She's walkin' down the street
Blind to every eye she meets
Do you think you'll be the guy
To make the queen of the angels sigh?
-The Doors, Hello, I Love You

Gabriel felt like he was holding a bomb in the pocket of his hoodie as he left the train station. His hands firmly gripped the thick paper tickets, fearing they would slip away or crumble like dried flowers. He cursed how his heart hammered in his chest; this was a stupid idea. Yet he had committed to it by buying the tickets. He was going to ask Aerith out on a date to the theater.

Although he knew Aerith didn't have feelings for him, Gabriel's heart compelled him to try. He saw how her face lit up the other night when she talked about this production. Aerith had always been lighthearted with bright smiles, but that night she glowed. Gabriel wanted to see her glow again; she deserved to feel that way every day of her life.

It was foolishness, he reminded himself, misguided puppy love. But there was no turning back now that he had bought the tickets. Now he had to find her and ask her to go out with him. Gabriel hoped he could ask her privately and avoid public humiliation.

His footsteps were heavy as he walked towards his shack. It was still early afternoon, and the streetlights blazed up in the sky. Gabriel talked himself out of walking up to her house today. For one, he didn't know if she was home yet, and he didn't want to draw the attention of her mother. So, he went to his shack to stash the tickets until he could figure out a good time to ask her. Although the play was in two weeks, he was sure he could think of a way to ask her by tomorrow or the next day.

Gabriel tucked the tickets in the same hiding spot where he kept his Gil, then took off his hoodie and stashed it away as well. Since he spent most of his time working in the scrap yard, there wasn't much for him to do in his shack besides practice his guitar. But with now being peak electricity usage, he wouldn't be able to practice until tomorrow morning.

But he still had Gil in his pock, he hadn't spent all his money on those tickets. Back down at the train station, there were private showers that could be purchased. Gabriel convinced himself that a hot shower was worth buying today. He might as well treat himself and not wallow in self-doubt in his shack.

The showers attached to the train station were another development resulting from its communal success. While some would be willing to pay for a cold drink or meal after work, others would pay for a hot shower either before or after work. It was a luxury, but at least that cost went back into keeping the showers clean and well-maintained.

He spent most of his time just soaking in the hot water, which was what his body needed. His muscles relaxed and he let out a loud sigh as self-doubt fell from his mind. He admitted that he had feelings for that flower girl, and it would be difficult if she rejected him. But Gabriel reminded himself that life in the slums had been good to him. He would save up more Gil and buy something nice for himself. Perhaps a new speaker for his guitar or a way to get more electricity so he could play more often.

Perhaps he could find a way to resell the tickets, they were ok seats so he might be able to recoup most of his money. Truthfully, he didn't know if LOVELESS was a popular production, he didn't keep up with pop media. His musical taste was in niche heavy metal bands, not show tunes. Perhaps he could buy a cheap record player and some slush metal albums with his recouped money.

Gabriel dried off his body once his shower was finished, then attended to the thick wet sliver mane that was his hair. It required its own fresh towel to dry, which he then wrapped around his head while he dressed. Once fully dressed he pulled down the towel and let the damp hair fall behind his back. He exited the public showers feeling clean and refreshed. He stared up at what counted as a sky under the plate. The plate lamps were still blazing hot creating the illusion of a clear sky.

Gabriel's eyes wandered to the horizon where the plates obscured the real sky. He had no idea where his life was going. If she said no, would he really be happy staying here? Even worse what if she said yes and they did go on that date, what would a second date be? Gabriel had no recollection of going on a date before; he had no knowledge of the etiquette of courtship. He admitted to himself that her saying yes was a lot scarier than her saying no.

All these thoughts racing in his head clouded Gabriel's perception of a slender figure stealthily advancing behind him.

Aerith closed her eyes and dug her hands deep into the soft, rich soil of the flowerbed that covered the center of the abandoned church. Months of work had transformed the barren soil into a carpet of yellow flowers that bloomed in the light of the torn open ceiling. She had spent most of the day pulling out floorboards to expand her ever-growing project. Now, she allowed a smile to fill her face as she enjoyed the lonely building's smells and tranquility. Life had taken root in this long-forgotten slum, and with life came hope.

Here, Aerith felt close to her birth mother. Happy memories, sounds, and smells filled her senses, and a feeling of warm motherly love washed over her. This place had become a sanctuary for Aerith, not just a project. Here, she could speak with the planet, the way her mother had taught her, as was her birthright.

Suddenly, the tranquility was shattered by the sound of boots against the worn wooden floorboards. Aerith could make out three distinct footsteps, two staying near the entrance while the third approached her. She wasn't afraid, she knew who they belonged to. This interaction had happened often enough to become almost routine. Nonetheless, she gripped the metal staff at her side until her knuckles were white.

"Hello, Reno," Aerith said neutrally as she stood up and turned to face the Turk.

Reno stopped a few paces from her and leaned against one of the aging church pews. His posture was relaxed, as his electro-mag rod swung ideally between his fingertips. Behind him at the entrance to the chapel were two uniformed Shinra soldiers, who stood ideally while waiting for Reno's direction.

"Sup" he replied slowly, letting the word drawl out of his mouth. "Been a while since we last spoke, eh?"

"It's been a year," Aerith replied curtly, but politely. "How is Rude?"

"Rude's the same as ever. So, have you been making any new friends lately?" Reno leaned closer and gave a wicked smile. Which was his way of conveying to her that he was serious.

Aerith planted her feet firmly on the ground. "My friends are none of your business, Reno."

"Oh, but it is my business, part of the job of keeping tabs on you and all. But truthfully, I don't really care who you associate with or who you knock those boots with. I- "

Reno was stopped by the flash of Aerith's staff resting less than an inch from his face. The glare in her eyes told him that he had stepped out of bounds. The Turk paused for a moment and took a step back and walked past her weapon.

"I'm only asking because intel gave us a report that a terrorist cell is operating down in the slums. I'm just checking to see if you've noticed anything."

"No, I haven't noticed any anti-Shinra activists, but I'd be more than happy if someone did take Shinra down a notch.

"Nah, you wouldn't like them, these are extremists. The kind who are not above kidnapping, extortion or even harming innocent people. Intel says they are planning on bombing a public place. Those kinds of people don't care if civilizations get in the crossfire."

Aerith nodded slowly, privately she refused to agree with Reno that there were worse people than Shinra. But she was painfully aware of the dangers out in the slums, she wondered if the men who had attacked the village were connected.

"Is the town in danger?" She asked firmly, as much as she despised the Turks, she knew that Reno and Rude could be reasoned with. If her adopted mother was in danger, it would fall within the agreement she had made with them.

Reno scratched the back of his head and turned to look through a cracked window. "Unlikely, most likely these guys are way out on the fringes of the slum. That's why I'm down here, Intel mentioned an ex-SOLIDER joined them, so it's a Turk mission. I figured I check in on you first, see if you'd seen a man with bright green eyes. Mako eyes, we call them, it's a byproduct of over-exposure to Mako energy, makes them stronger, crazier too."

Aerith's heart did somersaults as she struggled to keep a neutral face. Gabriel had those bright green eyes, but he couldn't be an ex-SOLIDER, not like Zack. There had to be another explanation, but even if there wasn't she wasn't about to give him up to Reno.

"No, I haven't, nobody interesting comes down here under the plate. Just us boring nobodies." She tried to be lighthearted. Hoping that would be convincing enough to get him to leave.

Reno shrugged, turned his back to the flower girl, and began to walk toward the exit. "I hope so, I hope Intel dropped the ball on this. Things could get messy down here if an ex-SOLIDER is walking about."

The red-haired Turk signaled to his subordinates that they were leaving, and they exited out of the church with him. Reno led them away from the church but not far enough that he didn't lose sight of it. He checked his watch and ordered his men to take a break while he dialed his cell phone.

Rude picked up on the other end. "How did it go."

"Went swell, I spun a tale about dangerous people out in the slums, dropped enough truths that it should stick. She looked spooked enough."

"You sure about this?"

"I read her psych profile. You push her into a corner she will fight like a Behemoth. But if she has space, she'll run. It's in her nature to find someone who will protect her, like a guardian or a bodyguard. Must but an Ancient thing, I don't know. But if her new friend is ex-SOLIDER she'll lead us right to him."

"Can't argue with that."

"So, how'd your end go?"

"This sector's slum town is clean, no one with Make Eyes. If he lived in town he'd stand out. Should we do a sweep of the Sector Seven slum?"

"Nah, there's a lot more people in that slum, would make a visual confirmation difficult. We've already got eyes and ears in that sector anyway. Besides, this punk is supposed to have regular contact with our girl, logistically that would be difficult huffing it that far between slum towns. He is here somewhere in this sector, so if he is not in the town, then he must be out in the waste."

"Searching this junk heap would be dangerous and time-consuming."

"Which is why I spooked our girl, I'll keep a tail on her and see who she runs to. I think that's our best play."

"All the same, I'll try and find another angle."

Reno paused as he saw Aerith exit the abandoned church and briskly made her way back toward her home.

"Well, she is heading back to her home, so you might want to bug out. I'll ping you if something comes up."

"Likewise," Then Rude hung up.

Reno pocketed his cell phone in his loose-fitting suit and then turned to the two men accompanying him. One had already lit a cigarette, but both stood ready for his next order.

"Let's break for lunch then we'll go back topside. We can resume our surveillance tomorrow." Reno remarked as he reached into their shared backpack and pulled out a sandwich.

"Sir." Said the more veteran soldier. "Shouldn't we follow the girl?"

"No need, she isn't going anywhere we don't already know about. We can easily find her tomorrow morning, Besides, I'd rather not stay down here in the garbage longer than I need to."

Aerith kept a calm, relaxed pace as she exited the church. She knew that Reno was probably still watching her, so she kept up the charade until she felt she wasn't being watched. Then she broke out into a desperate sprint as she raced back towards the slums. Reno had to be lying; he was trying to frighten her and make her do something stupid, which was working. But there had already been an attack on the town by armed gunmen; there were dangerous people out there. Aerith knew she couldn't take the chance. She would find Saul; he might know if there was a terrorist cell out in the waste. Perhaps something could be done to protect the village. She wouldn't accept that violent people could come into the slums and do whatever they wanted. Aerith would do everything in her power to keep her friends safe; she swore it.

Aerith's lungs gave out before her determination, and she doubled over trying to catch her breath at the edge of the train station. It took the flower girl a few minutes to compose herself before she could walk again. This was for the better, she thought. Who knows what people would think if they saw her running in a panic? When her breathing slowed down, she walked into the social hub of the train station.

It was still midafternoon, so the crowd around the station was light. Most people hadn't gotten off work yet or come back from the scrap yards. Aerith didn't find Saul, but she did see Gabriel standing out in the middle of the road, lost in thought and looking majestic with his long white hair flowing in the wind. She cursed under her breath. Why did he have to be so handsome? He wasn't even trying, just standing in the middle of the road, and he looked like an actual angel coming to sweep her off her feet. Aerith closed her eyes and inhaled sharply through her nose as she calmed down. She reminded herself that Gabriel had helped her before, and he listened to her. If there was a danger to the slums, he would help her; she knew that. She crept towards him surprised that he was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed her approach. "Daydreaming about your boyfriend? Ah, that's so sweet!" She cheerfully mocked him.

Now that she was closer to him, she noticed his hair was damp, and he must have just come for the public showers. "I can tell you've cleaned up; you must have a hot date tonight with him! I'm so happy for you!"

Gabriel glanced sideways at her while she made fun of him.

"I see that the truce is over." Gabriel spoke calmly. "Should I remark how you go topside nearly every day but can't seem to find a boyfriend?"

Aerith smiled sweetly and held up her hands in surrender. Her intentions were not to tease him again, but to hide her fears. Aerith didn't want him to worry about her dealings with the Turks, especially if that might get him involved.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something." She said cheerfully but sternly enough to imply she was no longer joking with him. She could feel Gabriel turn toward her, giving her his undivided attention.

"Well, I was curious. Are there any dangerous men out past the scrap yards? You know like armed gangs and such."

Aerith could feel Gabriel's gaze on her and noticed that when he arched an eyebrow the bang of white hair over it, also arched up. She felt the need to explain herself, to come up with an excuse that wasn't entirely the truth. She wasn't ready for the conversation about why Shinra's Turks would sometimes harass her.

"It's just, I don't know. Maybe I'm still uneasy about what happened last week when those bandits attacked the town. Do you think there might be more of them, I mean you're out in the scrapyard and I just thought you might know something I don't. If there is something dangerous out there, I'd like to know about it."

Gabriel didn't immediately respond to her white lies; he kept looking at her as if he had figured out what a big fibber Aerith was. But he turned and raised his makeshift sword and pointed out towards the waste of Sector Five.

"There are a few dangerous people out there, some gangs, I think. But they mostly stick to the fringe of the underplate. They rarely come near the scrap yard or the slums. Ultimately, it's the monsters that are what's dangerous out there, not people."

Gabriel's voice was filled with confidence that proved he knew what he was talking about. He pointed his sword towards the pathway to the town.

"Passed the town you have Sector Six which The Don controls and he doesn't really allow armed gangs that aren't loyal to him."

Gabriel then moved his sword towards the barely visible support pillar of Sector Seven.

"As you know right beside Wall Market is its namesake, That massive wall between us and Sector Seven. So, if there are any gangs over in Sector Seven, it would be difficult for them to get to us. Now…"

He moved his upper body as he slowly moved his sword back towards the left till he was pointing in the opposite direction of the scrapyards.

"Everything passed the scrapyards is just waste and other junk. There isn't another settlement till you get to Sector Three. So, I doubt you'll find any roaming bands between here and there. Again, it's the monsters we must be careful of, not the people."

Aerith gave out a sigh of relief as Gabriel's sword arm dropped down. She really did need the assurance of someone like Gabriel, who worked out there. It was most likely that Reno had been ordered on another wild goose chase and was just trying to get under her skin. Still, there was a lingering feeling that Reno was up to something.

"Thank you, I'm sorry I really should know better." Aerith apologized as she allowed her a little relief.

"I understand." Gabriel's reply was calm. "It's fine really, I'm sure a lot of people in the town share your concerns."

Gabriel's reassuring calm made Aerith's heart flutter traitorously. There was something about his demeanor that made her feel safe. She couldn't fully explain those feelings, she didn't want them. But she felt that Gabriel was the kind of man she could depend on.

"That reminds me, I have a favor to ask you." Aerith's tone was cheerful as she segued to a different topic.

"You know the abandoned church I talked about this morning? Well, a nest of lesser drakes has moved into a building not far from it. I was wondering if you could help me clear them out tomorrow. I'll bring lunch, as a reward."

Gabriel stared down at Aerith while she gave him her best pleading puppy eyes. He paused for dramatic effect as if he was going to turn her down. "You had me at lunch."

Aerith thrust her left arm up into the air and yelled "Woohoo! I knew I could count on your stomach! Once a man's had Gainsborough cooking, he's just putty in our hands!"

Gabriel smirked. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"Right, bright and early. See you then!" Aerith practically skipped away toward her home. Her previous anxieties over Reno's words had melted away. She didn't have to face it alone, she had Gabriel. She didn't know why but that put her mind at ease, for now.

Gabriel watched the flower girl skip away as if she were in some fairy tale adventure. His eyes focused on the bouncing braid of brown hair and how her pink skirt twirled around her legs. He admitted he was falling for her, and this latest interaction emboldened him. Tomorrow would be a perfect time; he would ask her out after lunch and deal with the monsters. His previous fears of rejection had been removed by her mere presence. He was truly glad to have her in his life, even if she could be a pain sometimes.

As he walked back to his shack, he no longer feared rejection. He cared about her deeply enough to be happy just to be around her. Whatever she decided, he would be happy for her. She was worth that. No matter what would come, they would remain friends. Gabriel silently promised her that as he returned home and prepared for an early morning and an important day.

Reno crawled along the top of the scrap heap to gain a better vantage point on the path in front of him. This was the main pathway from the slum village to the train station, the one that Aerith and everyone else would use. He pushed his binoculars to his eyes, cursing the tetanus shot he would probably need after this mission. He stood still and waited, Rude had phoned ahead that the flower girl had left her house some time ago. She should be on the path by now, which likely meant she had stopped somewhere, possibly to meet someone.

That's when Reno saw a ghost. Aerith was casually walking down the path with the impossibly tall silver-haired god of death. Reno's jaw fell open, and he momentarily lost his composure as the word "Fuck" slowly escaped his mouth. He reached for his cell phone and dialed his partner.

"Got an update?" Rude asked casually.

"Yep, got eyes on our missing SOLDIER. He's walking side by side with our flower girl like he knows her."

"Which class?" Rude asked with a bit more concern in his voice. He could tell when something was bothering his partner. "Someone who we know?"

"It's S Class SOLDIER."

Rude was silent for a moment. "That shouldn't be possible."

"It shouldn't be, he should be dead. But I'm seeing flirting with our flower princess."

"Are you positive?" Rude asked.

"I don't have a facial visual, and he isn't wearing his leather armor. But I've stood behind that shadow long enough to remember that gait. Plus, same silver hair and stupid haircut."

"What about weapons, materia?"

Reno grabbed the binoculars again and zoomed in on the infamous killing machine.

"He is carrying a sword, looks like poorly made scrap metal, defiantly not Masamune. Don't see any materia."

"You're sure it's him? Could be a coincidence."

"Coincidences don't make my hands shake; I'm telling you it's him. Sephiroth is alive and in Midgar."

"Tseng is still going to want visual confirmation."

"Yeah, I'll get the camera. But it's him and we gotta move fast. Prep the gunship and tell the boys to search the area around the path, fuckers gotta be living somewhere close."

"Copy that, send over the visual confirmation when you've got it."

Reno ended the call and again stared at the couple through his binoculars. He watched as they talked to each other, Aerith oblivious to the danger she was in. When she turned and smiled up at the much taller man, Reno shook with hatred.

"Stay the fuck away from her, you bastard." He growled to himself as he pushed himself down the slope of junk and began his surveillance.

The business with the nest of drakes was a short yet exhilarating experience. Between Gabriel's sword skills and Aerith's steel staff, the monsters didn't stand a chance. Living in the slums they were both seasoned monster fighters, but Gabriel still managed to show off, by jumping up into the air and slashing the flying beast midair.

"I think that's the last of them." Aerith huffed while she bent over to catch her breath.

Gabriel nodded politely and stood respectfully beside Aerith while she recovered herself. He hadn't even caught a sweat, much to Aerith's annoyance.

"Hey!" She spoke between deep breaths. "I'll have you know that Botany is a very strenuous field of study!"

"I'm sure," Gabriel replied with a mocking grin.

"Sarcasm will void the terms of our agreement and your free lunch."

"Free? I thought I was earning my lunch by fighting these monsters."

"Monster management in the slums is its own reward. Lunch is provided by my generous heart. Besides, getting to spend time with me is its own reward."

Aerith turned about, playfully pretending to be part of a beautiful pink princess, letting her skirt twirl about her ankles. A playfully silly act that Gabriel couldn't help but grin at.

"Your most gracious, your majesty!" Gabriel bowed as he played along.

Aerith's face erupted in short giggles as she composed herself. "Alright, let's head to the church, we can eat there, and I can show you what I've been working on. "

"Lead the way." Gabriel smiled as he rested his sword on his shoulder.

"You get all that?" Reno asked as the data upload from his camera was completed.

"Copy that," Rude replied to him on the other line. "Waiting for HQ to confirm."

Reno paused impatiently. The display of swordsmanship was more than enough to reaffirm that this was Sephiroth back from Hell. No one else in the world swung a sword like that.

"Well?" He asked into his phone.

"There is… I am getting a lot of responses and alarms are going off."

"Right, because it's FUCKING SEPHIROTH!"

"Stand by." Rude had switched to his professional mode. "HQ has confirmed it's SOLIDER Class S."

"Good, I need confirmation to go ahead with Class S Termination under Midgar City."

"Reno." Rude broke his cool tone. "You know what means."

"I fucking know, and I also know it's the only way we might be able to put him down! They ran countermeasure simulations on him a thousand times while he was alive and technically reasonable. Shinra doesn't have the firepower to stop him, not in this city, but dropping a plate on him might work. It's better we sacrifice a sector than let him burn the entire city down. I need confirmation on Plan XC26-UM as well as authorization for contingency plans."

"Stand by." There was a pause that seemed to last forever. "HQ has advised we have authorization to use whatever means necessary in the termination SOLIDER Class S, with the express exception that The Package is to be retrieved and not harmed."

"So be it. Have the grunts found the monster's lair?"

"Confirmed, they found a small shack not far from the path outside of the Slum Village. It's the only structure they could find so they've deduced it belongs to him."

"Good, I'm breaking off and will be there shortly. I've got a plan."

"I'd ask if it's a good one but somehow I doubt there are going to be any good plans today."

"This is Class S we are dealing with. I've memorized his reports and the simulations, we don't stand a chance against him. However, there is one way we can get an edge over him."

"Which is?"

"We make him angry."