Alright, I'm posting this baby to see if I get any response on it. It's been taking up room in my filing cabinet for a while now, so I might as well get it online and see what you guys think.

This fic was co-written with -Hot-Japanese-Kitten-. She may have posted what little we had of it already, but I'm sure I was the only one with a hard copy.

So without further ado, on with the fic.

(Oh and I don't own anything...square enix has the rights and all that jazz. I do own Aka Yuki and Kitase Valena belongs to my cohort.)

"Hey Cloud, get your butt over here and help me with this cable!" Cid yelled across the small courtyard they were currently renovating. Cid was clutching a bit of scaffolding with one hand while the other was fumbling with a bit of kevlar rope.

Cloud sighed deeply, standing from his work with a slight shake of the head. "You told me to work on getting that power main uncovered and working...let me do my job, hm?" Despite his complaining, he scaled the scaffolding and grabbed the cable while Cid scooted out a bit further on the platform.

"I'm tellin' ya kid, ya have one good day 'n suddenly yer a bucket a'rainbows 'n sunshine. Mebbe we should call ya Happy-Pants from now on..." The last was muttered, but Cloud picked up on it, smirking a bit at the nickname and tossed the man his end of the cable when Cid waved his hands impatiently.

The repairs had begun as soon as the excitement over the defeat of Sephiroth had died down. The streets were littered with chunks of concrete, various papers and the random article of clothing, all of which had to be cleared away. Some of the townspeople had packed up and left Midgar, feeling that by moving away, they would save themselves from the danger the city seemed to be crawling with. Those that stayed were aiding in the rebuilding of their hometown.

It wasn't long before the rumors began, though they seemed normal enough for a city that was nearly obliterated by evil. Fantastical sightings of silver-haired men began popping up in the taverns and alleyways. Snippets of conversation carried on by gossiping ladies in the diners. An attack here, a theft there. All reportedly by two of the brothers that were supposedly killed on that fateful day.

The words were falling on the unbelieving ears of Tifa, Cloud and Cid as they struggled to get the majority of Midgar back to normal, but as the sightings increased, so did their concern. It wasn't until a report of a murder was phoned in, that the trio truly began to worry.

The three sat around a small fire just outside 7th Heaven the night after hearing the report, concern written on each of their faces.

"I just don't see how it's possible..." Whispered Tifa, staring blankly at the flames.

"If Spirit-Fingers over here can survive it, I'm sure they'd be able to. We just didn't connect the dots." Cid said with a jerk of the head in Cloud's direction.

"That's Happy-Pants." Cloud corrected, causing Tifa to raise an eyebrow at the two.

Cid sighed and clapped his hands over his knees. "Welp, I guess all we could do is call in the back up." He looked meaningfully at Cloud as he stood and walked inside. Cloud nodded and began calling his allies. "Let's just hope that ol' bat's got'em a phone by now..." Cid tossed over his shoulder as he walked through the door.

A few minutes and several phone calls later, Cloud joined Cid at the bar. "Get'em all?" The gruff man asked.

"Mostly." Cloud answered. "Yuffie can't make it, says she's got something else to do back home. She's asked Barret to help her."

Cid laughed. "I'm tired a'her attitude anyway, but we needed Barret."

"You know what this means, right" Tifa asked as she entered, leaning on the bar between the men. "Both Yazoo and Loz are capable of channeling Sephiroth. If they both get their hands on a spare remnant of "mother," we won't stand a chance. Especially with some of our group missing."

Cid sighed. "Looks like another phone call is in order." When Cloud flipped open his phone, the older man stood and held out his hand, motioning for Cloud to wait. "I'll handle this'un kid." And with that, he left the room.

"Daredevil Agency: Mail-Order Assassins and Mercenaries for Hire. This is Christopher, how may I help you today?" Came the lispy and robotic male voice.

Cid sighed and shook his head, unable to believe he was resorting to this. "Yeah...I was needin' one assasin for a special mission." Cid half grunted at the man. He really wasn't angry with the service he was lowered to using, but the reason behind it. Yuffie had no reason to want to stay behind. And to take Barret with her! That was another mystery upon itself. Probably some wussie mission involving her precious materia. He scoffed.

There was a rustle of paper heard through the receiver before the man spoke. "I have a team here that is available. Kitase Valena and Aka Yuki. Both female, Valena is twenty-two and Yuki is twenty-five. They have both been trained in martial arts, various kinds. Completely different combat styles however, it seems they-"

"Weapons?" Cid asked almost impatiently. He didn't care about their life history.

The rustle of papers was heard again followed by a mumble. "Yuki works with a scythe, while Valena is a master of the claw-arms. I can have them both to you in a few days, will that work for you sir?" Cid grunted once again.

"I said I only needed one." Cid huffed, becoming annoyed at the man's blatant ignorance of his request. "I can only afford one."

"Oh, the second one will be on the house. They work best together, I can't trust them on solo missions." Cid was silent, thinking over what would be needed. If Tifa was correct... "Sir? Are you still there?"

"Yeah...yeah send them both."

"Alright Sir, I need your name and where they will be sent. They will collect payment after their mission is complete."

"Cid Highwind, Midgar." He stated shortly and hung up.

Review please!