Chapter 5 For Tomorrow…

That night after Zack said goodbye to Cloud for the day he ran to Angeals office to tell him of the news in Wutai. When he got there the door was locked. "Damn! Why?" Zack looked through the doors window and he could see a blurred image of his Master. He began kicking the door but Angeal wouldn't let him in. Zack, seeing no other way to enter he used his sword to break down the door… Zack couldn't believe what he saw. Wings… two white wings sprouting from his Masters right shoulder.
Angeal was looking at the ground seemingly saddened by the situation. "Zack, I didn't want you to see… to see these monstrous things!"
Zack walked over to Angeal as he did he caught a feather in his hand that he extended. "It's different but these wings aren't the sign of a monster."
"Then what are these!?" his commanding officer asked.
"The wings of an Angel." Zack replied.
"If that's so, what kind of purpose does an Angel have?" He said before shouting out. "What kind of dream should I have!?"

Back at the Science lab in his office now head of the science department Hojo was monitoring Angeal. "Hehehe… Wings eh? Well this is interesting…" after he muttered under his breath he began shuffling through files on his desk. "Where is that blasted thing!?" after more shuffling he finally found what he wanted. "Ah here it is!! This is all about the project…" He began mumbling as he paced around the room.

Back at Angeals office, the two white wings had retracted. "Master! Could this be a sign? Do you think you have a bigger role than all this SOLDIER stuff?" Zack questioned.
"I… I just don't know Zack." Angeal paused for a moment. "Please Zack, leave me alone for now."
Zack could do nothing but leave, on the way back to his room he thought about what the white wings could have meant and how they got there in the first place.

In the SOLDIER training room a young man trained alone, wearing the same higher ranking uniform of the SOLDIER first class. Zack noticed the figure training as he passed the room and when he got closer to the door he saw who it was through the window.
"…Cloud?" he whispered to himself. "Training alone… you really want to be in SOLDIER huh?" He smiled and continued down the dark corridor. "Then again everybody does, because of him." Zack paused for a moment. "Sephiroth…"

At that time Sephiroth was in his room dreaming, though he tossed and turned like it was a nightmare. He saw flashes of his birth, an event that no one really recalls and so never questions unless they saw what he did. Vague images of fluid-filled pipes, shelves full of books, tables covered with beakers, glasses and other scientific apparatus and finally the ghastly image of something that looked inhuman, a being from another world reaching out to him like a mother ready to take her newborn baby.
This woke Sephiroth up in a cold sweat and he quickly sat up trying to catch his breath.
"What!? What did I just see!?" he tried to recall the images he saw in his dream but to no avail. "Was it my birth?? I don't understand!"
Hojo of the science department was monitoring Sephiroths room. While he watched and listened he just stood with his hands behind his back with a slight smirk on his face.

The next morning Zack and Cloud were having breakfast together in the cafeteria.
"Cloud? Let's do more good deeds on our future missions, last time in Wutai felt great! It felt like what a member of SOLDIER is suppose to be!"
Cloud nodded. "Yeah, we'll be heroes and help everyone!"
Zack shouted out in excitement. "Better than Sephiroth!!"
Sephiroth was walking by as Zack shouted and he gave the young SOLDIER an uncertain look. Embarrassed Zack just grinned and waved as Sephiroth continued walking. When Sephiroth's back was turned Zack stuck his tongue out to him though as he did Angeal came to the table and slammed down some papers.
"Grow up Zack…" he sighed before continuing. "These are your next orders.."
Zack took a sheet of paper. "Another small job!? Aw man!"
Angeal once again sighed. "Be grateful, a jobs a job… meet me in my office at 19:00 hours."

That evening Zack and Cloud met at Angeals office. The Commander greeted them.
"Welcome your task may seem simple but you need to take utmost precaution. So no goofing off!"
Zack looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I got it."
"As you read in your instructions you are to go to Cosmo Canyon and talk with the elders, find out whatever you can about MAKO energy and the planet."
"Sir? Why?" Zack questioned.
"There isn't even a MAKO reactor in Cosmo Canyon…" Cloud added.
"This is an order from me, please I can trust you two… I just, need to know what's going on, inside and outside of this company." Angeal turned to face the wall. "There is a ShinRa truck outside the back of the building, you will have to drive yourselves there hurry before anyone gets suspicious!"
"Sir!" they said in unison before saluting and running to where the truck is.
Angeal looked towards the floor at a broken security camera. "…Hojo…"

Back at the Science lab Hojo had returned from getting a drink, he switched on the monitor for Angeals office to see only static.
"WHAT!?" Hojo was enraged, pacing around the room he muttered under his breath in a panic. When he stopped he slammed his hands on the camera control panel. "What are you planning Commander?"
Suddenly Hojo's phone rang and he picked it up. "Yes? What do you want!?" he paused. "Two young men drove off in a ShinRa truck?" he paused yet again. "What should you do!? Go after them you fools!!"

Zack and Cloud were both in the truck speeding through the rough night with the vehicle shaking from the impact of bumps and hills. The rain was coming down hard and it was difficult to see.
"This is bad Cloud, what if ShinRa come chasing after us!?" Zack said as he drove.
"I think you spoke to soon!" Cloud looked in the rear view mirror to see another ShinRa truck following.
Gunfire started coming their way from the oncoming vehicle "Damn! This is NOT good!" Zack shouted. "Cloud, do something!"

Cloud climbed over the passenger seat to the back compartment where there were boxes of supplies. "This should slow them down." He said pushing a wooden box out of the back of the truck. The box flew towards the front of the ShinRa vehicle that was following and scattered in pieces obscuring the view of the driver for a brief moment. The oncoming truck swerved a little but regained stability and the gunner fired shots towards Cloud just missing him. Cloud opened the top of another box and pushed it off the back and the vegetable contents flew towards the other truck and pelted the windscreen making the driver swerve and the vehicle flip over, the two guards barely escaped the truck before it exploded.
Cloud got back in the passenger seat and sighed. "That was close."
"No kidding!" Zack said before laughing a little. "next stop Cosmo Canyon!"

End Chapter…