"Really?" Kunsel gave Zack a look. "Not like, the weight room or the track, we're starting here?"

"Look, the VR room is all those things and more," Zack pointed out. "It's perfect."

"Do you know why we don't start rookies in the VR room, Zack?" Kunsel asked patiently.

"Uhm." Zack rocked on his heels, humming. "I'm going to go out there and say because there's way too many of them and too few of these?"

"Because they don't have the control to keep from breaking things," Kunsel said.

"Also that," Benji admitted. "But our Turk friend seems remarkably coordinated."

"I just don't know that this is the best place to start him," Kunsel said. "Or have you."

"We've got help like, less than five minutes away, babe, I'm gonna be fine," Zack said soothingly. "Doc cleared me and told me to get a handle on my new enhancements. I'm good."

Kunsel huffed at him, clearly not pleased with that assessment, but obviously realizing he wasn't getting anywhere arguing it. He glanced aside at where the two Turks were. "Any experience with these, Director?"

"Some," Veld said. "Nothing like the extensive use you SOLDIER boys see. But I've made myself familiar with the equipment. It's well after Vincent's time, though."

"That's fine, I'm treating him like a rookie anyway," Zack said, winking.

Vincent arched a brow, amused. "Are you expecting me to take offense?"

Zack blinked. "I mean, I'd hope not. You seem like a pretty chill guy. And I'm sure you're stellar in your field, but you are a newbie to being enhanced."

"I've been enhanced longer than you've been alive," Vincent drawled.

"Don't be a brat, Vin, you know what he means," Veld said, amused. "I think we can agree on that, Zack. That's why we're here."

"Excellent!" Zack grinned. "Alright, so, there's the two ends of the spectrum - minimum force and maximum force. Now, you have to have at least some nuance going on right now or you'd have wrecked that gun the first time you used it under stress. But you still need to know what you're capable of. So… we're going to test for all that."

Vincent stared at him. "All of that."

"Well, I mean yeah. Not like, down-to-the-last-detail thoroughly but that's because you ideally continue it solo," Zack said. "We're not going to get every bit of training you need done in an afternoon. But we can get you the basics to build on going forward. That's the goal."

"That's not to say we can't help going forward," Kunsel added. "But I agree, the goal is to give a solid foundation for you to work off of. Once you know the gist of it all, it's easier to take it apart and figure out what you need to do."

"It can't hurt," Veld said. "SOLDIER's been fine-tuning the process a long time. They'd know, more than anyone."

"Very well," Vincent said. "Where do we start?"

Zack grinned. "It's easiest to do the fine control when you've emptied the tank out some, so to speak. So we get to start with the big flashy stuff. Let's see what we're capable of, yeah?"

'What we're capable of' ended up being tests of strength both physical and magical, for both of them since Zack pointed out he was also getting used to a different level of enhancement.

It became clear very, very quickly that the pair were in a league of their own; only three other men would have ever stood a chance against either of them, and they were long gone.

"You get your skill up to your power, Zack, and SOLDIER's looking at its next living legend," Benji said. He'd had to bow out about half way; he could keep up on a skill level, certainly, but without being willing to strike critical hits against him he was at a severe disadvantage. Not to say Zack was dishing that out himself, but he could take him out by sheer force alone.

Which honestly said a lot; Benji was no pushover.

Zack grinned, shaking his arms out. "Giving me a run for my money there."

"Yeah, but you'd have won that," Benji said. "If it was a real fight? I think you'd have won."

"Maybe. I'm a little clumsy compared to you," Zack said. "Still adjusting."

"But adjusting fast," he said. "Seriously. It's impressive."

"Thanks." He glanced over at Vincent. "You know, for someone who prefers ranged combat you're doing damn well too."

"He's doin' damn well period," Benji said. "Not used to seeing that kind of power out of a Turk."

Vincent smiled faintly, but didn't argue the designation. "It's good timing for it."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me." Benji shook his head. "We should go over some of that. Practical application."

"What did you have in mind?" Zack asked.

"Sensing stuff," Benji said. "The longer distance the better. We can make a game out of it if you want."

"A game." Vincent arched a brow.

"SOLDIER hide and seek!" Zack grinned. "Where you use your senses to find people. Normally it's like, enhanced sense of smell or hearing, but we could totally do it just sensing out energy."

"I think it would be good practice," Benji said. "Especially with AVALANCHE out there still."

That, if nothing else, persuaded him. "What do we do?"

"Well, we'll have to tag some people whose energy stands out," Benji said. "To start with, at least. And then we'll spread out and you track us down."

"So like hide and seek, except with enhanced senses," Zack said. "Hence the name."

"I assume it's actually called some sort of tactical exercise?" Vincent guessed.

"Probably somewhere on paper. But no one actually calls it that," Zack said. "So… give it a try?"

"I suppose I will," Vincent said. "It seems a relevant skill to learn."

"Especially right now, yeah," Benji agreed. "Alright, I'll pick some people out and we'll go hunting. Well, you will. The Director and I will sit back and check your progress."

"Sounds like a plan," Veld said.

Benji managed to wrangle Aerith for a starting beacon, right before Drew pointed out that - having higher magic stores - Benji was more of a target for sensing easily than Drew himself was. So a grumbling Benji was roped into the process as well, leaving Kunsel and Veld to watch over the cameras as Zack and Vincent set out.

They were, naturally, successful. And once they'd found them the first time, there was utter certainty locating the now-familiar energy the second time. Only distance and burying themselves in the midst of a lot of other bright spots managed to make it more difficult, and even then it wasn't enough to truly hide them.

"I think they've got it," Veld said. "At least within a certain range."

"Yeah, at this point we'd need to start spreading through the city to do any good," Drew admitted.

"How far can you two stretch out?" Zack asked.

"Depends how well I know the energy I'm tracking, I guess, and how high it's running," Benji admitted. "Some would be real easy. I could probably find Drew within quite a few miles, if he was fighting or something, but we've known each other since bootcamp and fought together almost as long. Aerith and Valentine wouldn't be too hard either, just because of the kind of power they're packing, even when it's dormant."

"And anyone can learn this," Vincent observed.

"Well yeah, I mean I'm pretty sure you don't even have to be enhanced. Just makes it easier," Benji said.

"Could anyone learn to sense a particular unenhanced individual?" Vincent asked.

"I do have a phone," Veld said.

"I'm not concerned with tracking you myself, at this point," Vincent said. "I'm wondering how accurately she can."

Elfé. Oh.

Benji squinted at Veld, humming. "I mean, for the value of a human being's magic stores, you're not as impressive as you are elsewhere, Director. But you do stand out in a way."

"How's that?" Veld asked.

"Your energy mixes with those materia you're carrying," Benji said. "So it's not so much that you're a bright light, but you're a stand-out color, I guess you could say."

"So yes, there's reason to believe she could learn to track me," Veld said.

"I doubt she's got a fix on you yet," Benji said. "But enough exposure and attention to the exposure? Yeah, you'd have a familiar feel."

"Well shit." Zack frowned. "That's… actually that might be a fairly good thing, if we can teach Valentine to hide his."

"How so?" Veld asked.

"Look, she's got to realize that if she comes in guns blazing, Ravens everywhere, she's going to be met with resistance. It makes getting to you harder," Zack reasoned. "Especially if she's figured out you're a big shot. She has to have at least put together that you're a Turk."

"A reasonable assumption," Veld said. "So you think she's more likely to come for me alone."

"I mean… if I was trying to get to one person, I wouldn't bring an army," Zack said. "Too much fuss. Better to sneak in solo, or in a very small, discreet team, right? Have your army on call for a distraction after, sure, but not during the initial approach. That's not strategic. And AVALANCHE has had pretty good strategy when they care to deploy it."

"But if I can hide myself, to where all she senses is Veld, he won't be alone," Vincent said, picking up on his train of thought.

"Exactly, yeah. It's not easy, and it's not comfortable, and I personally suck at it, but I know it can be done. You didn't sense Sephiroth unless he wanted you to," Zack said.

"Genesis either, though he usually wanted you to," Benji said. "Half showoff, half strategist. If people were blinded by his aura, they had no idea who he had with him. And the intimidation factor was nothing to sneeze at."

"He was running stealth last time I saw him," Zack said. "Didn't have a clue he was there until there was a fireball in my face."

"Classic." Benji sighed. "I don't suppose Elfé has any sort of trademark? Besides that summon, I mean. That's a pretty good tell."

"She uses a katana, and she's got First-tier strength," Kunsel said. "If I remember correctly, she went up against Sephiroth, though they were interrupted. So it's going to take someone on that level to match her. Which, honestly, Valentine should be able to do just fine."

"Yeah I mean you held up to me fine," Zack said, glancing at him. "I think you're probably good against her. But we can go again a few times. Or hey, Drew's done katana hasn't he?"'

"Dabbled in it," Benji said. "He's taller than she is, and broader, but it's not a bad idea. You game, Valentine?"

"I have fairly extensive familiarity with katanas," Vincent said. "But a review may not be amiss." Not for something this important.

"Great, we'll tag him, then," Benji said. "We got a plan?"

"Something like that." Zack chuckled.

"Alright. You let me talk to Drew and we'll see about getting you set up." Benji clapped his hands. "And tell Cloud I said hi when you head back, Zack."

"You got it."