A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes.

[general_affairs]

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out. You've left me in the dark. And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat. I tried to find the sound, but then it stopped.

I took the stars from my eyes and then I made a map, and knew that somehow I could find my way back. Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too. So I stayed in the darkness with you.

Comments

I would give all this and heaven, too

[general_affairs]

[ Tseng's voice was in his ear, smooth and solid and certain as it guided him through the corridors and down into the hidden layers underneath. He could hear it over the rush of blood through his ears, and through the angry snap of lightning as bone cracked and collapsed.

He didn't need Tseng to guide him along the right path, and both of them knew it. He knew the way nearly by heart for how long he poured over all of the details--all of the possibilities and uncertainties of possible security codes and all the contingencies ShinRa was capable of. All of the safety protocols and lab reports. Every second had been accounted for, but even so, Tseng's voice coming from the headpiece was a good anchor point to keep his wrath efficient and focused. It couldn't spare the lives of the scientists that crossed his path, but it did at least promise them a swift death by his hands. A snapped neck, a shattered temple, a muffled bullet through the head.

Something in the back of his head warned that he should leave them alive if he could, but they could've left Zack and Cloud alone, too.

Rude rounded a corner with supplies in his arms, confirming the path to the exit had been swept and cleared, and the two slid into the laboratory after Reno breezed through the door's security. There was a second of seeing the two tanks and suspended bodies in them that he froze, staring wide-eyed. He gripped the handle of his magrod until his knuckles turned white and electricity arced across the conductive shaft, and any notion of concern for those he killed here today was wiped from his mind. They chose the wrong person to experiment on, and Reno had made sure there was hell to pay for their choices.

There wasn't time to mourn or celebrate, though. There was brief chatter between the two Turks, and Tseng in the earpiece. They were just confirmations that everything was in place and all parties were prepared while Reno hurried through protocols and commands on the console that monitored and controlled the tubes that held Zack and Cloud. Tseng rattled off passcodes, counted down a timer in time with Reno.

The redhead was glued to the screen with tense shoulders and a clenched jaw, but he steadied his breathing. He focused on the task, and kept an attentive eye on the security footage as it flickered through different channels on a second nearby monitor. Rude hovered instead nearer to Cloud, calling out to Reno once the draining sequence and extraction sequences began.

Reno slipped a USB stick into a slot at the console, and turned on a heel with a sharp inhale. There was a small gasp as the acrylic walls lowered. Besides him, Rude easily caught Cloud's weight and eased the unconscious blond down to start drying him off.

Rude should have been the one to handle Zack. That is to say, he was the stronger of the two Turks, so handling the bulk of a SOLDIER would've been easier for him than for Reno.

Reno, who knew how to efficiently lift and carry people heavier than himself, still let both of them slowly collapse under their weight and sink (carefully, and with control) onto the floor. He'd wrap this man up in his arms, still wet and a little sticky from Mako, never minding the mess it made of his suit. He ran a hand along the back of Zack's head and a long his hair with a soft, shaken breath, and looked up at the ceiling to keep anything from falling down his cheeks in relief. His head tipped and, shutting his eyes tight, he pressed his cheek in relief to Zack's temple.

It was only a brief moment, the way he looked up as if thanking whatever deities for their answer to all of his bargaining. There just wasn't time to linger, and while Cloud was breathing just fine on his own, he still wasn't waking up. ]

Hey, hey--you're alright. I got ya, big guy. It's just me and Rude. We're getting you two outta here.

Re: I would give all this and heaven, too

[fairtide]

[How long had he been in here? Days? Weeks? Months? Try Years. his inner voice told him as he lay in the tube. His muscles were achey and he had barely moved a muscle, he wished he could move his muscles even a little. What he would give for a gym work out right about now but this was his life, watching the scientist known as Hojo walk through these halls over and over again from this tube.

He slipped his eyes open through the mako haze, and saw what looked like two people. One had red... oh. he wanted to laugh hysterically. They were either their rescuers or they were about to be executed. He and Reno went way back but at the same time, it was also possible he would shoot him where he stood.

His eyes slipped shut again and he could hear the depressors of the tube being dropped. He was so tired, could barely keep his eyes open. His muscles were so damn weak, he waited as the mako water drained and then he was taken from the tube. His eyes were heavy, he couldn't open them, but he could feel warm skin pressed against his, against his cheek. He felt a zing down his spine but otherwise, he was just trying to survive.

Zack groaned, Cloud was making small noises too.] Hey...Ren...long time no see. [He knew that voice, even though he wasn't cracking open his eyes. He already saw him too but that was besides the point.]

[general_affairs]

[ He could feel the slow rise and fall of his chest, warmth glowing from underneath a cool mixture of mako that dripped slowly off of him. The smell was sharp in his nose, but he paid it no mind, and for a moment, he was still human, and brushed aside the mess to press his nose against slick black hair. ]

Yeah it has--

[ He pursed his lips and for a moment, shut his eyes tight as something cold and sharp squeezed his ribs tight, and stopped his breath in his throat. A thousand different things clawed to pour out of him all at once, but he had no right to any of them.

Rude gave his partner a moment, pretending to be oblivious to the things he knew was tearing the redhead apart as he shifted his hold on Cloud. He had instead gently tapped on the blond's cheek, trying to wake him with little success. ]

Looks like you partied a little too hard with the nerds down here. How's the hangover?

[ But it wasn't a party and this wasn't a hangover. But that wasn't the point. A little banter, a little something normal and dumb while Zack got his senses back, acting like this whole situation wasn't a big deal, just for now. ]

[fairtide]

[Zack could feel Reno's warmth and weight against him, anchoring him to the Earth, he could breathe for the first time in a long time and it felt fanfuckingtastic. He took a deep breath, then started coughing up mako juice out of his lungs. His eyes opened and he groaned again.] Damn, been breathing in that stuff for too long.

[Cloud didn't move, just mumbled.]

[Zack tried sitting up but his muscles kinda ached. He would have no choice soon though.] Feel like I drank twelve six packs just to plastered. Almost died from the alcohol poisoning and then god came down and lifted me up just to get me even drunker.

[general_affairs]

[ It was hard not to bury his face into black hair. He didn't care about the mako, or mess that it might make, just that nothing else could lay a hand on this man in his arms. That nothing ever should have--but now wasn't the time. Zack started to slough the mako from his lungs, and Reno made space, tipping Zack to give him space to cough it up and letting his head loll to one side to keep an eye on his status. One wayward glance was shot to Rude and Cloud, but he dare not look away for too long, for fear that Zack might disappear again somehow.

His lips curled into a grin and he just gave the other a quick, harsh pat on the back to help with getting the Mako up. He was nice enough to smooth over any possible sting or ache by rubbing his hand up and down along his back after, though. ]

Leave it to a SOLDIER to get sloppy-drunk and make a Turk show him how it's done, yo. Need some help gettin' back onto your feet? We gotta get outta here fast.

[fairtide]

[Zack kept coughing up the green liquid, he now liked to refer to ghetto sludge. He didn't understand why Shinra made it other than it made you super strong, and you got materia from it. At least that's what he always learned.

He coughed a few more times, before sitting up and sneezing.] Ah fuck... I can't stand this shit. Cloud got the worst of it, if you can't tell.

[He laughed suddenly, his voice deeper after years of being away, if you could believe it.] I should be able to stand and walk. You ain't showing me nothing I don't know, you know.

[Zack strained his muscles but he was on his feet within a few seconds. He yawned, not understanding how he could still be tired after three years of sleep. He turned to Cloud and Rude, wondering how they were going to get him out of here.] We'll probably have to take turns carrying, Cloud. You guys okay with that?

[Then he realized he was naked, he covered his junk quickly with both hands.] Uh...Anyone got pants?

[general_affairs]

Yeah, you're about the only one here that could walk off a Mako bath.

[ His brows knitted as he tipped his head to better give Zack a once-over. No abrasions or bruises, muscle tone was still there, mental faculties and speech alright. He pursed his lips, prompting Rude to chime in and cut through everything racing through Reno's thoughts.

'It won't be long before security catches on.'

Both Turks nodded at the proposed question of Cloud, and Reno backed off to give Zack room to stand on his own two feet, hovering nearby in case the other needed something to balance on for a moment. Neither of the Turks seemed to notice he was completely nude. Or if they did, neither seemed to care or be bothered by it. Such was a consequence of militaristic training regimens. ]

Yeah, we found your stuff upstairs. Couldn't find anything for Infantry, but there's a spare old First uniform for Cloud.

[ This was business. The Turks were on task and focused on executing one step at a time with as little resistance as possible. Reno leaned to grab one set of clothing to offer over to Zack. The Buster Sword--which Rude had had to carry--was leaning against the entry door's frame. ]

Think you can get Cloud dressed? Rude's gonna sweep ahead while I cover some of our tracks on the console.

[ Read: wild chocobos couldn't drag this man away from making sure Zack was alright. Everything else? Secondary. ]