A/N: Holy crap fiiiinally. At long last I have emerged from the hell that was this winter! Sorry this took so damn long.

Bah, I've stayed up too late writing this...not going to say much here, since I have to get some sleep. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Also, brace yourselves. You've all been waiting to see him again, and here he comes...

To: Genesis

Subject: No Subject

Hey…I forgot to tell you about it this morning, but there's something I want to talk to you about. You're on duty right now, I know, but maybe grab a drink with me somewhere tonight?

From: Genesis

Subject: My friend, your desire…

My, we're rather forward, aren't we?

I should be back in Midgar by seven this evening. Name the place and I'll be there.

To: Genesis

Subject: Re: My friend, your desire…

Foxwoods Tavern, Sector 5 slums. It's about a five-minute walk south of the station.

And I'm not asking you on a date, smartass.

From: Genesis

Subject: The fates are cruel

How unfortunate. Chivalry dictates that I must still pay for your drinks, so I hope you make it worth my while.

Flipping the phone shut, I let out a groan. Did he even understand how wrong that sounded? Maybe hanging out with Zelos had made me extra sensitive to any sort of sexual innuendoes or euphemisms, but somehow I had a feeling Genesis knew exactly how his words could be construed. He really enjoyed giving me a hard time.

Right now it was early afternoon, the day after my solo mission in the slums. Today I had the day off; after a rigorous training session with Genesis this morning, I had spent some time having a coffee in the break room before changing into civilian clothes and pacing the SOLDIER floor for a bit. I was avoiding the western end of the floor because I had caught a glimpse of Sephiroth slipping into one of the briefing rooms over there. I made sure to keep a set of elevators within a safe distance in case I needed to make a quick escape.

To be honest, though, Sephiroth was far from my top concern today. I had a few nagging worries—what Aerith had said, the Turks, the constant burden of foreknowledge—but those were in the background. What was worrying me the most right now was, of course, what I'd just set in motion. I hadn't asked Genesis to meet me tonight just so we could socialize.

It had taken me close to two hours of fighting with myself before I finally reached the decision to contact him. Was there no possible alternative? Could I really trust him? How was I going to react when this inevitably blew up in my face? I still had no concrete answers to any of these questions, but eventually I got fed up with constantly battling my own doubt.

The fact of the matter was, I needed to get my Exsphere back and I had already waited way too long to take action. I didn't know who to turn to; I had no real allies here. I was alone.

So I had decided…I was going to try asking Genesis for help. I had no idea how I was going to go about this; it was probably going to involve telling him some measure of the truth, but I wasn't sure just how much I was going to tell and how much I was going to be able to hide from him.

Anyway, I spent the next hour after I messaged him just pacing around the floor and feeling apprehensive about the whole thing. Worrying probably wasn't doing me any good, but I couldn't help it. If this went badly, it could screw me over completely. It wasn't like I got second chances. He could fork me over to Shinra or something and I'd be either dead or in hiding by this time tomorrow.

It was only two in the afternoon. I couldn't keep pacing around like this; I'd drive myself crazy. What I really needed was some way to occupy my time until tonight, but Zack and Kunsel were both out and I wasn't sure when they were coming back. I could go visit Aerith, but I didn't want to set off any red flags with the Turks by going down there too often. I might be better off waiting until Zack started going to see her; I'd let the Turks focus on him, and then maybe I could pretend I had become friends with her through Zack.

Hmm…there was a library of sorts in the employee recreational area on the 64th floor; maybe I could just hang out there, get a coffee and read for a while.

Finally coming to a decision, I turned and started to make my way towards the elevators. Maybe a good nonfiction…I just didn't have time for novels. It might be prudent to study up a little more on this world, especially if my backstory was that of a well-traveled mercenary.

I rounded the corner, catching a glimpse of the elevator doors opening as I did so. My blood froze; I immediately ducked back behind the corner, quietly peering around the edge for a moment.

That was Hojo exiting the elevator. He was with two assistants, both wearing the typical white lab coats of the Science Department. They all walked out into the hallway, pausing for a moment as Hojo said something to them.

Part of my mind was kicking into overdrive. Kill Hojo? No, not here; I'd definitely be seen, not to mention too many people here had the strength to easily apprehend me. But dammit, he was right there!

…His assistants were a liability; if I somehow managed to kill him, I'd have to take them out, too. It was just out of the question.

I suppressed a sigh, calming myself. Instead of making a move, I waited to see which way they were going to go.

They confirmed my suspicions by heading in the general direction of the VR training room. I had seen people from the Science Department running tests there from time to time, and I'd heard Hojo sometimes showed up there, but this was the first I'd really seen of him.

Ugh. The training room was down this hallway; they were going to see me if I stayed here, and the last thing I wanted was to run into that creep. I didn't want Hojo to know I existed—not until the day came that I ran him through.

If I wanted to get to the elevators, I'd have to circle around the other way. I turned around, heading back the way I came and slipping into a side hallway that led to the west end.

I made my way down the new route, taking note as I heard the footsteps and voices of Hojo and his men get fainter until they faded away to nothing. Whew, there was one bad situation successfully averted. Now then—

New set of footsteps, coming from up ahead. Who was that?

Oh, Christ.

I saw the silver hair and immediately wanted to turn tail and run, but it was too late. Sephiroth had already rounded the corner and spotted me. Our eyes met; no chance for escape now. My mind blanked out for a second as I remembered pools of blood and a town burning, burning…

Then it passed and I automatically snapped off a salute. It was what was required, and all I could think of to do. Just act natural and don't let him smell your fear and maybe he'll just keep walking…just keep walking, dammit…

"Relax," Sephiroth commanded with a small nod, and I let my hand fall. He slowed when he reached me; shit. This was going to be more than a passing acknowledgement in the hallway, wasn't it? Why me? Shit, shit, shit.

"SOLDIER Third Class Brittany Furness," he said, holding my gaze. His lips quirked up slightly. "How fortunate. I've been meaning to speak with you, but you've proven quite elusive."

Good to see you, Cloud.

It was the same expression on his face, the same tone of voice. The sound of my name on his lips gave me a chill. I had liked Sephiroth in Crisis Core—I really had. But now that I was face-to-face with him, all I could think of were the nightmares…and my memories of him in the original game. The sense of dread that came whenever Sephiroth showed up—it meant something terrible was about to happen. Nibelheim, the massacre at Shinra, the Black Materia, Aerith's death, Meteor…

"Was there something you needed, sir?" I forced the words out; in my effort not to stutter, my voice came out sounding flat and neutral. I was going to pretend I hadn't heard the second part. Had he really noticed that I had been deliberately avoiding him?

"Not in particular," he replied, cocking an eyebrow. "Simply investigating an anomaly. I've been told your abilities are beyond that of an ordinary Third."

I felt myself stiffen slightly. Everything about Sephiroth set off warning bells in my head—it felt like talking to Mithos. I was reverting fast into that cold persona I had adopted in the beginning to distance myself from people. Well, why not? If I failed or something went wrong, this man might become my worst nightmare.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but perhaps it would be best to reserve judgment until you see me in action," I replied slowly. The words were polite, but the tone was almost icy. I couldn't help it; I didn't want him to know how nervous and intimidated I was.

"Hm. Aptly put," he said, inclining his head a bit in acknowledgment. "It's good to see the student is a bit more humble than the mentor. Genesis has told me of your exploits."

I nearly grimaced. "Genesis—"

"—Exaggerates," Sephiroth finished for me, amused. "I'm aware. Regardless…you were recruited, so the company undoubtedly has some use for you."

Naturally. His words caused me to remember my few meetings with Tseng, and I had to suppress a shudder. Genesis had said something to a similar effect…

It's important that you remain invaluable to Shinra. You should be thanking me.

If they had no use for me, I'd be dead. But I didn't need Sephiroth to remind me of that. Where was he going with this? Ugh, it just didn't feel right. Part of my brain kept sending out warning signals, but at the same time…there was nothing predatory about his stance. If I hadn't been so freaked out, I might've even cracked a smile at his jab towards Genesis. It was just…a normal conversation. With Sephiroth.

Too weird. Almost on instinct, I kept the defenses up—better to be safe than sorry.

Unsure of what to say, I offered a simple "hmm" in response, keeping my expression relatively blank. More Kratos logic: when all else fails, grunt noncommittally. I'd make Sephiroth work for this conversation. Maybe if I was enough of a frigid bitch, he would just get annoyed and walk away and that would be the end of that.

"That scar."

"Eh?" I blinked, caught off-guard, and mentally smacked myself. I just couldn't pull off the unflappable composure.

Sephiroth's expression betrayed nothing. He was way better at this than I was. "On your torso. What is that from?"

I nearly flinched; that had to be the first time a stranger had walked up to me and shot that question out of the blue. It wasn't exactly a conversation starter—not to mention back on Earth I had normally been careful to hide the scar, save for the part on my chin. I didn't bother so much here, but I wasn't used to people pointing it out. I had changed out of my uniform earlier in favor of a black tank top, so some of the lower portion of the scar was visible.

"My father," I blurted out, mainly because I had no idea what else to say other than the near-truth. Then I realized what I had said, and immediately attempted to amend the statement. "Er—training accident. It's a long story. Sir."

Wow, smooth. It was way too hard to concentrate with those piercing eyes focused on me. Up close, I could see flecks of green in the irises, though they were dominantly blue; the green still served to make his eyes glow a little stronger than the typical SOLDIER.

He continued to watch me, still difficult to read. "Had the blade been angled just a little differently, it would have severed your jugular. It must have been a severe wound nonetheless—not one that a typical human being could recover from."

A typical human being. In other words, not me. I had never really thought about it, but it was true—I never would've survived that injury if not for my Exsphere. But there was no way I could explain that, and I wasn't sure what Sephiroth was getting at; if he was suspicious, I couldn't see it on his face or hear it in his voice. Only his words suggested it. It was like he was only prodding me to see how I would react.

I forced myself not to look away from him, despite my discomfort. "I suppose that makes me atypical."

He paused long enough to pin me with a scrutinizing gaze; it took a lot of effort not to squirm.

"Or perhaps you have access to superior healing magic. Am I wrong?"

"Not exactly," I answered evenly. "Father does have a powerful Restore materia."

Another lie that bordered on truth; Kratos' healing had dug me out of a lot of tough spots, though it wasn't due to a materia. He probably wouldn't even be able to use magic in this world. But what was Sephiroth even getting at?

The general 'hmm'ed, giving me a very familiar look. That stare…I had seen it too many times not to recognize it. He knew or suspected that I was hiding something.

"…I've read the reports from Junon. Genesis was the one to clear your name—why?"

What? My mind reeled at the sudden change of subject and the new problem this presented. What reason had Genesis given the officers? He had never told me. I had never even thought to ask.

That was when my resolve broke; the pressure was too much, and I averted my gaze. "I'm…not sure."

What the hell else could I say? If the day ever came where Sephiroth became an enemy, my only advantage would be foreknowledge. Telling him about my curing Genesis would bring up all of those related questions—and unlike Genesis, Sephiroth didn't feel indebted or loyal to me. He wouldn't let those questions go.

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze intensifying; just when I thought my heart was going to stop, though, he relaxed and some of the tension dissipated.

"…Hmph." The faintest of smiles. "An anomaly indeed. I think I'm beginning to understand."

"Sir?" I asked quietly, completely lost.

He began to walk past me, pausing when we came shoulder-to-shoulder.

"I don't know what you did or how you did it," he murmured, "but you have my thanks…for now. Just know that I'll be watching you."

He knew.

I just stood there, shocked. Next to me, Sephiroth's smile grew, as if my reaction was all the answer he needed—and it probably was. He continued on, passing me by and continuing down the hallway. I remained still, listening to the shifting of leather on leather, wondering where I had screwed up.

"…One more thing."

Sephiroth's voice interrupted my thoughts once more. I raised my head a bit, glancing over my shoulder at him; I didn't trust my almost-shaking knees enough to perform a full turn right now.

"Yes?" Somehow I managed to keep my voice steady.

He was giving me that same troubled look I remembered from the day I'd first encountered him. "Where have I seen you before?"

I frowned, confused. "I…I don't follow, sir."

The general immediately shook his head, turning away once more. "Pay it no mind. Continue with your business."

With that, he continued onward down the hallway. I stood there and stared openly, watching him leave. Only when he was completely out of sight did I turn back and start walking. My legs felt like jelly.

Man…that had been unpleasant. Sephiroth made me nervous as hell…and having him tell me he was going to be watching me wasn't doing much to make me feel better.

I walked to the elevators in a daze. Where had I gone wrong? What the hell had just happened?

Somehow he had deduced that I was the one who had helped Genesis, though I doubted he could prove it. But of course that only raised more questions than answers, so now I was stuck on his radar, which was the last thing I needed right now.

And just what had he meant by that last question? I was sure he wasn't referring to our first unofficial meeting, because of course he'd remember that. But prior to that…I had never encountered him except those times when I'd held a Playstation controller in my hands. He was a fictional character on Earth…our worlds were linked in that way, yes, but…nobody else had ever had that kind of reaction to me before. It had to be something else.

On that foreboding note, I stepped into the elevator and leaned against the back wall while the doors closed. This was just too much. I just wanted to go forget for a while…

This time when I entered Foxwoods Tavern, nobody even looked up. I was glad; today had been mentally exhausting. I just headed for an empty booth in the very back corner of the room, away from everyone else, and ordered a beer. It was a stout that reminded me of a Guinness but was, amusingly enough, called Ultros Ale. The bottle even had a picture of an octopus on the label. Heh…I really wanted to know how that had come about.

At least the beer was good. Nice and strong, just what I needed. Within a minute or so I felt myself relaxing a bit.

I was still a bit nerved up at the prospect of what I was about to do, but I had pretty much worried myself sick over the course of the day and by now I was almost too exhausted to care. I just wanted to get it done so I could figure out what to do next.

Thankfully the tavern itself wasn't crazy busy, but it wasn't completely empty either. There was just the right amount of background noise and most of the patrons were sitting at the bar out of earshot.

"So you're actually here."

I looked up at the sudden voice, tilting my head slightly as Genesis slid into the booth across from me.

"I said I would be," I replied, taking a sip of my drink.

He eyed it with slight disdain. "Ultros? Please stop ingesting that ghastly substance…"

I snorted, using the edge of my glass to hide a grin. "Is it really made of something gross, or are you just being stuck up again?"

"I am not stuck up," he replied indignantly. Just then, the barback brought over a glass of pinot noir. I pressed a hand to my face and laughed.

"Sure, okay. Drink your wine, snob."

Genesis continued to give me the same miffed look for a moment, but then he seemed to get over it and shook his head with a smirk. He lifted the glass of wine to his lips and took a sip, watching me. It was when we both lowered our drinks that the atmosphere sobered.

"So."

I straightened a bit when he spoke, alert. "Yeah?"

"What exactly did you wish to discuss?" he asked, leaning forward. "I certainly hope you haven't kept me in suspense all day over something trivial."

"I wish," I mumbled. I couldn't help it; I rubbed the back of my neck and averted my gaze. To be honest, I still had no idea how I was going to do this.

Genesis smiled slowly. "Good. Perhaps I'll have some of my questions answered after all."

"…Maybe," I replied, letting out a sigh.

There was a pause as I stopped to gather my resolve. I attempted to think through what I was going to say; Genesis waited patiently now that he had an idea of what might be coming, though he was watching my every move in the meantime.

"Look," I said in a lower voice, staring into my beer. After a second I steeled myself and looked up to meet his gaze. "You…you remember that favor you promised me, right?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Well…" I grimaced. "I'd like to use it. I kind of…really need your help."

He grew solemn. "Tell me what you need."

I instinctively looked around, checking the surroundings for any signs that someone was listening in. The other patrons of the bar seemed to be immersed in their own conversations.

"There are no Shinra personnel here. You chose the location well."

He read my mind. I looked up to see Genesis staring intently; there was no trace of smugness or arrogance in his expression now.

"Tell me," he urged.

It was too much. I closed my eyes and took in a breath, letting it out slowly. Well, here goes—no turning back now.

"I need to break into the Science Department."

His eyebrows flew up. Clearly that had been far from what he'd been expecting.

"Why in the world would you want to do that?"

"Because that 'strange materia' you were talking about belongs to me," I explained.

"I see," he murmured, not looking surprised. So he'd suspected it… "Then leave it. They won't be able to trace it back to you."

I shook my head. "That's not why I want it back."

"Oh?"

"You saw what it did to Jace, didn't you?" I pressed, leaning forward a bit. "He was a Third. He stole my bag out of my room and discovered it."

"So it was indeed a SOLDIER…" Genesis' eyes narrowed slightly. "Tell me about this materia."

"It's not materia…not exactly. It's a stone called an Exsphere," I explained. "When properly attached, it amplifies a person's abilities and makes them stronger. That's the whole reason why I could match SOLDIER strength without mako treatments. I removed it when I joined."

"And why were you not similarly effected?" he asked, looking intrigued.

I sighed; this was going to be long-winded. "Exspheres can be harmful to the body if they're attached without a Key Crest—an accessory that inhibits the harmful effects. If you try to remove the stone without a Key Crest attached, your body's internal balance kinda goes haywire."

Staring into my drink for a moment, I pondered what to say next. "…Jace…he just didn't know. I'm sure having mako in you doesn't exactly help matters. And once you turn into a monster, there's not much that can be done to reverse it…" Not without the unicorn horn. And even then, could I have done it? Could I have matched Raine's capabilities? Degradation wasn't quite the same as a complete mutation of the body…

Genesis frowned. "But this 'Exsphere' amplifies human capabilities."

"Yes," I affirmed.

"Meaning if one were to use it correctly…combined with SOLDIER strength, just how powerful would you become?"

I blinked. "I…I'm not sure. I didn't want to risk using it when I didn't know what the effects would be. But Angeal looked winded after fighting Jace."

"Then I presume you're concerned that the Science Department will attempt to recreate this stone," the First said, smiling thinly. "Naturally they will…whether monsters result or not. Shinra is always in pursuit of creating the perfect weapon."

"I know," I murmured. "But there's more to it."

"Do tell," he replied.

"Initially, Exspheres start out powerless. But attaching one to someone without a Key Crest…that causes a parasitic process to begin in which the Exsphere absorbs the person's mana—I mean, their life force. In other words, an Exsphere can't do anything unless it…well…" I gritted my teeth, shaking my head, before forcing myself to look up at Genesis again. "Look, they're made from human lives, okay? The creation of Exspheres would be a price paid in blood."

The glass of wine stopped halfway to his lips. Genesis stared at me, eyebrows raised. After a moment he slowly lowered the glass and folded his hands on the table.

"Neither Hojo nor Hollander would have any qualms about paying such a price," he hissed.

"I know," I said. "That's why I need to get it back and destroy it—like I should've done a long time ago."

Genesis smiled bitterly. "An admirable goal. But not so admirable, I think, when we take into consideration that you were using such a stone in the first place. Why?"

I grimaced, looking away. "The people who placed it on me…were trying to find a way to make it stronger. I didn't have a Key Crest initially either. After I escaped from them, I used it to fight against them. I always told myself I'd destroy it afterwards, but…I know, it's stupid."

"I see," he replied quietly.

There was an uncomfortable pause. Genesis swirled the wine around in his glass before taking a drink; he was taking his sweet time. Finally his eyes flitted up to meet mine.

"Since joining SOLDIER, I have been to nearly every city in the world," he remarked, cocking an eyebrow, "and I have never heard of anything like this Exsphere of yours. Yet you're implying not only that there are more than one, but there is also an organization that studies them."

His gaze was piercing. "There are holes in your story. What of your father and brother? How did you know of my degradation and possess the means to heal it? Who are you?"

The conversation drew to an abrupt halt as that question hung in the air. There it was—it was out. That question that had plagued me so often in the past. Who was this girl, surrounded by mysteries and secrets and things that just didn't add up? How could anyone ever trust someone like that?

"I…I'm…" I whispered. Suddenly I paused, lifting my beer and taking a long drink. Warmth spread through me from the alcohol, but it did little to make me feel better. Maybe I would need one more beer. Or two. Or five.

Genesis was watching me expectantly. I couldn't just sit here in silence forever.

"Can I really trust you?" I blurted out, feeling genuinely vulnerable. This was crazy. How could I trust this man, who had betrayed even his closest friends in the timeline I remembered?

"Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul

Pride is lost

Wings stripped away, the end is nigh."

He fell back on reciting LOVELESS once more, a pensive expression on his face.

"Had you not intervened, I would likely be dead," he continued. "Yes, I would have died nothing more than a lapdog of Shinra, discarded when I outlived my usefulness. But I am no longer so blind—because you gave me a second chance."

The First smiled, but this time the bitter quality to it was absent. "You can trust me. I will never betray you—you have my word."

I stared at him for a long moment, considering. This was too difficult. Earth was safe; I could tell him about Earth. What about Aselia? Too long of a story. But that didn't explain me knowing about degradation—that was getting into my foreknowledge! If that somehow got out to the wrong people, this whole operation could come crashing down on my head and I'd never save Zack or kill Jenova or—

"I need to think," I said abruptly, standing up. Needed to breathe. There was no way—

Just as I went to leave, Genesis caught my wrist and held it in a firm grip.

"My friend, do you fly away now?

To a world that abhors you and I?"

"I can't," I said, realizing I probably sounded completely crazy. "I just—I can't."

"Sit down."

The command in his voice left no room for resistance. I reluctantly slid back into the booth, fidgeting. Genesis stared me down.

"You're not breaking into the Science Department alone," he said. "I won't allow it."

"Genesis—"

"So, naturally, I'm going to help you."

My eyes widened. "You—you are? But what about…"

"I am not your enemy." He leaned forward, still maintaining a grip on my wrist. "Consider this proof. And after this deed is done, I want you to trust me."

I understood. In other words, he wanted answers in exchange for helping me. But wait—that wasn't quite all of it. He didn't know anything solid about me other than the fact that I had saved him…by doing this, he was placing his own trust in me. Trust that what I'd told him was fact, that I wasn't just using him to further my own ends. Considering that Shinra had done just that to him in the past…this was kind of big.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Why was he doing this? Could my actions really have been that important? Or…was this Angeal's sense of honor showing through in his best friend?

"O-Okay." I cursed myself for stuttering, but managed to meet his eyes. "If we can pull this off, I'll tell you. I'll…I'll trust you."

Finally he released my wrist, leaning back. "Good. Then I suppose I'll have to endure being in the dark for now." He turned, catching the bartender's attention, and gestured to our near-empty glasses.

The barback brought over another round. I raised my eyebrows at Genesis, and he smirked.

"Now then…let's get to conspiring."

I couldn't help it; despite my apprehension at the prospect, I snorted. Suddenly I was very grateful for that second beer. The night was far from over…

A/N: Apologies if there's any typos or spelling errors; it's late and attempting to proofread just isn't working out. If anything's wrong, I'll fix it in the morning.

Not sure how I feel about this chapter. It didn't really come easily (especially not the conversation with Sephiroth, DEAR GOD.) Hopefully everyone was in-character. Meh, maybe I'll like it better when I'm not feeling so exhausted from writing it. XD Didn't get as far as I thought I would, but that's okay.

Plot? What plot? Ha, seriously though, it's coming-the main plot, anyway. This is kind of slow-building story because CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. So many people to meet. Just keep an eye out for Cloud-he's where it really starts. Soon, guys!

On another note, I'm sure the Exsphere explanation cleared up a few questions for any of you who haven't read NR/played ToS. XD or maybe it just made you more confused? I don't know.

Reviews are very much appreciated! You guys keep me going!

Next time: GIVE ME BACK MY EXSPHERE DAMMIT