Adverse Shifts

Ever since the undercover Turk had revealed that all three Generals had been conceived through Shinra-sponsored science projects and that Sephiroth had never even signed the official waver Zack had been very worried. The confidentiality thing meant he couldn't even discuss the situation with Kunsel, which was his usual way of working out problems. Worse, Genesis had taken three weeks leave right after the two days off Zack had arranged when the Generals got absolutely plastered together.

Not that Zack had seen them get drunk, but the sheer quantity of alcohol that the second-class had helped Genesis to buy pretty much guaranteed that the three most highly augmented individuals in the SOLDIER program would get reasonably intoxicated. The message to his PHS at four in the morning asking him to ask Lazard to organise two days off for Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis to recover in was also a dead give-away.

The real problem Zack had with Genesis not being there was that the other two Generals seemed upset by his absence. Not the usual irritated-upset either: Angeal was driving him to exhaustion with one-on-one training and simulations and brooding silently over meals while Sephiroth stalked around under a black thundercloud of almost tangible ire that radiated off him in waves, setting off the fight-or-flight instincts of everyone below first-class. The Silver General had trashed the simulation room twice in the past week, actually volunteered to beat up dozens of the Weapons Development Department's latest batch of combat robots -he had dismembered all of them with extreme prejudice- and been so short with all and sundry that the non-military staff were actively avoiding him while infantry and SOLDIER alike jumped out of his way and saluted as if their lives depended on it whenever he passed them in the halls. Zack knew something was badly wrong, but his mentor wasn't talking and approaching Sephiroth would be suicide. The only other person in the know was Valentine, but the second-class had no idea how to reach her.

Or did he? Zack paused outside the lifts on the second floor. The other day Angeal had mentioned that the mysterious Turk had a protégé who wanted to join SOLDIER and told really good stories. Short and blue-eyed with spiky blond hair, wore a green, long-sleeved version of the SOLDIER uniform jumper and a brown leather jacket. Name of Cloud Strife.

Kunsel could find anyone; sometimes Zack wondered how the Turks had missed recruiting him. Unless they hadn't and Kunsel was their SOLDIER inside informant.

Dismissing that last idea as ridiculous the second-class went looking for his friend and colleague.


Kunsel had heard of Cloud; the boy was apparently making a name for himself in the slums as a low-level monster hunter willing to accept items, accessories or Materia rather than hard cash, which made him rather popular in a place where most people didn't have gil to spare. Three hours later the well-connected second-class had managed to set up a meeting with the enterprising thirteen-year-old in a coffee shop in Sector Four on the Plate. Zack had no idea what there was in Sector Four to catch a barely-teenage monster hunter's interest: it was strictly residential, mainly occupied by people who were moderately well-off but not really rich. Sector Five was factories, infantry barracks and the cadet training ground, which was as grungy as it got on the Plate, so the neighbouring Sector was as down-market as housing could be outside the slums.

They reached the bustling coffee shop with time to spare and were directed by the waitress to a table in the back corner where a small blond with chocobo-esque spikes was eating a pastry as if he had all the time in the world with a rather large katana leaning against his chair.

"So you're the one whose been undercutting SOLDIER lately for lower level missions," Kunsel said amiably, pulling up a chair and making himself comfortable. The boy grinned across the table at the second-class, not in the slightest bit perturbed by the helmet concealing the man's face.

"Cloud Strife as requested, SOLDIER second-class Kunsel. I've been wanting to meet you for ages."

"Oh?" Zack could have sworn his friend looked uncomfortable for a moment there.

Cloud grinned toothily. "I know people who know people, and all those people hear all kinds of things," the boy said conversationally, eyes never leaving Kunsel's visor. "Some of them recommended I get in touch with you, since you hear things I don't and may need information I have."

"Another information junkie?" Zack blurted out incredulously. "Is there a club or something?"

"Or something," Cloud said agreeably. "I know things you don't know and you know things I don't know. That was the purpose of this meeting, wasn't it? To share information?"

"I guess," Zack conceded, scratching his head. "I'm worried about Angeal. He's been weird lately."

"Your scrupulously honest and honourable mentor has discovered some of the skeletons lurking in the company closet," the short blond said gravely, "which has naturally upset him. General Hewley is an idealist and believes all others to be like him until proven otherwise. To suddenly discover that his sense of right and wrong actually puts him in a minority was a shock and he is still conflicted. Give him time."

"How do you know this stuff?" Kunsel asked. "There's no way you could have gotten inside ShinRa."

Cloud smiled lazily. "Kunsel, you specialise in the practical. My field is the covert, illegal and esoteric. What mundane interests I do have are all connected to where those underlying areas come closer to the surface."

"But you're thirteen!" Zack protested.

"Who suspects kids?" the blond asked rhetorically. "And for your information, I can get around the ShinRa building just fine. It's not exactly well-secured."

"Why aren't you joining the Turks?" Zack just had to know. The boy was practically a Turk already, blue suit or not.

Cloud made a face. "They'd wring me dry or make me disappear for knowing far too much about the company's dirty laundry. No thanks. SOLDIER is where it's at; the information is just a hobby."

Kunsel chuckled. "I look forward to seeing you in our ranks then Cloud Strife; I could do with a successor to watch out for the newer SOLDIERs. What's your PHS number?"

Having exchanged numbers with the surprisingly adult blond the helmeted second-class left the coffee shop, leaving Zack behind to ask his more sensitive questions alone.

"So, what do you really want to know?" Cloud asked after ordering a glass of lemonade.

Zack slumped. "Am I really that obvious?"

Cloud smiled gently. "My mentor quite possibly epitomises the essence of what it truly means to be a Turk. I've been her student for five years and you are naturally a very open person. It's their anger that's bothering you, isn't it? The rumours coming out of ShinRa these days are very... alarming."

"Yeah," Zack muttered, leaning his elbows on the table and clutching at his hair. "Angeal's mostly moping but Sephiroth radiates so much rage even non-SOLDIERs can sense him coming. I'm getting tagged more and more often to take him paperwork and messages 'cause everyone else except Angeal is terrified of getting skewered and people know he won't kill me because I'm Angeal's protégé. The infantry are starting to run away when they see him."

Cloud sighed. "Zack Fair, I am really, really sorry you are having to deal with this."

"D'you think Valentine could come by and talk to him?" Zack asked hopefully. "Even for just a little bit? It might help."

Cloud shook his head. "Valentine's tied up helping Genesis with a project; neither of them are available until next week at the soonest. Look, how about I come and help? Seph knows me and I know what the problem is so I won't set him off by accident. We can filch a secretary-type uniform from the stores and I can be his personal aide until cadet enrolment comes around."

Zack stared. "Kid, you are brilliant and quite possibly insane. Did you just refer to Sephiroth as 'Seph'?"

Cloud blushed. "Er-"

"No, no, no, don't you dare apologise," Zack cut him off, grinning widely for the fist time in days, "I love it! I'm gonna call him that in future! And I'm totally taking you up on the secretary thing. No-one looks twice at those guys really so you'll be inconspicuous. Well, not really inconspicuous if you're around Seph but people won't ask questions about where you came from. Come on; Kunsel will help me set you up right away!" he tossed a handful of gil onto the table and grabbed Cloud by the arm, barely giving the blond time to pick up his sword before all but carrying him out of the shop. "Trust me Spiky, if you can get Seph to calm down even a little every last SOLDIER will be backing you through cadet training. He's been terrifying everyone indiscriminately and no-one has a clue what to do about it."


Getting drunk does not solve the underlying problem even if it can help you face facts. Cloud, being the hero he is despite years of Turk training, offers to help. And Zack, of course, is Zack. You gotta love Zack.