The morning was grim, everyone in some state of nervousness. Surprisingly, Cloud wasn't the most nervous. No, that title went to Sephiroth. All through breakfast (courtesy of Cloud) he would randomly blurt out little tricks he'd picked up in his long and bloody career.

While Cloud was thankful for the consideration, he was put off slightly when Sephiroth started sharing how to make a clean kill with minimal blood stains. Realizing how he sounded, Sephiroth trailed off with the story and turned back to his food.

Genesis abandoned his breakfast halfway through and retreated to his room. Cloud tried not to pay attention to that.

"Cloud," Zack called gently, unusually serious for once. "It's about time to go. We'll see you later, okay?"

"Oh..." Cloud blinked, briefly panicking at how fast time slipped away. He stood and Zack hugged him tightly before clearing away his plate. He didn't return from the sink.

He met Angeal and Sephiroth at the door to the apartment. Angeal whispered encouragements while Sephiroth helped strap on his two swords.

"Will I need both of them?"

"I don't know Cloud; they won't tell the mentors what the assessment will be like. I'm sorry," Sephiroth told him, looking stressed. Cloud tried to smile up at him to reassure him.

"Cloud, remember your strengths. You're quick and you have good instincts. If they tell you to run then go for it. A battle isn't all about brawling. You have to be smart about it too," Angeal lectured.

"I know," Cloud said. He opened the door but hesitated at actually leaving yet. He hadn't said goodbye to-

"Wait!"

Genesis came dashing out of the bedroom he shared with Angeal and Cloud the night before. He strode up and clasped something around Cloud's forearm. It wasn't terribly heavy but it did feel uncomfortable.

"It's a materia bracer. Don't give me that look, it's all Support materia. You don't have to do a thing; it'll just raise your stats automatically without any drain. Keep it on, for our sanity," Genesis requested, not letting go of Cloud's arm until the blonde nodded.

"You all are acting like it's the end of the world," Cloud said a little shakily. "I'll be okay, I'm sure."

Three pairs of doleful eyes blinked at him and he just shook his head, stepping through the door. Really, Angeal was the only reasonable person between them all.

"I suppose it would be too much to ask you all to not worry?" he asked, looking back. They didn't answer. "Yeah, I thought so."

And Cloud was gone, walking off to his first assessment as Sephiroth's student.

-o-o-

"None of you can be there," Tseng said kindly to the horrified SOLDIERs. "It's for cadets and their training masters and the scouts only."

"There are SOLDIER scouts, dammit!" Zack swore.

Tseng looked at him dispassionately, still slightly angry at Zack's attack of Reno weeks before.

"They were already registered as scouts. None of you are. In fact, two of you are registered as dead. There's a joke somewhere to be found in this, but I won't throw salt into your wounds."

"Tseng," Sephiroth began, fully prepared to beg the man.

"No, Sephiroth. It's final. But Reno's a scout, he's gonna be there if that makes you feel any better," the Turk offered the others.

"Just a bit," Zack conceded. Sephiroth slouched back into his chair but the two 'dead' SOLDIERs still weren't appeased.

"So we're just supposed to trust a Turklet with our lover?" Genesis snorted. "The kid isn't even good enough to be a proper Turk let alone a proficient fighter."

"Cloud will be fine," Tseng said tightly.

"And all we have is the word of a Turk-"

"FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, SHUT THE HELL UP!" Zack yelled at the bickering trio.

-o-o-

Cloud took a seat in the classroom soon after he entered, not really interested in milling about like the others. They were all nervous too, he could tell. They boasted among eachother so enthusiastically that they revealed exactly how forced it was.

When the instructor entered, most sat but some preferred to stand. Having not been given the order, they continued to stand there as the man began.

"Today you'll be assessed on the effectiveness of your SOLDIER mentors. If you do well, it will be a credit to your mentor. If you fail to perform, it will be a shame for your mentor. Remember your debt to him and do your mentor proud.

"Now, onto the main event. You all are understandably curious at how you'll be assessed, I'm sure and we have considered several options. Some have suggested that we put you all in a controlled setting and have you experience a combat situation as real as you could get without it being life threatening. There was also a suggestion that we simply assess your condition. Still others want you all to engage in combat with a Shinra operative.

"We've discarded these ideas for one we believe would show your skills best. Each of you will be partnered up and you both will be given another pair to engage in combat in a virtual battlefield."

Uneasy murmurs swept through the class at the prospect at having to fight eachother. Clearly they had not been expecting such a thing. Cloud almost laughed. Out of everyone there, he would have the least problem fighting against his fellow cadets.

After this revelation, the instructor began drawing names to assign partners. Cloud was paired with another cadet he was only vaguely familiar with named Seth Williams. They met eyes from across the classroom, each coolly sizing eachother up.

The names continued until there were no more slips of paper in the bucket. After this happened, the instructor returned his attention to the class.

"You'll be given until lunch to strategize with your partner. After lunch, you will report back to this class room. The other classrooms on this floor have been opened if you want to strategize privately."

The class erupted, most flooding out the door with their partners to begin planning. Seth approached Cloud as Cloud stood and stretched.

"I hope you can use those things," he said, referring to Cloud's two swords. "God knows I can't."

"Then what use are you?" Cloud challenged. Seth smiled slowly.

"I'm pretty kickass with a gun. How are you?"

"Miserable."

"This'll be good."

Wordlessly, they began to move out of the classroom.

"How are you with materia?" Cloud had to ask.

"Not good. I have a basic cure and a weak fire. You?"

"Even worse. I can't even manage to equip a piece."

"Well crap. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Seth asked randomly.

Cloud let his cocked brow do the talking for him.

"The gym's a class, right?"

They both broke out in a jog to see if it was open. It was. And empty. Bonus.

"It's been a while," Cloud marveled.

"Seriously?" Seth asked in surprise. "How'd you manage that?"

"I was on vacation," Cloud said vaguely. "Don't worry; I kept up with my weapons practice."

"Vacation? Really? How in the hell did you get away with that?"

"My mentor."

"Who is it?"

"The General," Cloud said awkwardly. "He wanted a break and Shinra made it happen."

There was a moment of silence before-

"So are you the cadet he was sleeping with?"

Cloud flared red. "Is that any of your business?"

"So that's a yes. I'll have to drag some stories out of you some day but today I feel like not being beaten up, okay? Let's get to planning."

When the lunch alarm buzzed, the two had thoroughly gone over every eventuality they could think of. They were buzzing with nervous tension all over again, though.

"You wanna grab lunch with me?" Seth asked, strolling along towards the canteen.

"Sure. You gotta PHS?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, here," Seth dug it out of a side pocket of his pants and gave it to him. It wasn't as advanced as what Cloud was used to, but he still managed.

There was a scarce ring before the other picked up with a rushed, "Hello?"

"Hi, Zack. Just wanted to tell you that I'll be grabbing lunch at the canteen," Cloud relayed.

"No you aren't," Zack said sternly.

"Zack...?" Cloud asked, slowing to a stop and motioning for Seth to do the same.

"We cooked for you Cloud," he insisted. "You have an hour; you can come up to grab some food."

"Sure," Cloud agreed. "Mind if I bring someone? We were gonna get lunch together."

"Not at all, Puppybo," Zack chirped.

"Shut up with that stupid nickname!" Cloud snapped into the device and ended the call. He handed the PHS back to the other.

"We've been invited for lunch," he informed Seth.

-o-o-

"You ride this elevator EVERY DAY?" Seth marveled. They were flying up the floors as per usual.

"Don't remind me," Cloud complained. "I get motion sick."

"Oh, poor baby," he snorted. "Don't you realize how lucky you are?"

"Every day," Cloud grinned. "What, thought I was a pampered little boy?"

"Uh, yeah. Still do."

"Good. I would hate to come off as shallow or anything. Y'know, just so we're clear."

"Fantastic," Seth laughed as the elevator smoothly slowed to a stop. The doors opened and Seth just followed as Cloud exited. As the doors closed behind them, they spotted three people sitting on the floor. They all looked over.

Zack was the first to jump up and rush over. He hauled Cloud into his arms and spun around. The other two (Genesis and Sephiroth) came at a more sedate pace. "I found him!" Zack crowed and Cloud blushed. Sephiroth just sighed and pulled the cadet out of Zack's hold.

"Stop it," he ordered his subordinate. He turned to Cloud, "We can't go back in without you. Angeal and Tseng kicked us out. Who is this?"

"This is Seth; he's my partner for the assessments. Why did you guys get kicked out?" Cloud asked while beginning to wander down the hall, aware that Seth was moving much slower.

"We tried to cook," Sephiroth explained.

"Oh, okay," Cloud accepted. He swiped his card and punched in the code to let them in and held the door until Seth managed to wander in. "Seth, it's okay. No need to be nervous. They don't bite."

"Recently," Genesis announced.

"At all," Cloud stressed, shooting his lover a glare. He received a shrug.

"It's nice to meet you," Sephiroth said politely before drifting off to the kitchen.

"Hi, Seth was it?" Receiving a nod, Zack continued, "I'm Zackary Fair. First Class SOLDIER. Cloud's other lover. It's cool to meet you."

"Uh," Seth stalled. "It's... good to meet you too, sir."

"Zack," Cloud deadpanned.

"What? Just letting your friend here know that you get around," Zack explained in faux-innocence. "Quite a lot, actually. Right now there are only two people whose brains you haven't screwed out at one point."

Cloud turned scarlet in record time. Zack was sure it was either from embarrassment or rage. Or maybe a mix, considering that he was attacked and thrown out of the apartment by the sweet puppybo he loved so dearly.

-o-o-

Lunch was awkward. Very much so.

Seth got on alright with everyone. He made fast friends with Zack (after he had been let back in by a smug Tseng) and Angeal, but he still was slightly star struck by Sephiroth.

Also, it turned out that he was one of the rare Shinra men that actually were straight. He wasn't the least bit thankful that Genesis decided that Cloud didn't need a chair. Or a fork. The cadet sat on his lap and ate from his plate.

Let's revisit the point. It was awkward.

"Cloud, what are the assessments going to be like?" Sephiroth asked at one point.

"Well, we were all partnered up and we're gonna have to fight against another pair in a virtual setting. Like what Zack said he and Angeal used to do," the blonde explained, stealing Genesis' fork.

"How is your casting ability?" Genesis asked Seth, ignoring the teen's discomfort. "Do you have any materia?"

"Uh, yeah. Low-level stuff. I'm a fair caster. I just don't have the stamina to keep doing it if I want to be a steady shot."

"He's gonna do the long range stuff," Cloud added. "I can do the shiny sharp thing. It'll be cool."

"I can lend you some more suitable materia, if you want," Genesis offered. He stood and deposited the blonde in his vacated chair. "Come along and have a look."

Seth looked uncomfortable and Zack snorted. "Go ahead, just because you're in a gay guy's room doesn't mean you'll get raped. Actually, judging by the crime stats, it's more likely you'll be raped by a straight man."

Seth got up and followed Genesis just to try and drive that thought out of his head. Cloud was snickering at his misfortune.

"Of course, Genesis would probably do him if he showed the inclination," Zack added. "But he had Cloud in his bed last night, so even he should be happy for now."

"Are you sexually frustrated?" Cloud growled at the Gongagan. "From the moment I stepped through that door-"

Cloud was cut off by a pair of lips and an invading tongue.

Angeal had to haul the two hormonal teens to the bedroom himself to spare Seth's eyes before he came back.

"Where's Cloud?" he asked in confusion, looking to the three left. "It's not time to go yet. Right?"

"Right," Angeal affirmed. "You still have about twenty minutes taking into account the walk and elevator ride."

Probably more like ten, he mentally added. Y'know, since your partner is having a quick screw. Well, hopefully a quick one. He'll need a shower after, and a few minutes to recover.

Fifteen minutes later, Cloud emerged. His hair was still slicked down and he was struggling to put on his swords and his bracer. Sephiroth and Genesis went over to assist him.

"How is Zack?" Angeal asked voice deep with humor. "Conscious?"

Cloud hid his face shyly and Seth realized what Cloud had been doing. He chose not to comment. They bid the SOLDIERs and Turk farewell, Seth turning his head when Cloud received kisses from the SOLDIER men.

He waited until they were safely in the elevator to say, "I know it's not true, but you come off as a slut."

Cloud turned red and spat denials.

-o-o-

They were on time getting back and felt good. The blush cooled off Cloud's face and Seth had a sparkling new Poison materia and a few elixirs to split between him and his partner, courtesy of Genesis who did not, in fact, try to rape him.

In short, they were ready to go. Not wait for the better part of the day.

They waited for the better part of the day. They were low on the schedule and the time made them anxious monsters. Cloud belatedly remembered that Reno was observing the cadets. One way or the other, he would have a job after this was over. He hoped the same for his new friend. Why had they never hung out before now? Right, he was a Junon cadet.

When they were finally called up, they were pretty much a mess. They were escorted to a room off of the virtual chamber and told to wait until the door unlocked to begin. They weren't told what environment it was, or who they would be facing.

Or if any cadets had died. Okay, so it wasn't likely, but still. They had to right to know. Right? Right.

"Do you think we could come out underwater or something? Can you swim?" Seth asked.

"I can't. Can you?"

"Yeah."

There was a beeping noise and a click that ended it. They looked at the door and saw the red light had changed to green. Universal color for go.

They looked at eachother and saw matching emotions. Desperation. Fear. Determination.

"Maybe we can stay here and hope the other team will get so stir crazy they'll kill eachother," Cloud suggested.

Seth smiled. "Not likely. We going?"

"No other option at this point. Not like there's an emergency button to back out."

They bumped fists as they walked out the opening door.

-o-o-

Sorry for the wait. Can't really say I have an excuse. My writing buddies fell through and I got unmotivated. Next chapter is the last. After that, of course, will be "The Next Cadet," the sequel. It shouldn't span more than a year, hopefully. Knowing this story's habit for getting out of control, I wouldn't be surprised if it mutates into something more. Review please!