There was a grey fog of desolation hovering in the Fodder's level of the dormitory. Though no one had been kicked out after yesterday's mission, many hung their heads with the assumption they would not be allowed to stay the next year. Try as they might, no one could help but recount their recent struggles. Alexa was certainly among them.

Her hand had been shaking as she pulled the trigger. The bang was followed immediately by a metallic clap as the target box burst open at the bottom. A small gold key spun down and landed with a tiny clink on the ground. She had been so relieved she could hardly remember Flynn opening the cabinet and pulling out a contraption of thick metal which rolled on its track along the wire extending from the cabinet and down into the valley. More of the same devices were lined up within the cabinet, waiting to be used. The boys figured out that the round hollow through the device was for the steel bars; they were to hold on to the bars and ride down the wire.

"R-really?" Alexa asked, trying not to whimper. She wasn't exactly afraid of heights, but… She took a step closer to the edge and gulped, looking at the ground a hundred feet down. Would that wire actually support their weight?

"Just don't let go and you'll be fine," said Flynn, noticing her distress. He pushed his bar through the device, gave a casual nod to his teammates and propelled himself off the cliff.

Alexa watched as he sped down the wire at an angle she couldn't deem very safe, though it did seem to level off near the bottom. Once he touched ground Flynn ran and slowly decelerated until he could let go without tumbling. That didn't seem too bad.

Oh how she wanted to take that back. Her heart was beating a hundred miles an hour and her face was flushed and wind whipped when she made it back to the earth, though hopefully she wasn't going to be graded on her pathetic dismount.

Alexa shared a relieved grin with Flynn just before having to dive out of the way of Emiel. She spat the dirt out of her mouth. That had certainly ruined the moment.

"What's on your mind?"

Alexa shook her head and brought her focus back to the present. Vincent was giving her a quizzical look at the next station over. The shooting range was more crowded than usual and shots filled the air in an irregular, incessant pounding that was nearly a musical beat.

"Nothing," she replied loudly to be heard over the noise. "Just thinking about yesterday."

"Stop worrying about it. You passed."

She certainly had. Once they were on the ground they found Dr. Phen at a hidden booth around the corner, who announced that they had completed the course. Her team had actually clocked the best time of the day. The scary thing was that over half of the teams hadn't finished, and most that did had elapsed the two hour mark.

"It's hard not to worry. That was only the first exam." She couldn't even imagine what the second mission would be like. It was a few months away, but she felt herself anticipating it far worse than she had the day before the first one.

"Don't give up. The first year is meant to be tough to wean out the weaker or undedicated candidates," said Vincent, taking a few easy shots at the targets that were popping out in front of him. He hit all of them dead center.

"So it gets easier?" asked Alexa hopefully.

He answered with a wry smile. "Not really."

Vincent saw her panicked expression and put his handgun down on the counter. "Follow me," he said, grabbing his bag and heading toward the door. Bemused, Alexa deposited her own pistol and followed suit.

The two students went up and up the staircase, passing by every level Alexa was familiar with. She wanted to ask where he was taking her, but dampened her curiosity. If Vincent had wanted to tell her, he would have done so already.

Both students were out of breath by the time they made it to the highest platform. There was only a single door here, made of solid steel with a "Rooftop Access" sign. Without breaking stride Vincent pushed the door open. There wasn't an alarm like Alexa had been expecting.

"Are we allowed up here?" she asked doubtfully.

"I haven't been stopped before."

"That didn't really answer my question."

He grinned and held the door for her. She sighed. Oh well. If they got caught, she was banking on Vincent's standing to get her out of trouble. At least they wouldn't be trying to fight each other up here. So she walked past the upperclassman and out onto the roof.

The weather had greatly improved after a week of nothing but grey clouds and gusts that rattled windows and howled through the ventilation. The wind was gentler now, complimenting the light blue sky. As for the roof, there wasn't much out there. The space was unfinished concrete and empty except for two diagonal corners, where rounded towers with slitted windows had been set up.

"What are those for?" she asked, pointing to the nearest of the towers.

"In case we're ever attacked," he replied with a shrug. "You can stick snipers up here with a great view. There are supposedly machine gun turrets in there, but the towers have always been locked when I've looked."

"Do you think the Academy would ever get attacked?" asked Alexa.

"Who would be crazy enough to attack a Shinra military base, even if it does double as a school?"

Alexa laughed. "Good point." She may not like Shinra—particularly the management—ery much, but she recognized a suicidal cause when she saw one.

She walked over to the waist high wall to peer over edge of the building. Everything looked so tiny from up here! The huge parade ground was nothing more than a patch of dirt, while the heliport and off-road vehicle garage could have been toy miniatures. The greenhouses could fit in the palm of her hand.

After taking in the rugged Wyld Mountain Range that surrounded the Academy complex on all sides, she closed her eyes. The breeze felt great on her face, so much like the sea breeze back home. Slowly she raised her arms wide, taking in the joy the air had to offer.

"What are you doing?"

She opened her eyes and saw Vincent to her right, a step away from the wall. He was watching her curiously.

Alexa smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Pretending to fly."

One of Vincent's eyebrows rose in skepticism. "Fly?" he echoed.

"Yeah. When I was little, I always dreamed about flying," she shared, looking up at the puffy white clouds high above. "Not like in a plane or anything, though I guess that'd be fun too. More like a bird." She flapped her arms in demonstration and then stopped, feeling ridiculous.

Vincent looked at her in hidden amusement and then stepped closer to the ledge. He gazed around, admiring the view for a minute, before closing his eyes. Alexa watched the wind blow his dark hair around, allowing her to see his entire face for once. He looked peaceful. Then he gave a sigh and his eyes fluttered open once more.

"I suppose flying would be nice," he told her.

Alexa was content for the first time in a long time. She was feeling relaxed around another student, plus she had actually shared something personal and hadn't been mocked for it. Alexa would have considered this one of her top moments at the Academy, had they not been interrupted.

The door swung open with an obnoxious creak, startling both Alexa and Vincent. Her imagination drew up a scenario where instructors swarmed with electric rods and whistles to drag them straight to the Director's office, or even where Stark's gang had come for round two and pushed them off the roof. She hadn't expected Flynn Woods.

Next to her, Vincent tensed. He recognized him from the incident in the basement. She felt the same apprehension. Sure Flynn had acted civilly enough to her during the mission, but he was still part of the gang that loved to terrorize her. Not to mention she had caught him crying like a little kid. That was plenty of reason for Flynn to want her blood.

"You followed us up," said Vincent, his dark eyes staring at the intruder.

"I did," Flynn agreed.

Both boys were still as they sized each other up. Alexa stared back and forth between the two, wondering what was going to happen.

At last the Fodder shrugged and shifted his weight to one leg, making a show of being relaxed. "I just wanted to talk to Spero."

Talk to me? she wondered in surprise. After a second's hesitation she nodded her head, silently wondering if it was a good idea to stand so close to the edge of the roof.

Flynn walked over and leaned against the low wall, ignoring Vincent on his other side as he looked at Alexa. Overall the boy looked awful, like he hadn't slept in days. His brown hair was sticking up in the back, like he didn't care enough run a comb through it. Up close she realized his left eye was swollen, like someone had punched him. From the looks of things it would become a real shiner by tomorrow

"So…" Alexa tried when Flynn remained silent. Shiva this was awkward. He was the one who wanted to talk with her.

"Stark kicked me out of the gang," he stated abruptly.

Alexa blinked and replied, "Oh." Was she supposed to be sad about that? That was one less bully for her, unless he started picking on her solo.

"He saw us at the wall obstacle and thought we were being too friendly with each other. Then I made the mistake of saying you weren't so bad."

He actually stood up for me? Sure they had gotten along during the mission, but that was because they had to work as a team to pass. She thought back to climbing the rope up the wall. Flynn hadn't been remarkably nice, but Stark's definition of "friendly" was probably anything short of not beating her up.

"I'm sorry you got kicked out," she told him, thinking he had come up here for an apology. It was her fault, albeit indirectly.

"Nah," he replied, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly. "I'm glad I'm not hanging out with them anymore. Those guys were a bunch of asses. Good riddance."

"Then why were you friends with them?" asked Vincent, who had been idly watching the security guard patrol atop the perimeter border.

Flynn looked over at the older boy in annoyance. "Stark was the first guy I met. He seemed pretty cool. I guess… I don't know. I was impressed by him. He came from a rich family. His dad owns the largest medical supply industry in the world, and he's a major investor in that casino they're building in the Corel Desert." He let out a lungful of air and shook his head. "It didn't take me long to figure out he was a jerk."

"Then why were you still his friend?" asked Alexa.

He shrugged. "I was accepted in his group. Where else would I go?"

Alexa grudgingly had to see his point. Even though Flynn wasn't particularly fond of his friends, it was better being with them than no one at all.

"Why are you here, Spero? Shinra Academy, I mean."

Her brow furrowed at the sudden deeply-personal question. How much was she willing to share? They weren't exactly friends. Alexa turned and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the concrete. Stark knew about her situation, having gone out of his way to tease her about it during the shooting tournament. Had he really not told anyone?

"I'm here for my dad," she said, deciding to tell her current companions. "He and President Shinra made this deal, and that includes free tuition for me."

"Woah. Your dad knows President Shinra?" remarked Flynn, impressed. He settled down on the floor next to Alexa, stretching his legs in front of him.

She nodded, though she wasn't trying to brag. "When he was younger, Dad used to work for Shinra's research department. His job was to translate any Cetran symbols they would find. You see, the Ancients had certain markers that led to mako fountains, and he would help Shinra find them. But my dad… he's not really healthy anymore. He had to retire, and Shinra's been giving him a pension until recently…"

"They've stopped?" asked Vincent from his seat on the roof ledge.

"They were going to. That's when the merciful president offered an agreement," she answered, her voice outlined with sarcasm. "He'd continue to help financially, but as compensation my father had to send me here."

"That's a dirty move," said Flynn with a frown. "I thought every student wanted to be here."

"Or at least hadn't been blackmailed to come," Vincent added dryly.

"Well, I kind of want to be here. I mean, if I have to be here I might as well make it worthwhile, right?" Truthfully, there had always been a part of her that longed for excitement. She wanted to have an adventure like those she had read about, thrilling stories with perilous adventures, fast paced battles and espionage. This could be her chance. She could never see herself in the front lines of an army, but maybe a blue suit would do.

"When we were kids, my brother and I used to pretend we were warriors," said Flynn, with a small nostalgic smile. Then he let out a laugh. "The best swordsmen in the world. I was so stoked the day he left for the Academy. He was going to join SOLDIER, and someday I'd be right there with him." His hands clenched into fists as his smile faded. "He's gone, though, so it's up to me to make our dreams reality. I'm going to be SOLDIER, First Class, and nothing's going to stand in my way."

He's really passionate about this, realized Alexa, seeing the boy in a new light. And from what he just said, as well as how wane his features still looked, it was obvious Flynn really cared for his older sibling.

"I'll be rooting for you," she told him.

Flynn grinned at her. "Same to you. You're going for the Turks, right?" After she nodded, he turned his head to look at Vincent, who had been rather quiet this whole time. "There's no need to ask what your dream is, with skills like yours," he said to the older boy.

"Hmm. Dreams," he remarked, lifting his head to stare up at the cloudless sky. "I'm just here to get a job. A dream isn't going to help me one way or the other."

"Wow Valentine, you're boring," said Flynn, rolling his eyes. "Come on, use your imagination."

Alexa laughed at Vincent's expression. "Well, dreams keep you sane," she added.

Flynn pushed himself to his feet and performed a series of aerial slashes with an invisible sword. "When I'm in SOLDIER, I want a sword with a fire materia built into it. The blade would have flames running along it," he said, finishing his sentence by spinning the handle in his hand and then pointing the tip at Vincent. The Initiate didn't seem impressed. Flynn lowered his hand. "Well, what would your dream weapon be?"

Vincent was silent for so long Alexa didn't think he'd answer, but eventually he said, "A gun that never needed to reload."

The other boy tilted his head, considering a moment, before nodding his approval. "That'd definitely help in a tight spot. So, what's yours?" he asked, looking down at Alexa.

Alexa blinked. She had never actually thought about that. "I don't really know. Just something that would get the job done."

He looked a little put out by her lame answer. "Nothing with fire?" he offered.

She had to laugh. "Fine, if you want something crazy…" She considered it a moment, trying to think of something that would beat flames coming out of the barrel of a gun. "How about a gun with three barrels," she offered.

"So it shot three bullets at once or something? That'd be awesome!"

"I don't think a gun like that would be physically possible," said Vincent, though from his expression it looked like he was giving the mechanics a decent amount of thought.

"Oh, lighten up," said Flynn, reclaiming his place against the wall.

"Maybe you need to be more serious," Vincent countered. "You haven't even been admitted into the SOLDIER program yet. No placement advisor is going to look at you if you're not disciplined."

The term 'placement advisor' jogged Alexa's brain. "Like Mr. Banford?"

Both boys looked at her curiously. "You've met Banford?" inquired Vincent.

"Yeah. He said something to me at the shooting tournament." There was also that time in the elevator, but she wasn't sure she wanted to share that piece of information. That encounter still left her feeling a little nervous. "Who is he, anyway?" she asked.

"He's an ex-Turk," Flynn told her in an awed tone.

Alexa raised her eyebrows in surprise. So she had met a Turk and hadn't even known it. No wonder he was so intimidating.

"Okay, so?" she prompted, wondering what she was missing. The Turks were rather infamous, but why was Flynn acting like the man was a celebrity or something?

She was met by a look of disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" Flynn asked. The boy glanced around suspiciously, as if the old Turk would pop out of the turret tower and shoot them. "Well… most Turks don't retire, do they?"

Alexa stared at the boy incomprehensibly and then turned to Vincent for clarification. "The expected lifespan of a Turk is roughly eight months," the older boy said in a low voice.

She gaped, feeling slightly sick. "You mean… most get killed off before the end of their first year?"

Vincent shrugged. He didn't seem too perturbed by the fact.

Flynn gave her a light punch in the arm. "It's part of the job. Where's the excitement if you don't have the chance to die, right? Just watch your back and you'll be fine, Spero-I mean, Alexa."

She smiled, feeling a rush of gratitude that Flynn had called her by her first name. "Hey, don't worry about me. You've got your own neck to watch out for, Mr. First Class SOLDIER."

The sun had just touched the tip of the mountains. Alexa reflected back two days previously, when she had begun to stress about her upcoming exams. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she'd be happily sitting on the roof of the Academy's tallest building, having a conversation with an upperclassman she once knocked over and a classmate who used to kick dirt into her face.

Suddenly Alexa giggled. Vincent and Flynn looked over at her expectantly. "It's nothing," she said, her cheeks flushing.

"Oh, just say it," said Flynn.

"Well…" She thought about her previous mental image of Flynn, Stark's silent, emotionless right-hand man. "I used to think you were really quiet."

He burst out laughing at her apologetic expression. "Well, yeah I guess I was," he admitted. "Though I could say the same thing about you. We all thought you were the shyest person in the entire school." He looked over at Vincent with a grin. "But the same stills applies to Valentine over there."

Alexa had to disagree. Vincent wasn't shy, just reserved.

In his own defense, the older boy lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I prefer to watch what I say. You'll live longer that way."

"Thanks for the tip."

In a segue that was truly frightening, there came the sound of the Academy's main gates drawing open. The three students stood up and watched as a small procession of the Academy's standard armored trucks drove into the compound.

"Those are the SOLDIER Doyens," said Flynn, watching the older students in stained combat attire exit the vehicles.

"They're the last group to return from their field mission," comment Vincent in a low voice.

It was Shinra Academy tradition that students went on a single long mission near the end of their final year. From what she heard, the students recruited by SOLDIER had been sent to Ford Condor, but it was a mystery what they had to accomplish there. Alexa mentally counted back to the day all the Doyens had left. That had been nearly a month ago.

Next to her, Flynn inhaled sharply. "Look," he said in a near whisper, pointing to the vehicle at the end of the line.

At first Alexa thought they were simply unpacking their gear out of the back cargo space. But clarity hit her like a bolt of lightning. Those weren't long wooden crates filled with swords or camping tents. They were coffins. Three of them.

"Students actually died..." whispered Alexa in horror.

"What would Shinra make them face that was that dangerous?" muttered Flynn, who seemed much less enthusiastic than he had a moment ago. He cheeks had tinted a faint sickly green.

"They're Doyens. In a few weeks they'll be graduated and facing the real world," said Vincent, studying the hard weary faces below. "They need all the experience they can get, if they want to be ready. It's dangerous out there."

The rooftop trio fell silent until the group had gone into the building, carrying their fallen comrades amongst them. Alexa couldn't help but wonder who those three students were. Whose lives had been extinguished so abruptly, after all the sweat, tears and blood it had taken to get that far? Were the other Doyens grieving, or just relieved they had survived to live another day? Then she remembered what Vincent had said, about how most Turks died within the first couple of months on the job.

Eventually, Flynn stood up. "I'm going to head to the cafeteria. You guys hungry?"

After the scene she just witnessed she was in no mood to eat. "No thanks."

Vincent declined also and Flynn walked over to the door.

"Well, I'm starving. Later," he called in forced casualness, as if the coffins hadn't nearly given him a panic attack. Without another word he departed.

Alexa felt trapped in an out-of-body experience. Her hands grasped the solid concrete wall in front of her to affirm she was still anchored to the physical world. She hadn't exactly come to Shinra Academy with naïve expectations, but never before had she so vividly understood what she had gotten herself into. This wasn't a game, or a fantasy story. Yet even though she just had an unsettling glimpse of reality, she still wanted to be a Turk.

"Hey, Vincent…?"

"Hmm?" the boy responded, glancing at her through his long bangs.

"When I met Mr. Banford, he reprimanded me for getting in trouble. He said he was watching me. Should I be worried?"

Vincent thought a moment before shrugging. "That guy is pretty strange, but even though he criticized you it was probably a good thing." He caught sight of Alexa's dubious look and clarified, "It means he's interested in you."

His comment set Alexa's mind whirling. It had been daunting meeting Mr. Banford, but sooner or later she would have needed to be recognized by the recruiter for the Turks if she ever hoped to advance to the specialized training program in a year. It was the break she needed.

So why wasn't she happy?