A/N: Yay! My first multi-chap posted! ^^ Updates will be in pairs, so both POVs will be more or less on the same page all the time. If you're confused, you'll figure it out. Enjoy! Oh, and one more thing: Due to FanFiction not liking question mark-exclamation point, I had to change them to ?-! instead. *shrugs* Sorry if it bothers you.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OCs. If my OCs are stolen, I send my ninjas, Sephiroth, Hojo, and Jenova after you. So don't steal them. Ever. Period.

Chapter One

Being in the middle of nowhere with practically no food was probably not the smartest idea.

Especially when it was winter.

I hitched my backpack a bit higher as I drew a mental map to think of where the next closest town was.

A man stepped out of the woods casually a couple of yards in front of me. "We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions, yo."

I warily glanced behind me, and just like I'd thought, there was another one behind me who was also wearing a business suit in this weather, albeit in the manner that you would expect a business suit to be worn. "What if I say no?" I asked, facing the redhead in front of me.

He sighed. "Do you really think you have a choice, yo?"

When I didn't answer, the one behind me spoke. "Come quietly and we won't have to hurt you."

I did not like this. At all.

Especially when they both lunged for me.

I got hit by the electrified rod wielded by the informal-looking one and got tackled by the suit behind me. I smacked my chin against the ground, and my backpack was wrenched off before my hands were forced behind me as I heard a metallic clinking.

Handcuffs.

I tried getting free, but having someone weighing what felt like nearly twice what I did firmly pinning me down proved my attempts futile. "What's going on?" I asked as the metal closed around my wrists.

The redhead who was still in front—the slimmer and I think slightly shorter one—tapped his shoulder with his rod with a smirk as he swung my backpack casually. "We're Turks, yo, and we're conscripting you into the SOLDIER program." He suddenly whipped his rod down and hit me on the head with it before I barely even registered the movement.

/

Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip...

I blearily opened my eyes to discover that my head hurt, I was lying on my side, and I was still handcuffed.

I decided from the sounds and my limited view that I must be in a helicopter.

Which reminded me of the boat from Junon.

Which reminded me of my motion sickness.

Crap.

"Check on the kid, will you?" I heard the redhead ask. The bald guy who had handcuffed me stepped into my line of vision.

"He's awake," the large man told his companion, leaning back into the cockpit area. I started inching my way into a sitting position.

"Good. Now make sure he doesn't do anything, yo."

The Turk's feet stepped into my line of vision. I quickly followed them up to his face which, despite the fact that he was inside and it wasn't exactly bright in here, wore sunglasses. Hm.

I swallowed. "Um…." Gosh, he was intimidating! "…could I tell you something?"

An eyebrow rose slightly.

I took that as a yes. "I, uh….I have motion sickness."

Both eyebrows rose noticeably, and he turned and reentered the cockpit. I heard some whispers, followed by a "What?-!" from the redhead that was quickly shushed.

A moment later the redhead stormed in. "So you conveniently have motion sickness, yo?"

I forced myself to answer. "It's not convenient at all."

He glared at me for a moment before grabbing a bucket from a corner and shoving it next to me. "Use it if you have to, yo." He stomped back into the cockpit.

/

The redheaded Turk came to the back after we had landed and raised an eyebrow when he saw the state of the bucket. "I guess you weren't lying, yo."

I was still nauseated and didn't answer.

The bald Turk entered. "They're ready."

The redhead glanced back at his companion, who produced my backpack and exited with it, before grabbing me by the arm. "Nothing funny, all right, yo?"

I nodded, and he guided me forward by the shoulder out of the helicopter.

/

A man glanced up as we entered the room. "Ah. A conscription?"

"Yeah." The Turk stopped me about halfway between the door and the desk. "Make sure to note that we got one, yo."

'Got one'?

The man nodded once before gesturing at me. "I don't think that the handcuffs will be necessary."

I heard some grumbling from the Turk, a few metallic sounds, and my wrists were finally free. I rubbed them, avoiding eye contact with the man as I did so.

"He had this with him, sir." The bald one made his presence known as he set my backpack against one of the side walls.

The man nodded. "Good job. You two are dismissed." Footsteps and the door closing indicated their departure.

I was still gently rubbing my wrists and discreetly glancing around the room as the man stepped closer and stopped a little ways away.

"What's your name?"

"Tanik Maesrof."

He looked at me, eyes narrowed. "Where are you from?"

The dreaded question. I rubbed my wrists nervously. "Why does it matter?"

"Your accent…Junon Area?" I saw him cross his arms out of the top of my peripherals. "What were you doing over between Gongaga and Cosmo Canyon?"

"Why does it concern you?" I asked quietly. I really didn't want someone asking about what had put me on the run.

He sighed and dropped his arms. "It doesn't really, does it?"

This was good. This was really good.

"Tell me anyway."

I swallowed. "It's personal," I managed out. "I would really like to not remember it."

The man made an interested sound. "Hm. Now you've got me intrigued."

Numbers ran down the screen, all with the same name next to them: bossman. I hit "Read", and the message opened—

I desperately shoved it into its box in my brain. It was not coming out if I had any say in it.

We stood there for a moment before he turned to the side. "Well. I guess I can't force you to tell me." He strode over to where my backpack was leaning against the wall and picked it up. I watched him suspiciously as he casually unzipped the pouches and dug through the contents.

He pulled out my ID card and smirked. "Like I'd thought." He then commenced to shuffle through the contents of each pouch methodically. He then strolled over and handed me my backpack. "Congratulations. Welcome to Shinra."