Happy Saturday. (Melbourne standards)

Chapter Warnings: None that I'm aware of. This story is purely fan created. Noo profits made. Credit remains with the respective creators. This story is not beta'ed. Let me know if I've goofed.


The lightning flashed, showing little more than brief glimpses of the shadows moving towards the building. Rufus had cut the power, so there would be no light to persuade their presence. It hadn't seemed to work, as an endless stream of figures calmly and casually came towards the structure. Cloud couldn't help the tremble that rippled through his body, his breath shaky with fear, as he tried desperately to remain silent, his back pressed firmly against the wall, as he chanced another glance out the window. Another flash of lightning, well timed, lit up the carnage outside, as a scream rang out. Civilians were falling, as the glint of First Class SOLDIER swords and armor were illuminated in the brief flood of light. Sephiroth looked at Cloud from across the room, a black gloved finger rising to his lips in warning, as the blonde's breaths began coming out a little sharper than was comfortable. Despite the sound of the heavy rain outside, the silver General seemed concerned the sound may attract his attention. Genesis. Cloud chanced another look out the window, fear rippling through him further, as the red General advanced step by step to the building, confident smirk along strangely tempting lips. How did it ever come to this? Cloud and the remaining SOLDIERs huddled in a section of the compound, waiting for their former brothers to come to them. Cloud closed his eyes tightly, forcing his emotions down, before opening them to peer out the window once more. He let out an audible gasp, as Genesis gazed at him through the pane of glass; the only thing that was separating them. His eyes flashed red in the night, his lips curling further upwards, as he gazed longingly, familiarly at the blonde's wide eyes.

"Well hello there," He purred, his sword coming through the air and breaking down through the glass, falling upon the blonde's shoulder.

Cloud screamed, his eyes flying open as he sat upright in his bed, beads of sweat dripping off his face, masking the hidden tears that fell with them. The rain continued to fall, a flash of lightning casting a residual shiver through the blonde's body, as he lay back down, well aware that sleep was likely to evade him.


"No."

"Aww... Come on old man, for old time's sake?"

"Absolutely not," Tseng frowned with apparent disapproval, "You must be kept presentable and protected. Neither can be achieved whilst you're involved in a spar."

"Almost sounds like you think I need the protection..." Yuffie huffed in response. Tseng bit back the majority of his smile at that, letting his lips curl up just slightly, but he remained firm.

"Whilst I am well aware of your capabilities, the president is not, and nor should he be," the Commander said calmly, as the princess tilted her head indignantly. He let out a small sigh of impatience. The emperor had called Tseng personally, well aware that Yuffie was having disagreements with her assigned keepers, and so had argued and bargained his way into letting Tseng escort his daughter, much to the frustration of both Yuffie and Tseng himself. He had known the princess since she was a toddler, and in some ways, she hadn't changed in the slightest. She was still eager to prove her capabilities in fighting, as well as determined, if not desperate, to achieve some independence away for her father.

"I'm ready and willing, Tseng," she said with an impatient sigh of her own, "All I'm asking for is one fight, ten minutes tops. You can pick where, so none of the public need to see or whatever."

Tseng frowned, well aware that some of his resolve was fading. Yuffie was like a little sister to anyone she managed to win over, and Tseng was no exception.

"Besides, what happens if things get really serious around here and they need some extra fighters or something? You KNOW I'm good enough to fight," Yuffie frowned pleadingly, "Please let me do this, Tseng."

The instant Tseng's face softened a little, Yuffie flung her arms around him, grinning and offering a multitude of 'thank you's.

"Lemme get changed," she grinned, and before Tseng even had the chance to turn, Yuffie had stripped off her dress in a fluid motion.

"Yuffie!" Tseng blushed furiously, turning abruptly, "Have you no shame?"

"Oh Tseng, get over it," she laughed, "It's not like you're getting a kick out of it or anything. I mean, you got all of Sephiroth to drool over, so I don't blame you."

Tseng's cheeks grew even warmer, as he nodded.

"He's beautiful. Even I can see that," Yuffie said casually, "Tell me something... Do you love him?"

"Yes," the Commander nodded firmly, no hesitation on his behalf, "Very much so."

"And he loves you?" she asked, as Tseng heard her pull up a zip on her shorts, his mind travelling to the soft kiss Sephiroth had offered before Tseng had come here, his green eyes speaking the words his lips no longer had to.

"Yes..." Tseng replied softly, a smile licking at his lips, before Yuffie headed for the door. She was dressed in her usual combat gear and was wearing a hat and sunglasses, her hair tied up and tucked under the cap.

"Then quit blushing," she smiled warmly, "And come help me find a shuriken. Obviously I couldn't pack my own."

With that, she was out the door and heading incognito towards the shopping district. Tseng quickly followed her, no longer bothering to suppress his smile.


Hollander frowned, as Zack shook his head.

"Haven't seen him, prof. You'd be better off asking one of the Turks, wouldn't ya?" the Lieutenant shrugged, "Didn't Hojo ask Tseng to keep an eye on the kid?"

Hollander nodded, thanking Zack before moving on. It wasn't an urgent matter, but the president had requested Cloud be in the labs when Mister Valentine arrived, and Tifa had sent word that they would be arriving shortly. It was a strange request on the president's behalf, but he was not the kind of person to ask questions to in regards to his requests.

"Hey prof!" A voice called, as Hollander turned to see Zack trotting down the hall.

"Geal said Spikey had headed off to bed early," the Lieutenant frowned a little, "Don't blame him, poor kid. He's a worry."

"Mrmm."

"What's up, doc?" Zack asked cheekily, as Hollander fought back a small laugh.

"He is a worry, is all. During the time I've spent with him, he's been offering infrequent displays of erratic behaviour, which was one of the supposed reasons he was refused entry to SOLDIER," Hollander creased his brows, "And the current misplaced guilt he's feeling over Genesis was clearly not helping."

"Should you be telling me this?" Zack asked, seemingly a little uncomfortable, "You know, doctor patient confidentiality or whatever?"

"I'm not speaking as his Doctor, I'm speaking as his friend. I'm asking you, as a friend, if you'd keep an eye on him if you happen to both get called onto the field," Hollander nodded firmly, a hand on each of Zack's shoulders, "Do you understand?"

Hollander watched, as Zack narrowed his eyes, seemingly thinking it over.

"I think I do, actually," The Lieutenant said slyly, giving a wave of his hand as he turned and headed back in the direction from which he came, Hollander frowning as he did so.


Tifa wrung her hands a little, walking silently behind both Aerith and Vincent, as the trio made their way back into the Shinra compound. She couldn't exactly explain her anxiety, but something undeniably bothered her about the crimson eyed man. For one thing, he had lived- well... existed in her own town for years, and she never even knew. So part of it, she presumed, was that she felt some guilt and responsibility for never having helped the ex-Turk, even when she'd grown up with an on again off again Shinra presence within her town. Another part of it was surely the man's appearance in itself. He was deathly pale, and his eyes were so deep and rich in their colour, she almost felt intimidated just meeting his gaze. He was tall, he was basically soundless in that she never heard him breath, or heard his footsteps, or a movement of stiff joints like she'd heard when she and Aerith had clambered out of the Shinra business car. He had that claw too. It was pointed, glinting ominously at her whenever they passed some lights, just like his oddly pointed boots, and the pistol in his belt.

"Are you alright, Miss Lockheart?" He said lowly, turning his head so that he could catch her eyes with the corner of his. Tifa startled slightly, blushing as she offered a shaky smile.

"S-sorry Mister Valentine... I was... admiring your weapon," She bowed her head as he turned his gaze from her. Aerith turned then, giving her a concerned look, but saying nothing. Tifa had no idea how the Cetran could handle Vincent's presence so capably.

Looking around as they walked, Tifa realised that she wasn't the only one seemingly intimidated by Vincent's presence. Each civilian they passed watched Vincent pass with a kind of stunned awe, and Tifa really couldn't blame him. Even without knowing what she knew about his past, Vincent looked somewhat ethereal, and she noticed then that some of the woman even looked a little flustered as they saw him. Tifa would admit that she knew beauty when it was presented, and if you looked past the gunman's ghostly skin and the colour of his eyes, he was incredibly good looking. Had she been straight, or even bisexual, and not an entire coward, Vincent may very well have been a man she would proposition. Even as it was, she did find him incredibly handsome, and she wondered if it had anything to do with his almost feminine features. Long, dark, thick eyelashes, flawless complexion, graceful gait, shapely lips, long, dark, straight hair, moving effortlessly with each step the man took. In some ways, he was like many men in Shinra were, with a special air of elite about him. In other ways, he was also much like Aerith. The pair of them had those eyes that drew you in, but whilst Aerith's were comforting and soothing, Vincent's were elusive and mysterious. Both had their connection to Gaia herself, giving them that quiet thoughtfulness that always seemed more content than awkward. Both had spent most of their life connected to the Shinra in one way or another, and for the both of them, they likely always would.

...Hrmmm... I suppose if he reminds me of Aerith of all people, he really can't be that bad...

It also explained how Aerith was able to treat him like anyone else. After all, it was how she wanted to be treated, and it was only fair to 'do unto others as you wish others to do unto you', or however it went.

"Oh!" Aerith laughed then, seemingly surprised by a view up ahead, and as Tifa entered the building after them, she realised why. There was Tseng, suit as sharp as ever, in combat with a woman. She had blonde hair down to her shoulders, and was dressed in a pair of short shorts, a singlet, and what looked to be a pair of knee high laced boots. The girl fought with a shuriken, and wore a pair of flying goggles over her eyes. Had Tifa not been so focused on the agility and skill of the woman, she may have found the appearance of her somewhat comical. Tseng and the woman were fighting in a closed off training room, out of public view, but it hadn't stopped a small crowd of Shinra employees from gathering around the pair. Tseng was blocking the attacks with relative ease, using little more than his night stick, but it was apparent that he wasn't the only one in the battle that was going easy. In fact, the woman seemed to almost be toying with him.

"Who'd have known she could fight so well?" Aerith smiled widely, standing by the glass window, as Vincent stood by her, face expressionless.

"You know her?" Tifa asked, as she watched the petite figure sail through the air in a variety of manoeuvres, impressed with the aerial acrobatics the woman was using.

"Of course," Aerith smiled sweetly, "She's done exceptionally well with her disguise though. Tseng probably doesn't want her showing her identity. I can understand why, as it's certainly not lady like behaviour."

Tifa screwed up her face a little, focusing on the woman as she fought. The Nibelian couldn't place the figure; that was, until she snapped Tseng's EMR with a well-timed throw off her Shuriken, and offered a purely cheeky smile.

"The princess?" Tifa breathed, as Aerith nodded. Vincent let out what seemed to be a surprised 'hmph', but said nothing else, as Tifa watched the princess grin again at Tseng. She pat him on the shoulder as he picked up the remains of his weapon, and he offered Yuffie an amused smirk and a shake of his head. It was most certainly the princess; it had just taken a lot of concentration on Tifa's behalf to realise. Nobody else seemed to jerry however, and Tifa was wondering how Aerith had.

"How did you know?" she asked, and the Cetran blushed, rubbing her arm awkwardly, as she crossed both of them across her chest.

"People have certain auras around them. An air that Gaia blesses them with," Aerith explained, "That's as unique to the individual as a fingerprint or the likes."

"Oh?" Tifa mused, suddenly interested, "What's hers then?"

"It's yellow," she nodded, "Vibrant, full of energy, but always kind of slowed; like she's saddened or restricted, or confused."

"What about me?" Vincent asked, as Tifa and Aerith startled, both seemingly forgetting he was there.

"Well..." Aerith hesitated, "Yours isn't as clear as everyone else's. It's red though, as I'm sure you're not surprised to hear."

Vincent's lips quirked at this, just slightly, and Tifa hid a smile behind her hand.

"It's calm, and it's cool, almost... cold," She frowned, seemingly in concentration, "But there are other things that are meant to be there. They just... they can't get out. They're blocked by something."

Vincent held Aerith's gaze then, for a few moments longer than I think even he had intended, as if he were trying to figure her out. He had often looked at her as if she was a Rubik's cube, and Tifa frowned slightly, before he turned and continued down the hall.

"We should keep moving," he nodded, as he continued on his way.

"Strange..." Aerith frowned, before following after him. Tifa, however, remained for a few moments, as Yuffie and Tseng came through the door. For a moment, the princess seemed to lock eyes on the Nibelian, her mouth dropping slightly, as if in greeting, before she allowed Tseng to steer her away. Tifa smiled softly to herself, before heading after Aerith, throwing a look over her shoulder as she left. She met the princess' gaze, before Yuffie quickly turned around, a blush along her cheeks. Tifa's smile simply grew a little more.


Water was everywhere. It brought all of the creatures that had been prowling the perimeter into the caverns below, as they sought shelter. For the most part, the creatures seemed completely oblivious of the human presence in there. At other times, they would offer a sniff or a lick of the hand, before carrying on their way. Genesis couldn't help but feel the behaviour was a little strange.

"They've got her cells too," Reno said by way of explanation, as a bear waddled down a stretch of dirt tunnel, "They've never attacked us, and didn't seem the least bit surprised or resistant when we attacked them for food or boredom."

"Perhaps it would be better if they did," Genesis mused out loud, before Reno turned to him questioningly.

"You want them to attack us?" the redhead asked, seemingly in disbelief.

"Have any of you tested the extent of your new... gifts?" Genesis asked, as the redhead offered another puzzled expression. Something seemed to have clicked, however, and a slow smirk crept across Reno's lips.

"Ah, no... But I see where you're heading with this," The Turk nodded, "Kind of like live target practice. Would keep us on edge too."

"Exactly," Genesis nodded, as he felt a stirring in his mind.

"A request?" The voice all but purred, and Genesis' eyes flicked to Reno, "He can't hear me. None of them can. I am speaking only to you."

"An honour, surely," Genesis mused, as Reno turned to give him a raised eyebrow and a sceptical look. It appeared as if the redhead was re-considering choosing Genesis as a leader for their group. Genesis couldn't blame him; he'd questioned his own sanity several times since his change.

"You need not speak out loud, either. Merely think, and I shall hear."

...I'd like the animals to be used as a means of training...

"You would kill Gaia's gifts for the sake of your own kind's advantage?"

... But it's now our kind, is it not?...

"... I see you were indeed the right choice. Let me know when you are ready."

"MORANA wills it," Genesis nodded, "Prepare everyone for training. We need to be ready for Midgar."

Reno nodded wordlessly, and moved quickly to gather all of the humans huddling in the system of caves and tunnels. Genesis waited, drawing his rapier from its sheath and eyeing off the intricate symbols along the blade. He'd never known what they were, and with the way things had turned out, he doubted he'd ever be able to ask the weapons technician at Shinra about it.

"They're coming," Reno nodded as he returned, taking out his own weapon. Turks were always equipped with whatever weapon was suited to them best. Tseng had given Reno an Electro Mag Rod, and the redhead had stuck with it ever since, not a single complaint coming from his lips.

"Feeling confident?" Genesis asked, and the redhead remained silent, merely offering a cocky smirk. It was answer enough for the red General, who waited for his followers to mull into the cavern he and Reno were now standing in. It didn't take long until everyone was there, watching with interest as Genesis rolled his sword's hilt in his fingers, turning it in the dim light, and reflecting the images of those huddled around him.

"Training," Genesis began simply, before raising his sword horizontally, holding it out before him and running a hand along the flat surface of the blade. A red glow flickered along the blade, and sent a cloud of what appeared to be pure energy across the glinting surface.

There was a chorus of impressed murmurs through the group, and Genesis himself resisted the urge to grin. Transferring physical energy to an inanimate object was a talent he had worked on from the moment he'd learnt to wield a blade, but it had always been a difficult task. That time, however, it transferred fluidly, and with very little effort.

"Strength comes from within," Genesis said calmly, as if the ease of his previous action was no surprise, "Harnessing personal energy as a force on its own is one of the most useful skills an individual can possess. Being caught without a weapon need not disadvantage you, and nor should it, when your own power remains."

"But General," One of the ex-first's spoke up, "We were told it was too dangerous to attempt learning such a skill."

Genesis smirked, shaking his head.

"Sephiroth told you that, did he not?" Genesis asked, as the first class nodded, "Well... Sephiroth is a fool."

Genesis revelled in the hesitation on the expressions of those surrounding him then. People would seemingly never learn.

"Sephiroth is owned by Shinra," Genesis explained, "And Rufus Shinra is the fool that sent us here in the first place. Shinra is the reason we are what we are. Shinra manipulated us, confused us, abused our skills, our talents, our power for the company's own benefits. No other reason."

There was a wave of murmurs then, and Genesis watched the varying expressions in response, ranging from uncertain, to adamant, to simply enraged.

Genesis remained silent, and Reno smirked from his side, his voice low enough for only the pair of them to hear.

"This determines the comrades from the target practice," The redhead remarked casually, and Genesis nodded, a light smirk creeping along his own lips. It had been the ex-SOLDIER's intentions to not only train his new group up, but to determine who it was who needed to be picked off. Survival of the fittest was how they did it in the wild, and they were certainly not living the civilized life any more. Genesis stood patiently before his troops, and his smirk slowly crept further along his lips. A majority of the group were dirty, caked in mud residues from their journey to the crater, and the subsequent living arrangements they had taken upon their... 'infection'. Despite this, many had a fierce determination in their eyes, and Genesis was more than pleased to find that several of them had a distinct red glow already. It would likely be easy to harness such energy if they were so willingly giving it prior to commands. The red General held the ball of energy in his hand, feeling the Lifestream in his own body and the will of Morana herself composing the ball. Something felt different, and Genesis was yet to place his finger on it. He curled the flickering flames in his fingers, and concentrated, closing his eyes and focusing his attention on the energy coursing through his own body. He opened his eyes then, as the crowd watching him let out a chorus of gasps. As his eyes opened, he managed to catch only a brief glimpse of the ethereal glow coating his entire body.

...Pure energy...

"The fuck was that?" Reno balked, as Genesis tried to overcome the delightful surprise coursing through him as freely as the energy had been.

"Hojo has mentioned this, but..." Genesis paused, a maniacal burst of laughter breaking free, "Oh, if he saw this, he'd die!"

Reno frowned uncertainly, but Genesis couldn't care less. He knew, unlike the others, what this development meant. He had studied more than the others, spent more time in the labs, and had a deeper connection with himself and the planet. It was only natural that he would know what this talent held.

"This, my friends, is pure energy. Jenova's will is what allowed us to harness it, and Morana's will... our will... is what allows us to now harness it to its full extent," Genesis explained, "Jenova is a fool. Hojo himself spoke of how she is in an alliance with the planet. Jenova is content with an understanding that she was a threat to Gaia, and that the planet itself was submissive enough to allow her to remain, so long as she behaved... She is happy to harness the Lifestream's power as a method of survival, but she is letting its true power go to waste. Morana, on the other hand, has the will and the means to dominate not only the planet, but the planet's threat. That power..."

Genesis stopped then, focusing his attentions on his inner self and the presence now within his body. Morana's will was that of his own; to destroy Jenova and her counterparts, and to destroy anything that could cause them damage. Combining them was bringing out a certain kind of enlightenment within Genesis that he was drawing strength from.

...We're feeding off each other...

"...Excellent. You were a good choice, I see..."

Genesis' smirked, energy flowing through him, Morana's encouragement the final push in the right direction. He moved forward then, almost weightless as he leapt from the ground and curled, rolling through the air in an arch and heading for the ground with his fist extended. He landed lightly, crouched against the impact as his fist collided with the ground, but the kinetic energy coursing through him travelled through his fist and sent a shockwave through the earth beneath them. Cracks snaked out from where he had impacted, and a cloud of dust rose into the air, mingled with that same red glow that had inhabited Genesis only moments before. There was a rumble with the impact, and the shockwave echoed through the caverns. A few of the men stumbled to the floor, where others merely staggered, mouths open in disbelief. Genesis stood and flexed his fingers, the leather gloves encasing them groaning slightly, as he surveyed the damage around him with an intense air of satisfaction. The radius of his attack was easily ten metres wide, cracks in the earth's surface snaking like rogue bolts of lightning, as the dust slowly settled and his comrades pulled themselves to their feet.

The silence was almost unsettling, as Genesis let what had just happened sink into the realisations of those around him. He had never felt more confident about what it was they were aiming to do, and with some of the expressions on the surrounding people's faces, his optimism was seemingly shared between them.

"In Shinra, they tell you that working for the company, working for Jenova and the planet, and hard work will get you where you need to be," Genesis said quietly, ensuring that he had the attention of each of the men around him, "And here is where I tell you to forget that. In the wild, you fight to survive. We are a different species to them now, and they are a threat. Jenova is a threat. Shinra is a threat. The planet is a threat. What do we have to fight against that? Morana's will, and that of our own. Shinra has made us what we are today, and they lied. Being with Shinra got us nothing. We have lost more than we have gained, and they have warped our beliefs into thinking that working for them was the way to power; the way to victory. Here I tell you all that we were wrong."

The auburn haired General removed his sword from his back and stuck it into the ground, where one of the cracks had formed from his earlier blow.

"This is our home now, and Morana is the future. Morana is power, Morana is survival. Forget those you loved and once cared about, for we are nothing to them anymore. They left us here to die like animals, and so when we meet them, like animals we will be," Genesis paused, brushing his hair from his eyes with a determined smirk, "Instinct and will power, both ours and Morana's, will be what gets you further. We will fight for survival, and we will fight to the death, as it is meant to be."

The silence fell again, like a blanket, smothering any shroud of doubt that lingered within the eyes of Genesis' comrades. He knew then, before the battle had even begun, that his own personal victory had fallen into place.


They were there again, everywhere. Hundreds of them; ex-SOLDIERs and Turks, all lining up to attack Shinra headquarters, Genesis in the lead. They were different now, enhanced, stronger, faster, more... Terrifying. Cloud peered out the window, this time on his own. There was no Sephiroth by his side. There was no backup.

"We'll no longer be oppressed!" Cloud heard Genesis call, and a chill ran along his spine, "Come out, come out, president..."

There was a flash of light then, as Cloud sat bolt upright in bed, his breath catching in his throat as he snapped back to reality more than abruptly.

"It's alright!" Hollander reassured, as Cloud turned flared eyes in the professor's direction. He must have been sleeping again, and Hollander had gotten into his room and turned on the light.

"H-Holl...ander?" Cloud murmured sleepily, his immediate state of alert slipping slightly, as he realised the lack of a threat.

"Yes. You need to get up, Cloud," the professor said softly, seemingly concerned at the blonde's reactions to being woken, "Vincent Valentine is arriving shortly. He may even be here already. The president is insisting you perform a meet and greet with him."

Cloud stifled a yawn as he blearily blinked back the wave of sleep threatening to engulf him again, his mind fighting back disturbing images of glinting steel and glowing red eyes.

"Vincent Valentine?" Cloud murmured, swinging his legs out of bed and wriggling out of his sweat pants, as Hollander averted his gaze.

"Uh... yes," Hollander cleared his throat, "We have managed to arrange a get together with the ex-Turk, but I'm not sure he is fully convinced of his allegiance with us, yet. I believe Rufus will be speaking to him this evening."

"It's still night time?" Cloud asked, as he pulled on his slacks and half-heartedly tried to rub out the creases. Surely it wouldn't matter if he showed up looking slightly less than perfect... Everyone had been so otherwise preoccupied lately that the blonde doubted a pair of wrinkled pants would do an astounding amount of damage to his reputation.

"Yes. You must have fallen asleep quite early. We lost track of you for some time," Hollander frowned, and Cloud pat down his bedside table looking for his cell phone. His eyes widened upon seeing twelve missed calls, mainly from Zack, and seven text messages. How could he have been so deeply asleep as to miss all of those?

"Are you alright?" Cloud heard Hollander ask, as the professor placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him slightly.

"I..." Cloud faltered. Should he tell the professor of his disturbing dreams of late? Or were they merely that... just dreams?

"Yeah, just pretty tired," Cloud smiled wearily, and it was seemingly enough to convince the professor that the blonde had not just lied through his teeth.

It didn't seem to matter how far away Genesis was right now. To Cloud, his presence was stronger than ever, and it was a feeling that unsettled the blonde to no end. He wondered briefly if it was Jenova's response to Morana going stronger, and in that case, if any of the other Jenova infused infantrymen or SOLDIERs were feeling the same effect.

"Has anyone been unwell lately, professor?" Cloud asked casually, as he grabbed his bag and headed for the door in Hollander's wake.

"If they have, they haven't been sent to the labs," Hollander replied airily, "Probably a good sign that nothing serious has occurred."

Cloud inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, as he nodded to himself. They were just dreams; creations of his own mind that were turning his guilt into something a little more sinister. Vivid dreams, but dreams none the less. He almost wondered why anything else had led him to believe otherwise, before Hollander paused at his door on their way out.

"Although, in terms of the unusual, Sephiroth has reportedly been having issues with REM. He keeps muttering Genesis' name in his sleep," Hollander mused quietly, almost to himself, as Cloud's stomach inexplicably tightened, "And his REM readings are through the roof, unlike we've seen with him over the course of his entire life."

Hollander then shook his head in dismissal, smiling as he asked if Cloud was feeling alright, the blonde's face draining of colour as he closed the door behind him and headed for the labs.


A/N: Poor Cloud.