Experiment Series: Cutting Edges

It started simply enough.

Cloud watched the Masamune with the keen interest of a small child for a few minutes at a time whenever his father reviewed a recording of a training exercise. He hadn't understood before when he was just a little boy, but now he was all of five years old. His Uncle Zack had said he was a big boy. His godfather had said he was old enough to understand the importance of Lovelace. His Uncle Angeal said he was still too small to properly do anything, but he was big enough to do his own shoes.

Daddy had said he should stop using Daddy and instead call him Father. Cloud had narrowed his eyes and mutinously claimed, "No."

Professor Hojo wanted him to come see him by himself too. Cloud glared, "No."

He liked using that word. He was also learning a new one for dinner time. Peas and green stuff were icky. It went like this, "Not interested."

Simple enough, he was very interested in the Masamune, the Rapier, the Buster Sword, and even the Standard Issue. He wanted his own. Cloud pouted, tightening his fingers around the flimsy foam sword he was holding in the middle of the toy aisle. It was a cheap replica of his Daddy's and his father was refusing to give it to him.

"I want it." he stated.

Sephiroth pinched his nose as he once more attempted to argue with his only child on the merits of an actual weapon versus this cheap knock off. "Put it back, Cloud."

"No." the child stated, softly, because it was bad manners to yell inside. Also, because it never failed to amuse him how his father's face would twist.

Dropping his hands to his sides, Sephiroth took a deep breath, released. "Cloud, you have one at home."

"Don't want it." Cloud declared. "I want this one."

"You have ten of them at home." Sephiroth reminded him. His son couldn't settle for a single design, he just had to have them all, didn't he? "We really don't need another."

"Just cause you said I can't have it, doesn't mean I shouldn't have it," Cloud stated, the complex argument remembered from a time when Uncle Zack had told that to Uncle Angeal a few weeks ago coming to mind. He didn't have to understand it, cause he didn't, but adults were funny when he copied things they said when it was forgotten they said it.

"What about this car?" Sephiroth said, scooping up a toy plastic car and showing it to the small child. Cloud had a weird way of bargaining and he was terrified of what the trade off might eventually be. However, he refused to purchase that flimsy thing when his own weapon was the model of origin.

Cloud studied the car, then let his eyes drift over to a small replica of a SOLDIER and a Motorcycle toy beside it. "I want those," he stated.

"What about the car?" Sephiroth asked, the price on the SOLDIER doll and the Motorcycle giving him a slight wave of discomfort. They were five times the price of that mockery. The car was a reasonable exchange. Cloud's face turned resolute.

The boy wanted what he wanted. Perhaps, Hojo had done something to the child's mind to make him so hard to deal with. If Cloud had been an enemy on the field, it would have been easy. This, this mockery of a contending foe, that his precious child had become, was humiliating. "Cloud Strife, you can either take the car or we can leave without anything."

"No." The ornery blonde stated and just as quickly, Cloud turned on his little feet and fled from the Silver General himself.