A/N: This is what I like to call the "Filler Chapter". I hope you will still enjoy this.

Requiem

Chapter 4: Fleeting

Sephiroth knew something was wrong when he had felt the slight tremor in the floor, and his intuitions proved correct when billows of smoke started to rise in the horizon just as Zack called him to inform him of the situation. He could not help the tendrils of worry that crept into the pit of his stomach even as he alerted the medical staff to prepare for possible injuries. Yet, after all the busywork, he could only stare helplessly as the sky darkened, his mind unable to concentrate on other matters, regardless of their importance and urgency.

He realized how uncharacteristic he was being: this incident was not the first terrorist act done by AVALANCE, after all, and the active SOLDIERs and cadets had been drilled on emergency response, especially those with the highest probability of encountering said situations. On top of those reasons, Sephiroth had improved the system himself—granted, after much complaining on Zack's part about how he hated the random drills and the "boring lectures on safety that I have only heard five million times already!"

Still…Sephiroth unconsciously drummed his fingers against his desk as time ticked slowly by, the worry he tried to repress gnawing at his mind without end.

It was by chance that he turned around at that particular moment. It was by chance that he saw the soot- and blood-covered form of the other general, the latter's shoulders slouched in exhaustion and what appeared to be defeat. It was by chance that he met the dulled, disoriented eyes of Cloud before the other walked quietly past his office. Sephiroth felt the urge to reach out and…and what? Interrogate him? Comfort him?

The worry never once abated for the remainder of the evening.

I must have fallen asleep…

thought Cloud groggily as he awoke in the late hours of the morning, the curtains effectively blocking out any sunlight attempting to penetrate the otherwise darkened room. What…? He furrowed his eyebrows and recalled the cause of the aching, bone-deep exhaustion that he felt so sharply in every limb. If not for the stench of decayed blood, dried sweat, and burnt matter on his body, he would have wondered if the events of the past day had really occurred or if he had merely dreamt it.

Dread crept into the pit of Cloud's stomach. Zack… He wanted to forget. He could feel 'Mother' softly cooing at the back of his mind and he concentrated on that soothing presence, allowing his mind to blank out even though he knew this mode of escape could only last temporarily. He could almost imagine 'Mother's' arms around his body, comforting him, and he realized hazily that he had desperately missed this intimate form of physical contact with other human beings, as if he had not felt this sensation for a long time.

There was a commotion outside of his door. Cloud wanted to ignore the voices.

"…Please? I just want to see how he's doing!"

The corners of Cloud's lips unconsciously turned downwards.

"…You just got back…He seemed fine earlier…"

"…But he looked so…Know you don't give out keys for a reason but…It'll only take a minute…!"

"You're causing a ruckus. Zachary, are you listening?"

Zachary? The voices sounded so familiar, and he remembered that there was something important associated with that name, but he drifted off to sleep before he could mentally process the conversation he had just heard.

Cloud felt…awkward, for a lack of a better term. While he had been, for the most part, relieved that Zack was breathing and completely unaffected by the incident, he could not help but continually relive the breathless terror of watching Zack disappear from view, plummeting through the air towards the unyielding earth below. The visions were often accompanied by the pungent smell of blood and the metallic taste of something disgustingly earthy.

Zack had noticed that nearly horrified expression that lingered in those distant MAKO-tinted eyes every time Cloud suddenly lapsed into silence, and had taken to asking the other's wellbeing. Cloud always answered in the affirmative—though Zack looked doubtful at his response—but he had been too engrossed in the image of those same pair of concerned violet eyes glazed over in a mask of death.

Cloud's heart throbbed painfully. He knew he was remembering something important, but at the same time, he wished the images would disappear.

"There is a mission request direct from the President's office."

Those had been the quiet words that greeted Zack as he entered the office on a raining Monday morning. He was already slightly upset that he had been woken up earlier than usual due to the thunder, and to see Sephiroth staring so seriously at him completely put a damper on all remaining spirit he had. I really hate this sometimes…

"That's unusual," commented Zack as he yawned loudly, reaching out with one hand to accept the mahogany-red envelope, a "Classified Information" stamp strewn diagonally across both the top and bottom sides.

"The information did not just come from the Turks alone. The background on the target seemed to have been written by Hojo," murmured Sephiroth.

"Hojo?" frowned Zack as he fished out the documents with his free hand, then preceded to skim through the reports for noticeable details. "Genesis Rhapsodos?"

"He disappeared during the Wutaian War. Another First Class SOLDIER had been ordered to find him, but the War made it difficult to expend energy on matters like these and subsequently all leads vanished. You should know the SOLDIER. His name is Angeal Hewley."

"Angeal?" reiterated Zack, blinking in surprise. Angeal… An expression of sadness pervaded his eyes at the knowledge that the man had been killed a few months prior while on a mission investigating unusual MAKO levels at the Northern Crater. Zack had always regretted not putting up more effort to convince his mentor to decline the mission in order to nurse that progressively worsening illness.

"Genesis and Angeal had been friends."

You may know the target better than anyone else may. Those had been the unspoken words, and Zack silently acknowledge them as he examined the old, nearly washed out photograph of Genesis, staring at the auburn hair and the calm expression and wondering what kind of man Angeal's friend had been.

What did this man do that Hojo wants him killed?

A long, loose strand of hair obscured her vision and she nervously flicked it away from her face as she handed her identification to the security officer stationed at one of the gates connected to the impressive metal walls surrounding Midgar. Tifa Lockhart could only wonder at the filthy but nevertheless impressive city, which appeared like a floating city due to the smog and pollution of the slums.

The guard, dressed in the navy-blue ShinRa-issued uniform, nodded at her as indication that her documents have been approved by the system and herded her past the checkpoint after handing back the papers.

What if he didn't get my letter? It had been two stressful months since she had mailed it, but she never received a response from him. What happens if he doesn't even remember me?

She pushed her anxiety away—though those gut-wrenching butterflies refused to disappear—and paid an old, nearly toothless woman a few spare Gil for directions to the ShinRa compound. Taking a calming breath, Tifa Lockhart set out to achieve the goals of her journey.

"N-No, I didn't know I needed an appointment."

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to leave, miss."

"But I know him. If you just let me see him, I'm sure he'll let me stay!"

Zack blinked as he overheard the heated argument at the reception desk of the ShinRa offices, all thoughts of his intended walk gone as he inched closer to the source of the commotion out of curiosity.

"Yes. I'm sure you know him too, just like every other admirer who happens to know General Sephiroth. Now please leave the premises before I call security."

Zack caught a glimpse of the exasperated receptionist before turning his attention towards the individual causing said annoyance, and he was pleasantly surprised with the slender figure of a girl—he guessed no older than 15—whose long brown hair cascaded over her back before ending in a small ponytail. He mentally processed through the list of SOLDIERs who would garner such a response from the ShinRa employee, but could not think of anyone forgetful enough to inform the staff of potential visits from lovers, family members, or friends. While the red tape certainly proved troublesome, Zack knew that many of the veterans, dubbed the "Heroes of the Wutaian War", certainly did not appreciate the unrestrained admiration and enthusiasm a portion of the population showed to them. If not Sephiroth, then who?

"What's the problem here, ladies?" grinned Zack as he ambled leisurely towards the pair. The receptionist immediately jumped up to her feet and began apologizing about the trouble, dreading the report on her inefficiencies that she was sure the First Class SOLDIER would give to her boss. Zack waved off her rambling—to which she blushed deeply at for embarrassing herself in front of her superior more than she already had—and gazed at the visitor, who had her eyebrows furrowed and her lips turned downwards in a frown. She suddenly brightened and smiled excitedly at him.

"You! I saw you on the television with him!" exclaimed the girl in relief. "Can you help me find Cloud?"

"Cloud?" parroted Zack in surprise. He chuckled slyly at the thought that Cloud had a secret sweetheart. "I can, but I need your name first—"

"But sir!" cried the receptionist in dismay, not wanting to get into trouble for letting anyone break the rules—especially since the ShinRa employees loved to spread gossip in order to eliminate any competition for jobs and promotions.

"Don't worry about it," grinned Zack as he reassured the increasingly flustered receptionist that he would take all responsibility for any trouble she might encounter while forcing himself to remember the name 'Shelby Hannegan'.

"My name is Tifa. Tifa Lockhart," replied Tifa after Zack once again prompted for her name. She almost hugged the man as he led them past the bustling offices where she had spent the majority of her afternoon getting hustled around from office to office before finally being directed to the visitor desk.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, whatcha trying to find General Strife for?"

"I'm a friend," replied Tifa after a moment of reflecting on the formality this man used to address Cloud.

Zack raised an eyebrow at her response. "Just a friend, eh?"

Tifa blushed at Zack's implications. "Of course I'm just a friend!" blurted Tifa before she could stop herself. Her exclamations only served to heighten Zack's amusement.

Before long, Zack and Tifa reached their destination. Zack did not even bother to knock before pushing the door open and wandering inside the spacious office. Tifa shyly walked through the doorway and gulped thickly before raising her eyes to Cloud's confused ones.

"Tifa?"

Zack remembered the frown adorning Sephiroth's pale lips when the Turks had fortuitously discovered information as to the whereabouts of Genesis Rhapsodos, and he himself certainly had doubts about the validity of the reports. But with no evidence to refute the threadbare rumors, Sephiroth had turned to Zack and had grudgingly allowed the lieutenant to investigate the matter with the Turks, provided that the teenager took all precautions should the lead turn out to be a trap. Zack grinned to himself as he recalled the disgruntled look Sephiroth had, thinking that the Turks were completely wasting the resources of the SOLDIER department, and could not help but agree with the general.

Supposed organizational members serving under Genesis Rhapsodos had leaked out the name of a mansion situated on the outskirts of Kalm, the edifice itself having been abandoned for several years due to the sudden recession of the otherwise quaint town. If the strategy of situating the headquarters near Midgar had not been ridiculous enough, recent photographs of the mansion showed that it was utterly inhabitable after years of deterioration due to the natural elements. Still, the Turks had been rather frustrated with their progression on the case, and therefore had jumped hungrily at the information, much to the dismayed amusement of Zack.

Zack kicked away a piece of rubble from his path, grimacing as the rotted wood chose to glue itself onto his boots instead of splintering or flying several feet away from him. Dead, soggy plant matter littered the previously graveled roadway leading up to the main doors of the mansion, and Zack wrinkled his nose slightly as he picked his way through the refuse that had accumulated through the years.

Zack pushed open the decrepit wooden doors, grateful that the hinges still functioned properly, and surveyed the darkened room before gesturing the Turks to follow him, his quick perusal deeming the place safe enough. Even the Turks could see for themselves that the mansion had remained untouched for several years, with no visible marks or minor details to signal otherwise. Still, as they continued to search farther into the ruins of the building, Zack started to feel unease and anxiety encroach upon his nerves, and he unconsciously glanced around him for the source of his apprehension.

A glint of gold caught his attention. He yelped as he felt air rushing up beneath him and he could feel his stomach wrench as he fell. His irises dilated as he attempted to catch sight of something—anything!—to grab onto in order to slow his descent, but he could see and feel virtually nothing. His back crashed into wood and he hissed in pain, trying to reach out with one hand and grasp the edge of the splintered flooring before I…!

Zack grimaced as wood cut into his arm and hand before giving way. He hissed in pain as he landed on the hard—concrete?—floor, his legs absorbing the majority of the impact, lessened by his temporary hold on the wooden flooring the level above. The air smelled surprisingly clean, and Zack immediately reached behind him to unclasp his buster sword, the heavy weight of the blade and the worn texture of the hilt's leather allowing him to calm down amidst the chaos.

"You have no idea…"

Zack swallowed thickly and tried to stifle his ragged breathing, hoping that the soft words he had heard were only a figment of his imagination.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."

Zack clutched the hilt of his weapon more firmly, his MAKO-enhanced eyes narrowing as he searched fruitlessly for a glimpse of his enemy.

"I bid you welcome, First Class SOLDIER Zachary Fair."

Shit.

Zack had suggested he show Tifa around Midgar, and that innocent suggestion had turned into a tour of the city—not that either of them knew the surrounding areas well enough not to get lost. Cloud did enjoy Tifa's company immensely, much to his confusion: his recognition of Tifa seemed to be from a set of memories that felt as if they had been implanted into his brain rather than experienced, but all the same, he felt warm and comfortable around her.

"Cloud, look! That looks like a church from back home." Tifa pointed to a debilitated church—how they ended up in the slums of Sector 5 remained a mystery to him—before grabbing his hand and pulling him eagerly towards the open doorway across the street.

"Wow…This place is amazing!" exclaimed Tifa as she wandered past the benches towards a gaping hole near where the altar used to stand tall, leaning down to admire the beautiful flowers that thrived within the confines of the building. Tifa glanced up at the fractured stone ceiling and the molded wooden beams, smiling as she watched the unadulterated sunlight rain down upon the church to give its features a touch of rare beauty.

Cloud allowed a small smile to grace his lips. 'Mother' frowned and complained about the disagreeable stench of the flowers, and in that moment of distraction, Tifa had stopped smiling and instead looked worriedly at him.

"I'm sorry…Dragging you all over the place. You must be so tired!"

Cloud blinked and opened his mouth to reject her assumption—

"It's nice and quiet here. Why don't you take a nap?" suggested Tifa as she briefly explored the building to check for other presence. "I don't mind watching over you as you sleep. Besides, you looked so cute the last time I saw you doze off."

Cloud could not find the will to refuse her.

Footsteps approached him, echoing hollowly in the grandeur of the room, and Zack rotated his body around slowly, cautious of attackers from within the blinding darkness.

"You have no idea…" (1)

Zack strained his ears to catch a sound after the footsteps stalled, but he could only hear his own stifled breathing, amplified ten-fold in the sudden silence. He licked his lips nervously, hating the feeling of being able to do nothing but wait for his observer to make the next move.

"…How eager I have been to meet another specimen."

"Specimen?" Zack cursed his voice for cracking.

There was a short laugh. "Hojo must have locked away his laboratory research after his unexpected failure with me, but I am slightly disappointed that you made so little effort to investigate your target." The man paused, as if contemplating his course of action. "You may lower your weapon, lieutenant. After all, I have no intention of killing you." With those words, Zack winced and covered his eyes as the lights of the room turned on at once.

In front of him stood the figure of the man he had seen in the faded photographs, but Zack immediately knew the man was sickly—perhaps even dying—when he saw those lackluster eyes and that graying hair. He lowered his weapon. There was absolutely no malice in those eyes.

"Project Genesis. Precursor experiment to what I believed is termed Project JENOVA." Genesis took a seat by the window, watching the waves beyond the panes of glass roll gently by before crashing into the sharp rocks of the cliffs in a spray of white foam. "Hojo had never needed to assassinate any of his project failures. Most of them die of insanity or illness." The man looked at Zack for a moment or two before turning his attention back to the waters below, and Zack noticed the defeat and exhaustion that lined the man's posture and expression. "It appears that I will follow Angeal to my grave."

"Angeal?" repeated Zack, his voice soft.

"I regret that I cannot meet you under different circumstances. However, you are in stage four of Project JENOVA. At stage five, a wasting disease sets in unless the project progresses to stage six. Hojo miscalculated the effects of the illness, and for that, I suppose I am grateful." Genesis paused, as if uncertain of something. "I have a favor to ask of you."

Genesis looked expectantly at Zack, and Zack agreed after a moment of hesitation.

"Give me the honor of being killed with Angeal's sword."

With his head resting comfortably on Tifa's lap, Cloud felt his eyelids become progressively heavier as sleep crept over his consciousness, and he slowly succumbed to the promising darkness. Tifa threaded her fingers gently through his hair, smiling as she watched the peaceful and innocent expression slip over Cloud's features.

"Why?" croaked Zack, his mind a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts and emotions as he registered the man's strange request.

"It's your duty."

"I don't understand. You knew how to escape ShinRa. You did it for more than two months. Why now? Why did you let yourself be found?"

"I am living proof that you can escape successfully. But my fate lies with the failure of Project Genesis at stage five."

Cloud wondered if he should allow himself to indulge in the feeling of being…happy. The terror of watching Zack disappear through the smog with the smell of ash and soot burning his nostrils threatened to disrupt the temporary peace he found himself in, and his heart thumped heavily in his chest as he furrowed his eyebrows. Tender fingers smoothed away the minute creases in his forehead, and he gazed dazedly up at the blurry image of Tifa's soothing smile and affectionate eyes.

Will I lose Tifa?

He closed his eyes as sleep embraced him.

But Zack…Zack came back…

Zack wrenched the blade out of a mesh of ripped flesh and broken bones. Blood splattered onto the pristine concrete floor before the man collapsed back onto the window seat, staining the glass against his back a brilliant red.

"You still have time to escape." Genesis coughed and droplets of blood dribbled past the corners of his lips. "Overconfidence…that's his weakness."

The buster sword felt exceedingly heavy in his hands.

"Use it…to your advantage…"

"So what do you think, Professor?"

Hojo peered at the fat walrus of a man that he was ashamed to call his employer.

"The citizens seem to show tremendous approval of our new general. I think we can proceed to the next stage, hm?" wheedled President ShinRa.

Hojo wanted to rip the man to pieces and watch him beg for mercy.

"Hn. Well," drawled Hojo, reaching up to adjust his glasses briefly, "The preparations are complete. I suppose we can start testing the next stage of the Project on General Strife."

"Excellent! Finally, all that precious money that I invested on this Project…" drooled President ShinRa as he rubbed his hands together greedily.

Hojo turned his back to the mumbling man, intent on returning to his pristine laboratory. Foolish man…No matter, after the completion of this Project, I no longer have to rely on him. Ah…my precious experiments, finally reaching fruition! Then all eyes will be on you, Sephiroth…

Hojo laughed quietly to himself in the empty hallway.

Notes:

(1) I never played the game Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, therefore I doubt I am actually portraying the characters properly. However, I am excusing myself on the basis that this is A/U, so I apologize for my odd usage of Genesis Rhapsodos.

A/N: Reviews and comments greatly appreciated.