I was shipped out to some outskirt town far from Midgar. My squadron were all in the helicopters behind mine, the pilot's announcing we were landing soon. I got up slowly and looked out the window, the village was coming into sight and I wondered what it was that Lazard was so scared of.

"This is a solo mission. I've arranged for your squad to assemble at the hangar," Lazard explained, "this is the file for the mission."

I took it from him, flipping over the contents. "What is this?" I asked, shuffling through pages of empty spaces and question marks.

"This mission has left us in the dark," he began, "I don't think I need to emphasize how dangerous this hunt is. I need you to be careful when you get there."

I gave him a nod and a smile, "you can count on it, boss."

"Get ready," I whispered, checking my armour and materia, "lock and load, boys."

We came through the village, heading for the wooded area on its outskirts. I held my sword out, the seconds beside me, the thirds behind. The infantry men took to the end, looking out for our backs in case whatever it was we were looking for came out.

"What are we looking for?" Zack asked, with his standard issue sword out and ready.

"Reports didn't say. Just be on the lookout," I warned.

I walked slowly through the forest, a part of me wishing that nothing would happen. An unspoken SOLDIER rule was that we couldn't be afraid, especially not in front of any living, speaking creature. Another unspoken rule: follow orders and complete all missions. Failure isn't an option. I've taken that with me since I gained consciousness of the world. It's my dogma, my life.

Though it doesn't escape my attention, how I find it starting to sound stupider and stupider every day. SOLDIER rules. SOLDIER beliefs. SOLDIER protocol. Everything related to SOLDIER was so absurd. Risking our lives for something we don't know, thinking we're doing something so noble for people.

Thinking we're angels. Angels brought to the world to bring happiness and peace.

Maybe we weren't angels. Maybe we were monsters brought to create chaos.

"Commander," Zack called to me, keeping up appearances.

I looked towards him, giving a look. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing. You just seemed out of it," he replied, giving one of his infamous grins. Unbelievable; even at times like this, he could still act like that. But I should just call it a blessing. It's rare to find people who could bring up morale like he could.

I smirked continuing to scout the area, "all of you divide. We can gain better ground that way. Go in groups of fours. We'll take up less time and get back to the city quicker." My soldiers nodded, quickly moving in groups to search west and east. I waited for all of them to disperse, watching as their forms disappeared in the foliage.

"Why are you still here Zack?" I asked him, heaving my sword over my shoulder.

"Well, you said go in fours, but our numbers aren't evened out for it. And since you're still alone, I thought I should go with my mentor!" He explained, logically yet difficult to understand in his words.

"You're a real wonder, Zack," I said, turning my back to begin the search again.

"Enough to be First Class?" he asked, catching up to me.

"Match me in a fight, and then we'll talk." He groaned, causing me to smile and laugh.

The forest wasn't completely covered in trees. Parts of it had the trees ripped off with only holes or stumps to show that the trees were once there. "What happened here?" Zack asked and I wanted to ask if that was rhetorical or not.

"Zack, watch my back," I whispered, trudging slowly through the emptied land. Zack had his sword ready, turning around and around to see if any enemies were around.

"Zack! Down!" I shouted, pushing my protégé down as I parried with other hand. The beast snarled at me, growling in ravenous hunger. It came at us again, this time with a friend. Great, it spawns itself.

I blocked them both as Zack got his bearings. These things were beyond strong; they were heavy as a truck and as rabid as a rogue Chocobo. It chomped at my arms trying to eat it no doubt, but I held on. I wasn't dying there.

"Zack! Behind!" I shouted, taking one down as I pushed both off. I shot my gun at the other, blinding it and angering it at the same time. It came at me again, trying to knock my gun away. I pulled back quickly, saving my wrist from what would most probably be a trip to the hospital.

I sliced it cleanly, the head falling off in a split second. Its body fell to the ground with the head rolling a foot away. I took a long hard look at it and wondered what the hell it was.

It was a cross between a dog and a spider. Its head was of the dog, except for the hundred eyes. Its legs were a total of eight. Its fur was red. Its neck was plain skin. Descriptions were never my forte. Genesis was always the more verbose one of us.

"Let's move," I told Zack, "we can't stay here."

I ran through the forest with Zack behind me, I didn't know what the Goddess they were but I was sure as the Lifestream that I was going to find out.

"Commander!" a strangled voice called out to me. I stopped running for a moment, turning to my left as a figure came running. Realizing who it was, I met it half way.

"C-commander...m-monster...e-everyone k-k-killed..." he stammered, life faltering in my arms.

"Stay awake for me," I called out to him, shaking his body. I brought out a Curaga, trying it on him as his eyes began to glaze, "don't die on me!"

He coughed out blood, choking on it no less. And within a second, I had my first casualty. From the corner of my eyes I saw Zack's grip tighten on his sword and on instinct I knew what he was thinking.

"Don't even think about it," I whispered to him, placing the body on the ground.

"What do you mean? Those things killed him! It killed all of them!" He shouted at me for the first time.

"We don't know that. For all we know it could only be his group," I replied, my voice steadying to an almost emotionless tone.

"He had a family! His sister's waiting for him to get back! He, he-Ah!" He tried to reason, anger taking over him.

I shook my head, shoving my entire weight to pin him to a tree. I stared into his eyes and whispered, "Every single one of these guys have something to go back to, don't think I don't know. But how you're acting right now will get us killed a lot faster than going through this with a plan. As your commander, I order you to calm down and follow my lead."

I let him go, beginning to run the way he came. I wasn't conscious of anything at that point; I just needed to get my men out of there pronto. Whether Zack had followed me was beyond my attention, it was a one track mind at that point.

The forest path was cleared of trees already; whatever it was attacking already headed somewhere else. I came to the next clearing, seeing bloodshed and bodies. Four of my soldiers were gone. And I could do nothing about it.

"Damn it," I muttered, taking out my gun and putting my bullet flare in. Better to take them in numbers than taking them alone.

"What's the plan Commander?" Zack asked, coming to my side as I checked for any pulse.

"Right now, we wait for the others. We need to do this as a group," I muttered.

I chastised myself for this horrible decision. My instincts had told me to stay together, even Lazard had said to be careful, but did I listen, no. For once, I didn't listen to what was practical. I don't know what came over me when I said that. Whether it was the unease of the soldiers or my own selfish want to get this over with, I made a horrible decision.

"Commander, commander," a voice huffed. I stood quickly and turned to the incoming men, but I couldn't look at them for long.

From the eighteen men I had, only five remained.

"We we're attacked commander, some strange beasts came at us and killed the rest. I met up with Kirk and Jonathan, as Mick and I escaped. Forgive me for abandoning the rest," he begged, kneeling with desperation in his voice.

I shook my head, picking up the wounded man. "It's fine. You made the right choice. At this point, we have no option but to return to base and report to the Director. Did you manage to kill some?"

"We killed the ones that came for us."

"Good work," I muttered, picking up my sword again, "all of you go back."

I stayed still, looking out for something I couldn't see. "Commander?" Zack whispered.

"Retreat! All of you get out of here, that's an order!" I shouted, urging all of them to run, knowing they wouldn't leave had I not ordered it.

My men took no second look as I shouted out the order. Only Zack remained.

"Zack, go," I shouted threateningly.

"Not without you, Commander," he said with a smirk. I said nothing as the mother of all these beasts came out.

Its legs pushed deeply into the ground, creating large punctures into the land. The trees split in its path as it spewed out acid from its gargantuan mouth. It looked like its children but its size was immense.

A scream pierced the air as a new form made our lives a lot harder. "Crap," I muttered, looking from the child to the thing, hoping it had not heard.

It made a move, its front legs lifting as it gave out a loud roar. The earth trembled and shook and the child screamed louder. The legs made to fall and I dashed in for the save.

"Osiris!" Zack yelled, trying to stop me from my suicidal attempt at heroism.

I lunged for the kid, holding her in my arms as the legs crashed around us. Zack came running for me and I breathed hard as the thing began to take notice. "Zack, take her. I'll buy you time to get away," I ordered, handing him the girl who daren't let go of me.

"But, Osiris."

"This is an order as your commanding officer. You will not disobey me," I warned, prying the girl's fingers off me. He stared me in the eye with a defiant glint, but I stood my ground. I knew what I was doing.

"Take the child back to the village and go back to base, tell Lazard what's happening here. Tell them not to worry. I got it under control."

I knew Zack was adamant about leaving, but I knew it had to happen. This was fate. This was what I was made for.