It seemed the Turks had been suspicious since mid-Summer, Evan telling them he'd figure it out on his own and not much else but whatever they could find in his office when he was out. With Kyrie's conversation the other day and Cloud's unusual appearance by a tree in the woods tonight, they could confirm it beyond a doubt. Or, so they said after Cloud and Tifa were finished scolding the boys and tossing the frog back into the creek. Penny looked on bashfully, then turned around to the Turks.

"I didn't know they were gonna play a prank with it..."

Reno and Rude stood up as the night continued on, dusting themselves off as they did so. "Well, guess our surveillance for tonight's over, yo." Reno gave an appraising look towards Cloud, the man raising a brow. "That job's still being offered, yo."

The warrior sighed. "I'll think about it, Reno." He cocked his head. "You're so casual about this. How come?"

"C'mon, I've had to work with actual monsters when Shinra was at its height. I don't think either of us would think Hojo was ever more human than you right now, right?" He grinned. "I don't think I have the right to judge, anyway."

Cloud looked down, thinking about what the Turks have done in the past, what he himself had done in the past. "I suppose so." Looking back up, he nodded. "We can talk about the job later."

Reno nodded. "S'cool." He looked down at Penny. "You seem alright. We'll just tell our boss you're off the naughty list, yo."

She got up and gave a shy smile, giving a small nod. "Thank you." Penny looked around, a hand to her face. "I better go home. Ithey'll come with me tomorrow!" Walking away, she turned and waved, smiling. "Good night!"

A half hour later and the Turks had departed after more talk, and the couple made their way into the tent. Cloud slept next to the boys and Tifa next to Marlene, the children finally asleep; Cloud pondered how long it would be before the wrong person found out about him and put a silver blade in his back. He'd already had several close calls, Barret and Merle's group having almost killed him. 'But most everyone either didn't care or were cautiously supportive...Dumb luck.'

He still wasn't sure how to handle Merle. 'The sooner we get this stupid mission done the sooner we can part ways. Maybe he'll still try and get revenge, later...' He shifted to his side, trying to clear his mind so he could go to sleep.

Waking up to some strange sound in the early morning, Cloud frowned. He blinked as he raised his head up, hearing what sounded like a retching noise. The warrior slowly left his sleeping bag and peeked into the girl's sleeping room to find Tifa absent; he quickly left the tent and looked about for the woman. A soft groan came from downstream and beyond the truck, and Cloud softly walked past it, Tifa coming into view. She was crouching over the creek on her hands and knees, trying to keep her hair back.

Cloud gently gripped her long locks, Tifa uttering a gasp and then a murmur of recognition as she returned to her nausea. He cocked his head, concerned. "Tifa...are you getting sick?"

She let out a groan, spitting into the creek. "Maybe." He rubbed her back with his free hand, Tifa shaking her head irritably. "It's okay...Just hold my hair, please."

So he did, until Tifa was finally done throwing up whatever was in her stomach, the woman woozy as she lifted herself to her feet; Cloud held her to him, walking her towards the nearly out fire. He sat her down and leaned her against a nearby stump and went to get one of the extra blankets. After wrapping her up he put more wood on the fire, then sat next to her.

"I'm okay, Cloud. Really."

"You sound irritated." He said simply. '...and smell it, too. Did I do something wrong?'

She blew air out of her nose. "...I'm fine."

Cloud frowned. "You puked up dinner. Look, if you're sick I'll take care of the kids. We can go back home today so you can get some bed rest."

"...I'm fine." Tifa said with clenched teeth. Cloud cringed; if there was anything on this planet that could strike fear in his heart, one of them was a pissed off Tifa.

"Ah...okay...if you need me, I'm here, Teef." He wasn't really sure what to do now, the sky lightening above the canopy of black leaves. Cloud was awfully confused. 'Maybe I'll boil some water for coffee.' Best to stay productive.

Cloud's morning was like walking on eggshells, Tifa quietly working on breakfast after she recovered from her bought of nausea. The warrior noticed she still seemed irritated, especially if he came too close; it worried him. The children slowly left the tent as the smell of cooking food woke them, and she gave them their plates quietly as she finished the eggs; Tifa almost shoved Cloud's plate into his hands before leaning back, obviously stewing.

He didn't feel very hungry now. 'I better eat these just in case.'

Tifa's mood seemed to improve by mid-morning, the on edge Cloud relaxing somewhat as she snuggled his arm before they took the children out to the woods to play. Still, something seemed off; he couldn't quite tell what. 'Maybe it was from that frog last night...'

"Sorry. I guess whatever it was that was giving me nausea is gone." She said apologetically.

He smiled at her before returning his gaze to the children, giving his wife a squeeze. "It's okay, Teef." The children came to a clearing, looking about for something interesting they could bring back with them that they could show off at school. Marlene still separated herself from the boys, upset still after her feet squished against a large frog Denzel had hidden inside her sleeping bag while Zeph distracted Tifa.

The two sat on a large rock as they watched the children search about, the sun shimmering through the trees; Cloud occasionally glancing over at Tifa to make certain she was fine. He looked back, Denzel digging by a tree's roots for something interesting while Zeph searched by some large rocks. Marlene busied herself near a creek in case something shiny would show up, beating the boys at who found the best souvenir.

"Ms. Kisaragi?" A man in a dusty lavender outfit came to the counter of Seventh Heaven, the substitute bartender cleaning a glass as she looked up to the newcomer in the busy bar. Yuffie recognized him immediately; he was the intelligence gatherer sent to Kalm the day before. She raised a brow, wondering how he completed his mission so quickly considering her demands for a thorough job on the town. The man leaned against the counter, an uncomfortable look on his face.

Yuffie nodded at him, putting the glass down. "Finished already?" she looked about, the bar moderately busy. He wasn't going to pour intel out here, really? "Come here! to the garage!" She took him into the dark room, eyeing Cait Sith as he sat dormant by her weapon. "So what'd you find?"

The man nodded. "Found the old cave system is still in use."

"In use by who?"

He rubbed his ear, as if it bothered him. "A faction from Junon."

Yuffie gave an annoyed look. "Stop bein' cryptic, this's important!"

The informant gave a chuckle. "You're right, it is. I suppose I should tell the truth then. I went there as one of your rubes, and I come back as one of their members." He leaned over her, baring sharp teeth. "My mission has changed. Eliminating you for them is the least I can do for this gift given by them!" The man shuddered, his body changing and tearing his clothing with a snarl; Yuffie jolted for her silver tipped shuriken before it could grab her and she slashed the monster in the chest as he was in mid-form. There was no satisfying sizzle, to the ninja's dismay.

"Lassy, I'll keep 'em busy! Run!" Cait Sith leapt onto the werewolf's face as Yuffie attempted to open up the garage door; the beast shook its head violently as the robotic cat held onto the snout for dear life. It turned black eyes towards Yuffie, charging at her as she finally made enough space for her to roll through the opening, running off. Heavy banging echoed through the alleyway as the werewolf viciously ripped at the roller door, finally bursting through and shaking Cait Sith into a wall with a squeek.

The ninja looked back, the bold beast quickly gaining on her. She pointed her shuriken at it, a hand to her head, focusing. Her mind snapped and fire burst about the monster, flames licking at its fur as it screamed. "Thank Gawd I thought to borrow some materia!" After a few moments it recovered, looking almost demonic as it charged again; the flames flickered in its black, feral eyes.

She ran again, trying to get some space between her and her former colleague as he tried to kill her. "Not good...not good..." Why wasn't silver working? Yuffie could almost feel the hot, moist breath of the wolf, and this time it wasn't a friendly creature. She turned about and gave a roundhouse kick, then quickly ran off again.

A growl came from behind her in the abandoned alleyway, and she put more spring in her step; she was almost ready to hit with another powerful fire spell. Yuffie tripped and immediately brought her shuriken up to block the wolf's mouth as she focused again, the monster recoiling as heat and flame touched it again. It let out a scream, then looked back at the ninja enraged and horribly burned. She brought her shuriken up once again as it prepared to slash burning claws into her tender chest, the werewolf having the upper hand on the mentally fatigued girl.

Suddenly a claw ripped through the beast's chest, a black heart in the newcomer's hand. The dark claw retreated through the new cavity as the werewolf's body slumped lifelessly to the ground in front of the bewildered ninja, who looked down at the corpse, and then up at the grey, red clad wolf man who stood stoically behind it; he dropped the heart unceremoniously to the ground. Yuffie got up, hopping happily as the beast disappeared into purple light, replaced by Vincent.

"Vincent!" She smashed into his chest, giving him a rib crushing hug. "Vinny...I was so scared, I thought I was a goner..." Yuffie shuddered, causing the stoic man to give her a comforting embrace as he looked about at the scene.

"Didn't you line your weapon with silver, like you said you would?" He inquired, getting to the point as he held her, waiting for the ninja to calm down.

Yuffie looked up and nodded. "It didn't do anything..."

He raised a brow. "How could that be?"

The ninja shook her head. "I don't know." She looked down a moment, then looked back at Vincent as he gently let her go. "He was the guy we sent to Kalm for intel on a mission Cloud's gonna be on. Said he was now a member of some faction..."

"I see." The raven haired man prodded the corpse with a pointy boot, then looked back as someone screamed as they entered the alley. He sighed. "Looks like this is going to get some attention."

Cait Sith appeared, the robot's crown dented from its impact with the wall. "We need to get on this, quickly. I hate to cut Cloud's trip short, but this is an emergency. How many of these could be around?" Silver immune werewolves? That was big trouble.

Yuffie and Vincent nodded, the ninja taking out her phone to call her friend up. Vincent walked off towards the main road, Cait Sith calling after him. "Vincent?"

He stopped a moment and turned to the little cat. "Just letting an acquaintance know. I'll be back to watch the bar." He walked off and onto the street, looking about. a few houses down, and there it was; the Mireille Detective Agency. Vincent knocked upon the door, hearing a "Come in"; he let himself into the first floor office silently and looked back at Evan. The young man was sitting at his desk with his hat next to him on the desk, a brow raised in surprise at seeing the dark, mysterious man again.

"Vincent Valentine? It's been a while."

Vincent nodded. "Evan. Barret...told me you know." He motioned his head towards the bar.

Evan nodded, getting up. "...What about it?"

"Yuffie was just attacked at Seventh Heaven by a werewolf. One that was immune to silver." He paused, letting the information sink in. "We'll be guarding the bar until this resolves. If you feel unsafe here, you can go there." He had no idea if this unknown faction would attack people close to Cloud or not.

"How many could there be..."

Vincent shook his head. "We do not know." He turned, opening the door again. "Keep the offer in mind." With that, the sinister looking man walked out, softly closing the door behind him.

"What?!" Cloud whispered angrily into the cellphone, looking about as his family played with Penny and Ithey, Tifa taking photos on her phone. She had grown irritated again during their time in the wilds, though it subsided again; between that and the news of what had just happened inside his home the werewolf was understandably upset and frustrated. "Yeah, okay. We'll be back as soon as we can. Call up the repair man, his card's on my desk. I'll talk more later...take care, Yuffie."

He growled as he put his phone away, pushing his hand through his spiky, golden locks. Cloud turned around and tapped Tifa's shoulder, the woman looking not quite as irritated when she saw the look on his face. "What's wrong, Cloud?"

He licked his dry lips. "Tifa...Yuffie was attacked in the bar by a werewolf that used to work for the WRO."

Her eyes widened. "They had other ones working for them?"

The warrior shook his head. "No. He wasn't one before he went on that mission, she said. We gotta go back."

Tifa looked over at the children; was the bar still safe, even with everyone there? They couldn't hide the children here, it was too open; they could be anywhere. She bit her lip, feeling emotional. Cloud seemed to pick up on it, taking and squeezing her hand gently.

"We'll fortify the bar. Keep the kids safe." He said reassuringly. Their choices were slim, and what was familiar was best.

She nodded quietly, sighing through her nose. Tifa went to the children, gently telling them they had to go home early much to their dismay. They understood despite their grumbling, and Penny looked towards the woman, concerned as Ithey walked to her side. The girl was wearing a pair of jeans and a dark green tank top, her mate a sleeveless black shirt and slightly thorn torn jeans.

"Tifa, what's wrong?"

"The bar was attacked by a werewolf. We gotta go protect it while Cloud finds out who's responsible..." She whispered to the teens.

Penny's eyes went wide, a hand to her chest. "Why? Is it because of him hunting them in Edge?" Ithey raised his brows, surprised at the bold move.

Tifa shook her head. "No. This one was from Kalm...Silver had no affect on it."

The werewolf bit her lip, thinking. "Tifa...you and Cloud have done a lot for us. Let us help defend the bar, please?"

Ithey nodded. "It'd only be fair."

The woman looked about in thought. The teen wasn't as strong as other werewolves, but she could help fight with the others if it came down to it. Tifa nodded. "Just be careful, both of you..." She looked over at Cloud, the man ushering the children towards the camp, and the three quickly followed.

It took a little less than an hour to break down the camp and cram everything into the flatbed, Penny and Ithey joining the boys in the back; the children sported little sinew necklaces with monster teeth the teens had made with their supplies as they showed the visitors how to make the items when they arrived to meet the family. Zeph held a second one in his pocket that he asked Penny to make, wanting to have a gift for Rosa.

Cloud peeked through the window after turning the truck on, looking at the four occupants. "Hold on, I'm gonna be going a little bit faster when we hit the road."

He took a deep breath and turned the vehicle around in the small clearing, then cautiously exited the forest as the truck bucked and bounced until they let the forest; Cloud took deep breaths through his nose and clenched the wheel tightly as his stomach began to churn from the choppy ride. The grasslands beyond were smoother, allowing his body a chance to recuperate before finally hitting the smooth pavement of the new road between Junon and Edge. The warrior increased his speed down the road, checking on the occupants in the back as Tifa called Ichi.

"Hello? Tifa?"

"Hey, Ichi...Can we see you three at the bar?" Tifa's voice was troubled.

The peacekeeper picked up on it. "Merle and I are on break right now...What's wrong?"

She explained the situation to him, and their plans. "So, we're fortifying the bar with our friends while you two and Cloud find out what's happening in Kalm."

"Damn. Yeah, I'll tell Merle. See you there."

Tifa hung up, staring out the window. Cloud looked over to her, and then quickly at Marlene, the girl looking at him worriedly. He looked back at the road and held the little girl's hand in an attempt to comfort her, glancing at the two here and there while driving. The warrior sighed, hoping he could relieve this new trouble that cast itself upon his family. 'I feel like a trouble magnet...'

They reached Edge before nightfall, Penny and Ithey looking about the bustling city in the dimming light; while Penny may have been here once before, Ithey had never seen any city but Junon. They young werewolf held her leather pouch tightly while she sat next to her mate, her eyes watching the tall buildings as they floated by them and the very first stars twinkled between them.

The truck came to a stop in front of the bar, the occupants exiting quickly. Cloud rounded the truck, noticing Tifa holding onto the door with Marlene behind her. He cocked his head and then supported her with his arm, walking her to the bar.

"I think that frog got you sick, Teef."

She shook her head. "I can't be sick right now, Cloud."

"I want you to get some bed rest." He said firmly.

"I need to watch the bar..." She growled back.

Cloud snorted. "No, you need to rest." He picked her up despite her protests, carrying her bridal style through the door of Seventh Heaven. The warrior was greeted with the sight of well over half a dozen people, their eyes on him as Tifa struggled in his firm grip; he pushed by towards the stairs and towards the master bedroom, his wife thrashing about in his arms.

He placed her softly on the bed, and stared straight into her eyes with a hard look. "What has gotten into you..."

"Nothing! You think you can just carry me off where ever you want, like I need your permission to watch my bar!" Tifa tried to get up, Cloud holding her arms down. "Let me go, now, Cloud Strife!"

"No." He sniffed the air near her, frowning. "Something is off...you smell funny."

His concerns just set her off more. "I've been in the woods, like you don't smell either!"

"Tifa..." He sighed, letting her go. "Fine. This is pointless." Cloud left before she continued to berate him, the man confused at his wife's anger and strange scent. He came to a stop at the bottom of the steps, Yuffie giving him a funny look as if his earlier entrance had amused her.

"So...I guess you all know why you're here." He was given nods for responses. "Merle, Ichi and I are gonna go to Kalm and put a stop to this before it gets worse. The rest of you should do shifts to keep the place safe." He excused himself, heading towards the garage to collect the Combination Swords.

Penny looked about sheepishly, looking at the new faces. Some looked friendlier than others, and some looked almost familiar. In particular, two men looked at her that seemed to recognize the teen; Penny finally remembered they were the two men chasing Cloud. 'What are they doing here? Are they the ones helping Cloud search for where ever that werewolf came from?' She sniffed the air, frowning as she did so; the teen made out Cloud's scent, but there wasn't any other werewolf track to be found.

"Hey, so you're Penny, huh? Ithey?" A female voice came closer, belonging to a young woman with black hair and a mischievous smile. "I'm Yuffie, the White Rose of Wutai, and Cloud's friend. Nice to meetcha!"

They both nodded, smiling. "We came to help." Ithey said. Penny looked over at the two men again, noticing the children leaving to go upstairs, Zeph handing a necklace to a girl with a small blush, the sight almost making her giggle.

"This is really cool, Zeph! Thanks!" Rosa said.

"It was nothing..." He pointed towards Penny. "She made them for us."

The children made their way towards Denzel and Marlene's room, the bar too tense for their liking. Vits sat with Denzel on his bed as his host found a couple of comic books to read, and Marlene looked about for a board game they could all play. Rosa sat next to Zeph by the wall, muttering to each other.

"I was surprised when Uncle Merle came home early to take me here...He always gets frustrated when we have to meet Cloud."

Zeph smiled. "Guess you'll spend the night here again, huh?"

She nodded. "Cloud's gonna find who sent that monster?"

"Yeah. He found Valdt, so why not this?"

The door to the room slowly opened up, Cloud peeking from the crack. The warrior let himself in, closing the door behind him before sitting himself on his knees on the floor; he scratched the back of his head anxiously, uncertain where to begin as the children came closer, Rosa staying back a little. He sighed.

"Kids, this is a serious situation. These werewolves don't react to silver like the others do. Now, you three," he pointed at his wards, "know Penny and Ithey. But Rosa and Vits, you don't know them." He bit his lip a moment unsure of the reaction. "Ithey is human, Penny is a friendly werewolf."

"Those exist?" Vits asked with raised brows.

Cloud blinked, blushing. "Uh, yeah."

Rosa looked back and forth between Vits and Cloud. He didn't know? "S-so...what's she doing here?"

"They wanted to help guard the bar while we were gone." He replied.

Vits cocked his head. "Where'd you meet a friendly werewolf, though?"

"...In the woods. Anyway, try and keep your silver weapons away from her." Cloud said, giving a pleading look.

"We'll be nice to Penny, Cloud!" Marlene said, giving him a hug around his neck. "Come back safe!"

He returned the hug, rubbing her back. "I always do." He gave Denzel and Zeph hugs, the children picking up on Cloud's worry.

"Kick their butts extra hard for ruining our camping trip!" Denzel said with a grin. The warrior lifted himself up, smiling back and nodding.

"I will. Try not to give Tifa too hard of a time while I'm gone, I don't think she's feeling well at all..."

Marlene frowned. "What's wrong with Mama?"

Cloud momentarily looked in the direction of the master bedroom, then back at the children. "I don't know. Maybe the frog had germs on it or something." He shrugged, not trying to guilt the boys over it, but it's the only thing he could think of at the time.

Rosa frowned. "...Frog?"

Zeph and Denzel had guilty faces. "We put a frog in Marlene's sleeping bag, and she threw it in Tifa's face..." The blonde boy mumbled. Rosa put a hand to her face, but neither boy could tell if it was out of surprise or to hide a smile. Marlene looked at them sourly.

"I'm gonna check on her, then we're leavin'." Cloud looked down at Rosa. "Rosa, you might want to say your goodbyes to Ichi and your Uncle."

She blinked. "...They're coming back, right?" She mentally kicked herself. Maybe they will, maybe they won't; just like her parents. There were no guarantees. Rosa followed the warrior cautiously out of the room and into the dark hallway, the man sighing and looking back down at her.

"We'll probably split up and search the town, but...I'll do my best to keep them safe. I promise."

The girl did a slow nod, then looked back towards the door she came out of, then back at him. "Thank you."

He nodded back. "Tell them I'll be downstairs soon." Cloud went to the master bedroom, Tifa still fuming on the bed. 'What do I say?' He cleared his throat. "Teef...I'm leaving now. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

The warrior could see her flexing her fists in the dark. "Fine, just leave me here..." She said, her voice upset.

His face warped with concern. "What? You know I don't want you hurt, or killed...or changed." That could happen on this mission, and she was sick. Was she bitter she couldn't go with him?

Tifa crossed her arms angrily. "I can take care of myself in a fight, Cloud."

"Not when you're sick and acting like this." He raised a brow. 'Maybe she's turning into an ill-tempered werefrog.' Cloud bent over her, putting a hand gingerly on her cheek and rubbing it with his thumb. "...Let me take care of this. Then, let me take care of you."

He studied Tifa's eyes, the woman somehow placated. She nodded, a little teary eyed. "I don't know what's gotten into me today. Cloud...Please come home safe."

Cloud smiled, giving her a kiss. "I'll be back, Teef. I love you."

The warrior laid upon the flatbed of the truck with Cait Sith, irritated as he watched the stars, far away from Edge. Cloud had insisted on driving the truck, but Merle's constant paranoia had sent the spiky haired man to the back of the truck. He chewed on his cheek, feeling antsy. 'I told him to drive smoothly. This isn't smooth. If he hits another bump I'm gonna puke...' Cloud let out a shaky sigh as he sat up, controlling his breaths.

Ichi looked back, studying the werewolf. "Uh, you okay back there?"

Cloud shook his head and quivered a breath as he leaned on the cabin of the vehicle. "...Just keep driving." He growled. The sooner they get to Kalm, the sooner he could recover. There was no point using a materia or a sedative while he was still being shook about, his motion sickness growing worse.

"What's wrong, man?" Ichi had been trying to take a humanizing route with the warrior; he was just as upset as either Rosa or especially Merle, but he wasn't near as stubborn in his hate. He'd saved them once, he thought, so there was that bridge.

The warrior looked back at him, a pathetic look on his face. "Your friend drives like a maniac."

The peacekeeper immediately understood now why Cloud was acting strangely, but he frowned; Merle was just driving a little faster. "He isn't driving worse than anyone else I've had to drive with..." Ichi was stopped in his talk as Cloud jerked towards the side of the truck, noisily puking up whatever he had eaten that day. Cait Sith looked back towards the cabin of the truck, shaking his head.

"M'boy gets motion sickness, it's why he wanted to drive!" He squeaked.

They arrived in Kalm a hour later, Cloud consuming a sedative and washing it down with water from his canteen before tossing it into the flatbed; he leaned on the truck as he waited for it to take effect, eyes closed. The two others looked about at the entrance to the city from the truck cabin, hoping they hadn't been spotted yet.

The warrior hummed relief, and opened his eyes to peer into the passenger seat window beside him. "I'm gonna check this cave system Yuffie was talking about," he said quietly as he could. "I guess you could pretend to be night replacements and see if you can find another entrance."

Cait Sith nodded from Ichi's lap. "Aye. You jes be careful oot there, laddy!"

Merle narrowed his eyes. "What could possibly be happening here, in Kalm of all places?"

The werewolf huffed. "Kalm is poorly named, isn't it?" He straightened up, wiping his gloves of dust. "Thanks for the ride from Junon!" he said in a normal voice level, giving a stoic wink before traveling off to find this cave that held dangerous beasts. The other three drove into Kalm proper before beginning their search for the elusive faction.

Cloud walked about, picking up a strange, recent scent. This was definitely a wolf, and it was strengthening as he walked about. He looked about as he did so, looking for any landmarks or how far he could be from the town proper. 'Elmyra lives here with her sister still...I hope they're still alright.' The warrior made a mental note to check on the elderly folk after this was over with.

After a time he came across what looked to be a cavern entrance, having followed the scent here. A man was watching him warily, obviously sizing him up. 'Think, Strife...What would a big, bad wolf do? I can't act.' He thought a moment, remembering his former persona as a SOLDIER 1st class mercenary. Maybe he could channel that enough? It'd been so long...What's a good alias?

"And you are?" Came a gruff voice from the guard, looking down at the ex-infantryman. The man was large and would be considered intimidating by most people.

Cloud acted casually. "Spike." May as well use a familiar nickname.

"...No last name?"

"No need for one." He replied.

The guard was obviously judging him, from his scent to the way he stood; cocky and seemingly uncaring of the giant in front of him. "Where ya from?"

"Junon."

The man snorted. "Yeah, I smell it, city boy." He relaxed. "Guess you're here for the enhancements, then." He started pressing buttons on a handheld.

Cloud's eyes widened momentarily, replaced with a stoic look. '...Enhancements? They've been altering Junon werewolves? Is that why I can't smell him?' He cleared his throat. "That's right."

The guard looked back at him, obviously judging his swords and eyes. "You aren't a normal wolf...SOLDIER?"

"...Yeah, 2nd class."

The large guard chuckled. "And now you work for crime lords in the oldest city on the planet. Guess you're part of the business end." The door opened, Cloud taking a step forward. 'Must not have ever seen me deliver packages. Too bad for him.'

He shrugged. "Could be worse. My life isn't boring, at least." That was certainly true. The large man laughed as the warrior made his way through, hearing the burly man's voice echo in the cavern hall as he told him to take the second door to his right. The hall itself was rough stone, but the few rooms he glanced into were pods that had obviously been transported here from another area; sterile white with good lighting. Cloud shuddered; he hated almost anything that reminded him too much of modern medical practices, and with very good reason.

The warrior found his way to the designated room, an unassuming man of no more than forty standing in the middle in a white smock writing something down on a clipboard. He looked up past his glasses as the newcomer walked in, giving a greeting smile and opening his arms up to the sides. "Welcome! I guess you're the next one up..." He started to write again on his clipboard.

"Evening..." Cloud looked around. "You must've been researchin' werewolves for a long time to somehow come up with improvements." He knew this type. Lonely chatterbox.

The scientist shook his head. "Well, the past year or so we've been studying the affliction, but when that whole fiasco in Edge occurred, we had to hang low and work on ways to conceal."

"Hm, I remember hearing about that. Wasn't fun for us in Junon, either."

"It certainly wasn't at all! We depended on Edge for a number of test subjects. But, we're so far advanced now that we don't have a need for that, except for snacks as need for visitors, you see." He smiled. "Your kind seem to adore the taste of children, for whatever reason. Oh, occasionally we take from adult stock here for either conversion or testing."

Cloud raised his brows, but inside he was trying to control his anger; this could have been Zeph and Rosa's fate instead, lab rats like he had been or eaten. "What's the point of all this? You'll have to pardon me if I'm ignorant as to why humans are assisting werewolves in such a capacity.

The scientist was fiddling with some contraption on the table, testing it. "Ah, yes, I see. We made a deal with the Junon crime lords after quitting the WRO, boring research there. This is much more fascinating to us!" He tapped the contraption, then walked up to Cloud, swinging it casually as he talked. One of our own approached them about research, and we set up shop here in quiet Kalm."

So, just scientific madmen. Cloud felt he was going to enjoy every last drop of blood he'd shed tonight. "...Why do you ever convert normal folk?"

The scientist hummed, tapping his chin. "Well, recently, we found these old machines that were used by a man who went by the name of Fuhito, and they were used for mutating and brainwashing SOLDIERs. We altered the machine to convert humans and brainwash, so a handful of peacekeepers about Kalm work for us. Used it on an intruder too, from the WRO."

"What happened to the intruder?" He knew what happened to the poor fellow.

The man chuckled. "They sent him to kill the WRO intelligence officer and the hunter who was causing all that trouble in Edge. Won't they be surprised?"

"...Yeah, if they have the time to be surprised, that is." He looked over the room again, mentally cringing at the examination table and glass vats. 'No way am I getting 'enhancements'. Creepy bastards.'

The scientist grinned. "Now, onto business. The process takes roughly an hour, you'll be brought to a room with your folded clothing when you come to. Something to eat, too."

Cloud's eyes snapped towards the meek looking man. "When I come to?" He took a step back. 'To hell with this!'

"Standard procedure!" He zapped Cloud in the forehead with the contraption's invisible beams, knocking him out; he fell to the floor in a heap made of leather and swords. Two assistants came in to strip him of his articles and place him on the table. The scientist checked Cloud's eye, giggling as he saw the green ring around the pupil. "A former SOLDIER! No wonder he looked uneasy." He prepared his syringes, and looked for a good vein on the warrior's arm to begin his work.

The three walked through Kalm after departing from the truck, Cait Sith held by Merle as if a doll. They looked about, a peacekeeper here and there that would look their way occasionally. Ichi was wondering if someone was watching them. Heading towards the far wall of the fortified town in search of some secret path, they wandered into a dead end.

"Damn." Merle said. He looked about, eyeing a grate on the cobblestone path. "Wonder if that mutt bluffed his way in yet." The peacekeeper looked down; there was a pale light coming from somewhere. He lifted the grate, tugging; it eventually came free, and he placed it to the side.

"Cloud oot tae be fine." The cat peeked into the sewer, then gave a thumbs up.

Ichi looked at the robot. "He has glowing eyes, he was in SOLDIER?" It'd be no wonder; he was certainly at least more durable than your average wolf.

Cait Sith shook his head. "No." it said simply.

Ichi frowned. "Just 'no', huh..."

"That's Cloud's business."

The trio dropped into the sewer, the tunnel strangely dry. Cait Sith dropped into Ichi's arm again, pointing towards the light. Merle and Ichi followed the cat, warily watching their back. The light in front of them grew, as they turned a gentle bend they found themselves in front of a white door. There was a keypad next to the entrance, the door a modern automatic slider obviously made of metal.

"Hmph. Now how are we gonna get into here?" Merle mumbled, touching the door.

Ichi looked over the keypad. "Let me see here..." He poked some buttons.

Merle looked at his friend. "Know what you're doing?"

The blonde peacekeeper chuckled. "Not a damn clue."

He pressed more combinations, his fourth try earning a green light and an open door. They quickly filtered into the new area, the sewer changing into a cavern path lit with artificial lights. The door shut, and they walked onward as stealthily as possible. Coming up a ramp they peeked over a corner to sounds of yelling and a gravelly voice.

"You're next, kid." A man was pulling a young child towards a room after shutting the door to the room she came from. Tossing her in, he shut the door and walked away. The three looked at each other.

"We need to find Cloud." Cait Sith said. The two men readied their handguns; the night would be long.