Author's Note: well I hope you all are ok after that last chapter. I know my proofreaders got a little squeamish. With all that damage to his shoulder, mow our poor Cadet has to go on mission. Let's see how he does.

Marken: Seph really is a badass and im glad I found the right balance of caring and tough love for his teaching style.

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

Chapter 23

The patterned buzzing and staccato chirps of his phone alarm woke Talin and he groaned as he felt around for the electronic nuisance. Part of the groan was for his shoulder that he had managed to roll onto as he slept and now ached acutely. It was early, the sun hadn't even risen yet to light the windows on the far wall. Silencing the beeping at last, he takes a moment to just lay there for another moment of peace before the hectic day started.

The quiet breathing of those still asleep around the room was broken only by the groggy movements of the few that woke to his alarm. Four AM on a Sunday was a crappy time to be deployed for a mission, but so was their luck being only cadets. The better missions would be given by preference to higher class infantrymen or SOLDIERS if needed. Cadets didn't count for anything.

Rolling from the warmth of his blankets, Talin hopped down from his bunk and hissed at the jolt he gave his shoulder. "Time to get up, guys. If I have to be awake, so do you." At the mumbled response from Callian, Talin ruffled his friend's hair into a jumbled mess before heading to the shower.

Pierce intercepts him to help remove the bandages. "Looking better but still really red. Don't scrub it at all, just let the water flow over and I can redo the wraps when you're done."

Showered and his bandages redone, Talin moves over to the wall, leaning there to watch the rest as they get ready for the day. Most are groggy till they come back from a shower but there is no denying the air of excitement and anticipation. After all are cleaned and dressed, the Unit heads to the cafeteria for some quick coffee and breakfast.

This early, there is only one lady working, but she is expecting them. Any early mission is noted by the meal prep staff to be sure something hot is ready before deployment. Egger to get back so they can leave, they eat quickly and head back to the barracks to wait for Sergeant Varo.

Cal takes up his roll of 2nd in Command, "Twenty minutes, guys! Double check your bags and boots and for the love of the Goddess, please use the bathroom before we leave. You do not want to be trying to piss out the side of a helicopter." The laughs ease some of the tension that had been creeping up on them.

"You ready, Captain?" Callian comes to lean next to him on the wall watching the others. His laughing use of the nickname makes Talin laugh and shake his head. I guess it is appropriate now that I'm Unit Lead...

"As ready as I can be with a clipped shoulder." He grumbled but still had a smile on his face. Callian nudged his good arm with his own.

"You know this is because of you, right?" Talin's glance was confused and Cal continued, "We were picked for this because of your status as Sephiroth's trainee and because he knows you have faith in us. Without that, I could imagine them taking you and leaving us behind." Talin looked away from his 2nd and considered the words.

"Maybe, but you guys have to take some credit. I might have high scores here and there in class but each of you are only points behind me every time."

"Only because you keep pushing us and won't let us fail." Talin gave a quiet chuckle while watching Cody and Kyle bicker with Milo about bringing a small VR game. His laugh at their antics fell to a thoughtful smile.

"You're all... like my brothers. I'll do anything to make sure you all make it." he turned back to Callian, not sure how the other cadet would take such an admission. His friend just grinned.

"Well, now it's our turn. We'll show the higherups just how well we work under your command and prove to them that you're a good leader and were good enough to be SOLDIER." The blond said holding up a fist that Talin knocked with his own.

"You better. I'm gonna to have to rely on you a lot this go round actually. Other than in case of emergency, I'm just decoration till my shoulder's healed." Frustration was so clear on his face that Callian couldn't help another laugh.

"Don't worry, Cap. We can take care of things. Just leave it to your brothers."

"Unit 28!" The bark was out before the doors were fully opened and all stood to attention. "Unit Leader Graft!" Talin jumped to front and center.

"Sir! Unit 28 ready for departure, Sir!" A small grin curled his lip as Varo looked down at him in quiet pride. The Unit fell into file behind him with bags over shoulders, "Unit ready, Sir!" They said together.

With quick commands, the group is out and waiting for the elevators while Varo and Talin take another smaller one up to meet them on the 52nd floor. Once the doors close, the 3rd turned to lean against the wall. "So, have something to tell me about your shoulder?"

Still slightly embarrassed by the mishap, Talin explains what happened and is understandably annoyed to admit that he is, effectively, onehanded for this mission.

"Well no worries there." The Sergeant dismissed the concern, "It's an easy mission. I'm sure your Unit will be more than enough without your assistance this time around."

When they get out of the elevator, they realize that the unit hasn't arrived yet. However, Varo notices someone else in the hall and salutes in their direction before turning to Talin.

"Looks like you have a going away party," He says with a smile. Talin turns and sees Zack waving with the others standing patiently behind the excitable 1st. "Ah. Now I know why Zack has been spending so much time with you. Better go get your goodbye kiss." Varo says the last in a half whisper and Talin spins back to look at him in mild panic.

"How?!" Talin can't finish the statement before seeing the teasing light in his friend's eye.

"I was half joking but, if it is true, seriously, don't worry about it," He says with a kind chuckle, "All the SOLDIERs know about those four so, if you're in on something with them, no one will blink an eye. Just don't do stuff around other cadets or where people outside Shin-Ra could see."

The advice was spoken just before the elevator door opened letting half the unit onto the floor. Varo turned towards them and waved over his shoulder to Talin, "You go check in with your mentor, I'll get these guys out to the pad for helicopter etiquette."

Relieved, Talin walked over to the 1sts and resisted the urge to smack Zack on the shoulder for blowing their relationship open to Varo.

"Did I hear that correctly, Talin?" Angeal asked, half serious and half ready to laugh at the cadets irritated expression.

"Ya, you did," He said with a sigh and poked Zack in the ribs. "Now Varo knows but it seems like he doesn't really care." At seeing the hesitant glances between them, Talin felt he needed to defend Varo. Last thing he needed was one of his only friends being scared half to death by the legendary 1sts. "He's a good guy and a friend so he won't tell anyone."

As the rest of the Unit arrived on the floor and followed Sergeant Sinclare out, Talin let himself be pulled into Zack's arms. Angeal checked his shoulder and was happy to find it so well-tended. Genesis ruffled his hair and quickly pulled the fussing Commander with him back to the elevators.

"We better get moving. There's another group of 2nds is scheduled for Materia training and we need to ensure they don't set the tower on fire. See you when you get back, Talin," The smirking 1st waved and allowed Angeal only a quick 'Take care of yourself and your Unit' before he was dragged away.

The General just shook his head at his friend's actions before turning his attention to his Cadet again. "Remember your promise to me. Keep out of any fighting, if there is any." the same emotionless mask fell over Seph's face before he continued, "Be careful Cadet. Make sure you come back in one piece." With that and a firm pat on Talin's good shoulder, the Silver SOLDIER followed the others path to the elevators and left.

With only Zack remaining, the quietly confused teen finds himself turned around suddenly. A kiss cuts off his questions and he leaned into the arms that had wrapped around him. He could think about what Sephiroth was hiding later, for now he had to deal with the sudden realization that he had been backed into a shadowed corner of the hall. Zack hadn't meant to take it so far, but as soon as their lips touched, he decided to give his Cadet something to dream about while he was gone.

Calloused hands ran down Talin's sides, hooking in his beltloops and pulling his hips against the Commander's. The contact was like fire but he didn't mind the burn. Realizing that he must be holding up his group, he pulled back from the kiss as best he could. He was thoroughly caged in the corner and the shadows only heightened the Mako blue glow in Zack's eyes as they caught their breath.

"You better keep your hide in one piece," The husky voice from the usually chipper SOLDIER vibrated in the chest that was pushed against his. "I have so many plans but you have to be able to keep up." The intensity of those eyes told Talin all he needed to know about such 'plans' but decided to ask anyway.

"And what plans might those be?" He shivered as Zack leaned in to nip the teen's ear.

"You come back safe and I will gladly show you..." The heat Talin saw when their eyes again met was mixed with a small twinge of worry. It reminded him that there is no such thing as a 'safe' mission, even for cadets.

"I will, I promise," Leaning in, he gets another, slower, kiss, "Before all your secret plans, can we have dinner when I get back? Just us?" Zack smirks and nods before resting his forehead against his lover's.

"Anything you want, Red. Text me that morning and I'll get it for dinner." Knowing his time is up, Zack pulls back and hands Talin his bag that had been dropped in the middle of their entanglement. Together, they walk to the doors that lead out to the helipad and Zack stops a few steps from the exit.

"Knock 'em dead, Cadet." His regular goofy smile was accompanied by a wink and a thumbs up making Talin laugh as he said his goodbye. With a smile and a wave, he hefts his bag over his shoulder and heads out just in time to load up into the helicopter with his Unit. As the door snaps shut behind him and the craft takes off, Talin's mind switches to work mode.

Mission start...

The trip to the mountain lodge was mostly uneventful, except the one person that didn't use the bathroom before leaving, Callian, who had to wait almost an hour for them to touch down. Upon landing the unit was split into their groups and given a chance to drop their bags before reviewing the perimeter, the lodge, and the several rooms where the VIP would be staying and meeting his guests.

Callian's group took the first patrol from 10am till 6pm and started their rounds immediately. Hank, Tores, and Joey were stationed inside and followed a circuit from the foyer to the first upstairs hallway and back. It covered all the rooms that their VIP would be using while allowing them to keep an eye on the main entrance to the building. Outside, Cody and Lox traced the path that went around the building while Nolton was posted at the service door out back. It was the only other entrance to the building and was primarily used by the two cooks or the housekeeper.

In total, only six people were on site other than their Unit. Two cooks, a stern looking housekeeper, a pretty maid, an older gentleman who was their repair man, and the owner of the lodge who had decided to be on premise for Shin-Ra's visit. It was a quiet and serene place and, if he hadn't been there on a mission, Talin found he would have liked to spend some time just relaxing. The spot was surrounded by a 360° view of the mountains, crisp clean air without any tinge of Mako's acidic burn, it was a truly beautiful location for a lodge.

As the rest of the Unit got settled in, Talin headed back out to the foyer to meet up with Cal and Varo. The Sergeant's group was scheduled to take over at six and would be on duty till 2am. Talin, being the Unit Lead, had opted to take the most painful shift, 2am-10am, but while his group was relaxing, he would wait with the others for their VIP.

Mr. Kifton arrived right on time at three and instantly made an impression on all. The man was shorter than the smallest of Talin's Unit and, while not exactly skittish, he was very obviously nervous to be out of the city for this meeting. When he was first introduced to Sergeant Sinclare, he declared himself to be 'not a country person' saying that he had been born and raised in Midgar and didn't feel comfortable with so much open space around him.

He was well dress as befitted his role of representing the company, with dark brown hair just starting to go sliver grey at the temples and a clean-shaven face to complete the image of the perfect businessman. In opposition to his initial nervous state, as soon as they shifted to talk of the meeting and his protection, he was purely professional. Till he found out who was guarding him.

He didn't voice his disapproval, only an irritated twitch of his eye gave that away, but he did promptly cut off further introductions and asked to be shown to his rooms. From that point on, he spoke only to Varo or, if he had to, Talin. The redhead had been introduced as the General's trainee, giving him a small advantage when dealing with the brusque older man.

The Unit Leader was tempted to try defending his guys but knew it would be no use. The best he could do was to let the others know their VIP's opinion of them and encourage them to prove him wrong. Even if absolutely nothing happened on this mission, they would perform their duties to the best of their abilities.

After the introduction, they didn't see much of Mr. Kifton. He came out for dinner then went straight back to his rooms with the order to not be disturbed till morning. Talin was urged by Callian to go get some sleep. He was now dreading the very early (or very late) watch he had chosen but it was part of the job. Pierce checked his shoulder once more and then he and the cadets in his group tucked in for a few hours of sleep.

The beep and vibration of his alarm roused Talin just after midnight. It was pitch black in their room till he clicked on the small bedside lamp. Groans and muttered complaints drew a small chuckle from the teen.

"C'mon, get up, eat something, and be ready for shift change at two." With that quick set of commands, Talin got himself moving. Callian's group had already gone to bed, leaving only Varo and his six up at this ungodly hour.

The 3rd was stationed outside of Mr. Kifton's room and quietly welcomed his replacement.

"Morning. Any updates?" He doubted there would be any, and was correct.

"Nothin'. It's so quiet out here I swear I could hear a monster if it took a shit half way down the mountain." Talin stifled a laugh but couldn't stop the yawn that came after it. "Hey, you don't take command for about another hour, the cooks are already working on bread and such in the kitchen. Why don't you go see if they have some coffee?"

Not needing to be told twice, Talin gave a nod and followed his nose to the kitchen. Thank the Goddess, Varo was right. Hot coffee, fresh bread, and a small covered pans of breakfast food were lined up for his group to dig into.

As awake they were going to get, Talin assigned Zale, Drew, and Kyle to the outside patrol leaving Elijah, Pierce, and Chase to go relieve those inside. A final check in with Varo completed the change in shift and the other team happily went to their beds.

Things remained quiet. Talin could hear his team moving about on the stairs as they patrolled and the occasional snore of someone on the floor but not much else. At about six, the maid came around with more coffee for them. Her flirting with Chase had been noted the previous day and Talin wasn't surprised to see her again paying extra attention to the platinum blond Cadet.

At seeing Talin round the corner, Chase snapped to attention and continued his patrol. The maid turned to him and tried to pretend nothing had happened by offering him a cup of coffee as well. He took it and thanked her for her 'kindness' to his Unit before heading back to his post at Mr. Kifton's door, chuckling to himself as he went.

The rest of the morning went by much the same. Breakfast was the only time they had any activity. They escorted the businessman to the dining room, stood watch at the only entrance, and then escorted him back to his room to prepare for the meeting that was scheduled for that afternoon.

Ten o'clock finally rolled around and Callian's group relived them, allowing a few to head back to bed for a while longer. Talin was one of them. He wanted to be clear headed for the meeting scheduled at two and still felt exhausted from the fitful sleep the night before. After taking some medicine for the dull ache in his shoulder, setting an alarm for one, and pulling the blinds shut on their room, he crawled into bed.

It wasn't the beeping of his alarm that woke him or noise of any kind, but the soft movement of the air and warmth that surrounded him more completely than his blankets. Groaning as suddenly light intruded on his darkened sleeping room, Talin sat up and was about to yell at whoever opened the curtains, but stopped.

"Here? Again?" The words were like a trigger and the wind that had remained only a whisper began to steadily blow across the vast field. He could abruptly hear the rustling of the plants, as if someone had removed plugs from his ears.

Not really bothered by his unexpected arrival in the field, Talin decided to just enjoy it. He always felt refreshed after waking from these episodes anyways. Letting himself fall back into the soft grasses, he let his eyes close and just relaxed.

His shoulder didn't hurt here but he could feel the pull of stitches when he shifted. The wind threaded through the flowers and he just listened. It was an odd sound when you paid close attention to it. Sometimes it sounded like voices, but so many you can't decipher one from another.

As he lay there trying to pick apart the whispers, he heard someone walking towards him. Again, he wanted to look but restrained himself. He had questions to ask and hoped they were the 'right' ones. He had been thinking about what to ask since his talk with Angeal and now, maybe, he could finally get some answers. No longer spooked by the visits of this person, Talin decided to start the conversation.

"Back here again? Why is it always this field? Is it important?" The footsteps stopped about a yard from his shoulder and he heard the man sit down.

"It isn't so much that it's important," There was a small chuckle in the man's voice, "It's as good a place as any, I suppose, but at least you know what's happening when you see it." He made a good point. If Talin woke in a city or mountain range he would just think it was a normal dream and might miss something important.

"Does this place mean something to you? Is it a real place?" It wasn't the information he truly wanted, but it was a step in the right direction. That deep voice was quiet as he answered. No more laughter in his tone.

"It does," He said simply.

"It exists, or it means something to you?" Talin was a bit frustrated by the non-answer.

"Yes." The Cadet could hear the smile in that reply, could tell that he was being laughed at for his frustration. "We're running out of time, do you want to ask anything else?" It wasn't said with urgency but Talin was glad for the warning.

"I want to find out who you are but you won't, or can't, tell me. Will I ever know?" The silence stretched on so long that he worried that he was alone again. The sound of the man shifting in the grass eased his concern but the touch of a hand lightly ruffling his hair almost shocked him enough to open his eyes.

"You can find out, Talin. But it won't be soon." The hand brushed his hair back into place before continuing, "Have patience and keep training. When the time comes, if you aren't strong enough, you might miss the chance." The hand gently brushing through his hair was gone just as a beeping started from someplace. Talin opened his eyes to the darkened room and his alarm's persistent beeping.

The mild jolt he always got when waking from the field had his heart thumping hard and fast in his chest. He kept still and breathed through it, willing his heart to slow so that he could focus. He had a job to do and needed to be clear headed right now.

Not having much time, Talin cleaned himself up and redressed into his uniform before leaving to find Varo and their VIP. Luck would have it that he was right on time to escort Mr. Kifton out to wait for their guests. Punctual to their 2pm meeting time, the helicopter could be heard landing just as the clock in the foyer chimed.

Within a few minutes, the visitors were welcomed by the Shin-Ra businessman and all were ushered into the designated meeting room. Even though Varo said it wasn't needed, Talin had taken the chance to review the meeting notes that were included in the mission packet.

These three gentlemen were representatives from a significant manufacturing company, Larken Corp., and they had been working with Shin-Ra for several years now. This meeting in particular was to negotiate a few new contracts that would net the company millions.

The last piece of intel that had been in the packet was that Larken Corp. had been quietly trash talking their competition and spreading rumors. None of those whispered slanders could be traced back to them of course, but the goal, undoubtably, was to undermine faith in companies that also held large Shin-Ra manufacturing contracts.

What better time to insinuate that your company could do better than at a meeting when you're already signing contracts... Thus warned, Talin and Varo knew to watch for any kind of sign from Mr. Kifton to end the meeting.

The room was already being guarded by Michael outside one door, Jaz at the other, and Dayton doing a rotating patrol. As they entered, Talin and Varo dismissed Michael and Jaz to join the rotation. This change alerted the rest of the unit that all were now present and the meeting was not to be disturbed although Talin could wish it would be.

The whole way up to the meeting room the representatives had shown just what kind of men they were. Slimy. All the small talk had been the sort to establish them as 'trustworthy' even going so far as to bring up the rumors surrounding their competition. It was times like this that Talin was truly grateful that he would never have to work in politics or the business side of Shin-Ra other than as a guard.

As it turned out, they didn't have to worry about Mr. Kifton with their guests at all. Every sugar sweet compliment accompanied by a fake smile was quickly met with the man's blunt and gruff way of speaking. The tried again and again to soften the older man towards them and their several purposed contracts but none of it worked.

Because of this push and pull, the meeting dragged on. Talin stood guard at one door and Varo across the room at the other. Every fifteen minutes he would feel his phone vibrate silently once with a message in his back pocket. It was a signal they had developed to silently notify him that all was well. If he ever had two messages, two vibrations, he would know that he was needed ASAP.

The meeting dwindled down after much discussion and no real progress. Mr. Kifton signed only two of the six contracts the men had brought and by the looks on their faces, they were none to pleased.

Frustrated but unwilling to allow this chance to escape, one of the men recommended a break to walk outside before they finalized everything. He was obviously hoping that, in a one-on-one with Mr. Kifton, he could persuade him to sign another.

Talin hated such methods but knew that this was also a sign that he and Varo would need to keep close to their charge, just in case the negotiator decided to be more persuasive with threats.

Before the group got up to leave Talin ducked his head out the door just as Jaz was walking past.

"Go pull my group together and get them positioned outside right guests are going for a walk. Tell Michael and Dayton are to follow us out." Jaz didn't even stop to reply but sped off with his orders. By the time Talin returned to the room, Kifton was agreeing to the break saying that fresh air would be welcome compared to a stuffy meeting room.

Flanked by Talin and Varo, the group of businessmen headed out to the gardens where, he was relieved to note, the two teams had already positioned themselves. When the group split up, Michale and Dayton followed the two from Larken Corp while he and Varo continued with the one remaining representative and Mr. Kifton. No doubt they hoped that some time in private might allow them to negotiate another contract or two.

As they walked, the escorts about ten feet behind to allow some privacy, Talin caught sight of Milo. After a quick nod of acknowledgement, the smaller Cadet disappeared into the foliage, unseen but not far if needed. It had been decided that one person among each group would play this role and Milo, fast and silent, was the best they had. This mission might not require such an abundance of caution, but it would be good practice for the future.

The voices of the two in front of them was too soft for Talin to pick out words but he saw Varo scoff more than once. They passed a few of the other cadets as they made a lazy path through the small garden and back towards the house but the conversation remained calm. Several times, the 3rd would turn to Talin and roll his eyes but, as annoying as the man's persistence was, it seemed that Mr. Kifton wasn't taking the bate.

The walk in the gardens had turned into one around the outside of the building and the distance between guard and VIP had slowly grown. Talin was starting to wonder how long it would take for one of them to give up when he realized that their distance from the two now rounding the corner would leave them out of sight. Sith the Sergeant's enhanced hearing, it wasn't a real concern, but the sudden stiffening of the 3rd's posture was. Before he could ask, his attention was caught by something in the air.

An earsplitting screech cut the silence. He and Varo took off running just as Talin's mind registered what he had seen. A large feather, spiraling to the ground...