The normally dark basement of Shinra Manor was illuminated with candles and torches as Cyrus led his lieutenants down into the abandoned library. Once he was seated at the desk and turned on the recently-installed computer, he motioned for the first lieutenant to approach him.

"All right, Saion…let's hear your report on Rocket Town."

The man known as Saion bowed deeply before handing over a data disk. Saigon was considered the best sharpshooter in the Collective, and it was easy to see why. Everything about Saion screamed "assassin" from his nearly-emaciated body to his short-cut brown hair. What set him apart from all the others was the way his piercing red eyes stared at someone, as if he was looking through them towards some danger that had yet to reveal itself.

Cyrus inserted the data disk and played the recorded footage of the battle between his Green Dragons and the three individuals who took it upon themselves to protect the town. Of course, Cyrus already knew who these warriors were, but he still wanted an assessment of their abilities from one of his trusted comrades.

Saion cleared his throat once before delivering his report. His voice was flat and emotionless as he started:

"The older man is Cid Highwind, age 36, commander of the WRO's airship fleet. He was at one time a pilot and astronaut with the Shinra Corporation and has designed and helped build most if not all of Shinra's aircraft. As you can see, he's also an accomplished fighter, capable of leaping a great distance and using his spear to impale his enemies. In spite of his age and his addiction to cigarettes, he still has the ability and stamina to stand toe-to-toe with just about any enemy."

"So it would seem," Cyrus thought as he watched Cid leap several feet in the air to come crashing down on one of the dragons. His attention then shifted to the young ninja in the black tank top and khaki shorts as she kept her opponent at bay by tossing her oversized shuriken.

Saion continued, "The girl is Yuffie Kisaragi, age 20, commander of surveillance and espionage for the World Regenesis Organization. She's the only daughter of Godo Kisaragi, and as such is heir to the throne of Wutai. It's said she has an obsession with collecting materia to help Wutai regain its former glory. Even so, she has been training in ninjitsu since she was a child and, in spite of some innate awkwardness, she is a very dangerous opponent at range due to her skill with throwing weapons."

"So young, and yet so deadly…" Cyrus mused. "And I assume that the cat is Reeve's puppet?"

"Cait Sith," Saion replied with a nod. "Reeve built the Cait Sith toysaurus to act as a spy in areas where it was either too dangerous or too obvious for humans to be efficient. When paired with the moogle, Cait Sith is capable of participating in battle. His effectiveness is questionable, but…"

"…it would be unwise to dismiss the machine completely."

Saion nodded in agreement. "Cait Sith also possesses some means of using materia. We are still unsure how it accomplishes the feat."

"That's quite all right. What is important is that we know it can. Thank you, Saion…that'll be all."

"Yes, master," Saion muttered as he bowed and stepped back. Once he stopped, the next of Cyrus's officers stepped into the light and handed over another data disk.

"Ah, Alanye…how was Cosmo Canyon?" Cyrus asked as he uploaded the next disk into his computer.

"Quite dull," Alanya said with a hint of frustration in her voice. "I didn't get the chance to kill anything worth my time."

"I'm sorry to hear that, comrade," Cyrus replied as he gave a wry smile. Alanye, like all his officers, was well-versed in the art of killing. Unlike her comrades, however, Alanya took extreme pleasure in making her opponent bleed and suffer. She studied monsters and developed her own fighting style based on the more brutal species. Even now, as she stood there twirling her frazzled emerald green-dyed hair and swaying back and forth in place, Cyrus knew that the urge to slaughter and kill was rising inside her, just waiting to be satisfied.

"Still, even that has its uses," Cyrus thought as he said, "Tell me what you've learned about Vincent Valentine."

Alanye nodded. "I'm afraid I've learned nothing that we didn't already know. All the reports on his abilities were proven in the fight with the sahagins. He possessed incredible agility and remarkable marksmanship. I dare say he might even be as good as Saion."

Saion scoffed at that remark as Alanye continued, "I couldn't determine if the Chaos gene has been exorcised from Vincent Valentine's body, but even without the power of Chaos he remains a deadly opponent.

"But I found myself more interested in the canyon's sworn protector. He was once a Shinra research subject and was branded with a tattoo of the number thirteen. He's called 'Nanaki' by the locals, but he's also been known to answer to the moniker 'Red XIII.' Regardless of what he's called, he proves to be quite a vicious animal, more than willing to use claw and fang to tear at his opponents. It was quite exciting to watch."

Cyrus laughed a little. From the way Alanye described this "Red XIII," one would've thought that she had some sort of strange animalistic crush on the beast. Or perhaps she wanted to test her ferocity in a battle with it. Either way, it didn't matter to Cyrus. "I see. Very good work, Alanye."

Alanye stumbled back in line with Saion as the last of his lieutenants stepped forward and produced her data disk. Cyrus uploaded the footage from that final disk as he said, "Rei? Your report, please."

Rei, a refuge from Wutai, stood like a statue with her arm crossed behind her. Her long black hair was done up in a ponytail and draped over her left shoulder. Every muscle in her well-toned body twitched in atypical nervousness as she started to give her report.

"The large, dark skinned man is Barret Wallace. He was at one time the leader of AVALANCHE and is now the head foreman for the Corel Mining Co-Op. His right arm was damaged during a Shinra attack and was later replaced with a multi-purpose gun-arm designed by Shalua Rui. He later replaced that original with a more versatile and power variation. As you no doubt can see, the machine gun component of his right arm is capable of firing a large quantity of heavy rounds in very little time. In short, Barret Wallace is a walking, one-man firing squad.

"The woman in black is Tifa Lockhart. She learned martial arts from world-renowned master Zangan at a young age. Since then, she has added to her capabilities by studying various texts and from constant training. Every part of Tifa Lockhart's body can be used as a weapon, as her fight with the local Corel wildlife shows. She is not to be taken lightly."

"I'm sure," Cyrus calmly commented. "And what about Cloud Strife?"

Rei swallowed loudly as she continued, "Cloud Strife, former Shinra infantryman. He was a part of the Jenova Project and was genetically altered as a result. The experiments in concert with the Jenova cells granted him increased strength and fighting ability on par with a First-Class SOLDIER. Against normal monsters, he is nigh untouchable…and ever since he defeated Sephiroth and his Remnants, there are none in the world that can match his swordsmanship or his raw strength."

"Perhaps," Cyrus thought, "but there is more than one way to fight an opponent of superior skill." He then noticed that the blonde-haired swordsman looked directly at him with his glowing Mako eyes.

"So this is why you're so nervous," Cyrus stated as he stood up and grabbed his cane. "They saw you."

Rei nodded and bowed her head in shame. "My back was to the sunset, so I do not believe they were able to get a good look at me. I apologize for my carelessness."

Cyrus walked up to Rei and placed his hand on her shoulder. She was still shaking in fear. "I know you are sorry for failing to remain hidden. And it's true; they were probably unable to see you very clearly and you did manage to get me the information I requested."

He then leaned his face close to her left ear and whispered, "However, this doesn't change the fact that you failed me. As such, you must pay the price of disobedience. I'm truly sorry, but it must be done. Do try to be brave. Oh, and try your best not to scream…comrade."

Cyrus then looked towards the corridor leading back into the basement. "Her left ear. Take only the lobe."

Without making a sound, Nimuria materialized from the shadows like a phantom, her dagger already drawn. She acknowledged the order with a nod as Cyrus walked by her and the rest of his lieutenants on his way back to the basement and the stairway back to the manor. Before he reached the spiral staircase, he briefly heard the anguished cry of Rei as she received her punishment.

"At least she didn't scream," Cyrus thought with a smile as he ascended the staircase.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As he walked outside the second-floor balcony of Shinra Manor, Cyrus was greeted with the shouts of the entire Collective. The night was devoid of both stars and moon, but the crowd was still illuminated by the light of four dozen torches. The flames gave the crowd the appearance of a congregation of demons, and their shouting sounded like a thousand different languages being spoken at once. Cyrus smiled and raised his hands to silence the crowd. He pointed his cane outward as he started to pontificate:

"My comrades, the time is drawing near! Soon, we will have the means to complete our penance to the Planet and receive our absolution. With your help and the wisdom of the Cetra, we will force humanity to answer for its sins and wash away that which causes this Planet pain!"

The crowd cheered loudly at that as Cyrus continued, "But alas, there are those that would stand in the way of our holy mission…individuals who would see that the Planet not receive the healing it needs and profit from its suffering. These heathens, these traitors to the Planet will undoubtedly come in force and try to silence us with machines and war. I must ask each and every single one of you: are you willing to fight against these hypocrites?"

"Yes!" the crowd shouted in response.

"Are you prepared to kill and maim so that our noble task may be completed?"

"Yes!"

"And are you willing to sacrifice yourself so that our Collective may achieve the Planet's forgiveness and usher in the new utopia?!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The crowd continued chanting as Cyrus finished, "Your sacrifices and valor will not be forgotten…not by me or the Planet. I thank you."

The crowd cheered and waved torches as Cyrus retreated into the manor. Atlas walked up to him and stated, "Sir, our comrades have finished prepping the vessel for launch tomorrow. It's ready for you to use first thing in the morning."

"Excellent work, Atlas. I make for Edge tomorrow. Once I complete my tasks there, I go north to find the key."

Atlas's eyes went wide. "So, then…"

"I found the guide...our roadmap to the Cetra's knowledge," Cyrus confirmed as he pulled a tattered notebook from the insides of his coat. "This will show me the way and grant me the power we seek. I trust you and Nimuria can handle things here?"

Atlas nodded. "We will be ready. Have no fear…and may the wisdom of the Cetra give you strength, my master."

"Thank you, my friend," Cyrus replied as he headed for one of the manor's bedrooms to rest for the night. As he walked, his thoughts were aflutter as he contemplated how close he and his Collective were to completing their divine work. As he found a bed and settled in for the night, he couldn't help but laugh at how simple the traitors were making this.

"Just a little longer…" Cyrus thought as he drifted off to sleep.

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Author's Notes

I'm BACK! Took the 4th of July weekend off and had a great time catching up with the family. Hope everyone had a good weekend, regardless of where you live.

Also, I want to send a special shout-out to Kairi-loves-Sushi. Thank you very much for your reviews, and I'm very glad you're enjoying the story so far.

I also want to thank always-kh for recently adding my story to their favorites. Glad to have you aboard for the ride!

Anyhow, you know the drill by now: Review if you like, review if you hate. Well-written reviews earns you a digital cookie.

Later,

"The Exile" Cyrus Truth