Stages of grief; Never trust a snake; Reactor breakdown;
Small town issues; Status effect: no effect; Fire and ice; Accidental slip;
Status effect: bad effect; A long walk; Questions and collapse

Midgar was a city of industrial grey, cloudy skies, riveted steel walls, and granite stone. In contrast, Junon was a city of bright copper, with terra-cotta roofs, warm orange light reflecting off the ocean, and towering hundreds of feet above, the deadly and beautiful bronze gleam of the Mako Cannon. When Genesis looked down though, the streets below were thronged with the infectious gray of Shinra as SOLDIERs and troopers moved about. Their metal helmets, swords and guns were emblems of destructive, powerful industry. If those people learned of his humiliating defeat… "Pride is lost. Wings stripped away, the end is nigh," he sighed.

Across from him Angeal, newly arrived from Midgar, rolled his eyes. "Was it really that bad?" he asked, his voice clearly suggesting that Genesis was being melodramatic.

That bad? Genesis almost choked. Never before had he been so humiliated. Not even when fighting against Sephiroth, who he had never beaten even with Angeal's help. He planned to rectify that, but to be defeated by a mere child… No, he couldn't even entertain the thought. She must have used some sort of Sneak Attack or First Strike materia. It wasn't her skill that had gotten the better of him, but her equipment. He was a SOLDIER 1st Class!

Answering his friend, he seethed, "Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world's end. That little brat cheated with her equipment and stole my materia. I shall not rest 'til I've hunted her down." He would not rest until he had wiped that smug grin off her face. "She will learn to fear the true power of SOLDIER." He ran his hand along the rapier's hilt, fingering the empty materia slots. "You brought the materia I requested?"

"Of course." Angeal held out a small red velvet pouch which Genesis snatched, the soft fabric catching on his sword calluses. "Do you think Osmoga and Drainga are really necessary? They're only kids."

He pulled out one of the aforementioned materia, holding it up and inspecting the green crystal under the light. "That was no 'kid', but a hellion." When he closed his eyes he could still see her, jeering, just out of reach. Neither rapier nor spell able to find its mark. She had been tiring though, his stamina superior. If only Veld hadn't interfered. That fight could have been won, he would not believe otherwise.

Angeal was looking at him with patient tolerance. Genesis twitched a lip irritably, but forbore from snarling at him. It wasn't Angeal who deserved his wrath. His friend shifted on the couch, his posture and expression growing more serious, more military. "I know you're angry that she stole your materia. How do you plan to make sure she doesn't do it again?"

"Stop. Then Hell Firaga until she's dead."

Angeal frowned sharply. "Genesis! Our orders are capture, not kill."

Genesis scoffed, but amended his statement. "Fine, I shan't go past what a phoenix down can fix." Angeal was too soft sometimes, the girl was their enemy.

The other man leaned back and crossed his arms, his frown uneased. "Besides the young thief, what's the rest of the group like? Veld hasn't debriefed me yet."

"Veld is off digging for information, seeing as our original intel was severely lacking." His thoughts flashed back to the rumpled young Turk who'd provided it, vindicating his belief that anyone who took so little care in their personal attire would be a disappointment in their job. Honestly, he had no idea why the Turks had selected him. At least now more senior Turks would be handling the case.

"For now," he continued, "what we know is that there are four children, one clearly mako-enhanced, with high level equipment, a source for top-secret information from within the company, and they are mildly adverse to Shinra."

He got a quirked eyebrow in response. "Mildly adverse?"

"They have never caused serious injury." He would have felt better if they had. How could he have let himself lose a fight without gaining even a scratch? Sephiroth would never consider him a rival like this. Next time he faced that minute menace, things would be different.

"Genesis?" Angeal prompted. He must have drifted into introspection.

"It's clear they could. Cause harm," he quickly amended, before voicing the question that had been bothering him. "But why don't they?"

He and Veld had spoken about it on the way back, as best they could over the helicopter's roar. The enhanced boy could have easily cut Veld's arm off, but hadn't. The group even took the encounter as an opportunity to teach their less experienced companion. They were actively choosing to let their opponents live. Why? What was their goal? Questions he hadn't cared about to start with, but now he was, under his anger and contempt, grudgingly curious.

"Maybe they're uncomfortable with it. They are children." Angeal's posture was still stiff, but his voice was uncertain.

Perhaps so, but the explanation didn't sit right with him. They had the air of experienced combatants. Three of them at least had killed before, he was certain of it. Were they like Angeal? His friend was adverse to bloodletting and would do so only if there was no other choice. It couldn't be in mockery, showing off their skill. He quickly amended that thought. That might well answer for the devilish thief, but the others seemed more restrained. What else? What was he missing? Then again, did it really matter anymore? With Angeal, the two 2nd Class SOLDIERs he'd brought with him, and a new strategy of striking preemptively with status effects, the children would soon be brought to heel. Their goals and reasons would be Turk business, and Genesis could move on, his superiority proven.

While it pained him to admit that he needed the backup Angeal brought, the sooner this ordeal was over, the sooner he could repair the damage to his reputation. "My soul, corrupted by vengeance; Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey; In my own salvation; And your eternal slumber." The words flowed over him, calming him. Yes, in the end he would be victorious.


"Veld, while I'm pleased with the information you have given me, a truly interesting specimen, I am not in the habit of losing my projects. Try looking elsewhere. Oh, and one more thing - when you do manage to catch the child, bring it to me. Hollander would only make a mess of it."

"Thank you for your interest, professor, but first and foremost, the Turks will process the individual."

"Of course. Assuming Hollander's brats can catch it." The phone disconnected with a sharp click.

Veld sighed, rubbing his temple. He could feel the vein there pulsing. In the past, when Hojo lost a project, the Turks retrieved it, or at least kept an eye on it. They'd done the same for Hollander's work. If the boy was Hojo's, then what might have kept the head of the Science Department from putting Veld's people on the case?

In the back of his mind, his subconscious was turning the evidence over. It kept throwing out the memory of the boy specifically mentioning Hojo as untrustworthy. Few individuals knew what the man was capable of. The man's name was kept out of the news, and he did not publish academically. The public record, what most people, even most Shinra employees, knew, was that Dr. Hojo was the head of Shinra's Science Department, and represented that division on the executive board. His involvement with SOLDIER and the enhancement process was classified, known to a few hundred people. His actual part in the process was known less than that. Perhaps twenty-three people knew precisely. More sources for that leak, at least, than the bombing of Kalm.

He'd gone over it multiple times, in the privacy of his own head, with his second-in-command, and with President Shinra himself. How had the boy known of the Kalm mission? The most likely scenario, no matter how displeasing, was that Reno had slipped up. He didn't believe the young man was compromised, but the lack of information he'd provided for the current mission, his name on the lips of the target, and his inexperience in the field, all of it suggested that he was the leak, even if the snafu had been accidental. A mistake in their line of work could be catastrophic for the company. He didn't want to scratch Reno. They had put too much work into him, and he had the makings of an effective Turk. Perhaps a stint back in training was in order.

Rod had so far not found anything connecting the targets to the terrorist known as the Death God. In fact, it seemed that the terrorist's cell had been just as surprised about the summoning in Kalm as Shinra had been. They were now trying to locate the summoner and recruit them, something the Turks would need to prevent. The last thing Veld and his headache needed was the two groups combining. If he could get them to take each other out… He mulled it over briefly but decided that, no, he'd rather they stay as far apart as possible. The only other lead at the moment was the birds at the track.

Cissnei, in prime position to observe in Costa del Sol, had nothing fresh to report though. The group had only contacted the stable twice, once to register, and once to check in on the birds. According to Cissnei's inquiries, they gave nothing away about themselves or their goals. And since they had entered the Nibel mountain range, just after Cissnei's assignment, no further contact had been made. Signal was spotty in the mountains, but Veld was not prepared to accept that as the answer. It could be that the botched attempt at catching them had spooked them, but their calmness during the interaction made the idea seem less credible. This group would not startle or change their course easily.

What was of significance in those mountains? There were only a few small towns, their economies dependent on logging, mining, and wool production. The reactor was the only likely terrorist target. The targets had shown themselves as skilled combatants with an aversion to loss of life. Their feelings on Shinra seemed rather neutral. They had defended themselves when attacked, and had interfered with an operation that would have resulted in drastic civilian casualties, but had not taken other action. Perhaps they really were headed for Wutai as suggested earlier. To do what? If they were war orphans, he could understand their desire to stop the conflict, to show up and fix things. Frankly, though, that type of logic seemed too naive for this group. The war in Wutai had been caused by the actions of individuals, but it was the grinding of economic pressure that kept it going - no small group had the power to stop it.

Again, the memory of the blond boy spitting out Hojo's name - the boy with obvious mako enhancements. Veld's nerves screamed with the impossibility of coincidence, and like opening the door to a room where a corpse was decomposing, it struck him. The lab in Nibelheim.

A cold shudder started at the base of his spine, but he suppressed it with ease. His hands lay flat and relaxed on the arms of his uncomfortable chair. It had been a long time since he'd last thought of the Shinra Manor. His partner had died there, and when Hojo abandoned the crumbling heap, it had been a relief to Veld, who'd since put it out of his mind. A group with classified information from unknown sources might know of the lab's existence. It would also clearly incriminate Hojo. Veld had long suspected the scientist of withholding critical information. If he had created a new enhanced being in secret and lost it, well, already snarled office politics would get much worse. Hojo may have the president's ear but, depending on what this new individual was capable of, the doctor might find himself slipping from his high position.

Damn. Veld blinked slowly, clearing his head. The boy's words were affecting him. Don't trust Hojo, well, he never had. He was, however, considering the doctor more closely than he would have if the boy hadn't mentioned him. Perhaps someone was trying to discredit Hojo by pinning this latest trouble on him. It was slightly depressing that he could think of a number of employees in the science department who might try such a stunt without even straining his mind. While conspiracies didn't lurk behind every door, Veld had dug up enough buried secrets to know that no one in Shinra was truly loyal. The company was well on its way to a complete global monopoly, and it was the nature of powerful entities to draw the power-hungry to themselves. On a fundamental level, humans were self-serving, self-interested creatures. Veld had found even those who claimed their goals were for the sake of others, or, preposterously, for "the world's sake", were usually deluding themselves, dressing their selfishness in more appealing clothing.

What selfish goal were the targets pursuing? Even if they weren't after the lab or the reactor, it would not be a bad idea to check in on Nibelheim. If they weren't there, it would be a good place to try picking up their trail. Veld's group would need to head to the mountains quickly, they had already lost a day by returning to Junon, and it would take over a full day to get back, even when taking a plane to Brarrow, then a helicopter into the mountain range. Unpredictable weather could have erased the target's trail and if they'd left the road… no, that was unlikely. Not with a motorcycle, not in those mountains. And the bike was too unique to be abandoned.

Veld stood. The new personnel should have arrived, Angeal and two other SOLDIERS. Some might say it was overkill, bringing two SOLDIER 1sts and two 2nds to deal with four children, but he couldn't forget that the targets had a Neo-Bahamut, and when confronted by Genesis, had not felt the need to summon it. They had been confident in their abilities and equipment. According to Genesis, they had magic nullifying equipment, but they had also cast Silence, meaning there were still some spells they were vulnerable to. This time, they would go in with an array of status materia. The group's overconfidence is what they would target.


Veld didn't wait for the dust and gravel kicked up by the rotors to settle down before he exited the helicopter. In the blue pre-dawn light, the dark silhouette of the Nibelheim reactor loomed ahead of him. Veld looked up at it, scanning for signs of disturbance. One of the SOLDIER 2nds, Soren Myers, from Fort Condor and comfortable with reactors, began advancing towards it, boots crunching over the gravel, and Veld called him back at once. Allowing the SOLDIERs into the Nibel reactor was not an option. This place had one of the highest clearance levels, and for good reason. It had been the dumping ground of the Science Department for years.

"Rhapsodos, Hewley, take a 2nd class and a trooper each to check the perimeter for any signs of the targets."

"Oh? And where will you be going?" Genesis's voice dripped with displeasure. No doubt he was feeling averse to taking orders from a Turk, even the head of the division. Veld had neither the time nor inclination to coddle the young SOLDIER's ego.

"To check the reactor," was his clipped response. He went quickly up the broad steps, hearing Angeal organizing the two search groups behind him. He examined the heavy metal door. Weathered, as he would expect out here in the middle of nowhere, but there was no sign of an attempt at forced entry. The SOLDIERs moved off, one party to the north, the other to the west. Angeal's group passed out of sight behind the reactor, but Genesis was leading his party straight to the rocky wall of the mountain bowl the power plant sat in. Veld put his body between Genesis' group and the keypad, and cupped his free hand over the numbers as he punched silent keys, preventing even someone with a SOLDIER's senses from discerning the code.

He paused to listen after entering. The only noise in the entrance cloister of a properly functioning reactor should be a smooth, low hum, but here there was a muffled gurgle and hiss. Air in the pipes, meaning somewhere there was a leak. They would need to send a maintenance team out here. Troublesome, not only because of the clearance necessary, but because the Nibel reactor was the oldest plant, with a different operating system than the newer models in Midgar. It would be their job to find the leak. Veld wouldn't worry about it now.

Before he reached the pod chamber, he could smell rancid mako. Was the leak in there? But it wasn't normal mako - the stench verified that. Should he go in? Back up the hall a little, almost hidden amongst the pipes crawling up the walls, was a metal door stenciled with a black anti-contamination symbol. Opening it, he found what he was looking for. All reactors were equipped with biohazard gear, and the Nibel reactor, though outdated, was no exception. Slipping into the stuffy hazmat suit was as unpleasant as always, but Veld wasn't going to take unnecessary risks. If mako were a safe substance to work with, Shinra would never have been able to build or maintain its monopoly. Cautiously, he opened the door to the contaminated room.

Mako covered the floor. In some places the liquid had evaporated, leaving behind green stains. All the pods were open, the experiments that had once been inside them missing or - he found smudges of ash inside the pods - burnt away. Again, troublingly, there was no sign that the pods' hatches had opened by force. If this was indeed the work of the targets, their threat level was much higher than he'd imagined. Not only did they have highly-classified information, they had top clearance security codes.

He hurried back to the main room, connecting his PHS to the closed network and checking the security logs. The damage was recent, but however many months he went back, the records displayed normal operation, with no suspicious activity. Damn. He should have fought harder for updating and tightening the security of the company's hidden locations at the earlier board meetings. That the group had a hacker with them was sobering. They had education, high-level equipment, and from their earnings at the track, a large income. Perhaps the hacker was the older boy? It would explain why he wasn't experienced in fighting.

He disconnected from the system. Best to get a full idea of the damage they'd wrought. Back in the pod room, he wondered how they'd known of the experiments stored here. He still had no idea of the targets' goals. It couldn't be that they were simply well-informed do-gooders. Was the destruction of the experiments collateral damage, or - his paranoia kicked in again - was this related to Hojo? The man had certainly spent a lot of time here.

Veld cautiously stepped around a pool of mako at the bottom of the stairs before ascending. He examined the door leading to the next area - again, no damage done. He peered closely at the code panel - the fine layer of dust across a few keys had been disturbed. He memorized the numbers to unscramble later and cross check with possible codes they could have used. Straightening, he typed in his own code and wiped the pad clean when he was through.

What met his eyes in the next room was industrial devastation. Large containers of experimental mako had been split open, the substance inside evaporated. All around him cut wires were sparking, and in front of him, a catwalk that had once connected to an elevated platform now swung precariously, the metal creaking faintly where it connected by one joint to the balcony Veld stood on. What may have once been a mako tank in the center of the room was smashed glass and melted metal. Now cooled, the slag hung in rivulets down the platform's sides. Whatever the science department had been storing here was completely destroyed.

There was no doubt in Veld's mind that this was their target, the reason they had come nearly halfway around the world from Mideel. What had the Science Department been housing here? Investigating that would have to wait. His objective was to apprehend the young targets, and there was, however slight, the small possibility that he was jumping to conclusions. There was no concrete evidence the damage here had been caused by the same group he was pursuing, though he hoped it was. The Turks didn't need any new groups causing trouble. As soon as he could, he'd put together a team to investigate the reactor thoroughly. Hopefully, the Science Department would be more cooperative now that they had been attacked.

By the time Veld had clambered back out of the hazard gear and returned to the exterior of the reactor, the two other groups had regathered. The sun was barely starting to crest the jagged peaks, putting shadows in retreat. Veld stopped before he reached them, listening from a distance.

The youngest SOLDIER - Cory Allen, easily distinguished in the poor light by how his dark skin almost faded into the shadows - was crouched down, head bowed and fingers nearly trailing in the dirt. "Perhaps they were attacked."

One of the troopers shook his head, his mouth twisting doubtfully. "Looks more like a bunch of kids running around to me. Like what you see after taking your kid to the playground."

The other trooper nudged him. "Riker, old man, I think you're the only one here who has a kid."

"I'm not that old, Tiny." Riker Thomson was set to retire from active duty soon and take up an instructing position. He was a decade older than the SOLDIERs but younger than Veld by almost the same amount. His desire to land a safe job in Midgar was likely due to his good luck in having come unscathed through two tours in Wutai - third time might not be the charm. All but one of the men here were veterans of Wutai, Veld himself having 'visited' several times in the slow trundle up to the war.

The other trooper, a Junon transplant named Kyle Price, elbowed Riker even harder. "And I'm not that short! You lot are just giants."

The SOLDIERs 2nds laughed at the troopers' antics, and Angeal was grinning. Genesis only glared at them. "I'm more interested in the adult footprints," he said chillingly.

Angeal's grin subsided, and he gave a thoughtful hum. "Are we sure this is the same group? There are six sets of prints here, not four."

"And only one adult? I doubt it."

"They must have picked up another two members," Myers commented.

Allen straightened up, shaking his helmeted head. "No sign of the chocobos."

Veld began walking forward again. "They may have left them in Nibelheim." The troopers snapped their heads up at the sound of his voice, stiffening to attention, while the SOLDIERs merely nodded in greeting and acknowledgment.

"Any trouble in the reactor?" Angeal asked.

Veld frowned minutely. "Indeed, it seems to have been their target."

"Oh?" Genesis leveled a scrutinizing gaze at him. "And why attack such an obscure place?"

The problem with Genesis was that he was clever and, though he feigned disinterest, he had an incisive curiosity. He'd gotten better at masking it over his years at Shinra, but still he needled. "Some sensitive equipment and data was stored here," was all Veld was willing to give him.

"Was?"

"Was."


Angeal had been to remote towns before, and found that the residents often adapted to suit the local environment's nature. His hometown of Banora, with its moderate climate, inspired a moderate people - polite, kind without being overly friendly. Sunshiny Costa del Sol produced a relaxed, outgoing population. The Corel Desert, where you had to work hard to survive, had a tough, salt-of-the-earth people. In the cold, harsh atmosphere of the Nibel Mountains, Angeal expected the locals to be unfriendly and standoffish, that the only signs of life they were likely to see in town were bitter faces going quickly about their business and twitching curtains as people peered out at the strangers. Instead, it seemed the whole town was out on the street.

There were about thirty people standing in small clusters, talking and casting wary to openly hostile glances at them. There was a larger crowd - forty, maybe fifty people - further up the street gathered in front of a modest wood-shingled house. Angeal wondered what had gotten the village so riled up.

A dark-haired middle-aged man dressed in a red morning robe separated from the rest and approached them. He reminded of Angeal of Genesis's father, with the same air of authority. Probably the mayor of this small town. The man stopped abruptly a few feet away from them, his soft shoes planted broadly apart on the rocky ground.

"And what does Shinra want here?" It was spoken as a challenge.

The SOLDIERs and Troopers came to a halt, while Veld took an extra step forward.

"We came to check on the reactor," the Turk explained, before gesturing to the stirred up townsfolk. "It seems something happened here this morning, Mister….?"

"Mayor Lockhart, and it's nothing that concerns Shinra."

"I see." Veld shrugged and turned away, addressing Angeal and company. "Local business, it appears." Behind him, the crease between the mayor's brows eased minutely. Veld gave him a second to think he'd escaped, then turned back, eyes sharp. "There is one other thing. Has a group of strange children come through town recently?"

At this question, the noise amongst the muttering townsfolk intensified. With so many overlapping voices, Angeal couldn't pick out more than a few words, but he heard 'kids' and 'Strife' repeating. Many of the onlookers, who'd turned to watch the standoff between their mayor and the company personnel, glanced at the small house where the main crowd was. The mayor's jaw tightened. "Why would Shinra want to know about that?"

"Their parents want them home," Veld lied smoothly.

The mayor's expression did not improve. "Since when does Shinra do search and rescue?" Angeal fought back a grin at the mental image. Mission requests to locate lost children, seniors, and pets. Angeal himself wouldn't mind such work, but the image of Sephiroth or Genesis being called to rescue cats from trees was amusing. In such an event, Genesis would likely make good on his threats to quit SOLDIER and join the theater instead.

Veld had another lie prepared. "Their parents are wealthy Shinra affiliates."

Mayor Lockhart sized Veld up for a moment. "Any of them own a chocobo stable?"

"The Strife Stable, yes." Again the word 'Strife' repeated through the crowd.

The man's face turned red as he scrunched it into a furious scowl before turning back towards the group he'd come from. "CLAUDIA!" he bellowed.

The group of people around the house parted instantly, revealing a young blonde woman in a long aproned dress. She sighed and shook her head, then, holding it high, she strode over to them, a young boy tagging close behind her. Angeal did a double take at the boy. He'd heard the supposed leader of the group was a blond with hair resembling a chocobo's crest, but this boy couldn't possibly be him. He was too young, small, and scrawny. He shot a glance at Genesis, whose eyes were fixed with laser-like intensity on the boy. His friend hadn't been beaten by such a child, right?

The young woman ignored the Shinra employees entirely. "What?" she asked the mayor, stopping in front of him. Their stances were mirror images - firmly planted, with crossed arms and scowls.

Lockhart gestured sharply at Veld's group. "They're looking for those children," he snapped.

Her eyebrows, already drawn sharply together, practically fused. "They left, you know that."

The people on the street, both the crowd and the small clusters, were drawing nearer, forming an interested circle around this new drama. Angeal's shoulders grew tight as the escape routes closed and he heard the sudden shifting weight of the troopers and 2nds behind him. He relaxed his shoulders and waved a subtle hand at them - stand down. The odds of a Wutaian ninja popping up in this remote mountain town were next to nil.

The Turk leader took a step towards the woman. "Excuse me, Mrs…?" he trailed off again, implying that he wanted a name.

Reluctantly, the woman answered. "Strife."

Angeal forgot the crowd, attention riveted on the woman and the boy with her. Veld's poker face didn't slip at all.

"Mrs. Strife. I'm from the Investigation Sector of Shinra's General Affairs Department. Did you know those children?"

"No," was the swift, cold response.

Mayor Lockhart hrumphed. "You let them stay the night." His tone was accusatory.

She glared sideways at him. "Because they had nowhere else to stay."

"They could have stayed at the inn."

"They could have." Her tone utterly dry, as if you could tell her the sky had turned green or purple and she wouldn't have cared.

It was a bit awkward, watching a conversation between two people who so clearly disliked each other. That, and the child kept returning the odd looks of the Shinra staff with his own, rather more nervous stare.

Veld interjected into the odd argument. "Mrs. Strife, is this your only child?"

A fresh wave of muttering broke from the onlookers. The look on her face grew fierce. "Yes, he is!" Her loud answer seemed directed more toward the crowd than to Veld.

The mayor swiveled, his posture now aligning him with Mrs. Strife instead of opposing her, and glared at Veld. "I thought you said they were the kids of some Shinra bigwigs."

Angeal winced. It seemed that Veld was losing control of the situation, but the Turk kept his cool, answering in the same even voice. "One was adopted."

The pair of villagers seemed troubled by this, giving each other disturbed looks. "They said they weren't related," the woman muttered, half to herself.

"Who said?" Veld pressed.

The man and woman exchanged another look, some silent communication passing between them. It was the first time in the conversation the two seemed to agree on something.

"They aren't here. If you're looking for them, they just left," the man replied brusquely.

The woman's glare at him intensified to the point you could almost feel the ice crystals in the air. Apparently they hadn't been on the same page after all.

Veld's posture remained one of professional interest, but Angeal could hear the sudden urgency in his voice. "How long ago?" he demanded.

"A few minutes before you showed up," was the gruff answer.

Veld immediately spun on his heel. As he made his way between the SOLDIERs and troopers, he said quietly, "We can't lose them again."

The mass of villagers parted before them, and they made quick time back to the helicopter. Veld pulled aside the elder of the two troopers. "Thomson will stay here to keep an eye on things," he informed them.

Once in the air, it wasn't long before they spotted their targets on the curving mountain road. Although they stuck to the edges of the road where the trees provided an overhang, the morning sun sparkled brilliantly off the chocobo's feathers and the well-polished motorcycle, gleaming back up through the pine needles. Seeing them for the first time, Angeal was able to understand why Genesis had underestimated them when he first encountered them. If you ignored the oversized weapons, they really did look like just a group of kids. The oldest couldn't be more than fourteen. Going on the information they had gotten on the last skirmish, the eldest was also the least experienced, which made little sense. Angeal kept looking, and a moment later another chocobo came out from under the tree line. Riding it was a new addition to the group, an adult in a vivid red cape.

Well, it didn't matter if they were a combatant or not, the new individual didn't change the strategy.

With a grimace, Angeal thought it really was too bad status materia weren't multi-target. The goal of this mission was to capture the group alive for further questioning. Angeal wasn't very fast when casting, so he'd been given a lower-priority Mystify materia. Allen was quick on the draw, one of the reasons he'd been picked for this mission. With he and Genesis slinging out Sleeps and Stops in quick succession, the fight should be over almost as swiftly as it began. Angeal and Myers were here more on the off chance that the kids were immune to both of the others' spells. Their only other real concern was that under no circumstance was Genesis to engage with the young Wutaian girl.

As a unit the four SOLDIERs jumped, Price laying down cover fire from the open door of the helicopter. Angeal cast as soon as his boots hit the powdery soil, aiming the prepared Confuse spell at the boy on the motorcycle. He could hear and see the other SOLDIERs firing off their spells, but the results were no better than Genesis's first confrontation with them. The spells faded harmlessly away, blocked by shimmering magic barriers around the young group, who were swiftly dismounting and assuming battle stances. The unknown adult, at least, was affected. He fell from his chocobo in a swoosh of crimson fabric, but they were unable to take advantage. The older girl threw a remedy at the man, the magic-infused liquid seeping into his clothes and skin. He came to with a jerk, red eyes flicking open, and still prone on the road, abruptly pulled forth a heavy pistol and fired several shots into the open bay of the hovering helicopter.

The aircraft swerved higher at the same time the Wutaian girl gleefully launched herself at Genesis. Angeal, gripping his broadsword, rushed in to intervene but was blocked by steel. He grunted, digging his feet in, trying not to be pushed back by the force of his opponent's long sword. He'd been told the blond boy's weapon was a buster style sword, but the blade he currently wielded was long, tapering, and double-edged. Angeal was startled by the eyes that met his over the crossed swords. Those eyes, intensely blue-green and obviously enhanced, looked much too old for the face they were in. The staring match ended as the younger swordsman pushed up against his blade and brute-forced it away. Slipping under his guard, the blond kicked him hard in the gut.

He slid several feet, almost off the road into the pines, flailing one arm out for balance, before he skidded to a stop and braced for an incoming strike that never came. The blonde stayed where he had intercepted him, sword at the ready. He hadn't even seen the boy move. One moment he stood in front of his bike, the next he'd blocked and thrown him back with an easy strength. The kid, barely half his age and maybe a third his size, didn't seem interested in attacking. Standing in a defensive position, he calmly waited for Angeal to make the next move.

In contrast to his two best friends, Angeal preferred to incapacitate his human opponents, rather than kill. It was less efficient but more honorable, and in this case, even had the benefit of being the officially preferred option. But spells didn't work, and the situation had escalated well past fisticuffs. The only option was to overpower the boy through swordplay.

Angeal shifted his grip, then charged, bringing his broadsword forward in a low arc. Exchanging a quick series of blows, he concluded that the boy was as far from a novice as you could get, answering each of his strikes in a controlled manner.

He had a gut feeling that the blond was holding back. The speed and strength he'd shown blocking Angeal before were absent. He matched Angeal strike for strike, face intent, but with no sign of strain. Angeal put progressively more strength and speed into his attacks until he was fighting as fiercely as he did when sparring with Sephiroth, but it didn't matter. The blond met his attacks in a steady rhythm until Angeal could hear the metal of his standard-issue sword singing with the strain. The edges of the blade were all but gone.

Feinting to the left, he came in on the right with a fist, trying to knock the kid out before his sword broke. The boy slid aside like water, and Angeal changed his slight overbalanced stumble into a sweep with his dulled sword at the blond's knees. The kid leapt over it, and Angeal deliberately stuck his boot between the boy's feet on landing. He tripped a little but recovered so quickly that Angeal may as well not have bothered with the trick. Blinking sweat from his eyes, Angeal sacrificed power for speed, quick swipes and jabs that didn't place too much strain on his sword. If only he could find an opening…! This fight was not what he'd expected, and his usually-equitable temper stretched to the point of snapping. He was a SOLDIER, and he took pride in that. When faced with an opponent like this, he could understand why Genesis was so irate. It was humbling to have such difficulty, and his longtime friend was not a humble person.

He sensed it before it happened, and apparently so did the boy. Both pulled back the moment the crack appeared in the sword. Watching his opponent carefully, Angeal reached for the Buster Sword slung on his back, keeping the cracked broadsword up in a feeble defense.

"Don't." To emphasize his point, the boy's blade opened up, forming a wider two-pronged sword, a clear threat and a statement that he had been deliberately holding back. He was breathing a little quickly, which was not precisely comforting for the sweaty, panting Angeal.

The air felt thick in Angeal's lungs as he replied, "My orders are to bring you back to Shinra for questioning. So unless you feel like coming with me quietly, this will have to continue."

The boy seemed to think that over for a moment before saying, "You let us go last time."

"Yes, but not this time." Not that he was looking forward to engaging the boy again, but orders were orders, and this kid was definitely dangerous.

The kid huffed, then nodded over his shoulder to the scene behind him. "Look around you, you've already lost."

You should never take your eyes off of your opponent. That was one of the first things Angeal had learned about combat, but he felt the risk of the boy attacking him was slim. A quick glance around showed that the terrorists were in full control of the fight. The 2nd Classes who had been fighting the martial artist were both breathing heavily. The skin on their exposed arms and jaws was swelling with bruises or smeared with blood. Myers was holding his sword with one hand while the other dangled from a shoulder that was either broken or dislocated.

At some point Price and Veld had entered the fight, though with little effect. The inexperienced brunet was keeping Price at bay with a Fire materia. The trooper's uniform was smoldering where he hadn't dodged quickly enough, and a long gash on one arm was bleeding. He'd gotten in at least one good hit though; the brunet had blood on his forehead. Beyond them, Veld was in a standoff with the caped gunman. Their guns were both aimed at the other's chest, but they appeared to be conversing seriously. Angeal couldn't hear their voices - the local soundscape was dominated by the whooshing of flames, the crack of falling trees, and the deafening booms of explosions. Angeal couldn't see them, but Genesis was clearly still being toyed with by the Wutaian girl.

Before he was able to do anything, say anything to salvage the dismal situation, fireballs started to rain down haphazardly around them. Angeal threw himself clear of an exceptionally large one and watched as Genesis swept back onto the road. Flames tore through the forest around him, devouring everything in their path. Tall pines became ladders for the magic-induced fire to climb, and glowing embers and ash fell like snow. And there in the midst of it stood Genesis, laughing as the little girl he'd been chasing darted to her female companion and hid behind her, dark eyes peering out from behind the other girl's waist.

The older girl, though, stood her ground, the fire reflecting in her eyes, showing no sign of fear or hesitation. Glowing light and glyphs surrounded her, brightening as the icy blue form of Shiva descended before them. Angeal shouted over the noise to his men. Price was already blocking, but Myers and Allen both needed the prompt to turn their swords defensively. The summon's attention, however, was on the inferno around them. Gathering a brilliant ball of glittering energy above her head, Shiva released a powerful Ice spell upon the flames, freezing them as they danced in the trees, creating one of the most beautiful and haunting sights Angeal had ever seen. Flames frozen into crystalline sculptures, a sudden heavy silence after the deafening firestorm.

"You big jerk!" The tiny girl's shrill voice broke the moment's spell. Turning away from the dissolving summon, Angeal watched with a frown as she yelled at Genesis. "Why are we even trying to save you if you're such a big, fat-headed bastard! The way you're dying sucks, but that's no excuse for burning down an entire freaking forest! If you'rmph-"

The martial artist's hand over the girl's mouth ended the odd rant at the same time the blond boy cut in with, "That's enough." Locking eyes with Angeal, the boy added, "We're leaving, now."

The older boy had retreated to stand next to the others while Shiva had still been present, and now the blonde boy said something softly to him and took a materia from his sword.

Angeal stood closest, and so the smell of the attack hit him first. With that smell, he knew what to expect. Despite the immediate danger, he found himself more worried over what this meant about their opponents' abilities: two demonstrated summons and an Enemy Skill materia. Genesis's griping about their equipment was at least a little justified. The dark brown vapor hit him, and he winced his burning eyes shut, trying not to gag. He and Genesis had equipment to protect against most of Bad Breath's effects, but his subordinates were likely going to be inflicted with the full array.

His head spun a little, and he wobbled where he stood, opening his eyes as something altered his center of gravity. His gaze landed on a frost-encrusted pine cone roughly level with his thigh, and he grimaced. Small had hit home. He was fortunate enough to be standing on a slight rise, and could still survey the surrounding terrain. Price, Myers, and Allen looked in bad shape - definitely affected by Small, Sleep, and Poison, maybe by Confuse and Silence. He couldn't see Genesis or Veld. The chocobos approached again, having fled from the fire, but before remounting, the terrorists did something highly unusual - they walked amongst the shrunken Shinra personnel, dripping antidote onto each of the poison victims. Angeal glared frustratedly upwards at the smallest girl, who smirked back as she hopped onto her chocobo and rapidly disappeared over his diminished horizon.

A few feet from Angeal, a large frog whose ruddy coloration had effectively camouflaged it against the pine bark leapt from a log and landed beside him. It gave him a sideways look from mako-blue eyes and an upset-sounding croak.

Angeal bowed his head solemnly. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Genesis. I now fully understand your frustration," he apologized, before setting off at a run to the nearest member of his squad. Behind him, Genesis croaked again.

Arriving first at Myers's side, he inspected the damage. Sleep and Small for sure. He'd have to wake him up before he could find out the extent of the status spells. With all of them hit and unable to access their equipment, it would be difficult to get rid of all the ailments. He shook Myers awake. The man blinked, but his drifting gaze didn't seem to register what was going on. The 2nd Class stood and tried to talk, but produced no sound. Confuse and Silence. There wasn't much Angeal could do for Silence, but a quick slap to the face brought Myers's mind back.

"Help me wake the others," he ordered. "We'll head for Nibelheim, Thomson should be able to get this stuff off."

Myers nodded to show he understood, his bad arm hanging limply at his side, before heading over to wake up Allen.

From behind him came another hollow croak. Angeal took a deep breath and let it out through gritted teeth. "Yes, Genesis, we'll get you fixed up as well." This time the croak sounded reluctant. "If that was a 'go somewhere? Looking like this?', you're just going to have to suck it up. I'm not splitting our group out here."

He started to walk off toward Price but a loud "CroaOOOooak" made him stop and turn. Another frog sat beside the first. This one had large yellow eyes and dark warty skin. Since it didn't seem to be suffering any other ailments, he guessed it was Veld, who'd undoubtedly also had protection against most other, more common status spells.

"Are there any remedies stored in the helicopter?" Angeal asked. The frog blinked and very deliberately shook its head before launching itself over him and further up the path towards the village. Sighing at another bit of bad luck, he went to wake Price.

He tore half of his right pant leg off and bandaged the cut down the trooper's arm. While Small stayed in effect, he couldn't access his potions or materia, and the rough first aid was all he could do for the man. Myers' shoulder was indeed only dislocated, and Allen helped him pop it back into place. Angeal was the only one capable of speech, and he told them the plan to head back to Riker in Nibelheim. Genesis stopped him, making some weird gestures with his large webbed feet. Probably they were supposed to be field signals, but as it was, Angeal couldn't make heads or tails of them.

He shook his head. "Sorry, my friend, but I can't understand you. It'll just have to wait."

The SOLDIER-turned-frog stared at him. Unwilling to get in a staring match with a frog and worried about Price, Angeal waved it off. The hike ahead of them, what would have been a leisurely stroll for full-size SOLDIERs, was going to take hours, and led across an environment that was infamous for its aggressive wildlife. They were too small to be of interest to Valrons, Dragons, or Zuus, and Bombs weren't carnivorous, only territorial. They weren't going to enter any caves, either, which left only… ten monster species to worry about.

The next five hours were torture on his nerves. A shadow falling over the road, a twig snapping in the forest - for a squad of four eleven-inch tall men and two mid-sized amphibians, these were no laughing matters, and numerous times they had to bolt for cover or hunker down under the large fern leaves they were carrying as camouflage. He was also growing increasingly worried for Price, who smelled of blood and was beginning to stumble as he walked.

They had to pause as a touchy bomb floated across the road. He knew the flame-wreathed monster wouldn't attack them if they stayed put, but if they got too close… well, it was called touchy for a reason.

Just as the bomb floated off into the trees, Angeal heard something scuffling on the road behind them. He turned, though not far, Price's arm being slung over his shoulders, and swore softly at what he saw. While they'd been waiting for the bomb to move on, a bahba velamyu had come up behind them. The hairless monster was swift, despite its precarious balance on two squat legs, but it was only just now catching their trail. A long tongue flickered out from its round, needle-lined mouth, licking the ground where they had just walked.

Genesis made an odd hiccuping noise, catching Angeal's attention. With a wave of one webbed foot, he motioned for him to move ahead, before giving a leisurely croak and hopping toward the bahba velamyu.

"Genesis!" he shouted, but his friend ignored him. In horror he watched him leap at the monster, landing on its back before jumping off and heading into the pines. The bahba velamyu quickly gave chase, legs pounding at the ground, purple antenna whipping back with the speed of its pursuit. Had his friend finally gone mad? Had the defeat broken his pride? Was he giving up and sacrificing himself for them?

He could hear more than see the chase, moving ahead of them in a wide arc… towards where the bomb had gone. Sure enough, not long after, a large explosion shook the pines. Angeal hurried forward as fast as he could while still being mindful of Price's injuries. When they were almost parallel to where the explosion had been he spotted Genesis sitting on the road shoulder ahead of them.

He let out a heavy sigh, relief washing over him. "Genesis, please don't ever scare me like that again."

In response, Genesis blinked his bulbous blue eyes before hopping down the road.

The mountain days grew cold quickly, even in summer and fog had started to creep down the valley when they finally made it back into town and located Thompson. Angeal didn't begrudge him his stifled laughter. At this point, the embarrassment and offense of the situation had worn away, leaving behind a morbid amusement. And because their luck was just running poorly today, Thompson didn't have a remedy or esuna on him, so he had to buy some from the local shop. The trooper was a little surprised when Veld compensated him personally. Seemed his time as a frog had humbled the Turk.

Once cured of all ailments, they regrouped at the Shinra-owned manor at the edge of town, none of them wanting to face down the locals just yet. In the dusty lobby with the aging doors shut, Genesis immediately began to declaim. "My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains."

He placed his hand on Genesis's shoulder. "There is still honor, my friend. We are still alive, and so we may reclaim it."

Genesis gave him a pained look and stepped away, clutching one hand to his chest. "She stole my materia again."

Angeal winced.

Riker, having waited patiently until they were inside, finally asked, "Sirs? May I ask what the hell happened to you?"

Angeal looked at Veld, but the Turk seemed distracted, staring at the chipped plaster walls with muscles jumping in his clenched jaw. Myers hung his head and sighed, while Allen took off his helmet to run a hand through his curly bleached hair. Price squinted his eyes shut unhappily, and Genesis was muttering to himself and gesturing at thin air. Angeal sighed and clapped his hands, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Alright, debrief. Our goal today was the capture of the terrorist group who attacked Shinra personnel in Kalm and Junon, escaped a previous capture attempt, and possibly destroyed Shinra resources in the Nibel reactor. Clearly, we failed. What mistakes did we make today, and how can we learn from them to succeed next time? "

Price spoke up first. "I was incautious." He nodded to the 2nds. "With Corey and Soren handling the martial artist, I thought taking out the inexperienced kid would be a piece of cake, but he must have equipped a new materia, maybe a Long Range. I couldn't get close to him. I could see the openings in his defense, but when I tried to capitalize, I'd get cut up, even when his sword was nowhere near me. He had a Fire materia too. Not a fast caster, but because he could keep me at a distance, he had enough time to get the spells off."

Allen gave Price a sympathetic fist bump to the shoulder. "S'ok man, this group.…" He looked over to the 1st Class. "We were told not to underestimate them and we didn't, we took that fight seriously."

"Didn't matter though," Myers added gloomily. "That girl's no pushover. She's a lot stronger than she looks, she had no problem throwing me around. And -" he stopped for a moment, thinking. "She dislocated my shoulder, but I could feel the force of that blow. She could have messed me up really bad, broken the joint and the collarbone, but she deliberately angled the hit so the joint popped out."

Angeal frowned. "Out of cruelty?" he asked, though he didn't think that was the answer. Myers shook his head, dark hair swaying.

"No, I don't think so. It hurt, but it was way less damage than it could have been."

That matched with Angeal's observations. "The three of you weren't awake for it," he said, "but before they left, they cured the Poison from the Bad Breath spell, and left us with the nonfatal effects."

"Do you have any idea what the smallest one was going on about at the end there?" Allen asked.

"None."

Genesis finally spoke up, his elbow resting in his palm as he put a hand to his chin. "The way we are dying? Or was she speaking solely to me?" The last part was mumbled.

The same concern had been bothering Angeal as well. It had seemed like she'd been talking directly to Genesis. His friend seemed perfectly healthy, especially now that he no longer had webbed feet. "It doesn't seem to have been an attempt at sowing doubt or fear. Her allies cut her off from saying more - it's information they didn't want us knowing, I'd guess." He turned to the Turk, who still seemed distracted. "Veld, is there any chance she was telling the truth?"

However distant he appeared, his response was snappy. "We don't have enough information to say, but a stop in at medical might be prudent, if only to ease our minds."

Angeal nodded and brought up another issue causing him lingering concern. "The red-cloaked gunman. He was an unexpected addition to their group, and you seemed to be speaking with him."

The Turk director looked troubled, his eyes drifting back over the rotting manor interior. "Vincent Valentine," he answered softly.

"You know him?" That could give them a solid place to look for answers.

"He was a Turk who died here in Nibelheim." Or… it could lead to a pit of land worms.

Genesis scoffed. "He didn't look very dead."

Veld sighed. "No, he doesn't." He turned away from them. "He supposedly died twenty years ago, while stationed in this very building. The cause was never clearly reported." He turned back to them, assessing. "Commander, finish the debrief and then rest. There's a laboratory here I'd like to check on." He turned and ascended the broad staircase. Angeal frowned, very slightly. A debrief worked best when all participants in the action spoke up. If they were in Wutai, he'd have called the Turk back, division leader or not. Out of the war zone though, Veld outranked him, and Angeal was uncomfortable with Board politics - he wouldn't risk upsetting the man. He walked through the rest of the confrontation, discussing how the blond had the strongest enhancement he'd ever seen and trying to chastise Genesis for his arsonist ways while not upsetting him enough to make him explode and leave in a huff.

Finished, they each found a place to settle in. On the stairs, along the wall, or in Genesis's case, curled in a dusty quilted chair. "Well, they were here." From his seat on the lowest stair steps, Myers pointed to some child-sized footprints in the dust.

Angeal lazily counted the tracks as they wandered back and forth across the room. It looked like they might have stayed here for a few days. After a moment's observation, he noted something different from the tracks at the reactor. "There are only five sets of prints here."

The others looked around as well. "You're right! And we only fought five." Once again, Allen crouched next to the prints, trailing his fingers along them. "It's the second-smallest set with the worn soles that're missing."

Genesis hummed. "That brat in town this morning - he had scuffed shoes."

"Something to look into," said a deep voice from above. Veld looked over the railing at them. Dust fell in a gentle shower from where his hand rested on the wood.

Genesis rolled his head back in the chair. "Back so soon, director?"

Angeal had decided long ago that Genesis had an unhealthy fascination for annoying the Turks.

The man barely glanced at the 1st Class. "It appears they are targeting the Science Department's research. The stairs to the lab have been burned. I'll need one of you to ascertain the full damage."

"Alright." Angeal pushed himself up off the floor. He was tired from the long day but felt as though he hadn't accomplished anything. At least this small task was something worthwhile to do. He followed Veld upstairs, into a bedroom with a stone doorway in the corner. He could already smell the fresh ash and charcoal. "Down there?"

"Yes. You don't have to do much, just observe the amount of damage and if any place seems to have been of a particular focus for them."

"Alright."

"And, Angeal…" The Turk's voice caught at him. "Whatever you see down there is classified at the very highest level. Tell no one but me what you find."

Angeal nodded. This was not the first time he'd been involved with a mission from the Turks that he couldn't talk about afterward. He peered down into the darkness, barely able to make out places to land. With a jump, he caromed off walls until he reached the bottom. The air was thick with ash, irritating his eyes and throat. Parts of the walls and ceiling had collapsed ahead of him. Even with his enhanced eyesight, it was dark, and he ran his hand along the wall as he carefully picked his way forward. After a few steps, he could feel large grooves in the stone, as though some giant creature had been trying to rip the place apart. He paused. There was also…. He took his gloves off. He wasn't mistaken, the walls were warm and in some places the stone had melted. Seventeen feet in, the passage was completely blocked where the walls on both sides had collapsed. He debated clearing the way and pressing on. He set a bare hand against the tumbled stone - it felt warmer than the side walls. Quite likely, there were fires still burning in the areas beyond it.

Deciding against going further, he jumped his way back up the former stairwell and surprised Veld with his swift return. Angeal jerked a soot-smeared thumb back down the shaft.

"They have an Ifrit."


Notes: Genesis's musing about the difference between Midgar and Junon is a false division; both cities are Shinra-built, model-planned cities constructed over and choking the life from the original village(s) beneath. Also, while rereading the first section, I noticed that I had unintentionally written Genesis going through four of the five stages of grief and laughed. We debated including the fifth stage to complete set, but decided to leave it out. Genesis is not so good at accepting things.

If Angeal trying to trip Cloud seems more a Genesis maneuver, just remember that at this point in the timeline, he's only nineteen, and feeling very frustrated. (Cloud certainly wasn't expecting it - his memories of Angeal are hazy, based on rumor from his trooper days and cloudy second-hand memories from Zack. The Angeal in Cloud's mind is far too honorable to pull such a trick.)

And, since this was brought up in the comments on the preview for this chapter - we're basing the Ribbons on the Crisis Core variant, where they are effective against everything except Insta-Death. (Crisis Core has fewer status ailments than VII proper, but if you're gonna have a super-special accessory that protects against all negative status affects, then you may as well go whole-hog and have it protect against all negative status affects.)

The Nibel monster list is formed using the full compilation.