Work Text:
Balto stared at the letter in his hands, pushing down the thread of worry trying to weave itself into his every thought, and considered what to do now.
There were few things that could cause Balto to push aside all of his other tasks in favor of something new. You don’t last long as a Turk without learning to prioritize. He would reluctantly drop everything if the president orders it, willingly if the order was Veld’s, or if lives are at stake. This was a request from some old friends, no more, no less, but Balto had made it his first priority.
Because Miriam asked. Because Lester asked. Because there was no direct postal service from Gongaga to Midgar, and a letter travels much more slowly than a child with a dream in their heart.
So Balto put the rest of his mail back on his desk (nothing important, just bills and the most recent issue of The Gaian Natural History Journal, and went to find someone in personnel.
“Zack Fair?” The receptionist asked. “I think I’ve heard the name before. Give me a moment to bring up his file.”
Balto waited, doing his best not to let his nerves show. If a Turk was worried about something, other people tended to take it as a sign something very large was about to explode.
The receptionist looked up from her computer. “Here we are. Zack Fair, 3rd Class SOLDIER, joined seven months ago, recently taken on as an apprentice by General Hewley.”
No. Nonono.
“Would you like me to print out his file for you?” the receptionist continued.
“Yes please, I’ll come back for it later,” Balto said. He had no idea what his voice sounded like.
Veld’s phone rang. When he looked, the number belonged not to one of his Turks, or the other department heads, but to that SOLDIER kid they’d recruited as an informant a few months ago. Between him and Seth, the Turks had the most comprehensive view of the SOLDIER program in history. As part of the agreement, Veld had given him a direct line to all three senior Turks in case of emergencies. It would be interesting to see what the kid counted as an emergency.
“Veld speaking.”
“Uhhh Director?” Kunsel said. “One of your husbands is heading for Poster Boy’s office? He looks furious.”
“Ah,” said Veld, who was very tired, and whose brain had autocorrected the words to ‘one of your Turks’ once he figured out what kind of call this was, “which one?”
”Balto,” Kunsel answered, sounding relieved. “Could you please come here, Director? He looks like there’s going to be blood on the walls.”
Huh. Balto was usually the most measured of his Turks. The only thing Angeal Hewley of all people could have done to set Balto on the war path that Veld could think of was to hurt Seth in some way, but they were friends. Angeal wouldn’t do that, and if he did, he was most likely to apologize. With baked goods.
Well. If nothing else, this would be a learning experience.
“On my way,” Veld said, mind running through the information he had and the fastest way to get to the SOLDIER general’s office. Then it dawned on him.
Hold on… Kunsel didn’t use the word ‘Turks,’ did he? Or ‘people’. Or ‘menaces’.
“Wait, earlier, what did-”
The line went dead.
Oh well. Veld had Turk wrangling to do. This mystery could wait.
Over on the SOLDIER floor, Kunsel, who’d genuinely thought the conversation was over, curled into a panicked ball. He had just hung up on the director of the Turks.
…do I dare call him back?
Kunsel decided that it would sort itself out, and glanced nervously in the direction of the general’s office, where a very angry senior Turk had just stormed by while everyone else cringed into corners nervously.
Okay. Now, should I warn Zack away, so he doesn’t throw himself into Turk business?
…no. That’ll just make him show up faster.
All things considered, Angeal had adapted fairly well to life as a SOLDIER. He had plenty of food, two close friends, and he was good at it. He was… less used to being the general of SOLDIER (he was this close to telling Genesis that if he wanted to be the poster boy so bad, he could have it, but he would never wish that on Gen), but he’d gotten to the point where he was managing fairly well.
Between both of those things, it had been a while since Angeal was really afraid.
Then one of the senior Turks - Seth was one thing, but the senior Turks were quite another, thank you - had burst through his door, pausing only to slam it shut, and stormed over to him. Angeal wasn’t sure how Balto had gotten over his desk, but he had, and now there was a very angry senior Turk with a foot planted on Angeal’s chair grabbing him by the collar.
“What did you do?” Balto yelled. Well, no, his words didn’t quite have the volume of yelling, but it was much worse than any time Angeal could remember when someone had actually yelled at him.
”I’m… sorry?” He said in a voice that was somewhere near-ish even.
If I can just figure out what I did, then maybe… it’ll help, at least. I think. I hope.
“Say your prayers now, General Hewley,” Balto growled, still using Angeal’s title because of course he was, “because Gaia won’t answer in time to save you from me.”
Angeal had heard that glasses blunted one’s gaze, but the rectangular glasses did nothing to dull the fury in Balto’s eyes. The Turk looked like he was seconds away from cutting Angeal’s throat with a tie pin. Or maybe just crushing his windpipe and save the cleaning staff from getting his blood out of the carpet.
The door opened again. Angeal hoped fervently that it was someone who could talk Balto down, or if not, that the person would turn around and leave. He didn’t want to think about, say, Zack, trying to step in and becoming collateral damage.
“Balto, NO,” said the voice of Veld, the director of the Turks. He shut the door behind him. “Do not. Just let go of him.”
(Thank Gaia, Angeal thought. Under normal circumstances he found Veld mildly terrifying, but any rescue was welcome right now.)
Balto turned his head to face Veld, but the grip on Angeal’s collar remained. The awkward position, halfway between sitting and standing, did nothing to reduce his menace.
“Why should I?” the Turk snarled.
“Balto,” Veld said calmly. “We are not killing Shinra’s general and one of Seth’s friends.”
Gen would have said something snarky about now. Fortunately for everyone, Angeal was not Gen.
Balto’s reply was lost as the door was thrown open for the third time in two minutes.
“What the hell’s going on!?”
No. Oh no. Please.
Zack had no idea what he’d just walked into, but there were people yelling inside his mentor’s office (and none of the people were Genesis. Genesis got shout-y sometimes and that was okay, but no one else yelled in Angeal’s office. Ever.), so he hadn’t bothered with listening outside the door to figure out what was happening.
What was happening seemed to be that a Turk was strangling Angeal, and another Turk was talking to the first Turk. All three of them had frozen when he came in. It was hard to tell who looked more shocked: Angeal, or the Turk with a death grip on his collar.
Zack said, “Uh…?”
Then the first Turk dropped Angeal like a hot poker - Angeal fell limply into his chair - and tentatively walked up to Zack. He stared at Zack with an intensity that reminded him of his parents after he’d done something really dangerous and stupid. Like Seth, the only Turk Zack had met before today, he carried a long, slightly curved sword. Unlike Seth, this Turk was wearing glasses, a tie, and some kind of fancy vest. He had a scar on his cheek and a little blue handkerchief in a pocket over his heart. These were maybe dumb things to worry about right now, but Zack wasn’t sure he wanted to keep looking at that look.
But he felt more awkward staring at the guy’s handkerchief, so Zack looked up to meet his gaze. There was something raw in his eyes, behind the glasses.
Then he stepped forward and hugged Zack. Zack’s head was pressed into the Turk’s chest. It was a tight hug, but not enough to hurt.
Okay. Cool. I mean, getting hugged by random Turks I’ve never met is a little weird, but it’s better than the yelling.
Zack hugged the Turk back, with only a little less squeezing. From the way he was shaking a little, he probably needed the comfort. Zack was good at hugging people when they needed hugs. He just wished the growth spurt he was supposed to have when he was older had happened already, so he could see over the guy’s shoulder and make sure Angeal was okay.
”You look just like your parents,” the Turk said softly. He was definitely crying.
Realization dawned on Zack as dozens of half-remembered family stories flew through his head. “Ohhhhh. You’re Uncle Balto!”
Uncle Balto went still for a second. “I… yes.” He slowly let go and took a step back. “It’s good to finally meet you, Zack.”
Zack, who was thrilled to finally meet the mysterious family friend who’d saved his pop’s life before having to go to Midgar for work and never coming back, grinned excitedly. “You too!” Then he frowned, remembering how they’d gotten here. “But, uh, why were you fighting Angeal?”
Uncle Balto’s eyes went harsh again, but not as much as when Zack first came in. “Because General Hewley’s actions have put you in danger.”
Zack and Angeal protested at the same time.
“But he wouldn’t!”
“I wouldn’t put my student in danger.”
Uncle Balto sighed. “Not… deliberately, but in this case, the intentions don’t affect the results. By becoming your mentor, he’s brought you to the attention of the Science Department.”
But Science are the people who made the SOLDIER program, right? I mean Kunsel knows some scary rumors about them, but a lot of Kunsel’s rumors are made up.
But Angeal slumped in his chair, the color draining from his face. The other Turk didn’t explain any more either.
“I don’t get it,” Zack said finally. “Won’t the science people help me get stronger, so I can be a better hero? What’s wrong with that?”
“The Science Department is dangerous,” Uncle Balto said. “They…” He trailed off, frowning. Angeal also seemed to want to say something, but wasn’t sure how.
“Over half of the people who were involved with the projects that became the SOLDIER program are dead or missing,” the other Turk said grimly. “And Science has a track record of taking experiments too far. The company wouldn’t be where it is today without them, but you don’t want their attention. Especially with the current top scientists.”
Zack blinked. Everyone was a little scared of the Turks. Zack wasn’t anymore, because now he knew Seth, and Seth was a little weird and liked to annoy Genesis but he wasn’t scary. But that didn’t make the reasons everyone else was kind of scared of the Turks go away.
And the Turks were kind of scared of the Science Department.
“Ohhhh. Okay. I’ll be careful.”
Angeal and Uncle Balto let out sighs of relief, and then looked at each other with very different expressions. They and the other Turk (who turned out to be the director, and was named Veld) spent the next half hour making sure Zack knew what being careful meant. Which seemed fair (heh), because apparently being careful of Science was really, really complicated. With stuff like Zack not showing off. And Angeal not recommending him for promotion to a higher class “for as long as we can reasonably avoid it.” And maybe Zack trying to do worse on purpose.
Being careful of Science sucks.
Dear Lester and Miriam,
I regret to inform you that the postal system is slow enough that your letter arrived several months after Zack did. I have tracked him down and made sure he knows he has support if he needs it.
Regardless, he is doing well, and has made a friend who is attempting to keep Zack out of trouble. He has also caught the eye of General Hewley of SOLDIER. I worry that this may make things more difficult for him, but he seems determined to rise to any challenge. Rest assured, I will do my best to look out for Zack, and I am not the only one. I will make sure he writes you himself.
It’s good to meet him.
Yours truly,
Balto
There was a lot Balto would like to say in his letter, but could not. Because years ago, when he was arrested for saving Lester, he took the Turks’ deal, and that deal included that he tell them nothing. And because Balto’s (revised, and much lower) opinions on General Hewley’s ability to think through the consequences of his actions will not reassure his old friends.
He probably could have handled… the events of the afternoon better. Probably.
He could see so much of Lester and Miriam in Zack. It hurt, that he was only meeting the boy now. But the old director had forbidden Balto from visiting Gongaga, and in the years since their death, he… had not quite gotten around to asking Veld to try to change that part of his deal. There had been turmoil around the change of leadership, and that was before… everything else. They’d been busy.
But now, sometimes Balto wondered. What if Lester had never been kidnapped, and Balto had never needed to save him? If he’d been able to stay? (If- well, Lester loved Miriam, and she loved him back, and that was that. But sometimes, Balto thought about things Miriam said, of the way she sighed at him and Lester, and wondered if maybe she knew how he felt. If she didn’t mind… sharing her then-boyfriend, now-husband. If Lester even felt the same way as Balto to begin with.)
If. If.
If Balto had stayed, Veld and Cameron would’ve been left with only their scabbed-over wounds and each other. And Balto could not see that doing either of them any good. Or Tseng. Or Seth. And Balto had been the one who found Audrey and brought her to the relative safety of the Turks - without him, would she be dead now?
And there would have been no one to warn Zack of the danger. So it was for the best.
Regardless of how he’d gotten here, Balto truly did seem to be in the best position to protect everyone he loved. So he would make his peace with the journey, and do everything he could.