FFVII | Project: SOLDIER

V

Claire's vision blurred before she returned to her reality. Confused, she examined the interior of the vehicle, her thoughts racing to make sense of where she was. Bright lights briefly illuminated the car as the driver zoomed down the tunnel. She looked through the tinted windows and observed her reflection, only to be greeted by another figure seated beside her. Her heart jolted out of her chest as the man smiled. Slowly, she turned towards him, who's smile remained in the exact position she discovered it.

"Hello, Clarity." He crossed his legs, folding his hands on his knee. "How do you feel?"

"Tseng?" Claire's eyes widened. Her body had every urge to yell, yet all she could do was whisper. She glanced at the driver nervously, who was barricaded by a glass divider.

"No worries," he murmured, gesturing towards the front seat. "He's a friend of mine. You have nothing to worry about." He leaned forward to examine Claire with great detail. He repeated his question, this time with a softer tone. "How do you feel, Claire?"

As Tseng leaned forward, Claire instinctively leaned back. She felt a sharp pain up her spine as she moved; still, she remained a cold face. She clenched her fists in an attempt to mask the stinging sensation which overtook her body. "Fine," she rasped, lowering her eyes. She could feel the wounds on her arms and the warm wetness along her inner thighs sticking to her jumpsuit. She, too, crossed her legs, in an effort to suppress the smell of fear and urine which seemed to exude from her pores. Tseng did not move; he simply watched as she internally - and externally - struggled to find comfort. After a brief moment of silence, her attention returned to the window. "Where are we?"

Tseng gestured to the window as he continued to smile. She followed his hand to find what looked like hundreds of buildings and houses in progress. The construction seemed to stretch for miles on end with so many civilians on site that Claire wondered how they managed to find them in the first place, and who found them. Streetlights shone brightly, illuminating the reflecting jackets every person within her field of view was wearing. The roads they drove down and the city surrounding it left a familiar feeling in her chest; at the same time, though, it felt so distant. "This place?" Tseng perked up, his palm welcomingly outstretched. "This is Midgar."

"Midgar..." She repeated under her breath, her eyes darting throughout the new city. "They're building." She observed as she spoke to herself. Her heart started to race.

"Why, yes. You recall our conversation about Midgar." Tseng sat back in his seat, resting his hand on his lap. "Our mission is to bring the ruins of this once beautiful city to its former glory."

"Our...?" Claire peered down at her white shoes, now stained with her own blood, dirt, and grime. She shifted her gaze toward her companion, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"In time, Clarity, everything will fall into place, hm? Don't you worry for now." He reached toward her, grasping her hand gently. He glanced down at her fresh wounds, shaking his head in dismay. "You've been through enough. Let us focus on having you rested and treated." Tseng knocked on the divider and motioned for the driver to turn. Claire looked back to the outside world. Her eyes widened as she attempted to take in the grandiosity of a building before her. The architecture was like nothing she's ever seen before; its highest point surpassed her field of view. Series of cylindrical rooms and indoor bridges created such an exhaustive structure that it made her fearful of getting lost in it. The car slowed to a stop and, quickly, the chauffeur exited the car to open the back doors. Tseng assisted Claire as she stepped out of the car carefully. He led her through two double doors, made of some foreign material that left even more questions racing through her mind. As they entered the building, Tseng looked to the frail girl as she clung to his arm. He could feel the blood from her wounds seeping through her sleeves. She appeared more pale than she was in the car. He picked up his pace as they passed through the infirmary hall. "You need medical attention. I have someone who can help you."