Author Note: I am seriously loving the attention this story is getting from you all. I'm having a ton of fun writing it and I can't wait to post more chapters for you to devour.

Marken: You continue to be my only reviewer but I love your feedback. Writing in the other SOLDIERs is an interesting challenge. I have been trying my best to get into their heads to keep them as true to their original personalities as possible.

Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.

I do not own FF7 or any of its characters. Talin, Unit 28, and some other side characters are mine.

Chapter 6

Talin knew he was dreaming, but it wasn't like his normal nightmares. The darkness around him wasn't the dark of night or that of firelight clouded by smoke. It was an unnatural blackness, so deep that he couldn't see the hand he raised to his face. He could feel nothing under him as if he was floating in water, but he wasn't wet, or cold, or warm...he just was.

The air around him shifted and became heavy and he had the sense that he wasn't alone in the dark. Useless eyes searched the black around him for this other being but found nothing. The weight of the unseen presence drew closer. A faint sound to his left drew his attention but, again, he saw nothing. Quiet whispers grew slowly louder but still, he fought to hear them, to catch what they were saying.

Fast as they started, they stopped and a single, deep calm voice spoke.

"You have been given a gift. Use it wisely..." The voice trailed off as Talin found himself waking in the quiet barracks. A gift? More like a curse. He thought in frustration before rolling out of bed. Would he ever get a solid week without strange dreams or nightmares?

Coming back from the showers, he checked his phone and realized it wasn't as early as he thought and ruffled Cal's hair as he passed. A muffled growl made the older boy laugh and some other Cadet's alarm ringing drew another from the sleepy blond.

Several more roused from the alarm and the morning routine started in the U28 barracks.


Zack's class filled up like yesterday with people grabbing partners and mats before settling down for stretches. Talin had partnered with Lox today and was astonished by the boy's flexibility while stretching. Commander Fair gave the same rundown as yesterday before releasing them to their matches.

Lox proved to be a difficult opponent. His flexibility was a key factor in his fighting style and allowed him to duck and sway at odd angles to avoid strikes only to come back with a counter from an impossible direction. Talin found himself on guard more than the offensive till he could get a feel for the unique movements of the Wutanese fighter. Even with his quick study, Talin only managed to get him to the ground twice and neither resulted in a pin, the boy was just too slippery.

With a frustrated grunt, Talin lay back on the mat and chuckled. "I think we're incompatible fighters, Lox," the redhead said, looking over to the boy who had sat down more gracefully.

"No way. You were doing well even if you couldn't pin me."

"And you were doing just grand, even if you couldn't get me off my feet." They both laughed at the backhanded compliments, since they held no sting, before rolling back up to do more stretches. Both had noticed Commander Fair working through the other cadets and knew he wouldn't have many more before he would be over for Talin.

"You ready?" Lox asked as they heard the SOLDIER finish with another student.

"As much as ever." He sighed back and stood. He was still excited to partner the 1st, but the thought of using Mako for the fight still worried him.

"Ok, Graft. Let's see what you've got today." Zack said as he made his way over to their mat. Lox excused himself to the nearby wall with a few others to watch the spar. All were curious to see this bout, none more than those watching from an upper observation room. Angeal was not alone either. To his surprise, the General had actually beat him there. Maybe there was hope in Zack's plan after all...

"Ok now, I don't want you holding back on me today. Really show me what you got, Cadet," Zack said as he stood across from Talin. Said Cadet suppressed a twinge of worry at those words and pulled lightly at the Mako, making his arms glow and eyes shift to that bright crystal green.

The Commander had said before that this wasn't a competition... In that moment of hesitation, Zack was after him. A rain of punches and kicks flew and Talin let instinct direct his blocks till he could catch up. He was staggered under the force and speed of the attack and pulled more Mako to make up some of the difference.

Zack was about to reprimand the boy for not fighting back when a sudden shift occurred and he had to jump to avoid the sweep of leg and counter strike that came at his ribs.

"Now we're talkin'!" The 1st called as they both dove back into the match. Talin was starting to enjoy himself. Each strike he lashed out with was either blocked or countered in a way that tested his skills to recover. Every time he dodged, another swift punch or kick was aimed to push his countering abilities. Soon Talin was pulling harder and harder on Mako to keep pace with his powerful opponent.

Suddenly a fist painfully struck him in the side and his vision flashed with angry green. He rounded fast with a heavy counter ready to smash straight into the man's face. The flash of awe and fear on a watching student's face drove a cold spike into Talin's gut and he simultaneously checked the blow's speed and painfully cut off the flow of Mako, nullifying the power to that of a regular hit.

What on Gaia was wrong with him?! He had let this go way too far!

As the strike grazed past Zack's cheek, the 1st saw the frantic panic on the Cadet's face. No way, I'm not letting you back out of it this time. Zack thought to himself as he caught the boy's arm, shifted his weight, and threw him across the mat. That strike would have landed if the kid hadn't panicked...

"You lost focus, Cadet. Try again!" He ordered as Talin rolled to his feet into a fighting stance again. The shaken look in his eyes didn't bode well for them resuming the match as before but Zack pushed on anyways.

They both stepped into the fight again but without the power or speed of before. No matter how Zack pushed, Talin wouldn't come at him with any real force again.

Angeal and Sephiroth watched from the observation room. One was confused by the sudden lack of spirit in the Cadet, the other was visibly irritated by it. Walking to lean against the far wall by the door, the General waved off a questioning glance the other gave him and they both continued to watch.

Zack was growing more and more frustrated. Why wouldn't he fight back?! The next time Talin pulled a punch, the 1st had had enough. Same as before, he grasped wrist and arm, but this time he threw the Cadet hard at the wall.

Angeal could only watch and plan the lecture for his previous student on restraint and pray the kid wouldn't be too badly injured from the impact.

Sephiroth quietly left the room.

Talin had known last time that he would harmlessly land on the mat, just as his subconscious knew now that if he did nothing, he would be headfirst in the unforgiving metal. His body acted when his mind was shutting down. A flood of Mako hit his system and instincts took over forcing him to curl and twist midair. Feet slammed into the wall and shot the Cadet back at his attacker, fist drawn back and fully powered. If the blow landed, it would cause massive damage, even to an enhanced SOLDIER...

The thought penetrated his Mako fogged brain and he changed the attack into a tackle last second.

I won't!

The words repeated in his head as he was rolled painfully into a pin under the heavier man. Zack was done with this fight but pulled Talin's arm tighter to his back when the boy tried to get up.

"Why? Why won't you fight me properly?" Talin could hear the exasperation in the question but couldn't form an answer. "You'll never be a SOLDIER if you pull your punches!"

A quiet murmur had started among the watching cadets during the fight. Now it sheared off abruptly as a quiet but powerful voice spoke from across the room.

"Maybe he needs an opponent he isn't afraid to hold back against..."

From his position on the floor, Talin could only see some of his Unit staring at the newcomer with a look of simultaneous fear and awe. The grip on his arm lessened as Zack pivoted then let go and stood.

"There is no reason for him to hold back with me, General, but if you would like a go, you're more than welcome." Commander Fair said as he finally let Talin up to look at their guest.

General? He thought as he stood. But the only General of Shin-Ra is...Sephiroth...

He finished the thought as he turned and, sure enough, there stood the imposing silver SOLDIER himself. Slit eyes a striking shade of jade green, silver hair long and flowing like silk, black leather clothing with white shoulder pauldrons. All of it was exactly as the legendary man had been described to him. No one had spoken about the suffocating presence of the man or the keen intelligence in those intensely focused eyes.

Talin snapped to attention and the other cadets around the room broke from their trance to follow suit. He knew it was rude but the cadet couldn't break contact with those eyes, even as the man approached to stand only a few feet from him. Their eye contact didn't change as Sephiroth spoke to Zack.

"Dismiss your class, Commander. I believe we need to review a few things with Cadet Graft."

The class thinned as Zack released them to get changed for their next class but Talin could see a few from his Unit hesitate to leave.

"Cadet Doleman," Zack called when Kyle paused again to look over his shoulder. "Let your next session instructor know that Cadet Graft is in a meeting and might not make it for their class today." The remaining cadets of U28 relaxed, knowing that Talin would be excused from the next class, and hurried out of the room to get changed.

The Cadet and General had yet to break eye contact and the younger felt uncharacteristic nervousness start to grow in his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not to have drawn attention from such a person but there was no avoiding it now. The same instincts that had driven him earlier now whispered that he would never escape this room unless the General allowed it. There was no use in running now.

At long last, the room was empty of all but the two SOLDIERs and one slightly spooked Cadet.

"Cadet Graft..." The title was spoken with a thoughtful but slightly bored tone. "First name?"

"Talin, Sir."

"Why did you join Shin-Ra, Cadet?" The question felt like a loaded gun aimed directly at his face and Talin answered slowly.

"To become stronger. To hone what I already have. To learn...control." They were all real reasons of why he was here, just not all the reasons. His gaze briefly wavered as he said the last but snapped back when he sensed movement from the powerful 1st. Talin's slight break in their eye contact was what Sephiroth had been waiting for and he pounced on the distraction, literally.

Unable to dodge in any way, Talin could only block the onslaught but every block hurt. He drew on the Mako again to bolster his guard and then tried to spring backward to get away.

Peaking between his raised arms as he landed, he saw that he hadn't been followed. Slowly he moved his arms so he could look at the General again but kept them up near his face in a defensive posture.

"You have proven to Commander Fair already that you can block, now prove to me you can fight," Sephiroth said as he walked smoothly towards the redhead again. Stopping the same distance away as before, he simply raised an eyebrow when the Cadet didn't obey instantly. His tone when he spoke again was more forceful.

"I am not another Cadet or your instructor, I'm your General. Now show me what you can do, Cadet." The words cut through the static of worry in Talin's head. Of all the things people had said of General Sephiroth, the most repeated was that he was unbeatable. The man was a living legend for a reason...The smallest smirk of satisfaction curled the SOLDIER's lip as Talin shifted his stance and launched himself at the older man.

He's right. The cadet thought as he charged his opponent. This man wasn't some cadet or an instructor. He was THE SOLDIER that started the whole program and, if even half of what Hank said was true, nothing Talin threw at him could cause any lasting harm. The faith in that thought was strengthened as every strike was neatly blocked or dodged. For every attack that missed, he pulled again on Mako to bolster speed and increase power. Every powered-up attack landed with little response and he pulled harder till his arms glowed brightly again and he was sure his eyes did the same.

The next attack was countered and Talin found himself tossed across the floor onto a mat. Winded, he rolled himself to a crouch but halted his intended assault when Sephiroth raised a hand in a halting gesture.

"Good, but I can tell you're still holding back. You need a greater incentive it seems." He paused at this and looked over to where Commander Fair was leaning against the wall. "Zack, I would like your assistance." A raised eyebrow was all the response from usually witty man as he made his way over. The General returned his gaze to Talin's curious one.

"You have two minutes to attack me with all you have. Land a solid strike, and I will make you a SOLDIER 3rd class here and now." Zack about choked on his own tongue and couldn't form words.

Talin was too stunned for tact and, as he rose to his feet, all he could manage to say was, "Seriously?"

An amused light flitted through Sephiroth's eyes. "I never lie and always mean what I say. Ready?" Still in shock, Talin quickly fell back into a fighting crouch and nodded.

Zack shook off his own disbelief and stepped up a bit to simply call out "Go!" and they were off. Every drop of Mako was pulled to enhance his abilities and the two of them crashed together with violent flashes of kicks and punches.

A frown of focus overtook both combatants as Talin alternated between trying to power his way past the General's guard and mixing in faints to try and sneak a blow past it. None landed.

Almost hearing the ticking in his head, Talin knew he was quickly running out of time and changed up again. Forgoing speed for power, he slammed into the man ferociously in a last-ditch effort to break past his defense. Pain lanced up his arms and that stubborn guard gave an inch...but no more.

"Time!" Zack called and the redhead stumbled back a few steps gasping from the minor pain and exhaustion. He'd failed. He couldn't bring himself to look up at either of the SOLDIERs, he didn't know what expressions he would find.

Sephiroth lowered his arms and looked over the disappointed Cadet. There had never been any chance of success for him, but he had made a very impressive attempt. Those cat green eyes flicked over to Zack who shrugged and just nodded at the Cadet. He wanted the General to do something but for once kept his intentions guarded.

Sephiroth looked back at the teen. Decision made, he stepped forward, drawing the boy's attention.

"I'll give you one more chance, with an altered offer," Talin's head whipped up but his eyes shied away from the older man's, unable or unwilling to hold that intense eye contact again. "You have one minute this time. Dodge or block every attack I throw at you. Succeed, and I will take you as my trainee. Fail, and you leave the SOLDIER program..."

Zack didn't give the Cadet any time to think about the chance of failure and quickly called out "Ready! Set! GO!"

Talin's block was almost too late as Sephiroth charged him. Fast! Was the only thought in the Cadet's mind as he tried to keep up with the lightning-quick General. Instinct was all that kept him from losing within those first thirty seconds. Very little Mako was left for him to pull on so he fueled it all into his legs to keep moving as fast as possible.

Zack watched with concern but made no move to interfere. It would be a great loss if Talin did fail, but Sephiroth's word was law when it came to the cadets. It would take a direct order from the President to countermand this deal but so far, the teen was holding strong.

Time was almost up. Just a little longer and he would be safe. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Sephiroth slammed into him. Talin went flying landing hard against the wall. Guard broken, arms aching, he saw the silver SOLDIER practically flying at him with a fist raised to launch a blow that he couldn't block in time. Shit! Defeat was inevitable. Closing his eyes, he braced for the strike that would terminate his chance at SOLDIER.


Author Note: I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, don't hate me, but I promise to make it up to you all next week. Things are going to get interesting quickly from here so stay tuned.