A/N: Thanks to Mystic 777 I was able to get this chapter done. I am glad to finally be able to get this update going. I'll have another one soon, so R and R. :)

Chapter 21 The Aspects of Deception

The chaotic activity of the Junon-bound passenger ship greeted Tifa as she stepped from the seclusion of her makeshift training area. The crew and passengers went about life like normal. As normal as it could possibly get in her current state, she remembered. Her thoughts turned back to the cause of her situation, Cloud Strife. He was the boy-next-door that no one really knew. He almost always hung around the outskirts of the crowd, a silent part of every background until they could almost forget he was there.

Then he was gone.

He was selected by Rufus Shin-Ra for a program that's purpose was only hinted at. Tears welled up in Tifa's eyes as she remembered the furious arguments Cloud's mother started in her desperation for them to bring her only son home. The mayor, her father, had forgotten her presence in the next room. He knew what Mrs. Strife's son was being taken into and he didn't care.

Mrs. Strife left the village at the end of the week for Midgar determined to save her son. It wasn't long before the villagers packed away the Strife household and packed their own children to different places around Gaia. All the while they maintianed the image of remaining in the village. Zangan had been cold and accepting of his brightest apprentice's confusion, teaching her only what he knew she'd need in combat. Tifa's eyes raised to look out over the sea when she considered how Zangan had withdrawn from her.

Zanagan's eyes filled with cold fury when she told him what her father and Rufus had done. He understood what happened, but refused to explain. What terse, unsatisfying answers he gave were swiftly followed by more training. After all the training, he forced her aboard this ship and vanished, only for First Class Sephiroth and Angeal Hewley to draft her nearly on sight.

Rubbing a hand over her sore arms from her training, Tifa dipped her head forward as the wind tugged strands of brown hair free from her ponytail. The thrum of a chopper's motor pulled her from her reminiscing. The martial artist tilted her head upwards as the scorched and damaged Shin-Ra vessel landed on the helipad sending the crew into a flurry. Tifa fell back as Angeal and Sephiroth stepped onto the deck and the door of the helicopter opened.

Red was the first color Tifa saw as the man slipped easily out of the vehicle. The second thing she noticed was the long, red sword he brought out with him. Another figure in the shadowy confines of the chopper gripped something against his hip as the red coated man walked towards the back of the helicopter and slid a side door open.

Tifa's throat nearly closed in as she glimpsed a familiar head of spiky blond hair before Angeal and Sephiroth moved in. Angeal leaned close to the red coated Soldier for a moment to exchange words with him before sliding up into the chopper. He crouched beside the unconscious bodies and then widely gestured for Sephiroth to join him.

With a dismissive glare at the crew, the General joined his companion in the vessel. He touched the spiky haired boy's face and Tifa could have sworn she saw him pry open his closed lids. The men continued to speak until Sephiroth turned to address the fourth figure aboard the ship. Things remained tense until Angeal suddenly pinned her to the ground with a glance. Slowly, she saw his fingers flex towards them.

Whatever it was that carried her forward, Tifa could not name. Every thought, feeling, and action was halting as she slid up into the chopper. "Cloud…" she whispered when she saw the unconscious blond.

Her fingers reached out to touch him before Angeal grabbed her wrist and tugged it away. "Why?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. "What's wrong with him?"

"Mako." he answered brusquely. "It can be fatal to those unprepared for exposure to its toxins."

"So.. Why can't I touch him?" she demanded as she tugged at her wrist.

"Cloud Strife was exposed to more mako then what is usually used on Soldier Cadets. Touching him would only poison you and…" Angeal explained when Genesis interrupted.

"Who's the girl?"

"My name is Tifa Lockheart, sir. I was Cloud's neighbor at home." she explained.

Vincent drew back with a sharp breath. "Nibelheim again."

"You are familiar with the place?" Sephiroth asked, taking a chance to look up from where he examined Zack Fair.

"I am."Vincent answered darkly. "It is the place where my greatest sin was committed."

Pressing a hand to his brow, Genesis groaned. "We'll take care of that later. We need to figure out what we're going to do next."

"We will go to Midgar." Sephiroth answered him. "There is much that needs to be dealt with and that is the only place where a party like this has a chance of hiding."

"And the boys?" Angeal questioned. "What will we do with them?"

Tilting his head at Angeal, Sephiroth smirked. "The best place for them to receive care is from a SOLDIER certified medic. We can use the Deepground facility for their care."

"That won't work. Hojo is the one who…" Genesis countered him.

"Hojo will do as I say." Sephiroth snapped. "You have no need to fear that man. He is just a mere doll in the larger plan of things."

Tifa's eyes widened as the silver haired General moved to sit beside Cloud Strife. "These boys need proper care from the best facility. Deepground is the only place to obtain that and maintain their anonymous identities. If you care so much about their safety, you can join them."

"What about the girl? What role does she play, General?" Genesis asked, watching how Angeal carefully gestured her into a seat.

At this, the General smirked. "She will play a very special part."

"Don't ask anymore questions, Genesis. All will be revealed in due time." Angeal stated calmly. "Our primary concern is getting back to Midgar."

"We don't have enough fuel." Vincent shook his head in negation."We will only get as far as Kalm."

Tifa raised a brow at the General's soft laughter. "We are SOLDIER, that short a march is nothing."

"With two incapacitated and an untrained girl." Genesis grunted. "Though it changes nothing, does it. We will seek transportation in Kalm."

"Agreed. Let us be gone before before our pursuers catch up." Angeal interrupted before his two friends could truly argue the case.

"We will stop in Rocket Town to refuel." Genesis prompted. "We can acquire better information about the circumstances of Midgar and the war there as well."

"They won't just let us vanish." Sephiroth stated evenly. "We will need to explain ourselves when Shin-Ra does catch up to us."

"Rescue mission." Angeal stated. "We received information from a spy about the kidnapping of a promising SOLDIER and due to the shortness of manpower we acted swiftly to preserve the lives of one our commanding officers. We just so happened to find the missing Cloud Strife held in the same facility."

"Hollander is dead." Genesis added. "He's one of the fools behind the experiments performed upon the others and myself."

"Doctor Hollander was working with Rufus Shin-Ra. Interesting." Steepling his fingers under his chin, Sephiroth smirked. "We should depart before the crew of this vessel finds a way to delay us."

Heeding the suggestion came swiftly as Vincent powered the choppers engines to full and pulled the throttle back to bring the aircraft back into the sky. His instincts urged him to be done with Lucrecia's son swiftly. Something about the younger man's behavior worried him. Crimson eyes flicked across the horizon as he brought their transport about and veered to the recommended course. He could not possibly rely on exchanging information with Genesis. The friendship between the red head and Sephiroth was far too much of a risk.