Zack crossed the lobby to the elevator, rolling his head and cracking his neck from side to side. The receptionist on duty barely concealed her wince, and Zack shot her a grin as he stepped into the elevator and hit the button for Sephiroth's floor.

He was feeling pretty good about the latest batch of recruits who were beginning to trickle in for the new academic year. While most of them would certainly go on to be more Shinra grunts in the regular corps, he had already seen a couple who looked promising – not to mention one guy who'd picked six of his co-recruits pockets before being caught by an amused and slightly speculative Reno. No doubt he'd be snapped up by the Turks fairly quickly.

Zack grimaced. As much as he'd come to appreciate Reno's friendship, he still found the Turks methods distasteful, and he was well aware there was a lot he didn't know even now he'd reached First Class clearance.

He approached the office door on tip-toe, lifting his hand to the doorhandle with agonizing slowness.

'Break that door and you'll be fixing it.' an even voice warned him from inside.

Zack laughed easily, shouldering the door open and kicking it shut behind him. 'Damn, you're getting better.'

'You're not even trying.' Ren responded absently, busy flicking through a thick sheaf of paperwork. She frowned, making a note in the margin with her ever-present red pen.

Zack grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Well if I try too hard Seph thinks that I'm a real intruder and comes after me with that giant toothpick.'

The corner of Ren's mouth curled upwards in a barely contained smile, her eyes still fixed on her paperwork. 'I can understand your dilemma. Did you need something?'

The '…or are you just coming to pester the General again?' was left unsaid but clearly heard.

'Hey, I have a legitimate reason for being here!' Zack protested, laughing.

Ren finally looked up at him, flicking her fringe out of her eyes. The glow was stronger and more violet, Zack noted – not enough for most people to notice, but clear enough for someone familiar with SOLDIER and mako to see. She must have taken her booster recently.

'That's what you said last time – and then explained we were being invaded by stuffed moogles for the third time this month.' she pointed out dryly. 'And you haven't explained yet how a toy plushie can invade.'

'Are you kidding?' Zack grinned, enjoying the banter. 'Have you not seen the new recruits? I'm telling you, they'll all be bringing their teddy-bears with them – there's a stuffed moogle invasion at this time every year.'

Ren's lips twitched, obviously struggling to contain a laugh.

The door opened again, and Sephiroth entered, looking between Zack and Ren warily. Zack grinned manically, and the General sighed.

'Moogles again?'

'He's denying everything.' Ren reported, sliding her chair back and picking up a slim pile of papers. She came round the desk and handed them to Sephiroth, smacking the back of Zack's head as he attempted to perch on her desk.

'These need your attention. The one on top is urgent.'

Sephiroth took the papers with a resigned expression. 'Thank you. Why are you here Zack?'

'You two are really suspicious, do you know that?' Zack complained, giving up on sitting on the desk and sinking to the floor in front of it instead, leaning against the modesty panel. Ren folded her arms, slapping the back of his hand as he reached out idly to poke the tessen hanging from the back of her chair.

'I wonder why?' she asked rhetorically, taking her seat again. Zack craned his head over his shoulder to grin at her and she glowered at him, the slight softening round her eyes the only indication that she didn't actually want to disembowel him - yet.

'I really do have a reason for coming up this time.' he protested innocently. 'But you weren't here, and Ren's funny when she's ruffled.'

Ren sputtered, bringing a sheaf of papers down on his head.

'See?' Zack grinned, batting them away. His hair sprang back into its usual gravity defying spikes.

'So you came up for a reason and got distracted by my secretary?' Sephiroth asked, and then paused.

'….I cannot believe I just had to construct that sentence.'

Ren rubbed her temples in an attempt to fight off an impending headache. 'I don't get paid nearly enough. Lieutenant, please, why are you here?'

'I wanted to talk to you about the new cadets.' Zack explained, looking up at Sephiroth. 'I know they're not all here yet, but I've seen a couple that I'd like to put primary tags on their files. Not to mention one slippery bastard that Reno's already eyeing up for Tseng.'

'Precocious.' murmured Ren, answering the telephone which sat on her desk. 'Wolfe speaking.'

She listened to the person on the other end; her eyes falling on Zack. 'Why yes, he is here. Would you like me to put him on?'

She covered the mouthpiece with her hand, looking down at Zack with pursed lips. 'Tell me lieutenant, have you perhaps forgotten somewhere you're meant to be?'

Zack looked at her, uncomprehending for a long moment.

'Aren't you supposed to assist with the Third Class training on Thursdays?' Sephiroth prompted absently, scribbling his signature on a form and passing it to Ren.

'…Shit!' Zack exclaimed. 'Alright, I'm going. I'll come back after class, will you be here?'

Sephiroth glanced at Ren, and she checked the schedule on her computer. 'You're free all afternoon sir.'

'See you then!' Zack called over his shoulder, exiting the office with some haste. Ren shook her head, lifting the phone back to her ear.

'Captain Benson? He's on his way now. Yes sir. No problem. Goodbye.'

She hung up, shaking her head. Sephiroth closed the outer door, heading for his private office, and for a while there was peace.

A good couple of hours later Ren was disturbed by the sound of her stomach growling. She got up from her desk, picking up her harness and swinging it over her shoulders, fastening the loops across her chest and then pulling on her jacket and knocking on the General's door.

'Enter.'

She pushed it open, standing in the doorway. 'I have some errands to run – shall I pick up lunch while I'm gone?'

Sephiroth glanced at the clock. 'That time already? Yes, that's probably a good idea. Zack should be here soon – you might want to bring extra.'

Ren snorted softly, picking up some of his finished papers. 'Yes sir. I'll be back in half an hour or so.'

She left the office and delivered various interdepartmental missives before heading to the SOLDIER mess and arranging for three lunches to be sent to the General's office. It was almost half one before she returned, but the office was still quiet – so Zack had definitely not arrived yet.

Ren pulled off her jacket and returned to her work, immersing herself in the endless routine of triplicate forms, and wondering how long it had taken for whoever came up with the idea in the first place to be shot by irate office workers.

A muffled noise caught her attention and she frowned, lifting her head. It didn't come again and she shrugged, ignoring it and returning to her work. Lunch arrived a few minutes later and she knocked on the General's door, frowning when she received no reply. He couldn't have gone out – he always left a note on her desk if he had to leave, giving at least a rough idea of when he'd be back.

She knocked again, and then a third time, worry mounting. One hand loosened the tessen in their sheaths; while the other cracked the door open slowly.

Silver spilled across the carpet and the lunch she was carrying hit the floor, dropping to her knees beside the General's fallen figure. He lay awkwardly, half hidden by the desk, the sweep of his long hair hiding his face.

Ren spoke first, not daring to touch him for fear of startling battle-honed reflexes. 'General! Can you hear me?'

There was no response, and she finally dared to reach out and turn him over, possibilities running through her mind. Sephiroth's eyes were fast shut, his face smooth and breathing even, a steady pulse thrumming in his neck.

Ren's hand brushed something hard embedded in his jugular vein and she froze, sliding it gently free of his skin. The hollow dart – razor sharp, tough as steel and empty – lay in her hand like an accusation, even as mako-sharp eyes found the tiny, perfectly circular hole in the supposedly non-breakable glass.

In the space of a few seconds Ren's mind flew into overdrive, her body reacting without conscious thought as the clues added up.

Someone has incapacitated the General

He's sedated, not dead.

If they sedated him, that means they want him alive.

It's been at least five minutes since I heard the dart.

There is someone in the outer office!

The door opened, and the first terrorist met the deadly razor-blade of a tessen wielded by an irate mako-fast secretary, who wasn't supposed to be here. He died quickly, the little of his face that could be seen below the Shinra issue helmet fixed in surprise.

Ren whirled, her second fan snapping into her hand and spinning open as she sprang at the second, third, fourth attackers, instinct and battle-rage taking over – but there was only one of her, and at least six of them.

Something solid impacted her temple and bright lights burst behind her eyes. She staggered, dropping to one knee, and the sixth attacker – the one who had held back – drove his fingers into that spot on her spine. Ren dropped like a stone, tessen falling from suddenly limp fingers, vision blurring. Someone kicked her in the ribs and she rolled limply, paralysed.

The blackness swallowed her up, even as she clung to the sight of silver and green.