A/N: A big thank you to my lovely reviewers, you guys give me so much inspiration. Keep it up!

Crisis Core

Chapter 4

One month later..

I sighed as I read through Zack's report on his mission in Banora. It was a mission both Sephiroth and I were originally assigned to. And I was glad we refused to go, considering what went down. Upon arrival in Banora, Zack and the Turk Tseng were immediately attacked by both Genesis copies and stolen Shinra technology. Further investigation of the village revealed that nearly everyone in the town had been murdered, including Genesis's parents. The only survivor was Gillian, Angeal's mother. Gillian told them that Genesis had set up a base in a warehouse on the edge of the town, it appears that this is where the Genesis copies were being produced. As Zack and Tseng investigated the warehouse, they found Genesis who attacked them in anger. Angeal later stopped Genesis, causing him to flee the scene. Zack initially tried to talk some sense into Angeal, but he refused to talk to him and ran off as well. After all this, Tseng received orders to airstrike Banora in an attempt to destroy all evidence of Genesis actions and the Shinra technology left behind. Zack initially tried to evacuate Gillian, but unfortunately found her dead in her home, with Angeal standing over her corpse. Zack in anger attacked Angeal, only to be stopped by Genesis later on. Genesis in turn used a summon to distract Zack, giving both Angeal and himself the opportunity to escape.

I closed the report and lay my head down on top of my hands. So much death.. And for what? I couldn't imagine why Genesis's parents and Gillian were murdered that day. I had known them for years, they were good people. What could possibly have motivated Genesis? And why would Angeal blindly follow after him? So many questions, and no answers.

Later on that day, Sephiroth and I were asked to report to Lazard's office where he explained to us that the company had declared both Genesis and Angeal K.I.A. to the public. The company had also decided to eliminate them on sight. "Luckily" for us he asked the Shinra army to handle the matter, as if that made it any better. Fortunately there was also good news. Lazard had decided to promote Zack to 1st class, and invited him to join us after our meeting finished up. As soon as Zack entered the office, he congratulated him on his promotion. "Congratulations. As of this moment you are promoted to Soldier 1st Class." Zack looked at Lazard with a confused look on his face. "Hmm. I thought I'd be happier." He said quietly. "Understandable. Too much has happened too fast. Unfortunately, I am in need of your assistance again." Zack turned around to face Sephiroth and I. "Are you pushing another assignment on me?" I smiled at him apologetically as Sephiroth spoke up. "My apologies."

"Whatever." Zack said, turning back to Lazard. "The company has decided to eliminate Genesis and his cohorts. This includes Angeal as well."

"And you want me to do it?" Zack asked him angrily. "No. The Shinra army will handle it."

"Then what about me?"

"They don't trust you." Sephiroth said, walking towards Zack as he spoke. "They believe your emotions will hamper your judgment."

"Well, of course!" I smirked and spoke up. "That's why we're going too." Zack raised an eyebrow at me. "To kill them?" Before I could answer him though, the alarm went off and gunfire could be heard from below us. Lazard looked at his computer screen and spoke up. "An intruder!"

"Where?" Zack asked him. "Close. Sephiroth, the President. Zack, entrance. Kirana, reactor."

While the Shinra building was a mess with Genesis copies attacking from all sides, the mako reactor seemed to be peaceful. The only weird thing was the fact that a lot of areas seemed to have been sealed off. Since there was no way for me to get inside, I assumed no one else had been able to as well. After reporting back to Lazard, I was later on joined by Sephiroth who updated me. "The Shinra building has been cleared of copies. What's the situation here?"

"Everything seems to be fine, I have no idea why the alarms went off, there is nothing here aside from a few fiends here and there."

"I see." Sephiroth said, pulling out his PHS and ringing Zack's number. He put his phone on speaker mode, so I could listen to the conversation as well. "Zack speaking."

"Once Sector 8 is clear, come to mako reactor 5."

"Did you find something out?"

"Angeal has been sighted." I raised an eyebrow at that. Why didn't he tell me that earlier? "So, its search and destroy?" Zack asked him angrily. "The army is mobilizing, but there is still time. You, Kirana and I will find them before they do and.."

"AND WHAT?" Autch! God, he didn't have to yell! "..fail to eliminate them." Sephiroth said, finishing his earlier sentence. "For real?" Zack asked him happily. "Yes, for real." After that, Sephiroth hung up. Once Zack arrived at the reactor though, he was suddenly attacked by a white winged monster. Zack easily cut it down, after which we walked over to him. I knelt down next to the monster on the ground and examined it. The monster had a picture of Angeal's face on his forehead. I sighed and spoke. "It appears Genesis isn't the only one who can be copied." Sephiroth grunted and leaned against the railing to the left of me. "You guys were pretty tight, huh?" Zack asked us." I stood up and made my way over to Sephiroth. "We were."

"The four of us used to sneak off into the company training room. For some fun." Sephiroth said. I smiled and closed my eyes as Sephiroth's words described a memory of better days.

We were in Junon, the simulated version that is. I sat on top of some boxes, both Ageal and Genesis sitting next to me. Sephiroth stood in front of us and watched the sunset as Genesis recited Loveless. "Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess. We seek it thus, and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface, the wandering soul knows no rest."

"Loveless. Act 1." Sephiroth said, before turning to face us. "You remembered." Genesis said as the three of us stood up. "How can I not, when you've beaten it into my head." I smiled at that and unsheathed my sword. Earlier on we decided to duel each other. Genesis and Angeal vs. Sephiroth and I. The four of us took our respective battle stances, after which Angeal gave Genesis one last word of advice. "Don't take Sephiroth lightly."

"Noted." Genesis said, after which he immediately charged Sephiroth. Sephiroth easily deflected his attacks, during which Angeal decided to focus on me. I jumped backwards a few times, avoiding most his attacks until I reached the edge of the canon. I smirked and charged straight at him, sliding in between his legs in an attempt to attack Genesis who was standing right behind him. Genesis jumped up, causing my blade and Sephiroth's to collide. I smirked and turned around, seeing Genesis and Angeal standing behind me. "Stand back, Angeal. I'll take them on alone." Genesis said, causing me to raise an eyebrow at him. "Have you lost your mind?" I asked him. Genesis smirked and engulfed his sword in fire. "The world needs a new hero."

"Come and try." Sephiroth said, causing Genesis to attack him in anger. Sephiroth stepped backwards, easily avoiding Genesis's blade. Genesis turned towards me as I swung at him myself a few times, until Sephiroth attacked him from behind. Genesis ducked and swirled around trying to knock us both over. The two of us jumped backwards, after which Genesis send fireblasts our way. Sephiroth and I tried to avoid them until we realized they were gathering up into a huge fireball above us. I ran towards Sephiroth who took my hand and launched me up into the sky where I used my sword to cut through the fireball as it scattered around me. Meanwhile Genesis proceeded to launch a full on assault on Sephiroth. I landed on the canon near Angeal who spoke up. "Genesis is taking this fight way to seriously."

"Agreed." I said, as Genesis proceeded to tear up the place in front of us. Angeal and I ran towards our friends and stopped their blades with our own. Sephiroth stopped as soon as Angeal stepped in front of him. Genesis however prepared another fireblast. I put my hand on Genesis's and spoke. "Stop. You'll destroy us all if you keep that up." Genesis frowned and pushed me aside. "That's no way to talk to a hero." He said, firing off the blast towards Sephiroth. Angeal deflected the attack, causing his sword to break in two and hit Genesis's right shoulder. The ensuing explosion also caused the simulation to malfunction, turning the room back to normal. I ran over towards Genesis and examined his shoulder. A large gash ran from the top of his shoulder down his back. "You need to get that checked out." I said as I helped him stand up. Genesis smiled and spoke up. "Just a scrape. I'll be fine, don't worry." He patted me on the shoulder and proceeded to walk out of the room. "Even if the morrow is barren with promises, nothing shall forstall my return."

"So, was everything all right?" Zack asked us as soon as Sephiroth finished the story. "Yes, as far as Genesis was concerned. But as for Angeal.."

"What about him?" I smiled at the memory and spoke up. "Afterwards he received one of Angeal's famous lectures."

"Which one?"

"Always the same. Discipline, dreams, honor. Et cetera."

"Ah.. One of those, huh?"

"I guess you were right after all." I told Sephiroth as I knelt down next to the Angeal copy. "They're in league with Hollander."

Once we had cleared the reactor of the newly arrived Angeal copies, Sephiroth explained to us why the doors were locked. It would seem that Hollander used his ID card to seal everything off, after which he shut down the power towards those sections. This however was easily mended. Zack turned the valves below us back into the right position, after which I hacked into the mainframe to open up the doors. Once Zack had found his way back to us, Sephiroth opened the door. After walking through a large hallway in what seemed to be a warehouse, we found a few stairs leading downwards into a makeshift laboratory. The first thing we noticed were two strange tubes to the left of us filled with Angeal copies. "A wretched sight." Sephiroth said as he examined one of the tubes. "Why do you think Hollander is copying them?" Zack asked him. "I don't know." Sephiroth said as I started looking through the files scattered on the floor. These were highly confidential research files. I wonder how Hollander got them away from Shinra. "Sephiroth, have you ever heard about Project G?" I asked as I made my way over to him. Sephiroth shook his head and took the file from me, reading it out loud. "Project G: A summary. Implantation of the cells of an Ancient into a human fetus. Goal: Imbue said fetus with the Ancient's abilities."

"Wait. He experimented on babies?!" Zack asked him angrily. "Yes. It appears to have been Hollander's experiment. Apparently the result was a normal child. However.."

"There were some complications." I said as I continued reading through another file. "Soldier degradation phenomenon: The heightened abilities of Soldier members are maintained by a delicate balance of various genetic factors. A change in this balance could only be caused by faulty genetic information. While this isn't possible under normal circumstances, the Soldier's type G seem to be the only ones effected."

"I'm feeling woozy.." Zack said quietly as he sat down on top of a nearby desk. "This must be why we weren't able to donate any of our blood to Genesis." I said, closing the file in my hands. Sephiroth frowned. "A Soldier type G.. All of the documents Hollander stole are in relation to his own research."

"Except for this one." Zack said. "It's about Ancients." I raised an eyebrow at that and took the file from him. "The Ancients project – Outline. Using the cells of an unearthed Ancient, we have begun research on creating and mass-producing a race with comparable abilities. The primary objective of this research is to significantly reduce Mako excavation costs. I wonder how creating more of these Ancients was going to achieve that."

"Project G gave birth to the man we know as Genesis. But none of this tells us anything about Angeal." Sephiroth said. "Then why is Angeal able to be copied?" Zack asked, but before anything else could be said, Hollander came walking down the stairs and spoke up. "S-Sephiroth? Kirana?"

"Hollander. I thought I'd find you here." Sephiroth said, making his way towards Hollander. But before he could reach him, Genesis jumped down in front of him and held up his sword against Sephiroth's throat. "Genesis.." I said quietly, unsure of what to do. Unfortunately this gave Hollander the opportunity to escape. "Zack! Go after Hollander." I said, causing Zack to run after him. As soon as the two of them left the room, Genesis dropped his sword and spoke up. "There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess. Hero of the dawn, healer of worlds."

"Loveless, again? You never change." Sephiroth said as Genesis walked past him, towards me. "Three friends go into battle. One is captured, one flies away, and the one that is left becomes a hero."

"A common story it would seem." I said as Genesis stopped mere inches away from me. "If we were to enact it, would I be the one to play the hero.." He turned his head to face Sephiroth as he spoke. "..or would he?"

"It's all yours." Sephiroth said, causing Genesis to frown. "Indeed. After all, your glory should have been mine."

"How petty."
"In hindsight, perhaps. But now, what I want most.." Genesis said, brushing some of my hair behind my ear as he spoke. ".. is the gift of the Goddess."

"And what would that be?" I asked him, staring into his eyes, hoping to see the person I once knew. "Who knows." He said, after which he jumped up into the sky and flew out of a window above us. So much for that..