Chapter 18 - Happy 0001.

Reno's POV

I couldn't believe my eyes.

I read the damned file several times, amazed and shall I say shocked with the detail on those pages.

It was Rude's private life being shamelessly invaded and I felt terribly for knowing such details of something… that didn't have happened yet.

Good God.

As a Turk I was used to everything but this… I had to admit it nauseated me. The whole thing.

"I can't… believe this is actually going to happen."

My eyes met Veld's and I was congratulated with an acquiescing look.

"What is she?"

My words came out like a whisper, something very unusual in me since I was usually very straightforward in everything.

"I don't know." Veld declared, his eyes still on the screen. "They don't have a name for what she is."

A moment of silence invaded the room as I tried to picture my best friend falling into a womanly trap in such a silly way.

"Rude is not like this, Sir." I declared, refusing to accept the facts written in that piece of paper.

"You heard them, Reno," Veld said, relaxing against the chair. "It has nothing to do with honor and I know pretty well Rude is one of the best out there. But we're only human, Reno."

I blinked at my superior.

"This goes against everything we're taught to do." I said, annoyed. "Trusting this kind of information goes against-"

"Don't, Reno." Veld interrupted me. "Stick to the rules and… do as you're told."

I exhaled through my nose, not liking his words. Man, being ordered like this was annoying and stupid, really.

"Is that an order?" I asked, my stare searching for Veld's, who resumed ignoring me.

"Yes."

I got up from the chair with the file in my hands and a very bad attitude.

"Very well, Sir."

And in silence I went away, locking my jaw with anger.

Life was such a bitch most of the times.

Late December, 0001.

Sephiroth's POV.

Veld came to visit me unexpectedly to the Ex-Training Area - where a fortress was being erected.

Physics and Construction worked 24/7 in order to seal the area, secure it and tried to keep the PORTAL stable until the next phase would actually begin: experimentation. First with inanimate objects, then living beings would follow. Scientists of all fields were there absolutely excited with the potential of such link - a gateway naturally created giving access to another world, another reality.

The possibilities were unlimited - even I, who wasn't a scientist, recognized that fact.

And having the scientific population all overwhelmed and focused on the PORTAL's discoveries had its advantages.

Namely, they didn't pay much attention to everything else… and truth was, life went on in the Planet and the unsolved matters of before remained unsolved… mainly concerning the military.

My mind filled with images of Genesis and Angeal and their silly runaway.

What were you thinking, Angeal?, my mind asked, as my eyes remained on the gates. There were so many questions without answers.

And to this day, I still didn't know why they had deserted. Their reasons. Their motivation to do such a thing.

I sighed, feeling powerless about that subject.

So I decided to focus on the PORTAL's structure once again.

There had been created a protocol to follow concerning the PORTAL's accessibility. I was very satisfied with the results until now. Physics were constantly on it in order to provide more information about it - and I had to admit it was something I was very curious about - the PORTAL and its mechanics, its way of functioning.

"It all went like predicted."

A voice took me out of deep thinking. I turned to find the head of the Turks, stepping towards me. Veld's statement held a rather disappointing tone. I wondered why, considering what he had witnessed to this day.

"What did you expect, Veld?" I asked, my eyes on him. "The woman provides truthful information, I wouldn't have send you and your men there simply to waste time."

Veld gulped dry before speaking. So. This was all about pride, ha?

"It's not that," He admitted. "It's… Reno didn't believe it until he actually saw it happen, word by word."

I took my time eyeing the man again.

"Coming to terms with Stevens's capacities can be… problematic." I admitted, my stare on the building again. "But she turned out to be trustworthy and accurate, as you just grasped. But you came to find me with some other issue in mind, am I right?"

Veld took a deep breath before speaking.

"I want full disclosure on the Steven's matter, General."

My stare turned hard on his. I hated demands. Namely, with that tone.

"You will be informed according to the needs." I declared, dry. "Don't push it, Veld. You won't be informed of unnecessary details, they would cloud your extraordinary judgment."

I was being harsh, but who cared. The Turks needed to know their place and Stevens was under my guard. And my men, SOLDIER.

"I doubt it."

Wrong answer.

"This is no negotiation, Veld." I stated, with a sarcastic smile. "And besides, we're all on the same side. You are very aware I will inform you personally on everything concerning your men."

"Don't play dirty on me General. Or there will be consequences."

"I could say the same to you, Veld." I narrowed my eyes at him as I spoke. "Are you done?"

"I am."

"Then you may leave."

I saw Veld gulp as he excused himself from the place where I remained.

Turks and their overboarding pride…

Elie's POV

I took a deep breath, reeling in the fresh breeze of the night that soon would cover Midgar. The twilight was strange in this place - so colorful and intense, like a painting.

I loved the colors, the smells, the taste of the rain and the way the breeze whispered in my ears when I closed my eyes.

I had a thing for that terrace, right there in the upper floor of the lab's building.

The guard was always there, like a shadow, silent and dark, scanning everything. It took me a while to get used to it.

There were times I tried to talk to them. I knew they were SOLDIER, most likely rookies, and I had hope I would find Cloud.

How I would enjoy looking him in the eye and tell him he was going to become… a great man. A fighter. A savior.

The thought depressed me somehow. How should I know if things would turn out like that or not, anyway?

Everything was changing. Events adapted, evolved.

God, how I wanted not to screw all of it.

I wanted everybody to live.

Everybody. Zack, the General… all those persons in Neibelheim…

I close my eyes as the images of a village on fire invaded my mind. Flames, huge and orange, consuming everything in their way. And the responsible of all that lingering in the middle of the chaos like a paranoid, sick man.

An empty man.

"Evening."

I shivered at the words, my heartbeat peaking. I recognized the tone, who had spoken the words and I wondered… how ironic to be thinking of his mental breakdown the exact moment he decides to appear.

I wondered how he would know I was here, in this roof-like place, staring at a landscape that he would find regular and boring, most likely.

"You scared me." I admitted, my eyes on his briefly.

"You were in deep thinking." He clarified, stopping until he was right by my left side. My hand rested on the harsh cement and my nostrils caught the scent of leather.

Tempting.

"I was." I admitted again, not knowing what to say.

"Memories?" He said, with a soft tone. "Past? Present?... Future?"

Oh and what a not so nice direction this conversation was taking.

"It was nothing, really." I smiled at him, my facial mimic weak. I had a feeling he knew I was lying but what the heck. There was no way I was going to tell him what was going through my mind when he showed up out of nowhere.

"Right."

His tone was enough to warn me he knew. Damn, he knew it involved him somehow. I sighed in response, my thoughts heavy.

Next year would be hard to deal with, I was willing to bet. 0001 would be Hell. At all levels. AVALANCHE attacks, the whole thing in Niebelheim... man, I would have to start considering what to do about that, exactly.

Or what I feared would naturally happen.

The man standing by my left side would be doomed… forever.

And something inside me ached at that thought.

"Thanks to you, the company is achieving great results."

The General spoke, thankfully. His words, so out of consonance with my thinking, were all I needed to take my mind out of the gutter.

"I try to do my best."

I heard him snort, as the breeze brought me the slight sample of his scent. My heartbeat peaked again, and I tried to focus.

"I'm sure you do."

Uh. God!

"You don't need to be sarcastic." I declared, turning my face to look at him in the eye. And then, as I saw his smug face, I didn't resist. "It's killing you, isn't it?"

I saw how he narrowed his stare at me, his ocular anatomy changing at once. The green on his eyes remained the same but his pupil changed shape. So, the General was angry.

"It's killing you for not knowing."

I knew I was pushing him. But he… he always provoked me, and I didn't know why - if he did that for sport or simply just because.

As he blinked at me, his eyes got back to normal and soft gush of arboreal breeze hit us once again. It was kind of refreshing, as if the Planet wanted to cool the things up between us.

Finally, the General spoke.

"Stevens… don't start. My hands around your neck won't soften if we get to that… again."

His declaration had been bold. And it brought back memories of tremendous moments. I tried not to show him how those memories frightened me.

"You're not a hand-man. You enjoy using your sword to take a life."

And just like that, I didn't know from where those words had come from.

"I do indeed." He smiled at me, using that poker face of him. "Points on you, Elie. I wonder what else you know about me, what I like and don't like..."

I gulped at his statement, aware of the double meaning of his words. What a hell? Why would he say such things to me, of all persons? It was a fact I didn't know much of his likings besides war and the military and fighting. I focused my stare on the landscape again, as an uncomfortable silence surrounded us.

Until the man spoke again.

"So, I was wondering… any new-year event?"

"No." My eyes remained somewhere in the horizon line.

"Keep John informed. He's making an amazing job as your parrot."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment. Then, I was the one finding his stare on me already.

"You sure are nasty when you want to." I said, my tone hard. "Get over that, General. Resentment does not fit you."

His stoic figure remained calm, but the way he threw ruthless words would never cease to impress me.

"One day you'll tell me everything."

I gulped dry at his eye power.

"I will. In due time." I said, my voice weak. "I give you my word. So stop being so unpleasant at me all the time." I had spoken my heart to him, really. I was so tired of his unpleasantness.

I don't want you dead, you stupid, beautiful long-haired man!

"And what guarantees do I have that you'll know when it's the right time?"

I took my time answering that one.

"You'll have to trust me."

"Hum."

"You don't have much of a choice." I stated, now turning to face him completely. "Either you do that or… stress out all you want."

As he processed my words, he made that ironic smile I had learnt to know miles away. So typical of him.

He turned to face me as well, measuring me as his stare scanned me.

He knows I'm defying him, I concluded.

"I can always make you."

And then again, his words took me to less decent thoughts. Yes, he could make me, all right. Thing was, it wouldn't be necessary. Concerning any meaning that sentence might have.

"But you won't. You're smarter than that." I kept the conversation leveled, not giving in to his mental pressure.

"Behave, Stevens."

And with that, he took his leave. He didn't hear me answering him.

"Happy new year, General."

I whispered the words, the breeze taking them away.

It was then, now that I was all alone, that I realized it was nighttime already.

A/N - it took me a while, but here it is. Hope you like it :) I can't wait to read your reviews, people :)

Hit it on! :)