I stared mutely at the dark-haired man sitting opposite me. Between us the reflective surface of his desk, bereft of all clutter or anything that might suggest disarray. Although I'd never been in Angeal's office before, somehow, I had pictured his desk exactly this way. Efficient and organized. Exactly as he expected all of us to maintain our own workspaces.

How he'd cringe if he opened Luxiere's locker. The one time I'd caught a glimpse, I'd been utterly appalled. A chaotic jumble of crumpled paper, discarded uniforms and other random gear. All in various degrees of cleanliness. Well, not sure clean is truly the right word there.

Those thoughts served to distract me from the growing discomfort at having been called to this room in the first place. I suspected I knew what Angeal wanted to see me about. He wanted to talk to me about the same thing everyone else did: Genesis and the nightclub. Maybe I could put off Zack and Kunsel, but disobeying a 1st Class wasn't quite so easily done.

So here I sat.

After a minute or two, I had a feeling Angeal realized that although he could summon me here, getting me to talk was a different matter. He folded his hands on the desktop.

"I'll get right to the point," he began. "It's been nearly a week since the mission to Junon, and a discussion about the events that took place is overdue."

His tone remained business-like, offering neither support nor censure. I supposed I should have been grateful that for the impartiality. But in truth, I worried that he was creating as much distance as possible before telling me that I would no longer be employed as a SOLDIER.

What else could he do? Although the details about Junon weren't widely known, the enmity between me and Genesis upon our return was no secret. Not by my design, of course. But Genesis made a big show of it whenever we happened to be in the same room. And if Angeal had to pick one of us…well, I wasn't one of the top 1st Class SOLDIERs in Shinra, was I?

That doesn't mean you have to give up your career without a fight, I told myself. You've worked hard to get this far, so don't let some arrogant jerk take it away. Balling my fists tightly in my lap, I struggled to keep my voice calm when I replied.

"I know that I didn't make the greatest impression during the mission, sir, but I know with a little more training I will do much better next time. If I don't prove myself after that, then I won't argue if you discharge me from SOLDIER."

Surprise. Shock, even. My speech had left Angeal completely speechless. Not the reaction I'd expected at all.

"I didn't bring you in here to dismiss you, Lilith," he answered when he'd recovered. "Actually, you fought quite well during the battle."

"Thank you, sir."

I said nothing more, not wishing to be the one to bring up what Angeal might not have found so admirable about the way I'd handled myself in Junon. If he wanted to bring up Genesis he'd have to do it himself. A stance not lost on him. Angeal sighed in capitulation.

"The nightclub, Lilith. Have you nothing you want to say about it?"

Plenty. I doubted any of what I truly wanted to tell him would do me any good, though.

"I've spoken with your fellow 2nd Classes about what they know of the evening." Panic lodged in my throat as I worried what all they might have said. But I leashed that fear bravely as he continued, "And I've addressed the matter with Mr. Rhapsodos. I had thought to see you much sooner for your account."

Keep it professional. Don't let him see that you're rattled or you'll come unglued.

"I wasn't aware you wished to see me. I assure you, sir, mistakes on that score will not be repeated. If that's the concern."

"That's not…" he caught himself, and began again in a tone I could only describe as flustered. "I had expected that you would want to speak to me, Lilith."

"Sir?"

Angeal studied me closely, as if trying to discern whether my confusion was genuine, or merely a clever façade. Which it was. I couldn't very well rant at a superior, no matter how angry I felt. Certainly not when I'd be ranting about one of his closest friends.

What he thought I was hiding, though, I couldn't say. Depending on what Genesis had told him about that night, perhaps he expected me to confess that I'd been responsible for the argument. Genesis made it very clear that evening- and the days since- that he blamed me. If that's what Angeal was hoping to hear, he'd wait until the planet dried to a withered husk.

Even if it is partly true, a tiny voice in my head reminded me. The same voice that had been a constant companion since we returned from Junon. And it wasn't finished with me yet. You never should have accepted that dance with him. Should have been firmer about not going back to the booth together, too. If you'd done at least one of those things, none of this would have happened.

Angeal leaned forward slightly. He unfolded his hands and laid them, palms down, on the desk.

"I realize that you may see me as less approachable than Fair or other colleagues of your rank, but I want you to know that you can talk to me. I will provide whatever help I can."

Help? Help with what?

Unless he could somehow turn back time so I could choose a different course of events that evening, I wasn't quite sure what Angeal thought he could do for me. At this point, my plan was to keep a low profile where Genesis was concerned. So long as he didn't get in my face, I had no reason to go looking for more trouble that direction.

"I thank you for the offer, but I'm fine, sir."

Again with the stare, as if he didn't quite believe me. Probably not the wisest idea to lie to him; Angeal was a lightning rod when it came to divining the truth. The sooner I got free of his office, the better. Especially if I could avoid a recitation of…

"Then you won't mind providing me with your account of that evening," Angeal insisted in a no-nonsense tone.

I bit back a silent curse, as he'd just asked me for the very thing I'd been praying not to give. And as a 1st Class asking a 2nd Class, he wasn't really asking. We might sit in the office all morning, but before I was allowed to leave I'd be telling him what he wanted to know.

Better make it good, then. Keep to the facts and don't volunteer anything he doesn't ask for.

"Yes, sir. Where shall I begin?"

"Unless there's anything relevant prior to the dancefloor you'd wish to bring up, you may begin there."

And so I did. I mentioned briefly that I'd gone out there with Zack and the others, and how we'd been separated in the crowded space. Left out any mention that I'd seen them with the fangirls that had been in the booth with Angeal, skipping right to running into Genesis.

"I realize now that I should have declined. But at the time, I just didn't know how to do that without giving offense or sounding petty about the argument Mr. Rhapsodos and I had that morning."

Angeal was nodding with a slight frown, but said nothing. No surprise that he agreed that I'd been in the wrong. Hadn't I heard countless lectures on 'fraternization' during orientation and training? It didn't matter that I'd been trying to prevent further conflict. I was still wrong.

So there's no point in mentioning that Genesis wasn't quite taking my initial answer of 'no' seriously.

"After a bit, though, I wanted to go back to the booth to rest. I told Mr. Rhapsodos that I was fine to return alone- no need to leave the dancefloor on my account."

"But he did accompany you."

"Yes, sir."

"And did he return to the dancefloor after that?"

"No, sir. He decided to stay and ordered some wine from one of the waitresses." Now for the difficult part. "Mr. Hewley, sir, I did try to be respectful, seeing as though he is a 1st Class. But when the conversation pried into my personal life, I felt that ending the discussion was most prudent- for both of us. My responses to his inquiries became quite curt and encouraged him to cease."

Okay, so far so good. Angeal wasn't taking me to task. Not yet, anyway. But a few harsh words were one thing; striking a 1st Class in anger was another. I was sure to hear something about that.

"When telling Mr. Rhapsodos I no longer wished to continue our conversation did not work, I sought to extricate myself from the booth. If he saw my actions as disrespectful, sir, I want to be clear that it was not meant to be."

"Why do you say he would think that?"

"I was intercepted before I could leave, and the discussion escalated into an argument. I…" I sucked in a breath and let it out again, slowly. "I'm afraid that I struck Mr. Rhapsodos, sir. To be fair, though, I would not have done so if he hadn't put hands on me first."

"Put hands on you in what way? Did he strike you?"

"No, not like that. He…" I just couldn't make myself say it aloud. "Sir, it's all a misunderstanding, and I'd really rather just let it all go."

"Misunderstanding," he prompted with an eyebrow raised in query. When I didn't reply, he added, "Of what nature?"

He was my superior, and I was bound by the pledges I'd taken upon joining SOLDIER to answer. But I couldn't. I just couldn't. Jaw clenched achingly, I just stared at him in silence from across the desk.

For a long while, Angeal merely stared back. Assessing. Thinking. And then he sighed heavily.

"All right, Lilith, I think that's told me all I need to know for the time being. Unless you have anything else you wish to say."

"No, sir."

"In that case, you're dismissed." I stood, preparing for a hasty exit. Just before I reached the door to the hall, he offered one last caveat. "Should that change, please come see me. Or if I'm not available, you may bring your concerns to Sephiroth."

Sephiroth? Hell will freeze over before I say anything to him about this. Knowing it to be unwise to voice that thought to Angeal, I nodded to him with a tight smile.

"Yes, sir."

Once outside his office, I nearly let out an audible sigh of relief. Except that relief was short-lived. For no sooner had I shut the door behind me and turned around, there stood Sephiroth himself. Regarding me with an expression that I might call detached curiosity. He was likely here to see Angeal, but still. Why did it have to be right this second?

Could be worse- could be Genesis.

So very true. I held onto the polished manners that I'd been using only a moment ago. They'd last me long enough to get clear of him and then I could find Zack for our practice session.

"Excuse me, sir, I was just leaving."

He didn't respond. Not even the slightest blink. And as the seconds ticked by under his impassive stare, the urge to escape gnawed at my insides. Turned them to water. Why on earth did he have to look at me like that? Like I was a game piece- and not one he'd consider valuable.

I was about to take another step when he spoke.

"In a hurry, are you?"

How does he do that, I wondered in bewilderment. The inflection of his tone, perhaps. The barest hints of amusement and subtle challenge that had me second guessing myself. A tactic I'm sure he used to his advantage quite often. So are you going to let him get to you, or what?

"Fair's expecting me for a training session," I answered evenly. Not letting him think he'd managed to rattle me. "I wouldn't want him to worry that I forgot."

"By all means, then. Don't let me detain you."

Was that sarcasm, or was he being sincere? I disliked that I couldn't tell. Now's not the time to worry about it, I admonished myself. Just get out of here. I bobbed my head in a respectful nod of farewell.

"Thank you, sir."

And with that, I turned on my heel and headed in the direction of the training rooms. Could have sworn I felt his crystalline stare on my back the whole way.

He kept his eyes fixed on Lilith as she retreated down the length of the corridor. Admirable that she never glanced back, though he was sure she knew he was watching her. Once the lady turned the corner, Sephiroth shook his head and entered his friend's office. Angeal, who had been scribbling notes on a legal pad, looked up at the sound of the door opening.

"Sephiroth," he greeted him solemnly. "I'm just finishing up here, if you'll give me a minute."

"Not a problem," Sephiroth answered and took a seat. "I take it you finally met with Lilith to discuss Junon."

"It's been a week. Not a word from her about the trouble with Genesis. That's why I summoned her here. I thought perhaps if I initiated the conversation, Lilith might…"

"I'm not sure what you expected, Angeal. You said yourself a few days ago that Fair's attempts to bring up the subject have yielded nothing. Why would you have better luck?"

"You're right; I didn't. Even after I gave her leave to say anything she might want to say about that night, Lilith was no more forthcoming. She pretended to be confused at first- as if she couldn't fathom why I was asking her about it at all."

Which didn't sit well with you, I bet, Sephiroth mused.

"In the end, I had to order her to give an account of that night."

"And what sort of answer did the lady give you? Was it everything you expected?"

"It was brief. Dispassionate, for the most part. As if she were telling me about something that happened to someone else. Lilith seemed more concerned about whether she'd done anything wrong rather than anything Genesis did." He shook his head slowly. "Would you believe she thought I brought her here to expel her from SOLDIER?"

"News that would brighten Genesis' day, if it were at all true. He still won't admit any fault for what happened."

"Don't remind me. I almost wish that she wanted to make a case out of this just to teach him a lesson."

"She's not, then."

"No. The most she would tell me was that their argument began over a 'misunderstanding'. Not anything about what it was or what exactly was said on either side. Just that it wasn't going to happen again and she preferred to let it go."

"Fortunate for our friend, indeed."

And as Angeal had just pointed out- perhaps a bit too fortunate. Genesis could use a dose of reality. Sephiroth wondered why Lilith wasn't pressing the issue. She'd stood her ground in everything else regarding the mission- why not this? He didn't want to admit that he found it both puzzling and troubling when she hadn't.

"I just hope that he is as easily convinced to follow her example," Angeal broke into his thoughts. "We don't need a feud tearing SOLDIER apart right now."

Now that was an understatement. Sephiroth had spent the last week in contact with various informants from Junon. So many varying reports from each about the appearance of the Leviathan…and the Oceanus. Although he couldn't yet prove it, Sephiroth was almost certain that the two were connected.

What was worse, sightings of the pair had been reported as far as Mideeal before they had set upon attacking Junon. Never close enough to shore to warrant taking action, but enough to cause the loss of several merchant vessels in the area. He'd sent inquiries to other costal cities to find out if they had similar stories, but had yet to hear back.

Not to mention left specific orders that further sightings should be forwarded immediately to Shinra Headquarters, he added with a frown. Because a sixth sense was telling him that whatever this was…it wasn't over yet. Someone was behind the terror and mayhem, and Junon was only the beginning.

So no, the last thing they needed was a schism within SOLDIER. Dealing with this threat- whatever it might be- was going to require a concerted effort. Undivided focus.

"Did you find anything more about the Leviathan?"

Speaking of focus, I guess I ought to keep mine on the conversation.

"I've heard far more than I like," he admitted. "Too much of it information we should have had before we even went to Junon, in my opinion."

"Was it a matter of poor timing on the Mayor's part," Angeal queried thoughtfully. He must have caught Sephiroth's expression. "Or…something else?"

"Like he deliberately omitted key information from his reports to Shinra? Yes, I've had thoughts along those lines more than once these past few days. I just can't see how he couldn't have known."

"I don't like the feel of this, Sephiroth."

"Nor I. Because while I suspect he participated in what amounts to a cover-up, the Mayor is no mastermind. You saw for yourself that he wasn't even a mental match for a 2nd Class SOLDIER during the debrief in his office."

"Point taken. You think he's a pawn in someone else's game, then?"

"Almost certainly."

"Any thoughts on whose?"

"None I feel confident enough mentioning just yet, but when I do, trust me, friend, you'll be among the first to know."

For a minute or two, Angeal mulled over what he'd said, hands cupped at the back of his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Any part of your plans call for sending a 1st Class away from Midgar for a while? Might solve two problems at once."

"I'm afraid not. At least not at the moment."

"What about a few 2nd Classes?"

"If you're trying to send Lilith away, I'm sure you could find an assignment that would do the job credibly."

"I could, yes. A rotation out to the WRO Base is overdue, but it's little more than a desk job. And after the Oceanus…"

Far better to keep the lady at Headquarters training with Fair and the other two. Sephiroth couldn't deny that she was proving herself to be a capable SOLDIER. Curiosity peaked after the battle in Junon, he'd reviewed several of her sessions this week. He hadn't been disappointed.

Lilith was by no means as skilled as her dark-haired friend, but in six months to a year…she might be. She has the drive to do it. If the logs for the training rooms were any indication, the woman did little else with her time from dawn to dusk. Or even later. Training in the simulation rooms at all hours of the night after everyone else had gone.

Drive is one thing; one might be tempted to call this an obsession. Not that he considered it a bad thing. To reach a goal, single-minded dedication paid off sometimes. And sometimes it doesn't. I guess only time will tell in this case.

"No," Sephiroth agreed finally. "Perhaps not the right move to make."

"I guess we're stuck for the time being. No solution for either of our problems."

"Then I guess I'd best be going- see if I can make some progress on mine at least. I'll see you around, Angeal."

"Yeah- see you, Sephiroth."

Zack had been waiting for almost fifteen minutes, and still no sign of Lilith. Wasn't like her to forget a training session, and he checked his phone to see if she'd left a message. She hadn't. So what was keeping her?

Just as he thought to try calling Lilith's cell, the door slid open and she strode into the room. No smile again, Zack noticed. What a surprise.

Lilith never smiled anymore. Granted, she had always been the serious type. But she would still smile and joke around with him and their friends. Lately- okay, since they'd come back from Junon- any traces of humor had vanished. And while they were all still friends, Lilith felt…distant.

"I was just about to call you," he said while she tied her hair up in a bun so it would be out of the way.

"Yeah, sorry I was late. Mr. Hewley insisted upon a meeting. I came straight here once that was done."

Zack could guess what that meeting was about. Genesis. From the tone of her voice, he doubted Lilith told Angeal much of anything. Maybe not even if he'd issued a direct order. Either way, she wasn't at all happy about the discussion.

Zack didn't expect her to answer him as he asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Sure."

"Because you don't seem okay…"

"Zack, I'm fine."

And that was a lie. Question was- did he call her on it? He gauged the warning look in her eyes. I think not, Zack sighed, and gave up. No sense getting into a verbal fight when they were about to cross weapons. One battle at a time.

"All right, then. You want to pick up where we left off yesterday?"

Lilith nodded, and approached the center of the room with her sword in hand. As with any training session, they began this one with a series of warm-ups. Forms and moves designed to prepare the mind and body for the more difficult techniques they'd be working on today.

Newer SOLDIERs- and even some not so new ones- sometimes thought the warm-ups were a waste of time and tried to skip them. Always ended in injury. Once or twice, so grave as to end a SOLDIER's career. All the better that Lilith never took to that way of thinking.

Not that she would ever be the kind to cut corners.

"So what's the plan for today," she queried once they'd finished with the exercises.

"Try not to groan too loudly over this one," he replied teasingly and held up a length of black material. "But we've put this off long enough as it is."

As expected, Lilith regarded him with no small amount of dismay. To her credit, though, she didn't protest all that loudly.

"Blindfolds. It just had to be blindfolds today, didn't it?"

"As opposed to what other day? If I let you have your way, you'd never use them."

"When am I ever going to be blindfolded in a battle? Seriously. When does that happen?"

"Hopefully never, Lilith, but that's not the point of the exercise. Here, you'll want to tie this in place. Unless you'd rather I-"

"I've got it," she cut in before he could finish. Lilith reached for the blindfold and secured it over her eyes. While she did so, she asked, "So what is the point of all this, then?"

"You need to learn how to fight without waiting for your eyes to assess the situation. Sometimes you don't have that luxury, and need to react on instinct and muscle memory. I've found no better way to help develop those skills."

A lecture Zack had heard often- and given often. He hoped that Lilith would find it compelling. If not, she'd just have to make her own peace with this, because all 2nd Class SOLDIERs trained with blindfolds. She'd be no exception.

"All right. I guess that makes sense enough."

"Glad to hear it. So you're sure you've got it tight? Don't want it slipping while you're working."

"It'll hold."

"Then go ahead and raise your sword- basic fighting stance."

"Mkay."

Guiding with the sound of his voice, Zack set her through a series of parries and feints against him. Nothing too aggressive or fast. The aim of the lesson wasn't to get her injured, or that either of them would rout the other. It took most SOLDIERs years to master the skill enough to truly fight with their vision handicapped.

Lilith struggled at first, always a half-step slower than she needed to be to meet his blade. Their weapons clashed perilously close to her inside guard more often than not. To be expected. She was still thinking too much on the loss of her sight- wasn't paying attention to what else she had to compensate for it.

After she nearly missed what Zack felt was an easy strike to anticipate, he lost a bit of his patience.

"Lilith, ears!"

"What about them?"

"You need to be using them. Listen for the sound of my weapon as it's passing through the air. Use that information to guide where you should bring yours up to meet it."

"How in the hell am I supposed to do that," she growled in consternation. "It's almost impossible to hear the sound at all, much less to know what direction it's moving."

Lilith's discouragement was plain, and she lowered her sword. With her free hand, she pushed the blindfold to her hairline. Judging by the look in her eye, she was on the verge of giving up on the lesson. A rare occasion. Zack couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten this frustrated. Not since she was still a 3rd Class, probably.

Giving her a pointed look, he answered firmly, "With practice."

"It's no use. I'm…"

"Going to put that back on and get back to work."

For a second or two, Lilith's jaw hung slack. Shocked at the authoritative command in his tone, no doubt. Zack rarely used it- especially with his friends- but he wasn't going to let her back out of this because she didn't excel right away. He hoped she understood that he was only tough on her because they were friends.

She studied him for a long time before the glare left her expression. Lilith let out a tiny sigh of capitulation.

"Oh fine then. We'll keep at it." The blindfold was slipped back into place as she continued wryly, "But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you on the chance I'll pick up this skill."

"Maybe not today," he agreed. "But you'll get it, Lilith."

"We'll see, I guess. Won't we?"

They started again. And while Lilith's reaction time still lagged behind the overall pace he'd set, she was doing a little better than before. By the end of a half hour, Zack decided they'd made enough progress to call it a day. He lowered his weapon.

"That'll do it for today, I think. You can take that off now."

Lilith untied the knot and drew the swath of black away from her eyes. When she made move to hand it over, he waved her back.

"You hold onto that. We'll need it again in a few days for the next session."

"Oh, okay."

He glanced at his phone, making note of the time. Half past eleven.

"Hey Lilith," he spoke up as she was packing up her gear.

"Hmm?"

"It's almost noon- Kunsel, Lux and I were going out for lunch. You want to join us?"

Her hands stilled as she considered the offer. Briefly. He couldn't help being disappointed when she shook her head.

"I brought lunch with me today. But thanks, anyway."

"Tomorrow, then?"

"Well I dunno…"

Zack crossed the room, putting himself between her and the door to the hall beyond when she made a move towards it.

"What did we do, Lilith?"

"I beg your pardon," she asked in genuine confusion.

"Ever since we got back from Junon, you have avoided any invitation to hang out with us. I get you being angry with Genesis, but what did the three of us do? Whatever it was, we'll fix it."

"I'm not angry with any of you."

"Then why? Why put us off all the time and keep to yourself?"

"It's not like that."

"Yeah, it is."

She ducked around him, pressing a hand on the door. Zack almost thought she wouldn't reply, but then she sighed.

"Look, it's nothing personal against anyone. Certainly not against any of you. I just think it's best that I keep things more-" A bitter smile hovered on her lips before she finished her sentence- "professional…from now on."

That said, Lilith slipped out of the room. Zack watched her go, but didn't attempt to catch up. Best to leave her be for now. At least he knew what was going on, though he didn't like it one bit.

This is all Genesis' doing. And for all Sephiroth and Angeal's promises, I don't see that anything's been done to make him responsible for how he acted in Junon.

A point he might bring up next time he spoke with his mentor when they were alone. Soon, too. Because Kunsel was still livid, and Zack didn't know how much longer he'd keep that anger under wraps. So far they'd been lucky, since Genesis had kept his distance from any of them.

If he dares make another snide comment like he did that morning we left Junon, though, I dunno. He shook himself out of those thoughts, and tried to focus on a problem he could solve. At least he hoped so.

When he and the guys were together over lunch, he'd tell them what Lilith had just said. Maybe the three of them could think of something to change her mind.

There has to be a way we can all be friends again, he told himself determinedly. The way we were before.