Riku: Oh wow! 50 chapters already on this story! I think that is quiet a record for sure!

tmart: Yea it's amazing how long this story has gotten now. And we're only just getting started. Haha

Riku: Very much so. Anyways let's not wait any further and get right to it!

Ch. 50

After some walking and trying to find his way, Cloud had stumbled into a sort of opening in another part of the forest. He knew that Sephiroth would probably be upset that he did not stay put as he asked, but Cloud was only trying to find his way out there. But surprisingly enough, he had not encountered any other opposition since he disappeared from Yuffie's sight. He was wandering aimlessly for a good while, but he hoped at some point he could figure out where he was.

Eventually, he did hear some of the leaves rustling behind him. He turned almost on a dime and drew his sword, ready to face whatever had startled him. Upon facing the sound of the noise, Cloud waited to see what would happen. But then, a small rabbit popped out, staring up at Cloud before then turning around and darting off in the other direction.

"Oh, just an animal. Can't be too careful though," Cloud mumbled to himself.

He continued to wander around the area again, still trying not to move too far from his original spot. He did find himself a little curious to explore the lands of Wutai, but also at the same time he knew that it was rather dangerous, even with the training he had been going through. The last thing he wanted to do was to risk himself getting hurt and having Sephiroth returning with disapproval.

Cloud eventually stopped walking and leaned against a tree. He sighed, trying to clear out his mind from having too many thoughts at once over the situation. After a few minutes he heard footsteps approaching. He stiffened up and looked in the direction the sound was coming from. He slowly began to reach back for his sword in case it was enemy or something else.

This time it was not a rabbit or a little girl that showed up, but instead Sephiroth himself. Cloud lowered his arm and went to stand up straight, showing his alertness to seeing his mentor again.

"I see you have wandered slightly from the original point where I instructed you to stay," Sephiroth said.

Cloud lowered his head. "I'm sorry… I only was walking around so I wouldn't have to keep staring at the… you know… bodies…"

"You do know that it wouldn't be long until they are pulling into the Lifestream, and then they are no more."

"I know… but it was still unsettling to look at. First time really seeing dead… humans in front of me," Cloud answered quietly, still not raising his head.

He heard Sephiroth sigh. "That is understandable. Your mind is still young and not even the simulations can prepare you for the real thing and how the senses will react."

Cloud raised his head, feeling a little surprised. He thought that Sephiroth was going to scold him for going someplace else… not be understanding for his choices. "Um… so did you do what you needed to do?"

"For now, yes. But we must keep going, there is more to be done. Follow me, and quickly," Sephiroth said as he began heading back into the forest.

"Wait!" Cloud said as he ran to catch up with Sephiroth. "Where are we going now?"

"To find your brother… and hopefully with him we will also find Angeal. And with that the other answers I seek."

Cloud frowned slightly at Sephiroth's vagueness, but then again he knew to expect that from the man. He followed quietly along the pathway until out of nowhere Sephiroth picked up speed and ran ahead. Cloud was about to shout for him when he looked into the distance. He could see flames and fire up ahead and something large standing there. No doubt a Ifrit summon if the fire was anything to go by.

By the time Cloud ran up to the clearing, which only took a few seconds, the Ifrit summon was dead and the fire was gone. Standing just to the side was Zack, who looked completely dumbstruck all while Sephiroth walked over to a few dead men dressed a bit strangely. It looked like they were wearing SOLDIER outfits but at the sametime it looked not quite the same.

"Huh? Cloud!"

Suddenly Cloud was pulled into a large hug by Zack.

"Hey I didn't expect to see you here little buddy, though I guess when I heard that Sephiroth was here I should have guessed you would come along too."

"Hm yeah," Cloud replied before giving a hug back to his brother.

The two of them then turned their attention to Sephiroth who took off one of the helmets of the men. Underneath was a man with short red hair just like he had seen before. "Genesis…" Sephiroth mumbled.

Sephiroth then took off the helmet of the other SOLDIER. The person also looked just like Genesis… more 2nd class men that looked like the 1st class. It was still confusing to Cloud how something like this was possible, but he stayed quiet and watched.

Zack gasped. "They're identical!"

Sephiroth did not stop staring at the bodies before him. As always there was a calm and serious look over his face, but this time it looked even deeper than usual. "A Genesis copy."

"Copy? A human copy?" Zack asked, backing up slightly.

Cloud didn't say anything else, but he continued to stare at the two Genesis… copies. It was such a weird thing to even think about. Copies of another person. Cloud shuddered but did not move from his spot.

Sephiroth finally turned to look over at Zack though. "Where's Angeal?"

"I thought he was fighting around here…" Zack said as he started to walk around the open forest area.

"Humph, so he's gone too," Sephiroth grumbled.

"Huh?" Cloud asked, but before he could truly ask anything more, Zack spoke instead.

"What? Wait, what does that mean?"

Sephiroth stood up, his face looking far more cold than before. "It means Angeal has betrayed us as well."

He kept his cold and serious composure even after saying his words. Though Cloud could have sworn he saw something else there. It was only for a second but he was sure he spotted a different emotion mixed into Sephiroth's face. It was probably too quick to tell, but he could have sworn he saw a little… sadness.

"No way!" Zack shouted, pulling Cloud away from his thoughts. "I know what kind of guy Angeal is! And he'd never do that!"

Sephiroth turned to look at Zack, giving him a long stare, but he chose to say nothing more.

Zack shook his head. He tried to keep a serious composure for himself, but Cloud knew Zack wasn't very good at that. He frowned heavily, still glaring at Sephiroth. "Angeal wouldn't betray us! Never!"

Sephiroth only stared for a minute more before walking off briskly.

Cloud looked back and forth between the two of them, not exactly sure what he should do if anything. "Um… Zack. I… I probably should go. You know… with Sephiroth cause I came here with him."

"Yeah… makes sense…" Zack said crossing his arms. "Go head… but Sephiroth is wrong… I know he is…"

"I guess… but isn't he friends with Angeal and Genesis? Wouldn't he know them both pretty well?"

"Yeah but… whatever. I know he is wrong. I just know it. I'll see you back at HQ, okay? I don't want you to get into trouble for making Sephiroth wait. I'll clean up here."

"Okay, see you there," Cloud said before running to catch up with Sephiroth.

Zack stared long after Cloud, though his gaze was mainly focused on the back of the long, white-haired man. He was slightly torn inside.

Sephiroth was the man he idolized and looked up to. Sephiroth was the reason that he wanted to become a SOLDIER along with Cloud in the first place. His mind wandered to that day many years past back in their hometown.

However, Angeal was his mentor now. He was the man that looked out for Zack, who taught him everything he knew. He was even the one that thought Zack was good enough for 1st class alongside him. The thought of that recent memory made him wonder about all of that which had happened.

"Angeal wouldn't betray us. I just know he wouldn't. Sephiroth was acting strange about it too, but why?" he thought aloud to himself, only himself to give answers if there were any.

But those answers never came. Some stray doubts began to flood his mind but he shook his head and tried to push them aside.

"Arghhh! I just don't know. I've gotta figure this out. Angeal… I'll find you. And prove Sephiroth wrong. On my honor."

Cloud was still trailing behind Sephiroth as they made their way back in the direction they had come from. Neither of them had spoken a word since leaving Zack. Slowly the silence was digging into Cloud's mind and he knew he wouldn't be able to stand it for much longer.

Breathing out, Cloud clenched his hands, trying to get his thoughts away from what he knew he shouldn't ask. Yet… he still wanted to ask. He still wanted to know, but he still knew asking Sephiroth wouldn't give him any proper way of answers.

"Sephiroth… just, what was all that about?"

The man continued to walk forward without giving Cloud a glance or even a notion that he was listening. However, he did respond.

"Whatever are you referring to?" he questioned his protege sharply.

"Just… you don't think Angeal… he wouldn't do what you said. Right?" Cloud asked finally, stammering over his words and waiting in sharp anticipation for what was next.

"Hmph. I don't think that this any of your concern."

"But I came here on the mission with you. I'm here to help."

Sephiroth stopped in his tracks. He looked back at Cloud with a slight head-turn. "You know nothing about this. I would suggest you stop persisting any further."

Cloud's body tensed up and froze as he gulped quite loudly. The look in Sephiroth's eyes was enough to send shivers down his spine, and the tone in his voice reeked of seriousness. Sephiroth was obviously perturbed by the development of this situation, but Cloud was not going to pursue it any further.

"Y-Yeah… okay…" he said nearly silently.

With that utterance, Sephiroth turned his head slowly back towards the front and kept walking. Cloud followed behind eventually, making some more distance between the two of them as they continued. "I wish I knew something to do. I wonder if things will really be okay?"

What Cloud hoped would be resolved soon, showed no time of happening like that. An entire month moved by and there was not a word from Angeal or Genesis. From them being gone for so long, Cloud could see how it was affecting the others. Mainly he could see how it affected two people; Zack and Sephiroth.

But it was rather odd to see though. The two were complete opposites when it came to the matter.

Sephiroth refused and denied any conversation on the matter. He seemed colder and more distant than ever before and Cloud wasn't sure what he could do. Or more realistically, he wondered if there was anything he could do in the first place. There had been less training days, giving Cloud a bit more time to sit around and relax. But that still left him greatly concerned how Sephiroth was taking the situation.

Zack on the other hand couldn't sit still. He was pacing back and forth while he and Cloud were SOLDIER room.

"Man what is up with Angeal? How long is he gonna slack off like this?"

"Maybe he's just… busy with something."

"But it's been over a month."

"Yeah, I know. I just… wish there was something I could do."

"Don't worry about it Cloud. It's not your problem. I just wish I knew what was going on," he trailed off.

When Cloud was around him, Cloud noticed that he would constantly pace like he was doing then, most likely mulling over the situation in his own mind. He tried to not show how worried he was and attempted to keep things locked away. But they were brothers. Cloud saw what others didn't. He saw how Zack was when they would be at home.

That is, what little time Zack was home nowadays.

Ever since Angeal's disappearance, Zack had been more busy with more work piled on him. The desertion had left Shinra in shambles in their SOLDIER department. Both he and Zack had been doing more work, but primarily Zack. Sephiroth would sometimes not even show up anymore, and without him there sometimes, there were no other 1sts. It had become quite the precarious situation now.

Even as Cloud was thinking to himself, he saw that Zack was doing squats in the corner of his eye. Though it was a regular thing for Zack to do, he had been focusing on exercising far more now that Angeal was gone. It was as if to make up for all the training he was missing out on.

Suddenly Zack stopped when his cell phone began to ring. "That would be me. Who is this?"

Cloud now paid more attention to Zack, wondering who he was talking to.

"Hey! Wait!" Zack shouted.

He then sighed and put his phone in his pocket. "Who was that?"

"What happened?" Cloud asked as he stood up.

"I don't know. Someone called me telling me to get you and head to the briefing room. The Director wants to see us for something."

"Both of us?"

"Yup, so let's get over there. Maybe he had word on Angeal!"

The two of them began a light job over to the briefing room. Once there Zack entered and walked right up to the Director who was sitting at his desk. "Any word on Angeal?"

The Director shook his head. "He hasn't contacted his family either."

Zack sighed. "So, what's this all about?"

"A new assignment," the Director replied. "I want you and your brother to go to the hometown our missing SOLDIER 1st class, Genesis."

"Huh?" Zack asked.

"According to the parents, they've had no contact with Genesis whatsoever. But, they can't be trusted," the Director replied as he rested elbows on his desk, with his hand placed on his laced fingers.

"But, why would that be?" Cloud asked, finally speaking up.

The Director sighed heavily. "They're his family. I had already dispatched some stuff, but we've lost contact. I want you two to go and investigate."

"Wait, just the two of us?" Zack asked next.

The Director shook his head, before looking to the side. "No. He will go with you."

The two of them heard the door open and turned around to see who it was. A tall man at about Zack's height entered into the room. He had long, silky smooth black hair that was tied back from the top and sides, while the rest ran down to the middle of his back. Below his hairline was a small red dot, and a serious look was etched on his face, eyebrows angled towards his deep brown eyes. The man dressed in a sharp black suit, with only the undershirt being white as a black tie courses down the middle of the torso.

Cloud looked quite surprised, but noticed that it was the same look as Cissnei had. He had seen the other members but not their leader yet. Meanwhile Zack just stared unconvinced and waited for the man to speak.

"Tseng, of the Turks."

"This job is looking really gloomy…" Zack trailed off with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You've met him before?" Cloud asked suddenly.

"Nah, heard of him, but never met him before. But if the Turks are involved, then I wonder…"

Tseng spoke up and interrupted the conversation between the brothers before it could go on any further. "Just let me know when you're ready to go."

Zack was about to respond when his cell phone suddenly started to ring.

"Oh, uh, excuse me," he said briefly and turned around to answer the call.

"Hello?"

Cloud and Tseng found themselves staring at each other for a few seconds, while Zack was talking. Cloud couldn't think of anything to say, but he didn't have to start thankfully.

"So you're Cloud. I've heard a decent bit about you."

"Oh um, you have ?" Cloud answered confused.

"Not yet. I'll read it later. I'm kinda in a meeting right now,"

Tseng then continued. "Yes, from one of my operatives. Cissnei. I'm sure you two are familiar."

Cloud's face slightly flushed upon thinking of her. "Yeah, um, uh, we kinda know each other. What of it?" He felt himself turning more red, thinking of how much Tseng really knew about he and Cissnei.

"Well… if I you keep it short, I guess. Haven't got much time."

"Nothing at all. Just making an observation."

Zack walked back up to them now. "Sorry about that."

"Something you need to take care of?" Tseng asked curiously.

"It can wait. I'll do it later."

"So you're ready to go then?"

Zack glanced over at Cloud, who nodded in return. He turned back to Tseng now. "A routine job, right? No sweat!"

"Originally, Sephiroth was assigned to this mission. That means it's a top-priority matter. Be alert, or you'll fail."

Cloud's eyes grew larger upon hearing that. "I didn't know about that…"

Zack cocked his head for a second. "And Sephiroth?"

"Refusing to go, apparently."

"Oh, what is that? They spoil him too much?" Zack asked sarcastically, stifling a slight chuckle in the moment.

"Why don't you say that to his face?"

"Well with the way he's been acting lately…" he started but then cut himself off. A stray thought wandered through his mind. "You know, on second thought… Uh, no thanks!" he answered, putting his hands together almost in a pleading fashion to not mention it.

Cloud tried his hardest to refrain from laughing. What came out instead was a quiet snort, but it was enough to alert Zack who looked at him, still with that pleading look. He walked over to Cloud and pulled him close.

"Just don't say anything to him about that Cloud, 'kay?" Zack whispered to his brother.

"Ah, yeah, right," Cloud said, still trying not to smile, though his thoughts quickly dipped back to what he had just learned.

Cloud was still lost in thought over many things now. He knew Sephiroth had become more reclusive lately, but he had never known his mentor to ignore a mission. He wanted to find out what was going on, and sooner rather than later. But before he could get too deep in thought, a hand came down on his shoulder. He looked up to see Zack standing besides him still, managing a small smile towards him.

Tseng spoke once more once he saw the two young men looked ready. "Okay, now let's go."

Riku: Thank you all once more for reading this story so far! We hope you enjoy what is to come!

tmart: And just like that another chapter is done. And we're not even halfway done yet. Lol

Riku: True! Can't wait to see how many more chapters we can get! Stick around and enjoy!