"Hey, asshole!"

Genesis turned instinctively at the shout, Angeal pausing along with him. Verbal abuse from the public wasn't exactly unknown to him —no one with significant notoriety will ever be without their detractors, deserved or not —but he was a little startled to have someone shouting at him so brazenly, in broad daylight, in one of the more affluent sectors, while he and Angeal made their way back to the Tower after having lunch.

He opened his mouth to respond, zeroing in on an approaching blond man. A very quickly approaching blond man. "Wh —"

Genesis never had a chance to finish the question. With the speed only an enhanced person can have, the blond seized a fistful of his hair, yanked his head back, and poured a small vial of water into his mouth. He swallowed out of sheer surprise.

Angeal made an alarmed noise, immediately lashing out to get the blond off of Genesis, and was deftly flipped into a headlock for his troubles. Genesis was still occupied with regaining his balance as the blond man tipped a second vial down Angeal's throat.

Then the man unceremoniously released his hold and walked off, as if they had exchanged no more than a handshake.

The whole thing had taken place in the span of maybe five seconds. Angeal touched a hand to his mouth as he straightened, bewildered. Genesis ran his tongue over his teeth. If there had been anything but water in that vial, he would have been able to taste it. But why in the Goddess's name would someone assault two SOLDIERs to…what, hydrate them? Why would someone enhanced —

Someone enhanced.

Genesis looked at Angeal. Angeal looked back. Without a single word, they both took off after the blond man.

He'd managed to get a fair distance away, but he also seemed utterly unconcerned with making any kind of actual escape. He was just... leaving. Casually. Fortunately for them, his shock of bright gold hair was unmistakable (and about as ridiculous as the wild mane of Angeal's student, in Genesis's opinion).

"Excuse me!" Angeal called, his tone somewhere between bewildered and angry. "What do you think you're doing?"

Genesis was a little surprised when the blond man actually turned toward them, even if he did keep walking backward. He had a preternatural ability to dodge oncoming pedestrians without looking back. "What?" asked the man, seeming genuinely shocked to be questioned in such a way. His head cocked to the side like a curious little bird. "I'm solving problems before they escalate. Can't you feel the difference?"

Then he pointed to Genesis's shoulder —the shoulder that wasn't healing, which he hadn't told anyone about yet, though he had decided to go to Hollander tomorrow. The Commander barely kept himself from bristling defensively, which was absurd because how could this random whelp off the street know something he'd never even told Ange —

Wait.

His shoulder.

His shoulder.

It wasn't hurting. One hand shot up to grab it while the other gripped Angeal's bicep, just for something to anchor him as he reeled in shock. Had the little blond healed him? How? It was impossible for some stranger to even have known there was a problem, much less how to solve it!

The blond cracked a crooked grin, apparently following Genesis's train of thought perfectly. "Yeah, see? 'S all good now. Bye." Then he offered a sloppy two-finger salute and turned back around, intent on continuing his power walk into parts unknown.

Genesis dropped his hands and closed the distance in three long strides, seizing the blond's arm without a thought. "My friend, do you fly away now?" he quoted breathlessly. It wasn't quite the proper context, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He needed this man to come with him back to ShinRa, just so he would have enough time to wrap his head around the whole thing and offer an appropriate response. "Please, hold for a moment, stranger."

"Genesis?" Angeal asked cautiously. It wasn't often that Genesis asked nicely.

The blond frowned up at him, slowing to a stop. The crowd flowed around them like a river around and boulder, though the three hardly paid them any mind. "Why? Take it and go. I've got important things to do." This close, Genesis could see the gleaming mako blue of the man 's eyes. There were even unmistakable strands of green threaded around his pupil.

"I don't recognize you, but you must be a SOLDIER," Genesis said contemplatively, keeping his grip firm. He tapped his chin with his free hand, thinking of every Second Class he knew. There was far too much mako in the blond's eyes for him to be a Third, but Genesis knew all the other Firsts on sight. "Who are you? What cohort? I suppose you must be one of the ones who are overly fond of those ridiculous helmets."

The blond looked at him strangely, and as Genesis became less distracted he started to notice how wild and unkempt the man looked: dirt-smudged, hazy-eyed, and now that they were standing still Genesis could pick up the faint coppery tang of blood, both dried and fresh. Honestly, he looked like he'd just returned to Midgar from a month-long solo extermination mission in the wilderness. The circles beneath his eyes were deep and dark, a sharp contrast to the brightness of his irises.

"I'm not a SOLDIER," the blond said, as if such a suggestion was absurd on its face.

Genesis frowned at him, puzzled that he would even attempt to claim such a thing. "There's no use in lying, dear. I can see the mako in your eyes. I know my reputation likely precedes me, but I swear to you I'm not angry. I don't know how you...well, suffice it to say, you have nothing to fear from me."

Angeal shot Genesis a very pointed look—the one that said we're going to be talking about this later —but he turned his attention to the blond and seemed to see exactly what Genesis did. "Are you alright, SOLDIER?" he asked, putting his hand on the arm opposite to the one Genesis was still holding. "You look like you haven't slept in weeks."

The blond blinked slowly, glancing down at the hand on his bicep. He seemed to know exactly what Genesis did: that it was there both as reassurance and in preparation for restraint. He was certainly a SOLDIER if he knew Angeal that well, most likely one of the men in Angeal's section.

"Oh," the blond said after a second's delay, sounding oddly surprised. "Sleep. I knew I was forgetting something."

Genesis and Angeal exchanged another glance. "Ooookay," said Angeal, drawing the word out. His tone turned coaxing. "I'm still not entirely sure what's happening here, but why don't we all go back to the Tower and get you seen to?"

"No thanks," said the blond. "Let me go, please. I'm busy."

Oh, how precious. He really thought he was going to get away that easily.

Genesis smiled charmingly. Anyone who worked with him for any length of time knew to be afraid of that smile. It meant, quite plainly, that Genesis had decided on something and there was not a single earthy measure anyone could take to dissuade him. "I'm sure you are, dear, but believe me when I say that you'll feel much more capable once you've had a chance to rest. Why, you may even accomplish your...tasks...more efficiently!"

With Angeal's help, he started to drag the squirming man back toward the Tower. SOLDIER strength or not, running away turns out to be quite difficult when your feet aren't touching the ground. Who knew?

"Put me down!" the man demanded, though he sounded far more offended than truly angry. "I'm busy, you assholes!"

"Of course," Genesis agreed pleasantly, his grip like iron. The blond was very sturdy for someone of his stature and build, but keeping him from getting any leverage to squirm free took only a fraction of the Commander's strength. He really was quite small. Come to think of it, Genesis didn't know of any SOLDIERs who were quite so...fun sized. "We won't take up much of your time, I promise."

"This is what I get for doing Zack a favor," the blond muttered irritably, straining to catch the toes of his boots on the concrete in the vain hope of resistance. Angeal shot him a sharp look. Genesis made a mental note. One of the puppy's many friends, perhaps? But what did he mean by a favor? How had Zack known? Had Zack known?

Genesis shook his head to dismiss the thoughts for now. He didn't care if he had to let the mysterious blond crash on his couch and use his personal shower. Hell, he didn't care if he had to cook the man a meal himself —Genesis wasn't going to let the source of his miraculous healing out of his sight until he got answers.