"Cloud."

Sephiroth realized what he'd said a moment too late. He shook his head and corrected himself. "My apologies: Mr. Strife."

The other man blinked behind his glasses and then tipped his head to one side. "That's… better than I expected, actually." Then he held up the bag he'd set by his foot. "Here's your food." He seemed so nonchalant, except for the tense readiness in his shoulders…

Sephiroth blinked, then glanced at the secretaries. They stared back, wide-eyed, as if they didn't understand what was going on before them.

"Not mine," he corrected, in case it got back to Hojo (unfortunately likely this time, as far more people were passing through the lobby than his previous trip). "It's for a friend. We're celebrating his promotion to Second class today."

More blinking from the blond.

"Zack," Cloud said softly, suddenly seeming so sad. But then he shook his head and thrust the bag at Sephiroth. "Give him my congratulations." Then he turned and began to walk away. Sephiroth blinked.

"Wait," he said.

He paused, standing in the middle of the open doorway. "I have three more bags of this order and another delivery in ten minutes."

Oh… right. His job kept him corporeal. Still, Sephiroth had so many questions. He set the bag on the lobby counter and followed the blond out.

"Why do you keep delivering our food?"

Cloud shrugged as he made his way down the stairs to his bike. "It's what I do. I've delivered Reeve's too." He shook his head. "That guy stays up way too late. I think he lives off of coffee."

"But why you? Why not just avoid us?" Sephiroth pushed. Why, specifically, him? Why, when there were other delivery services available?

The blond paused, then glanced over at the Silver General. "Because my need to deliver outweighs my survival instincts at this point."

Sephiroth blinked. That didn't really answer his question, but the conflicting information in that statement brought up another, arguably more pertinent and worrying one (especially for his new protege). "Do you… have survival instincts?" Because wasn't he dead?

Cloud scoffed, though he seemed amused. "People asked me that before I died too."

The taller man could believe it. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but the blond cut him off.

"You have one more question, and be thankful for that. I have to leave." He pulled the remaining bags from a sidecar on the far side of the bike. "Here's the rest. Give me your question."

Sephiroth was thankful the man didn't just set the bags on the ground and leave but… just one question. He must have looked particularly torn as he took the remaining bags, because Cloud rolled his bright blue eyes.

(SOLDIER eyes. He only saw them because the discrepancy between their heights let him see over the dark lenses.)

"Most of your answers are in the games. Just play."

Wait… games… with an 's'?!

"Did you deliver a game to the Turks?"

Cloud seemed a little taken back by that, but then he smirked. "I deliver a lot of things to the Turks."

"Cl… Mr. Strife," Sephiroth said, unimpressed.

To his surprise, Cloud smiled… rather vindictively. "Currently I've delivered four games and a series of light novels, through various means. That's all you get from me."

With that he walked around his bike, fixing his gloves.

"You're enjoying holding this over me," Sephiroth said, more than a little exasperated, and wondering how a 'light novel' differed from a regular one. He probably could ask that of Zack… or Genesis, in this case.

"I'd answer that, but then I'd be treating it like a question," the blond responded as he swung himself onto his motorcycle. "And you already got your one."

"How can I contact you?" Sephiroth blurted out the thought that came to his mind then. He didn't want this… well, resource? Contact? Back-up in desperate cases? No matter the classification, just letting him walk away seemed wrong.

Cloud paused yet again, glancing back with a very unfriendly glare.

"This is a little important," the taller man pointed out, annoyed.

The blond continued to study him, then sighed, dismounted, pointed to the bag in his right hand, and beckoned in a 'give' motion. "Under the top box." He took the bag back and pulled the receipt out while also pulling a pen from his pocket. He turned back to his bike and used the solid surface of the gas tank to scrawl something on the back of the slip of paper.

"If you contact me for anything less than the world ending or an actual delivery, I will take the WEAPON route," he threatened as he marched back over to drop the receipt back in one of the bags. "That goes for you and your SOLDIER First friends." He glanced over Sephiroth's shoulder at the ShinRa lobby, then shook his head and turned back around. Sephiroth noted the wording and wondered if the number he'd just received would match the one now in Zack's PHS.

With that, he strode back to his ride. Sephiroth stood there, in front of the ShinRa building, with bags of food in his hands, watching as Cloud swung one leg over the bike and started it up.

"Don't make stupid decisions," the blond called out one last time over the noise of the engine. "I like being a delivery boy." Not a WEAPON, the silver-haired man could hear that last silent warning before the man revved his motorcycle and drove away.

Sephiroth didn't huff, but he had to stop himself from doing so. That had been decidedly unhelpful for the most part. He turned and climbed back up the stairs to the still-open door. Then he noticed the secretaries (and several other employees) all watching him, through the windows, and lingering around the building entrance, eyes even wider than before (which made him rather glad most of that conversation happened away from the desks). The expressions were… different from the usual looks of awe. He wondered why.

He kept his pace and strode back to the counter where he'd left the first bag Cloud had handed him, though a small ruckus coming from the stairs caught his attention. Glancing up, he saw Genesis hurrying down said stairs, eyes fixed on the front door. He'd have had a clear view of the street from the upper floor, Sephiroth realized.

"Sephiroth! Is that… was that…?" he gestured towards the front, eyes wide.

The Silver General sighed and hefted the two bags of food at Genesis. Then he turned to see the bag of food he'd left on the counter now sitting on a cart, which had been rolled around to where he could easily push it towards the elevators. Someone must have requested it. Zack or Angeal, perhaps? He'd have to ask how they'd managed that.

He grabbed Genesis' arm as he passed the red-head, then the cart as he drew even with it. Normally, the thespian wouldn't allow the indignity of being 'manhandled' but the long-since-vanished Cloud had captured his attention too much for him to complain immediately.

"Sephiroth, that… that was…"

"My proof. But not here," the taller First whispered shortly.

"Infinite in mystery…" Genesis muttered. After a couple more seconds of being pulled in the direction opposite the one he stared in, the red-head realized he was practically being dragged and twisted his arm. "Unhand me!"

Sephiroth rolled his eyes, but didn't make another grab for the man.

Genesis glanced behind them at the lobby, clearly wanting to pursue his question. At least he'd decided to follow his commanding officer and not continue to make a scene. Instead, as the two made their way to the elevators, the red-head decided to ask an easier question. "How did you get down here so quickly?"

"I took the stairs."

Genesis blinked and gave him a slightly incredulous look. "Did you fly down them?"

Sephiroth didn't see a need to answer that, but he did allow himself to smile. He caught Genesis staring at him out of the corner of his eye. The red-head looked as if he were trying to solve a puzzle. He allowed his smile to grow a touch larger.

"Che," Genesis muttered.

Fitting into the elevators was… a bit of a struggle as the cart and two large SOLDIERS took up most of the space, but after some finagling, they managed, and the door shut.

As soon as it did, the red-head rounded on his friend , apparently deciding the semi-privacy of the elevator to be 'later' enough. "Who was that?"

"Cloud." The redhead must have already known that, but apparently denial made him want to play questionnaire.

"Cloud's profile lists him, quite accurately, in the category of 'far too short'." Genesis countered. "That man obviously stood only just below average."

Sephiroth raised one eyebrow, as much at the esoteric poetry as at the insinuation. "From the future."

"You said that 'Future Cloud' is dead." Genesis tried.

"I also reported that he stated that he can manifest himself."

"Be serious."

The Silver General's smile fell away. "I am."

Genesis blinked, opened his mouth, but then seemed to think better of whatever he'd been about to say as he closed it again, looking to the side in contemplation.

"Was it really?" he finally asked, doubt in his tone.

Sephiroth nodded. "He said his 'need to deliver' outweighs his 'survival instincts'." He took the two bags back from Genesis, set one in a convenient empty space on the cart and pulled the receipt from the other, handing it to his friend. "This is his phone number. I assume he meant for all of us to have it, but he also warned me that if we called him for anything less than the world ending or an actual delivery, he would 'take the WEAPON route'."

Genesis stared at the phone number, then looked up at Sephiroth, and then back at the phone number.

"Wings of light and dark spread afar; She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting," the red-head muttered.

"Indeed," Sephiroth agreed, snatching the receipt out of Genesis' hand. "Your turn. What were you doing down in the lobby?"

"Curiosity. Zack got a phone call for the order from the front desk."

After he'd already gotten a text. Supposedly from the restaurant. Interesting. And fair.

They spent the rest of the elevator ride and the walk down the hall to Sephiroth's apartment in silence.

When they finally opened the door, they heard battle music and saw Angeal had started the fight against Diamond WEAPON. Deciding that it would probably be best to put the food in the kitchen this time, he pushed the cart there as Genesis strode back to the couch. He'd have to ask Zack about return procedures once they were done using it.

"Welcome back!" Sephiroth heard Zack say. "Where's the food?"

"Sephiroth has it."

"Oh I… wait… is the battle over?" the Second asked, distracted by the familiar victory music. "Whoa, nice XP."

Sephiroth hurried back into the living room, eyes fixed on the flatscreen as he reclaimed his seat in time to see what he assumed was the WEAPON (it was far more detailed than the green one in the sea had been) looking around, as if confused, and took a step back. Then it turned and started stomping away. The scene changed and the party Angeal had chosen – Cloud, Barret and Tifa – ran into view.

Barret asked the 'monster' what he was looking at (not that that made sense… didn't that phrase have a different connotation?), and Cloud shook his head, saying that the WEAPON was feeling something… murder.

"It's feeling what?!" Zack asked at the same time Genesis gestured to the screen with his hand again. "How does he know that?! How could he know that?"

Sephiroth shook his head and Angeal shrugged helplessly, not taking his hands off of the controller, in case he was given control again, Sephiroth assumed. In the background, the WEAPON's enormous, talon-like feet continued to stomp off while the party ran on screen, presumably much closer to the camera.

Tifa said to go to the airship, and she and Barret ran off, leaving Cloud looking after the WEAPON for some reason. Then he, too, turned to go but a ringing sound stopped him and he moved as if answering a PHS.

Cait Sith was on the other end and said they had to get out of there because something big, 'I mean really big,' was coming.

"Like, say, an enormous Planetary WEAPON?" Genesis asked dryly as he sat back, folding his arms.

The view switched to Rufus inside the ShinRa tower. He was informed by Scarlet and Heidegger (judging from the awful laughs) that the preparations for the Sister Ray were under way and 'anytime was fine'. Rufus nodded, turned to the window and told them to fire.

The next scene showed the giant levers and gears of the cannon moving up and down, or turning (or both), before the camera swooped down to look at each reactor, as if flying by them, as they became fully active. All seven of them… fully active at once… the kind of power that would produce had even Sephiroth balking. Zack's mouth had, once again, dropped open, as had Genesis', and Angeal's eyes had blown wide.

Tubes of some kind connected each reactor to the weapon – although that would take even more time to set up than Sephiroth thought those in the game had – and… impressive and terrifying were the only words he could ascribe. The camera zoomed out as the energy continued to feed into the canon – in multiple places, even – and then everything went dark – even the city.

Then energy seemed to coalesce in front of the barrel and all moving parts on the canon aligned. The inside of the canon lit up and then, in the next moment, it let off a shot.

"That's… not what happened before at Junon," Zack said slowly.

"This has to be fundamentally different," Genesis muttered.

"How?" Angeal asked.

Genesis shook his head, as did Sephiroth. Zack didn't even bother to try and answer.

Meanwhile, on the screen, it showed the kickback of the shot three times (unless… those three times were actually shots, but Sephiroth didn't think so with that kind of power requirement). The glass in the ShinRa tower shattered and fell out.

"Oooo," Zack winced.

Multiple parts – scaffolding, perhaps? – along the cannon fell away in the shaking, as the glass plumeted. Sephiroth hoped no one was below that, but he suspected that even if there had been, no one in the upper echelons of Shinra, save maybe Reeve, would have cared.

The screen briefly showed Rufus brushing back his hair as if smugly, in success? Sephiroth thought that was what the game creators were trying to portray.

Then the scene changed to the WEAPON. It had stopped and the back of its enormous shoulder… wings? Pauldrons? Sephiroth wasn't entirely sure, but they opened to show what looked like panels of some kind… or power matrices? Solar panels?

Sephiroth wondered if he wanted to know. Then he decided that he did, but he was positive he wouldn't like the explanation.

Plates on its chest and shoulders opened in the front, then, and drew in energy of some kind, glowing gold. It fired multiple, glowing shots of the same color.

The scene switched to the deck of the Highwind with everyone on board. Tifa asked which direction (did she mean target?) it was going to attack.

'Midgar!' exclaimed Nanaki.

"No!" Zack yelled.

'Marlene!' Barrett shouted.

The shots from the Weapon flew directly past the enormous beam of light, as if switching places in some ultimately deadly game.

The airship circled around the WEAPON as the beam shot directly at it, practically parallel to the ground. WEAPON did not stop the beam at all. It drilled directly through the enormous figure, which flew quite a ways through the air backwards and then crashed to the earth with a mighty thump, a giant, burning hole in its chest.

Sephiroth wondered why the WEAPON hadn't moved to the side. Had those shots been trying to stop the beam? Or could it not move after using its power to release those shots? Or had it simply not thought anything ShinRa – humans even – could make would be powerful enough to do any real damage to it?

He didn't know, and apparently no one else did either because no one said anything. For once. Sephiroth didn't mind.

On the Highwind, the crew seemed to be just as taken back as the SOLDIERS had been. They made some comments on how the beam went right through the WEAPON and Cloud was the one to postulate that ShinRa had been aiming for the Northern Crater and Game Sephiroth all along.

The scene switched to a bright, white light zooming through mountain tops, shooting straight for what looked like an enormous bubble around and over the crater's edge. The light met the bubble and exploded in white energy. After several seconds (and a shaking screen), the bubble – the shield? – vanished.

"Convenient that the WEAPON just happened to be in the direct path of their shot," Genesis commented, but his heart didn't seem in it.

Sephiroth still nodded in mute agreement.

The screen switched back to Rufus in the tower, although the glass was still there? It didn't look windy or dirty, but the glass had shattered outwards and perhaps they couldn't show wind very well with those blocky avatars.

Someone reported that the WEAPON had been defeated and that the barrier had disappeared. Rufus walked back towards the desk and looked up. Then someone reported that a mass of high-density energy was heading for Midgar. Sephiroth's lips thinned. He'd been afraid of that.

Rufus whipped around and the screen faded out to the streets of Midgar as people panicked and ran while shots flew by overhead. They screamed about the WEAPON attacking. Meanwhile, it showed Rufus just standing there, staring out the window as the camera moved around him then focused on his blue eyes.

The camera flashed to outside, speeding towards the tower, as if it, too, was a shell. Then, back inside as Rufus ducked down and everything exploded and he… disappeared?

"Did he just die?" Zack asked, surprised.

"Looks like," Angeal said, sounding a little shaken.

Sephiroth frowned, not entirely sure of that… but it could also just be the graphics too. Ultimately, he decided that they would see eventually and continued watching.

The entire top of the ShinRa tower blew up.

The SOLDIERs stared.

And then the screen switched to the inside of the Highwind.

Cloud… asked what happened to Game Sephiroth and mentioned the Northern Cave. Sephiroth assumed he meant the caves inside the crater, but he didn't even ask after Midgar…

"Wow… he is obsessed," Zack muttered.

Reunion, something sweet whispered to Sephiroth and he tensed. Then he closed his eyes and shoved the thought and the presence away (again – and he'd do it as many times and as often as he needed to) before focusing back on the screen.

Angeal's fingers moved again and Cloud walked up to the pilot (level 14). Next thing they knew, the world-map came into view with the Highwind hovering above it.

"To the Northern Crater," Angeal said. Then sat back with a thump. "I think I'm done, though. Anyone else?" He held the controller out.

Genesis and Sephiroth exchanged glances. The red-head just glared while Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, half in challenge, half in dare.

"Oh, very well," Genesis said, taking the controller again.

"While we're flying up there," Zack said suddenly, obviously forcing a smile, "what was that about the food?"

"It is in the kitchen," Sephiroth informed him.

"Great! Dinner time!" He shot to his feet and rushed into the other room.

"A small break is probably not a bad idea," Angeal pointed out.

Sephiroth couldn't agree more. That had been… intense. And if they were going back to the crater next… He stood, as did Angeal, and they walked back to the kitchen behind Zack.

Genesis sighed, but left the game on the flying mode and followed them into the other room.

Sephroth paused in the doorway. Should he say something about Cloud delivering their food? That would undoubtedly lead to a discussion they may not have time for if they wanted to finish the game any time soon and try to get their answers. But leaving that out would upset both Angeal and Zack when he informed them later, and he saw no reason why they shouldn't know, but even with dinner, now was probably not a good time.

He suddenly remembered the look on Cloud's face when Zack had come up, and how he'd been so sure. He hadn't asked if they were celebrating Zack's promotion, he'd just… known. Then he'd given a request, as a throw away, but… Sephiroth could do that at least.

"Zack." He waited a moment for the boy to look up. "I mentioned to the delivery man that the food was for a celebratory meal, and he asked that I pass on congratulations."

The younger teen smiled. "That was nice of him. Now I kinda wish I'd been the one to go down, so I could'a thanked him."

Sephiroth glanced at Genesis, who had one eyebrow raised both in question and something a little more pointed, likely wondering if they would say anything else. He apparently thought they should. Good. They were on the same page.

"I do have more to… report from my venture, but would prefer to discuss it later, when we have more time."

The red-head nodded in satisfaction. Angeal must have made some connections, because he questioned Sephiroth with a raised brow, but the rest of his expression seemed incredulous. His eyes flicked to his protege and back. His frown deepened, but he also nodded.

Zack must have realized he missed something because he shot them a puzzled look before deciding not to push it and continued with his rummaging.

A moment later, his grin returned full force. "This is great!" he said, holding up one of the many containers in one hand like he'd just found a treasure. Curiously, he stood and stuffed one of the many large bags in Sephiroth's freezer with the other, never taking his eyes off of the first container. "It's one of my faves, but a little spicy. I got less spicy dishes, of course, but I like spice and it's my promotion." He grinned so brightly that Sephiroth felt a little of his tenseness melt at the sheer exuberance. In that moment, he very much appreciated Zack Fair.

"What would you like, Sir?"

Sephiroth blinked.

"I… will leave that up to you," he said.

Somehow (the silver-haired man wasn't sure how), the boy's smile grew bigger. "Oh, you'll love this! You liked the spicy stuff the other day, right?" And he began to load a plate down with… quite the strange variety of food. Then he practically shoved the plate into his superior officer's hands before fishing out a fork from one of the bags.

"Here you go, Sir!"

"Zack, where are the less spicy ones?" Angeal asked.

"Can't handle a little heat?" Zack teased. Sephiroth was a little surprised and more than a little pleased that he could recognize it was teasing. He wasn't entirely sure he could have even a couple of days ago.

"Oh, I can handle it," Angeal replied, smiling and one eyebrow raised in amusement. "I just don't see why I should have to."

"I knew you had to have some good taste," Genesis sniffed from where he was leaning against the door frame.

"Is that the only thing he's got good taste in?" Zack asked innocently as he dug through the box.

"Not much else comes to mind," Genesis said, a smug smile aimed at his friend, who looked playfully indignant.

Zack turned around, a positively wicked smile on his face. "What about his taste in friends? Aren't you his friend?"

Sephiroth blinked and stared at Zack… he hadn't expected the boy to say something like that. Apparently neither had Genesis as he looked at the Second, aghast. Angeal just grinned and reached over, ruffling Zack's hair.

"Hey!" the boy said, but he didn't sound too upset.

"Where is the milk?" Sephiroth asked, leaving Genesis to continue gaping.

"Oh, right here!" Zack said, practically diving into one of the other bags and withdrawing a small, single-serving bottle triumphantly. A very small bottle. That was… underwhelming. Well, there wasn't much they could do about it, Sephiroth supposed, so he took it with a grateful nod and made his way back to the couch.

Once seated, he looked at the strange foods on his plate, and took a tentative bite of one of them; a meat and vegetable mix with some sort of sauce slathered over it.

At first, he thought about the flavor he could taste, making a small judgment. It wasn't bad. A little savory with the smallest tang… then, suddenly it felt like his mouth exploded.

He blinked in surprise. That was hot… but not? And painful but… not?

He looked down at the plate in front of him. That… actually… he thought he kind of liked it. He continued to chew, staring at the food as if it had suddenly transformed.

"Do you like it, Sir?" Zack asked, bounding in with a can of soda under one arm and a plate of food in his hands.

"I… believe I do."

"Yes!" Zack said, wide grin still in place. "We spicy bros gotta stick together!"

Sephiroth frowned. Was… that terminology accurate? He didn't think so…

"I thought you said this wasn't spicy!" Genesis yelled from the kitchen, sounding indignant.

"It isn't!" Zack yelled back.

"The wandering soul knows no rest, you heathen! You lying heathen!"

"Genesis," Angeal said, but he sounded like he was trying not to choke on something.

"You big babies," Zack said, winking at Sephiroth and shoving an enormous forkful of food into his mouth. He closed his eyes and smiled as he chewed. "Mmmm…. Not quite like mama's, but good anyway."

"Heathen, I tell you!"

"Just eat the breadsticks," Zack called, "it'll help!" Then he quieted down and muttered, "Seriously, babies," under his breath.

Apparently the two other Firsts found something they could handle because they came back into the room a couple of minutes later with their own plates of food, Genesis glaring at the two of them the entire time.

"Thank you for the suggestion of bread, Zack," Angeal said. His eyes looked a little red… had he been crying? Surely not. He was a SOLDIER First.

"No prob," the Second said with no hint of teasing in his voice and an innocent grin. Was it innocent? It seemed innocent… but… Surely he wasn't that oblivious. Or… was he? It took the Silver General a moment to realize that, intentional or not, this boy had weaponized innocence. How terrifying. Hojo must never know. "Are we gonna play?"

"Heathen," Genesis hissed, putting his food down on the table in front of him and picking up the controller.

Zack looked a little smug, "Not 'heathen': 'backwater'. If you're going to insult me, do it right."

Angeal rolled his eyes and Sephiroth just watched, putting another forkful of food into his mouth. It was more entertaining than the game… or at least, more desirable entertainment.

"So," Angeal said as he gestured to the screen after swallowing a large bite of bread. "Northern Crater?"

"Very well," Genesis said grumpily, and moved the airship North.

xXx

AN: NGL, with the kind of food ShinRa likely gives its employees, I doubt they've had much exposure to spice. That thought amused both me and Imagination. BTW, thank you again for your beta-reading skillz of awesomeness!

Due to other things coming up (birthdays, holidays, travel, new additions to the family, etc.) I may not be able to update this as often as I'd like. I've been aiming for the beginning of the month once a month, but I may have to go on a short hiatus until after the holidays. I will try to keep up with this, but also I'm sending in an original story to a publisher to see if I can actually make a living out of writing. :) Wish me luck! Also starting on another original book because if I'm going to write as a living, I'm going to do it right, dang it!

Anyway, just wanted to give you a head's up. Thank you so much for reading!

Discord: discord. gg/xDDz3gqWfy (no spaces)