Author's Note: Writing paralleling stories is interesting, even more so when I have to make sure things happen at the right time, at the right place, in the right story, in order for this mystery to unfold properly. So I've actually been writing several chapters ahead, and skipping back and forth between them to make sure things are adding up and I won't need to revise a chapter after it's posted. But I've finally justified to myself that this chapter is ready! Hope you find it interesting. ;)

Thanks to LuckyLadybug for making sure that I'm really not crazy after all. Or that if I am, it's in a good way. ;)

Chapter Three

Escalation

Sephiroth spent a good two hours listening to Zack's retelling of his mission and quizzing him on anything that seemed remotely strange. But though he encountered some interesting (and amusing) situations, the mission ended with Zack dispatching a handful of very normal monsters and never finding out what the natives might have been talking about. Sephiroth had to conclude that the mission didn't seem relevant at all to Zack's unusual behavior, if, indeed, it was Zack doing the killings in the first place.

He was left with a sense of frustration. He'd been sure that he would have been able to pinpoint something in the story that would sound appropriately suspicious. But in the end, it was just another mundane excursion.

Though itching to get his hands on a concrete idea and make some progress on the situation, he was, nevertheless, reluctant to leave Zack. Zack had known that there wouldn't be anything in his story to help, and had finished up with a heavy sigh and a dejected expression. Sephiroth hated to give him false hope, but he did allow himself to say that perhaps it simply indicated that there was an imposter somewhere in the building, after all.

"I dunno, Seph." Zack shrugged, miserably. "Maybe there is somethin' wrong with me."

Sephiroth frowned. "Why would you think that?" he asked, perhaps a little too sharply.

"Well … I dunno, from what you said about what Tseng thinks, an imposter just doesn't seem realistic. What if I have cracked, and I don't even know it? I mean, what if Angeal's death-"

"Zack, you've handled Angeal's death, and everything since then, as well as could be expected of anyone. If anything were going to make you crack under the stress, I think we would have seen evidence of it by now. Besides, I doubt, very much, that it would have sent you on a killing spree."

"But what if-"

"If something is wrong with you, it must be caused by something else. It's not in your personality to kill people like that, Zack. If you'd seen the recording, you would understand … I … barely recognized it as you." Sephiroth shook his head, his forehead creasing slightly in pained remembrance. "Your expression was so distant … and unfeeling."

Zack swallowed. " … I'm tempted to ask to see the video, but I'm not sure I really want to."

"It's not pleasant," Sephiroth agreed. "… But it might be a good idea, if it could help jog your memory." At Zack's uneasy expression, he continued, "We'll wait, until we know that Tseng is unlikely to find anyone else."

Zack nodded, slowly. "… I'd just hate to find out that it really was me, you know? It's just so … unreal. How could I not remember something like that? I don't know that I could ever trust myself again, if …" He trailed off, shaking his head, allowing his reluctant gaze to drift down to the arm lock that concealed his hands. Had he really used them to so heartlessly murder someone? To maim the body so much that it was unrecognizable? And not once, but four times? Even if he'd been under the control of something else, it was too much to bear.

"Then trust my judgment, Zack," came the sympathetic response. Zack looked up at his friend with tormented violet eyes. "Whatever happens, I will be here to help you through it. Even if the worst comes to pass, we're still friends. I won't abandon you. Understand?"

Finally, Zack cracked a shallow smile. "… Yeah. Thanks, Seph." Then he sobered as another thought crossed his mind. "But, Seph … I want you to promise me something."

Having an idea of where this was going, Sephiroth gave his head a quick shake. "Zack …"

Zack got up from the cot, crossed the short distance to the bars. "I want you to promise me … that if it really is me, and I do something like that again … that you'll stop me. Before someone else gets hurt."

"Zack, don't-"

"Promise me, Seph! By any means necessary."

Sephiroth turned away. "Do not ask that of me, Zack." No, he could not do such a thing. It brought back memories of Genesis and Angeal, and the time Angeal had once asked something similar of him, and he …

"Why? Because you can't do it?" Zack demanded, suddenly angry. He couldn't live with himself if he killed another innocent.

Slowly, the General shook his head. "… No." He raised his gaze to meet Zack's. "… Because I could."

… He had sent Zack after them instead. And that was why.

For a moment, Zack stared at him in shock. Then he steeled his face in determination. "By any means necessary, Sephiroth."

"Zack …" Sephiroth gazed pleadingly at his friend, asking him not to make that request.

Zack held him by that gaze. "Promise me," he insisted again, firmly.

Finally, Sephiroth closed his eyes in defeat. "… Alright," he said, softly.

Zack nodded in satisfaction, though inside, his heart was tying itself in knots. Suddenly weary, he returned to the cot, sinking down onto it. "Sorry, Seph. … I had to do it."

Sephiroth sighed. "I understand." His voice was still quiet.

"… So … what now?"

Shaking off the regret at the promise that was wrung from him, Sephiroth returned his thoughts to the present situation. "… Since we still don't know who is causing the … deaths," he rejected the word "murder," finding it too distasteful, "it would be a good idea to have you undertake a medical examination."

"What? Aww, come on, Seph, you know how I hate those!"

The General allowed himself a smirk at the way that brought Zack's spirit closer to normal. "There's nothing to be done for it. It's the only way we can be sure that there really is nothing affecting you."

"But Hojo's a creepy little-"

"It doesn't need to be Hojo. I can arrange for one of the other doctors to take a look at you."

Zack pouted at him. "… You promise?"

Sephiroth chuckled. "Yes, that I promise. However," he held up a hand, "that doesn't mean Hojo won't see you if they find something unusual, since he does have the most expertise when it comes to SOLDIERs."

"… Fine, if I have to." Zack stared sullenly at the floor.

"You have to." Despite the situation, Sephiroth was privately amused. "And don't worry, I'll send someone down to remove that arm lock. It's completely unnecessary."

At that, Zack brightened. "Yes! You're the best!" He grinned. But that only lasted for a moment before his forehead creased in concern. "… But wait, does that mean you're leaving now?"

"… I have to. There are still things I need to look into. You know that."

Zack's face fell. "… Can't you stay? Just for a while longer?"

Sephiroth shook his head, regretfully. "I can't, Zack. I wish I could, but you know that's not possible."

There was a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know …" He glanced around at the barren cell. "It's just, you know, this place is kinda boring." And lonely.

Sephiroth took a moment to fully examine the cell himself, regarding the thin mattress and pillow in distaste. Though meant for Firsts, ShinRa certainly hadn't stretched their pocketbook any in designing the place.

"I'll send some extra things down for you." He was already making a mental note to have someone fetch a pillow and quilt from Zack's apartment, another change of clothes, and maybe some books …

Zack gave him an appreciative smile. "Thanks, pal. Oh, and while you're at it, I could use a TV, maybe a ping pong table, and a pool installed somewhere in the back …"

Sephiroth grunted. "I'll see what I can do," he said, wryly.

"How about some take-out? There's a place that serves some pretty good Gongagan gumbo down the street …"

Shaking his head, Sephiroth stepped away from the bars, glad to see Zack was perking up. "Don't get too comfortable. I don't plan on letting you stay in there for very long."

Zack grinned. "You got it, General, sir!"

Feeling slightly better, but knowing there was some extensive work ahead of him, Sephiroth nodded his farewell. That was one promise he didn't mind keeping.

After checking briefly with Tseng and learning that a Zack imposter had yet to be found, which was not surprising, Sephiroth decided to retire to his office and once again review Zack's mission report, paying careful attention to his interaction with the natives and the monsters they encountered. Yet again, it seemed to be perfectly normal. Which is almost strange in and of itself, Sephiroth mused, though he had no definite reason to think so. Not all of Zack's missions included mishaps, despite how much Sephiroth had come to expect it. And they were usually always handled well, so there was no reason to assume that the young SOLDIER could not have had a mission go smoothly for once. Gaia knows he certainly deserved it.

Sephiroth stared hard at the words in the document, as if willing them to rearrange and give him the answers he sought. Could something the natives had given Zack be affecting him somehow? Dinner, body paint … both seemed innocent, and Sephiroth was inclined to believe that if they were to have any adverse effect, it would have been seen long before now, a full month later.

Unless it was some kind of poison, engineered to act in this manner …

But why? Zack's report indicated that both the natives and the townspeople seemed amenable to ShinRa's presence; there were, in fact, numerous reports from the Turks to back that up. There would be no reason for someone from Mideel to intentionally force Zack into murdering others, and even if someone had been so inclined, from there or elsewhere, what purpose would it serve? Again, he was back to the original debate had with Tseng. With only one SOLDIER carrying out the deed, whatever greater plan there might have been was doomed to failure.

Sephiroth frowned. With only one SOLDIER … Perhaps he'd better check on the party that had gone with Zack to Mideel. From the looks of things, they would have been exposed to everything Zack had been. At the very least, they should be able to expand Zack's story, perhaps include some important detail that Zack had overlooked. At the worst, as much as Sephiroth hated to consider it, they might start killing as well, and would need to be quarantined before that could happen.

Giving the report a last once-over – and grimacing at some of the atrocious spelling errors; Sephiroth wondered if Angeal had given up on teaching Zack basic grammar – the General set it down and picked up the phone to contact the commanders of those who'd gone on the mission.

SOLDIERs Third Class Hammerson and Stover, infantrymen Harley and Allen … Sephiroth dialed the appropriate numbers, mentally rearranging his schedule to have each one visit him in his office.

"… What do you mean, they're all on leave?" Sephiroth demanded.

"I'm sorry, sir," the civilian secretary apologized from the other end of the line. "My records show that Third Class Hammerson and Third Class Stover have requested and been approved leave. The same goes for the two infantrymen."

Sephiroth frowned. That was quite the coincidence. But no matter, he would contact them directly. "… How long have they been gone?"

"Since …" The lady paused, obviously scanning for the information. "Ah … Well, they've been gone for a month, sir."

"What? A full month?"

"Yes, sir. Since their most recent mission, in fact. Actually, they went on leave en route from Mideel; they never returned to Midgar."

"All of them?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where? Did they stay at the hot springs?"

"No … They've all gone to their respective homes of record. Stover and Allen to Junon, Hammerson to Kalm, and Harley to Costa del Sol. All for … family reasons, it seems, except for Harley, who seems to have gone for 'surfing season.'"

Sephiroth fell silent for a moment. All of them gone for a full month? That hardly seemed believable, unless something happened on the mission that had been more stressful than Zack had revealed. But if that were the case, a ShinRa psychiatrist should have examined them first, before recommending they have some down time. And all gone for family reasons … surfing season …?

"Who approved the leave?" he asked.

"SOLDIER First Zack Fair, sir."

"What?" Zack had never mentioned this! Of course, he had every right to send his men on leave without asking Sephiroth's permission, but a month was extreme. And to not even bring it up, though Sephiroth had been grilling him on the events of the mission …!

"I want you to contact each of the soldiers. Find out exactly what they are doing, and if it does not involve a family emergency …" Sephiroth paused. No that wouldn't do … If any of them had been exposed to the same thing Zack might have been, then even their families might be in danger. "Strike that. Regardless of their circumstances, I want you to revoke their leave status and put them on the next flight back to Midgar. They are to drop what they are doing, immediately, and return. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, sir." Though used to working with Sephiroth, the secretary rarely heard him this harsh. "I'll get right on it."

"Good. Contact me on my cell when you have finished."

"Yes, sir."

Sephiroth hung up. Forget coincidental, this was downright strange. Would Zack really have handled the matter so irresponsibly? Something was not right.

He stood. First he needed to speak with Tseng about this matter, see whether the Turks might know anything. And then he needed to pay Zack another little visit.

"Zack."

The SOLDIER was jarred from the book he was reading, and glanced up to see his friend.

"Seph!" He hopped from the cot, which now sported one of his pillows and a few blankets from his apartment. There was a stack of books in the corner. "Come to get me out of here already?" He grinned.

"Not quite, unfortunately …" Sephiroth examined the cell, pleased to note that the things he'd sent for had already arrived, and that the arm lock had been taken away. A box of Gongagan take-out sat on top of the books. "I actually have a few questions I need to ask you."

"Yeah? What's up?"

Sephiroth fixed him with piercing green eyes. "Where are the soldiers you took with you to Mideel?"

Zack blinked in confusion. "… What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I asked. Where are they? You gave them all over a month's worth of leave – which I will have questions about in a moment – but, after contacting their families, no one has seen them. We have been unable to contact them. They never arrived at their respective leave locations. In fact, they have not been seen since you all left Mideel."

"But … that's ridiculous. I haven't given anybody any leave, let alone a whole month! Who told you that?"

Sephiroth regarded Zack carefully. "It's in the records, Zack."

Zack shook his head. "Nuh-uh. Wasn't me! The records have gotta be wrong."

Sephiroth frowned, looking to the side as he pondered this information. Was it possible that the records were wrong? Unlikely.

"… You … do believe me, don't you, Seph?"

Sephiroth hesitated. "I … don't know." He returned his gaze to his friend. "The records, don't lie, Zack, unless someone succeeded in hacking into the system." He made yet another mental note to have Tseng check on that. "I wonder whether something could be affecting your memory in this case, too."

"Whoa …" Zack held up his hands and backed away, shaking his head. "Don't say that! Because if something is affecting my memory, then it means … that I really am the killer," he finished, quietly.

"… I know." Sephiroth didn't like the implication either. "Don't worry, Zack, we will figure this out. But right now, the important thing is, whether it was you or someone else who approved the leave, we need to figure out why. And if the soldiers never made it home, where are they?"

Zack shrugged. "Well, none of them approached me about leave before … er, except Harley, but he only wanted a week to hit the waves at Costa del Sol … so I can't imagine them all taking off on leave in the first place! And I'm pretty sure I'd remember them all asking me about that, if they did, even if I don't remember approving the leave. So … I dunno, I don't think they went on leave at all."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "You think they're still in Midgar?"

Zack nodded. "They've gotta be! Oh, 'cept you said they haven't been seen since Mideel …" Zack frowned. "But … are you sure? I thought … they were with me until we landed …" He trailed off, rubbing his forehead. "Weren't they …? I can't … remember …"

"… But they were, at least, with you just before you flew out?"

"Yeah! I'm positive. Allen was even telling me how much he was looking forward to seeing his girlfriend when he got back. I dunno why I can't seem to remember the rest of it … Was I that out of it?" Zack shook his head and sunk down onto the cot, resting his head on his hands. "Man … I'm sorry, Seph, I dunno what the heck is wrong with me," he finished, in a disgusted tone.

Sephiroth frowned. This situation was turning even more worrisome. With Zack having so much trouble, it seemed as if something had happened to him, either on that mission or shortly afterward. Except now he had no other soldiers to confirm it. And that brought up the additional concern – were they all right? Obviously, something was preventing him from contacting them. They could have been captured, held hostage … But why let Zack go, if he likely would have been there with them?

The General sighed. "The Turks are going to be busy." He would have Tseng put additional people onto interviewing the missing soldiers' friends and families, and in retracing Zack's steps since he returned. And he would have some of his own SOLDIERs comb the ShinRa building, and take a look around Midgar itself.

In the meantime, he would re-visit the locations where the victims had been murdered, and try to correlate the time and location with what he remembered Zack doing at the time.

"… Is there anything I can do to help?" Zack's question broke into his thoughts, and his eyes flicked up to regard the younger SOLDIER. Zack obviously hated being so helpless in this matter, forced to sit around and wait while either some killer was on the loose, or for someone to come tell him he really had murdered all those people.

Sephiroth shook his head. "The best thing you can do right now is just stay here. Try to remember as much as you can; if anything new comes to mind, let me know immediately."

Zack let out a frustrated breath. "That's it? I'm gonna go stir-crazy in here, Seph!"

"Zack …" Sephiroth tried not to let his own frustration show. "We're doing everything we can. I don't want you to be in there any more than you do, but neither of us has a choice in the matter. Please …" His voice softened. "Try to bear with it?"

"Alright, alright … Sorry, Seph, I know you're doing the best you can." He offered a small grin. "I'll just catch up on my sleep, or somethin'."

His friend smirked. "You do that."

"And you better get back to solving this case! Enjoy the peace and quite of your office while you can. I'm gonna have a lot to make up for when I return!"

Amused, Sephiroth shook his head. "I'm sure you will." He turned to go. "Take care, Zack."

"You too, Seph. Be careful." He watched as his friend retreated down the hallway, concern lining his violet eyes. Until they knew for sure what was going on, there was still a chance that they were all in danger.

Wearily, Sephiroth rubbed his eyes as he sat back in the chair, setting aside the report he'd been reading. Despite wanting to devote all his time to helping Zack, as SOLDIER's General, he still had other matters to take care of, especially now that he was left waiting for further information from Tseng and the forensics experts sent to evaluate the bodies.

He glanced at the clock, and blinked in mild surprise. It was four in the morning. He'd been up all night …

Groaning, he stood. As much as he wished to continue, he knew he'd be of no use to anyone if he keeled over in the middle of the day. He'd retire to his quarters for a few hours rest, then return with a fresh look on things. Tseng, or his secretary, would notify him if anything occurred in the meantime that demanded his attention.

Out of habit, he glanced toward the door left ajar to Zack's adjoining office. Often, the nights that Sephiroth worked late would be shared by Zack, not wanting to leave his commanding officer alone during those long hours. Occasionally, it would be Zack himself who would finally drag Sephiroth to bed, telling him that even if Sephiroth could handle it, it wasn't fair to the troops who would have to deal with his irritable personality the next day. But more often, Zack would make the short trip to Sephiroth's office and wait for him on the couch, with Sephiroth promising to finish within the next few minutes. Inevitably, those few minutes would turn into a half hour or more, and Sephiroth would find his Second-in-Command out like a light, still waiting for him.

With a melancholy smile, Sephiroth turned out the lights, locked the office door, and strode down the hallway to the elevator. The muffled thumping of his boots on the strip of carpet was the only sound to be heard. It was quiet this early in the morning.

Mentally prioritizing his duties for the next day, he was quite startled to hear his cell phone ring, breaking the silence just before he reached the elevator. A feeling of apprehension gripped him, and it was another two rings before he answered. The caller ID read, Tseng.

"Tseng. Report."

Dispensing with all formalities, the Turk got right to the point. "There's been another murder, General."

Sephiroth's blood ran cold. "Who? Where?" He strode to the elevator and hit the call button, preparing to go directly to the level Tseng specified.

"We only know who it is because of what he had on him, and where he was supposed to be at the time … It's Dr. Greg Davidson."

The SOLDIER froze. That was the doctor sent to examine Zack. "What? You don't mean-"

"He was found in the First Class detention block. In front of Zack's cell."

to be continued …