a clean cloth. She set it on a coaster and pushed it over to him. “My personal stash.”
“Thanks, then.” When he lifted the bottle, he noticed a scrap of paper between it and the coaster.
Cloud. Get a room for the night. I need to talk to you.
How the fuck did she know his name? Well, he supposed there was only one way to find out. He casually crumpled the paper and slipped it into his pocket. “Sign outside said you have rooms for rent. How much for the night?”
“Thousand gil.”
Gross. He didn’t even want to imagine what he’d get for so little. Probably lice. He pulled out his wallet.
“Slip her another thousand and she’ll give you the ‘special’ room right next to hers if you know what I mean.” One of the miners made a circle with one hand and thrust his index finger in and out.
“That so? Thanks for the tip.” He pulled out two bills and pushed them across the bar to the bartender who looked like she wanted to break the man’s neck. “I’ll take the special room.”
“It’s just got a nicer bed,” she snapped.
“Yeah, of course. I’m looking forward to having a nice, comfortable sleep.”
One of the drunks wolf-whistled and Cloud rolled his eyes. He was so bad at playing along with shit like this. This may have been a better assignment for Reno. Nothing ever fazed him when it came to being crude. He downed his beer as quickly as he could manage and put another thousand gil on the counter. He figured the poor woman deserved a decent tip for putting up with the assholes.
“Thanks for that. I’m beat, so can I grab my stuff and head to the room?”
“Yeah, stable’s ‘round the back if you need it.”
The stable was actually slightly nicer than the bar, but he hosed the stall down anyway and scrubbed out the water trough as best he could before refilling it. “Only eat your food,” he said as he got some out of the saddlebags. “Don’t lie down. And don’t touch anything you don’t have to. And try not to breathe too much.”
Dancer kwehed and flapped her wings.
“Oh, all right, you can breathe if you must. Here’s to hoping we don’t actually have to stay the night.” He gave her a hug, then grabbed his pack.
“Upstairs, second door on the left. Key’s in the door.” The bartender didn’t look at him as she poured another round for the miners.
Cloud sat in the middle of the floor with his pack. If this was the nice room, he shuddered to think what the others were like. It reminded him of Nibelheim, but with a flowery pattern on the stained quilt instead of leaves. He pulled out the newly developed portable radio he had been assigned and put the earbuds in, then flicked the switch.
“Hello, hello? Sephiroth, you listening?” He spoke quietly but didn’t think he needed to worry too much about being overheard.
“Since the moment you left my sight.” Just the sound of his mate’s voice was enough to make him relax a little. “How’re you doing?”
“I guess it's a good thing you have the solar charger. Something’s definitely up here. I think the bartender’s the one who sent the message. I don’t know if she needs help or if there’s an omega or something else. I think she’s going to meet me after she closes the bar. But, Sephiroth, it’s fucked up. She knew my name.”
“What? And you don’t know who she is?”
“No, I have no clue.”
“I don’t like that … do you want to abort and work out a new plan?”
“No, I’ll meet with her. It doesn’t feel like she’s setting me up, but stay close, okay?”
“All right. If things go south, hit the emergency transmitter. Or just scream. Fairly sure I’m close enough that I’ll be able to hear. You’re in the two-storey place, right?”
“Yeah, second floor.” He stood up and went to the window.
“Okay, I see you. Keep me updated.”
“Will do. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Cloud set the radio aside, then opened the window and sat down on the ledge to wait. He could pick up a slight hint of Sephiroth’s scent on the breeze, and he knew that being able to see him would make his alpha feel better about being separated.
A few hours later, he heard the bartender kicking everyone out. It didn’t take her long, and it soon grew quiet. The stairs creaked, and moments later there was a tap on the door before she slipped in.
“You’re from Shinra?” she said.
Cloud stood and shut the window in case someone was outside, but remained in front of it. “Yes. How do you know my name?”
“I’m sorry, I-you don’t recognize me?”
“Should I?”
“I … I’m Tifa. Tifa Lockheart. My father was the mayor of Nibelheim.”
Cloud backed up so fast that the window rattled when he crashed into it. He scrambled for his transmitter and held his thumb over the button.
“Please, I didn’t mean to scare you, I just-I’m so, so sorry.”
“What the fuck do you want with me?”
“Nothing!” She held up her hands like she was surrendering. “I swear, I had no idea that you’d-I just hoped that someone would come. That Shinra would help.”
“Why would Shinra help you?”
“Not me, there’s-they’ve got an omega here. They keep him in the mines.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’ve never seen him, but they talk about him sometimes when they’re drunk. They treat him worse than we did you. I hoped … I hoped that Shinra could save him.”
Cloud tilted his head, frowning. “Why do you think that Shinra would do that?”
“Because that day, before the SOLDIER took you away-when he took you into your house to check if you were a virgin, I snuck around the outside. I felt so badly for you, Cloud, you’ve got to believe me, but there was nothing I could do. But I snuck around and hid outside your window. I heard what he told you. About Midgar and how they buy omegas to try to keep them safe. When I realized that there was an omega here, I knew I had to do something. I had to at least try to make up for not being brave enough to help you. I didn’t know for sure about Shinra, but I just hoped he hadn’t been lying. I didn't know who else I could ask for help.”
He sighed and relaxed his grip on the transceiver. “He didn’t lie. Can you take me to where the omega is?”
“You’ll help him?”
“Of course.” Cloud pulled one of his cards out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “Tell me everything you know about the situation.”
***
When Tifa finished talking, Cloud stared at the notes he had taken, apparently thinking hard. She looked at the card he had given her.
Neo Shinra Electric Power Co.
Cloud
Turks Division
Field Officer, Spec. Rescue
He specialized in rescue? Did that mean this was his job? What on Gaia had happened after he left Nibelheim? The SOLDIER who had taken him had said he needed to mate. That he only had a few heats left. That had been years ago though, so shouldn’t he have an alpha? She had tried to learn a bit about alphas and omegas since leaving Nibelheim, and everything she’d heard said that a mated omega had to stay with his alpha all the time. That they were basically subservient to alphas.
“If they’re not planning to sell him, then taking him is pretty much the only option …” Cloud appeared to be talking mostly to himself. “But if he’s being treated as badly as you fear, I don’t want to waste time setting up something like what Sephiroth did to get me.”
“What?”
Cloud glanced up, seemingly surprised that she was listening. “The SOLDIER. He set the monsters on Nibelheim on purpose so he could make you guys give me to him.”
Tifa sat there stunned. “He set it all up?”
“Yeah.” He paused and laughed softly. “He heard a rumour about an omega, but didn’t have enough money to buy me.”
“He …”
“Anyway, I think my best bet will be to just go in and take him, to hell with whether they want to let me or not. If they realize you told me about him, you might be in danger. You can come with us if you want. We can get you as far as Midgar.”
She nodded, grateful for the offer. “I won’t miss this place.”
“What? But the atmosphere is so quaint and the people are so lovely. All right, stick with me and do exactly as I say until we get the omega to safety.” He picked up a small machine and put something in his ears, then held the machine to his mouth. “Hello? Hey, yeah, there’s an omega here. It sounds bad. I’m going for an immediate removal, no negotiations.”
Tifa stared wonderingly. He was talking to another person and there were no wires that she could see. That was amazing! They didn't have technology like that in the boonies, that was for sure.
“It’s complicated, but the bartender’s from Nibelheim. That’s how she knew me. No, I’m fine. Well, not fine, but fine enough. She’s going to come with us, so keep your shit together. She’s at risk if they find out she helped. Did I not just tell you to keep your shit together? She never hurt me.”
It had to be his mate he was talking to. She’d heard of how protective alphas were of their mates. Maybe she’d be better off taking her chances with the miners.
“He’s being held in the mine. Tifa knows approximately where, and she’s going to show me the way. I need you to make a big fucking distraction on the northwest side of town. I want it to draw out anyone in the mine and give me time to sneak in and get him. Tifa says those buildings we saw are abandoned, so maybe a fire? If it goes smoothly, we’ll regroup at the rendezvous point. Okay, yep, that timing sounds good. Good luck, we’ll move on your signal. Love you.” Cloud took the things out of his ears and put the machine in his pack, then pulled out a hand-drawn map and spread it out on the floor.
“We’re here, the mine entrance is here. It faces east. That way is north. The rendezvous point is here. If we get separated, go south until you hit the stream, then follow it in the direction of the water flow and you’ll come across a tree that was struck by lightning after about ten minutes. It’s easy to spot. Wait there for me.”
“Understood. Was that your mate you were talking to? Is it okay to ask?”
“Yes to both questions. Now, in fifteen minutes, we’re going to go to the stable and wait there. Once my mate makes his move, we’re going to need to be fast. Follow behind me, keeping out of sight and as quiet as possible. Once we’re in the mine, I’ll need you to take the lead and show me the way. Depending on the omega’s condition, our escape plans may change. For the time being, it's get in, grab him, go out the way we went in, then directly east until we’re out of sight of the town, then south to the rendezvous point.”
“Got it. Can I pack up some things before we go? I don’t have much.”
“Yes, as long as nobody will notice you.”
She gave a quick nod and hurried to her room next door. She grabbed her savings and tucked the cash into her bra, then put on her mother’s locket and gathered up a few clothes and necessities into a bag. She couldn’t believe it was really Cloud. Of all the people who might have turned up in response to her message, it had to be the boy her father had tortured. His screams from whenever her father took the switch and left the house still haunted her nightmares.
After the SOLDIER took him away, everyone had been so angry that they hadn’t been able to sell him. It was sickening. They all believed he was being raped by that SOLDIER, and they were just upset because they hadn’t profited off of it. Her father most of all. When he found out that SOLDIER fees were actually fairly reasonable-only meant to cover some of the costs of dispatching a SOLDIER-and that they just waived them if a town couldn’t afford it, he had flown into a rage like she’d never seen before. She had run away that night, unable to cope any longer.
Her plans of making it to Midgar had failed miserably, but travelling from place to place and finding work where she could was manageable enough. She had intended to leave this dump as soon as possible, but then someone had drunkenly mentioned going to fuck the omega, and it was like she was back in Nibelheim all over again. Only this time she refused to be a bystander.
She double-knotted the laces on her boots and pulled her leather gloves on. She could hold her own in a fight if she needed to defend Cloud while he helped the omega.
“Ready to go?”
“Let’s do this,” she said with determination.
Cloud led the way downstairs, moving silently. How he even knew that there was a back door was beyond her, but given the details on the map he had shown her, she supposed he must have spent some time scouting the town out. She locked the door behind her and followed him to the stable.
The biggest chocobo she had ever seen was in the first stall, and Cloud shushed it when it noticed their approach.
“Sneaky time, Dancer,” he whispered.
The bird went completely still while Cloud removed a sword from a bundled-up blanket and strapped it to his back.
“Can you carry this?” He traded her bag of clothes for a small pack with a large red cross on it. While Tifa fitted it snugly to her back so it wouldn’t move around and make noise, Cloud wrapped a utility belt around his waist, then saddled the chocobo and put everything else on its back.
When he was ready, he went to the door and waited. The chocobo followed him silently. Not five minutes later, there was a yell.
“Fire! Fire!” A bell began clanging loudly, and Cloud turned to her.
“That’s us. Dancer, go to Birdy, don’t get caught.”
The chocobo bumped its head against Cloud’s chest, then ran off, quickly disappearing into the darkness. Cloud didn’t look to see if she was following as he moved swiftly in the direction of the mines, keeping to the shadows. There was yelling from all over as the town woke up, but nobody noticed them in the chaos. They ducked behind a large trolley and watched as men came running out of the mine entrance carrying buckets. Several appeared to be fastening their pants.
“Okay, let’s hope that was everyone.” Cloud looked around carefully, then darted in. Tifa followed hot on his heels.
The lights were on, but it was quiet as a grave in the mine. Tifa took the lead and followed the signs that pointed to equipment storage. The omega was supposedly kept somewhere in there. They stopped to listen at each corner but otherwise moved fast. When they arrived, Tifa balked at the size of the area.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know where from here.”
“This way. I can smell him.” Cloud pushed in front of her and ran flat out. He skidded to a halt at a sliding metal door that was locked with a padlock and chain. He didn’t even pause before unclipping a pair of bolt cutters from his belt and cutting through it with a small grunt of effort. “Fuck,” he whispered when he slid the door open. “Escape plans have changed.”
He ran forward, allowing Tifa to see what was in the room. She reeled in horror and only just managed to turn away before the contents of her stomach splattered across the ground.
The omega was chained to the wall by his neck. He was naked and covered in semen and other fluids. They were leaking out of every hole in his body. He had been curled up in a ball, probably trying to keep warm on the bare concrete floor, but when he noticed them, he rolled onto his back and spread his legs.
“… in your pack. Hey! Pay attention! I don’t have time to babysit you. You’re not the one who needs help.” Cloud had the bolt cutters out again and was cutting the chain from the omega. “There’s a blanket in your pack. Get it out.”
Her hands shook as she fumbled with the zipper. In the top section, there was a thin, but soft blanket. Cloud snatched it from her and spread it over the omega. He didn’t have any testicles. Someone had cut them off. She fought not to throw up again.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, you’re safe now. We’re not going to hurt you. Can you smell me? Yeah, that’s it. I’m like you. I’m safe, and I’m going to take care of you.”
“What-What can I do?” She forced herself to calm down and focus. She had to help.
“Blue bottle in your pack. There’s a tab on the side, pull it out, then shake the bottle for thirty seconds.”
Tifa did as she was told, marvelling as the bottle began to warm up. Wondering how it worked was far better than thinking about what had been done to the omega. Cloud kept him mostly covered, but moved the blanket around as he checked his injuries. He talked to the omega nonstop, assuring him over and over that he was safe now.
“Okay.”
“Come around to his head and pour it into his mouth slowly. Lift him up a little so you don’t choke him. This is Tifa. I know she’s kind of scary, but she’s not going to hurt you, I promise. This drink is going to help warm you up. It might make you feel a bit strange, but it’s okay. You’re safe. It has some medicine in it that will help you.”
She lifted the omega’s head as gently as she could and rested it in her lap. He didn’t seem to really know what was going on, but he began drinking when she held the bottle to his lips.
“There you go, that’s good. Drink it all up. The bottle has painkillers and stimulants keep him from going into shock.” Cloud finished whatever emergency first aid he was doing and tucked the blanket around him. “I think he’s stable enough to move, so as soon as he finishes it, we’ll go.”
“Will you now?”
They both looked up to see a bunch of men in the doorway. A miner named Herman, who was a regular at the bar, was at the head of the group with a sledgehammer resting on his shoulder.
“Yes,” Cloud said as he stood and planted himself in front of them with his arms crossed. “We will. Keep him drinking, Tifa. Gentle touches to his head and face if he doesn’t try to move away from them.”
“Okay.”
Cloud didn’t seem worried, despite all of the men holding pickaxes and hammers. Cloud had a sword, but they were vastly outnumbered.
The miners laughed at Cloud’s statement. “You think we’re going to let you walk out of here with our omega? We paid good money for him.”
Cloud just shrugged. “You can let us or not, I don’t care, but we’re going to go as soon as he finishes that bottle.”
“Or maybe we’ll just kill you and keep Tits as a second come-dump. Not like anyone would come looking for either of you here.”
“Her name’s Tifa, not Tits. And it seems a bit of a waste to kill me. I’m an omega too, so you could triple your fun.”
“You’re an omega?”
“Yeah." Cloud tilted back his head to show them what she guessed was his scent glands. What was he playing at? Surely he wasn’t overconfident to the point of stupidity. Was he trying to buy time? "How's that’s that bottle coming, Tifa?”
She blinked a couple times, then looked down. The omega was still latched onto it and drinking steadily. He must have been so dehydrated. “About a third left.”
“Fantastic. I should probably mention that I’m mated. That's the scar on my neck. And alphas really don't like it when people threaten their mates.”
His confidence was definitely throwing the men off-balance, but Herman laughed anyway. “Your mate isn’t here now, is he?”
“Oh shit, I hadn’t noticed. I wonder where he could possibly be?”
Someone else snorted with laughter. “Probably lost in the mines, searching for his fucktoy.”
“Funny fact you might be interested in: an alpha always knows where his mate is. It’s fucking impossible to hide from them. Even when you’re pissed off and wish they’d just fuck right off for a while, they pop up, wondering what they did wrong and how to fix it. I could be knocked out and carried in a sack of rotting fish through a maze, backtracking all over the place, and my mate would follow the shortest route to me like there was a gold-paved road showing the way. And another funny fact: technology these days is pretty neat. I pressed this little guy as soon as you showed up.” Cloud held up a small black disc. “It let my mate know that some monsters dressed up like human beings were bothering me.”
“The bottle’s done, Cloud.”
“Perfect. We’re going to go now.”
“You think you can fight us?”
“A few of you, at least. I’m not going to bother, though. My new friend is more important than proving I can fight, and I believe I gave you fair warning about my mate. You could have left. Sephiroth, if you’d please clear the door.” Cloud turned back to them as a primal roar shook the room. There was just a blur of silver and black, followed by red as something began tearing into the men. Cloud knelt, ignoring the screaming, and very gently lifted the omega up. “There we go. Good job drinking all that. Let's get you out of here.”
By the time Tifa stood up, the mine was silent once more, and the same silver-haired man who had come to Nibelheim stood in the doorway, wiping blood off his impossibly long sword. "Do you need help carrying him?" he asked.
"I'm fine. You're nice and light, so it's no problem at all. My name is Cloud. Can you tell me yours?"
The omega's head wobbled a bit as he attempted to look up at the man carrying him. "Bitch."
Cloud's mate stumbled as he walked, and he looked back at them in horror. She felt as appalled as he looked. They really had seen him as something completely subhuman.
Cloud, on the other hand, didn't even falter. "Oh, I see. That's really not a very nice name at all. I think they called you that to be mean and make you feel bad. Hey, what if we gave you a new name to celebrate a new start away from all of this?"
"New … name?"
"Yes. Would you like me to think of one?"
The omega bobbed his head in a sort of nodding motion.
"Okay, let me see what I can come up with."
The fire appeared to be out when they exited the mine. Sephiroth wasn't trying to hide at all, and he still held his sword ready to use. When someone noticed them and shouted, the alpha spoke calmly in a voice that carried far.
"By order of the Turks, we are taking this omega into the custody of the Neo Shinra Electric Power Company. Anyone who feels like arguing can take it up with me. I haven't worked off anywhere near enough anger."
The approaching people paused, taking note of the deadly sword, and Sephiroth whistled loudly. While the townsfolk were dithering, with a relievedly large number wondering what was going on and where an omega had come from, two chocobos came running up the road. One she recognized as Dancer, and the second, slightly smaller one, Tifa figured must belong to Sephiroth.
"This is my friend, Dancer," Cloud was saying to the omega, who was looking rather alarmed. "She's a chocobo, and she's very nice to people I like. Fortunately, I like you a lot, so I expect you'll become good friends with her too. She's going to help us get back to a safe place where we can take care of you and get you feeling better. Would you like to go for a ride with me?"
"Stay with you."
"Okay, let's stay together." Dancer dropped down in front of Cloud and spread her wings out so he was able to simply swing his leg over and settle himself in the saddle. He didn't need to touch the reins at all, and on his command, she stood up very carefully.
As soon as Cloud was up, Sephiroth leapt onto the other bird's back. "With me, girl." He held out his hand to her, and when she took it, he swung her up behind him.
"Her name's Tifa," Cloud said as the chocobos started walking. It seemed like no one was going to try and stop them again, and she supposed they had to go slowly so they wouldn't risk hurting the omega more. It was still slightly terrifying to have her back exposed to them, but Sephiroth kept his sword drawn and an eye out behind them.
"What do you think of being called Luke?" Cloud asked when they were a little bit further away.
"Luke?"
"Yeah. See Sephiroth over there? He's my mate. I love him more than everything else in the whole world put together. His mom was an omega like us, and her name was Lucretia. I never got to meet her, but I've heard so many wonderful things about her, and I admire her very much. She was brave and smart and loving and so very, very strong, just like you. I think that Luke would be a fitting name for you."
"Not strong … not brave …"
"You are. You're so strong. Look at you, you're a survivor. You survived such awful, awful things. You had to be brave and strong to do that."
Sephiroth turned to look at his mate and the boy cradled in his arms. "My mother would be so proud if you were named after her, and I would be honoured."
The moonlight was bright enough that Tifa could see the tears running down the omega's cheeks. "Would like … Luke."
"It's so nice to meet you, Luke. You're going to be okay. I promise."
***
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A/N: I don’t want to whine about being lonely, so I’m going to update you on my foster children. Spidey Starman, space explorer, likes to journey across my (star-patterned) curtains and back again every day. Banana Man likes yellow and orange, and hangs out exclusively either on my dust cloth (yellow) or hoodie (orange). Fami appears to want to play the Switch, but is sadly too small to press the buttons. I think he wants me to get Animal Crossing. Maybe he heard about the tarantula island.