Author Note: That nightmare from the last chapter was one that I kept having until I was able to finish writing it. Funny how a story can invade your dreams till you get it written down. Now let's see where such a dream leaves Talin...

Marken: I agree! Angeal is probably my favorite character because of his personality and so so much more. He is a bit hard for me to write however so I hope I keep doing him justice. However, in this chapter, Genesis steals the show for the first half, and Zack, well let's just say I hope you don't kill me for the ending...

Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.

Chapter Warnings: Language, Violence/blood, Sexual Tension (Finally!)

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

Chapter 16

Talin woke violently, adrenaline pumping, blankets thrown off, fist drawn back, ready to strike... but there was nothing to hit. His chest ached with a scream that he couldn't voice and he tried to think past the pounding heartbeat in his ears. The darkness around him was that of the predawn barracks, not midnight in a ditch on the outskirts of a small town. Slowly his brain caught up to that fact and he relaxed his tense posture but the tightness in his chest didn't lessen.

A light in his dim surroundings caught his attention. Looking down, he was unsettled to find the glow was from him. His arms were coursing with Mako, enough to cause major damage if he had struck out. With a sick feeling in his stomach, he tried to cut the flow of Mako. It didn't work.

Jumping down silently from his bunk, Talin ran into the bathroom and tried again. The flow finally stopped, but his arms were still lit up like glowsticks. There's no way in hell I'm going back to sleep like this... Grabbing a towel to wrap around his arms, he ducks back out to his locker for a heavy sweater. The glow was blocked when he put it on, but now what? He needed to use it up somehow...

Knowing it was a risk but not having a choice, he grabs his boots and ducks out of the barracks to the elevator. If he can get into one of the VR rooms maybe he could burn off the excess Mako in a quick fight.

The clock in the elevator shows 3 am as he rides up to the 49th floor. If it had been just a little later, he wouldn't have had to sneak around. The quiet 'ding' signals his arrival. Pressed against the wall by the door, he listens for any movement on the floor. Hearing none, Talin jumps out before the doors close and moves quickly to the furthest VR room.

It's strange to be on the SOLDIER floor this late. So quiet compared to the normal sounds of training or the group that seemed to always be in the lounge laughing and talking. A quiet thought in the back of his mind whispered that, someday, he might be one of those 3rds, relaxing and training on this floor.

The quiet slide of the VR room door behind him pulls him back to his main goal in coming up here and he jogs to the control terminal. He hadn't really done much with the VR by himself other than using it earlier and he flips through some of the menus.

He needed a fight, a real one, so he programs in monsters, sets the terrain to an abandoned city, and decides to disable the basic safety feature but leaves voice controls on, just in case. Monsters are not as hard as people, far more predictable, and he wouldn't feel bad about cutting down virtual ones.

The last option was for simulated weapons or for real ones and he picks real. A locker clicks open next to the console and Talin grabs a simple sword that bears the SOLDIER logo. Backing away to the center of the room, he pulls off the sweater and settles himself with his chosen blade.

"Start simulation."

The same whirl of black particles kicks up and before he could blink, a desolate city full of crumbling buildings surrounds him. The scrabbling of claws and grunting of something large is the first warning he has that the mobs had also generated. The beating of his heart sounded loud in his ears as he listened. Growling, footsteps, claws on the pavement... Here they come...

Sure enough, as he followed the direction of the sounds, he saw Kalm Fangs and Prowlers spring out from behind a building and charge. Behind them came more... and more. He hadn't set a limit on the number of enemies but as he made his first attack, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Talin felt his blood heat as the first Prowler fell dead at his feet. It had been so long since he had a true fight. He didn't enjoy killing things but VR was an exception.

That odd tightness in his chest increased as he lunged towards one of the large wolves and it lessened some when the beast collapsed under his blade. Clarity hit in the midst of his next attack. Rage, frustration, anger, uncertainty, fear. He had suppressed everything for too long, now, with every attack, he leached it out like poison from a wound.

Like a suddenly freed beast, he struck again and again at the constant flow of creatures. They fell, one by one, but after the first few, Talin felt his frustration growing, instead of dissipating. His blows became more wild and savage by the moment as he tried to purge that all-consuming anger.

"Why!? Why isn't it helping?!" The scream he had felt earlier tore from his throat as he charged into the next wave of monsters.

He was so distracted with the surge of emotion, Talin missed two things that happened simultaneously. A Prowler charged from the side, knocking his sword from his hands and Genesis stalked from his hiding place, moving closer to the fight.

He had seen the Cadet sneak into the VR room just as the Commander had been leaving one and decided to follow. At first, he had been willing to just watch, ensure the boy wasn't there for some late-night fun with friends. It rapidly became clear that Talin was not there for fun and games, and Genesis had hidden among the collapsing structures.

Now he waited in a shadowed alcove to see what Talin would do without his sword. Would he call a pause to the program and go retrieve it or weave and dodge his way over? Turns out even Genesis can be surprised.

With a roar of rage, Talin grappled the Kalm Fang that was charging him and broke its neck. There's the predator I saw before, Genesis thought to himself. He watched as the glow on the cadet's arms grew stronger and when he turned, could see his eyes were just as bright. So, this is what it takes for you to truly let go. This is what was hiding beneath that submissive mask.

Talin didn't care anymore. The rage he had kept held in for so long tore at him, and he surrendered to it. His world became a blur of fur, blood, and flesh. His hands were glowing with Mako but tinged with red but he didn't stop.

Attack... Attack... Attack. The word kept repeating in his mind and he kept charging forward, kept attacking. Even when his strength started to fade, even when he was too slow to dodge the next strike and took the punch to his face, he didn't stop.

Genesis had seen enough. Working his way to where Talin's sword lay forgotten, he picked it up and the blade rang through the air as he dispatched a monster lunging at the teen's back. With a spin, Talin jumped at the new threat, locking his hands around the blade that Genesis instinctively raised to block.

"Freeze program!" Genesis yelled, thinking Talin had just slashed his hands on the sword. The cadet gasped in recognition that this wasn't another hologram and jumped back. The Commander eyed Talin's hands looking for bloody slashes but saw nothing. Somehow, he was unharmed, but that didn't excuse what he had just seen.

"What on this blighted planet do you think you're doing here?" Genesis barked. Talin's anger hadn't calmed and he didn't think before yelling back.

"What does it look like?! Killing things!" Genesis could tell that Talin wasn't going to be forthcoming in the state he was in. His eyes still glowed and he was practically vibrating from the force of his apparent fury. Genesis had felt such rage before and knew the blinding power of it. Tossing the sword aside, he took a fighting crouch.

"Clear monsters!" The mobs were gone and Talin was about to argue till Genesis charged him. Talin's dodge was sloppy and quickly punished by a swift kick in the ribs.

"If you're so lost to reason that you would come here to fight with the safety protocols off, then I'll be your opponent till you come to your senses." Talin pulled himself up from the ground and did as Genesis bid him.

The fight was one-sided. Talin, too angry to attack with any strategy, threw himself at the SOLDIER, again and again, ending up in the dirt every time. The few hits he was able to get in did little to the 1st class and healed quickly.

Finally, after a harsh throw to the ground, Talin lay still, head swimming and lungs fighting to regain his breath. His eyes were back to a normal light glow and his fists had long drained of Mako, but he didn't look defeated. Just too tired to keep going. Catching his breath, at last, he sat up and rested his arms on bent knees. Genesis admired his tenacity but when he looked like he would again rise to fight, he gave a warning.

"I would stay down and lick your wounds if I was you. Now, do tell me why you decided on this suicidal midnight session?" Talin's face pinched in annoyance.

"Just a nightmare." An incredulous laugh had him glancing back up at the Red Commander.

"You expect me to believe that? You're a terrible liar." Talin felt his anger bubbling up again and responded with a near growl in his voice.

"So what if it wasn't just a bad dream?! Why do you care?" The next moment a hand was gripping Talin's hair forcing him to look up from his still seated position. Genesis looked down on him, eyes hard and glowing brightly with his own frustration.

"I care because Sephiroth cares! Because Angeal and Zack care. What do you think it would do to them? For Sephiroth to come back from a mission only to find you had died in a VR sim!" Genesis yelled, releasing the clump of hair with a shove.

"Do you realize that without the safety protocol on, the monsters wouldn't have stopped at first blood or even if you had fallen unconscious?" Talin felt like he had been hit with cold water. He hadn't thought, only acted, and it could have got him killed. His head dropped into his hands.

"I'm sorry," He whispered. A hand was on his head again but softly this time, patting down the strands that had been pulled. Talin looked up and saw Genesis crouched in front of him.

"Don't be sorry. Be responsible," He was still angry at the boy but wanted to give him another chance to make it right. "Start by telling me the real reason you were in here at three in the morning," The Commander said, sitting down to mirror Talin.

"I wasn't lying before, it was a nightmare." His eyes fell, unable to hold the 1st's gaze as he spoke.

"A nightmare? Or a bad memory?" Genesis asked knowingly, cocking an eyebrow.

"Both," The Cadet sighed.

"Tell me about it then." He was prompted again and Talin cringed.

"I can't. It's too..." He trailed off.

"Painful?" Talin nodded. Sighing, Genesis stood.

"Ok, if you can't talk about it, then I need a promise from you." He offered Talin a hand up. "I want you to promise me that if ever you need an outlet for this sort of... destruction, you call me. I don't care what time it is. I won't have Sephiroth's trainee die on my watch. Do you understand?" Talin nodded and took the offered hand up.

"I promise," He said, cringing as all the injuries started to hurt now that the adrenaline was gone. The hand holding his didn't let go as Genesis chuckled at his wince of pain. A glow emanated from both the Commander's hands and Talin closed his eyes as his aches faded away. Opening them again when his hand was squeezed, he saw a strange expression flit threw Gen's eyes but couldn't identify it before it was gone.

"Now, let's get you back to your barracks before you get into real trouble. Your CO would have a fit if he knew you were missing." The reassuring smile relived some of Talin's guilt as they shut down the simulation and returned the borrowed sword.

The ride down to his floor was mostly quiet but halfway down the Commander warned him not to mention this late-night trip. Too tired for tact Talin muttered a "No duh" drawing a small laugh from Gen.

"You do so remind me of Zack when he was a Cadet. A bit more taciturn, but still much like our puppy."

The elevator arrived before he could respond so instead, he thanked the Commander again for taking care of him and quickly made his way back to bed. All the aches that hadn't been fixed by the spell throb as he pulls himself back under the covers and promptly passes out for a few more hours of rest.

Talin was lucky that it was the weekend and he could sleep in a bit the next morning, but the peace didn't last. It was about 10:30 when a pillow was slammed into his face by an unknown assailant. With a muffled growl, Talin sat up and tried to figure out who had a death wish.

Elijah and Jaz were sitting on their bunk fighting to not laugh but it was Zale's unrepentant grin that ended speculation. Zale had no warning other than a flash of Talin's most mischievous and malicious smile before he was on him.

Charging across the top bunks, Talin dove onto Zale. Hauling him over his shoulder, he carried him kicking and screaming into the shower stalls. Flipping the boy down to his feet and holding him by the scruff of the neck, Talin turned the water to freezing. The high-pitched shriek from Zale was enough to wake the dead

"If I have to be awake, I better make sure you are too, right?" He laughed as the other boy flailed trying to get out of the freezing spray. Talin relented and let the shivering boy free. By this point, the whole unit was wide awake and most were laughing from the doorway. Elijah and Jaz were standing with a towel for Zale and gave him an 'I told you so' look when he took it.

"They tried to warn you," Nolton chuckled as he threw an arm around the blond's shoulder, rubbing his arms through the towel to help him warm-up.

"Ya, ya, I know, but I couldn't help it!" Zale said as he rubbed furiously at his wet hair. Talin shook his head and couldn't help a short laugh at the ridiculous situation. He was now very much awake and wet all along his front from the flailing arms of Zale. As he moved to leave the shower room, a towel dropped over his shoulders. Anders gave him a quick smile and Talin clapped him on the shoulder in thanks.

By the time Talin took a hot shower and dressed for the day in dry clothes, most of the unit was talking over the plans for dinner and about what to watch for movie night. After some debate, they decided on 'Wasteland Racers' about a motorcycle gang in Cosmo Canyon. Joey and Brooks knew a movie place they could swing by to pick it up and left for their errands. Several others had things to do that day and soon the barracks were nearly empty.

Callian and Cody had offered to go with Talin to the market to pick up everything for dinner so the three headed out also.

The market was unlike anything Talin had yet experienced. Living out as far as he had meant that their supplies had come on a caravan or by lone traders when something specific was requested. Even Costa Del Sol, as busy a place as it had been, was nothing to the press of people and the number of stalls and shops available here.

Since they hadn't eaten yet, Callian dragged them to a stall that sold fresh omelets. With several hours to spare before they needed to be back in the tower, the cadets decided to wander. While bouncing from shop to shop, Cody stopped at one in particular that sold Wutai trinkets and, after rummaging through a box of luck talismans, crowed in triumph.

"They got 'em!" Talin and Cal both look over at the elated teen with confusion. "Last time I was here, they were out of Taurus charms." At this, he held up a miniature bull on a cord that could be looped on phone or keys. "What about you guys?"

Callian laughs but responds that he is a Scorpio, or so his last girlfriend had said so.

Talin scratches his head, "Uh, I was one of the water ones, I think. Can't remember exactly."

Cody had pulled a scorpion one from the pile and was handing it to Callian. "Well, what's your birthday?" Both boy's notice Talin's mild evasiveness, "Oh c'mon, we already know you're the oldest in the Unit. Just tell us."

"It's... it's tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Cody and Cal both almost yell.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Cody asks, throwing his hands wide in exasperation. Talin sighs and rubs the back of his neck.

"I just didn't think about it. I mean, why bother after you get past a certain point, right?" He is uncomfortable but Cody is persistent.

"How old are you then? We should celebrate!" The boy is almost bouncing as he turns back to the stall to rummage around in the zodiac bin.

"I'll be nineteen, but we really don't need to. This dinner and movie are kinda like a celebration anyway."

Callian, who was quietly watching the two till then laughs, "It isn't a celebration if no one knows. C'mon, let's make it a party Talin." His friend asks. Sighing in defeat, Talin agrees just as Cody turns back from the stall holding out a small packet to Talin.

"Here! I got you your first birthday gift!" He says while shoving it into Talin's hand. Laughing at the bright look in Cody's face, he opens the packet to find a small phone charm of the Aquarius symbol. The boy grabs him around the shoulders in a side hug. "Happy Birthday." Talin thanks him and attaches it to his phone chuckling when he sees Cody quickly doing the same with his Taurus charm.

The rest of the trip through the market is full of conversation about the party they are now having tonight. Talin listens to them with a surreal feeling. It's what he had wanted in coming here. People who gave a damn about him for more than just his monster killing abilities. He passes off the rough feeling in his throat as smog irritation. Definitely not choking up because he is happy.

It's a little past two when the trio comes back to the tower and store all the food in their reserved kitchen for later. Cody and Cal had other things to do and head back down with a promise to see him later. Without any pressing errands himself, Talin makes his way up to the VR room again for a bit of training. During the elevator ride up, he texts Genesis, letting him know that he will be there with the safeties on this time.

However, by the time he reaches the 49th floor, he doesn't really want a workout, but maybe just something to get himself moving. Pulling a practice sword from the cabinet, he moves to the terminal and tries to figure out what he wants to do. With a dumb smile, he intentionally loads the field and then asks the computer to remove the flowers. Something always felt wrong about trampling them, even if they were fake.

Holding the sword out ahead of himself, he lets his muscles relax a moment before starting into a fluid kata. As he settles into the pattern of controlled movements, he closes his eyes and just lets it all flow together. The sword, his arms, chest, hips, legs, feet. Every part of him feels at peace by the time he comes to a halt once more. Sword held out in front of him, he stands there, eyes still closed, and just breaths.

He focused on the feeling of air filling his lungs and then being pushed back out. The rhythm was steady, calm. A slight sound behind him told him that he had a visitor. What he couldn't tell was if it was a real person or if he had fallen asleep on his feet and was in for another strange meeting. The answer to that question came when a hand traced down his shoulder to the elbow, lifting his arms a bit.

"Your movements are fluid, but your form needs work, Cadet," Genesis said with a light lilt to his voice. Talin opened his eyes, almost disappointed that it was Gen and not the familiar stranger of his dreams.

"I'm a fast learner if you want to show me how it should be done, Commander?"

Genesis worked with him for over an hour, correcting his form and then showing him a few more styles that he could use for practice and meditation. Working their way through a complicated step sequence, Talin realizes that Angeal had been right. The reputation of the Red Commander was far different from how Gen really was.

Maybe he was that person around people he disliked, but this Genesis, who was teaching him so patiently, was nowhere near the selfish, aggressive, and rude personality most often described. Even last night, when he had genuinely been angry, he had been so because he was worried, not because he just wanted to beat the hell out of a Cadet.

Their lesson comes to an end only because the 1st is called to a meeting. As Talin puts away their practice blades, Genesis heads for the door.

"Much better use of time than killing monsters, don't you think?" Talin laughs and agrees. They part at the elevators, Talin heading down, Genesis up.

After a quick shower, the Cadet gets back to the kitchen to start preparing their dinner. The whole Unit had chipped in so they could afford actual steaks and they needed time to season. Along with the meat, they had bought large quantities of potatoes and vegetables that he would need to clean and chop up. Working through the pile of potatoes is daunting and he is just throwing the last of them into the pot to boil when he hears a few people coming into the rec room outside.

Needing a break, Talin walks to the kitchen door, but it doesn't open when he pushes. Michael opens the door a crack.

"Nope."

"Nope? No what?"

"You're our kitchen bitch tonight so you stay in there for now." How the taller Cadet was able to say that without cracking a smile was beyond Talin.

"Fine, fine, I get it." The door closes again and he shakes his head. They were doing something for his birthday. He was both happy and a little sad at the thought. The last time he had celebrated was... a long time ago.

Forget it, just keep working, keep distracted. With that thought in mind, Talin moved back to the counters and started laying out the steaks to get them seasoned. 18, 19, 20... 21? Counting again, he came up with the same number. Why do we have an extra?

"Hey, T. Need any help?" Zack says with a bright smile as he slips past Michael in the doorway. Talin shakes his head with a small laugh.

"Now I know why we have 21 steaks instead of 20." Zack hops up on the far counter and looks around with that same happy smile.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to cook, that's why you were working with Angeal?" Talin keeps moving around the kitchen while he answers.

"No, I know how to cook, kinda. Just not anything really fancy. It's also been a while so I wanted a refresher." He was adding spices to the steaks now and, with as small as the kitchen was, had to squeeze past Zack's legs behind him as he went.

"Well, that's good to hear. Least I won't have to worry about food poisoning then." Zack hopped down and started flipping the steaks over so Talin could season the other side. Talin found that Zack made for a great assistant in the kitchen. Despite his size, he was never in the way but always there when you needed a hand. Maybe he and Angeal cook together too?

As they work their way through the steaks and then onto cutting up vegetables, Zack is asking question's a mile a minute.

"Where did you learn to cook steaks?"

"Well, I didn't learn to cook them, really, but I saw them prepared all the time. I would sit in the loft above the main kitchen for our town and watch."

"How long ago was that?"

"Hmmm, over a year ago now. I left before my eighteenth birthday."

"Why'd you leave? Other than to come to Shin-Ra?"

Talin laughs at the number of questions, "Hey, if we're playing 20 Questions, shouldn't I get to ask some, too?"

In the time that they had been talking, they had drained the potatoes and mashed them, finished the vegetables and set them to the side to stay warm, and were now watching over the steaks as they sizzled away. With a challenging glint in his eye, Zack turned to the Cadet.

"Ok, so we have about, what, five minutes, before everything's done?" Talin nodded, "Then let's play. 20 Questions, lightning round! Short questions and answers, one skip allowed and the game ends when the timer for the steaks goes off." With a chuckle, Talin turned to face the SOLDIER.

"Deal, but I start. Favorite food?"

"Burgers!" Zack replied with enthusiasm, "You in a relationship?" Talin looked away, to check on the steaks, and about blushed.

"N, No. Eh, same question."

"Oh ya, a complicated one." A mischievous glint fills Zack's eyes before he asks his next question. "Girls or guys?" This time Talin did blush. Thinking seriously about using his one skip, he decides against it. They still have a few minutes left, and he could need it. He replies in an almost whisper but Zack's sharp hearing picks it up.

"Guys." In an attempt to get things back on a normal track, "Favorite color?" Zack tries to hide his smirk and points at his eyes.

"Tie between Mako blue and purple." Pausing a second to consider his next question, he crosses his arms and leans against the counter to watch the Cadet's reaction. "Top or bottom?"

"What?" Talin had never choked on air before but he did then.

"You heard me, Top or Bottom?"

"SKIP!"

"Oh, c'mon..."

"NOPE, SKIP!" He tries to find a question to get Zack flustered. "Last time Angeal put you on your ass in training?" Unfortunately, the 1st just laughs.

"Yesterday," Again he pauses to watch for Talin's reaction, deciding to be specific for the last question. "Last romantic kiss?" Without any skips remaining, Talin is just about to answer, never, when the timer rings. Frantically he moves to pull steaks from the grill, trying to ignore Zack's silent presence working next to him.

"Come 'n' get it!" He calls and the kitchen is suddenly flooded with the rest of the Unit. As the boys all clamored for a steak and were loading up on veggies and potatoes, Talin occasionally looked up and found Zack's glance rising to meet his. Unable to decipher what he saw in those glowing Mako eyes, he kept serving food till only two plates remained. All the other cadets rush out to grab places at the table, leaving Talin extremely aware of the SOLDIER still in the room with him.

Talin is loading a plate for himself when he feels Zack move behind him, hands coming to rest on either side of the counter with Talin trapped between.

"My question was in the time limit... You gonna answer?" The extra inch that Zack has on him for height puts his lips at Talin's ear causing a shiver to run down the Cadet's back.

"You ran out of time so I don't have to..." He says, trying to block out the warmth of Zack's arms against his when he moves in closer.

"Are you sure you don't want to answer anyway?" Zack is almost purring in his ear now and Talin can feel the warmth of the SOLDIER's chest along his back. His breath catches and he fights his first instinct to elbow Zack to get away. He doesn't want to hurt him but, well, he doesn't know what he wants...