Spring [ µ ] - εγλ 2000, Wutai Village
It was quiet in the Kisaragi Residence – no, not quiet. Even 'quiet' had a certain fill to it that most people just didn't notice. It didn't live up to the complete dead silence in the building.
Gone were the sounds of people rushing down the hallways, sliding doors and the nervous whispers of its inhabitants. Even the ubiquitous muffled sounds from walls and ceiling, indicating a hidden but persistent observer, had fallen silent. Only the soft creaking of old wooden floor below Sephiroth's feet was echoing through the building as he was wandering the deserted hallway.
This complete silence was all Sephiroth needed to be certain: The Kisaragi Residence was empty – exactly as it should be.
Over two days had gone by, since the group of Soldiers under Genesis' command had arrived at the gates of Wutai's capital. The campaign beforehand had gone swimmingly, even taking their time conquering one stronghold after another, it had taken them just a few weeks to get to this point. Once there, Genesis had given its ruler a choice: surrender peacefully or suffer the consequences.
Neither of them had honestly expected Lord Kisaragi to surrender. He and his ministers were known for being superb warriors themselves and the people of Wutai valued their way of living and therefore independence more than anything – some of them even higher than their own lives. It was an inconceivable level of dedication, that no Soldier would even consider. For that reason, it had seemed unlikely for Lord Kisaragi to just give up their resistance after as much as eight years of war. Much to their surprise, however, Wutai's ruler had yielded without much hesitation – most likely to avoid more losses on their side.
Frankly, Wutai Village wouldn't have been able to withstand an attack of SOLDIER for a long anyway. The fortification of Wutai Village was lackluster at best, posing even less of a challenge for them than Wutai's outposts. Sephiroth could tell just by looking at it from the outside, that in case of a battle between Soldier and Wutai's forces, civilian casualties probably would have been unavoidable. Additionally, Shinra's side hadn't lost a single Soldier over the last weeks, while Wutai's numbers had dwindled drastically. As unyielding as Wutai was, it would have been foolish to sacrifice the last remaining forces of their army, when the outcome was more than clear.
Since this capitulation, both Sephiroth and Genesis had spent most of their time in the Kisaragi Residence, leaving the rest of town to the Seconds and Thirds. Genesis' deputy was more than capable to keep them and the village under control, while the two Firsts kept an eye on Wutai's elite to ensure smooth cooperation from Wutai's side until Shinra's official delegation arrived.
The time in the residence had been... interesting, to say the least. The two First Classes had figured out very quickly, that many of the thin walls were actually hiding secret cavities and rooms, including thin corridors connecting them. Any person, that was both quiet and agile enough, was therefore able to traverse the building quickly and completely unnoticed to unsuspecting visitors – a concerning thought, considering that Wutai's warriors were stealth specialists. It was the perfect environment for ninjas to operate in and it was mainly thanks to the Soldiers' sharp ears, that Sephiroth and Genesis noticed this as fast as they did.
Needless to say, sleeping in an environment like this had been out of the question. It didn't matter, that Lord Kisaragi had prohibited his men from harming the Soldiers in any way or form. It also didn't matter, that an assault was much more likely to kill the attacker than Sephiroth or Genesis. In a place like this, with so much hostility in the air, letting one's guard down for just a moment would inevitably encourage rash decisions, that might threaten the highly delicate truce between Wutai and Shinra. The outcome of that would be unpredictable, but most likely unnecessary bloody – and most certainly not for the Soldiers.
No. Getting a bit of sleep wasn't worth the bother to deal with that.
Fortunately for them, Soldiers did have a high tolerance for sleep deprivation. Staying concentrated after two sleepless nights wasn't a problem, although focusing became much more difficult after three days. In theory, they could go even further, but after about two weeks, the hallucinations and paranoia became too much to handle.
Thankfully, they weren't this far yet, though, and their time in Wutai was about to come to an end, anyway. There was only one thing left to do for the two Firsts, a personal request coming from Veld, the head of the Turks: They needed to ensure, that the Kisaragi Residence was guaranteed to be safe for Shinra's official delegation – or rather, for President Shinra, who had decided to come to Wutai in person. Which was exactly the reason, why Sephiroth was wandering the deserted hallways of the building – its inhabitants were outside, where they couldn't interfere with their work.
Usually, securing buildings wasn't falling into SOLDIER's remit, unless monsters or terrorists were involved. The President's safety was the Turks' responsibility and didn't allow any mistakes, especially not caused by inexperience with this kind of task. However, Veld was apparently short on personnel suited for this mission, since a few of his veteran Turks had gone missing very recently. The department was still investigating the case, but for whatever reason the men had vanished, they had left a hole, that was hard to fill, especially not by the Turks' current rookies.
The two Firsts also didn't have the experience needed to thoroughly search the residence, but they knew Wutai's way of thinking and the building's peculiarities and thanks to their enhanced senses, they would notice things, that no Turk could. That's why Veld had asked them to clear the building with one of his Turks and ensure, that nobody was in it, when President Shinra entered.
It was an unusual task, but honestly not the first time, that Sephiroth had been asked to assist the department, so Sephiroth had accepted without hesitation. It was always beneficial to be on good terms with the Turks.
When Sephiroth returned from his round to the entry area of the building, Genesis was already waiting for him, leaning against the low fence, that separated the hallway from the small indoor pond and greenery.
"I assume, your part of the building is clear?" Genesis asked as Sephiroth approached him. The other First nodded.
"It's completely empty. I didn't notice any suspicious sounds in the walls either."
"Same. It seems like they took our threats to check all secret doors, that we could find, seriously. What a surprise."
"What about the Turk?" Sephiroth asked, because he was admittedly still a bit bothered about the man Veld has sent them and who had accompanied Genesis while searching the building.
Sephiroth had believed to know all Turks at least by sight, but this one, a man in his late twenties or early thirties, was completely unknown to him. The man had been able to proof his identity as Turk, though, so it was probably one of the Turks, who was working mainly out of Midgar and Junon.
"Our grumpy friend has decided to pay the staff a visit," Genesis simply replied with a shrug. "That means, we're finished here, aren't we?"
"Yes," Sephiroth answered with another nod. "We're still supposed to meet the delegation outside, but other than that, we're finished. Veld and his men will take over from here."
"Good. I hate doing personal protection," Genesis muttered while trying to rub off a faint stain from the sleeve of his red coat. "Although we don't really look presentable, I'm afraid..."
Unfortunately, Genesis was right with that. Lately, it had been quite rainy in Wutai, resulting in muddy ground. The bad weather and the ensuing poor visibility had worked to their advantage, but marching through the underbrush of Wutai while being completely soaked by the pouring rain, had left its mark on their uniforms. Since their arrival, they had done their best to at least clean their clothes and boots, but there were still faint stains, that they just couldn't remove under the current circumstances. However, as much as Sephiroth would have preferred to face the President in a flawless condition, it could be worse.
"It can't be helped," Sephiroth replied and Genesis gave up his attempts to remove the stain with a soft sigh. "You remember, what we've talked about?"
"Of course. I have the whole procedure memorized, don't worry." Genesis flicked back a rebellious strand of red hair, looking rather unimpressed about the question and their current situation. "Have I ever disappointed in front of the President?"
Indeed, Sephiroth didn't have to remind Genesis of how to act in front of the President. Genesis might be bold, but definitely he knew, how to act according to the situation and when it was better to show respect.
However, Genesis' behavior towards President Shinra wasn't exactly, what Sephiroth was referring to. He was honestly more concerned about the fact, that Heidegger was also part of Shinra's delegation and ever since the two men's last encounter, Sephiroth wasn't quite sure, whether Genesis' judgment of appropriate behavior in front of the director was completely trustworthy. His inhibition threshold seemed to have lowered to a dangerous degree when Heidegger was involved and honestly, it was worrying Sephiroth.
Unfortunately, Sephiroth couldn't remind Genesis of this right now. The building might appear abandoned, but one could never be too careful in a hollow house full of ninjas. There could always be a pair of ears, happy to eavesdrop on a topic like this. So Sephiroth would need to have faith in Genesis' judgment and hope, that his friend refrained from provoking Heidegger in any way – be it consciously or subconsciously.
"Shall we go, then?" Sephiroth asked, one hand already at the front door.
"Of course. I have no intention of staying any longer than absolutely necessary."
Unlike the residence itself, the plaza in front of it wasn't empty. To the contrary, the view of it sort of reminded Sephiroth of a few military parades, that he had attended in the past – a pretentious demonstration of power and unity, presented by perfectly accurate lines of Soldiers and infantrymen, standing bolt upright both around the plaza and along the street leading to town. The whole procedure was so ingrained into the men's heads, that they snapped to attention the very moment, that the two Firsts stepped out of the building – without being given any audible order, but still perfectly in sync.
However, unlike any other military parade Sephiroth had attended before, there was also a significant disruption in this otherwise perfect performance. Several men in the line up refused to move according to the others and simply stood on their positions, unmoving and completely unbothered by the adjacent soldiers.
Had those men been Shinra's troops, this lack of discipline would have been considered a disgrace, an unforgivable lack of respect. However, none of these men was one of Shinra's soldiers and interestingly, this behavior was in itself an act of unity, because they were all warriors of Wutai, that had been forced to line up with Shinra's forces. Despite being flanked by Second and Third Class Soldiers, Wutai's men refused to subject themselves to Shinra's rules, thus making a statement, that was loud and clear: Wutai's forces would obey only one man – and it most certainly wasn't President Shinra.
No. The only person, those men would follow without question was Godo Kisaragi himself, the ruler of Wutai.
Sephiroth threw a short glance at Lord Kisaragi as he descended the stairs down the entry of the residence. Just like his men, Lord Kisaragi had gotten his position on the plaza and was standing right next to the stairs leading into his residence, as if to welcome President Shinra in his home. This probably wasn't entirely against the will of Wutai's ruler, since Sephiroth had the feeling, that Lord Kisaragi still had some hopes for pending negotiations. Hopes, that, if he presented himself and the country as confident, but accommodating, Shinra would concede more rights to Wutai. He would realize soon enough, that President Shinra wasn't open to making concessions and there was nothing, that Wutai could do to change it.
The two First Class Soldiers silently replaced the two Seconds next to Lord Kisaragi, Genesis to his left and Sephiroth to his right. From there, Sephiroth had an excellent overview over the plaza and towards town. The delegation still hadn't arrived, so he used this opportunity to take a good look at potential hazards regarding Wutai's men, although it didn't take a long analysis to notice, that all of Wutai's representatives were guards. They were either Lord Kisaragi's personal guards or those guarding this place as a whole, including the residence, the pagoda and the other buildings.
Over the last days, Sephiroth had observed these men thoroughly to get an idea, what kind of people they were dealing with. What were their patterns or daily routines? How did they react to danger? Did they approach the Soldiers and if yes, how? What was their behavior towards Lord Kisaragi or other inhabitants of the building? Towards each other? If Sephiroth had even the slightest feeling, that some piece of information might be useful eventually, he kept a mental note on it, all while piecing together patterns and characteristics as a result.
Thanks to his observations, Sephiroth had been able to deduce, that the guards were loyal to a fault. The safety of the Kisaragi family was their top priority and if they needed so sacrifice anything to protect Lord Kisaragi or his daughter, they would probably do it without hesitation. Also, as long as Lord Kisaragi ordered them to stay calm, they would comply to whatever Shinra wanted of them. They didn't like it, but they would obey this order without question.
Thanks to it, the personal guards could be considered safe – predictable even, as they simply wouldn't risk to put their ruler in danger for any given reason. They were the ideal attendants for President Shinra's little demonstration of power – much better than another prominent group of warriors, that had been present over the last days, the Crescent Unit.
Admittedly, Sephiroth hadn't actually seen very much of the Crescent Unit, Wutai's elite force in both battle and espionage, over the last two days. Its present members avoided him whenever possible, since Sephiroth did have a certain reputation after years at the front. They had learned from countless lost battles, unsuccessful ambushes and failed attempts on his life, that Sephiroth was out of their league and therefore preferred to stay out of his sight. Other than that, Sephiroth was quite certain, that the Crescent Unit were, in fact, the hidden observers in the stalking the Soldiers through the building, trying to find out as much as possible about him and Genesis, hoping to get the right opportunity to strike.
The only time, that Sephiroth had actually seen one, had been right after the Soldiers' arrival, when Sephiroth had overheard an argument between one member of the Crescent Unit and Lord Kisaragi. The warrior had been firmly asking Wutai's ruler to reconsider his surrender, apparently thinking, that he and his men could still eliminate the First Classes and then the Soldiers, that were scattered in town. The man's confidence had dwindled fast after Sephiroth had interrupted the conversation – the unit member had disappeared without a word – discontent, but clearly intimidated – while Lord Kisaragi had apologized for the man's presumptuous behavior.
Thanks to the Crescent Unit avoiding him, Sephiroth had gathered next to no information about its members. It might have been even less, if not for Genesis' uncanny talent for attracting attention.
To be fair, it wasn't Genesis' fault this time. His behavior towards Lord Kisaragi and the other inhabitants was immaculate and he hadn't tried to draw attention to himself. Both Soldiers just wanted to get this over with, so that they could return to Midgar. Genesis' real problem was, that he simply didn't have Sephiroth's reputation. It was his fist time in Wutai and until Sephiroth's arrival a few weeks ago, his command had been rather passive in nature, with Genesis only intercepting a few of Wutai's messages here and there. It probably didn't help, that Genesis did look like the typical First Class Soldier, that the unit was familiar with, because the First Class quickly became a target of pent up frustration from several members of the unit.
Needless to say, Genesis had dealt with the problem swiftly, without having to resort to violence – a few barbed words were enough to signal most people, that pestering Genesis was about as wise as poking a Tonberry. There were a few encounters after that, but to Sephiroth's knowledge, the Crescent Unit had mostly learned their lesson to stay away from Genesis as well and as unfortunately as this whole affair was, it was revealing something very interesting about the Crescent Unit, that Sephiroth wouldn't have learned otherwise.
The Crescent Unit wasn't nearly as loyal as the guards.
Although... maybe it was wrong to phrase it this way. The unit was loyal and devoted, just not towards Lord Kisaragi. By tradition, the Crescent Unit didn't serve Wutai's ruling family or its people, but rather the country itself. So far, Sephiroth had thought, that this differentiation had no real meaning and that the Crescent Unit would act on orders, just like normal soldiers did. But it seemed, that this assumption wasn't entirely true, because Lord Kisaragi had clearly ordered them to leave the Soldiers alone – and yet, at least some members either ignored this order or were at least conflicted about it.
From Midgar's modern point of view, it was probably more fitting to consider the Crescent Unit religious extremists – fanatics, that were seeking to eliminate anything they considered a threat to Wutai as a whole, just to appease their so called god. As long as their goal was the same as Lord Kisaragi's – defeat Shinra's troops and drive the foreign force out of Wutai – they had served his command. But now, that Wutai was forced to negotiate, this was no longer the case and it was uncertain, what this meant for Wutai or Shinra's plans.
Thankfully, the Turks had taken care, that the Crescent Unit wasn't present at President Shinra's arrival. Right now, they were too unpredictable and to dangerous to let them anywhere near the President.
After Sephiroth and Genesis had taken their positions, it didn't take long, until President Shinra and his entourage ascended the stairs towards the plaza, their arrival already announced by rows of Soldiers and infantrymen presenting arms.
Unsurprisingly, President Shinra himself had taken the lead of his entourage. He was, as always, wearing his signature dark burgundy suit and the same expensive shoes as usual, making him look, as if this was nothing more than just a short walk between business meetings. A pleased smirk appeared on the President's face, as he took in the sight of the aligned men of Wutai and the grand pagoda in the back of Lord Kisaragi, flanked by both Sephiroth and Genesis.
This smirk was actually a very good sign for the two First Class Soldiers, because it seemed to be genuine. The President clearly liked what he saw and in the end, this was all that mattered. President Shinra was a man, that demanded obedience, sure, but he was also an opportunist. When it came to achieving his goals, the 'how' was of less importance, if he was satisfied with the result. Because of that, it might not even matter, that Wutai's conquest was finished far earlier than originally planned.
The ones responsible for President Shinra's safety were two older First Class Soldiers – Lester, whose muscular physique put even Angeal's to shame, and Richard, whose most distinguishable feature was definitely the long scar running across his face and throat – a souvenir from the time, when he had just barely survived an usually lethal attack from a Scissor. These two Soldiers weren't just intimidating in appearance, they were also well known in Wutai after having served at the front since the very beginning. Their teamwork wasn't the best, but they were still an excellent choice for President Shinra's protection. Of course, they would still be outclassed by another prominent member of the delegation: Veld, the leader of the Turks.
As usually, the old Turk to President Shinra's right gave off a certain professional coldness, mixed with the calm demeanor, that came with age and experience. The subtle shifting of his eyes was the only indicator, that he was vigilantly scanning his surroundings for any potential threats. However, both of his hands, the healthy one and the prosthetic, were hidden behind his back and no weapon was on display, making the old man seem much more harmless, than he actually was – Sephiroth had absolutely no doubt, that Veld had some Materia equipped and his weapon hidden somewhere, where it would be easily reachable. Indeed, Veld might be past his prime in terms of fighting capability, but he was an absolute expert, when it came to personal protection and probably still the best Turk Sephiroth knew. No matter, what Wutai had to offer, Veld would certainly be ready for it.
The last notable member of the delegation was, of course, Heidegger as the head of the military. Right now, the director appeared to be confident, if not even in a good mood, although Sephiroth definitely noticed a light twitch at his left eye, right at the moment, when Heidegger's eyes fell on Genesis – indicating, that the director wasn't too pleased to see the First Class Soldier. It was fine, though, the movement was so subtle, that Sephiroth was probably the only one, who could have noticed it. Heidegger also seemed to have just enough self-restraint to keep his cool in front of the President, meaning they could probably keep up a civilized facade, as long as Genesis didn't do anything provocative. Genesis only needed to stand still and do nothing for a few minutes. This couldn't be too difficult.
Thankfully, the whole encounter indeed went quite swimmingly. President Shinra and Lord Kisaragi exchanged a few more or less polite words, petty political phrases with no real meaning behind them, spoken with the sole intention to fathom the other's position in all of this. Sephiroth didn't follow the conversation in detail, since he had to keep an eye on the delegation's back, and the only time he actually had to react, was when the President mentioned Sephiroth and Genesis by name. It was something about them being 'the pride of Midgar', but Sephiroth was already used to these kind of tactics, subtle boasts intended to assert Shinra's superiority through his own strength. Due to that, he just acknowledged the praise with a humble nod before resuming his watch. Genesis probably did something similar, considering, that Heidegger's only reaction to this mention was another barely noticeable twitch of his eye.
After this rather short first conversation, Lord Kisaragi offered President Shinra entry to his residence and both Genesis and Sephiroth were dismissed from their guarding duty. They made a step back and waited for the men to vanish into the building, before their work was considered done and it was time for them to leave as well.
Sephiroth gave Genesis a subtle sign, knowing that his friend was observing him from the corner of his eyes, and the two men began walking down the path towards town. The Soldiers and infantrymen along the path were saluting once again, showing respect towards the men, who had conquered the country.
Everything, to display Shinra's grandeur and unity and to conceal any rifts, that might be suspected between individuals.
"Well? Satisfied with the outcome?" The two First Class Soldiers were already on their way towards the edge of town, where a helicopter would wait for them, when Genesis picked up a conversation. "I told you, that it wouldn't be a problem, didn't I?"
Genesis kept his voice low, careful not to draw too much attention to their conversation. After leaving the forested area between the residence and Wutai Village, they were following the main road, where an overwhelming number of Shinra infantrymen was patrolling the streets. The shouted orders ringing through the air would be more than enough to drown the Soldiers' voices to anybody, who wasn't within their close vicinity. The infantrymen themselves were too busy to bother them and the few civilians, that were on the streets naturally steered clear of the First Classes and kept their heads down in order to avoid the attention of Shinra's men.
Their conversation was as private as it could be. It was somewhat ironic, that this busy street in the heart of the enemy's territory was probably the most secure place for a conversation, that they had had in weeks – since Genesis had been sent to Wutai, to be exact.
"True," Sephiroth admitted in a similarly low voice, "You're lucky President Shinra was satisfied by the outcome. You can't say the same about Heidegger, though."
"Who cares about Heidegger, anyway?" Genesis asked with a shrug. "And even you have to admit, that it is quite satisfying to see him trying to keep quiet, just because he doesn't want to get on President Shinra's bad side."
Indeed, Heidegger had been quiet for the whole duration of the conversation between President Shinra and Lord Kisaragi. A highly unusual behavior for the director, who loved boasting with his successes and also those of his subordinates. It only ever happened, when Heidegger feared negative consequences from saying something wrong in the President's presence. The director was also quick to anger, so it was most likely, that he kept quiet to minimize the risk of a fit of rage targeted at Genesis in front of the two statesmen. Even President Shinra's right hand man couldn't venture to do everything and ruining Shinra's image of perfect unity certainly wasn't something the President would tolerate.
"Don't get too used to it," Sephiroth said to his friend. "You've had your fun, but I'm afraid, that you need to be more careful from now on."
"Oh, don't worry about it," Genesis replied with a wave of his hand. "I know, what I'm doing."
"I know," Sephiroth reassured him, not wanting to make the same mistake of upsetting Genesis twice. "And I trust your judgment, but I'm afraid, that Heidegger tolerates this kind of behavior only for so long. You might have President Shinra's approval right now, but even with that, you can't get away with everything. If we want to get away with this, I will need you to accommodate in this regard."
Genesis didn't say anything in response and he clearly wasn't happy about the direction this conversation was heading at. But he did at least listen to Sephiroth this time.
"Think of Angeal," Sephiroth continued trying to persuade his friend to be a bit more reasonable. "He would be devastated, if you were stationed in Icicle Inn, just because of an argument with Heidegger."
As much as Sephiroth disliked dragging Angeal into this, Angeal was usually Genesis' soft spot. Reminding Genesis of the consequences of his actions for the other First was – most of the time – the easiest way to make Genesis acknowledge his faults. It really wasn't Sephiroth's preferred method of persuasion, but he wasn't quite sure, what else to do after his last attempt to reason with Genesis had failed so spectacularly.
Indeed, it did appear, as if Sephiroth's words had given Genesis something to think about, but not entirely as Sephiroth had expected. The other First Class let out a quiet, long drawn hum, that almost sounded like... like he doubted Sephiroth's words?
"Genesis...?" Puzzled by Genesis' reaction, Sephiroth was about to investigate the meaning of this hum, but Genesis let out an exaggerated sigh before he even had the chance to.
"Fine, I will try to go easy on Heidegger for a while," Genesis relented. "As long as he leaves me alone, at least. I guess, I owe you as much – you did sacrifice your flawless reputation, after all."
"As I said, it's nothing a convincing report can't fix," Sephiroth commented quickly. As relieving as it was, that they had come to an understanding, Sephiroth didn't want Genesis to feel indebted in any way. "I should have enough breathing room to explain our reasoning. In fact, I already know exactly, how to defend the campaign. We should talk about it when we have the time."
"Sometimes I wonder how it feels, having so much credibility..." Genesis noted with a soft chuckle. "Let's discuss your idea tomorrow, then, after we've gotten some sleep."
The two First Classes fell silent for a moment, when a patrol came within hearing distance. The infantrymen acknowledged the Soldiers' presence with a brief salute, before heading towards the nearest building. The leader of the patrol pounded against the door, demanding entry for a search. However, Sephiroth and Genesis didn't stay to know, what exactly Shinra's troops were searching for.
"So, how long do you think, President Shinra will stay in Wutai?" Genesis asked, when they were out of hearing distance again. "To me, the old man didn't look like he was planning for a long stay."
"President Shinra isn't interested in the negotiations," Sephiroth agreed, "I suspect, he just wanted to see Wutai for himself and returns to Midgar as soon as possible."
"Sounds like him." Genesis nodded and let out a soft hum. "I guess, I better also start going through my notes tomorrow morning, then. We don't want to leave Heidegger waiting for his war reports when he returns, do we?"
For a moment, the two Soldiers fell silent again, when the rattling of a falling object caught their attention. The source was quickly found: a young boy was observing them from an alley – not too far away, but still far enough, so that he couldn't possibly hear their conversation. Their observer got spooked and ran away the moment he noticed their eyes on him, though.
"By the way..." Genesis mused, as soon as the boy was gone, "did you notice, how they got the little brat out of the house?"
Genesis used the word 'brat' quite interchangeably with 'child', so under normal circumstances, Sephiroth would have to ask, who he was referring to. But during their whole stay, there had only been one child in the residence, making the subject of his question quite clear.
"I assume, you're asking about Princess Yuffie?"
"Don't call her that," Genesis huffed, "there's nothing princesslike about her."
"You only say that, because she doesn't match the romanticized princesses in your books," Sephiroth countered. The light frown, that appeared on Genesis face was enough to prove Sephiroth's assumption. "It doesn't change the fact, that she will most likely rule over Wutai after her father's death – assuming, that Wutai gets to keep its current system, of course."
"So does Rufus with the whole world and yet I don't hear you calling him a prince," Genesis argued unimpressed by this. "Come to think of it, my father owns the land Banora is built upon. With that logic, wouldn't that make me a prince as well?"
"You wish." Sephiroth almost had to laugh at the thought of that. Genesis being a prince... He couldn't even imagine it. It probably wouldn't even take a day for Genesis to become bored, annoyed or both.
"I'm telling you," Genesis continued, more offended than he should be about such a topic. "A princess should show grace and dignity. She shouldn't be running around, insulting people, make absurd vague threats or –"
"Steal other people's Materia?"
Sephiroth couldn't resist a smirk, when Genesis let out a sullen growl.
"You just had to mention that, didn't you?"
"My apologies." Sephiroth stifled a laugh, causing Genesis to frown. "The thought of a little girl stealing your Materia of all things is just priceless."
"Well, I'm glad, one of us is having his fun," Genesis huffed upset. "This is serious. This brat can't just run around stealing my Materia! Also, I was about to cut two of these obstinate Crescent idiots down to size. Do you have any idea, how embarrassing this is?"
"I can imagine," Sephiroth said in response, "although I'm afraid, that you've brought this upon yourself. Didn't we agree to be cautious around her?"
"Yes, because we didn't want to risk our delicate truce by offending people by accident," Genesis growled, "not, because she could steal our belongings! How was I supposed to know, that she would do this?" The First snorted in exasperation. "She's eight! In what kind of twisted world are we living, if a First Class Soldier has to be wary of an eight year old?"
"Princess Yuffie might be young, but she is Lord Kisaragi's heir. I can imagine, that she has undergone extensive ninja training," Sephiroth explained, ignoring the death glares, that Genesis threw at him. "Remember, she managed to escape her personal guardians multiple times. You should have known, that she has a few tricks up her sleeve."
"She was also punching the air to intimidate us." Genesis rolled his eyes in a dramatic manner and Sephiroth couldn't help but smile as Genesis reminded him of the young girl's strange attempts at intimidation. "I'm terribly sorry, that I don't take insolent brats seriously."
"Maybe you should, if said 'brats' steal your favorite Materia." Sephiroth stifled a laugh, when Genesis shot him a partially upset and partially annoyed glance. "My apologies," he then continued in a more serious manner. It was tempting to ruffle Genesis' feathers just a bit more, but his friend had endured enough over the last days. "Why are you asking? You're not missing any Materia, do you?"
"Of course not," Genesis huffed, but still checked his bangle for missing Materia – just in case. "I haven't seen the 'greatest warrior of Wutai' since then and I wondered, if you noticed something. She was following you around most of the time, didn't she?"
The princess had indeed stalked Sephiroth around the residence before appearing seemingly out of nowhere at random times and places to shout vague threats against Shinra – while trying to intimidate him and Genesis with said ultimately harmless punches in the air. She had mostly ignored Genesis, claiming she would take care of his 'minion' after taking down the 'big bad guy' Sephiroth. Thankfully, she hadn't said the minion-part in Genesis' presence. His tolerance for children was low enough without being insulted like this.
Needless to say, Sephiroth had ignored her... challenges and it had been fine, also because she had always disappeared just as fast to escape either her guardians or her teacher – only to reappear mere minutes later, but from a completely different direction. Honestly, her childish simplicity had been quite entertaining to watch, if one disregarded the diplomatic risks of her behavior.
"She was. But only until her guardians started to adapt to her patterns."
After a while of failing to keep the girl under control and out of sight of the two Soldiers, Princess Yuffie's guardians seemed to have simply given up on trying to catch her. Instead, they had started following Sephiroth as well. The result had been a honestly bizarre situation of him being stalked through the building by multiple people, that didn't even pay off as they had expected. The girl simply shifted her attention to Genesis to avoid getting caught – which was a situation, that nobody had wished for, really.
"After that, she apparently changed target and I think, you know better than me, what followed."
"Stupid kid..." Genesis grumbled once again. "I assume, you haven't noticed anything either, then?"
"Not at all, I'm afraid. I haven't seen her since."
It was a mystery, how they had managed to get get out of the residence without Sephiroth noticing anything, but it was probably for the best, considering that President Shinra wasn't quite as lenient with her disrespectful behavior as Sephiroth had been.
After this, the two Soldiers walked for a while in silence. The building density had started to drop and they were robbed of the protective background noise, as there was barely any Shinra personnel on the street anymore. It didn't matter, though – they could already see a few of Shinra's helicopters in the distance. In front of the nearest one, there was also a handful of Soldiers waiting, probably the Seconds and Thirds, that would return to Midgar with them.
Sephiroth and Genesis were already close enough to the chatting group of Soldiers, when one of the Seconds made a step to the side and noticed their approach. The man raised a gloved hand with a familiar looking silver pendant attached to it and greeted the two First Classes with a casual hand wave.
"Seems like the Firsts are back, guys!" The Second Class yelled with a deep, a bit coarse voice and a cheeky grin on his face, causing some of the other Soldiers to turn around as well. "And it looks like both Genesis and the town are still in one piece, too!"
Ah... Simmons.
The pendant, that wasn't entirely in accordance with Shinra's rules, and the rather rude greeting were more than enough to identify the Second before them. He was undoubtedly Simmons, Genesis' deputy. Only he would dare to address his commanding officer in such a way.
Within SOLDIER's part of the army, there were only two distinctive commanding roles at Wutai's front. For one, there was the commanding officer, who was always the current First Class in charge – in their case, this role applied to Genesis. Sephiroth had merely been sent to Wutai as an irregular observer this time.
The second regular role was that of the deputy: a Second Class Soldier, who assisted the commander and offered advice if a second opinion was needed. He was also the person, who assumed command in case of an emergency – effectively taking on the role of a First Class for a limited amount of time. As a consequence, only the most experienced Second Classes were eligible for the role of deputy. In regards of fighting strength, some could even be considered on par with a First Class Soldier.
Lionel Simmons, Genesis' deputy, was exactly one of these Second Class Soldiers: highly skilled in battle and experienced when it came to missions of war, with the confidence to back it up. Simmons was a First Class in everything but his rank, but was unfortunately stuck in his position as Second, like many of his peers. According to his files, Simmons had been recommended for First Class on two separate occasions – by two different First Classes, about a year apart. Both times, his promotion had been rejected for reasons unspecified by his files. Sephiroth had his suspicions, though.
After the second rejection – and before the Second had been sent to Wutai quasi permanently – Simmons had spent some time stationed in Junon, where he had been assigned as supervisor for SOLDIER's fitness tests. This was, as chance would have it, also around the time, when both Genesis and Angeal had been stationed in Junon, back when they had still been part of the infantry while applying for SOLDIER.
"Simmons..." Genesis generously ignored the snickering Soldiers around Simmons, as he was addressing his deputy. "Don't tell me, you're returning with us to Midgar... Has Shinra has already found a new dumping ground for you?"
The Second let out a short, husky laugh before he replied with a crooked grin.
"Yeah, looks like I really get about with you."
Whoever had picked Genesis' deputy, they – and especially Genesis – needed to be grateful for this person's decision. Often, Seconds in Simmons' position and age became bitter once they realized, that they were stuck in Second Class. For them, there was nothing left to strive for – no matter, what they were doing or how much they improved themselves... they would always stay Seconds. As a result, some of them started to resent the young Soldiers, that still had dreams and ambitions of becoming First Class and especially those rare cases, that actually managed to achieve this goal, like Genesis or Angeal. It was one of the reasons, why Shinra tended to send the older Soldiers to Wutai while keeping the young, ambitious ones in Midgar.
If Genesis had gotten one of these disillusioned Seconds as his deputy, he probably wouldn't have been able to convince his men to abandon their original orders. His deputy, along with several other Soldiers, would have simply ignored Genesis' proposal and probably reported the First Class to Heidegger, just to spite him. The consequences of this scenario would have been unforeseeable.
Thankfully, Simmons wasn't one of these Seconds. He had a trenchant and dark wit at times and loved reminding Genesis, that he could easily defeat him in arm wrestling. Other than that, however, Simmons was a surprisingly agreeable man and an excellent deputy, whose assistance had been very helpful to their success. It was no wonder, that he had been recommended for First two times.
This was even more relieving, if one considered, that Angeal had been worried about Simmons being Genesis' deputy since apparently, Genesis and Simmons hadn't been on very good terms back in Junon. Years later, with their roles reversed, however, this seemed to have changed. It might not look like it on first glance, but the two men did indeed share mutual respect for each other.
"You're finished, I guess?" Simmons asked after greeting Sephiroth with a more polite nod.
"Our work here is officially done," Sephiroth confirmed as he let his eyes wander over the assembled group of Soldiers. Together, they were counting a dozen, the usual number of passengers for the helicopter model next to them. "Are we complete?"
"Yeah, but I think, our pilot is still on the phone, sir," Simmons replied with a quick look over his shoulders. "We're leaving as soon as he's finished, though."
"One of the Turks, I assume?"
"Yeah, but I couldn't tell you, who it is. Haven't seen this guy before, but I can't say, I'm surprised. It's been a while, since I've met one in person. What about you, guys?"
The answer of the other Soldiers was unanimous: None of the men did remember seeing this Turk before – something, that interestingly mirrored Sephiroth's experience with the Turk from the residence. It didn't have to mean anything, since the lower classes didn't often work with the Turks, but it was interesting nonetheless. He would have to wait and see, who their pilot was.
"I see. Thank you, Simmons."
"Well, I guess, we have some time at our hands, then," Genesis mused, as he was glancing at the cockpit, maybe even wondering about the same things as Sephiroth. "So tell me, Simmons... What is Shinra doing in town? It looks suspiciously like the army is searching for something."
"Oh, that." Simmons nodded, knowing exactly what Genesis was referring to. "I've heard in passing, that they have order to confiscate every Materia they can find."
"They're confiscating Materia?" Thoughtful, Genesis caressed the Materia in his bangle. "Now this is interesting..."
"Yeah, seems like Shinra wants to minimize the risk of rebellions and renegades exacting revenge by limiting Wutai's access to magic."
"This seems natural," Sephiroth commented on this assumption. "In the right hands, even the most common kind of Materia like Fire, Ice or Thunder, can be a potent weapon. Rarer Materia, like Time or Transform, can have an undeniably decisive strategic value. We might be superior in power, but one should never underestimate the damage, that one determined individual can bring about."
"Oh? So you're telling me, the great Sephiroth doesn't want to be a frog for a while?" Genesis asked cheekily, eliciting more snickering from the Seconds that weren't having their own conversations.
The Soldiers at the front were often more at ease around First Classes than those in Midgar, but with Genesis' men this seemed to be the case even more so than usual. This might be due to them being accustomed to both Genesis' and Sephiroth's constant presence and interactions – or thanks to the fact, that they were, in a way, all in the same boat, or so to speak. Most Soldiers weren't too fond of Heidegger, so going against his orders as a group might cause a certain feeling of camaraderie among the men.
"Sorry to decline," Sephiroth just replied, calm and reserved as ever, unwilling to destroy the good mood among the Soldiers. Some of these men had already been in Wutai for way too long and over the course of the last weeks, they had worked hard under partially adverse conditions to achieve victory. Those Soldiers had earned this bit of peace and levity before returning to Midgar and whatever was awaiting them there.
"I'm shocked." Genesis reached for his chest, dramatically shaking his head in the light of this revelation, before returning to a more serious tone. "But you're right, of course. And we're only talking about normal Materia. Let's not forget, that Wutai still has a completely different ace up its sleeve."
Sephiroth didn't have to see the spark in Genesis' eyes, to know exactly, what his friend was referring to. For an expert on Materia like Genesis, Wutai was indeed very interesting.
"Leviathan." This single word was enough to make Genesis smirk.
"I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed, that we didn't get to see it," the First said. "It would have been a golden opportunity to witness such a powerful Summon in action, don't you think?"
"So close to the capital?" Sephiroth asked, "You didn't really expect them to simply use a summon against us, did you? One, that they consider their god at that?"
"Well, one can always have hopes, no?"
"Wait... Leviathan?" Simmons sounded a bit puzzled as he repeated Leviathan's name. "That's the snake-thing you see depicted everywhere in Wutai, right? That's a Summon?"
"The 'snake-thing'?" Genesis looked bewildered at his deputy. "Simmons, I'm disappointed. It's one of the more powerful Summons!" He shook his head, as if Simmons not knowing a single Summon was the worst thing he had heard today. "Honestly, I've expected more of you."
"Yeah... sorry, I'm no bookworm like you," the Second replied sarcastically. "So you think, that Wutai has a Summon?"
"So far, we have no proof for this assumption," Sephiroth explained, "but the Wutai consider Leviathan to be their patron deity – their god, if you want to call it that way. It is very likely, that its Materia is kept somewhere safe."
Genesis played the importance of this information up for drama, while in reality, there was really no reason to keep this kind of information from Simmons or any of the other Soldiers. Sephiroth also wasn't too surprised, that Simmons wasn't well-versed with Summon Materia, since Summons were a very specific topic, that most Soldiers simply didn't bother with. Not only was this kind of Materia exceptionally rare – due to their high destructive potential, SOLDIER also considered the use of a Summon in battle as inappropriate. So even if a Soldier happened to stumble upon a Summon Materia, he would be firmly encouraged to hand it over to Shinra's research or weapons department.
"As a category three Summon, Leviathan's use in battle isn't recommended," Sephiroth continued, "but Shinra would be well-advised to secure the Materia nonetheless. It's too dangerous to leave it in unknown hands."
"It's also the only reliable source for water based magic," Genesis added to his explanation – now back to a more professional tone. "So you can imagine, that the Science Department would be glad to have it."
This was an interesting thought, that hadn't even crossed Sephiroth's mind yet. Genesis had a point there, since there was indeed no known Water Materia. Shinra's scientists had been working on this front for years, but the Science Department had yet to create its own artificial version of Materia, that dealt water damage. A thorough analysis of the properties of Leviathan's Materia might be just what they needed for a breakthrough. Of course, a branch of Water Materia wouldn't be wold-shaking, but it would definitely have some strategic potential.
"So they might have a giant snake, that spits water at you?" Simmons summarized their explanations, causing Genesis to raise one eyebrow at the massive simplification of his words. "I'm up for a lot of crazy stuff, but that?" The Second shook his head and raised his hands defensively. "Thanks, but no thanks, Genesis. I'm already no fan of snakes and I think, I've had enough of water for quite some time. I really don't need to see this in action – especially not as its target. But you do you, I guess."
"Philistine..." Genesis huffed, probably indeed upset, that his deputy didn't share his passion for Materia. "But I really wonder, what Shinra is going to do, if they do find Leviathan's Materia..."
"They definitely won't give it to you, Rhapsodos."
The group of Soldiers turned their heads, when a unknown voice suddenly called out from the helicopter's cockpit. It belonged to their pilot, a Turk, that Sephiroth didn't recall meeting before, just like the one in the residence. It could be argued, that he might be a rookie – so new to the job, that he hadn't crossed paths with Sephiroth yet. However, this clearly wasn't the case. His posture was too confident, the tone of his voice too threatening, even in the presence of two First Classes. So he was a veteran – a veteran, that Sephiroth had never seen before.
It was puzzling thought, honestly. Sephiroth could accept not knowing one veteran Turk by sight. He wasn't as often in Junon as he was in Midgar and there were settlements he rarely visited for missions, if at all. So while it was unlikely, that he had never met a certain Turk for years, it was still possible.
But two?
"If you honestly think, that they will give Leviathan to you, then forget about it," the Turk repeated, the man's condemning eyes completely fixated on Genesis, almost, as if Genesis was the only one present. The only one, that actually mattered. Behind his words and attitude, there was a message, that was loud and clear: Stay in line or you will regret it.
Oh... So that's how it is. Now this is interesting.
It seemed, as if sticking with Genesis had once again answered one of Sephiroth's lingering questions.
For years, Sephiroth had always wondered, who Shinra would sent, if there were any problems with First Class Soldiers. Shinra considered Soldiers as the company's property, so it was clear, that Shinra had its ways to deal with renegades. This piece of information was even part of their work contract. It just wasn't specified, how the company would enforce this. Sephiroth also had never actually met anybody, that he would consider skilled enough to eliminate even just one of his colleagues without risk – other than Sephiroth himself, of course.
Maybe the reason, why he didn't remember these two Turks, wasn't because they were stationed out of Midgar. Maybe he just wasn't supposed to see them under normal circumstances – because eventually, him knowing these men's faces might impede with their missions.
"Oh, really?" Genesis asked, his words long drawn, like he was having the same thoughts as Sephiroth – seeing the same red flag of this situation. It didn't stop him from testing his limits, though.
"Mind you, Turk, I am the only one in SOLDIER – in the whole company – that already owns a summon. Two, to be exact. I've never caused any damage with them," Genesis continued carefully, but provocatively, his eyes firmly locked with the Turk. "I've proven to be reliable enough to keep them safe, didn't I? So what else would Shinra do, if not give it to me? Leave it to collect dust and waste such a rare Materia? Reduce it to being a mere test subject?" Genesis huffed, audibly offended by the thought. "A summoned creature is a memento. The reminder of an immensely powerful being, that once roamed this planet. It deserves better than this."
"I don't care," the Turk snarled, still holding eye contact without relenting even in the slightest. "If it were to Heidegger, you wouldn't have even one Summon, so don't push your luck, Rhapsodos."
Not being used to being reprimanded like this, Genesis frowned and remained silent for a while, maybe pondering his options. After a moment of silence, the First Class just broke eye contact and redirected his attention to the other Soldiers, acting as if this exchange hadn't wounded his pride.
"We'll have to see if they find it, anyway. I doubt it, honestly," Genesis just replied with a hint of spite in his words and the Turk seemed appeased by that.
"Are you finished, then? We don't have all day."
"We are finished," Sephiroth replied politely in hopes, that this would defuse the situation a bit. The Turk's harsh words had been unexpected, but it was fine. It was to be expected, that Heidegger would react in some way to what they had done and none of them had escalated the situation. The situation was still in control.
Sephiroth threw one last look at the Turk, who still kept a vigilant eye on Genesis, before he shifted his attention back to the Second in front of him. "Thank you, Simmons. Also, excellent work keeping an eye on the town."
"I... ugh... thanks, sir."
Simmons wasn't exactly cowed by the exchange, but he did sound a bit more cautious than before. If it was the Turk's intention to remind the Soldiers of their position, it might have worked at least for some of them.
"I guess, it's time to leave, then," Genesis agreed, although he was obviously disgruntled about how the conversation had ended. "Took us long enough anyway."