Zack glared at the circle of dust on the vice president's formerly pristine, white carpet, willing the dirt to divulge the secrets of CS Delivery's origins. He shot a glance at Sephiroth, who was eying the vent.

Sephiroth asked, "Do you think all the ducts are that filthy inside?"

"Probably," Zack said. "I hear the air on the sixty-sixth floor reeks pretty badly. Maybe this is why."

Sephiroth hummed in agreement. "Scarlet is always complaining about the stench."

"As she should," the vice president said, leaving Reno and Cissnei to organizing whatever it was they were doing with all the information Shinra had given them. "The demonic scent makes executive board meetings nigh unbearable."

Seemingly not paying direct attention, Sephiroth asked, "He came without any swords?" His eyes were still scrutinizing the air duct.

"Must I repeat myself?" Shinra asked.

Ignoring the question, Sephiroth said, "I imagine it would be difficult to navigate the corners with even one sword that large."

Zack scoffed. "I can't even figure out how he would have crawled around in those tiny vents."

Reno snorted from across the room. "That's because you're a giant. That asshole is the size of your little buddy, remember? His eyes are about even with your chin."

Zack scowled at the Turk. They weren't that much different height-wise. Though he did concede that Reno didn't have nearly as much muscle. Then Zack frowned at the air duct. "Do you think CS Delivery really has Tseng babysitting Cloud?" he asked the room in general.

"It's possible," the vice president said. "He's rather unpredictable when he isn't blowing up Shinra Company properties. He doesn't seem to be doing anything but paying us enigmatic visits and leaving enigmatic messages."

Reno left the file he and the other Turks had been sorting through in Rude's possession and threw himself into one of the chairs in front of Shinra's desk. "Even Veld says he doesn't think Avalanche has been targeted yet. Only the one accidental toad party so far."

"Regardless," Shinra said, "CS Delivery doesn't plan on returning my Turk any time soon."

Zack couldn't tell exactly whether or not the vice president was pleased with that. "I'd rather he give Cloud back," Zack said sourly.

Sephiroth nodded, eyes turning clouded and thoughtful. "It would certainly allow us to straighten out a few rather tangled matters of identity and information significance."

"And paradoxically enough," Shinra said, "we cannot simply take Strife into custody when he appears to play with Fair if we are to have his trust."

Zack's PHS broke the frustrated silence following the vice president's declaration. Zack pulled the device out of his pocket and answered without checking the caller. "Zack Fair speaking."

After a slight pause, he heard on the other end, "Hi, Zack."

A grin split Zack's face. "Spiky. We were just talking about you." He immediately put the call on speaker, praying that Cloud wouldn't come up with another of his embarrassing questions or declarations. The guy really didn't seem to know what kind of ammunition he had against Zack's pride.

"We?" Cloud asked, a thread of nervousness entering his tone. "Are you busy? I can call later."

"No, no," Zack said, waving a hand even though Cloud couldn't see it, "we're good now. Are you free? We could all meet down in Wall Market again for something to eat? Maybe after, if you have time, we can window shop. I know you've been saying you're pretty busy so I won't steal all your time."

Cloud was silent for several seconds. The vice president exchanged a glance with Sephiroth.

Cloud said, "Who are your friends?"

Zack grinned. Cloud hadn't objected. "Those Turks I've told you about." Zack eyed Reno, lifting his eyebrows. The Turk nodded.

The silence stretched again before Cloud warily asked, "They won't make me come back will they?"

"No, Spiky. You ask that every time. I'm not going to let anyone near you that's going to drag you anywhere you don't want to go."

A quiet chuckle came from the PHS. Cloud said, "That's right, you wouldn't let anyone but you do the dragging around."

"Of course," Zack declared, grin widening. Again, Cloud hadn't objected even though he was stalling. Poor kid never seemed to realize he was doing it. "I'm the only one allowed." Sobering a bit, Zack said, "I haven't managed to get another one of those Cait Sith's for you yet. I'm sorry about the first one. I didn't know they could overload and fry like that."

"You've already apologized six times Zack. It's not like you fried it yourself."

"But it was defective merchandise," Zack protested, wincing about calling poor Tuesti's prototype defective. But he didn't want to make Cloud angry by accusing his possible friend of sabotage.

"Just drop it already." The smile was clear in Cloud's voice.

"So you'll be in Wall Market in an hour right?" Zack asked.

"Yeah," Cloud said quietly. "I'll see you there, Zack."

"Later, Spiky," Zack said cheerfully.

After returning the PHS to his pocket, Zack said, "I probably don't need to take Kunsel, but at least two of you guys need to come." The three Turks exchanged glances.

"There's no way I'm missin' this," Reno said, smirk stretching across his face. Rude simply nodded in agreement.

Cissnei said, "I'd probably better come in case Reno decides to be too much for the kid to handle."

The vice president nodded his assent at the Turks. Zack eyed Sephiroth, who said, "I agree with your assessment. Second Class Kunsel is unnecessary." Then to Shinra, the general said, "It would probably be wise not to attempt surveillance as CS Delivery seems intent on destroying any hardware meant to spy on him and anything related to him."

"Agreed," Shinra said, "as annoying as it is."

"Twenty minutes until we leave for the train below the plate," Cissnei said. "Do you think we should be in plain clothes or work clothes?"

Zack shrugged. "Whatever. I don't think it matters. I'm usually mostly in full uniform."

"Let's just go now," Reno said, smirk still lingering. "I wanna check out the slums and make sure that asshole doesn't scope the place out or leave traps for us."

The vice president smiled in amusement at the Turk. "Do remember, Reno, there's no evidence that Strife is CS Delivery."

"Yet," Reno said.

Zack's gut churned a bit. He would protect Cloud from even the Turks if he had to. Then his gut twisted for an entirely different reason. If all the Turks were there, he couldn't exactly go through with his plan. Reno in particular would wonder what he was doing and Zack couldn't bring himself to including Reno in the plot. Poor Cloud would go batty with Zack and Reno trying to startle him at every turn.

The crowds were fairly thin as Cloud wound his way through Wall Market. It was early for the evening masses, and the market streets would be busy then.

He took a deep breath when the little restaurant came into view. It would be much tougher to fool the Turks than Zack. Zack was no slouch, but the Turks were trained to be sneaky. Tseng was enough proof of that. And it didn't help that a few minutes after he'd entered Wall Market, that pesky, not quite identifiable sensation in the back of his head showed up again, this time a bit stronger. He still thought it was probably a Tsviet, but whoever it was still wasn't closing the distance between them.

Cloud had barely stepped inside the restaurant when Zack was yelling to catch his attention from a mere twenty feet away. Zack and three Turks were all the way at the far end of the counter. Rude was right up next to the wall, then Reno, then a ginger haired woman Cloud vaguely remembered from the force in Junon because she wielded a shuriken like Yuffie, an empty seat, and Zack.

Cloud smiled slightly and moved to join them. It was a smart move to put the woman as a buffer between him and the other new faces. Not really new faces to him, but he had to at least pretend they were new.

Zack clapped him hard on the back and pulled him onto the empty stool, as though he thought Cloud might bolt if given the opportunity.

"Meet my friends," Zack said, grinning. "Over there at the wall is Rude." The man in sunglasses simply nodded. "In the middle is Reno. I've told you about him before." Reno mock saluted, a smirk gracing his face. "And this is the lovely Cissnei," Zack said, indicating the woman. Her dark red curls looked a whole lot more natural than Reno's bright shock of red hair.

All three still wore their Turk suits, though Reno still displayed his habitual sloppiness in the form of an untucked shirt and several undone buttons. Cissnei and Rude at least looked professional. Zack had opted out of armor and weapons, but otherwise still sported his full Soldier uniform.

"Pleasure to meet you," Cissnei said, extending a hand to shake.

"Pleasure," Cloud said quietly, returning her handshake.

Reno reached around Cissnei to offer his hand, too. "Kunsel says you're good for harassing Zack here."

"That's what he tells me," Cloud said, smile widening a little. "I thought he and Zack were pretty funny together." Hoping to unsettle the cocky Turk a bit, he said, "I remember you."

Reno's eyes widened and everyone seemed to stiffen.

Smirking on the inside but keeping his face flat, Cloud said, "You asked me where I got my goggles." He fingered the edge of the goggles covering his eyes.

Confusion flashed over Reno's face before the man burst out laughing. "I remember that, kid. I still haven't been able to find a shop that sells those things."

Cloud shrugged. "If we have time after this, I could show you. Zack told me we might go window shopping later."

"I'll just have to make sure we don't waste time here," Reno said, flagging down the cook behind the counter.

After they'd all ordered, Reno wasted no time in starting what Cloud supposed was an interrogation. "So how did you an' Zack make friends?"

A quick glance at Zack showed the Soldier First sporting a slightly pinched expression. Quietly, Cloud said, "We met on the Modeoheim mission."

Understanding, and in Cissnei's case, empathy, flashed over the Turk's faces. Even Rude winced a little.

"It wasn't all bad," Zack said, grin plastered a little too wide on his face. He clapped Cloud hard on the back. "Tseng crashed our helicopter—"

"How's that not bad?" Cissnei interjected. Clearly still a bit uncomfortable with the topic of Modeoheim.

"So we just set off to hike through the snow—"

"Still not seein' the good," Reno said.

"Then we made fun of each other's respective home towns—"

"Because all friendships are based on mockery," Reno added.

"And it was friendship at first fight," Zack concluded.

"We weren't fighting," Cloud said.

"Yeah," Zack said, scratching the back of his head, flashing a grin, "but friendship at first mocking sounds weird."

"You're weird," Cloud mumbled, eying the counter, letting the conversation fall flat. He glared at nothing from the relative safety behind his goggles. He wasn't quite sure how to act around the Turks. They were tricky and Zack would only serve as a distraction to them so much.

"So what about other friends?" Cissnei asked.

"What?" Cloud asked, frowning. Were they really going to just ask about his CS Delivery connections?

"You know," she said, smile gracing her features, "friends from back home? Friends from the army? You can't tell us Zack here is your only friend." Her smile wasn't at all like Aerith's or even Tifa's. Cissnei's smile had an edge to it, though it was still friendly looking at least.

"There's a girl back home I'm friends with," Cloud said. "Haven't talked to her in a couple years." He shrugged. "We didn't talk a whole lot to begin with, though. There was an accident on the mountain when we were kids and her dad blamed me for it so she got in trouble if we spent too much time together." He paused. "I never made friends in the infantry. I was never really loud or aggressive enough to stand out."

"That's lame," Reno said with a smirk.

Cloud's eyes widened a bit behind his goggles.

Reno said, "If you were too quiet for the army, you shoulda tried for the Turks. Rude hardly says anything."

The bald Turk just scowled at Reno.

Cloud frowned. "You can't join the Turks. You're recruited."

"For being sneaky," Reno said, eyes glinting mischievously. "You walked outta Shinra Headquarters with a stolen sword and your best buddy Solder First Class Zack Fair didn't notice for days. I'd say that's pretty sneaky."

Cloud wasn't sure if he should be laughing or worried. Reno seemed to be complimenting him and pointing out that he knew about the thievery at the same time.

Reno must have noticed the uncertainty because he said, "Don't worry, kid. I'm not getting' paid to bust you for stealin' swords from the army." Reno shrugged dismissively. "I'm just sayin' it's sneaky."

That didn't really help Cloud figure out how he was supposed to react. They couldn't be hinting at possible recruitment could they?

Cissnei patted his arm. "Don't worry. The idiot is trying to compliment you. He just means that to get into the Turks, you generally have to get the amused or impressed attention of one of them."

Cloud nodded, curious, and also not, about what each of the three of them had done to catch the attention of the Turks.

The Turks then proceeded to ask him a slew of questions. Everything from what his favorite color was to whether or not he cared what the missing act of Loveless was. Their food came, and the conversation kept going as though they weren't eating. Zack didn't say much while the Turks bombarded him with all their random questions and Cloud couldn't even call them on being nosy because at least one of them answered every question that he did. It was as the meal wound down that the questions got weirder.

Rude, in one of his rare moments of speaking, asked, "What do you think of bombs?"

"Bombs?" Cloud repeated, wondering if it was a reference to his blowing up two reactors and a mansion.

Rude just readjusted his sunglasses and nodded.

Slowly, Cloud said, "I've never really given bombs much thought." He paused. "I guess they're useful for blowing stuff up."

Rude nodded as though satisfied with the answer. Then he asked, "What about hand-to-hand combat?"

Cloud frowned. Was Rude trying to relate by talking about his own interests? It was weird, whatever it was. "I always did better with a gun in the infantry. In martial arts training I was fast but couldn't really take any hits." His stamina had been laughably low before his mako enhancements.

Reno snorted a laugh. "You should probably train with someone who's smaller and faster than that lurkin' giant of a Soldier friend you have."

"Hey," Zack whined indignantly. "I could teach him just fine.

Reno just brushed that off with a scoff and asked Cloud, "What do you think about electricity?"

Cloud didn't miss the sharp, calculating glint in Reno's otherwise amused eyes. Cautiously, he asked, "Like lightning?" He couldn't remember if he was supposed to know about Reno's mag rod and so opted for ignorance.

"Sure," Reno said, smirk stretching wider, "like lightning."

Having absolutely no idea what anyone was supposed to think about lightning or electricity in general, Cloud offered, "Flashy?"

Zack burst out laughing while Reno snickered, shaking his head. Rude said, "Flashy is for bombs."

Cloud gave a slight smile, unsure if he wanted to ask what the inside joke was.

It was Cissnei who moved them along, ushering the lot of them out of the restaurant and confiscating all the Pharmacy Coupons, much to Zack's obvious distress. Cloud didn't care after Cissnei refused to tell Zack what she was going to do with them.

As Cloud edged his way into movement, the others followed, obviously not entirely invested in Zack and Cissnei's argument. Cloud led them to a small, open-air stall around the side of the dress shop. Reno made a lot of noise about the bemused shop owner's array of goggles and bought a pair identical to Cloud's. In a surprising move, Rude bought four pairs of sunglasses. Zack managed to find a ridiculous pair of joke spectacles that made his eyes look bloodshot and crazy. When paired with his manic grin, Zack looked about to go off the deep end by means of a killing spree. Cloud shuddered, unable to decide if he would hate to be around when Zack managed to run around with his Buster Sword looking like that. It might be fun to watch everyone else panic but he didn't think Zack would let Cloud get away without being threatened himself.

Cloud only paid half attention as the group wandered. He was more prone to following the sense of his apparent stalker. The possible Tsviet hadn't left while Cloud and the others were eating, nor had they entered the restaurant. Whoever it was, was still content just to observe.

Cloud and the others looped their way around to near Don Corneo's mansion to find a small festival of sorts going on. Cloud scowled and the many stands and milling people. It was probably a front on the Don's part for selling a bunch of girls or drugs or something. Cloud couldn't wait until he crossed off some of the more important players on his hit list so he could get to ridding Midgar of the local crime boss.

Whatever the reason for the festivities, Zack and the Turks didn't care. They dragged Cloud along with them to explore. Zack and Cissnei both were distracted by a weapon's vendor and Reno had to be forcibly removed from a fireworks stand. Cissnei bought a thin string of beads to work into her hair sometime later, and Rude seemed content to follow everyone around and help keep anyone from getting distracted in any one place for too long. Cloud managed to finally spot his follower. His heart kicked up a notch when he recognized pitch black eyes and lanky black hair framing pale features.

Cloud waited until all three Turks were distracted with some game stand and were trying to outdo each other by tossing rings onto bottle tops—Cissnei was winning by a large margin—to talk to Zack.

"I'm going to go grab a snack," Cloud said, catching Zack's attention. "You want anything?"

"I'll come with," Zack said.

Cloud waved a hand dismissively. "I'm just going to that stand there." He pointed at the food stand his stalker was standing by. "Watch the Turks. I think they might start accusing each other of cheating if they don't have an outside referee."

Zack hesitated, eying the Turks, eying Cloud, and eying the somehow offensive food stand, and appeared to think.

And think.

And think some more.

The Soldier gave a quick nod and said, "Surprise me if you want. Don't get lost."

Cloud chuckled and turned toward away from him. He felt Zack's stare on his back and decided to ignore it. The Soldier was likely to watch him the entire time.

Cloud didn't immediately made for the stalker, making a show of examining the menu on the board suspended from the food stand's sign. The jagged sense of presence in the back of his mind crackled softly the nearer he got. When he finally managed to shuffle around enough to stand near the other, he said, "Hello, Nero."

The Tsviet made no verbal acknowledgement, instead opting to slip his hands into his pockets and shift to give Cloud a glimpse of guns. If Cloud watched closely, he could also see faint hints of the glowing lines of the mako suit beneath Nero's plain clothes.

Cloud asked, "You here to do anything besides stalk me?"

"I haven't decided," came the quiet answer. "What are you doing with them?" Neither had to look to know Nero meant Zack and the others.

"Distracting them," Cloud said. "You going to tell them about me?"

"Not yet." Nero's eyes studied him intently, seemingly searching for something. "Are you threatening my brother?"

"No." Cloud tried to at least decide on something from the menu so he could order it.

When he didn't offer another question, Nero did. "Who is?"

Cloud scoffed quietly. "You should already know the person most likely to do that."

Nero's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What's the deadfall?"

"A failsafe," Cloud answered vaguely.

Nero's head tilted speculatively. "So if the restrictors…," he trailed off. Picking up again, he said, "Then all of us would—"

A slight shake of Cloud's head cut him off. Cloud said, "Only Weiss."

A couple dark sparks buzzed to life around Nero before disappearing just as suddenly.

Cloud sighed and ordered some random snack he'd never heard of. He just hoped it wasn't chopped up sewer monster.

While Cloud waited for his mystery snack, Nero said, "Your power doesn't feel like the Soldiers exactly, or the experiments." He paused. "Nor even like myself and the others."

One side of Cloud's mouth kicked up. "I'm not born from Chaos' darkness," he whispered, "or negative Lifestream."

"You're certainly well informed," Nero said, hints of dryness coloring his tone.

"Necessity for survival."

Nero seemed to hesitate before asked, "What are you really doing with them?" Again, referring to Zack and the others.

"Keeping the vice president, Sephiroth, and the Turks distracted while I do as much damage control as I can before my flimsy ruse goes up in smoke." Cloud paused. "And Zack's my friend. I'm trying to work him into the idea of what I'm doing to keep him from thinking he has to kill me." And there went one more piece of information with the potential to stop the whole charade. All Nero had to do was tell anyone affiliated with Shinra Company and Cloud would definitely be on the run, sans Zack's friendship.

Nero frowned. "A friend. Like a brother it seems."

Cloud thought about answering automatically—Nero was obsessed with protecting his own brother after all—but thought better of it. Nero was also good at leaping to conclusions and wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone and anything that might even obliquely threaten Weiss.

After a moment, Cloud said, "Zack's the closest thing to a brother I've ever had."

Nero watched silently as Cloud took the purple colored snack from the vendor. Cloud scowled at the supposed food, wondering if it would look strange if he tossed it and just went back empty handed.

Nero's words drew his attention though. "A brother for a brother then?"

"That's not what I meant," Cloud snapped quietly.

"I know," Nero snapped back, eyes narrow. "Whether you realized it or not, you showed me your brother to prove you know what I think about mine." He paused. "I'll watch for now. I'll keep Weiss from…triggering this…deadfall. If you're lying, I'll kill you."

Cloud smirked at that, and turned back toward Zack and the Turks. None of the Tsviets could touch Cloud in the future. They didn't stand a chance in the past. At least the meeting had gone well. Nero hadn't tried to kill him and only made subtle threats. It was an improvement over getting shot at or sucked into Chaos' black oblivion.

Expression losing its intensity as he neared the others, he tossed Zack his purple snack. "Here."

Zack eyed the thing warily. "What is this, Cloud?" Even the Turks paused in their game to look.

Cloud shrugged. "I have no idea."

"You know," Zack said, licking the purple thing, "this is really fun. Don't you think so, Spike?"

Cloud shrugged again. Unsure of what to make of the smiling Turks.

"Next time," Zack continued, "we should invite Sephiroth, too. He doesn't get out much for playing purposes."

Cloud froze at the suggestion.

Reno nodded, full blown smirk in place. "I'd like to see the great an' mighty silver general eat whatever the hell that purple thing is. I'll have to bring my camera."

Cloud had no idea how to behave around Sephiroth should Zack actually decide to go through with that threat. Cloud wasn't quite so happy with the way the evening went anymore.

"Don't look so spooked," Zack said, patting Cloud's head. "Sephiroth isn't so bad once you get to know him."

Two hours later, sure that he'd finally managed to lose Nero, Cloud returned to Aerith's house. Elmyra was nowhere to be seen. The three other humans were around the table and Nanaki was curled under the stairs in his customary place, apparently asleep. Cloud sat in the empty seat and leaned forward, letting his forehead connect with a solid thunk on the table.

Aerith giggled. "Dare I ask how your play date went? Vincent and Nanaki said you would be meeting with Reno and the others."

"It went fine," Cloud said. He pulled the bandana off, freeing his hair, then tugged the goggles down and away from his face so they hung loosely around his neck.

"Of course," Aerith said, "that's why you're making close friends with the table top."

Cloud sat up with a glare for everyone in the room and the universe in general. Aerith looked a hairs breadth away from giggling again. Tseng looked perplexed. If Cloud didn't know any better, he'd say Vincent had a spark of amusement in his eyes.

"The Turks asked weird questions about what I think about bombs and electricity, and Zack wants to invite Sephiroth the next time we meet up."

"That could prove…awkward," Tseng said. "The general isn't the most socially adept of individuals." A slight smile flashed across the Turk's features. "When we have time, remind me to tell you about his comments and questions and general narrative on the footage from Tuesti's Cait Sith robot."

Grumpily, Cloud said, "I'm more thinking about how to be around a man that makes me want to show him up." At the questioning glances from the other three, Cloud shifted uncomfortably. "I know I've been trying to sound egocentric with a bit of megalomania, but I may have been a bit dramatic when we talked. The more I think about it, the more it seems like he was looking at me like he thought I was being stupid. I think it was making me try harder."

"But you'd be Cloud this time," Aerith said with a much softer, less amused smile. "You wouldn't have to prove anything, like you think the CS Delivery side of you needs to."

Tseng nodded. "The general would probably appreciate your more reserved nature. He's not overly talkative himself. And if he asks anything even remotely related to societal norms or customs, rituals as he usually calls them, he appreciates honest answers."

Cloud's eyes widened a little. The Turk was giving him social advice concerning the general? Deciding to ignore that for the moment, Cloud eyed Vincent. "You're being awfully quiet."

Vincent arched one elegant brow. "I have no interest in speculating on Sephiroth's social competence or behavior." His tone sounded flat, but Cloud could hear the implied snark.

Instead of calling the gunman on it, Cloud said, "The one who's been following me is Nero."

Vincent lifted his head at that. "To ask about your message?"

Cloud nodded. "He pretty much told me he's keeping an eye on me."

There wasn't anything Cloud could think of to fill the following silence with.

Aerith asked, "Are you leaving in the morning?"

"We won't make it to Wutai in time if we don't."

"What are you going to do about the Avalanche base?" Tseng asked, taking a sip of his tea.

Cloud frowned, staring at the Turk, absently noting the others do the same. Even Nanaki had roused at some point and was sitting up with interest. Cloud asked, "What Avalanche base?"

Tseng's expression flattened. "The base in Wutai."

Frown morphing into a scowl, Cloud asked, "What base in Wutai?" He didn't remember anything about a base in Wutai. Wutai was Wutai. They had their Crescent Unit and the fallout from the Wutai war. He knew there was Avalanche activity in Cosmo Canyon, but he'd avoided that by speaking with Bugenhagen and Nanaki directly, and not staying for more than a night.

"What do you mean, 'What base in Wutai'?" Tseng asked.

"I mean, what base in Wutai?" Cloud demanded, voice rising in volume.

Tseng narrowed his eyes. "You expect me to believe you know the classified things you do and not know about the Wutai Avalanche base?"

Glaring right back, Cloud said, "It's not like you or Rufus sat me down and explained the whole of Turk activities over the course of ten years. You fed Aerith and me random little bits in attempt to manipulate me. I got more out of Reno when he came to Tifa's bar to get drunk than I ever got out of anyone else." Hands clenching, Cloud demanded, "What base in Wutai?"

Tseng remained stiff, but appeared to back down as his expression relaxed slightly. "It's as simple as it sounds. Avalanche has a base in Wutai in Lord Kisaragi's village. He's doing what he can to aid their anti-Shinra sentiments and supplying additional funding to their operation."

Cloud glowered at his empty teacup. He didn't realize he'd have competition in Wutai. He'd just have to see about fixing that.

AN: Any and all random author's comments, disclaimers, and notes are on my profile page. If I get asked a question enough times, its answer is there too.