*AN* I have gone over previous chapters in an attempt to make them sound, and roll better. Hopefully they are improved. Enjoy this one :)

~ Watch Me ~

Now You See Me

It was early, before dawn, and Rose woke groggily to the smell of coffee. She left the bedroom, only to find her brother perched contently at the kitchen table, his head bowed low over a book.

"I wondered how long it would take you." He said, without looking up.

Rose grinned sleepily, Angeal had been awake for a while it seemed. He had already made them both breakfast, and she wolfed it down eagerly, not remembering the last time she had eaten anything of substance. After, they gathered their things and headed out the door, Rose following gladly at her brother's heels, exhausted but excited for what he had planned. The pair of them clad in matching dark sweats.

As they walked through Shinra, Rose rubbed her eyes, jogging to keep up with Angeal's unwavering steps. She stifled what must have been her fifth yawn behind slight fingers, and Angeal chuckled.

"I heard that." He murmured over his shoulder. "You'll have to get used to early mornings if you're serious about this, Rose. You think we in SOLDIER get lie-ins?"

She glared.

"Perhaps if you hadn't been snoring so loudly, I would have slept better." She grumbled, shuffling after him through a set of silver doors marked 'Level 1'.

She quit her biting, and looked around.

So these were the training rooms her brother had told her about? It didn't look like much. A large metal box, with wires running along it's ceiling and walls. But Rose knew of it's famed 'VR' tech, she was eager to see what it could do.

Angeal scoffed loudly, interrupting her inspection. "Me keeping you awake? You're the one yelling in your sleep. I'm not surprised you're beat, Rose. Three times I got up to check on you."

Rose frowned. She didn't remember dreaming.

"I was yelling? About what?"

"God knows." He shrugged, moving to retrieve two long wooden staffs from a nearby cabinet. He grinned. "All I know is, it was annoying. Here – "

Angeal tossed one to her lightly, and she caught it awkwardly mid-air, weighing it thoughtfully in both hands before raising a dubious eye-brow at her brother.

"Shouldn't there be a mop on the end of this?" She joked lightly. "Are you going to have me cleaning floors?"

"That is your weapon. This – " He indicated the remaining staff in his hand. "Is my weapon. We're going to spar."

Rose nodded slowly. "And I couldn't bring my sword down here, because...?"

"I don't fancy losing an eye."

Rose rolled her own. "Some member of SOLDIER you are. Scared of your own sister – shameful."

"Control comes first." Angeal continued, ignoring her as he moved casually into the centre of the room. "Once you've got a grasp on that, then we can handle the mechanics of battling with a sword."

She tilted her head playfully. "Don't you just stick them with the pointy end?"

Angeal sighed, his face telling her that she needed to shut up, especially if he was going to continue with what he considered to be a complete farce, that she had forced him into. Rose mimed pulling a zip pointedly across her mouth, and he continued.

"As I was saying. We are going to spar. Your aim is to hit me three times. If you manage to do that, I will speak to Lazard about putting you forward for Third Class."

Rose stared at him, unable to prevent the incredulous laughter that fell boldly from her lips. She frowned, looking at her brother as though he was mad.

"That's it. That's all I have to do?"

Angeal raised a single dark brow. "You think the task is too easy? I can think of something else if you'd prefer? Perhaps something in the field?"

Rose quickly shook her head. "No, no! That's fine, great even." She grinned sheepishly, sweeping away wayward tendrils that had fallen unhelpfully from her braid. "I'm sure you know what you're doing."

"I do." He answered, suddenly sounding very serious.

Angeal's Mako-infused orbs met her own light emeralds, and his gaze softened with a sigh. Rose knew that look, it meant either a lecture was coming, or he was worried. She had a feeling this time it might be both.

"Rose, are you sure you want to do this? Being in SOLDIER is dangerous, people get hurt, they die. I don't want to be the one to tell Mother, that her daughter isn't coming home."

"Don't you think I don't know that? I feel the same way about you." She rallied, one hand moving pointedly to her hip. "Why is it okay for you to risk your life, but not me?"

"Because..."

"Because I'm a girl, and all I'm good for is getting married, and having kids?"

Angeal rolled his eyes, "No. Because – "

"Because Shinra train women to fight too, Angeal. I've seen them back at home when the Troops visit. It's not that strange. I – "

"If you'd let me finish?" Angeal cut in with a little more force, an indulgent smile playing lightly on his lips, as he allowed Rose to fall into a difficult silence.

He smiled. "Because I don't want to lose you. Especially as I'm the one helping to put you in the path of danger."

"Well... then train me so I'm good like you, and you won't." She grinned, skipping forward to meet him in the centre. She gently touched the end of the staff to his chin, with the aim of coaxing another smile. "Does that count as a hit?"

Angeal laughed despite himself. "No. Now move back a few feet, if you're gonna insist."

He shoved her playfully, but Rose kept her balance, watching as he slid his cell phone from his pocket. Swiping through, he eventually clicked something, and around them the room began to hum, building to a crescendo that ended in an ear popping crack, and changing the topography completely.

"A Dojo?" Rose breathed, gazing around in silent awe at her new surroundings. "Isn't that a little bit of a cliché?" She crouched down to feel the soft wooden floor beneath her fingers, the cold metal now thoroughly forgotten. "This tech is unreal. Where else can it take us?"

"Another time." Angeal answered, now fully in SOLDIER mode. "Take up your weapon and prepare to fight."

Smirking at his overt seriousness, she did as she was told, bringing the staff level with her chest, perfectly balanced in either hand, as she weighted out her feet.

"Okay, ready."

"Good. You will attempt to hit me, I will attempt to deflect. Lets go."

Rose swung the staff low at first, and of course he blocked it, she had expected him to, she was just feeling him out. Rose then repeated the action again on the other side, and of course was met with the same response. The next few times she moved slightly faster, sometimes higher, sometimes lower. She sped up again. Each time Angeal blocked her.

"Are you being annoying on purpose?" She muttered breathlessly, her strikes becoming more desperate, and clambering by the second. "You could at least let me have one!"

"That really defeats the object." Angeal answered smoothly, not sounding at all bothered, as he continued to deflect each of her movements with perfect timing.

"It's easier to block than to attack!" She growled, aiming this time for his ribs.

Blocking it again, Angeal laughed. "You think so?"

"Yes!"

Rose regretted her answer, as the floor was swiped out cruelly from beneath her. Her brother's overly smug face hovering dauntingly over her, as he pressed the staff lightly into her chest, pinning her to the ground.

"Get off!" She growled, trying to knock him away. "Angeal!"

Rose tried to move the staff away with her hands, but he was too strong, and her own staff laid impotently a few feet away from when she fell. Her gaze darted back and forth between it and Angeal, and she knew there was only one thing left she could do, to reclaim some dignity, and she really didn't want to.

"Having some issues, Rose?" Angeal chuckled, gloating over her position, and ignorant to her internal debate.

"I guess." Rose sighed, ceasing her battle and relaxing back against the floor. She held her breath. "But I'm a fast learner, Brother."

Rose did not enjoy the sensation of 'shifting' – that's what she called it – her being in one place, and then instantly another, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She wasn't going to allow Angeal to think she was completely useless, not when she had this neat little trick up her sleeve. So Rose shifted, first from her position on the floor to her staff, then to behind Angeal. She doubted her brother even had the time to process what he'd seen, before she sent her weapon flying into the backs of his knees, and robbed him of his precious gravity. Angeal hit the floor with a heavy thud, his expression confused, and his gaze revealing more shock than pain.

"Rose," he began slowly. "What was that?"

"I hit you." She answered innocently, bending over him with a wide smile. "That's 'one', right?" She raised the staff over his chest and tapped it twice. "Two, three."

"Doesn't count." Angeal replied, still looking a little lost, but Rose grinned.

"Sure it does." She said, happy until a familiar sickness rose dauntingly in her belly. She clutched her stomach, desperate to ignore the sudden ringing in her ears. "I think I'll have a little sit with you."

This time Rose greeted the floor with gratitude. It's firm horizontal balance, anchoring her centre as she laid back and closed her eyes.

"Is that one of the other things you spoke about last night?" Angeal murmured.

Even with her eyes shut, she could feel him watching her.

"Yep."

He sighed. "Looks fun."

"It's not." She grumbled, gritting her teeth against the new urge to vomit. "Emergencies only I'm afraid."

"And that was considered an emergency?"

"You were being smug." She said, groaning as she waited for the sensation to pass. Taking a deep breath, she rolled into a sitting position, and frowned. "So, you going to recommend me for Third Class? I did pass your little test."

"You cheated." Angeal corrected, chuckling, he finally got to his feet. "Is there anything else I should know about before we go any further? Can you read minds now, too?"

Jumping to her own feet, Rose fought not to roll her eyes, it was a bad habit she was trying to control.

"I think from that little performance, it's pretty obvious that I can't."

"You know what I mean, Rose. Is there anything else new I need to know?"

He was looking at her seriously again, and she didn't like it. This was still all so new to her, how could he expect her to explain? It wasn't like she suddenly had super powers or anything. Except it was, and she kind of did, but not in the way anyone would think. It like playing cards, but you didn't know what kind of hand you were playing with, or how many were in it, or even the rules of the game.

But there was one more thing.

"Sometimes I effect energy."

Angeal's frown deepened. "What do you mean?

"What I say. Stuff that's energy. You know, like electricals, Materia – "

"Materia?"

Rose sighed. "Yes. That's what I said, I seem to sometimes have a slight effect. But as I said before, I can't control it so well, or understand it, or really know what it is."

Angeal shook his head. He suddenly looked angry worried, and that was never fun.

"You know what I think? I think you made something that is clearly a very big deal, sound like something that wasn't, and now you expect me to just go along with it as if it's nothing. Have you even seen a doctor to make sure you're okay?"

"No" She said, shifting guiltily. "And I'm not going to, Angeal. I'm fine, it is no big deal. I just thought if I came out with it all at once, it would be a little much, is all." She finished, trying to push the shame aside and failing.

How was it Angeal had this gift to make people question themselves so completely?

"A little much?" He repeated flatly. "Rose, two pies are a little much. This is – "

The ring of his cell phone cut him short, and muttering unintelligibly under his breath, he brought it to his ear.

"Angeal... Hello, sir... Yes, I can come right away... I'm not sure if that... Yes, sir, of course... On my way."

Angeal turned around, his face even more grave than it had been before.

Rose frowned. "Who was it?"

"That was Lazard." He confessed with a sigh. "He wants to see me in his office." He paused then, looking at Rose with an expression she couldn't quite place. "He said you should come too. He's eager to discuss the glitch in the surveillance systems, that had you move through his training room like magic."

Rose swallowed hard. "Oops."

R&R Guys!

I know, I've been gone awhile. But please let me know what you think? Thank you to all those who have taken the time to review. I promise there will be more Sephiroth and Genesis soon!

Take care! x