A/N: I wanted to let you know that there are some pretty gruesome moments in this chapter, even if I didn't detail them too much, they might still be disturbing. I hope you still enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Chapter 25

The next day when it came to light that Genesis was missing, the remaining Firsts had to deal with Clarissa's near panic along with the search for the missing man. Even when they found the log of him taking a vehicle out of the city, it was all they could do to keep Clarissa from trying to leave as well.

The third day he was gone found Clarissa back in Sephiroth's office arguing with the General. "I know you think he can take care of himself, but this is about more than his capabilities. You saw his state of mind. What if he decided to do something stupid. We can't just sit around doing nothing!"

Sephiroth pushed down his own growing worry and irritation to try and reassure her. "We aren't…"

His sentence was cut off when his office door opened without any preamble. He was on his feet instantly when Genesis walked in as nonchalantly as if he had not been gone without permission for days. Genesis' gaze slid over Clarissa as if she wasn't there before he addressed Sephiroth. "I am here to report back to duty. I had an unexpectedly urgent personal matter that I had to attend to. I apologize if it caused any inconvenience. If you need me I will be in my office."

He didn't wait for a response before turning to leave again. It was only Sephiroth's voice that called out in warning that caused him to pause. "Genesis. There will be repercussions for these actions. We can discuss it later."

Genesis waved over his shoulder as he walked out. "You know where to find me." He didn't look at Clarissa once before he walked out and closed the door behind himself.

Once he was gone, Clarissa sank into the chair in front of Sephiroth's desk. She was unaware of anything around her. All she could feel at first was relief that Genesis was not harmed. The fact that he had ignored her completely was secondary to her relief. It wasn't until Sephiroth finally called out to her that the rest of the situation hit her. She blinked several times before looking up at her commanding officer. "He's not hurt."

Sephiroth's gaze softened before he responded. "Yes. I'm glad to see it too. However, isn't it past time for you to be downstairs? Have you been neglecting your duties as well?"

She quickly stood. "I will speak to you later then." Even though her probation had been lifted, she had asked if she could continue to work in the day care until she was deployed. Before she left she turned back. "Thank you. I know I've probably been difficult to deal with. I appreciate your patience."

"There is no need for thanks. Despite popular opinion, I do understand." She gave him a half smile and a nod before leaving. His gaze was worried as he watched her go.

Although Genesis came back, the situation had not improved. If anything, it was worse than before. Where before he had been heated and snappy with everyone, now he was cold. He rebuffed all attempts to talk to him. Not even Angeal could get him to speak.

Despite this, Clarissa still found herself in Sephiroth's office a week later, waiting for Genesis to join them. She was not thrilled with the idea of being in close quarters with him again after his treatment of her, but this had been an official summons. When Genesis finally entered he only greeted Sephiroth. 'You said I have new orders?" Sephiroth gestured to the seats in front of his desk. Clarissa tried not to let the man next to her get under her skin as he continued to ignore her.

Sephiroth looked between them for a moment before addressing Genesis. "We have received information that the Wutai forces have finally fallen back to Fort Tamblin. They are committing their remaining resources to defend the Fort. If we can take it in a decisive victory we should be able to push them to surrender. I would like for you to take a small group of Soldiers to take the Fort. I am assigning Clarissa as your second in command. Once the Fort is secured we will send in the infantry along with another contingent of Soldiers to push them back to the Capital. You are to assist if they need it, otherwise remain on standby until they are ready to surrender. We will send in the negotiators. You will assist them in any way they require."

Silence filled the room as they both tried to assimilate what was just said. As much as Clarissa wanted to ask him why he would do what he just did, she couldn't bring herself to ask in front of Genesis. Finally, Genesis sneered as he stood. "I don't require any other help to get this accomplished." He barely looked over at her before continuing. "When am I to leave?"

Sephiroth stood and gave Genesis a glare. "I am not asking if you need help or not. The assignments are not up for debate. You will deploy tomorrow, so make sure you debrief the rest of your team tonight."

Genesis' sneer turned into a scowl as he glared back at his commanding officer. "Fine. Have the rest of the team assemble in the briefing room at 18:00. Make sure you get all the pertinent details over to me before then." He didn't wait for an answer before sweeping out of the room.

Once he was gone Clarissa could only stare at Sephiroth. He finally lifted a brow at her look. "Do you have a complaint as well?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. Consider it more of a request. Is there anyway that either you or Angeal could go as well?"

He gave her a contemplative look. "Are you worried that he will be too distracted to accomplish the mission?"

She shook her head. "No. I think he is capable of just about anything he tries, however, I also think he is not in a good spot right now. I'm worried that he might do something stupid." She couldn't come out and say that there was a high probability he might defect. She wasn't sure if he would still be deployed with his attitude of late, but if Hollander had spoken to him, this was the likeliest time for him to do it. She hoped that if one of the other Firsts went as well, then he might reconsider.

Sephiroth relaxed back at her words. "That is why you are going. We cannot have more than one First deployed to Wutai at any given time for security. You are our next best option. It will be up to you to keep him from 'doing something stupid'."

Clarissa wasn't sure if she wanted to be upset that he was assigning her a task that was damn near impossible, or ecstatic at the thought that he trusted her enough to take care of it. "You know as well as I do that he isn't talking to any of us. I don't know if I can make a difference, but I won't give up without a fight."

He gave her a brief nod along with his smile. "That is what I am counting on."

At that she stood to go. "Is there anything else I need to know, or will it be covered this evening?"

"I'll get everything else over to Genesis. He can brief you with the others."

"Yes sir." She waved as she walked out of his office.

That evening she went to the briefing room a little early. She was surprised to find that the other six members of the team, minus Genesis, were already waiting. She was doubly surprised to see that she recognized three of them. When she saw Dean, she instantly felt a little better. It was nice seeing a friendly face after the last several weeks. She shook his hand before turning to Rodney with an outstretched hand as well. He took it without hesitation. His face was somber, but his gaze no longer held any antagonism. She had forgotten the name of the third person from her class, but she shook his hand with a smile anyway.

Dean had just started to ask her how she had been when the door opened to reveal a scowling Genesis. All talking fell away as they each took a seat. Genesis gave them each a hard look before speaking up. "You were each sent a package that included maps of the areas around Fort Tamblin as well as the estimated layout of the Fort. Remember, this is all from external observation so expect minor discrepancies. We will be deploying at 06:00 so be ready. It will take us a little over a week to get to Wutai. We will be dropped outside of enemy occupied area and then march to the Fort. Be prepared for harsh conditions and enemies that will try to stop you. We will discuss the taking of the Fort during our trip. For now, familiarize yourselves with both the maps and the Fort. You're going to need it. That's all for tonight. Make sure you are ready for tomorrow. Dismissed."

Clarissa wasn't sure what to expect but that was short and sweet. Unfortunately, Genesis didn't stick around for questions. He was the first one out of the room. Clarissa could hear the murmured questions from the others, but she didn't pay any attention to them. She was more worried about Genesis. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Dean's hand on her arm. "You okay?"

She smiled at his concern. "Yeah, just thinking about the trip. This is obviously a covert mission with such a small force. It's going to take a good strategy to pull this off." When his brows drew down at her words she tried to wave off his concern. "Don't worry. I have faith in Genesis, not to mention I know you guys can handle yourselves too. Just make sure you pay attention. Anyway, I have to go. See you in the morning." She didn't wait for a response before heading back to her room.

Their trip to Wutai consisted of a lot of time in helicopters, and a couple of days on a ship to cross to the second continent. When they finally made it to Wutai, they had to be dropped far enough away to not give away their position. With that being the case, it was a two-day hike to get to their objective. Genesis stopped them early on the second day with instructions to get as much rest as possible. They would approach the Fort once darkness fell. He had already gone over the strategy with them while they were crossing the ocean, so they each knew their jobs.

Genesis planned on providing a distraction at the front gate while Clarissa led the rest of the team to climb the walls and take out as many enemy operatives as possible. They would meet up inside at a designated spot near the middle of the compound and from there, subdue any remaining resistance. Once that was accomplished they would sweep the Fort to make sure nothing pertinent was missed. It sounded easy enough, but Clarissa was of the school that believed nothing was ever easy. She felt if she expected problems it would keep panic down when they actually came up.

Once night fell, they made their way to the Fort. Clarissa led her team around the back, trying to avoid the guards that were patrolling. She had tried not to worry as Genesis headed the other way. She knew she needed to focus now. Her distraction could get people killed. Once she was sufficiently sobered she turned to her team with a whisper. "Stick together as much as possible. Try not to make any noise. We want to avoid detection at least until we rendezvous. That means taking care of any enemy forces quickly and quietly." They each gave her a nod.

She turned and waited for the guard to pass by once more before leading the team to grapple over the back wall. They encountered several groups of soldiers, but they were able to take them down without an alarm being raised yet. Clarissa forced herself to think about the lives of her comrades as she turned away from the bodies of the ones unlucky enough to cross their path. She knew she would have to face the fact that she was now a killer, but she couldn't afford to think about it at the moment. Staying alive, and keeping her team alive, was more important.

To Clarissa's surprise they made it to the small temple looking building in the center of the compound with relative ease. It made her nervous. The whole place was too quiet. She could feel her skin prickle as they continued to wait for Genesis without him appearing. She couldn't decide if she was more worried about him being injured or him leaving them on their own. All her extraneous thoughts were wiped away when she heard the rumble coming from the small building behind them.

She had forgotten that this building had a pair of guardians. She was reminded in a rush as the two humongous forms lumbered out with their weapons raised. Her instincts kicked in and she was up in a heartbeat and yelling out orders. She looked to Rodney first. "You four, take the one on the right. The rest of you, with me!"

Even with several people attacking them all at once, it was not easy to take them down. It wasn't so much that they were being overpowered, but the enemy kept getting back up. When they were both finally down and didn't get back up again, Clarissa took a moment to look over her team. The worst of the damage was that they looked tired. If that was the worst of their issues, then she would count them lucky.

That thought didn't last long as the doors to the courtyard they were in shuddered under a heavy strike. They all dropped into position again as the door finally gave under another strike. The courtyard filled with warriors as soon as the doors collapsed inward. They were ridiculously outnumbered, but Clarissa knew she couldn't give up. More than her life was on the line. She saw the faces of those in front turn from surprise to grins. Her last thoughts before they descended on them was, 'let them underestimate me!'

She didn't have time for coherent thought after that. She moved on the instincts that had been honed by Genesis and Sephiroth over the last six months. She didn't even have time to worry about the lives she was taking as she tried to both keep their enemy at bay and keep her team alive.

She heard one of her squad members cry out behind her. She ducked a blow and turned to see Dean on the ground. Rodney had already moved to stand over him. Clarissa didn't have the time to try and reach him to heal him before she heard the whistle of another blade. She barely managed to duck. She didn't think before striking out where the blow had come from. She felt it connect more than saw it. She was already yelling out to the rest of her team that was still standing. "Circle and defend!" At her shouted orders the group pulled up the two that were now injured and made a circle around them.

The hectic fighting went on for several more minutes before the attackers finally fell back. The ones that were remaining to face them no longer wore grins. Their faces were grim. Clarissa had no doubt this was far from over. She took the opportunity to look around at her team. They all sported several injuries and a third person had joined the first two in the middle of their dwindling circle. She wasn't much better off. Her wounded arm was superficial, but she could feel the blood slicking her hand inside her glove. If it weren't for her gloves she might have already lost the blade.

She noted that the eyes of her team looked even more desperate than the men surrounding them. She could tell they had been pushed too far. If they were attacked again, they might not make it. Something red hot burst inside her at the sight. Her voice was clear and loud and rang out through the courtyard. "Are you Soldiers or what? This is not enough to defeat us! Get up and show me what it means to be a Soldier! Never give up!"

The men surrounding her looked up at her words. Rodney was the first to stand straight despite his injured leg. He gave her a nod before raising his voice as well. "You heard your commanding officer. We have a mission to complete!"

The men that were still surrounding them had started to shuffle. None of them looked like they wanted to confront the small group that seemed to have been rejuvenated. No one moved for a few tense moments, but Clarissa's gaze didn't waiver. Finally, one of the men in front pointed to her as he addressed the rest of the men. "We're facing a group of children being led by a woman. What are you afraid of!"

At his harsh words he flew at Clarissa with a blow aimed to take her head off. Despite her injured arm she was easily able to block his blow. Her other sword came around while his was still locked on her defensive blade. She was able to successfully strike him and push him off her. His movements had been a catalyst though. The rest of the warriors had swarmed once again.

Clarissa's mind became as numb as her arm as wave after wave of enemies fell on their swords. For each one they were able to defeat two more seemed to take their place. When the Soldier next to her was attacked by two enemies at the same time she knew he couldn't fight them both off. She didn't think before thrusting out to block one of the incoming blades. When she did, she felt a searing pain in her side. She looked down in disbelief to see an enemy she hadn't seen had managed to get inside her guard. His blade had passed clear through her.

She barely noted the fact that the man she had helped was able to successfully use the opening she made to fight off both opponents. Her mind had already frozen. She hadn't used much magic as they were fighting in very close quarters and she didn't want to hit her team. That thought was nothing but a memory as she faced the man that was still trying to pull back. Without thought she had already frozen his feet still. She allowed the voices that always accompanied her to guide her hand as she reached out and touched him. He froze instantly before shattering. If she realized how gruesome that action was it didn't show on her face. The noises of the battle were fading as was her eyesight, but she stepped into the middle of the fray, touching one warrior after another.

She hadn't taken more than a couple of steps before the ground in front of her exploded, throwing all the men that had started to flee aside. She barely noticed a flash of red and the voices that were crying out around her. She heard several voices cheer out the name Rhapsodos, but she had pushed as far as she could. As she fell to one knee, she heard one of the voices ring out in anger. She wanted to smile at the fact that it was Rodney, but she couldn't seem to make her face respond. The last thing she heard was Rodney screaming at Genesis. "Where in Gaia have you been!"

As Clarissa fought her way back into consciousness, she noticed several things all at once. She was being carried and she was colder than she had ever been. The rocking motion did not help the third thing. She hurt all over, particularly in her middle. She had never felt so cold and still felt like a part of her was on fire. She noted absently that her mind must have still been somewhat detached from everything as her first thought about that situation was fascination.

It took her a few moments to gather her thoughts enough to open her eyes. When she did it was red leather that she saw. Her muscles were still not responding properly so it took her a bit of effort to turn her head enough to look up. It ended up being more like her head flopped back against his arm, but it served so that she could see his face.

At her movement he looked down. She had never seen the look that he was giving her now. She might have been able to figure it out if she could actually think. As it was, it took her a moment to understand what he had said. "Be still. I have healed you as much as I am able, but your injury is severe. We will get you treated as soon as we reach the encampment."

She understood his words, but suddenly a memory came up and she completely ignored him. She was somehow able to lift her hand, at least up to his chest. She didn't even notice the tears in her eyes as she spoke. "Don't leave. Please, Genesis, don't leave!"

His eyes widened in shock before they softened. "Hush, you're going to open your wound again. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise." That was all she needed to hear. At his words she slipped back into unconsciousness as he pulled her closer.