A/N: Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, especially since this is our first Final Fantasy VII fic and we were definitely nervous about it. You guys make us feel so welcome. Thank you to Saria19, Utena-Puchiko-nyu, FantasyFlameQueen, lifes' angle, lady-yuna7, Clockwork Phoenix, Dragi, Niebo, KitsuneToy, Wintersheart1766, KHfujoshigirl98, and rien.


"There is a wide difference between speaking to deceive, and being silent to be impenetrable." - -- Voltaire

Cloud Strife sat alone in a corner of the mess hall contemplating the inedible mass of food that lay before him. He thought it was supposed to be some sort of meatloaf but by the looks of it, Gaia knew what it was actually made of. The side dishes looked no more appealing than the main course, being a disturbing heap of soggy peas and a mushy variety of otherwise unknown vegetables. He picked up his fork and dug in, knowing that beggars couldn't be choosers and he couldn't afford to miss out on the necessary calories, not with his already small stature and build. If anything, he needed to put on more weight and so he ignored the taste and concentrated on chewing his food thoroughly before swallowing, chasing each bite with a sip of water.

"Shit, I don't know how you regulars eat this stuff." The statement was accompanied by the slam of a tray as Zack Fair, SOLDIER 1st class, pulled out a chair across from him.

Cloud ducked his head to hide a small smile, an involuntary reaction to Zack's presence that despite himself, he was never able to repress. Zack was dressed in the familiar uniform of a 1st class SOLDIER and despite their freedom to wear whatever they wanted Zack always chose to wear the uniform. Cloud would've felt admiration for this if he hadn't known that Zack chose to dress that way because he was too lazy to choose anything else. Zack's hair was just as spiky as his own with the only real differences being the color and style. Zack's long black stalks of hair were slicked back from his face except for one strand that hung forward. His violet eyes sparkled with good humor as he settled into his chair and grimaced down into his food.

"Then why are you here? I hear that SOLDIER food is actually safe to eat," Cloud mumbled as he shoved another helping of mystery meat into his mouth.

"It's more than that, it's downright delicious. You could eat that way too if you became a SOLDIER." Zack accompanied the statement by giving Cloud a look that was a mixture of puppy-dog pleading and naked demand. It was all Cloud could do not to groan in frustration as the inevitable topic of Cloud's possible enrollment into the SOLDIER program was once again brought up.

When Cloud had first decided to infiltrate Shinra by signing up for a hitch as an MP, he had never considered the idea that he would meet someone like Zack, much less become friends with him. In fact, nothing about Zack could be construed the least bit predictable, which wasn't a good thing, especially given his already precarious position. Worst of all was Zack's close relationship with Sephiroth, and with every day spent in Zack's company he risked exposure, risked a potential confrontation with Shinra's General. While he was positive that Sephiroth had no idea of his identity as the Shinra Thief, he did not want to chance meeting him. He didn't want to have to conceal the overwhelming hatred he was afraid he would not be able to suppress in his presence. But the unfortunate truth was that no matter how he felt, no matter the risk, he couldn't discard Zack's friendship, and therein lay the crux of the problem.

Cloud had managed to go unnoticed by practically everyone in Shinra, even though his small stature and bright coloring caused no little amount of bullies to take pleasure in harassing him. Still, Zack had singled him out, had taken him under his wing and was determined to see him join the ranks of SOLDIER. Cloud couldn't understand it. His performance so far had been mediocre at best (a very deliberate choice on Cloud's part to remain safely anonymous), yet Zack was insistent that Cloud had the potential to become more.

Sometimes Cloud believed Zack to be the open book he portrayed, a good SOLDIER, a warm caring friend and a brilliant light of optimism in the heavy darkness that was Shinra. But despite all of that, most of the time Zack didn't appear to be overly bright and was often prone to laziness, especially when it came to the administrative portion of his position. Cloud almost believed it, almost believed the façade that his friend put up, but then Zack would give Cloud that penetrating stare, the one that saw past the quiet and withdrawn exterior and into the deep recesses of Cloud's heart and mind, and Cloud knew there was a reason Zack had made 1st class beyond his ability to kill things. Cloud wasn't the only one who sometimes wore a mask.

"Come on Cloud, you know that you could make it into SOLDIER. It'd be a cake walk, especially with me around to help you train." Zack gestured to himself proudly and followed it up with a wink.

Cloud ruthlessly suppressed another smile and bowed his head, remaining silent as he finished off the rest of his meal. There was no way he could join SOLDIER, there were too many obstacles in his way. Drawing any more attention than he already had would be a mistake, and that was exactly what joining SOLDIER would garner him. His status as the Shinra Thief and membership in an anti-Shinra organization notwithstanding, there was no way he would allow himself to be drawn further into an association with the company that had been responsible for the decimation of his home town and all of its residents. The irony that joining Shinra's ranks of SOLDIERs had once been his lifelong dream and an offer from Zack, Sephiroth's second-in-command, would once have caused him to jump for joy but now only caused a sinking sensation to settle in his stomach, was not lost on him. Moreover, it would be next to impossible for Cloud to hide the skills he had acquired through his work as the Shinra Thief under the watchful eyes of Zack once he was in the SOLDIER candidate program. No, there was no way in Gaia he could join SOLDIER, even had he wanted to.

Zack stared back at him, used to Cloud's silences, his gaze telling Cloud that he could wait all day for him to respond if that was what it took. He sighed and bit his lip before he mustered up the familiar rebuttal.

"I don't have what it takes to be in SOLDIER." This response caused Zack to snort in disbelief even as he scooped up the last of his meal with a slight grimace of distaste.

"Really don't know how you stand this shit," he muttered, pushing the tray away and leaning back in his chair with a sigh. He perused Cloud for a moment before replying.

"You and I both know that's not true, Cloud. I've seen you on missions, and yeah, you're a bit green, but you've got courage and heart, and that's more than a lot of members of SOLDIER can say. Learning how to fight is the easy part, the rest of the necessary attributes to be in SOLDIER you already have."

Cloud was both flattered and disheartened by Zack's faith in him. The flattery was easy to understand. It wasn't every day that someone of Cloud's rank received such praise from a 1st class. But Zack's confidence in Cloud caused a churning to stir in his gut and the strong weighty presence of guilt to settle in his heart. Becoming friends with Zack had never been part of the plan and the fact that Cloud was forced to lie to Zack, if only by omission, was enough to cause him more than one sleepless night. Here he was, trying to bring down the company that Zack had devoted his life to, and Zack's expression of faith, in his mind, compounded Cloud's treachery. The saddest part of all was that there was nothing he could do about it. If not for Zack's position, if Zack hadn't been so closely allied with Sephiroth, maybe he could have chanced confiding in him, but as things stood, there was no possible way.

Cloud finally met Zack's eyes and smiled slightly, searching his mind for a possible response to deter Zack from continuing that line of conversation.

"So, do you have any upcoming missions?" he asked Zack, but he could tell by the other's reproachful gaze that he had not fooled him with the change of subject. Nevertheless, Zack smiled and answered him.

"Nah, I was planning on sticking around for a while. Sephiroth is kind of in a funk right now. He's become obsessed with catching that Shinra Thief and I have to be around to rein him in."

Cloud couldn't help the flush that stole to his cheeks which moments later drained from his face as he became utterly pale. He lowered his head to hide his reaction to the news, but his stomach was a tight knot, his heart hammering in his throat, and he swallowed hard.

"W-Why is he so insistent upon catching him? I thought that that was the Turks' job?" Cloud asked hesitantly, trying not to seem too interested in Zack's answer.

Zack snorted. "I asked him that myself. Trust me, Seph has had more than one conversation with Tseng over jurisdiction. But nothing stops Sephiroth when he's on one of his rampages."

Cloud felt sure that all the blood in his body had dissipated as he heard that piece of information, his face now completely lacking any color, and his hands were cold as he clenched them in his lap. He had known that Sephiroth would be determined to catch him, especially after offering him the taunting challenge he had at their last meeting, but the news that even after two months, Sephiroth was obsessed with catching him, caused him to tremble slightly. He had faith in his own abilities, but if Cloud had been looking for a formidable opponent, he couldn't have chosen a better one than Sephiroth. He had been so stupid, taunting him like that, challenging him to find Cloud if he could. But excitement and adrenaline had rushed through him, the thrill of the near-miss lending a feeling of invincibility.

Even as his mind filled with apprehension, his body trembled with the thrill of eagerness at the thought that Sephiroth was so determined to find him. Much like a fox anticipates outwitting the hound, Cloud could feel the familiar surge of adrenaline that usually only came when he was under the guise of the Shinra Thief. He had never had this feeling in his everyday life as Cloud Strife, but without provocation his two selves seemed to be melding, the degrees of separation between he and Sephiroth were beginning to whittle away into nothing, and he wondered how much longer he could stay away.

He hadn't gone out as the Shinra Thief in eight weeks, one day, two hours, fourteen minutes, and approximately 23 seconds. Every day seemed like a lifetime, the nights a torturous monotony of endless minutes as the darkness called for him to take to the rooftops of Midgar, to feel the familiar adrenaline pour into his veins as he escaped detection again and again.

But to wish for that was futile. Zack had just said it. Sephiroth was obsessed with finding him and for him to go out now as the Thief would be beyond brainless, it would be pure folly. Every facility in Shinra was being closely watched for any sign of the one that had managed to escape from their clutches. Cloud couldn't help smirking slightly at the drama of it all.

"So, how would you like to meet Sephiroth?"

Zack's question caused Cloud to blanch even as he couldn't help from blurting out a horrified response. "WHAT?!"

"Yeah, I mean, I already talk about you all the time. It can't be a surprise that I want two of my best friends to meet."

Cloud didn't even have time to feel flattered at Zack's description of him as his best friend because a mixture of repulsion and elation was sweeping through him at the idea of coming face to face with Sephiroth. He was inwardly disgusted with himself, not sure if his excitement was due to the risk of standing in front of Sephiroth; the Shinra Thief under the guise of a lowly trooper standing in front of the General determined to hunt him down; or the residual feelings of hero worship and admiration that he had grown up with. Either way, the logical part of him knew that he would be an idiot to allow himself within such close proximity of Sephiroth.

Cloud tried to veil his response, making sure not to meet his friend's eyes, his voice little more than a whisper as he replied, "Zack, I think that would be a bad idea."

"Oh, come on Cloud, you're not scared of him, are you? He's not that bad, especially once you get to know him. He actually has a pretty decent sense of humor." I don't want to get to know him! Cloud inwardly fumed even as his heartbeat quickened at the thought.

Suddenly Sephiroth's face rose before him, flames encompassing the familiar form that haunted Cloud's dreams and caused him to wake up in panting terror. He could still smell the smoke as Nibelheim burned around him, the endless quiet except for the snapping of burning wood as the dying cries of the villagers were silenced in an inferno of blood and fire. Sephiroth's image hovered over him, bending forward as he reached out to touch Cloud…

"Cloud, CLOUD!" Zack's voice snapped him back to reality and he became conscious of the fact that Zack had probably been calling his name for some time if the look on his face was anything to go by.

"Are you alright? You looked as if you were seeing a ghost or something." Zack's face was scrunched up with worry, his eyes concerned.

"Yeah, Zack, I'm fine. I think the food just didn't agree with me."

Zack didn't look like he believed him but he said, "That's not a surprise. This stuff is toxic."

Cloud smiled weakly and Zack stood up, pushing his chair back as he rose. Cloud picked up his tray and carried it to the garbage before turning back to Zack who was still giving him concerned glances.

"Really, I'm fine."

"Promise?"

Cloud's smile was stronger when he replied, "Yeah, I promise."

Zack smiled wider and clapped his hands together once before rubbing them together. "Good. Now about meeting Sephiroth, he's got some open time later today. I already checked his schedule, so just stop by my office and we'll head over there together."

Cloud's mouth hung open as he realized what Zack was saying.

"Zack, no, I don't think…"

"I won't take no for an answer, Spike, so you might as well shut it. You'll see, he's really cool. I'm sure you two will get along great." And I'm sure we won't, Cloud thought with panic.

"Zack…" But Zack was already walking away, tossing a wave over his shoulder.

Cloud sat down again, his mind dizzy with dread and excitement and apprehension. This couldn't be happening. How was he going to get out of this? The question revolved over and over in his mind as he made his way back to the barracks, most of the other troopers finished with lunch and preparing to go out on the firing range, where they would finish their afternoon exercises.

He thought about the last two months as he cleaned his weapon, pulling out his cleaning kit from beneath his bed. Cid was still working on decrypting the disk that Cloud had managed to get on his last foray out as the Shinra Thief, Tifa working to figure out their next target, and Vincent working to solidify their position with other anti-Shinra groups, namely Wutai. Neo-Avalanche was just getting started and it looked as if bringing down Shinra was going to be like a baby chocobo trying to bring down a Bahamut. They still had so much work to do and Cloud had not yet been able to discover the identity of the traitor. Only Tifa, Cid, Barret, and Vincent knew the truth about what had happened at Shinra Headquarters the night he had retrieved the disk. Vincent was trying to trace the leak, but until then, the five of them were being close-mouthed about possible new targets for larcenous exploits.

Furthermore, Cloud had still not managed to find out what Sephiroth had been looking for. Whatever it was, it had to be extremely important and Cloud needed to find it. Fast. Based upon the General's eagerness, it could possibly be the key to Shinra's downfall, or if not, at least something they might later be able to use as leverage. He had searched through their stores of stolen Shinra items but still he had seen nothing that could possibly interest someone as high ranking as the General. He wondered how much of why Sephiroth wanted to catch him was due to the unknown something that he allegedly had in his possession, and how much of it was due to that last taunting wave and smile he had shot back at Sephiroth as he flew away on the airship. He shook his head, deciding it didn't matter the reason, the point was that General Sephiroth was after him, and would probably continue his pursuit until Neo-Avalanche brought down Shinra and Sephiroth along with it.

Despite the difficulties, Cloud was in it for the long haul.

He contemplated the imminent meeting he had with the General thanks to Zack's interference and knew that whatever it took to make it happen, to bring down Shinra once and for all, he would do it, even if that meant standing in front of his worst enemy and, if not smiling, at least not shooting him where he stood. Not yet, at least.

President Shinra thumbed through the papers on his desk as Doctor Hojo, Heidegger, Scarlet, Reeve Tuesti, Tseng and General Sephiroth awaited his attention. He was being purposefully irksome, Tseng thought. But whom was he trying to provoke?

An indistinguishable and portly man with blond receding hair, the President of the Shinra Electric Power Company wore a white suit that contrasted with his ruddy complexion, his face stained with broken purple veins that lent evidence to the rumors that he drank heavily.

Lately President Rupert Shinra's political influence had faltered and despite being the known head of the company, the strength of his personality alone was no longer sufficient to carry out his directives. He had not been maintaining a close enough watch on the other officers of his departments and each one had managed to garner enough influence that if they ever decided to take a stand against the President, he would have no other recourse but to concede. Even his own son, Rufus, had found a way to acquire control as President Shinra's inattention had left a political power vacuum.

"Have you discovered the thief's identity?" President Shinra asked without looking up. Tseng sat for a moment, uncertain if it was he that was being asked the question or Sephiroth. The Turk glanced across the table at the General, but the other man stared back at him with cold, green eyes, and with not so much as a twitch to acknowledge that he had even heard the question. Before Tseng could reply, Sephiroth spoke.

"No, sir," Sephiroth said. "I have not."

"Hmmm. I wasn't aware that you had taken over this investigation, General."

"Tseng and I have come to an agreement. From here on out, SOLDIER will be responsible for tracking down the thief."

President Shinra pressed his liver-spotted fingertips to his lips. Wryly, Tseng noted how the President's purposefully intimidating desk in no way managed to diminish General Sephiroth. He sat at spine-punishing attention before it. Sephiroth had taken on the temporary role as the director of SOLDIER after Lazard had deserted the position and not many were happy with it, especially not Scarlet or Heidegger. They viewed him as little more than a science experiment gone wrong, a SOLDIER with delusions of grandeur. Sephiroth never gave any indication that he knew of their contempt, but Tseng was fully aware of the General's intelligence and was sure that he had noticed.

"And why the hell not?" Heidegger demanded, his bearded face and generously proportioned body quivering in indignation at Sephiroth's assertion of claimed responsibility for the thief. In Heidegger and Scarlet's mind every move was a power play, every garnering of favor a means to outmaneuver someone else out of control.

"Because I have been occupied with other matters." Tseng's eyes narrowed with skepticism. The General had just lied. As far as Tseng knew, Sephiroth had done little else but search for the Shinra Thief. It confirmed to Tseng that Sephiroth was trying to keep the thief to himself for a reason.

"SOLDIER has been in disarray since Lazard defected and I have been trying to oversee the recruitment of new SOLDIERs. The fact of the matter is, that Genesis and Hollander's escapades have left us in dire straits as pertains to military personnel and unless we rectify the situation immediately, there won't be enough SOLDIERs to keep up with Shinra's needs."

"Who cares," scoffed Scarlet, her breasts nearly pouring out of her low-cut dress as she bent over to adjust the strap of her shoes. Tseng was pretty sure the move was deliberate, intended to draw attention away from Sephiroth and toward her own—considerable assets. "I don't know what the big deal is. The war with Wutai is over, Genesis and Hollander are dead, and that stupid anti-Shinra terrorist group is gone. Increasing the number of SOLDIERs at this point is hardly necessary." President Shinra's eyes were on Scarlet's cleavage and she smirked back at him as she sat back in her chair, straightening her posture and proudly thrusting her chest forward. Tseng and Reeve were the only two who noted the flash of contempt in Sephiroth's eyes before he replied.

"Expansion of SOLDIER ranks is exactly what we need. Shinra is increasing its mako production, which means new townships and the need for more troops." Sephiroth's face grew even colder as he looked over at Scarlet. "As head of Shinra's Weapons Development Department, you should be more concerned." An icy smirk played across his mouth, highlighting the naturally sensual curve. "After all, without the military, you'd be out of the job."

Scarlet's face flushed in anger, the skin over her chest becoming mottled with red splotches of equal parts mortification and fury. "Why you—"

"That's enough," President Shinra interrupted. "We're getting off topic. What have you learned about this—this Shinra Thief," the President's lip curled as he spat the name. Professor Hojo giggled quietly next to Tseng and it was all he could do not to shift away from the bespectacled man. There was something—not quite right about him. Aside from the constant smell of chemicals that followed him around like a heavy miasma, Hojo's eyes behind his coke-bottle glasses were as dead and lifeless as the failed creatures he spawned in his lab.

Tseng spoke up. "We had suspected that the Shinra Thief was not working alone, that in fact he might be working with a splinter group of Avalanche."

"That's bullshit. Avalanche was destroyed by the Turks and our military," Heidegger stated pompously.

Tseng kept his face blank as he replied, "That is, in essence, correct, if not wholly true. There was purported to be some disagreement as to the methods the eco-terrorist group should use to bring down Shinra. This splinter group purports to be more humanitarian than its former counterpart."

"Cockroaches," Heidegger muttered, "Can't get rid of 'em."

Reeve Tuesti, head of Shinra's Urban Development Department, spoke up for the first time. "I confess that I don't see why this thief is so significant. Other than his possible association with this new anti-Shinra group, what makes him so important?"

Scarlet sneered at Reeve as she responded, "Of course you don't see the point," disdain was evident in the tone of her voice as she continued. "This thief can't be allowed to persist in his seditious actions. It sends a message to the population that Shinra can be defied. He needs to be made an example of. Rebellion like this cannot be allowed."

Reeve didn't reply right away, merely folded his hands across his lap and bowed his head in thought. Finally he spoke again, his tone calm and even. "I'm not sure that would be the wisest course. With our continued expansion, making an example of someone as famous as the thief in so public a manner could cause dissatisfaction and hostility to fester, thus making a martyr out of him and supporting this new Avalanche's cause. The best thing to do would be to handle this quietly."

Heidegger scoffed. "Of course you think that. Anything so you don't have to get your hands dirty."

"I agree with Tuesti," Sephiroth said and all eyes turned toward him. "Drawing attention to the thief's actions could cause trouble for us later on. Our main responsibility should be to maintain the power structure of Shinra. The Shinra Thief will not escape. I can assure you all of that." The glint of steely determination in the General's eyes did not allow for argument and even Scarlet backed down at his assertion.

"I want this new terrorist group found," President Shinra declared looking over at Tseng as he spoke.

"We're already on it, sir." Tseng replied.

"Good. Now give me an update on the new mako reactor in Corel," he said, turning back to Reeve.

The rest of the meeting was standard fare, with each department giving the latest updates and offering advice for troubleshooting. Sephiroth sat rigid through it all, his face never changing expression, and Tseng was once again struck by the idea that the General wasn't human. No one could maintain that upright and stoic demeanor for long without eventually having to move.

Tseng snapped out of his reverie as the meeting came to an end and each person made their way out of the office toward the glass elevator that would lead them to their respective floors. Tseng saw Sephiroth maintaining his position by the door as he waited for him to approach.

"Sephiroth," he said with a nod.

"Tseng. Is everything prepared?" the General asked and Tseng nodded his head in response.

"The information we placed on that computer was false. The minute they decrypt the disk we'll know. We already have the trap in place."

"Excellent." Tseng was intrigued by the glint of satisfaction in the other's eyes as he spoke and he again wondered what importance the thief really had for the stoic General.

"Keep me updated," and with that Sephiroth stepped away and toward the elevator.

The General's behavior sparked in Tseng the determination to find out what was really going on. After all, it was the Turks' job to know everything. With that thought in mind, he made his way back to the President's office.

Sephiroth sat alone in his office, his thoughts centered on the impending trap that should be sprung any day now. If the Turks' information was correct, Neo-Avalanche was working with an expert hacker and it wouldn't take much longer for the disk to be decrypted.

He sat back in his chair and turned to face the window, staring out at the gray sky muddled with the smoky residue that the mako reactors' produced. He was distracted and for him that was unacceptable. Although his encounter with the thief had been a setup, a large part of him was bothered by letting him escape the way that he had. There was no doubt that he was clever, but even so, he would not be clever enough to evade him forever. His capture was inevitable. The only question was the manner in which his capture was carried out.

He stirred restlessly, glancing down distastefully at the paperwork in front of him. For two months he had been working at gaining information about the thief. His investigations along with Tseng's had led them both to the conclusion that the Shinra Thief was someone within Shinra itself. Moreover, it had to be someone in the regular army, either an army MP or perhaps even a cadet training for SOLDIER. Based upon what he knew of the thief's form and voice, he would venture a guess that he was very young. His build had been lithe yet still somehow unformed, his voice not yet that of someone far past the age of puberty. His body tightened in remembrance of that lissome form against his own, the way that the thief's body had tensed as he ran his hands over it.

For a moment remembered sensation overwhelmed him, flooding every nerve with a physical memory of him. During the two months of his search he'd developed a certain admiration for his thief, the respect of one professional for another. Few had the wherewithal to evade his pursuit.

He had come to look forward to the next move in the game they were playing. It was a challenge in a life that more and more offered little reward for the tedious act of breathing.

But now—

Now they were involved in another kind of game, a primal form of stimulation. He couldn't help but find amusement that it was a thief, a renegade, a rebel with a cockney accent that had managed to rouse his sexual appetite from so long a dormancy. He could still feel him beneath his palms: the flexible strong calves, the well-built thighs, the slender hips.

He'd gotten in beneath his guard. And in those few intense moments the thief had fused himself into his nightly dreams. Yes, he very much looked forward to renewing their acquaintance.

For too long he had gone without any sort of challenge and ennui had become his constant companion. The prospect of the puzzle that the Shinra Thief presented had stirred something in him that he hadn't felt for a very long time. Interest. Intrigue. Fascination. All of the things that he had missed for more years than he could remember. Reconciling his fascination with his position was becoming harder to do. He knew that once he had solved the mystery of the thief his interest would wane and boredom would once again set in but until then his thoughts remained upon an agile form clothed in black.

"Yo, Seph," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Sephiroth turned to face his second, trying not to sigh in resignation at Zack's continued lack of etiquette when it came to entering his office.

"Zack, what did I tell you about knocking."

"Um, that I should?" Zack said with an unrepentant grin. Sephiroth did sigh at that and leaned back in his chair.

"Was there something you needed?"

"Yeah, actually," he said, plopping down in the chair across from him and folding his hands behind his head. "You know that trooper I was telling you about, the one that I've become friends with?"

"I vaguely recall you telling me about him, yes," Sephiroth said, turning his attention once more to the paperwork in front of him. It was no surprise to Sephiroth that Zack had befriended one of the regulars; Zack never did have much awareness of rank distinction, despite his former determination to achieve the rank of 1st.

"Well, see, here's the thing," Zack said, leaning back farther until the front legs of the chair lifted off the ground. "Spikey, I mean Cloud, is a trooper, and he seems fine with that, but I really think he belongs in SOLDIER. And since we're desperate to find recruits anyway I was hoping to convince him to join."

Sephiroth looked up and tilted his head slightly in question. "He's reluctant to join?"

"Yes. I think he believes that he's not good enough."

"And what makes you think he is?" Sephiroth asked.

Zack pondered this for a moment before replying. "You know, I'm not sure exactly. It's not like he's Shiva's gift to SOLDIER or anything. But he's actually pretty competent when he's acting instinctively. I've seen him in action on a couple of missions and when he's not thinking about it, his instincts are first-rate. I think it's a matter of instilling confidence in him."

"So what do you want from me?" Sephiroth inquired, leaning back and giving Zack a quizzical look.

"Well, I was kind of hoping that if he met you he might be more inspired to try for it. I mean, I'm pretty sure you're his hero."

"Hmmm." Sephiroth's eyes were distant as he made the noise and Zack could tell that he was only continuing to listen out of politeness. Sephiroth was used to the hero worship of lower ranking soldiers and was therefore uninterested.

"He hasn't said it in so many words but every time your name is mentioned he gets this look on his face that makes me think you're the reason he joined the military in the first place."

"That's an awfully big leap in illogic, even for you," Sephiroth said wryly.

"Yeah, I'm good at that," Zack smirked and Sephiroth shook his head.

"So you want me to meet him. What exactly do you expect me to say?"

"You know, just be encouraging. Be yourself. Uh, wait a minute, strike that. Just, I don't know, talk to him like you talk to me. I'm sure he'll respond to that. He's actually pretty quiet, like you, but he's got this sensitivity that he tries to hide."

Sephiroth sighed and closed his eyes tightly, not sure that he was up to meeting Zack's newest friend but unwilling to disappoint him. He and Zack had been through a lot together in the past couple of years and it had drawn them closer together than he had thought possible. Sephiroth would never admit it to Zack but he truly did consider him to be a good friend.

"Alright. When did you want me to meet him?"

Zack smiled sheepishly. "Um, right now?"

"Right now?" Sephiroth scowled across the desk at Zack who gave an unrepentant shrug.

"He's waiting just outside the door."

Sephiroth shot Zack another look to let him know that he didn't appreciate being ambushed then called toward the door. "Come in."

It was several moments before the door opened and Sephiroth looked up into the clear wide blue eyes of Cloud Strife.

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