Sephiroth awoke feeling strange. He didn't want the dream to end. Yet his alarm went off, announcing the start of his daily routine in Midgar.
Cloud. His mind was still fixated on the stranger. A young man who carried himself like a Soldier. And yet he seemed he didn't want anything to do with him? That was strange.
And he was no ordinary warrior. Sephiroth noticed the Ribbon. And the sword was of high quality. Although the style was eerily similar to Angeal's Buster Sword.
But what really drew him in were those eyes. Deep blues with the taint of mako. And they held a deep and interesting story behind them. A mystery that Sephiroth wanted to piece together.
There was no mistaking the fear he saw in them. It was only for a split second. Barely enough to register in Sephiroth's mind before the blond bolted like a frightened rabbit.
And yet when he finally had him cornered, he stared back with the bravery of a seasoned warrior. An odd contradiction to earlier in the dream.
Sephiroth moved on autopilot. All the while his mind was occupied on every detail he could of the dream. He replayed it over and over in his head with a growing obsession to uncover anything that would give him clues.
"You all right?" Angeal noticed he seemed different.
"I dreamed." Sephiroth earned an exasperated look in return.
"You don't dream?" Angeal was confused.
"I did last night. And it was...strange." Strange wasn't fully able to describe it.
"Would you care to enlighten me?" The commander offered.
"I'm standing in the middle of a burning village. The flames are reaching high. I turn and see a lone warrior, surveying the flames. He looked like a Soldier. Except his uniform was modified."
"What class?" Angeal tilted his head.
"First Class." Sephiroth watched his friend's expression. There was curiosity and surprise.
"Anyone you recognize?" Angeal was fishing for more details.
"No." Sephiroth shook his head. "He had blond hair spiked up. He seemed young in appearance, but something about him reminded me that of a seasoned warrior. So perhaps he was older than his face suggests."
"Mako tends to do that." Angeal commented.
"As I walked closer, I noticed his blue eyes. They were deep in color. It was almost difficult to see the taint of mako in them. He notices me. And for a split second I see fear in his eyes. Then he bolts. I give chase."
"Strange. Does the dream continue?"
"The scenery changed to Midgar. I realized we can hold some influence in the dream. I believe he was the one who chose Midgar. Realizing he was trying to lose me, I envisioned the VR Simulation. And suddenly we're inside the dome. He attempted to see if we can go through walls I think, for he crashed into one."
"So you can change the scenery, and yet the laws of physics still apply in the dream?" Angeal raised an eyebrow.
"Strange I know. He turns around just as I corner him. And the fear is replaced by a guarded and blank expression. He could rival a Turk with the way he can hold a poker face. So I ask him why he was afraid. He stares for a moment, contemplating."
Angeal remained silent, still genuinely interested.
"He replied, 'Not afraid. Just surprised', and I don't fully buy it. I study him. He stares back. I can't read his thoughts on whether he's lying or not. Then the dream ends abruptly because of my alarm."
Angeal considered all of the information given carefully. He was trying to find some deeper meaning. But the more he thought about it, the more he saw there wasn't any.
"That is strange." Angeal commented. "And you have never seen this man before?"
"I am sure of it that we never crossed paths. And yet, I get this sense I know him? It should be a given he knows of me. But it seemed deeper than that." Sephiroth was truly at a loss.
And then he remembered a detail just as Zack entered. Sephiroth was too focused on describing to pay his friend's pupil any attention.
"Oh, and he carried a sword similar to your own. Except the metal was of higher quality. It almost seems reflective, the amount of care he puts into it is obvious."
"A Buster Sword class?" Angeal tilted his head. Well now, that made the warrior really stand out. Not many would care to carry the weight of a heavy style.
"Who are we talking about?" Zack piped up, having caught the conversation about the sword.
"Sephiroth had a dream of a mysterious warrior who carries a sword similar to mine." Angeal filled him in.
"Oh. Was he cool at least?" Zack was so casual with his interest that it took a moment for Sephiroth to reply.
"...I guess?" The general blinked like an owl.
"Think we'll meet him someday?" Zack flashed a grin.
"Perhaps." Sephiroth was sure the warrior he dreamed of was real. His mind wouldn't conjure up some stranger as complicated as the blond.
xXx
Tseng was handed a file early in the morning. It was handed with the sense of urgency, thus this required his immediate attention.
He made his coffee then sat down at his desk. After a few sips and starting his computer, Tseng finally opened the file. And he almost gulped down the rest despite how hot the beverage was.
Nibelheim reactor destroyed?
Tseng carefully read every detail. It described the video evidence. An unknown blond man with modified Soldier First Class uniform strolling inside. At his side was a strange man with long dark hair, and outlandish outfit. Whoever wrote this wasn't very detailed, apparently.
Tseng searched for the videos in question. He found they were already sent to his email so that made things easier. He started the first one.
The two walked in with a sense of purpose. They ignored the pods and headed straight to the back. Tseng followed through a different camera.
They paused at the sight of the empty mako tank. They seemed disappointed with something. Was there supposed to be someone in the tank they were searching for?
Tseng wished the videos had sound. But this reactor hadn't been upgraded yet. He was surprised the quality of the videos were high end, however. A strange oversight in the technical team.
The pair split off. Tseng decided to follow the blond warrior. He went straight to the control room and began shutting the reactor down. Tseng frowned, for this wasn't public knowledge.
The blond glanced at the camera.
Tseng felt his heart stop. Although he had his doubts, there was none now that this strange young man was enhanced. He paused the footage to take a screenshot of the swordsman. He switched to a different camera in search of the companion.
It was difficult to fully see details with that red cape. Tseng pressed play at a lower speed. He paused when he had a good full body view.
Tall. Almost Sephiroth's height if he could guess correctly. Tseng had watched enough videos of Sephiroth to make easy comparisons in most cases.
The figure was clothed in all black leather. There was a huge holster at his hip. Red cape that almost seemed alive in its own right. Long black hair, and part of the bangs kept out of the face from a folded red bandana.
And was that a claw?
Tseng switched to different angles until he found a good view. He confirmed that indeed it was a golden claw for the man's left hand. It stands out very much like the blond's sword.
Well, these two weren't exactly subtle. And yet Tseng had a feeling neither would match any records of anyone in the company. Tseng switched back to the full body view and took a screenshot. He then searched for a good look at the face and captured a screenshot of that too.
Tseng then split the screen to two different cameras and pressed play. In the same instance the blond casted Thundaga, the caped man casted Firaga. So both were proficient with materia.
Together they raced out as the damages began to cause a chain reaction. As they ran they casted some more on their escape. Tseng watched as the destruction quickly went out of control and the biggest explosion sent the blond flying just as he ran out the door.
The last the camera outside captured was a blur of red cape flying after the swordsman before he hit the ground. Then the camera went out.
Tseng considered what he had just witnessed. He doubted these two had any part of Avalanche, even though it would appear so with the destruction of a reactor.
However. Avalanche focused solely on Midgar. Sometimes Junon, but that was the extent of their targets. And to top it off these two were never known among Avalanche's group that the company has seen.
Plus, thus far Avalanche has never been this swift and efficient. Perhaps they were both messy, considering the state of the reactor by now. But that was about the only coincidence.
So not Avalanche.
Tseng printed out the photos he took the time to collect from the video evidence. First things first, he had two people in mind to approach. First was Director Lazard.
"Does this man look familiar to you?" Tseng presented a photo of the blond.
Lazard studied the photo. He shook his head. Tseng studied him, and realized he saw no lies.
"No. Should he be familiar?"
"He wears a modified Soldier First Class uniform. And wields a sword similar to Commander Hewley's." Tseng pointed out.
"While it is striking, I'm afraid I've never seen him." Lazard had no hidden secrets.
"Thank you for your time." Tseng collected the photo.
Next was Professor Hojo.
"Does this man look familiar to you?" Tseng presented the blond's photo.
"Hm? No. Strange, though. A modified First Class uniform? And that sword. Shouldn't you be asking Hollander?" Hojo was quick to notice the details.
"Do you honestly believe Hollander will let someone better than both his projects slip away?" Tseng wasn't sure how he knew that this mysterious blond was better than Angeal and Genesis, but he was confident of this detail now.
"Hmph. And you think I'm that careless?" Hojo countered.
All right. Tseng will give him that. He took back the photo. And after a moment of consideration Tseng produced the two photos of the blond's companion.
"What about him?"
Hojo went still. Tseng noticed. The professor was always one to fidget, whether he admits it or not. The Turk had worked with this man long enough to notice the smallest of changes.
"No. I'm afraid neither of them are known to me."
That was a lie.
Still, Tseng couldn't prove it. Carefully he placed the photos back in the folder. He turned and made his leave.
Back at his office Tseng began to dig a little deeper around Professof Hojo's background. Anyone who seemed to somewhat match the face, Tseng dug deeper. And found no match because the men with dark hair didn't match in the eyes or height.
Tseng began to go back several years. It helped there weren't a lot of people with dark hair who worked with Professor Hojo. And somehow Tseng ended up skipping several years. Until just before Sephiroth was born.
It was an accident really. Tseng caught sight of the Turk uniform. He paused, surprised. Carefully he studied the face. Frowning, Tseng held up the photo evidence to the computer screen.
It was a match.
"...Vincent Valentine?"