Chapter Eleven: A Walk in the Desert

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OCs

Kituna sighed when the border between the Plains and Desert showed on the horizon as they crested a hill. They hadn't run into any Great Horns yet and that was a relief. Those suckers really peeved her.

She glanced once again at the silent general beside her. He was only a few feet away flanking the other side of the uniform marching group but to her he felt miles, no galaxies away. But honestly, what had she expected, the three friends to happily go along with her hide partially in the shadows crap with a big goofy grin on their perfect faces? She should have known better, she had watched them grow up and die, seen their whole lives play out with countless others she knew all too well. She knew their pet peeves and favorite hobbies and their personalities, she should have anticipated all reactions to any relationship she formed with any of them.

But she hadn't wanted a relationship of any kind with any of them to begin with, had she? No, she had wanted to just make sure they didn't go crazy and self-loathing on the Planet for Gaia's sake, not set up a bachelorette contest between them. Was that what she'd done? She only went along with what the conversation took her to, they had been the instigators, not her. Rufus didn't act this way, probably kept it professional so they could keep the focus of the Planet's salvation in sight. Did he even feel anything toward her? Well she felt nothing towards him; he hadn't fallen far from his father's tree.

She rolled her eyes and paused, looking back over the tired group as they continued to keep the pace under the hot sun. It was high noon and they should have a break. Marching in their gear under the noon sun through the Desert wasn't going to be easy and her men couldn't fight if they were exhausted.

She cleared her throat to get Sephiroth's attention. He glanced at her and seemed to understand because he stopped and turned with her to face the group.

"Attention," Kituna called out, "We'll be taking a short break. We're almost to the Desert and we should wait for the sun to descend a little to make it easier since we made such great time today."

The men sighed in relief and set their packs down and the clanking of weapons and gear getting shifted around could be heard as they dug around for their rations and canteens. Genesis stretched his arms up as he joined the two up front with Angeal right behind him, reminding the men they were still in the open and needed to keep the noise down so no unnecessary monsters were attracted to their position.

"Yo, what's the plan for the Desert guys? There's like no cover and we aren't exactly camouflaged to match the terrain." Genesis asked as he unscrewed his canteen and took three large gulps.

Kituna could relate. The Seconds and Thirds where in blue and purple, while dark shades of the colors they weren't in black or leather like the four Firsts were. She reached up and lifted her hood to let the slight breeze tickle her sweaty scalp and sighed. The Desert would be hotter.

"Shit." She whispered before turning to the others. Sephiroth was looking off into the distance with a scowl and his arms crossed and Genesis was looking between them with wide blue eyes. He was kinda cute when he was clueless.

"What's up with you two? Did something happen up here?" Angeal asked cautiously, settling to look at Kituna as she was the one actually paying attention to them.

"Um, nothing happened," she ignored Sephiroth's snort, "just tired is all. We're just going to rest for now until it's somewhat cooler before crossing the border. I guess we'll just have to scuffle through in a somewhat orderly fashion, maybe split the group between the four of us so we can move about easier? I'm not really sure…" she looked up at Sephiroth for help, despite his anger with her he should still put the mission first… "Um, Sephiroth, what do you suggest?"

His eyes shifted from whatever he was looking at on the horizon to hers. She shivered under their cold weight.

"Whatever you want, you're the one making the decisions. This is to see how you perform under these conditions, not all four of us." His tone was as cold as his eyes and Kituna couldn't help but see the past future image of the general as he stood amongst the flames of the destroyed town of Nebilheim. His face was the very same, indifferent, unfeeling and… evil.

"I was just asking for professional advice. There is no need to be cold towards me when this decision can end up hurting our troops if it is the wrong one."

"If you give the wrong order, I'll take over if we are in any serious danger. But you and the whole lot need to learn the stress of the job and the pain is an added bonus you will almost always have added to your paycheck so suck it up and be a man. If you can that is." He grinned down at her. He was taunting her, but she couldn't ignore the hidden threat behind the words.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" her voice was worried, sounding more feminine than masculine for her liking. She quickly cleared her throat.

Sephiroth laughed dryly and shook his head a few times. "You're always wearing that mask and cloak, what exactly are you hiding?"

Kituna blushed. Not sure how to answer the question as Genesis, Angeal and a few lounging SOLDIERs close by turned to look at her when they heard the general's question. "Uh…"

"I asked you a question. Or do you think you have some superiority above the general just because you've been Rufus' hidden pet for so long?" he asked calmly. This was the Sephiroth who burned down towns because he could, who slaughtered millions because it brought a smile to his face. This wasn't the Sephiroth she had met back in Banora. All because of her.

"I dress this way under Rufus' orders," she finally replied, "if you have a question about it ask him."

The answer answered the question but in a way that led to more questions, questions she couldn't answer. She turned away and walked off toward the border and looked out across the pale brown sands at all the rocky terrain that lined paths. Monsters were popular here too.

She remained where she was for a few minutes and looked up at the sky. It was low enough and the heat had diminished slightly in the area they were in so she turned back to the group and walked up to the front. Sephiroth had joined his two friends but glanced up at her approach, drawing the attention to her from everyone. She cleared her throat.

"Break's over!" she said gruffly, "Time to move on."

The group stood without hesitation and packed their gear quickly, getting into the tight formation and standing at attention as the Firsts met. Kituna pointed at Genesis and Angeal, "Pick out a four men to guide behind us. We're going to divide into smaller groups to attract less attention, but I will remain attentive to all groups. Sephiroth you will take three and I will have the remaining four. Genesis, you will follow directly after me, then Angeal and taking up the rear will be Sephiroth."

Genesis and Angeal looked over at the general with surprised faces that mirrored his.

"Is there a problem, General?" she asked coolly, "This is my operation, is it not?"

"Not at all." He replied tightly.

"How about you two?" she asked, turning to the still gawking men beside the tall general.

They shook their heads and quickly hurried off to pick out their four members. Kituna turned to Sephiroth.

"I'd get your men now if I were you, the Vice President's watching."

"Is he always there to hold your hand?" he sneered.

Without waiting for an answer he turned and jabbed a gloved finger at a group of three SOLDIER Second Class who were huddled together near the front of the group and they scrambled to catch up with his long strides as the First Class operatives led their groups toward the border.

Kituna waved her remaining four members to follow her and took the head of the groups, leading them from lush green grass to the scorched sands of the Desert, the grass thinning out to dry shrubs. The men instantly began to grumble to themselves to be shushed by either the few quiet men or equally uncomfortable First Class's leading them. The heat rolled off the pale brown sands, coming up in waves to distort the horizon. There was no cover and Kituna was thankful that her hood was broad enough to create a little shade for her metal covered face, a big up as it turned out, leaving the mask her body temperature with only a slight temperature increase. The Thirds' metal mask helmets didn't offer the same reprieve, they were more like miniature ovens. She thought about using Glaice to fly above them to create a shadow of ice to beat down and cool them off as the heat rose up from the sands to meet them, it was what she would have done if it was her and a few men but with the large group and that they were separated into small groups would mean that Glaice would have to cover them all and that would just draw too much attention. She couldn't just do her group either as that would be unfair so she was left to feel sorry for all the men of the group for the trip to the end of the Desert.

There was a soft keening that sounded to their right, calling all men to pause in mid-step and look towards where the source of the sound could be. It wasn't human.

The men fumbled for their swords while some pulled out various materia, not quite sure which to grab as the creature was unknown. Kituna saw Genesis' calm and collected face as he peered behind the large rock his group was currently behind; through the calm she could see the eagerness to slice something in his Mako sea blue eyes, the twitch of a smile on his lips. Angeal was a smudge through the heat over the distance his group was at and Sephiroth was of course out of sight but no doubt wanting this fight as much as she and Genesis did, probably like her he wanted to vent his anger from their previous conversation.

She turned back toward the sound and listened without breathing, trying to pin-point the precise location. When that failed she closed her eyes and took two deep breaths, feeling the welcoming energy of the Planet in no time and letting it meld with her core energy for a brief moment before starting to reach out for the creature's life force using the Lifestream. It was a technique both her parents had used and taught her, the ability to sense where anything was and see a clear image of that person or thing that was living or dead and gone, a way to talk to them or it. It was miles she must have mentally traveled until she felt the creature that was barreling across the barren Desert land, careening into the canyon like rocks, demolishing the smaller ones under its clawed paws. There were more behind it.

Her breath caught in her throat as she ran out in the open to get the other groups attention. Almost forgetting to sound like a young man she yelled out so all could hear, "There isn't anything around us for miles but that was a Behemoth!"

The men cautiously crept out to the middle of the open trail and looked around. They had gone up against a simulation Behemoth before and with all of them they probably thought it was easy. Then why was their leader freaking out?

Kituna gripped her katanas and looked at Genesis who had lowered his red rapier. "Genesis, everyone! There is a lot more than one…" she let herself trail off as her words sunk into their cerebral cortexes and get processed. Then she motioned them all ahead of her while she grabbed Genesis's arm to get his panicked attention.

"Genesis, you lead them for now, I have to talk with Sephiroth. Take Angeal with you, don't lead the group down a way that might lead to more danger and try to get them to calm down some if you can."

He nodded and instantly his blue eyes cleared as his natural leadership skills kicked in. He began shouting orders and got his friend to help organize the men into a narrower group. Kituna nodded that he could handle it and didn't need her before turning to the approaching men from Sephiroth's group. She nodded at them as they ran past her and held up her hand to the general who was taking up the rear. His eyes were as calm as his face but she could tell he was worried, his tie to the Lifestream gave away his prominent emotions and she was still in the main connection, reading the fast approaching pack of Behemoths location.

"Seph, there's at least twenty five in the head of the pack… what are we going to do?" she asked quietly.

He looked a little worried now if not more. "What? Why would they put that many in a simulation?"

Kituna pushed up her mask and gulped in the fresh air, not having gotten much through the slits in the mask. "Well, this is a test right? For the men and the leaders, so maybe they're trying to instigate something… a proper avoidance maneuver?" she guessed, hoping it would get an answer as to why ShinRa put their newest recruits in a dire situation to say the very least.

He looked over at where a faint and thankfully distant cloud of pale orange dust was getting kicked up on the horizon and frowned. "I wonder why it was crying like that. That wasn't a howl for attack or a hunt." He mused, his pale mint eyes flashing with calculations in his mind's eye as he assessed the whole situation. "Why so many…"

"Seph, they're getting closer every minute. And I can sense at least thirty of them now. If there are more there are definitely no more than forty, give or take a couple, they're just a big mob now…" she heard her own fear in her voice and looked up pleadingly at the tall SOLDIER.

He jerked up as he realized what must be the answer to their problems and looked down at her as if she had just popped from out of thin air. "You... you're the reason."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Is he trying to blame this on me? "I didn't do anything, okay." She defended herself.

"No," he shook his head, "they are testing you. But not on how you'll avoid them with the group. They want to recreate as similar incident like in Banora. The President undoubtedly wants to see how powerful he's been told you are."

"But why put all the new recruits in danger as well? And what about you? Not even you can take on that many Behemoths at once, can you?"

"Not sure, never came across more than three in a group. They tend to keep to themselves and the President doesn't care much about what's in the way of what he wants, be it inanimate or human."

Of course, how could she forget that wonderful personality of his? She cursed to herself as she felt that urge to prove herself once more except this time there wasn't a group of fifteen new recruits and two Firsts to get in the way and suffer consequences.

"The Director set this up, didn't he?" she asked as she remembered something. "And the President tells him when and what to put in the simulation?"

Sephiroth nodded.

"The Director cares about them though. There weren't any other monsters in the Mines or any in the Plains that we came across, just that large flock of birds. He was testing me then too, wasn't he? This time though I have all the space I need and no one to get in the way. He watches over his men even if his boss doesn't give a shit." She smiled. "You almost forget he's his father's son."

Sephiroth cocked his head to the left. "His father? Who is his father? You've met him?" Queue confusion.

Kituna's head shot over to the answer awaiting general and sweat dropped big time. "Um… not really I just heard a lot about him from where I'm from…. Yeah, the locals of… Dirkna are really in to ShinRa and all the major executives." That was too close for comfort. I'll have to watch what I say around these guys.

"So his father isn't very nice either?" Sephiroth mused, buying her sloppy cover up to her surprise.

"You could say that." He is ShinRa's illegitimate son after all, lots in common with Rufus', she wanted to tack on but pressed her lips shut and turned toward the nearing cloud of dust and what must have been slightly darker chunks of the canyon like walls they were breaking apart with their raw muscly bodies.

"So, are you going to pull off that flashy stuff like in Banora?" Sephiroth asked as he eyed the ominous cloud as well.

"No, you'd have to carry me again and they can't know it drains me like it does. That won't get an A+ now would it?"

"What are you going to do?" she could hear the concern he was poorly trying to hide. Good, he wasn't mad enough at her to leave her to die.

She felt the slight warmth of Sno on her arm but shook her arm in answer, NO. The men back in the lab would see and obviously talk about her and then her secret would be blown once the boys heard. Boy would that just deflate her balloon of 'things going great' in her life. Would she use materia? If so, then which one to take on that many? Teren would be her first go-to like in the Mines but they were probably accustomed to rocks in the Desert and might have the advantage there. Aquas could be powerful, a crashing wall or bullets of water caused any moving body to stop, that was for sure and Pyros was probably not so great as they were no doubt accustomed to heat too, and weren't there naturally Bombs floating around here? Definitely used to fire. So, water… what else? Thorus's lightening? Aquas could be charged with it for an extra bite to it… and Vento was just cutting winds, didn't really fit in for this equation. She nodded and pulled out the indigo and purple orbs, activating them and tying them to the backs of her gloved hands so she could handle her swords too. Once that was done she pulled her mask down and turned toward Sephiroth.

"I'm going to use materia and my swordsmanship. If he wants to trigger my swords' materias' power than he'll just have to wait and be a good boy but at least he'll see I'm not someone to trifle with."

Sephiroth chuckled. "I don't think he's ever even been a good boy. Mind if I stay and help out? I promise I won't get in the way."

Kituna's turn to cock her head to the left. "Is this your way of apologizing for earlier by any chance?"

He smiled faintly. "Maybe, but that conversation isn't over. Saving it for private and less prying ears." Masamune appeared in his hand and he raised it to his cheek, bending his knees ever so slightly, ready for battle.

Kituna laughed and crossed her blades as she crouched forward, readying to meet the now close group of beasts. "Some answers never change no matter how many ways you ask the question."

A howl erupted from the head Behemoth and it was a domino effect after that as they all picked up the pace, their knotted muscles bunching and writhing under the thick purple hides. Kituna leapt into the air and soared toward the leader, a dark purple with a chipped horn, its hungry glowing yellow eyes focused on her as it leaped up to meet her with open claws.

Kituna slashed down with her swords pushing off to flip over and around to face the falling creature as it landed amongst its buddies.

She descended towards the back of the group and immediately called Aquas to create a shield of water around her, swirling fast enough to rip the attacking creatures off their feet to spin in a yelping spin cycle of doom. She focused as six more fell into the deadly shell of water and the others who weren't attacking Sephiroth gathered to find an opening.

Her violet eyes found the warrior dancing with the long Masamune that in any other hands would have already bent and broken or fallen from their hands. He was skilled however and therefore it was a deadly extension of his arm, slicing and dicing at the jaws and claws of the purple hoard around him. He was truly beautiful when he battled, his silver hair swirling in sync with his body's movements without being a hindrance with its length. She returned her attention to the now dead bodies rotating around her field of vision and, using her gold Gin as a pointer, pointed at the bodies and Aquas pulsed in those areas to send the bodies flying into the rocky walls around them.

Aquas pulsed in a rhythmic pattern now, pulsing into deadly spikes in an orderly pattern. Kituna spread her arms wide so that the shell turned into a wall, corralling them all in front of her before surrounding them. They were smart enough to not approach it and were calculating another way out as Kituna jumped to levitate in the air above them. She raised her right hand with Thorus tied to it and pale lavender streaks of heat energy lashed down as water from Aquas' corral spread above them, encasing them so they were now in an electrocution chamber of sorts.

The howls of agony and some of death filled the air and Kituna took a breather from the energy sapping magic to check on Sephiroth who had just felled another of the beasts to add to his pile of now five Behemoths. The rest, some thirty five or so, were corralled in the ring of charged water.

"Sephiroth! The rest are in there, but only seven have died so far as the Lifestream tells me. So there's going to be thirty storming at us when I release the valve on Aquas, it's draining a lot of energy keeping that number in there and me not at my prime from before. Just giving you a heads up."

She lowered herself and took this time to return Thorus to her pouch and join Sephiroth who was walking towards her and the enemy.

080

Rufus continued to grind his teeth to dust as he watched the screen of the simulation. Lazard was making sure that no monsters ambushed the now halted party of new recruits with Genesis and Angeal as the President had ordered more than two score Behemoth to attack.

It was clear his father's intentions, to see what she aka A could do against a large force. Wanting to see exactly what had been dropped on his doorstep for his use as he had done with the sons of the Jenova projects. Kituna was already displaying yet two more extraordinary materia that had yet to be seen in very creative ways to dispel of the blood thirsty Behemoths.

He clenched his hands together and narrowed his eyes in hatred. The sooner he and all his chosen executives died the better. No picking and choosing who was to be killed for a better future, he was going to wipe the slate clean except for Lazard and himself, appointing new, trust worthy people to take their place. ShinRa was corrupt and filthy with deceit and he was Mr. Clean, Lazard Scrubbing Bubbles.

Satisfaction swelled in his chest as he continued to watch ShinRa's finest dance with his prized katana before joining the Ancient, judging the watery cage that was no doubt about to come down to reveal over a score of furious beasts of war, death their master telling them to rip and tear till blood filled their bellies and nothing else breathed. Of course, she could handle them, even without the general, but apparently they had come to a temporary peace treaty from before and were acting their age.

Lazard put his slender hand up to his earpiece and concentrated on the voice on the other end while his eyes vaguely monitored the monitors around him. He nodded with a grim frown on his face before typing yet another code into the system for later use, all he had to do was push enter.

Rufus unclenched his fists and leaned down to his half-brother's ear, "What that my father?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What did he tell you to type in?"

"He ordered me to release the higher level Behemoths we gathered samples on in the caverns and underground abandoned facilities once they kill those from the pack."

"King Behemoth? We've only encountered one or two of those and not even a direct battle if Sephiroth wasn't there, what is he thinking?" Rufus was worried what number his father had ordered to be released and if the two swordsman could even handle one after their long trek and recent battles. "A doesn't have unlimited energy, hasn't he shown enough of his magic abilities already?"

Lazard sighed. "I believe that the display in the Mines was enough and Sephiroth's word from Banora as he has no reason to exaggerate past his own abilities as that would compromise his job position as General of ShinRa Army. But the President wants to see a display like the one in Banora, something not everyone can do with an orb of concentrated Mako. He wants something that he doesn't already have, no matter how flashy it is. He's a man who wants the best even when he's offered something better than what he's got. You know that."

Rufus did know that. His father may have a weird abnormal way of showing how he loved someone, like having their birthdate be the password for everything in the building or visiting them every day at in a brothel in the Slums until they birthed a son. But he was really simple with his way of life and rise to power, grabbing more power, being the one with the biggest guns so everyone else either backed down or were shot down. Clean and simple. So it was a simple problem to fix, take the biggest guns from him and used them against him.

080

Kituna relaxed and let Aquas grow dim, the water cage slowing in its subtle movements until it fell in a crash to soak the arid sand below. She raised Gin and Kin and charged as the monsters registered that they were in fact free to move about to attack and began to run at the approaching pair. Kituna and Sephiroth had built up more momentum and were easily able to overcome the Behemoths with slashes and slices that were too quick to follow on the screen that monitored their battle.

As the last gurgling growl faded from the slit throat of the last standing Behemoth as its broad chest lowered to the ground to be followed roughly by the rest of the body, its yellow eyes fading out to dull mustard brown, Kituna and Sephiroth turned and began walking back toward the canyon path they had left. Kituna took out her canteen and took a long draft of the cold, clean water within before returning it to her belt and looking over at the taller swordsman.

"You fought well, like I knew you would."

"They don't hand out the position of General of ShinRa Army to anyone."

She nodded. "I hope they got what they were looking for, honestly I'm tired and don't even know if we can make it out of here to the boat if there are more monsters on the way."

He patted her shoulder, not lingering as both their leather coats and gloves were killing them in the heat. "I'll make sure you get there and that we finish the simulation. I don't think the President has any more cards up his sleeve of samples."

A roar sounded in the distance.

Kituna and Sephiroth both paused before breaking into a full out run, Kituna wishing she could use Sno to get there faster.

She didn't have to be connected to the Lifestream to sense the powerful presence that popped up on the map and know where it was and where it was headed. It was stronger than the beasts they had just killed while of the same basic generics and she had seen them and felt them before her awakening and travel back in time. It was a King Behemoth, three to be exact. Headed right toward the fifteen inexperienced Thirds and mediocre experienced Seconds with only two recently appointed Firsts to protect and guide them.

"Sephiroth, that was the battle cry of three King Behemoths." She panted, warning him of what they were about to face on a less than half full tank of energy.

The general picked up his pace, Kituna right beside him. "What? We just got those samples last month, there's no way he could have recreated three of them for a simulation in such little time. And why not have them show where the others did, why the newbies?"

"I don't know, but damn him if they get hurt." Kituna choked on tears and forced them back.

Sephiroth's fury rolled off him like the heat from the sands to the point it was palpable. He cared about those men too and obviously he knew the power of the King Behemoth in an open space and what it was capable of against unknowing and scared prey.

They heard the screams of alarm before they saw the melee. Heard the drawing of swords and desperate chants of spells before they saw the flashing orbs of materia. Smelled the fear before they saw the panic. When they did, they were greeted by SOLDIERs, young men barely into their young twenties, valiantly raising their weapons to prove themselves in an impossible test that wasn't theirs to take to a man who didn't care if they succeeded or died.

"No!" she screamed to no one in particular, hoping it would make the colossal monsters disappear back to whatever hellhole they had been spawned from.

She watched as the attacking King Behemoth that nearest the men slashed out and raked its ebony claws into the body of one of the Thirds who thus digitalized back to HQ and she let the levee she had been holding back from the Plains fall, feeling the detached warmth of rage and new energy take over her body.

Shiroi, lend me the strength you born me, let me show this cruel man just what he has unleashed. She thought to herself, her side that was fueled by the genes of her mother and hungered for power and blood spill. She hated to do this, but that man had had a mask of pure agony on his face, no doubt the King that had slashed his chest wide open had been birthed with Poison in his skills and it had burned with concentrated pain through the young boy's blood stream before he officially died in the simulation. None of the others needed to feel that, to age far beyond their years in that little second of pain and death in this virtual world. Looks like the President was a smart as he ever was, no matter how simple his goal for power was. Another tear broke free as her katanas began to glow from their pommels, Lunas and Solas, once more as they had in Banora.

She craned her neck so that she was facing the powdery blue sky and let out a fierce battle cry that got all attention, both human and Behemoth, directed towards her, pausing the killing monsters before another life was virtually sacrificed. "Is this what you want? You want to know my real power ShinRa? Let me show you, let me show you what you must watch out for because you will never see it again!" she shouted with all her might.

The three King Behemoths roared as one and in a shared fluid motion, synchronized killers that they were, they leapt through the air. They crossed the distance in a heartbeat and Kituna had just enough time to shove Sephiroth towards the group before the three landed around her, thick opaque drool glopping from their massive jaws. These were enhanced to massive proportions and towered over her at twice the size of normal Behemoths and she crossed her blades and with her downward slash, she leapt up above their heads that snapped up to watch her, waiting to snatch her when she fell back to earth.

"Not going to happen, big boys." She growled as she raised Gin above her opposite shoulder to cut through the air, an arc of silver power cleaving the King Behemoth who had slashed the young Third into two bloody pieces.

The other two roared their protest but she did the same action with Kin, letting a gold arc slice a second and then she crossed both and pushed out an X of gold and silver energy to incinerate the last.

That wasn't enough though. She wanted more, needed more; more blood to quench her thirst. Her body was like the Desert sands, arid and parched and her enemy's blood, the blood of the monsters that crossed her, the blood of the President and corrupt employees of ShinRa and corrupt people of Midgar was her rain she longed to dance in and soak up.

Her glowing violet eyes scanned the pale brown ground around her and the blackish stains of the dark blood in the sand below her as she slowly descended, the ends of her leather cloak flapping around her legs. She touched down first on one foot then lowered the other that had been arched up in mid-air and slowly made her way towards the group in the far distance.

She needed time to relax before she returned to them. She sheathed both katanas and looked back up at the sky with a grim smirk hidden behind her metal mask.

"Hope that was enough for you, President." She called out. "It was only the tip of the iceberg of the real attack, you know. The finale is a great big flash of light that consumes whatever I want it to. Or anyone." The last sentence was pronounced so that it was a clear threat without being one, it was a shiny apple that the teacher wanted with a little worm under the surface ready to spoil it all for him, turning his prized gift into a horrific curse and the thought made her smile to herself. "Next time you want to know what I can do, don't purposefully put your men to slaughter either!" she said loud enough for the group she was nearing to hear, "All you have to do is be civil and ask me."

She lowered her head and stumbled slightly, barely catching herself but not about to show the nasty side effect of her birthed power even if it wasn't as bad as if she had done the full explosion. Her eyes found Sephiroth and she reached out a hand, a silent plea instantly understood as he wrapped his arm under her outstretched one and supporting her shorter body as they closed the remaining distance to the awestruck group. They were still trembling from the sudden attack and still riding the adrenaline high back to Normalville.

"You all did well in responding to that attack, I'm just sorry they pulled something like that. Aren't these things supposed to be like reality situations, Sephiroth?"

He nodded. "But no monster will just pop out of thin air like those did. This was planned to test you and call out what you did at Banora. Hopefully you passed."

"What happened to Lee?" a young looking Third asked tentatively.

Kituna patted his shoulder. "He's back at HQ, that's what happens when you die in a simulation, although, he shouldn't have had to go through that immense pain to get back. But no one else is dying…"

She paused as the world around them began the de-digitalization, the turning and flipping squares of data flashing to the neutral greens and blues as they were transported from the virtual Desert back to the small training cell in the Training Room. She looked up to see Hojo and Hollander scribbling away on their clipboards as they looked over rewinds of the simulation and found Rufus and Lazard.

"I thought we were to make it to the Deserted Island, what gives?" she demanded gruffly.

Lazard rushed in but hung back when he didn't know really where to examine her to make sure she wasn't injured given her 'lean on me' routine she was pulling off on the general. She waved him to calm down which he did reluctantly.

"Don't worry about me; Sephiroth is all I need to lean on at the moment, just tired, no real injury. The President's new toy isn't broken, you can assure him." She bit out.

Lazard straightened from his examining crouch and cleared his throat behind his white gloved fist. "Ahem, well, he will find that out soon enough. He wants a private session with you right away."

"Now." It wasn't a question, a confirmation that he wanted to know her weakness to exploit it for his means.

Lazard nodded once and exited the cell with the rest of the fourteen other SOLDIER. Genesis and Angeal hung back to make sure they weren't needed but Sephiroth shooed them out with the others as he helped Kituna out of the cell.

Rufus stepped out from behind the computers and offered his arm for support and after looking up to thank Sephiroth; Kituna took it, leaning heavily on the vice president. "Thank you Sephiroth," he replied coolly, "I'll see him to my father's office and let you know when you can return for him if he still needs assistance when we are through."

Sephiroth nodded and looked down at her before leaving, "Don't show him any weakness."

"Didn't plan on it big guy. Thanks, I'll see ya soon." She said as she positioned her arm around Rufus' shoulders as if they were buddies sharing a laugh and a good time and walked down the hall towards the elevator with Rufus. When they were enclosed and alone she looked up at him, his face was void of emotion. "So you wanted to speak with me?"

His dark blue eyes looked down at her and he smiled. "I did and still do, but unfortunately it'll have to wait until after Father Dearest has his word with you. Then we shall have our talk on our way back here and you can meet Sephiroth or whoever or go to your suite alone for a nice long rest."

She smiled and leaned against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "That sounds wonderful." She moaned as fatigue threatened to take her under. Her eye lids felt like two ton weights as she forced them open when the doors to the elevator clicked to slide open and she pulled away from Rufus. She waved a little as her feet took her full weight and they stepped into a short passage and Rufus held up a hand in greeting to a security camera that focused on them as they neared the door.

The metal door slid open with a low hiss and the two stepped inside to stand before the large dark wood desk where the President of ShinRa Electric Company sat behind in his large backed chair with a calculating, greedy grin smacked on his face.

"What a pleasure that my dear son has finally decided to show his little toy to me."

Kituna fought back a shiver and her gag reflex at his voice, it was like a sex predator's who's landed in a Sorority House party during a scantily clad pillow fight.

"Let's hope you perform for me as you have for him to have brought you on privately. Don't disappoint me, boy, or as you saw in the simulation, I will get you to do what I want by any means."

"I know your reputation, Sir." She spat.

He smiled wider. "You got fight in ya, just like Sephiroth can be at times, I like that. But be warned, you belong to me as an asset to the ShinRa Electric Company and if you must be whipped into obedience like the dog you are I will do so joyfully. Obedience is key in a corporation like this. I trust you understand."

"A whipped dog doesn't always cower, sometimes they bite back." She answered. "Be warned."

"We'll see, boy." His eyes darted to his son and his gaze softened slightly. "You've made me proud once again, son. You are both dismissed." He waved his meaty hand at the door and both blondes beat foot out into the short passage and Rufus punched the button to open the elevator.

They slipped in and Kituna leaned back against the far side of the small space and sighed with exhaustion.

"Can you make it back to your room?" Rufus asked her, his finger hovering over the buttons, trying to decide if he should just drop her off to find her way back to her suite or if he should take her elsewhere.

"I can… wait…" she paused as another wave of fatigue crashed into her, blackening her vision for a minute or two, "nope, don't think I can actually." She slumped further down the wall.

"My floor is a few floors down, I'm taking you there." Rufus decided as he punched the button for his floor and went to wrap his arm under hers and hoist her to lean against his body as the elevator quickly lowered down the five floors to his.

"What about…Sephiroth?" Kituna managed as she was half dragged, half led down a soft carpeted hallway.

"You can send him a message after you've rested and explain things if you must but he's a big boy and can handle himself without you." Rufus answered simply as he bent slightly and scooped her up.

At the difference in weight distribution, Kituna shot her eyes open to catch a glimpse of a grand bedroom being revealed as Rufus kicked the door open with his black shoe. It had black walls with dark and pale blue accents. It was dark and lovely, not bright and hyper which she appreciated so much. She was carried over to the large bed and felt herself being laid out on the soft covers. She felt her feet lift and fall in turn and the slight bite at a change in temperature as her boots were pulled off, then the harness that crossed her chest was unbuckled and she heard the clink of the weapons as they were laid down on the soft carpeted floor by the boots. Her mask was next and she breathed in deep on instinct, her lungs hungrily taking in the spicy aroma of the suite. It was a more sophisticated spice than the one Sephiroth smelled like, his more husky and dangerous smelling. Her cloak was then unzipped and pulled from her shoulders with her gloves and she was left with her snug black leggings and tunic that hung loosely around her figure now that her belt was no longer holding it close to her. Well, looser anyway, while it still fit her to show she was indeed a female. But she wasn't worried about that right now, she was being lifted into a cradle against a great warmth and she clung to it until she was lowered onto soft sheets, her head resting on cloud-like pillows then covered by soft blanket after blanket.

She sighed as sleep dragged at her mind and body, but the warmth was leaving her. She only knew that she was somewhere soft and safe from whatever had troubled her, not remembering why in her fatigue or how she had gotten so tired or how she had gotten here. She reached out with a pathetically weak arm she was ashamed in but it got the attention she was after.

A warm grip closed around her slender hand and she tugged at it to get it closer. There was a pause as her weak tugs pulled the warmth and then after another few tries the heavenly covers were lifted long enough for the warmth to slip under them.

Pleased with her rewarded efforts, Kituna smiled and pulled the warmth by touch and feel and found the broad expanse she had been cradled to before the soft covers and pillows and she burrowed into it, rubbing her face against the hard, yet soft surface of her heat source. She wrapped her arms around hit and let herself drift in the demanding black vastness of sleep with a content grin lingering on her lips, the foreign heat source calming her aching muscles and the subtle spicy scent of it soothing her mind.

Sorry for the not updating sooner, been busy with business stuff and stressed out . anyway, please review.