Cloud's apartment was surreal without the disorientation and fear Denzel remembered. Cloud took off his sword and propped it against the wall by the door, and that too no longer had a sinister quality. There was a spare room—one of the closed doors he'd seen before—which was now his bedroom, and Cloud told him to get some rest. There were plenty of questions, and all would be answered in time.

Denzel couldn't sleep because he was terrified of waking up in Kalm. He felt Cloud was an illusion that surely would disappear if he stopped focusing on it.

But Cloud was still there in the afternoon when Denzel did eventually wake up. The apartment had been tidied while he slept, and Cloud was going through paperwork at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. The sound of the waves outside was comforting.

Denzel poured himself some coffee. He asked about Godo and Yuffie and the plan to keep Junon safe. Cloud told him Junon was already safe and that Godo's troops—Leviathans, they were called—had been temporarily pushed back. They were no longer aggressively rooting out Cloud and his associates.

"But they are still in the city," Cloud warned. "I want you to avoid them at all times."

The plan for Godo had a few more elements to iron out, and in the meantime there were rules for Denzel to follow.

"You are not to be involved in my work unless I say so," Cloud said. "The associates know you are under my protection, but I need you to keep a low profile. You'll go to school. You'll do your homework. And you won't talk about me or what I do to anyone."

"What do you do?" Denzel asked. He wanted to hear Cloud describe it for himself.

"I do what customers pay me to do," Cloud replied, and then went into further detail.

Cloud was the leader of an organization of mercenaries, what Cloud referred to as 'associates'. Though technically any contract could be for anything, the vast majority were for executions. Junon associates had a reputation for discretion and professionalism. There was a reason for this. Cloud did not tolerate disloyalty, and everyone who worked for him knew to keep customers confidential and execute with perfection. Anyone who tried to skip out on a contract, put another associate at risk, or lied about a contract being fulfilled was met by Cloud and did not survive. This was where Cloud's brutal reputation came from.

"But it's really just a hold-over from the time I worked in Wutai," he explained. "I'm not really like that anymore."

Denzel didn't pry into what he meant by 'working in Wutai', but he had some idea if that's where the nefarious reputation was born. Torture, maybe. Cloud didn't want to talk about it, though. He went on, instead, talking more of Junon.

He handled contract assignments, which was why the kitchen table was littered with papers, and he met with associates to dole out payment once the contract was complete. If a target was deemed too high-risk for any of his associates, he handled the contract himself. When work got busy, he also cleared up lower-value contracts. He spent the nights following targets, learning their behaviors and patterns, to strike at the opportune private moment.

"What else do you want to know?" It was clear Cloud enjoyed talking about this. "I figure the more information you have the better, since you'll be living here, and I don't want you worrying about me."

"What about the mako?" Denzel asked, intrigued by all of this.

Cloud hesitated, then said, "I… inherited the distribution infrastructure for a supply chain direct from Wutai."

Wutai again. Denzel sensed this had to do with Cloud's uneasy time there in the past.

Because so many people relied on mako to get through the day, many of Cloud's associates were paid to protect dealers and distributors. Over time, this relationship solidified and now his organization was entrenched in the mako network. Wutai had the purest strains, and it was his responsibility to ensure no disruptions.

"This is why Godo is an annoyance," he commented. "He doesn't understand how important mako is to people just trying to get by. There is no threat."

Denzel wanted to ask if Cloud took mako. It seemed obvious that he would, but Cloud didn't act particularly different, and it was impossible to tell since he had that real Mako glow in his eyes.

"I don't want you taking it, is that clear?" Cloud added, and the sudden command startled Denzel.

He nodded quickly.

"And one more thing," Cloud continued. "I can't stand lying. It gets under my skin real bad, so I am going to trust that you never lie to me. Got it?"

Denzel said he got it. Cloud relaxed. It all seemed pretty easy to follow, and Denzel was happy that his nightmares were over.

After dark, Cloud took him to an equipment shop in the slums and bought a sleek all-mythril blade. A shortsword with a black matte sheath. The owner of the shop was familiar with Cloud, and Denzel got the impression this was a trusted source who could arm associates without question.

"For you," Cloud said, handing it over to Denzel. "We'll train in the evenings. This is for defensive purposes only unless I say otherwise."

And that was how Denzel's life in Junon began. The plan for Godo was in the works, and he had much to learn. Sometimes Cloud let Denzel shadow him on safer tasks, like picking up papers from couriers or checking-in with operatives, who were a type of spy that confirmed death of a target after an associate reported a contract complete. It was all very fascinating to Denzel.

Most nights, Cloud would disappear and not return until morning.

Denzel would hear the door creak open and the sound of Cloud slowly unzipping his boots, leaving them mud-caked by the entry. He moved without sound through the apartment, which Denzel figured was his way of trying very hard not to wake Denzel up. Then the shower would turn on, and when Denzel awoke later, Cloud's bedroom door would be closed and he assumed Cloud was sleeping. On the weekends, he saw Cloud sleep all afternoon, emerging at dusk like a nocturnal creature, brewing a cup of coffee and telling Denzel to get ready for training.

It was difficult at school not to talk about Cloud at all. The other kids in the upper tier district came from wealthy families with butlers and married parents and brand-name clothes. Denzel didn't fit in, but Cloud didn't care. This was the school and he had to make it work.

Denzel looked forward to training with Cloud on his sword daily. They went to an abandoned warehouse in the lower tiers, and Cloud used a dulled katana against Denzel's mythril. It was fun and difficult, and some nights he hated it because Cloud would trick him or show him how easy it was to break through an incorrect stance, but most times, even when he was sore or bruised, he felt he was actually accomplishing something. It was also the only uninterrupted time he really spent with Cloud.

Cloud was very busy, and one day he didn't see Cloud at all after coming home from school, which was a little unusual since this was normally when Cloud would wake up.

The night passed. Cloud still didn't return. No boots by the door.

Two more days went by, and Denzel began to worry. He had no way to contact Cloud when he was working. 'Off-the-grid', Cloud explained once. Except now he was really gone.

The single white lily in its vase by the windows was wilted. Cloud was the one who refreshed it weekly, and the sight of it troubled Denzel.

Another night. No Cloud. Denzel stayed up all night, listening for the sound of those boots. He wasn't sure what to do or who to tell.

Then one evening, while he was doing homework, Cloud reappeared. The door clicked with his key and he walked in as if he hadn't just been gone for ages. Denzel leapt up and ran to give him a hug, asking where he'd been and why hadn't he said anything, but Cloud pushed him away, cradling one arm, and went directly into the bathroom to shower. Then he slept for two days straight.

When at last Cloud resurfaced, he looked pale but otherwise fine.

Denzel wanted to be furious. "What the hell?" he demanded.

Cloud gave him a look saying not to speak to him like that. He'd been working a job and it took an unexpected turn. That was all.

"If there's ever a time I don't come back for real," Cloud said. "There's a stash of gil under the floorboards in the closet. Just take that and leave Junon."

But the dismissive attitude only pissed Denzel off more.

"I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't just leave Junon," he insisted. "I'd find you. I'd help you."

Cloud smiled at this, but said nothing more on the subject.

Another week went by, and after training later into the night than usual, Cloud finally told him the words he'd been wanting to hear.

"The plan for Godo. I'll need you for this next part."

It made his chest soar. Cloud needed him. He would be useful.

They departed for Gongaga in the morning via airship. Cloud detailed their mission before they left the apartment that morning.

Godo's top commander kept a second house in Gongaga, and Godo was so paranoid about mako infecting his ranks that he regularly sent inspection teams to sweep the homes of his officers. So the plan was to break into this house and plant mako just before the inspection team arrived, guaranteeing that Godo would believe his top tier man was a despicable addict. This would draw the attention inward and help destabilize Godo's military.

The only problem was that the commander's house was practically a fortress, sealed with an electronic security system on the outside— "which I can disable," Cloud added—but the back-up mechanical locks were old-fashioned and highly complex. Nobody in Cloud's network had the aptitude to get through any of the doors or windows.

"Which is where you come in," Cloud said to Denzel.

The only way to enter the house was through the venting, but the opening was far too small for an adult to fit. And even with the security system disabled, they don't want to leave any trace of entry so altering the size of the vent opening was out of the question.

"You're going to crawl in there, plant the mako, and get out."

Denzel nodded. It seemed simple enough. The commander would be away, Cloud said, and the inspection team wouldn't be there until the next day, so they had plenty of time to accomplish the mission. It was the perfect initiation, Denzel thought, and he wouldn't fail Cloud.

The flight went by slow. Denzel's excitement kept him alert and anxious. Cloud seemed to be sleeping the whole time.

Gongaga was a decent-sized town, but it looked a decade or so behind the metropolises of Junon or Edge. Everyone walked slowly, wearing fashions from years ago, and the general atmosphere was one of decline and exhaustion. Cloud led him through the streets into a residential neighborhood, then they cut a path behind the houses, traversing along foot trails.

They came to an imposing house, two stories tall, windows and doors closed and curtained.

"This is it," Cloud announced.

There was nobody else around. They were in a thicket of trees and hedges, concealed from any nosy neighbors. Cloud pointed at a metal grate at the base of the back wall. It looked tiny. Barely wide enough for Denzel's shoulders.

Cloud busied himself with an electrical box beneath the back porch stairs, and Denzel tried to calm his adrenaline. It was so quiet in the town.

"There," Cloud said, finalizing something in the wiring. "The security system is off, looping on a static feed. You should be able to walk freely inside."

Denzel gulped. Cloud disconnected the grate and wrenched it off, exposing silver tubing leading into darkness. Then Cloud took out a flashlight and clipped it to Denzel's jacket.

"Okay, remember, just plant the mako and get out. Don't touch anything you can avoid. Put on these gloves. Leave your sword out here. I'll be waiting."

If anything seemed off inside or looked suspicious, Denzel was to immediately come back out. Cloud took out a small case of mako pills from his coat and closed Denzel's palm around it.

"I'm trusting you with this," Cloud said, and the unspoken implication was that Denzel had better not steal any for himself.

Denzel told him not to worry and got down to inspect the vent. It looked scary, but he wasn't going to let Cloud down. He hauled himself in and crawled forward.

The vent creaked under his weight but didn't fall. He lay prone, sliding his elbows in the dust to proceed. It was cramped and claustrophobic, and he made a few wrong turns which left him backing up awkwardly to retrace his steps, but at last he found an opening which led into the house.

He pried off the ventilation covering and eased himself down, falling the final two meters to the ground. He froze, waiting for an alarm but the house was silent. He was in a basement. Old crates lay covered in cobwebs and filth. Motes of dust filled the air in his flashlight beam.

He went upstairs and surveyed the house. It was a luxurious space, with immaculate marble countertops in the kitchen and polished mahogany furniture throughout. He wondered how someone in the military could've gotten this rich.

Carefully, he opened the mako container—thirteen pills—and left them around the house in half-concealed places. A few in a kitchen draw, some behind the bathroom mirror, a couple in the nightstand of the master bedroom. It was strange being in someone else's home, going through their cabinets, but this was what he signed up for. Cloud was counting on him.

Mission accomplished, Denzel balanced on a crate in the basement and climbed back into the vent. He came out covered in cobwebs, his hair white with dust.

Cloud was on the phone but immediately hung up when he saw Denzel.

"All done," Denzel reported. "So now what?"

"I need to go to Wutai," Cloud said, putting away his phone. "You'll stay here overnight. I need you to confirm that the inspection team arrives and finds the mako. Can you do that?"

Denzel squirmed. He didn't like the idea of being away from Cloud in a foreign town like this. But he didn't want to disappoint, and he certainly didn't want Cloud to think he couldn't handle something as straightforward as this. He agreed, and Cloud handed him enough gil for a night's stay, with extra for food. Cloud re-positioned the grate and toyed with the electrical box, and they were done.

"Do not engage with the inspection team," Cloud advised as they parted ways at the airship terminal. "Even if things go wrong, just report it back to me. Don't put yourself at risk." Then he added, "I might be in Wutai for a few days. Maybe longer. I'll see you in Junon."

Denzel waved goodbye, feeling powerless. But he put his childish feelings aside and resolved to complete the remainder of his mission without fail. This was the first time Cloud was trusting him with work, and he would not mess it up.

He strolled around Gongaga, familiarizing himself with the town's layout and the neighborhood around the commander's house, until it got dark. Then he bought a room at the nearest inn.

It was a drab outdated room overlooking a trash-filled alley. He lay atop the mold-scented blanket, and tried his best to sleep. Cats yowled outside his window all night. Fitfully, he dreamt of Marlene, holding Tifa's ring, but she was silent and frozen as if in death.