The first thing he hears is the muffled clash of metal. it echoes around him, reverberates in his ears until its ringing, screaming. his eyes shoot open when the gunshots go off, almost relentless and deafening... he thinks he must be in danger, has to get away. But everything is blurred and hazy, and when he attempts to support himself on one arm it goes out from under him and he falls back against the dirt.
Cloud brings his legs up under him and kneels, lifting his body up and supporting himself - albeit wobbly. as his eyes finally focus, they widen - shock, horror, he's not sure what to feel in the moment. There's so many.... they sent an army after them. An army, for two men.... He doesn't even know what's going on, or how he got here, but Zack is out there taking an an army alone.
Cloud grits his teeth and shoves himself off the ground, but the momentum is too much and knocks him to the ground almost immediately. His body won't work for him and it's maddening. The world is still a little blurry, a little hazy, a little lopsided. But he has to, he can't let him fight alone.
He gets one foot under him, then another. He's standing, anchored by his stance. One step forward. Then another. Shaky but firm all at the same time. Each step is faster than the last, a little more sure. And then he's running, catapulting himself into the fray. No weapon to use, his fist slams into one of the infantrymen and knocks him out cold, Cloud toppling to the ground with him.
Good enough.
He goes around using his fists until he can pry a sword out of the hand of some poor bastard Zack had struck down, and starts going in after them.
@fairstclass
