Disclaimer: The Final Fantasy VII Compilation belongs rightfully to Square-Enix. This amateur effort at fan-based fiction is in no way making profit off of the licensed characters described therein, nor is it associating any new original characters to Square-Enix either.
Chapter Two
"But that kind of assignment is for a 2nd, hell, a 3rd!" Shinra palmed his forehead, staring incredulously at the tall imposing figure standing before his desk. He smothered his cigar in the ashtray, pounding it into the cup with a frustrated hand. "Damn it, Sephiroth, this isn't the time to be modest!"
"I won't go to Banora," Sephiroth said simply. He stared down at the seated president of the Shin-Ra corporation, his jade eyes narrowed slightly. Shinra bristled at the retort.
"Use your right to refuse all you want. I'll have that project decommissioned and those ruins destroyed before you even make it there," Shinra promised.
"Not likely," Sephiroth replied assuredly, causing Shinra's face to redden from the audacity. "I know how much money the company has spent on this, and how much effort it took to keep it quiet. The only reason it's known to exist is because the team went out of its way to ask for SOLDIER's assistance."
The president of the Shin-Ra corporation pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Sephiroth allowed himself a moment's internal victory, making sure not to show on his face how he pleased he was by the older man's reaction. The president had no choice but to relent, and before he knew it, Sephiroth was on his way back to Lazard's office for details on the mission.
A week had passed since their victory in Wutai. Sephiroth had been occupied for those seven days with a seemingly never-ending parade of the media. He had learned over the years to numb and disconnect himself from it all, automatically repeating the same answers he gave to previous interviewers of the past, then eventually disappearing into the depths of the Shin-Ra building where no one could find him. He passed the rest of the time by simply reading into the latest of the company's troubles and tribulations, his mind quickly finding solutions where entire teams of economists and scientists could not. They could give him a job just solving their day-to-day problems.
But there were still his own to solve.
As soon as the frenzy had died down in the streets of Midgar over the end of the too-long war against Wutai, it had become obvious to him that what Shinra had wanted from him immediately was a solution to the Genesis Rhapsodos problem. The answer to that was simple enough – Sephiroth had to find him, as well as Angeal, and bring them to Shin-Ra justice, even if it was at the point of a sword. The most logical solution would have been to try them both for treason against the company. He even knew where to start looking. Still, Sephiroth would not go to Banora.
"So we'll have to send someone else," Lazard stated, the back of his chair facing Sephiroth as the director of SOLDIER gazed through the window of his office, at the dismal gray that was the city of Midgar and the wastelands beyond it.
"Have the Turks sent out first to gather intelligence," Sephiroth suggested. He may have refused to go to Banora, but he wasn't going to abandon the problem completely. "Once the situation is assessed, then we can choose what type of SOLDIER personnel is adequate for the job."
"You know it'll be you eventually," Lazard replied, turning the chair back around to face him. The blonde man idly tossed the file he had been holding onto the desk, the words 'Rare Materia Search' jumping out at Sephiroth from the pages. "This mission you've chosen to take part of instead… is it just to buy you some time?"
"To buy Angeal some time," Sephiroth admitted, his usually smoldering gaze dimming as his eyes found a random paperweight on Lazard's desk to focus on.
The steely eyes behind Lazard's glasses appeared sympathetic. "I think I understand. Though it was you who had Angeal officially declared a traitor, you didn't want to throw a friend to the wolves just yet."
"Not when I'm the wolf he'd be thrown to," Sephiroth answered, gently picking up the glass paperweight with a gloved hand. He studied it for a moment, at the swirling pattern of green that was frozen inside. It was meant to resemble a materia gem.
"I see," said Lazard with a nod. Leaning back in the office chair, Lazard passed a hand through his blond hair, a gesture that briefly reminded Sephiroth of the president's son. "You do realize Shinra won't make this easy for you?"
Sephiroth nodded. "He already threatened to decommission the project," he replied with a shrug that was unconcerned. "A bluff not entirely unexpected."
Lazard laced his fingers together in front of his chin. "Well then, if this is what you truly want for your next assignment, I see no reason not to clear you for it. Here is your official briefing:" Sephiroth turned his eyes attentively onto the director, the familiar burn of the green Mako a minor discomfort as he concentrated on the man's words. Lazard leaned back a bit in his chair, the only sign that he was affected by the glare of SOLDIER's General.
"As you know a research team of ours has recently discovered a set of old ruins buried in the jungles just south of Cosmo Canyon," Lazard explained. "They were on an extensive search for rare materia thought to be left behind by the Ancients. This expedition was meant to be a well-guarded secret strictly within the confines of the Science Department, but when looters and thieves started attacking the team to get to the treasures they were searching for, the researchers in question demanded some protection. They dispatched some of the Turks to deal with it, but matters did not seem to improve after that. They're now down to their last researchers, historians and excavators that the company does not want to lose."
Sephiroth smirked coldly. It was final proof that that Shinra's words were just empty threats. He wasn't surprised to have been right all along, but Sephiroth indulged himself in the feeling of satisfaction nonetheless.
Lazard continued. "Now that you've sent the Turks to thoroughly investigate Banora, the researchers will want personnel to continue protecting them." As was your intention all along, Lazard's thoughts seemed to say to Sephiroth, and it was true. At the ruins, Sephiroth would be free of conflicting jurisdiction from any other part of Shin-Ra.
Sephiroth never considered himself a mind-reader or something else of such nature, but he had recognized long ago the obvious thoughts that seemed to plant themselves on people's faces. It worked most often with those he knew well and spent a lot of time around, such as Lazard, Angeal or Genesis, as it would only make sense that he'd eventually recognize the patterns on their expressions. However, it also worked with the most ordinary of people. Sephiroth was a firm believer in the idea that the masses were sheep, and that they all thought the same. A look of adoration his way was always read as, 'One day I'll be just like him,' or in a female's case, 'One day I'll have someone just like him.' For Sephiroth, expressions just seemed to shout the exact thoughts among the clichés that were human beings. For those not quite so ordinary, it was the gestures and movements that were more original, with actual personality, such as the fanfare tune Zack Fair had hummed along in his head when he 'defeated' Ifrit the summon.
Was Sephiroth telepathic? Honestly, he didn't care enough to really find out. Genesis used to often joke that Sephiroth should have been a lawyer instead of a SOLDIER.
'Then I'd have had a shot at being the hero for once…' were Genesis' thoughts, or so Sephiroth discerned from the brunette's slightly creased brow and how he picked worriedly at the bindings of his copy of Loveless.
A mission among the remains of the Ancients, that's what Sephiroth needed. This mission wouldn't be the first time he visited some ruin left behind by an archaic race. They were littered all over the Planet, big and small, significant and not. Their connection to the past often helped organize his thoughts. He'd have a better handle on things regarding Genesis and Angeal once those diggers were finished looting the place.
Suddenly Sephiroth noticed that Lazard was staring intently at the files again, holding them up to his face for Sephiroth not to see. "Have you noticed the members of the research team yet?" Lazard asked from behind the manilla folder. "The project leader…?"
Sephiroth waved dismissively. "It doesn't matter." His indifference instantly changed into a frightful menacing look. "The project leader isn't Hojo is it?" He'd rather spend a year in Banora than a day in some ruins that the second-rate hack truly knew nothing about.
Lazard shook his head. "No, but this person might be worse… by your standards anyway."
Sephiroth was curious, but not curious enough to ask whom Lazard was referring to. For the moment he couldn't think of any other person that could be worse than the man who thought himself better than Sephiroth's mentor, Professor Gast. Not that he was afraid of the little pest… Shin-Ra would just hold him responsible if someone were to find Hojo's remains on one of the ancient sacrificial altars, and Sephiroth didn't want to deal with the frustration that would bring.
"I'll deal with it," Sephiroth answered, turning away from the director. Suppressing a chuckle, Lazard tossed the folder again, his eyes lingering for only another moment at the project leader's profile.
"Try to stay on your best behavior then," Lazard jested, earning him an unkindly scowl from the other man, Sephiroth's porcelain features darkening some. Lazard laughed quietly to himself when the 1st class was gone.