They walked out into the bright afternoon sun, joining the throng of mingling city dwellers out for lunch. Most of them worked in the building they'd just exited- the drones of Shinra's employ. Danita ignored them in favor of sliding a sideways glance to Lilith, observing her adversary as openly as she dared. Still refining her impressions of the woman's character and intentions.

She wasn't exactly what Danita expected.

Contrary to the second-hand accounts she'd heard, Lilith's demeanor was relatively unassuming. Her training with SOLDIER gave her a measure of confidence and command, but nothing she'd consider remarkable. On the other hand, the woman hadn't allowed Danita to dominate the conversation. She'd taken the bait to leave Shinra Headquarters, only to turn the tables by choosing the destination herself. Smart.

That, at least, I had already expected.

Genesis had painted her as a sub-par SOLDIER with an insufferable attitude and an overinflated ego. She'd taken that description with a grain of salt, given that he had one hell of an ego himself. He didn't think much of anyone who didn't automatically give him what he wanted. And as for Gerald…well, he had a very one-track mind when it came to assessing women. Neither account gave her much in the way of a comprehensive profile on the woman.

Total amateurs, both of them.

Ideally, she would have interviewed other SOLDIERs before approaching Lilith directly. Preferably ones who knew the woman, although she would have had a hard time convincing Fair or the other two to speak candidly with her about their friend. As she said, that would have been her plan in an ideal situation. Her current one was anything but. Somewhat Pieter's fault for causing that damned explosion that took up most of her time, but primarily Gerald's, since if not for him, Lilith wouldn't be back in Midgar at all.

And then Genesis capped it all off by being so helpful in arranging this tête-à-tête so soon after the bitch returned…it was almost as the three of them had conspired against her. Wanting her to fail.

I guess I'll just have to rely on myself- like always.

They had walked a half block before Lilith continued the conversation.

"So what about SOLDIER piques your interest?" She gave a half smile. "Most are content with what Shinra puts out in the fan magazines."

Oh Danita had already familiarized herself with those. Nothing but propaganda, designed to romanticize the company's super SOLDIERs to gullible citizens. The accounts of their exploits read like adventure novels, and the 'insider' biographies and interviews were of little true substance. Not that she blamed Shinra for putting it out; she'd do the same in their place. But what to say to Lilith…

"They focus mainly on the 1st Classes- like my sweetie, Genesis."

She threw that out to see how Lilith would react. Not that she expected the woman to challenge her façade openly at this stage. But Danita was curious if she'd be able to conceal her skepticism, figuring that she would either appear to accept that Danita's affections were sincere, or change the subject. Lilith did neither. But she did let out a derisive snort of amusement.

"What?"

"Nothing- it's none of my business."

A response that may be a calculated tactic to encourage Danita to betray herself. Could be a back-handed commentary on Genesis' character. Or it may just be an off-hand remark that meant nothing at all. Danita didn't like that she couldn't tell which it was. She had little choice but to run with the subject until she could figure it out.

"No really- what?" When Lilith still didn't answer, she prodded, "Is it about all of his past girlfriends? Because I know about all them and it makes no difference to me."

"I wouldn't exactly call them 'girlfriends'."

"Then what would you call them?"

"Look, I don't mean to be insulting, but Rhapsodos is known for playing the field. Sometimes a different girl every night."

They side-stepped around a family of four, who had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to referee a fight between the two children. Siblings. Danita was glad never to have one. Just would have been one more person to compete against- and one with an inside advantage. She waited until they passed the group before pursuing Lilith's comment.

"Has he-" she paused deliberately, as if nervous to hear that answer. "I mean, has Genesis ever…with you?"

"I'm convinced it's his mission to notch his bedpost for every female SOLDIER. He'll have to do without one for me, no matter how many times he asks."

"Why?"

"I don't want him."

Danita heard the conviction in those words. Lilith meant them. And since she hadn't emphasized 'him', unlikely that she was interested in anyone else. Like that other 2nd Class from Junon, Kunsel, for example. And isn't that inconvenient? I could really use some leverage against her right now. But she'd make do without it, and prod more into the woman's reasons for being so set against Genesis.

"Why not?"

Lilith paused outside the entrance to what appeared to be a very busy restaurant. Their intended destination, if she didn't miss her guess. A half-dozen patrons burst onto the sidewalk, their laughter interrupting the conversation. When they'd gone, the other woman held Danita's gaze for a minute before answering.

"Doesn't really matter why. I just don't. Besides, I doubt you came here to discuss Rhapsodos."

"Well, no. But I was interested to hear about life in SOLDIER, and this is sort of part of it."

Another group passed between them. The inside of the building looked incredibly crowded. She suspected that Lilith had chosen the location with that in mind. An atmosphere like this would be too public to have anything more than a superficial conversation. That and it also eliminated any chance of coercing the woman to go back to the warehouse. She could hardly cast Charm or Manipulate in front of so many potential witnesses.

Lilith, meanwhile, had already replied, saying, "Hardly the most interesting part. At least for me."

For me as well, so I thank you for giving me the excuse to shift to a topic that does interest me. Danita smiled at her.

"I guess social drama can't compare to the excitement of going on dangerous missions."

Lilith returned the smile, although it seemed a bit forced. She gestured to the open door and stepped through. Danita followed behind. They were at the back of a long queue waiting to order, so she made a second attempt to draw the woman into talking about Junon.

"I mean- that Leviathan looked absolutely terrifying. I can't imagine what it must be like to fight a monster like that. Or even the training it takes to do it."

"Most missions aren't that intense, I'll admit. Well, unless you happen to be a 1st Classes." Before Danita could ask why Shinra had sent 2nd Classes to Junon, Lilith addressed the last part of her comment. "As to the training- it's a rigorous process. Half of the recruits don't even make it to 3rd Class and scrub out in the first few weeks. They end up in the general guard pool, if not dropped altogether."

Information that she already knew. Not only from her own investigations, but from other operatives. They'd been piecing together how the SOLDIER program worked for almost a decade now, and had a good sense of the induction process. But the fangirl she was masquerading as probably wouldn't be so well informed, so Danita appeared to take it in as something new.

"That must be awful. To train for so long, only to fail."

"I wouldn't know; I made the cut."

Maybe Genesis wasn't entirely wrong for thinking she was arrogant. The tone of Lilith's voice certainly sounded arrogant. The line edged forward, and so they took a few shuffling steps. At least for how busy the place was, the service was quick. Danita considered how to respond to Lilith's statement, and ultimately decided to overlook the attitude in favor of a line of discussion that she hoped would be more useful.

"Not only made it, but you're a 2nd Class," she pointed out. "I'm sure that's not easy."

"I wouldn't want it to be. If anyone can do it, then rank means nothing. Might as well not have them."

A sentiment that Danita could agree with. Rising through a hierarchy should be a matter of merit. Those who didn't have the necessary skills and aptitude had no business in a position of power. It only weakened the organization in the end. She studied Lilith for a long moment.

If you could be convinced to abandon Shinra for our side, you would be an asset. Another moment passed. And a credible rival.

For that reason, Danita hoped that when she handed the woman over to the Doyenne, she wouldn't be given a choice to join them. She had worked so hard to get within striking distance of the top. Now was not the time to allow anyone to threaten her position. But that decision rested in the hands of the Doyenne.

Unless Lilith doesn't make it to Junon alive.

The patrons in front of them stepped off to the left, carrying their order numbers. It was their turn. Danita perused the menu while Lilith gave her selection to the cashier. In the back of her mind, however, she was formulating a plan to eliminate the woman while pinning the blame for it on Gerald. Two birds; one stone.

And then there won't be anyone in my way.

I was running behind schedule. The meeting with Danita had taken longer than I expected. So long that I was glad we hadn't gone far from Headquarters, or I would have been very late. As it was, I wove impatiently through the other passersby on the sidewalk in haste to get back before too many people questioned my absence. In the back of my mind, though, I felt as though I'd forgotten something.

I'm sure it'll come back to me…eventually.

My thoughts strayed to the meeting itself. If limited to describing it in a word, I supposed 'stalemate' would be the most appropriate. Neither of us got very far in what we'd wanted to get out of the other. Which was why I'd left it open to meet with her again. Wasn't foolish enough to give her my phone number, but told her that she could get a message to me through Genesis.

And won't that be fun? Of course, I would have to decide whether or not to inform Sephiroth and Angeal about Danita's connections before accepting the next invitation. Every subsequent meeting came with a greater risk of something going wrong. A problem for future me to worry about, I conceded with an inward sigh. Right now, I- oh, shit.

I'd been so preoccupied with my thoughts that I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings. And it had come back to bite me, since I hadn't noticed Zack, Kunsel and Luxiere coming down the block from the opposite direction. It was too late to change course; they'd already seen me. Zack even raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey, Lilith!"

The four of us came to a stop on the sidewalk just outside Shinra's massive building. I kept my eyes on him and away from Kunsel. Hopefully, we could get through this quick and I could get away without any serious questions about Danita- or anything else.

"Hey. Back from lunch?"

"Yeah- sorry that the timing didn't work out, or we would have invited you."

"No worries." Better that I didn't have to talk my way out of that, anyway. "There's always next time."

He looked as though he might say more, but a glance around the street held him back. I wondered what those three might have been discussing while they were out. A gut feeling told me it had been important. Too bad there wasn't a way to be in two places at once. I was about to suggest we all head inside when Luxiere directed a question my way.

"Hey, how'd it go?"

At a loss, I frowned at him in mild confusion. "How'd what go?"

"You said you were going to the bank to see about your accounts- don't you remember?"

I do. Now, anyway. Had totally forgotten our conversation from before I'd left to see Danita. A lapse that couldn't have come at a worse time. Both Zack and Kunsel were pinning me with hard looks, and even Luxiere's expression had turned skeptical. Better come up with something good.

"Yeah, sorry. It went…well, rather it didn't go at all. I got there and the queue was twenty people deep. Lunchtime, as it turns out, isn't ideal for running that particular errand." Sounded legitimate, and dispelled most of their suspicion. Most of it, but not all. I needed to distract them with something else, or they'd start asking more question. "So instead of standing around there all afternoon, I went to Demitasse. Didn't make sense to come all the way back here to eat."

"Wish we'd known," Luxiere replied. "Probably could have met you there."

All in all, I considered myself lucky that they hadn't decided to go to Demitasse of their own accord. Taking Danita there had been a bit of a risk, given that it was one of Luxiere's favorites.

"As I said- next time."

We stood in silence for a minute, and then Zack's phone buzzed. He pulled it out and uttered a mild curse.

"Damn- I need to get upstairs or I'll be late." He slipped the phone back in his pocket and backed away from the group with a regretful smile. "See you guys later, okay?"

"Good luck, man," Luxiere wished him.

"Yeah- thanks."

When he'd gone, I asked, "Good luck with what?"

"He's meeting Sephiroth in training room five."

That answer from Kunsel; it was the first time he'd spoken during the conversation. I forced myself to look directly at him, though it wasn't easy.

"Materia training?"

He nodded. "I think he's starting with all of us before moving onto the rest of the 2nd Classes."

The approach made sense. If Sephiroth began with us, he could claim that the idea for the training program had stemmed from the first Junon mission. Tie it to the battle with the Leviathan and build from there. No one would suspect it had anything to do with a potential threat to SOLDIER.

"Yeah- can't wait for my turn," Luxiere said sarcastically. "Kunsel here looked like a truck ran him down this morning."

"So I can expect you'll look like a whole subway car has flattened you, then," I teased while breaking Kunsel's penetrating stare.

The joke was all in good fun, but I worried about what he'd said. Just how hard had Sephiroth pushed Kunsel? I couldn't ask. Definitely not in front of our friend. Probably couldn't even if we were alone. Questions like that fell outside the recently drawn boundaries of our strictly 'professional' relationship. Luxiere, for his part, was not about to let my remark go unchallenged.

"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be?" I couldn't resist a smile at the mock outrage in his voice. He shook his head and made as if to head in after Zack. "I'm going upstairs. Back to people who are more sympathetic."

"Perhaps you'd have luck dialing an automated operator?"

"Ouch." He flattened a hand against his chest. "You really know how to wound a guy sometimes, Lilith."

Luxiere hadn't meant anything by those words, but they stung nonetheless. They struck a little too close to the truth- especially with Kunsel standing right there. I didn't dare look at him, not wanting to give our friend any reason to think something was amiss. And although I really didn't feel like laughing, I managed a weak chuckle.

"You just make yourself an easy target."

"Psht- you wish. I'll see you upstairs."

Luxiere caught Zack waiting for the elevators, and his friend was nice enough to hold the doors for him. He paused a second or two longer to peer into the lobby and queried, "Are they not coming?"

"Kunsel and Lilith? Nah, they were still talking outside."

Zack let the doors close with a shrug and leaned against the hand rail. While they watched the floor number count upward, Luxiere debated whether he ought to offer his personal opinion about those two. He remembered getting shut down pretty quick about it in Junon. But ultimately, he couldn't help himself.

"You think anything will ever happen between those two?" A sigh. "Hear me out at least, will you. I'm not crazy for having an opinion."

"Lux, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"It's just that I've already beat my head on this brick wall more than I ever wanted to."

"What- like with Kunsel?"

"Lilith, too."

"Shut up, really?"

He couldn't believe Zack had actually taken it upon himself to get involved. Especially when he'd been so quick to say it was none of their business a few days ago. So what could have prompted him to change his mind? Luxiere was highly interested in the answer to that question, which Zack clearly knew. He shook his head.

"It's not what you think."

"So what is it, then?"

"It's complicated, Lux," Zack replied.

Something about his bemused smile prompted Luxiere to say, "And apparently that's funny."

"Not the situation- just the words themselves. Both of them used the same ones on me." He pushed away from the rail as the elevator pinged to let them off on 49. "Seems they're the only ones anyone can use to describe what's between them."

Luxiere thought on his friend's answer for a minute, stepping out into the mostly empty corridor.

"Sounds miserable."

"I'm sure it is," Zack agreed, already looking distracted. "I've gotta go. Sephiroth will be waiting."

"Yeah, go on. Don't want to be late for something like that."

Zack nodded farewell and headed for the training rooms. Luxiere watched him disappear around the corner before considering what to do with himself. After the whole Junon thing, he felt the need to keep busy. Even just this one day with not even a watch to stand was driving him crazy.

I can't take another hour of just sitting in the lounge. Maybe someone would take me up on an offer to spar for a while. Be good to move around and do something physical.

Maybe that would take his mind of what Zack and Kunsel had said about the 1st Classes. Hell, even if no one was interested, maybe he'd go practice by himself. But the best place to find a possible taker would be in the locker room. Decision made, Luxiere made straight for it.

At first glance, the room appeared to be empty. Disappointed, he found his locker and set about unlocking it. Only when he tried to pull open the door, it wouldn't budge. The bottom corner had gotten jammed or something. Luxiere cursed and gave it a good kick, not in the mood to deal with this aggravation. Especially knowing that it was likely his own fault.

He pried his fingers in the tiny gap near the handle and wrenched the door with enough force to get the damned thing unstuck. Of course, it didn't end there. A haphazard collection of uniforms and other gear tumbled onto the floor, creating quite the mess.

"Dammit."

"You seem to be having some trouble there."

Luxiere twisted his upper body to face the speaker of those words; his feet were immobilized, buried in the avalanche that had spewed from his locker. In trying to free himself, he caught the toe of his boot in a random strap and nearly fell flat on his face. Would have, actually, if Jekke hadn't reached out to catch him.

"I, uh, yeah. Maybe a little," Luxiere stuttered as he tried to regain his balance. Mentally and physically. "Don't mean for it to get this bad. The uniforms and stuff. Shouldn't really pile them all in there- been told often enough not to- and I keep meaning to organize all this crap, but…"

You're rambling. Shut up and get it together.

"Might want to before Hewley sees this. You know how he is."

"Yeah."

She let go of his arm and they regarded one another in mutual, awkward silence. Luxiere was raking his brain for something to say to the sharp-witted 2nd Class, but as usual, neither his brain nor his tongue would cooperate. Jekke took it upon herself to push the conversation forward.

"I'm glad I ran into you, actually," she began. "Been meaning to say thanks. For yesterday and that bullshit with Wendt."

Luxiere waved off her gratitude.

"You don't have to thank me. I just said what needed to be said. And Wendt's a jerk, for what it's worth."

She offered a terse smile.

"Don't I know it. He made no secret of resenting that Hewley gave us equal leadership for the Sector 7 assignment."

"Yeah- what was that part Mattias was saying before the conversation got side-tracked?" He bent down to start gathering up his things and shoved them wherever he found space. I'll tidy up later, he promised, even though it wasn't likely to happen. "Something about almost getting wiped out?"

"We were investigating the building at the center of the blast. It collapsed while we were down in the basement. Almost didn't make it out."

"Damn. But at least you all did come through all right."

Jekke nodded absently and looked like she wanted to say something else, but held herself back. They lapsed into silence again. Why was it so damned hard to talk to the woman? Wasn't he known around SOLDIER for his never-ending gift of gab? He talked to everyone. About anything. Hell, he never had this issue with Lilith, and she wasn't exactly the easiest person to engage in conversation. Luxiere tossed a mismatched pair of socks into his locker, trying not to imagine what Jekke might be thinking.

Say something. Anything.

"Did you find any evidence down there," he asked. "Any clue who might have caused the explosion?"

"Not much. The damage wiped out most anything that might have been useful. But I found some files that hadn't been turned to cinders. Mattias even collected fragments of what we think might have been a Summons Materia. Hewley's got it."

"Hey, that's better than turning up a giant goose egg for your trouble. Been on those missions- they suck."

That time, he'd managed to coax a laugh out of her. She raked a hand through her hair and said, "You do have a way with words."

"If you're trying to say I have not tact, you're probably right. I tend to blurt out what comes to mind at the time."

"Not always a bad thing."

"Just usually."

"Hopefully not during your mission to Junon," she replied earnestly. "I heard it was some PR deal. Lots of face-time with big shots down there."

"It was. And that sucked more than anything I've ever had to do for SOLDIER. The 1st Classes can take those missions from now on; I never want to do that again."

Jekke was taken aback at his vehemence. She ventured a tentative guess after a moment's thought, "Boring?"

He wouldn't call it boring- well, the appointments with the Mayor had been. All the rest, though…Luxiere didn't quite know how to describe it. Or even if he should. Zack and Kunsel had hammered into him that he needed to keep a lid on some of the shadier stuff they'd seen while they were there. Like that meeting at the Junon Sentinel.

Too much time had gone by for him to agree with Jekke, though, leaving him at a loss what to tell her. She held up her hands.

"Forget I asked. Guessing it's like the other mission last month and you can't really talk about it."

"It's," his lips twitched. "Complicated."

Having gotten everything back in place, more or less, Luxiere slammed the door closed and spun the dial. Wasn't until Jekke raised her next question that he felt like a complete idiot.

"Were you getting something from there? Or were you just taking an inventory of the contents?"

"Oh hell. I totally forgot why I'd come in here."

"Oh?"

"Thought I'd get some training time in after two days of doing nothing but talking and standing around."

She nodded. "Understandable."

When she said nothing more than that, it left Luxiere with a bit of a dilemma. Did he ask her if she wanted to join him? Or did he leave well enough alone and opt to run a sim program instead? He'd already exhausted most of his luck in trying to navigate this conversation. Letting it go on much longer would be asking for who knew what sort of disaster. Luxiere sized the woman up out of the corner of his eye.

Then again…no one's ever accused me of making the smartest choices.

"You wouldn't be interested in a little sparring time, would you," he offered in the hopes she wouldn't shoot it down.

Jekke's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. She'd drawn a breath to answer just as he swung his locker open. Everything he'd just stowed away emptied out onto the floor. Again. Great. Just great. Luxiere knelt to gather it all up again, feeling like quite the fool. Not one of his finer moments, that was for sure.

See, this is what you get for pressing your luck. You watch, she'll probably make an excuse why she doesn't want to waste her time on a klutz like you.

Only she didn't. Luxiere was reaching for a boot that had escaped the main pile when a second hand materialized in his field of vision. He tipped his head up to see that Jekke had joined him on the floor. She handed him the boot.

"Figured you could do with some help, or I'll be waiting all afternoon for you to make good on that offer," she quipped.

"Th-thanks."

"Let's just hope you're a little more coordinated when it comes to combating a living opponent." She leaned in slightly and added in a conspiratorial tone. "But even if you're not, I promise not to tell anyone a pile of laundry bested you."

Luxiere disappeared through the glass doors. And then there were two. Not wanting to make this any more awkward than it was, I shuffled my feet in the same direction.

"Probably just as well to go up, too. I'm sure by now, Hewley's got assignments posted for us."

"Lilith, hold up a minute."

I paused mid-step, feeling somewhat apprehensive at the seriousness in his tone. Still avoided looking directly at him as I asked, "What?"

"I've already gotten our assignment. From Sephiroth."

Now I did turn to face him, not quite sure how to interpret what he'd said. Not quite sure I wanted to.

"What could he want?"

"He said that you, um, took photos when you were in the Mayor's apartment."

His eyes slid away. From the slightly embarrassed flush that colored his cheeks and neck, I realized that he thought I'd taken the kind of photos meant for blackmail. Intimate photos that could sway the Mayor's cooperation. Probably wouldn't have been a bad idea, but I'd said that I wouldn't sleep with that pig- or do anything else with him. Kunsel should have known I meant it. It bothered me that he would even think otherwise.

It more than bothered me.

Since no one was in earshot, I hissed in heated anger, "They're photos of the contents of a hidden wall safe. I hope that's not too much of a let down compared to the kind of photos you expected. I guess I'm just not that much of a whore."

"Lilith…"

I didn't let him finish, not wanting to waste time on what would be a futile argument. Instead, I pushed forward to find out more about this assignment.

"So what's he want done with them? I already sent the images to his phone last night."

Kunsel wanted to go back to whatever he'd been about to say, but gave up with a sigh. "He said he needs prints made."

Prints. Seemed an unusual request at first, but then I thought about it a little more. Trying to read the letters and ledger entries wouldn't be easy from a phone. I could see why having them enlarged to a full sheet of paper would be of more use to the 1st Classes. Still, getting all those printed was going to cost at least fifty Gil. Maybe more. A bit extravagant just for the sake of convenience. But it wasn't my call. If Sephiroth and Angeal wanted them printed, then that's what I'd do.

"Well, I suppose I could have them done at a copy shop over in Sector 5. Wish I'd known before lunch or I'd have gone straight there."

"He wants it done in the undercity."

My reaction was as involuntary as it was instantaneous.

"The hell he does!"

"I'm serious. We've got the afternoon to see it done."

No. Just no. I couldn't go back down there. Hadn't been back not once since I'd clawed my way out of the slums four years ago. All the shit in Junon that I'd been through was one thing, but this was more than I was willing to endure.

I won't do it, I vowed silently.

Oh you won't? So you'll be telling that to Sephiroth, then? When I didn't answer, my second-self tried again. And just what reason will you give him for disobeying a direct order? Are you going to tell him the truth?

I'll…

Jeopardize any hope of making 1st Class? We both know you won't risk that.

The slums, I protested. You know what happened there.

It's only for an afternoon. Suck it up, buttercup.

"Lilith?"

Oh hell. Now I'd alarmed Kunsel. He was looking at me with knowing eyes, probably thinking of how I'd nearly fallen apart in Junon. A memory neither of us could afford reliving. I pulled myself away from my internal debate and put on what I hoped was a good imitation of indifference.

"I ought to change into something more appropriate, then. No one is going to want to do any favors if I'm walking around like a Shinra billboard."

Again I tried to head inside, and again Kunsel refused to budge. This time, he took hold of my arm, holding me back.

"Lilith."

"Dammit, what?"

"I'm not about to let you run off without discussing this."

"What's there to discuss? It's an assignment."

"You don't have to go. Send me the photos and I'll do it on my own. Sephiroth doesn't need to know you didn't go with me."

The offer was tempting, but I couldn't accept it. I couldn't ask that of him when this was my task to do.

"I appreciate the gesture, but I'm going to see this through." With a sigh, I added, "Besides, I already have a potential contact who'll print the damned things. If he's still in business, anyway."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Kunsel, I'm sure. Now let's dress down for the occasion and get this over with. I'll meet you back here in half an hour."

Sephiroth had spent the past hour and a half drafting a proposed training schedule together for the 2nd Classes. A task usually handled by Lazard. Perhaps with Angeal's input, but rarely anything that Sephiroth would oversee himself. So this exercise was a lesson in appreciation for how much work went into creating the existing training curriculum. And surprisingly enough, a lesson he hadn't minded learning.

If you want Shinra to see you as more than an excellent fighter, you have to show them you can learn skills useful beyond the battle field.

And speaking of skills, it was nearly time to meet with Fair for his assessment. Sephiroth gathered up the pages of his proposed schedule and slipped them into his jacket pocket. He would need to make adjustments, of course, but this morning's session with Kunsel had given him a picture of what he and Angeal would be working with. The 2nd Class's' performance had been more in line with assessments he'd given to newly advanced 1st Classes.

Definitely not like the demonstration Lilith gave yesterday.

Nor was Sephiroth expecting it to be. Just like he expected Fair's performance to be average- well, maybe a little above average. But nothing spectacular. An expectation that struck him as odd the longer he thought on it. Why weren't SOLDIERs more proficient in using Materia? He knew that some Materia training was given to the incoming 3rd Classes. Sephiroth wasn't involved with any of that, but now he wondered if it might be worth his time to look into that curriculum as well.

Something is amiss if the best Shinra has to offer are only mediocre when it comes to handling crystalized Mako energy. Mako is what sets us apart from the general guard pool- what good are we if we don't make the most of it?

Ideas to consider, and ones he'd discuss with Angeal once he'd finished with Fair. The SOLDIER was waiting outside training room five as directed. Looking none too comfortable about it, either. Sephiroth guessed that he'd spoken at length with his fellow 2nd Class about his own ordeal.

"Commander, sir," Fair acknowledged with a nod.

"Ready to begin?"

"I don't know about ready, given what Kunsel said, but I'm here to do my best, regardless."

Sephiroth entered his access code and the doors slid open. He directed an impartial look at Fair and replied, "Well, I shall look forward to seeing it."

Just as he had done with Kunsel this morning, he pulled up the assessment program. Very basic. The target wasn't in any of the advanced ranks of enemies- just a Malboro. But the opponent wasn't important. It was merely the tool to gauge what the 2nd Class could- and couldn't- do with the Materia given to him.

And speaking of that…

"As you likely know, this will be an assessment in how you handle advanced Materia."

"Yes, sir." Zack paused before asking, "Was I supposed to request a particular one before coming here?"

Well, that answers that question. Like Kunsel, Fair hadn't sensed that he'd been carrying one with him. Sephiroth tried not to be too disappointed as he withdrew the Destruct sphere and offered it to the 2nd Class.

"I've already taken the liberty of getting this one for you. Use it to take down your opponent."

Fair accepted it and got into position while Sephiroth assumed his place at the control panel. The 2nd Class indicated he was ready with a curt nod. A push of a button and the test began. The Malboro appeared, shaped from the energy pulsing through the activated simulation room. It charged at the SOLDIER almost immediately, though its slow movements meant he had time to react. Sephiroth observed carefully as the young man fumbled with a link to the Materia needed to wake the energy contained within.

At last, the Materia flared to life. Fair set his jaw in determined concentration, and he let loose a first attempt to subdue the beast. It skittered wide of the mark and collided harmlessly into the training room wall. The Malboro, seeing an opportunity to press an advantage, prepared for a strike of its own. This time, Fair used the sphere to protect himself, rendering the unleashed Bio2 attack ineffective.

The two combatants dueled for another few rounds before Fair was finally able to successfully cast the Materia's most powerful spell. The Malboro collapsed to the floor, lifeless. Sephiroth let it remain for a few minutes before ending the program. Fair, meanwhile, stared at his hand as if caught in a trance.

The Materia continued to glow.

Same as the others, Sephiroth noted. He can't let go.

Rather than wait it out to see if the less experienced SOLDIER could disengage on his own, Sephiroth retrieved the sphere and severed the physical connection. Without it, the power in the crystallized Mako quieted and grew dormant once more. Fair shook himself, as if waking from a daydream.

"Is it…where's the Malboro," he queried in mild confusion.

"Defeated."

"Oh. I-"

"Should rest for a while," Sephiroth ordered firmly. "You aren't accustomed to expending that much energy all at once. Well discuss the results in a few days."

"Yes, sir."

No argument. In fact, Fair could barely conceal his relief that he wouldn't be asked to sit through a debrief of the assessment. Before he officially dismissed the man, he added, "Should you happen to see your colleague, Luxiere, tell him that I wish to speak with him. I'll be in Hewley's office."

"I'll be sure to do that, sir."

"In that case, you're dismissed."

The 2nd Class shuffled out of the training room, leaving Sephiroth to perform a bit of housekeeping. Once he was through here, he'd check in with Angeal. They hadn't touched base all day

Who knows, maybe he's turned up something interesting.