Theme: Romance/Adventure/Angst
Fandom: Final Fantasy
Characters: Sephiroth, Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos, Cissnei/Shuriken, Creature
Pairing: Angeal Hewley x Cissnei/Shuriken
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2261
Summary: Honor can be quite the burden, a rookie TURK learns this first hand and from the most honorable SOLDIER of them all.
Authors Notes: Not the best fight scene, I know, don't judge. I know, though, that I'm horrible for my abuse on the boys. It had to happen though, sorry, not really sorry though. Oh well. Reviews are welcome, still.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination and copy of Crisis Core. Don't sue me.

Chapter III
The Mission

The auburn haired girl gave off a bored expression towards the three men as they walked along the empty streets. She had yet to see the creature that they were sent to find and was beginning to believe that there wasn't one. She pondered on the idea that this mission was a total waste of time, nothing more then a prank on Shinra by the scientist that owned this apparent beast. There was nothing more then a few citizens hiding away in their homes, peering out broken windows and observing the three members of Shinra that lurked below. Even still, she was forced to hold her weapon and keep her attention on the world around here; this was still a mission, even though they had been searching for an hour. However, she still found herself mumbling, "I think we have been tricked, SOLDIERs."

"I doubt that," Sephiroth glanced over his shoulder at the younger being, speaking in an all-knowing tone. "Look at them, they're hiding in fear."

"They have three SOLDIER members and a TURK running their street," Cissnei pointed out dully. "That's probably what they're afraid of, Sir."

Genesis smirked over at her, "Bored already, Cissnei?"

"I didn't say that, she protested. "I'm just merely pointing out that we've been out here for awhile and still nothing has shown up, not even a sign of a fiend." Angeal stopped walking and glanced around slightly, something had seemed to alert him. Cissnei pondered, as she stopped, on what it could have been. She only began to worry when Sephiroth paused upon noticing that Angeal had, Genesis soon following suit and placing his arm out. The simple action had caused the young TURK to stop walking, almost running face first into his arm.

Angeal questioned quietly, "Does anyone else hear that?"

"There's a shift in the air," Sephiroth replied after listening to the surroundings for a moment. "Twenty degrees north."

"I heard foot steps," Angeal muttered while observing how the two auburn haired members of their party listened to the air. They were attempting to figure out what the other two were speaking about, but neither could hear a thing. It frustrated the young TURK, who wanted desperately to at least notice something and put her training to use. "Do you hear it?"

"I hear nothing," Genesis grunted in a rather teasing tone. "You two must be losing your touch."

Sephiroth glared at the blue-eyed crimson, "Oh shut up and listen closer. It's faint but it's there."

"I already listened and heard nothing," Genesis growled at the silver, glaring back. "Let's keep moving."

"Uh. . ." Cissnei glanced between the two men, almost frightened of what was going to happen. It appeared to her that the two were about to fight one another and the poor girl was no ready for something like that. Not to mention, she didn't want to be caught in the crosshairs of that; they could rip her apart with a single look, let alone if she had been caught in the middle of the fight without meaning to.

"Enough, we have to focus," Angeal ordered. "Let's keep moving, but remember to keep yourselves on high alert." Sephiroth and Genesis shared one more aggressive look before nodding to their friend, the group starting to walk once more. The little TURK quickly started to jog after them, pondering if the two had really heard something, maybe even the creature that they were currently after. She almost hoped that it wasn't, that it was all some kind of prank because she was uncertain on how they were going to handle the mission, especially with Genesis and Sephiroth seemingly at each other's throats.

"Don't get yourself all worked up," the silky voice of Genesis whispered in the girl's ear. She jumped a bit, startled by the man, and turned her gaze towards him. She almost glared when she noticed the smirk he wore at her surprise of his closeness. "Calm down. As I was saying, don't get yourself worried about the noise. Those two have just been working too hard lately."

"We can hear you," Angeal pointed out, glancing over his shoulder at the two behind him and Sephiroth. "And maybe, you're right. Let's keep looking for it a bit longer, then we'll head back."

"Fine," Genesis crossed his arms against his chest. Cissnei smiled at the man and tried not to giggle at the antics of the others, especially after hearing a growl that she was sure belonged to the silver, which she was certain, had become tired of their behavior. Genesis pushed the young girl playfully when he took notice to her trying not to laugh at his probably pouting self. She stumbled upward while laughing, turning the stumble into a speedy jog. She turned around to face him, as he parted his lips to say something, but suddenly Genesis' frame was ripped backwards and flung to the side.

"Genesis," she screamed as she turned just in time to see his slender form smashing into a nearby wall. She cringed as she heard the sound of cracking bones once he'd hit, her eyes watching in horror as his body convulsed before hitting the ground limply. Her hand slapped over her lips as she let out a whimper, her eyes darting towards whatever had thrown her friend. She stared in shock and disgust at the a large animal like creature stood a little ways away from her, its fleshing seeming to be rotting away while its pointed teeth were stained crimson of the blood that belonged to humans. "Oh god. . ."

"Cissnei," Angeal's voice echoed as he pulled her backwards, against his chest and moving out of the way of a giant claw smacking into the ground where she had stood merely seconds before. "Focus! You're a TURK!"

"Right!" She didn't waste any time in raising her weapon and aiming for the creature's head, throwing the object towards the fiend's face. Its massive paw merely swatted Rekka and sent it flying back at the young rookie, barely missing the one who threw it. Quickly moving to the weapon, she grabbed it and ripped it out of the ground, taking off swiftly and barely missing another attack from the massive creature. She moved with grace, much like all TURK members, moving around the creature to attempt an attack from behind, when she noticed Angeal was already lashing out at the creature from the side.

His movements were rushed and swift, yet seemingly planned out; even with the factors, his advances were nothing close to jerky and lacking control. The man's form dodged the counter attacks from the creature, slicing and hacking at the beast without mercy. This is also when Cissnei realized that Sephiroth was nowhere in sight; she would have normally searched for him but with a grunt from Angeal, she knew that the creature had landed a hit and she didn't have the time, that this wasn't the place for such actions.

She quickly stepped into action, swiftly moving behind the creature. She readied her Rekka but hadn't had the time to throw it, the creature's sharp edged tail flung upward and narrowing missed her small form. She yelped in surprise and backed away for a moment, only to notice that the object was headed straight for the elder blue-eyed man. She lifted the shuriken and threw it quickly, aiming for the tail, only for it to reflect her attack and send the weapon back at her. She dodged the pointed edges of her weapon, which stuck into the ground, and shouted Angeal's name as loud as she could.

Much to her surprise, the long blade of Sephiroth's sword came down from the heavens and piercing the creature's back. It howled it pain as the SOLDIER landed on its back, it soon crumbling to the ground and withering with growls and grunts. She quickly moved forward to see Angeal a few feet away, panting and glaring at the silver, which ripped his blade from the creature and hopped off it. Angeal mumbled, "They wanted it alive."

"I checked on Genesis," Sephiroth replied without emotion, ignoring the comment of his friend. "He is stable although unconscious."

"Of course," Angeal turned his gaze from the silver to the little auburn haired girl, who seemed a tad bit frightened. "Are you alright, Cissnei?"

"I'm fine," she replied in a concerned voice. "You two?"

"Tired."

Sephiroth answered for himself, "I am fine."

She sighed in relief, "Good."

"Cissnei," Sephiroth ordered, "Go stay with Genesis while I call this in."

"Right." She nodded at him and turned, heading back for Genesis. She moved slowly, attempting to listen in the on the conversation that she was sure that the two SOLDIER members were about to have. She hears the click of Angeal's Shinra issued blade being sheathed, then a grunt of the largest of the three. She found it odd to say the least that he would be making such noises if he were just tired, they sounded rather pained despite what he had said. She was concerned but knew it was not her place to bother about it, soon finding that neither were going to speak with her still there, she quickly jogged to where Genesis was. "Genesis. . ."

She knelt down to his fallen form, which had been leaned limply against the wall in a rather uncomfortably appearing position. His eyes were closed as his breathing seemed shallow and raspy, yet still inhaling and exhaling at a normal rate. She took notice to a bit of blood on the wall above him and flinched, realizing that someone on his body was an injury that she was sure that Sephiroth didn't treat, and the worried mother hen that a few of the other TURKS knew her as came out. She turned and started to jog over to the two other SOLDIER members, who she was going to ask for a cure from. However, she took notice to Sephiroth using one and it seemed to be on Angeal, but she said nothing as she came into earshot of them. "Um. . . Sirs. . ."

"What is it, Cissnei," Angeal question with a grimace. She slowed down to a walk and parted her lips to speak, only to stop in mid-step upon hearing something shifting near where the monster had fallen. All eyes seemed to snap over to the creature but no one could react in time as one of his massive clawed paws grabbed a hold of Angeal, flinging him off to the side with anger that Cissnei had never seen before in anything living. Once again, a sickening crack echoed as the SOLDIER crashed into a nearby wall, on the other side of the street where his childhood friend had fallen. The creature turned its sights to the young TURK, who started backing up as its tail came at her and she released a scream.

"Hang on," a rough voice whispered in her ear as she felt arms wrap around her middle. She was lifted and pulled back at speeds she wasn't even sure were humanly possibly, a flash of silver shadowing over everything else that had been going on. She was set a ways away from the fiend, another flash of silver beside her and the long blade that she had come to know believed to Sephiroth. He shoved her Rekka back in her hand and frowned as he spied their two fallen companions now laid. "It seems it does not wish to go down without a fight."

"Guess not," Cissnei mumbled and readied her weapon. "Then let's give it one." Without even another word, she took off towards the creature and tossed her Rekka for the creature's face, it slice across the beast's cheek before returning to its master. As she caught her weapon, she took notice to Sephiroth now advancing behind the creature with an attack ready, but the young TURK knew that without a distraction, he'd never get it. She took off forward, making as much noise as possible, the creature swatting at her with its massive paws. The girl barely managed to dodge each attack, stumbling a bit during the last one; she fell forward and landed upon her stomach. She rolled over just in time to see the giant limb coming her way; however, moments before it landed, she was grabbed and pulled out of the way.

Just then, the sound of a chopper blades slicing through the heavens echoed throughout the air, the young TURK looking up at Sephiroth, who now stood back with her in his grasp. His eyes lingered on the beast as it began coming at them, the auburn haired girl beginning to panic but was not released. The sound of metal falling with chains sounded, causing the girl to snap her gaze upward—a large cage fell from the sky and landed over the creature. It howled as it grabbed the bars and attempted to break out, obviously failing and releasing a shrill sound of defeat. The girl cringed and back against the silver, who slowly began to release her. He smirked, "Just in time. . ."

"You knew," she whispered, "Didn't you?"

"No," he answered bluntly, "I honestly thought that you were going to die."

She looked shocked, "What?"

"Do not worry about it," Sephiroth replied while turning his gaze between their two fallen companions. "Go get the medical team."

"Right," she nodded while turning, quickly grabbing her weapon and taking off to do exactly what she was ordered to.