Zack Fair swung his sword in front of him dramatically, looking around at the groaning bodies thrown everywhere along the road. "Whoa... what did I miss?" He asked no-one in particular before re-focussing on the exasperated looking Zidane. "Probably should have done more of a warm up for this, ah well. Can't have everything," The dark haired Soldier chuckled to himself before beckoning Zidane on. "Let's see how you fight against the real deal now!"
"Yeaah... no." Zidane said, holstering his blade at his hip and dusting himself off "Sorry spike, but I'm not really feeling it any more." the blonde shrugged.
"Huh? What?" Zack let out, his jaw dropping and his shoulders slacking. "You can't just back out now! There's like two... four... a bunch of bodies around you!" he protested. "Come on! I ran all the way from the 49th floor of Shinra tower for this! We've got to have a dramatic showdown after this, it's like the rules or something."
"Mr Fair," Dagger piped up from the sidelines, rubbing the formally grabbed arm "this whole scenario has been one long series of misunderstandings leading to unfortunate altercations, where this man has had no choice but to defend himself against blatantly false accusations due to the fact it seems to be policy to swing a sword first and ask questions later."
"Uh well..." Zack began, stumbling for something to say "Hey, I'm not the bad guy here!" he protested, propping his sword against the tarmac "Someone here called for backup, saying they were facing a threat that needed at least Second Class Soldiers on the case, I get here and now you're saying that it was all one big misunderstanding?"
"Yup!" Chimed Aerith "We were pretty confused about it too."
"Ah-" Zack groaned, this had gotten way more complicated than he was expecting. What happened to the rush in and save the day plan? "So you two... are actually with him?" He asked pointing at the blonde who responded by rolling his eyes and nodding. "So those guys..."
"Declared him responsible for a crime wave lasting days despite only arriving here earlier today." Dagger finished, glaring at the spiky haired swordsman harshly.
"Seriously?" Zack let up in frustration. "So why did they go for you in the first place?" He asked Zidane.
"It was probably due to this arrest warrant." A voice echoed down the road, footsteps audible above the distant roar of the city at night.
"A-Angeal!" Zack yelped, quickly rising to attention "Why are you here?" he asked before quickly adding "Sir!" to the end.
Angeal towered over everyone in the street, dressed in a black turtle-neck with metal pauldrons covering most of his upper arms. His military boots and simple trousers didn't do much to distinguish him from either Zack or the Third Class' uniform apart from a different colour, but the way he carried himself did. How calm he was as he walked in, not even bothering to draw the sword either at his hip or the heavy slab of metal that was attached to his back. It looked as though someone had ripped apart a tank's armour and had sharpened one of the edges to a sinister looking blade. Zidane was amazed he was walking around with that thing strapped to his back, let alone having the potential to swing it around.
"I was wondering why one of my personal trainees was so quick to leave a training session, despite him normally sticking around for another hour on the simulators." Angeal answered, placing a hand on the stiffening Second Class' shoulder. "Relax, Zack. You're not in any trouble."
"Am I still in trouble?" Zidane asked out, a small goofy grin.
"Yes."
"Aww man." the blonde groaned.
"These warrants can only be made by someone with enough authority to access high levels of Shinra security. There's even a picture of you attached as proof that it's you they were after," Angeal explained as Zidane tensed, his hands reaching down to grasp hold of his weapons "However," he said, raising up his hand. "This is the first I've seen or heard about these robberies. Especially ones at our HQ. The order seems legitimate but there is a good chance that it is mistaken. So I'm giving you a chance in turn. Zack, ready your sword."
"Wait, what?" Came the cry from both Zidane and Zack.
"See if he fights with honour, something a thief normally lacks. Think of it as extra training for you."
"Got it sir!" Zack replied with enthusiasm, picking his sword up and getting ready to fight once again.
"Really?" Zidane protested "We're doing trial by combat here?"
"You don't have to win to convince me. But you do have to fight for it." Angeal said, "Now, Begin!" he called. It didn't even seem as though he had finished the last word with the speed at which Zack charged in, sword raised and ready to swing at the Genome who hadn't even drawn his weapon yet.
Zack's swing was fast but once again Zidane was faster, swiftly drawing his weapon to block the impact in the time it took for the black haired man to wind up for the swing, even if the impact rocked him back on his heels. Zack was strong and had the bigger weapon, Zidane couldn't just parry it like a knife fight without feeling the impact shake his arm.
"This is ridiculous!" Dagger protested, standing in front of the watching Angeal. "If you believe the accusations to be false, why bother with this at all?" she demanded as Zack was forced to back away from a swiping knife "They could both be hurt for no reason!"
"There are reasons," Angeal commented, nodding as Zidane side-stepped an overhead swing from the eager Zack. "Besides, watch their motions and tell me what you see."
Dagger fumed as she spun around to view the ensuing battle, Zack darting straight towards the blonde while Zidane twisted, ducked and parried each attempt with only a brief lunge at the spiky haired Soldier's arm in about 3 of Zack's swings, Zidane looking a lot more serious than he had with the guards "He's barely getting a chance..." Dagger whispered.
"Barely taking a chance," Angeal corrected with a soft smile before calling out. "Act serious Zack, do you goof off this badly in training?" he asked, knowing full well the answer was Yes.
"Come on!" Zack let out as the two fighters' blades clashed again "Put up a fight will ya?"
"I should be asking you to do that first," Zidane taunted, dropping himself into a low slide and letting Zack stagger over him "But if you insist..." he whistled, reaching his other hand down and drawing out his second blade before whirling in.
"Whoa!" Zack yelled out as he raised his sword to block the torrent of blows heading in his direction, using the blade to push aside near lunges and parry quick swipes before rolling away as Zidane was left to gloat.
"Little too much? Want me to go back to one dagger here?" Zidane asked, posing rather than pressing the assault. "Should have learned that the sly eagle hides its claws."
"Just fine," Zack replied, a big grin on his face "Just wish we could have got this started sooner. I was all ready to go from the start." He yelled, charging back in with such ferocity that Zidane was forced to use both blades to block the new assault.
"Alright, charging porcupine. You asked for it!" Zidane called out back, ducking another swing before literally jumping into action, landing and balancing on the out-stretched sword.
"H-hey! You're scuffing the blade." Zack protested as he tried to maintain balance, keeping both the heavy sword and the genome balancing on it up before Zidane stepped off the sword and onto Zack's head, letting the extra weight topple the Soldier over as the blonde leapt off just before impact. "Ugh!" Zack groaned on the ground, the fight was going bad enough without Angeal watching him like this, it was embarrassing! "Oww... You're not the only one with hidden claws here," he declared, reching for a small green orb at the base of his sword. "Dodge this! Fire!" He called out, the orb glowing bright green as a small red beard appeared just behind Zidane.
"Wait, you're a mage?" Zidane asked with a shocked expression, twisting and turning in a panic before the small bead exploded into a fireball "Aaah!" Yelled the blonde as he started running around, the back of his trousers having caught alight. Regaining a sense of sanity beyond the sudden burning sensation, Zidane dropped to the street, rolling along the rough tarmac to extinguish the localized blaze. "How is that fighting with honour!?" He yelled, briefly unaware of the expressions on everyone's faces. "What?"
"Zidane...your tail..." Dagger said, gesturing behind the blonde. True enough, the blonde tail that Zidane had been concealing down his trouser leg had pulled free to avoid the fire on instinct and was now visible above him to everyone staring at it.
"No way..." Zack gasped, pulling himself up to his knees "What... what are you?"
"That's enough," Angeal called, striding forwards in between the two, holding out another glowing orb. "Cure." He whispered as a green light enveloped both Zack and Zidane. The burning sensation and the scratches fading from the Genome while the boot print and headache faded from the Soldier. "Sorry to have troubled you. Mistaken identity." He declared.
"Wait, is that it?" Zack asked, pulling himself to his feet. "We're done here?"
"Not quite," he said, pulling out a black wallet and reaching inside. "Some compensation for all the trouble we've caused you," he said, offering Dagger a hand full of thousand gil notes. "The warrant clearly said young man, not young man with a tail. We'll make sure there are no consequences from any of the events tonight... except some lessons about rashness for some people." He explained before Dagger could argue against him. "Run along, I'll take care of the people who got hurt tonight."
"Yes thank you very much we really need to be heading home right now it was nice to meet you byeee." Zidane said quickly, marching his way to lead Dagger and Aerith away from the fight scene and back to the station.
"Just one last thing." Angeal called as the three were leaving "You've got some amazing talent, if you fancy using it for a good cause, ask for me at Shinra headquarters. Soldier always has room for someone like you."
"Sorry, I'm already committed to my own cause." Zidane called back before leaving the Soldiers alone with the fallen guards.
"So what do you reckon he is?" Zack asked once the three were out of earshot. "Monster hybrid, monkey man, isn't there a legend about a monkey trickster in Wutai?"
"I don't know..." confessed Angeal "But he seems smart and harmless enough."
"No offence, but you weren't the guy he was pointing a knife at."
"True, and I could also see that he could have killed you nine times over, but refused each time."
"Nine?" Zack whined.
"Don't feel too bad, I've been on the other side of worse, comes with training with Sephiroth." Angeal reassured him "Something you have to learn is that there will always be people stronger than you, even if you haven't met them. But don't let it stop you from getting stronger." He said, looking up at an open window, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"I guess... gotta stick to more training. See if we can find anyone who can run simulations of that guy to practice against." Zack said, helping some of the guards get back to their feet, Cloud attempting a salute while still staggering.
"That might be easier than you think..." Angeal muttered in a surprisingly harsh tone.
"So, do you plan on ever telling me what was so vital you had to rush off for?" Dagger asked, handing the cash over to Aerith.
"Saw a ghost..." Zidane replied.
"Seriously, Zidane."
"I was."
Dagger stopped cold in the street, twisting to meet Zidane's gaze. Her expression softening, "Of who?"
"...Kuja..."
A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out. I blame procrastination and the NJPW G1 Climax. I can't type and watch people get dropped on their heads at the same time.
Soundtrack:
Standoff falls flat - Hat In Time OST: Oh it's you.
Angeal appears - Persona 5 OST: Tension
Zidane vs Zack - FFIX OST: Vama Al Flamenco
Aftermath - FFVII OST: Midgar Slums