On his way to the apartment Zax took out his PHS to call Kunsel, knowing the other was not at home.
"Hello." Kunsel answered distractedly. Zax heard em hiss and the sound of em sucking on ees finger, having no doubt burned emself on something while metalworking.
"Meet me in the Soldier lounge in a bit?" Zax proposed.
"Hey!" Kunsel greeted, now that ee realized it was Zax calling. "Yup, can do. I'm at the Cliff's workshop at the mo, so it might take me a bit to make my way back to sector zero."
"All goodz, I need a shower first." Zax told em. "See you then."
Kunsel gave the ring ee had been working on for some weeks, a last brush down.
"It's a nice piece." Chelsea Cliff complemented, when she stepped through the door of the workshop that she and her father owned. "What are you planning to do with an item like that?"
"It's for a friend." Kunsel told her. "He recently made second class."
"Lucky friend."
"That and I'm hopping it will suppress the effects of the DMW chip." Kunsel pocketed the band. Then handed Chelsea the apron and gloves ee had been using, so that she would not have to fetch her own from the peg on the wall. "Thanks for letting me use the shop. Your father's out back, when he comes in can you thank him for me to?"
"No problem." Chelsea assured. She was tying her hair into a rough bun, but spared a hand to wave Kunsel on.
Kunsel picked up a parcel of chips on ees way back to headquarters, and before taking the lift to the SOLDIER floor, ee stopped at the residential floor to put the chips in the oven at a low heat to keep warm.
"Hey Zax, you seem a little on edge." Kunsel observed on reaching the SOLDIER lounge. Where ee found ees friend performing squats, a frown on his face.
Kunsel took up a seat on the steps down to the sunken rec area, leaning back to hear what Zax might have to say.
"Can you blame me?" Zax asked. "All this training and no assignments, like they're hanging me out to dry. You must be pretty busy with everyone off base."
"Uhh, off base?" Kunsel queried confusedly. "Wait haven't you heard?" Ee then said pushing emself to ees feet once more. "There's been a mass desertion at Soldier."
"Huh?" Zax had apparently not been expecting to hear this, and he slowed his exercise to a standstill.
"It appears one of the firsts deserted." Kunsel shared. "He took a bunch of seconds and thirds with him too. No one knows why he left or what he's up to." Talk of this poorly kept secret had been on the vine for a bit, but ee supposed the word hadn't reached Zax. Kunsel explained further. "This mass desertion's the reason you're missions have been put on hold." That's the only answer Kunsel could assign to the situation. Between Zax's mentorship under General Hewley, and the need for a new 1st to assume General Rhapsodos position, Kunsel guessed that Zax was looking at a recommendation for a promotion in the near future. And too back up this theory, Zax had been required to use biorhythm testing equipment in his training session tonight as far as ee knew, that suggested he was being evaluated for 1st class.
The instigator behind the desertions, was the same Rhapsodos that Kunsel suspected of being the informant that Zax had learned about while on assignment in Mideel. Which meant that the two 1sts that Kunsel had taken for a couple, where now seemingly in opposition. And further more it looked as if Hewley had been put in charge of training Zax to replace Genesis.
The situation seemed off to Kunsel, ee would have shared these thoughts and observations, if ee hadn't heard someone approaching. Glancing over ee saw that it was Angeal Hewley himself. "Heads up, a first." Ee warned Zax.
Zax resisted starting, he had assumed he was off the hook for the night, was he in trouble?
"Zax, new assignment." Angeal announced.
"Wooo! finally!" He cheered. He wasn't in trouble, and it seemed he had a mission lined up for him. "Some real action." Coming forward he eagerly awaited further instruction.
"This will be your show." Angeal said with some trepidation.
"Yes!"
"Report to director Lizard, we'll give you the details." Angeal then lead the way to the briefingroom.
Zax and Kunsel followed after him, and Kunsel offered a. "Best of luck." Before Zax followed Angeal in, to meet with the director of SOLDIER.
Zax in turn gave his friend a quick thumbs up. "Send out a search party if I don't come back."
Angeal had already taken a seat with the director, to home Zax's attention was drawn. Lazard was a blond man with silver glasses perched on his nose, who upon spotting him pushed away from the table and stood to greet Zax. "Zax, it's good to finally meet face to face." Lazard then introduced himself, despite that all of SOLDIER knew who he was. "Lazard, director of soldier." He extended a hand.
Zax was unsure how he should go about greeting a superior who was not a fellow SOLDIER, so he settled with a strong handshake and a. "Heya." Lazard already had his name.
Lazard gave a polite sort of humph, then turned away to face his monitor saying. "On to business."
Zax stepped in to see what business the director was referring to, but found Lazard's screen was projected on the briefingroom back wall for him.
"Soldier first class…Genesis" Lazard introduced him to the picture and company profile, of a florid man that Zax recognized as the other 1st that had been at the SOLDIER exam years back. He had also seen this Genesis with Angeal with on occasion, previous to Angeal becoming Zax's mentor. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Genesis around for a while, the 'M.I.A' flashing across Genesis's photo explained why.
"A month ago he went missing during a mission in Wutai." Lazard continued.
Angeal kept his head bowed over his own monitor, as if he were reluctant to look at the projection or hear the story recanted.
Zax thought Angeal and Genesis must have been friends, he had never seen Angeal more visibly affected then he was now.
"Know anything about this?" Lazard lightly interrogated.
"Not a clue!" Zax denied smoothly.
Lazard's little. "Hum." Sound gave nothing away, and left Zax wondering if Lazard believed his claim or not.
"The mission is currently stuck in limbo." Lazard then told him, saving Zax from an awkward silence. "That's why we've decided to send you."
Seeking clarification Zax asked. "Uhh, to Wutai?"
"Yes. This war has gone on long enough."
"I've recommended you for first." Angeal announced catching Zax off guard entirely, and grabbing his attention.
"Wha!?" The only ways to make 1st were to be promoted by director Lazard, or president ShinRa. Or to be recommended for the position by an established 1st.
Zax had always known this was what he wanted, but Angeal was the last person he had expected would vouch for him like this. Zax couldn't quite believe it, and he had only just made second recently too. Bubbling with excitement, Zax swooped in to hug his mentor. "Angeal! I love you man! An-ugh"
Angeal extended an arm to keep Zax at a more comfortable distance. "Don't make me regret this Zax."
Lazard laugh quietly amused by the two.
"Sir!" Zax addressed Angeal, using the formality by which he was expected to address a superior.
"When you're packed, you'll leave at once." Angeal instructed. "The operation will begin immediately upon arrival at Wutai. If you have any questions about the assignment or the rules of engagement in general, you should talk to the other Soldier operatives." He cast his eyes over Zax's shoulder.
Zax had heard the door open and close. Turning he found Kunsel waiting for him, ees lips pressed together and ees dimples exaggerated, clearly giving away the smile ee was suppressing for formalities sake.
"I'll tell you everything you need to know." Kunsel volunteered. Having been deployed to Wutai before as a field hospital guard, ee knew the ropes.
Once ee had sent Zax some information on the rules of engagement in war. Helped Zax register with the missionboard, showed him how to access the missionboard from his PHS. And had made sure Zax knew about some of the places at headquarters with decent reception for his new PHS. Kunsel reminded Zax. "Now that you're registered, you can also book VR room time. If you're still unsure about the info I mailed to you, you can use the virtual reality system to practice." Ee suggested.
This seemed to agree with Zax. "Sounds like a good idea."
"Oh I almost forgot." Kunsel stepped over to the row of supply pods that stood against the waiting areas back wall. "I never explained these supply pods to you, did I?"
Zax shook his head.
"In these supply pods are items you can use in battle. The company sends them to us periodically." The items were distributed to SOLDIER operatives leaving the briefingroom on an assignment.
"I see. They're like provisions for Soldier members."
"It'd be a shame to squander the company's goodwill." Kunsel reasoned. "Check it out before you go on assignment. I wonder what they gave us this time?"
Zax joined Kunsel to look over the supply pods, he must have spotted his name where it was illuminated on the panel above the sixth pod. Using his keycard he had it open and took out a bronze bangle, which he slipped on right away.
Zax then closed the pod and opened it again, doing this several times waiting for an item to appear there.
"Now Zax, don't get greedy." Kunsel laughed at the others antics.
Zax in turn eyed Kunsel with a particular look. "You have items right? I want to make a good impression on the director. Share? Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please…"
Kunsel cut Zax off. "Fine fine." Ee shook ees head fondly. "If you want items so badly, I'll give you what I got in my pod the other day." Ee had hoped to have more time to modify it, but now was as good a time as any to give Zax ees gift. Taking off ees glove, ee removed the cursed ring from ees own finger. After restoring ees glove to ees hand, ee pressed the item into Zax's palm. "Congratulations on being recommended for first class."
