Note: Taking the time to rework these a little before publishing is great. I'm much prouder of this chapter now!

Published on: 01/16/2016.

Chapter 14

The plan to abduct President Shinra was a failure. The Turks' involvement had been discovered and, though most of them had made it out of Deepground's grasp in time, they too were now wanted criminals.

And as the grand finale to Sephiroth's streak of bad news, Rain had decided to hate his guts.

"Look," the most famous SOLDIER on the Planet all but pleaded as he followed the time traveller's power walk down one of the corridors of their safehouse in Kalm. "I'm just trying to thank you for your help. You did save our lives back there."

Rain stopped and whirled on him. His eyes flashed in anger.

"You are welcome," he said in a seething tone that implied he was anything but. "And for the record: I'm never, never doing that again. Not in a million years, not for the whole damned Planet. So unless you liked the darkness, I suggest you actually watch your ass next time we run into Nero."

He was gone before he could formulate a reply. Sephiroth sighed and pinched his brow in frustration. He turned back to the youngest Strife, waiting behind him with a sympathetic wince.

"I'm sorry, sir," the teenager said.

Sephiroth waved off the unwarranted apology.

"I don't suppose you know what set him off this time?"

Strife shrugged awkwardly.

"I wish I did. He's been acting really weird ever since he woke up. Getting him to talk is like pulling teeth. I heard what you guys said happened, but if I try to ask him about it, about how he managed to get you out of there, he just gets this weird look and completely forget I'm here to start pacing."

"I just wish I knew what I did to earn this treatment," Sephiroth growled. "I thought we had gotten past this."

"Well, if it's any comfort, I don't think he's angry with you. In fact, I don't think he's angry at all. He's just… spooked. Really spooked."

He tilted his head, considering. No one could pretend to understand what went on in Rain's head better than his "little brother". If Strife thought he was lashing out out of fear, he was probably right.

"You think I should give him some space?"

"That would be best. He'll have a breakdown or two about it, then he'll remember he has other, actual world-ending problems on his hands and you can, uh, do exactly what you did last time he went in one of his moods."

Sephiroth's lips quirked.

"Target his blind spot?"

"That seemed to work really well," Strife chuckled.

He huffed in amusement.

"Very well, I will bid my time. Tell him we're having a meeting in half an hour."

"Yes sir." Strife snapped him a salute that was only half joking and went to do as asked.

At least, regardless of any personal crisis, Rain dutifully turned up for the strategic session. They gathered in the safehouse basement, the only room big enough to accommodate them all. It doubled as a garage and probably ran under a few of the neighbouring houses considering the impressive amount of vehicles and equipment the Turks had stored there.

Lazard was present, if only because he had nowhere else to go. Genesis, still pale from their ordeal the day before, stuck close to Angeal's side. Their friend didn't seem any more ready than him to let him out of his sight. Zack watched them worriedly even as he kept an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. Rain came in nearly last and slunk with Vincent in the shadows behind Strife and the Lockhart girl. Sephiroth noted his arrival even as he made sure to keep his eyes averted.

He glanced at everyone assembled, surprised to find that Tseng had yet to join them. The Turk was usually very punctual.

The basement door finally opened one last time, but instead of the single man they had expected, two came in.

"Veld," Sephiroth said, straightening and moving to greet the leader of the Turks.

"Sephiroth," the man returned, shaking his hand with a firm grip he had always respected. He had forgone the black suit his department favoured, but did not appear any less stern. "Given the situation, I thought I would come liaise with you in person."

"Of course. Thank you for granting us the use of this building. We were about to begin."

Veld nodded and stood to the side, Tseng only ever one step from his shoulder. He caught Lazard's eye. SOLDIER's ex-director nodded in greeting and nervously pushed his glasses farther up his nose in a transparent excuse to break eye contact.

Sephiroth noted the exchange and returned his attention to the matter at end.

"Our operation yesterday was a failure," he said without bothering with any adornments. "The President was long gone by the time we made it there. Do the Turks know if he had any tip-off?"

Veld turned back to him.

"It is more probable that he had moved away out of general paranoia long before we ever devised this plan. For months before Deepground's reveal, the President had actually been more and more careful with calling executives to his office. I cannot even tell for sure when he was last seen there."

"Then where will he have gone? Would Deepground's Mako Reactor 0 be a sound theory?"

This question he aimed at Rain. Although he looked sullen, he nodded.

"I don't see why not. It's hard to reach and he would be surrounded by thousands of guards completely devoted to his protection. Sounds like a place he'd be dying to go these days."

"Thousands?" Zack exclaimed. "How many poor bastards are in Deepground?"

Rain hesitated.

"I'm not sure," he said finally. "Maybe I'm exaggerating the numbers."

Sephiroth took that to mean he had no idea which fraction of Deepground was already as he remembered and which one would have been built in the incoming years.

"In that case, it's too dangerous to attempt to reach him down there, at least until we have more information on their defences. We need to change our angle."

"That means going after the Restrictors," Tseng pointed out.

Sephiroth glanced pointedly at Rain. The man sighed, but acquiesced.

"We need to keep at least one alive."

"One should make them more manageable than four," Genesis said. "All that's left is to pin them down."

"Deepground will be expanding," Lazard cut in. "They've already got Midgar and Junon under their thumb, but they've been sending troops to more and more cities, along with small battalions of regular infantrymen and SOLDIERs. The ones you call 'Restrictors' have established themselves as field commanders. I only ever saw three of them, though."

"We can assume the President will be keeping the fourth close by," Veld suggested.

"We'll need some way to smoke him out," Sephiroth agreed. "Getting rid of the other three seems a fair strategy. We'll watch Shinra's troops and attack where they don't expect it. Ideally, targeting all three of them at the same time would give us the advantage of surprise. Veld…"

The Turk nodded.

"You can count on us. Even without our resources, we are Turks. My men will know every troop movement before it even occurs."

"Thank you. Zack, Kunsel is our only inside man left."

"Yeah, no problem. Kunsel always keeps his ear to the ground. Now that he can contact me, I'll keep you updated."

"Very well. Then we are done for now. Let's all rest and prepare for the days to come."

"Rain?"

He flinched before he could help it. However, he realised even as he turned around that this voice wasn't the one he sought to avoid at all costs. Aerith smiled bemusedly at him. He relaxed.

"You seem a little tense," she teased. "Are you alright?"

He shrugged and glanced around them.

The others had deserted the basement after the meeting. The man named Veld had attempted to come talk to him, probably as curious about him and his origin as any other Turk he had met so far, but surprisingly, Vincent had headed him off at the pass. Rain had seen the way Veld's eyes had widened with something like recognition when he had looked at his friend. They must have known each other from Vincent's Turk days. They were off in a corner of the garage now, talking in hushed voices.

Rain granted them their privacy by staying a fair distance away, though he too had chosen to stay down and busy himself with checking the condition of the various cars and motorcycles. He had seen Sephiroth leave with Lazard and decided here was just as good a place as any in the too small house.

He leaned against the front of the jeep whose bonnet he had just opened.

"I'm fine. Just a bit jumpy," he added when she tilted her head with a patient look that said she didn't believe him.

She hummed noncommittally.

"You know," she wheedled, "whatever you did the other day, the Planet didn't like it…"

He groaned in dismay. Of course the Planet would have an opinion on that. She seemed to have an opinion on anything pertaining to Sephiroth and him, these days.

"Yeah, well, I'm never doing it again, so…" he said, more curt than he had intended.

Luckily, Aerith didn't take offence. She laid a soothing hand on his arm.

"It's okay. You did what you had to do. The Planet may not understand this, but I do. You saved two people. That makes you a good person, not a bad one."

Her view was simplistic and didn't even begin to address the real issue here, but he still felt himself wind down under her approval. He nodded gratefully. It had been a while since he had had the opportunity to spend time with Aerith like this, and now he remembered why talking to her had always been so easy.

"How are you doing, Aerith?"

"Oh, you know… I'm managing."

She paced a few feet away, looking over the cars. Rain's heart went out to her. Just like Tifa and Cloud, she was much too young to be involved in such a mess. Her two friends at least had combat training, and what Tifa lacked in worldly knowledge, she made up for in attitude. But Aerith had none of that. She depended entirely on them for her survival.

"I'm sorry I dragged you in this," he whispered guiltily.

"Don't be silly," she said, whirling on him. "I want to be here. Who else would make sure you all stay out of trouble? I have to watch over Zack, or he'll get distracted and never finish my flower wagon."

Always trying to cheer everyone up. Rain pushed off the jeep.

"We should find you a weapon."

"Oh no." She shook her head, her eyes wide. "No, no. Fighting is not for me, Rain."

"To defend yourself," he pleaded. "You don't have to kill. A staff would be okay. Zack and I could train you."

She had been completely at ease with a staff when he had met her, very proficient even, but he swallowed the words back. He wasn't going to force his expectations of them on anyone, he had promised himself that.

"Well, I… I don't know. I'd rather… No, it's silly," she sighed. "You're right, I can't count on someone else always being there to save me. I don't want to be a burden."

He cut her off by prodding her gently in the ribs, teasing a giggle out of her.

"You could never be a burden, Aerith," he told her sincerely. "What were you going to say?"

She clasped her hands and gnawed at her bottom lip.

"I just… I was thinking if I could be useful without fighting… But that's just wishful thinking, I know. Life doesn't work like that."

He stared at her, long enough that most people would have become uncomfortable. Maybe it would be okay to break his promise, just this once.

"You know…" he hesitated. "You have a power that none of us have…"

"You mean, talking to the Planet? That's not really useful in most situations, though. Is it?"

"She could heal," he blurted out.

He would have regretted it, but for the way her eyes widened in fascination. Still, he took a step back and a deep breath.

He avoided talking to anyone about their future selves. Zack had tried to prod once, jokingly, but had quickly backed up when he had found himself unable to answer, his throat too clogged up to even make a sound. How did you confess to someone you should have been the cause of their death?

"Future me? She could…"

"Heal without a Materia," he confirmed. "Better than someone with a Materia. Using her connection to the Planet."

"Oh… Was that useful?"

"It was very useful," he assured her. "It was very hard for us after—"

He cut himself off abruptly, cursing his tongue for running off on him at such a time. Had he really nearly mentioned her death so carelessly? How much of a callous idiot could he be?

He only realised it had become hard to breathe when Aerith hugged him out of the blue and the knot of panic in his chest loosened. When she looked at him, her eyes held the ageless compassion and wisdom of her people. It was the first time he saw that look in this young a face, but he felt foolish.

Aerith probably understood a lot more of his past than what he was saying. He shouldn't forget that she had felt the death of her adopted mother's husband when she was still just a child. Young Aerith may be, but she wasn't sheltered. She knew more about loss, hope, pain and joy than one would have given her credit for.

She smiled at him before withdrawing.

"I'll try that, then," she said like he hadn't nearly had a nervous breakdown. "That's something I'd very much want to learn. Even though I'm not sure how to start…"

She stared at him, gently drawing him back to the present by forcing him to focus on her unasked question.

"I… I don't know how she did it. I don't think I would have understood, even if she had tried to explain."

She hummed, pensive, and took to walking around, hands linked behind her back. He followed her.

"It's a bit lonely," she confessed in a soft voice. "Not having anyone to ask for advice about this…"

A flash of inspiration stopped Rain in his tracks.

"I don't know any other Cetra," he said. "But I know where to find someone who knows a lot about the Planet and the Lifestream."

Veld's appearance had clearly shaken Lazard. Sephiroth had taken him aside to reassure him that the Turks knew better than to turn an ally away now, even if they were aware of his old offences against the company, which was uncertain. It only half seemed to work, though. Sephiroth supposed he could understand. Lazard had little to offer to the cause except information that would soon become outdated.

It was something of a relief when Zack joined them in the house's study and the conversation turned to SOLDIER. However, the change of mood didn't last long.

"It's not just Kunsel," Zack said, face unusually grim. He was doing squats, as he was wont to do when he couldn't find it in himself to stay still. "I just hate the idea that we left all the guys behind. We saw how Deepground treated Rain when we infiltrated, and HQ was nearly empty. Can you imagine how hard everyone must have it the rest of the time?"

"It's been… a problem," Lazard admitted, and though he struggled to stay composed Sephiroth heard his voice waver a little.

Zack must have noticed too, because he froze mid-move.

"Lazard?"

The director sighed and bent over his knees, fingers laced before him. The light reflected off his glasses, hiding his eyes. For a while, he stayed silent.

"If you feel guilty over this, how much worse do you think I have it? I abandoned my post, abandoned them all. No matter my griefs against the company, I had a duty to SOLDIER; I failed them. It would have been different if any of you had still been there. You would have picked up the pieces. But there is no one they can trust, now. They were certainly wrong to trust me."

An unwelcome prickle of remorse made its way up Sephiroth's spine.

He tried to shake it off. He firmly believed that every man and woman was responsible for their own choices, their own fate. He refused to be accountable for anyone's but his own.

However, many of these men had been inspired to join Shinra by his example. He could have served the company with less zeal. He could have left sooner. It had been his decision to preserve the status quo for as long as he had.

He resisted the urge to slam a fist on the arm of his armchair, suddenly angry.

"Enough," he snapped. "We could drown in useless shame or actually work on resolving the problem. The only thing we can do for them now is get rid of Deepground."

Zack and Lazard stared, taken aback by his temper. Zack laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

"Ah… Haha… I guess we sounded like real defeatists right now. Sorry Sephiroth."

Did he believe Sephiroth unaffected? He didn't correct him, too frustrated at himself. Their little revolution needed him to be strong and decisive, not crippled by self-doubt. It was just as well if no one realized the admonishment was also aimed at himself.

Which was of course when he looked up and found Cloud in the doorway.

The man was staring too, but with a different flavour than Zack and Lazard. There was surprise in his eyes, and a hint of something else that promptly disappeared when he remembered he didn't actually want to feel anything positive toward Sephiroth right now. Nevertheless, Sephiroth had the sinking feeling he had been seen right through.

Cloud took one step in the study. The others turned at his entrance.

"What is Cosmo Canyon's current situation?" he asked Lazard, effectively dousing Sephiroth's hope that he might be approaching him of his own volition.

Lazard blinked.

"Cosmo Canyon? Well, last I heard, there was no immediate plan to send troops there… It's small and devoid of any precious resource or strategic importance. I doubt they will bother for a while."

Cloud nodded, looking relieved. The young Miss Gainsborough, who had been hovering behind him, stepped up to his side. Her appearance surprised Sephiroth. She held herself differently, a novel trace of steel in her spine.

"I'd like to go there," she said.

"Go to Cosmo Canyon?" Zack repeated, and Sephiroth could tell he was baffled as much by the request as by the fresh determination in his girlfriend's eyes. "What do you want with that place? There is nothing out there."

"There is two people Rain tells me could help me learn more about my Cetra abilities. I know it's hardly the best time to bother you all about this, but… as it is, all I'll be able to do in the fights to come is hide and pray everyone will be okay. And I can do that just as well from Cosmo Canyon."

"You can't just go there alone!" Zack argued, approching her.

He was sending loaded glances at Cloud, incredulous and maybe a bit angry. Cloud blushed in return, but tipped his chin in stubbornness.

Sephiroth felt unnerved. He had observed strange dynamics between these three since the very start, although he had stayed out of it since it didn't concern him in the least. Now, though, it left him a bit sick in the stomach. There was no way this could end well, and they had too much to do to lose time to petty romantic struggles.

"I'll be fine! You heard Mr Deusericus, it's not dangerous."

For all of Aerith's bravado, it escaped no one that her voice shook a little.

"Yeah, for now! Plus you can't travel alone, you know nearly nothing about the world outside Midgar," Zack countered, hitting her main fear if her hesitation was any indication.

"I can accompany her," Cloud said.

"Absolutely not," Sephiroth rebuked instantly. "I need you here, prepared to move with us at any time. Your knowledge of Deepground is too precious to waste."

Cloud glared at him, but he met his eyes without flinching. The man was clearly gearing up for an argument. After a moment, though, he seemed to grudgingly concede that it was a reasonable demand.

"Then Cloud and Tifa," he ground out. "I'd rather send them away from the main cities anyway."

Sephiroth considered it with a pensive hum.

"Good point. We don't know how long this place will stay safe for us."

"But, Aerith…!" Zack pleaded, faced with abandonment from all sides.

"Zack, please… It's something I have to do. I'll be careful, okay? And I'll have Cloud and Tifa with me, plus Rain's friends. We'll be fine."

Zack wavered for a long minute, but finally caved under his girlfriend's kind green eyes. He heaved a huge sigh.

"Alright, if it's so important to you… I'd like to come with…"

"No, you do what you need to do," she said, smiling. "People are counting on you here. Your friend Kunsel is still waiting. I will be fine, and you will be too, and before you know it we'll go back to check on the flowers and have you finish that wagon."

"Yes ma'am."

He snapped her a mock salute. She pecked him on the cheek with a giggle and towed him out of the room, presumably to go find Strife and Lockhart. Zack went with one last unreadable look at Cloud.

Cloud himself quickly escaped to the corridor with barely a polite nod and a paranoid glance at Sephiroth. No doubt, he expected to be called back.

Sephiroth stared after him and kept silent.

Aerith, Tifa and Cloud departed the next day in one of the cars with the promise to check in regularly with Zack or Rain.

Rain had thought about asking Vincent to go with them too, but had stopped himself. He couldn't coddle Cloud and Tifa. They knew how to defend themselves, and they would never forgive him if he tried to deny it just because they were unenhanced. He needed to let them find their own feet, grow up and become the adults they were meant to be. Besides, they would meet with Nanaki soon enough. He and Bugenhagen would watch over them.

While the three teenagers leaving meant the small safehouse became less claustrophobic for its remaining inhabitants, it also became more solemn. Everyone was on edge, ready for action as soon as it would become necessary.

Zack in particular seemed to suffer from the lack of light conversation. To relax a bit, he finally coaxed Rain into that sparring match he had agreed on before the whole Deepground debacle.

Rain had not had a friendly spar with anyone in years… long enough that he didn't even remember it. He usually fought to survive, not for fun. But to his surprise, fighting Zack was fun. He had had a long time to develop his own techniques since Zack's memories had first become part of his soul. As a result, their styles were similar but different enough to make the whole thing challenging. He was in a good enough mood that he didn't even react when he noticed Sephiroth in the basement, watching them from the sidelines.

By the time they decided to put an end to it, they were both smiling and coated in a light sheen of sweat. Whatever anger Zack may have still held against him for sending Aerith away seemed forgotten. He was glad. For all he loved Zack, Aerith had strength of her own and she deserved the right to make informed decisions.

"That was cool! We should do that more often," Zack said, grabbing the hand he was holding out to help him back on his feet.

"Sure. Tomorrow?"

"You know it!"

Zack clapped him on the shoulder and bounded up the stairs. Rain sheathed his swords and started after him.

"Was he your teacher?"

Sephiroth's voice stopped him in his tracks. His expression shuttered. He had thought by now they had an unspoken agreement to ignore each other. It had certainly held true the past few days.

"What?"

"Zack. Your style is remarkably close to his."

He couldn't have known what a sore point he was prodding with this line of questioning, but it didn't stop Rain from resenting him. A stiff shrug was the only answer he gave.

There was a second of silence. He was about to consider himself home free and proceed on his way out when Sephiroth sighed. He risked a glance at him over his shoulder, surprised by the depth of frustration the man had just let slip. Sephiroth was leaning against one of the cars, arms crossed and head bowed. As soon as Rain looked at him, his thin lips and taut brow smoothed out and he straightened, slipping with ease in the role of the distant leader.

For the first time, Rain realized how much of his usually hidden personality Sephiroth displayed to their close-knit group. The idea jarred him badly.

"Nevermind. We need to discuss something."

He turned, mutely giving him his attention.

"When Tseng's warning comes, we'll need to move quickly. We need to strike three Restrictors simultaneously. That means three teams, and fortunately, there are six of us. I had assumed you would remain adamant in sticking close to me, but your attitude belies your initial statement of intention. If you can't stomach going alone with me on this mission, I need to know so I can make the necessary adjustments to the plan."

Panic briefly rushed to his head. He hadn't thought of that. As long as they remained here, they could avoid each other to their heart's content, and they had the others to play buffer on the rare occasions they couldn't. But on the road? While they fought the Restrictor?

He deflated, effectively doused.

"No," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head in unease. "I'll be… It's fine."

Sephiroth arched a doubtful eyebrow.

"Are you certain? Up until now, we've fought well together, but we can't afford to be distracted for this."

"It's fine, Sephiroth!"

He cut himself off, realizing he was raising his voice.

His sigh was explosive. He strode to a nearby car and perched on its front, feet braced on the bumper. Sephiroth once more leaned back, content to wait in silence while he searched for words.

"I'm not really angry with you," he said finally, and it felt like dragging shards of glass from his throat.

Sephiroth nodded. He wasn't looking at him, instead staring straight ahead.

"I mean, I know objectively you didn't do anything wrong, I just…"

He trailed off, unsure of what he was trying to say.

"Find me to be a convenient outlet for your anger?" Sephiroth suggested.

"What?" he gaped, horrified. "No. No, Sephiroth, this is not… I'm not looking for a scapegoat or… Just, no."

Sephiroth turned to him then. Rain forced himself not to shy away from eye contact, however much he wanted to. After a careful examination, Sephiroth said:

"Then this is about my future self."

There was no point in denying it, not when he sounded so sure of his conclusion, and not when Rain couldn't even repress a shudder in response. He looked down. The remains of his mental shields, hastily patched together, burned at the back of his mind. His mouth tasted like ash.

"I'm doing my best to understand your point of view, Cloud, so please try to return the courtesy. Being held responsible for the acts another version of myself committed—"

"I know," he muttered. "I do. I'm trying."

"You weren't trying very hard these last few days."

He cringed. No matter how much he'd like to deny it, Sephiroth was right. He had been unfair and unreasonable, had showered him with unwarranted aggressiveness, and in return Sephiroth had been nothing but patient. He had given him space until it had become necessary to call him on his bullshit, and even then, he had done so with more tolerance than Rain had earned.

He should apologize, he knew. Yet the words remained stuck in his throat.

He stared at his hands, opened and closed them a few times.

"I know you all wonder what I am," he said abruptly. "Since I am neither SOLDIER nor Deepground."

Sephiroth stared at him, baffled, but apparently elected to humour him.

"Correct. Our leading theory is that you are the product of a unique experiment, similar to Genesis, Angeal and I."

He made a distressed sound. A sad parody of a smile twisted his lips.

"No. Nothing even as deliberate as that."

Sephiroth frowned. Unable to face him, Rain got up to pace. He couldn't believe he was talking about this. Sephiroth was the worst person to reveal this to. And yet, he heard himself go on.

"Do you know why Hojo is so desperate to get you back, Sephiroth? It's because out of the three of you, you're the only one whose DNA makes cloning, creating copies, impossible."

He came to a stuttering halt and gulped.

"But if you're ever lost to him, it won't stop him from trying."

"I… don't understand what you're trying to say, Cloud," Sephiroth said, but his voice wavered for a second.

"Don't you?"

He made no reply to that. No sound, not a word. But when Rain dared to glance at him, he was not prepared for what he saw.

Because he had expected outrage from Sephiroth, he had expected his contempt for Hojo to flare up. He had not expected the smooth skin to turn such a chalky white, nor the terrible understanding with which the man suddenly regarded him.

"We… have a connection," Sephiroth said in a voice he barely recognized.

Rain found his throat was sore, his chest too tight. A strange emotion gripped him.

It felt like gratitude.

Sephiroth's horror was tangible and he had never been so pitifully grateful in his life.

It's why his next words were out of his mouth before he could think about it, before he could realize how foolish an admission it was, how dangerous.

"He used it to control me."

He waited for the fear to strike, the panic at having handed his worst ennemy such a perfect weapon. But Sephiroth flinched like he had struck him and he could have collapsed from the relief.

"Cloud! I would never… I would never…"

Had he ever seen this man at such a loss for words?

"Swear you won't," Rain said, and the order vibrated with so much of his soul he felt raw and exposed.

Sephiroth straightened and looked at him with searing green eyes in a too pale face.

"I will never invade your mind, Cloud, nor will I ever force you to act against your will. You have my word."

It was just that: words. They didn't have to mean anything, especially not in that mouth. But suddenly, the world was a little bit brighter, a little bit warmer.

"I believe you," Cloud Strife said in a baffled whisper.

His hands shook as he turned away. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the vast basement. Then the creak of the stairs, the click of the door opening. The latch as it closed. Silence.

He remembered to breathe.

Tseng reported only a few short hours later.

"There has been more and more unrest in Wutai since Deepground came to light. The situation is becoming critical. Wutai has hardly had enough time to settle after the war ended in February. Shinra would have waited to have a strong enough grip on the West Continent before tackling them, but they can't let it fester anymore. The Restrictor in Midgar is preparing to move out with troops. That leaves only the one in Junon on the East Continent. The third is busy conquering the West Continent one town at a time, but it seems he's encountering resistance in Corel."

"Meaning the troops in Wutai will have no direct supply line," Genesis crowed. "Excellent!"

"This is a golden opportunity," Angeal agreed. "We could hardly have asked for a better chance."

Everyone turned to Sephiroth. Realizing he had kept silent until now, he forced himself to focus. Not staring at Cloud where he stood next to Valentine was a struggle.

"Yes," he said. "Let's move out tonight. All three teams can be in place by the time the troops will set foot in Wutai."

"The Wutai team will need to move quickly," Genesis said, "but once there, it'll be easy to take advantage of the chaos. I'll go."

Angeal immediately frowned. Sephiroth echoed the sentiment. Wutai was where Genesis had deserted Shinra, led by Hollander's lies and his growing sickness of the mind. He had no desire to see him go back there either.

"All three of us are well-known by Wutai's population," he argued. "We don't need them recognizing us and opposing our efforts."

"So I'll go," Zack blessedly jumped in. "I know a little of Wutai, but I didn't participate in much of the war. They won't recognize me."

"Vincent can pass for Wutaian if necessary," Veld added. "He should go with you."

He glanced at Vincent in apology, as if belatedly realizing he should not have talked in his stead, but the ex-Turk nodded, silently accepting the arrangement. If he hadn't been otherwise preoccupied, Sephiroth might have wondered at the exchange.

Genesis grudgingly settled. As it was all very logical, he could not fault them for trying to coddle him. Angeal relaxed and smiled at Sephiroth.

"The other teams?"

As if Sephiroth could not see how little he wanted to be separated from Genesis at this point. Still, he glanced at Cloud with something that he would have been hard-pressed to describe as anything but nerves. The man seemed to have composed himself since their last conversation, but the corner of his eyes were pinched with fresh mental exhaustion. Yet, to his surprise, he attempted a pale shadow of a smile under his scrutiny.

"Still fine."

This was the most benign reaction walking over one of Cloud's triggers had ever earned him. If anything, it appeared that Sephiroth was the most affected one this time around.

Lazard shifted awkwardly next to him, making him realize his silence had been noticed. Genesis looked curious while Zack was glancing between Cloud and him and seemed one moment away from launching in a series of squats.

"How well do you know the West Continent?" he finally asked.

Cloud shrugged.

"Just as well as the East one. I'm used to travelling a lot. Corel is not… I've never been there, but I have… an acquaintance in town."

He was being mindful of Tseng and Veld's sharp ears. An old friend, then. One who would unfortunately not recognize him. Still, it could give them an in with the locals.

"Then we'll go to Corel. Angeal, Genesis, you've got Junon."

Angeal grinned.

"Well, that's at least familiar ground…" Genesis said.

"We keep in contact. Tseng, Veld, Lazard, if you could notify us of anything you can get about the troops in the three locations. Team Wutai, we'll be waiting for your signal to launch the offensive."

"You got it!" Zack agreed, punching his fist in the air.

Sephiroth surveyed his group of ragtag comrades. Three ex-SOLDIERs, three ex-Turks, a bureaucrat and a walking enigma. He had all he needed to change the world.

"Pack up your gear and let's go."