Bargaining From Both Sides (FFVII/FFXII, Cloud, Balthier) Title: Bargaining From Both Sides Author: jameva Fandom: FFVII, FFXII Pairing/characters: Cloud, Balthier Rating: G Warnings: N/A Word Count: 1449 Prompt: Cloud rescues Balthier from some kind of trouble.
When he’d heard the rumors, Cloud had at first thought of Cid, though it soon became obvious that it couldn’t be him. Cid was well-known and respected in the area and Cloud simply couldn’t think of anything the pilot might do to be locked up under the accusation of piracy and theft. Curious about what kind of man would have the guts to build himself a reputation as a sky pirate right after Shinra’s ashes had cooled down, Cloud still swung by the prison to pay him a little visit.
The prison guards knew him well enough that they didn’t argue when he asked to see the pirate in question. They let him in, told him which cell it was, and locked the door at his back. They didn’t feel the need to come and guard him, which suited him just fine.
The prison was a small, simple county building that had been built recently to accommodate a growing number of felons. The structure was sound and the security good considering its purpose. Cloud strode down the bare corridor and ignored the four other cells’ residents as he made his way to the last one down at the end.
He didn’t know what he’d expected the pirate to look like, but this was not it. The man was lying comfortably on his hard bunk bed, arms crossed behind his head. His clothing was extravagant but clean and stylish and the man looked generally well-kempt. If anything, he reminded Cloud of a well-fed cat.
Upon hearing Cloud’s approach, the pirate opened his eyes and looked to the side, his gaze taking in Cloud in one fast glance.
“You are not the visitor I expected,” the prisoner said. His voice was close to a drawl, low and slow and articulate, deceptively pleasant. If he was a pirate, he was an educated and refined one.
Cloud took a step closer to the bars, unsure why he was even bothering to stay and chat. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
The man nodded in response to the unspoken question and offered the hint of a mischievous smile. “She is fairer than you, though I admit she hasn’t quite got those eyes.” The man’s gaze sharpened as he finally sat up, swinging his legs off the bunk bed. “To what do I owe the visit of a man who has clearly seen much of the inside of Shinra’s laboratories?”
To what indeed? Curiosity had brought him here, but why he was even staying was something of a mystery. Maybe it was the strangeness of the man. He certainly didn’t fit with the ragtag bunch of petty thieves in the other cells.
Cloud shifted his stance and crossed his arms over the straps holding his many blades to his back. The prisoner ignored the subtle reminder. Either he was stupid, which looked more and more unlikely, either he had cause not to feel threatened.
“Not very chatty, I see,” the man commented, his expression dissolving in a more neutrally amused look. “You are a very poor interrogator, if that is what you are.” With a shrug, the man settled back down.
Cloud watched him close his eyes, his whole body language perfectly at ease, as if he wasn’t in a cell on a cold and uncomfortable bed with an ex-SOLDIER quietly staring at him. Although he was even more curious, Cloud decided to leave. He was just wasting both their time and it was obvious the man wouldn’t just begin talking if he had no reason to.
He stopped at the guards’ room on his way out and asked the leader why the pirate had been imprisoned. The man raised surprised eyebrows, as if he was being stupid on purpose.
“Guy’s an admitted sky pirate, he’s got a reputation for grave-robbing further south. And if that ain’t enough to lock him up on the spot, he was caught trying to break in the old temple.”
Cloud nodded his thanks for the information and walked out. He waited until the guard changed before going back to visit the prisoner, this time with a clearer goal in mind. By the sound of them, all the other prisoners were deeply asleep, which only served his purpose.
“Why the old temple?” he asked as soon as he was in front of the bars. The man’s eyes sharpened on him, considering the abrupt question.
“Either you truly are a poor interrogator, either you aren’t here for their business at all,” the man mused, and by the look he gave him, Cloud knew he was being studied for clues as to which it might be.
“Their business doesn’t concern me,” Cloud answered. They would dance around each other for hours if he didn’t come out and say it.
“Ah, so that’s how it is.” A new light entered the prisoner’s eyes, one of sudden interest and alert. “Whose business is it, then?”
Cloud could have demanded answers rather than questions, walk out if the man proved to be too obstinate, but he doubted anything he said would make any difference. The pirate looked very confident, as if he knew he could simply walk out whenever he wanted. He’d admitted to a visitor, possibly an accomplice, and this wasn’t a maximum-security prison.
“Mine,” he answered, meeting the man’s unflinching stare with his own.
The prisoner smiled slightly, outwardly pleased with the answer. “That’s all very interesting, but I find myself at a disadvantage. I don’t see why I would tell you anything of interest about the old temple while I am locked in here and you are free to go take a closer look.”
Cloud had expected that. The man’s words confirmed that there indeed was something of interest there, but he must have been aware of that when he spoke. He’d offered him something and was waiting for an equivalent exchange before revealing more.
“I’ve heard about an old, powerful weapon in the area,” Cloud said, getting to the heart of the matter. “Is it in that temple?” There were about two dozen ruins in the vicinity. He could search for days and not find anything.
“Yes, I can see why you would want to add another blade to your arsenal,” the prisoner said sarcastically, eyeing the many blades sticking from behind Cloud’s shoulders and back. He rose smoothly and walked forward to tap the bars with a knuckle. “Yet we find ourselves in our previous predicament.”
And with those few words, the deal was laid out. The prisoner had revealed the presence of something –maybe the weapon, maybe not—of value in the temple, but he would not say more unless he was freed. Cloud considered it for a long moment, trying to see if he might be lying, if he wasn’t making a big mistake by freeing him. He was an admitted sky pirate and grave-robber, yet hadn’t Cloud himself defiled a few old sanctuaries for materia or weapons? He was ready to do it again, in any case. He wasn’t really any better than this extravagant man, except maybe that he covered his tracks better.
Cloud studied the man’s patient, expectant face a moment longer before reaching a decision. Without a word, he turned and walked back down the corridor and towards the guard room. The prisoner was still standing in the same spot when he came back, the guards now deeply asleep and oblivious to the world, and watched intently as he put the key in the lock and turned it.
“Much obliged,” the prisoner thanked with a slight nod as he stepped out. “Allow me to retrieve my pistols and I will lead you to your desired weapon.”
The man walked with the same dangerous edge that Cloud recognized in other fighters. His first instinct was to tell him he wasn’t interested in his help, that he didn’t need it and suspected it might just be an attempt at stealing the weapon first, but he decided against it. The pirate hadn’t said that the weapon was in the temple. He’d simply admitted to knowing its whereabouts. If Cloud struck out alone now and searched the temple, he might come out with a good materia he already had and no blade. He didn’t really have a choice.
The pistols in question were of an excellent quality, as far as Cloud could tell. Materia of all colors, even red, gleamed in their crossguards. The pirate checked them before holstering them at his hips.
“All set.” His weapons now back in his possession, the pirate gave Cloud a look and a nod. “I’m Balthier and am, for now, at your service.”
Cloud returned the greeting a little awkwardly. "Cloud Strife."