The Smirking SOLDIER

Chapter Two: Former SOLDIERs

Slamming his fist down onto the dashboard of The Tiny Bronco, Cid ignited yet another cigarette, cursing Gaia and her populace for some unknown reason. "Well, shit... At least we're outside Junon. Why the fuck did we have to get shot down? Well, there go my dreams of being in space... Fucking Shin-Ra." Looking over the deck's railing, Zack noticed someone running toward the port city. "Hey, guys... Is that Tiffany? What's she doing there?"

Refusing to look back at her fellow warriors, the young martial artist kept on running, refusing to stop till she reached her apartment. Barging past everyone that stood in her way, tears flooded her eyes and trailed behind her as she ran, until she tackled someone the ground, falling atop him.

The man wore the black, First Class SOLDIER uniform, and Tiffany knew exactly who it was. "Angeal? Wha... What are you doing in Junon? Where's everyone else?"

Lowering his gaze to meet Tiffany's, he stood up with a solemn expression. "The rest of the squad are combing all of Junon's levels, searching for you. Tiffany, listen to me. Genesis found something. He found John's lance. Shin-Ra wanted to claim the weapon as their own and fire us for some unknown reason, so we decided to head here, searching for you. I have to ask, where is the Restless Puppy?"

Tiffany stammered, unsure of what to say or what to think. "I... You need to... Angeal, tell everyone to head to six-one-seven-five Lower Junon in half an hour. We'll talk there." Replying with a silent nod before turning on his heel, Angeal left to contact the rest of the group. Reaching into his pocket for his PHS, he placed three numbers (including his own) into a conference call.

"Guys, I've found Tiffany. We are to meet at 6175 Lower Junon in twenty-five minutes. All of you must take separate paths towards the location, as we have to assume that we are being followed, especially now that we have this information. You have your orders."

Zack felt a twinge of sadness in his gut as he made his way to the cabins, gathering the supplies he needed. Once he was properly-equipped, he explained everything to Aeris, who in turn informed the rest of AVALANCHE.

Vaulting over the deck's railing in traditional SOLDIER fashion, Zack checked his watch before sprinting towards Junon, anxious about the sudden reunion with his former squadmates.

Unknown Facility, Unknown Location, 11:33

'She doesn't love you.' 'How could anyone love such a degraded monster?' "St... Stop it..." 'You're worthless, weak, pathetic...' 'A true waste of human life...' "I said... I said STOP IT!" A voice cackled with pure amusement. 'It is the truth. You abandoned your so-called friends and marched to your doom. You left your friends to die. You ARE a monster.' The person haunted by the voices growled in annoyance, refusing to let the voices take over. "No... I will NOT give in! You CANNOT control me!" The person's eyelids opened, revealing the surroundings. All that could be seen were rusted, wrought-iron bars, damp, mould and moss-covered bricks and floor, a basic toilet and sink that hadn't been cleaned for some forty years and a man dressed in a blood-soaked lab coat on the other side of the bars. Turning to the person in the cell, the scientist approached the cell door and inserted a golden key, unlocking it. With an evil grin, the man grabbed hold of the prisoner by his collar and dragged the captive away to another part of the facility. Screaming loudly, the prisoner repeated two words before blacking out. "HOWLING FANG! HOWLING FANG! Howling Fang! Howling Fang..."

Lower Junon, Eastern Continent, 11:50

Angeal ran a hand through his hair and checked his watch, sighing. "They were supposed to be here five minutes ago. So much for SOLDIER precision and punctuality..." Noticing two blurs, one red and one silvery-black, Angeal shook his head and grinned.

"Hmph, they both took their sweet time..." In the blink of an eye, The Great Sephiroth and Genesis Rhapsodos appeared before their squadmate. Looking around the area and smirking, Sephiroth chuckled, crossing his arms. "It seems that the traitor has failed to appear. It wouldn't surprise me if the Shin-Ra Army had eliminated him." Angeal's nostrils flared, disgusted with what he heard.

"Sephiroth, you know full well that Zack is NOT a traitor. He left SOLDIER and the company, granted, but he has left for the right reasons; To save the Planet from destruction. We were fired from Shin-Ra when we found John's lance, but we don't know why. All I know now, is that we have to discuss the matter of the lance with Tiffany, and we all have to come up with some kind of strategy, when the Restless Puppy arrives. Ah, here he is."

Angeal smirked and turned around to the person behind him, mild fury in his eyes. "I am NOT a puppy! I am an elite!" Sephiroth chuckled, preparing to continue his mockery of Zack, but backed down when Angeal glared at him.

The man in the red trenchcoat growled, slamming his book shut and turning to face the group. "How am I supposed to memorise 'LOVELESS' when everyone is making such a racket? Yes, I know that we have to make a strategy, but once... Just ONCE I would like a little peace to try and learn even FOUR lines of the play before we continue. Is that too much to ask?"

Angeal grinned, releasing a loud laugh. "Oh, Genesis... You know that you can read 'LOVELESS' any time we're off-duty. Well, we're off-duty all the time, thanks to Shin-Ra!"

Hearing a key turn in the door's lock behind them, the squad turned to the door as it opened, met with the sight of Tiffany Lockhart, puffy, red eyes, messy hair and a trembling body. "You... You'd best come inside... I want to know everything."

End Of Chapter Two