Dinner time came with a round of wheedling as two Firsts and several Seconds descended on medical with some powerful determination and "actual food" for their bed-bound friend.

Zack sniffed at the container curiously before he popped the lid open and made a sound of delight. "You got me gumbo?"

"Your cousin's suggestion," Drew said. "Said it might perk you up."

"Hell yeah! How did you sneak this past Rayleigh?" He asked, dipping a spoon in and getting some of the gloriously rich broth and one of the fat, glistening shrimp for a big bite of nostalgic deliciousness. He made a little sound of appreciation, hand tightening slightly around the spoon. This couldn't possibly be takeout, this was right up there with what his ma made. "Gods, that's good."

"We figured some real food would be a good morale boost," Drew said. "Hospital food is…"

"Like, half a step over mess hall food, on a good day," Benji said. "You can't live on that."

"Yeah, I'd rather not," Zack said, rather distracted eating. There was nothing wrong with his appetite.

"When you're done, we've got Nikolas ready for a conference call once we get the monitor set up," Drew said. "Well, we're sort've repurposing the TV in here."

"With permission!" Benji defended. "Here, you do the techie shit, Kunsel."

Kunsel snorted, but obligingly got up to see about messing with the cables and getting it hooked up to the laptop Drew had brought.

"I can talk while I eat," Zack said. "I mean, if no one minds."

"Might be best, a full stomach might make you sleepy," Drew admitted. "We'll put in the call, then."

A few more moments fussing with the hookup and the TV flickered, showing their fourth remaining First, flanked by a few of the Seconds he worked closest with. "Good to see you, Zack."

"Good to see you too, Nik. Been a while." He waved. "'Scuse me while I finish up, I like my hot food hot."

"Makes sense to me," he said. "So. We're discussing this setup the director was suggesting, for some internal command. I like the idea. It gives us more independence, and might set us up for eventually being entirely under SOLDIER oversight."

"That'd be great," Kunsel said. "I'm all for working with Torvik but someone who really gets SOLDIER would be better. Someone with first-hand experience."

"Yeah… on that note, we've been debating another general-and-commanders situation," Drew said. "If we count the cadets as a ranking, we could have one commander minding them, one over the Thirds, one over the Seconds, and the General over the Firsts, which means overseeing the Commanders and getting an overview of the department as a whole."

"The work would be pretty evenly split up, just different types of it," Nikolas said. "I already mind the academy, so handing the cadets to me makes perfect sense. It doesn't really change any of my duties."

"And you could overlap with Drew, handling the newbies," Benji said. "He's good with the greens. Better than I am. I never had the temperament for it. Now, the Seconds I could do. They know what they're doing by then, they just need some polishing up. I can absolutely do that."

"… wait, wait," Zack said, holding up a hand. "That just leaves me."

"Well yeah." Benji grinned shamelessly. "And there's nobody better for the motivational posterboy than you."

Zack gaped at him. "I can't be a general!"

"Why not?" Drew asked.

"I'm eighteen -"

"Sephiroth was like, sixteen when they nominated him," Benji said.

"I'm not Sephiroth!" Zack protested. "Benji, I've been a First for like… a year. I was involved in one mission in Wutai. I have minimal live combat experience, because Angeal wanted me to focus on the 'foundations' before he sent me out, and then the defection happened and -"

"You went toe to toe with all three of the big three and came out on top," Drew said.

"Uh, no, that's propaganda. Genesis was dying, Angeal wanted to die, and Sephiroth kicked my ass," Zack said flatly. "He almost killed me. I survived because he didn't think I was a threat worth bothering with and he'd just let me bleed out."

"You made First at seventeen. Only Sephiroth and Angeal made it younger," Benji said. "And so maybe you don't have the exact same level of experience the rest of us do. That's just time, man. Time and practice is something anyone can do. You know what not everybody can do? Inspire. People love you. They trust you. Look up to you. You can't force that, people just… gravitate to some people more than others. And they've chosen you."

Zack made a quiet, whining sound. "But I can't…"

"You could," Kunsel said. "I could see it. Not without support, you're going to need the others' help."

"But you've got that," Drew said. "We'd be right behind you. We can handle most of the day to day stuff for our sections, you just… look at the big picture."

"I suck at the big picture," Zack protested. "Seriously, I am the definition of hyperfocused. And unfocused. And no focused."

"It's not like you're the director, you'd basically be coordinating the three of us," Drew said. "Coordinate us, and go inspire people and put a friendly face on SOLDIER in the public's minds, which you're already doing. That's all you'd have to do. Anything else is bonus."

Zack hesitated, reaching instinctively for Kunsel's hand. "I want Kunsel."

"I mean, I think you'd need some heavy drugs and a crowbar to get him to leave you for months, and I'm not sure that'd work," Benji said.

"No, I mean… I think better with him. He explains stuff, he knows stuff, he can organize like nobody's business," Zack said. "I want him with me. Career Second or not, he's got the skills of a First."

"Then maybe it's time we make a tier for 'Seconds' who are Firsts in all but that last mako shot," Nikolas said. "Regardless, there's no reason he can't help you. Everyone's going to expect you two to be glued at the hip for a while anyway."

Zack nodded, squeezing Kunsel's hand. "You would, right?"

"Of course I would." Kunsel smiled reassuringly. "I've always had your back. That's not going to change just because of a shiny new title."

He nodded again, sighing. "General Fair. Damn that's weird. You're all crazy, you know that right? I haven't even been discharged from medical yet. We have no idea what I'm going to be capable of when I recover."

"Great things," Drew said confidently. "And in the meantime, you've got us handling the bulk of stuff. You'd be more of a figure head than anything, and the occasional 'final say' if we can't work some argument out. You're overseeing the overseers. That's not nearly as bad."

"I'd rather work with the cadets," he muttered, sighing.

"No one said you can't pop in on anyone you want to," Drew said. "We probably will. We're just specializing now, too."

"And maybe we can pick some Seconds to delegate further with," Benji said. "Get a real command structure going. With tiers and all."

"That might be a good idea. It'd make spreading communication and organizing everybody go faster," Nikolas said. "We'll take it as it comes. But it's a good start."

"Real good, yeah." Benji nodded. "Guess we'll let our new director know what we've decided on, then. Sounded like she wanted to leave that up to us, so we shouldn't get much resistance."

"No, she wants to leave us as independent as possible. It'll keep her able to do what she considers her job," Nikolas said.

"Fine by me," Drew said. "I'd rather we handle ourselves anyway. It works better than having outsiders who don't really understand us coming in and botching things up."

"Agreed," Nikolas said. "So, all in favor?"

"You got it," Drew said.

"Absolutely," Benji said.

"I still think you're crazy," Zack informed them."But I'll do it, for SOLDIER."

"Atta boy." Benji grinned. "You wait and see. It's gonna suit you like a glove."

"I hate gloves," Zack said. "I wear them because it's a good idea, not because it's a fashion statement."

"You know what I meant, don't be a brat," Benji said. "Finish your food. We'll cut this short and discuss where everyone is and stuff together and update you later."

Zack wrinkled his nose. "I can listen while I eat."

"You sure? It's dry as hell," Benji warned. "Like, seriously dry."

"I'll survive," he insisted. "And I want to know."

"Alright." He sighed, nodding to Drew. "Reports?"

Drew produced a file, flicking it open. "People are still restless and uneasy. We're all glad to have you back, but there's been some murmurs about what might be alternatives to our current situation."

"I think having Torvik instead of Heidegger will go a long way," Nikolas said. "Those that know her like her, and word gets around fast when someone's good to work with."

"And competent. Competent helps," Benji said.

"It does. And having more internal structure should be reassuring," Nikolas said. "People have questions. It gives them somewhere to go for answers."

"And if we can keep track of the ranks, disappearances will be a lot harder to pull off," Benji said.

"Hopefully not a problem with a new administration, but I make no bets," Drew said. "Better to stack the deck in our favor."

"Back up a sec," Zack said. "On talk of defection - because I mean, that sure sounds like what you're all implying. How serious is that? Do we have people who really would leave, or is this like, just a thought going around but no one's actually gonna do it?"

The three older Firsts glanced at each other. "I mean… we were ready to take you and go, Zack."

Zack swallowed, touched by the sentiment but also wary of what that meant going forward. "So you're telling me the whole department has made peace with defecting and would be entirely cool with just… going. Whatever that takes."

"Yeah, pretty much," Drew admitted.

"Okay, that… that could be a problem," Zack said.

"Not necessarily," Nikolas said. "Not if we do it right. We're loyal to each other, above all else - that's what that's about. So if we establish leaders, and the leaders stay, then the lower ranks will follow. No one likes the idea of being out alone. The world's not built for us, and we know it."

"Yeah… yeah, okay, maybe that'll work, then," Zack said. "I mean, if we can make a place that's not dead set on killing us, I'd be okay trying again. The bar's not that high; let me do my job, and stop trying to kill me."

Benji snorted. "And yet."

"And yet," Drew agreed. "But we've got a promising start, with Torvik letting the four of us take command. And I believe her when she says she'd rather we handle ourselves and leave her time and energy to handle her old job."

"And I don't mind the idea of working under Tuesti, either," Nikolas said. "He's a good man."

"Which is weird as hell, but statistically had to happen at some point, I guess," Benji said. "We can try, at least. If they don't play ball, we'll go. But for now, we'll stay put."

Zack nodded. "Alright… yeah, that sounds best. For now, this is SOLDIER's home. And we're not letting someone just chase us out of it."