Final Fantasy VII: Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Summary: "((An Angeal x Zack, Sephiroth x Genesis story)) With one of their greatest allies unable to help them, bodies piling up and being discovered by the dozen, and uncovering secrets that were never meant to be revealed, men who know much more than they tell, and when dead men speak again, time is running out as the ShinRa Stalker comes ever closer to fulfilling his dark mission. And as the SOLDIERs rush to solve the mystery, save their friends, can it be that one they never expected to know anything knows more than what he let on? Will anyone be saved, or will they all fall for good?"

Warning: "This will be a Yaoi ((male x male)), first off. It will have rape, reference to rape, and implied rape. There is a reason that this Fanfiction is rated "M," and by continuing to read this story, I am no longer responsible for any offense taken by the manuscript."

Disclaimer: "I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters so don't haul off and think I do. However, the following characters are actually mine, whether or not these characters actually appear in this particular story: 1st Class SOLIDER Marshall Willowstaff, Cadet Captain Benjamin ((Ben)) Adler, Captain Daniel Marks, and Head Physician Julian Jake."

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Chapter Twenty-Three: Warning One- Man in the Window.

Zack started crying. Startled, Angeal automatically moved to comfort the boy, kindly asking him what upset him. The raven-haired 3rd Class shook his head and cried harder, crying so hard he couldn't speak coherently. Genesis stepped forward, much to Zack's horror, and his whimpers grew more panicked. Angeal looked up at Genesis suspiciously, his eyes asking almost literally, "What the hell is going on here?" Genesis bent down close to Zack, and Zack cringed, making Angeal step in front of his student protectively- and Genesis sighed and stood up again.

"Zack, I know what's going on." Genesis finally said. From half-way behind his Mentor, Zack continued to sob, but his eyes met Genesis' at last- they showed fear and pain, and Genesis saw some relief in there, too. He smiled slightly. "Come here," He offered, and Zack hesitated, then stepped forward. Zack was a full head shorter than he was, but Genesis nodded all the same. He sat the boy down and asked ((ordered)) Sephiroth to sit next to him after leaving Masamune against the wall. Sephiroth did as he asked.

"Safer?" Genesis asked the boy as Angeal took the one closest to Zack's other side. Zack nodded, and seemed to curl into himself- he was caught, and he knew he was.

Genesis sat on the table in front of the boy, and smiled kindly. "They did something, didn't they?" He murmured. Zack's head shot up, his eyes widening in shock. Angeal looked from Zack to Genesis, but said nothing. "They told you not to tell… and said they'd take someone away. Who was it?" He pressed, gently, knowing the boy would crack in a few short seconds.

Of course, he was right.

"F-first… at first… it was… Kunsel… th-then, as I came into SOLDIER…" Zack shook his head and hid his eyes in his knees, which he'd curled up into his chest. He looked like a frightened little kid, Genesis realized. He peered closer, and Zack looked up, eyes growing teary again.

"They'd go after Angeal…" Angeal blinked and shot a look over at Genesis. He still didn't understand! Genesis sighed. "Why… don't you tell me… tell Angeal… what happened? Why don't you explain what's going on? I already know, Zack… because I was in it, too." He revealed, and Zack's eyes widened again, tears spilling over again.

"R-really?" He squeaked. Genesis nodded. Zack took a deep breath, calming himself. "I… they'll kill me. They'll go after Kunsel… after…" Zack looked over at Angeal, and tears came to his eyes again, and this time, it wasn't Genesis who did something.

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Angeal gently pulled the boy into his arms, smiling ever so slightly. "You know… I don't think I've ever met a Cadet who thought something could hurt a 1st Class. Thank you, Zack… for being so concerned. But this is important, isn't it?" Angeal asked, gently, looking into his student's eyes. His beloved student nodded, and Angeal continued. "Whatever you've got to say will stay between the four of us- you, me, Sephiroth, and Genesis. Even if we have to pull a few strings after all this is over, no one will know that it was you who told us." He said, gently.

Zack finally nodded, but Angeal's protective grip didn't loosen. He nodded at Zack, who took another deep breath, and closed his eyes, laying his forehead on Angeal's shoulder. "It's a long story." He said, quietly, "but I'll tell you everything you want to know." With his eyes remaining closed, and ((remarkably)) staying completely still for the next half-hour, Zack Fair finally opened up.

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"My friend Kunsel… he's been in SOLDIER two years longer than I have…" Zack began, uneasily, as if wondering where to start. "When we met, he was quick to tell me not to attract attention to myself, even if it meant getting into SOLDIER faster. I thought he was kidding, but…" Zack shook his head and sighed. "Kunsel told me that one of the Captains hated SOLDIER so much that he would do anything to keep his Cadets out of it- even kill them. I don't think I believed him until six months ago. All of us in Captain Adler's group were summoned into… into his gym- the big old one in the way back of the Corps. All they would say was that we were going to see a show. But Kunsel told me that something really, really bad was about to happen, and no matter what happened, we were not allowed to tell. If we did, we'd end up like those guys did."

"His? Who is his?" Angeal looked over at Genesis who sighed. "Sephiroth and I arrested the first man who we called "He," "Him," or "his," right after I became a 1st Class four years ago," Genesis began quietly. "It's not a very creative name, but it was better than saying his name aloud. We were all paranoid, Angeal, of being caught abusing his name or saying something we shouldn't. I'm not surprised the Cadets are still so afraid."

"His real name, back in my day, was Captain Shelton Anderson. Not much of a name… but I probably feared that name more than my parents," Genesis continued, keeping his eyes focused on the floor, "He was the man that organized the Ring. He was Captain Ben's assistant, and that meant he had unquestioned access to everything… and everyone." Genesis sighed.

"I never told you, Angeal. Sephiroth was the only one. No one in ShinRa knows of the Ring's existence, excepting the Ring itself and their victims. Because I was one of their victims, I knew. Their common practice, as they did to both me and Zack to keep us quiet, was threatening the one person who we cared about most at the time. And everyone knew that you and I grew up together, that we were inseparable… so they threatened your life in order to keep me quiet. They did the same to Zack because they must have known how much you care for each other."

Angeal didn't even protest- neither did Zack, though his cheeks turned a slight pink.

"I didn't see it before, but Captain Daniel Marks, Julian Jake, Alex Wadge, and the rest of Mark's team were all exceptional Cadets and Captains- exept in Julian's case…" Genesis looked pointedly over at Zack, and nodded. "We know that Alex Wadge is dead. We don't know anything about Captain Daniel Marks-" Genesis was cut off by Zack at this point.

"Captain Marks… he's still alive. So is Julian." Zack said, softly. "They can't kill either of them. Not yet. Marks still won't talk and Julian Jake's far too valuable to just kill."

Genesis nodded approvingly at Zack. "Do you know where they are?"

"… …I can't." Zack said, quietly. "I… they'll know it's either me or Kunsel if I tell you, and Kunsel's already in enough trouble already. They'll kill him."

"We won't let them." Sephiroth spoke up, looking directly into Zack's eyes. "We need to know where they are so we're able to save them and make sure they won't be able to hurt anyone else."

Zack opened his mouth, and then suddenly stopped. He abruptly got up and turned, running to the window. His eyes widened, and he bolted for the door. It slammed and Sephiroth, seemingly hearing something, turned to the window. Genesis slowly turned.

For a moment, he couldn't even believe his eyes.

A young man was hanging off the window. The poor man must have been there awhile because he was surrounded by dried blood, and still dripping. He wore a tattered white lab-coat, black leather jeans, and a black turtleneck. He had pale white skin and white-blonde hair. His arms were tied behind him, his mouth duct-taped shut, and his eyes were covered by a blindfold. He dangled lifelessly.

"You've got to be fucking kidding..." Genesis began. His voice floated up to meet eerie, shocked silence.

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