"What's up spiky? Oh-"

Cloud stepped down the ships gangplank, looking right at Barret who was laughing in his face. He took a moment to shudder at the sight of the battle scarred man in bright tropical swimming trunks.

And he's laughing at me? Cloud thought grimly to himself, averting his eyes.

"Yo man! You ain't so spiky anymore. You're kinda soggy. You fall overboard?"

Vincent stepped out onto the dock, giving Barret's wardrobe a quick glance without saying a word.

"No. We were attacked by Leviathan."

With a deep whistle, Barret shook his head. "Man you guys got all the bad luck." He patted Cloud on the shoulder but stopped when his hand came away with thin sticky tendrils.

"AWWWW MAAAAN!!" He yelled, flicking his hand. "Why don't you warn someone about that?!"

"Sorry. Leviathan tried to make me its midday snack."

Barret shrugged it off, still flicking his slobber covered hand. "Yeah, well. Next time warn me, 'kay? Anyway we need to get you changed. We can talk at the inn – I got a room there for the week."

"What? You're on vacation?"

With a laugh Barret waved his friends on. "Hell yeah. Not everyone works all the time, Cloud."

Staggering off the ship Professor Sai made a nice thud on the pavement as he fell to the ground, panting.

"L-laaaandd."

Vincent and Cloud looked at him despairingly. Barret looked at them and frowned.

"He wit you?"

"Unfortunately." Vincent responded, turning his back on the man.

Cloud looked down at his clothes again and then at the doctor.

"C'mon. We're out of here."

The Professor rolled over and climbed to his feet. "Very well."

Adjusting his glasses he soon fell into step behind them.

At the inn the woman behind the counter gave both Cloud and Vincent a strange look but the group passed her by before she could ask any questions. Unlocking his room, Barret stepped inside and headed for the sink to wash his hand.

"Don't sit on anything man, you're in here next."

Nodding, Cloud looked around the room at the floral print walls. There was a TV. and a bed with the usual dressers. He looked longingly at the coffee pot a moment and was relieved when Sai started it up. Vincent took to looking out the window until Barret was finished.

Once Cloud was in the shower Sai snatched the remote and flipped on the T.V. Barret scowled at him before looking to Vincent.

"You wanna tell me what's up?"

Vincent gave a sharp nod of his head. "There's been some…events."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Like this." Sai answered, his voice sounding dazed as he turned up the volume.

"—seen before. It's just incredible! We have confirmation now that the disappearances are worldwide and growing by the hour. Shin-Ra has denied any rumors that it is behind the mass vanishing of SOLDIERs and those with Geostigma but the general consensus it that only they have the power to do this."

"So she's abducting them now?" Vincent commented, moving in to watch the screen. They saw a scene of townspeople crowding around a lone reporter, many furiously waving anti-Shin-Ra signs and yelling at the camera.

"No. You can't hide that many people." Sai whispered in a soft, worried tone. "There's no where on earth to put them."

"You guys familiar with all this?" Barret asked. The professor gave another deep sigh, adjusting his glasses.

"You may not believe me, but I'm not as uncaring as my mentor was. That man would never bat an eye at this – but I can't remain so calm." He looked directly at Vincent. "This woman…your old friend and mine. She's no longer the person we know if she really has been killing people. And it won't be long before she comes after the boy."

"I see."

"After Cloud?" Barret clarified. "Why's she killing SOLDIERs and sick people?"

"To rid the world of Jenova cells." Vincent answered.

"But why?"

Sai leaned back, adjusting his glasses again in his typical nervous habit. "She doesn't want 'him' getting any of Jenova's cells. But to resort to mass murder…she must have gone insane. Unless that's not it at all…"

"Who is 'him', Professor? You've never explained that."

The group turned to look at Cloud who suddenly felt uncomfortable wrapped only in a hotel towel. Ignoring it he set his damp clothes on a chair near the open window and sat on the bed, his back to the others.

"You didn't tell us."

Professor Sai, rising to pour himself a cut of coffee. After sniffing the aroma for a moment he sat back down, sipping gingerly.

"Well…" He began. "Let's start with how much you know. Have you ever heard of a man named Genesis Rhapsodos?"

Cloud frowned a moment while Vincent shook his head. Barret gave a confused look.

"Never heard of him. Who the hells that?"

Professor Sai looked expectantly at Cloud who turned away.

"I don't know much. Just bits and pieces of what I've heard."

Sai stared back at his coffee, disappointed. "I see, I see, so you won't talk to me. In any case I'll tell you what I know I will."

With a clearing of the throat Professor Sai took a moment to gather his thoughts while the others waited expectantly.

Sai glanced to the clothing, and then crossed the room to examine it. He touched the silver wolf's crest, eyeing it thoughtfully.

"A wolfs head? How amusing." He looked to Cloud. "Have you ever heard of an old legend involving a wolf named Fenrir?"

Cloud nodded. "My bike is named Fenrir."

Vincent nodded as well but Barret shook his head.

"What the hells a Fenrir?"

With a chuckle Professor Sai moved back to them. "Fenrir…was a giant wolf that was foretold to break free from his chain one day, signaling the end of the world."

Vincent sighed. "What does this have to do with our situation?"

Professor Sai chuckled again, deeper this time. Looking up he grinned at them.

"Did you know that Fenrir wasn't the only wolf at the end of the world?"

The group looked at him as if he'd just lost his mind. Sai continued.

"The legend states that there are two more wolves – one that chases the sun and the other that chases the moon. Those wolves are the sons of Fenrir. And when they catch their prey at last Fenrir will be free again – signaling Armageddon."

As Professor Sai continued to chuckle to himself Cloud gave him a pointed, no nonsense stare.

"And what does this have to do with us now? Or are you just telling stories to stall for time?"
Professor Sai suddenly became serious. "Impatient, impatient! Didn't I tell you I'd tell you? This is completely relevant to our tale."

Leaning against the TV. stand he smiled again. "Because the wolves that chase the sun and moon are named Skoll and Hati. The woman who attacked us is also called Hati. She's always been a little wolfish though come to think of it…"

Watching the dawning recognition on their faces he continued. "Hati – the hateful one – chases the moon. And after that, the end of the world."

"Isn't there another wolf, person, whatever? That skull thing?"

"Skoll." Sai corrected, straightening his glasses. "But then again Skoll has already defeated the sun." He responded, looking at Cloud. Then the scientist grinned reassuringly.

"But don't worry, for us this is a good thing. After all the three are agents of humanity in our little tale. It seems that this time around the legend is reversed. If Hati catches up to him then they'll fight. If she wins then that's one less disaster humanity will have to face. The deaths of Angeal and Sephiroth take care of the sun and Fenrir himself."

Vincent rose from his place, pacing the room. "Agents of humanity, huh? Well if the sun is gone…then who is the moon?"

Sai nodded. "So now I will tell you about Genesis."

Banor

28 years before the Jenova war.

She couldn't believe her eyes.

There, in front of her were the files on Project G. As she looked over the documents she could feel her anger boiling up again. Not only had he injected his assistant, but by proxy her unborn child and then further experimented on the unborn child of the Mayor and his wife.

"So let me get this straight, doctor." Hati enunciated the words slowly and with dangerous intent. Professor Hollander stood glancing at the door. He wasn't sure if he could make it but he was willing to try.

The woman blocked his way, deliberately stepping between him and the only escape route.

"You're telling me that you decided it would be a genius idea to inject more people with this?!"

She threw the file on the desk, staring him down with intense eyes that were tinged with a strange blue-green. Hollander noticed and let a small grin slip.

"So it's alright for one and not the other? Isn't that a little self-righteous?"

"Don't lump me in with you!" She snapped. "I did it to protect my friend, and I only injected myself. You're talking of mass producing this – abomination!"

"Provided I get funding, and provided the children are born with some sort of advantage. Although I have no idea how to do it seeing as I'm being singled out here. They even had the gall to remove me as head of the science division."
Hati spun in a circle, stomping out her frustration. What was with these researchers?

She didn't notice the strange look Hollander was giving her, as if he was trying to figure out if there were any other effects of the cells. Now he knew about the eye discoloration and it intruiged him.
But of course he couldn't ask about it in the state she was in.

"I don't know anymore…you're all on a one way train to hell and I can't stop any of you. I just want to know why all of you are doing this."

Hollander moved to the table, gathering the papers. "We want to create something better. Something stronger than humans. We want perfection."

"Perfection comes at a steep price." Hati responded, her energy for the conversation sapped. The medicine stifled Jenova's cells but left her perpetually drained and mentally she knew she needed to improve on the serum. It would be back to the lab once she was done with Hollander.

The other scientist only gave her an unflinching stare. "This project…will be a turning point for humanity."

I bet. Hati thought bitterly as she looked out of the window to the blossoming trees of Banora.

"This will all end in tears and blood, Hollander. Mark my words."

"Professor Hollander!! Professor Hrovitnisson!" A young intern stumbled into the room, breathing hard. He looked at both doctors, eyes wide and frightened. "Somethings happened at the Shinra Manor in Nibelheim! We just got an emergency transmission from Professor Crescent!"

Both doctors froze, staring at the man who recovered from his crouched position.

"According to her there's been a shooting at the lab! Hojo apparently shot one of the Turks sent to protect them – the Turks are in an uproar over it and Hojo's trying to close off the lab.

Before he had finished Hati brushed past him, tearing down the hall.

Hojo…you'll pay for this! Vincent! Hold on for me! Damn it all to hell!

Costa Del Sol
Current Time

Cloud stood on the balcony, watching the waves break on the beach below. If he hadn't had so much running through his mind he might have enjoyed the view.

Genesis…Sephiroth…and Angeal. Where do we fit in? Sephiroth and Angeal are gone…that leaves Genesis."

Hearing a noise beside him Cloud turned to face Barret as the man leaned on the railing. After a time he shook his head.

"It's confusing as hell, man. I don't get it at all."

For a moment Cloud didn't answer, instead watching the sea.

"Back in those days, when Sephiroth was created Angeal and Genesis were created too. Out of them only Genesis is still around – even though he was considered a failure. It's kind of ironic."

"Huh?"

Cloud looked down at the people on the beach. "I was considered a failure too. It turns out I was the only success in the group. I survived."

Barret leaned more against the rail, causing it to groan. "You're not a failure…tho' in this case I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not. I know I wouldn't want to be a Jenova clone.

Cloud turned away to hide a slight smile. "Yeah. I'm not sure if it's a compliment either."

Eventually Barret wandered inside, leaving Cloud to thoughts of yesterday.