Disclaimer: Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- and it's characters (c) Square Enix. Me no own. Just playing with the characters here. ;) Half of this story was done by Shade the Hero. Thanks!

Shade: Hello guys, sorry this update's a bit late. Both Bahamut Fury and I have been pretty busy lately. That little thing called real life keeps getting in the way. But we haven't made any plans to stop this wonderful tale anytime soon. If you only knew what was in store, I won't give anything away, except that there are tons of laughs ahead. ;) I also hope everyone's as excited about all the new games coming from Square within the next year or two like we are. FF15 and the FF7 Remake especially. :D

Bahamut: Bahamut here! Shade summed it up pretty good, and we both really are sorry this update's a bit later than usual. But as Shade said, this story is in no way going to be stopped anytime soon, so don't give up on us or the story, because the laughs are not over yet! ;) Enjoy the update, everyone! And a big thanks to all those who review! We'll see you in the next chapter!

Setting the Trap

Cloud gulped at the idea of needles. He hated them, but he hid his nervousness about them with another sip from his drink as he finished off his potatoes and leaned back in his seat. It was the most full his stomach had been in a while and for once it wasn't full of gruel and the company was much better.

Cloud couldn't help but smile at the sight of Zack reveal his dream. His eyes seemed to glow brighter as he talked about being a hero. Cloud had no doubt he'd make his dream come true. He only hoped he could do the same. Their dreams were similar. Cloud wanted to be a SOLDIER like Sephiroth too, but at the same time he doubted he was hero material. Even if Tifa had made him promise to be.

"Tifa made me promise to save her when I became a SOLDIER, so I guess that makes our goals the same."

The raven haired 2nd Class couldn't help but grin at hearing a girl made Cloud promise to save her when he became SOLDIER. That was both silly and sweet. "Heh, well, I'll have to make sure you can save her in a timely fashion then!" He winked and grinned even more.

Grabbing out his wallet, the teen paid and left a decent tip, then downed his water in just a couple chugs before he sat his empty glass back on the table. "How about dessert?" He asked, smiling. "There's this sweet ice cream shop that fries ice cream. Have you ever had fried ice cream? It's the best."

He doubted the blonde had any types of the foods Midgar had to offer, so he figured they'd kill two birds with one stone and try a couple different places while out.

Cloud shook his head with the smile still there. Normally he would have told her she was crazy, but after he had failed to really save her at the bridge he wanted to make it up to her in some way. So that night when she snuck out of her house and knocked on his window and the two of them sat on the Water tower he felt like he'd be letting her down again if he didn't promise. All guilt aside, he did intend to keep it. If he ever got the chance.

As he watched Zack pay for their meal he couldn't help but think that he was cheating somehow. Sure, Cloud probably wouldn't make SOLDIER on his own. He knew that after the first week. But all the other cadets didn't have a SOLDIER willing to help them. They had to make it on their own and the last thing Cloud wanted to do was abuse Zack's kindness. But, he was also too worried to refuse. If he had turned down Zack's help then what? Hurt his feelings and fail to get into SOLDEIR? That seemed like an impossible alternative. Besides, he did kind of owe the guy.

He was brought out of his musings when his friend mentioned, "Fried Ice cream? How the heck does that even work?" He couldn't help the stupid look on his face. Wouldn't the ice cream just melt?

As they got up to leave Cloud stopped in the doorway and looked Zack in the eye. "Zack, I want you to promise me something..." He waited to make sure he had the Second's attention. "If you're going to help me get into SOLDIER. I want you to swear that you won't make it easy for me. Training aside, I don't want the title handed to me. I want to truly earn it."

The teen laughed at the look on Cloud's face after he heard about fried ice cream. "Man you gotta try it, it's awesome." He ruffled Cloud's hair and went to leave but stopped when Cloud suddenly stopped and wanted him to promise something.

Turning to look at Cloud, he offered a smile and gripped Cloud's shoulder. "You think I'd go easy on you just because we're friends? Fat chance, I'm gonna work you to the bone! No SOLDIER gets the title handed to them, except for maybe Sephiroth and he can back it up."

He sniggered and ruffled the teen's hair again. "I'll make sure you earn it even if I have to make you hate me during training." He winked and grinned deviously. "I promise you Cloud, I'll get you into SOLDIER the fair and square way. No cheating!" He poked Cloud's chest with a grin. "Or else I'll beat you up and work you harder!"

Angeal had never gone easy on him, and he wasn't about to dishonor his mentor's teachings by going easy on his own student.

Cloud wasn't sure if he should be worried or relieved when he heard Zack's answer. At least it would really prove what he was made of and no one would be able to say he only got in because a SOLDIER helped him. Though, he had to raise an eye brow at the thought of hating him. Anyone who hated Zack had to be crazy. Zack was the type that could get along with anyone. Throw him in a pit of snakes and they'd all be having a tea party within an hour.

The image that painting caused him to snort with laughter for a moment. Where had that even come from? Jeez, Zack was rubbing off on him fast.

Cloud nodded to Zack and finally started moving out the door again, "Good. Because we Nibelheim folk are made of some pretty tough stuff. You know, from all that dragon meat." He couldn't help but add. He stepped to the side to let Zack lead the way. Midgar was so big and there were a lot of things that were new to the small town boy.

Eyes flashing, the 2nd Class snorted a laugh and wrapped an arm around Cloud's shoulders while guiding him through the streets and toward the ice cream shop. "Yeah, sure. I'm gonna get you back for that one, Spiky! You better watch out, you might wake up with rainbow hair!"

That thought made him burst into laughter. The thought of a rainbow chocobo walking through Shinra. Cloud would be spotted from halfway across the continent.

Ruffling Cloud's hair he grinned deviously at him. "Better sleep with one eye open, cadet!" He laughed again. He wouldn't actually do it, but it'd be fun to tease him about doing it. And the thought alone made Zack bubble with laughter while they walked through the streets.

When they entered the ice cream shop, the teen immediately ordered two of the fried ice creams, wanting the cadet to taste it at least once. "If you don't like it, I'll eat it and get you another. But I promise you'll love it!" He flashed a bright smile at the younger teen and gave a thumbs up.

Cloud blinked as he tried not to show the worried look he had. He really didn't want to believe that Zack was being serious, but after he had seen his other pranks first hand he wasn't entirely sure he was joking. Not many would dare tempt the fury of a First Class, let alone two of them. And Cloud could still remember the pure rage in the screech that he assumed came from Hojo as the fertilizer made it's way down the ventilation shaft.

He let Zack lead him along the streets and into the ice cream shop. The scent of the different frozen flavors and sprinkles hit him the moment he stepped inside and it was very pleasant compared to the polluted air from outside that was thick with city life and just a hint of Mako from the eight large wells that surrounded the city.

Cloud was willing to try it, but he was also curious to see how it was made. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of it. Fried meant cooked and cooked meant hot and ice cream melted when near any form of heat. But, when Zack had ordered it, the clerk behind the counter gave no strange look which meant it was normal. So, then it was possible? How?

Cloud couldn't help but scratch his head. "Why do I get the feeling that hanging out with you will be full of surprises?"

Zack looked at the blonde cadet and blinked, then grinned ruefully and patted his head. "Don't worry little dude, you'll eventually get used to everything just like I did and then nothing will surprise you again." He laughed and looked back to the clerk, watching as they made their treats.

He'd been surprised many times when he was still new in town, being from Gongaga. But that just left him wanting to see and learn more about the world after being stuck in a small village the first few years of his life. Cloud kind of reminded him of himself in that aspect, seeing everything Midgar had to offer for the first time.

Zack paid for their treats before they were made and slipped his wallet back, then grinned at Cloud. "This is gonna blow your mind. It's awesome. We'll head back after we eat these, wouldn't want you breaking curfew and all, cadet." He sniggered.

The 2nd Class had more leeway in terms of curfew because of his rank and the fact he was being taught under Angeal Hewley himself, but he remembered the days as a cadet when they had the strictest curfew. That had always sucked when the teen had so much energy he was hardly ready for bed so early.

The other cadets always hated that about Zack.

Cloud blinked as he looked up at the clock on the shop wall. It was getting a little late, yet time had seemed to fly by. Still, even though he should have been worried about it, he couldn't bring himself to really care considering the other things they had done already.

Cloud accepted his treat and sat down at a table a little ways away. He took a moment to study the snack first. There was a crispy outer layer of what looked like breading with whip cream on the top with a cherry. Cloud guessed the ice cream was on the inside. Taking his plastic fork, (or was it a spoon? It looked like both) he stuck it in and took a bite.

"Wow. It's different, but good!" And he took another bite.

The ravenette was beaming when Cloud said it was good. He quickly sat across from Cloud with a bright, mile wide smile as he dug into his own. "See, I told you it was good!" He started to dig into his, by eating the cherry then working the 'spork' as Zack liked to call them into the hard crust and getting an even amount of crust, ice cream and whipped cream.

The taste was unique but amazing, and it was one of Zack's many favorite treats after he'd moved here from Gongaga. "Just wait until you go for a few months in the field with just field rations, anything will taste great then." He snorted a laugh. He hated going months with nothing but field rations. They were almost as bad as the slop served in the cafeteria.

Cringing at the very thought, he shoveled a large scoop of the fried ice cream into his mouth and chewed, savoring the wonderful taste. "I'll take you out tomorrow to try some other different places." He said around his mouthful, his words garbled a bit until he swallowed. "There's a nice restaurant that has Wutaian style food over in Loveless Avenue. Bet you'd like their food, and they got some good desserts there too." He smiled, remembering when Angeal had taken him there with Genesis and Sephiroth.

Angeal couldn't read the menus and since neither could Zack, Genesis had to order for them both. It had been a bit embarrassing and funny, but Genesis had at least gotten them some good food and nothing crazy weird.

xoxo

Genesis merely shrugged at his friend's comment. They were both of equal rank and title. Why should he contain his obvious amusement? "Indded, the pup has spunk, I'll say that much. Though, he's also very stupid for thinking that I'll just let him get away with it." Sure, Genesis would let Angeal handle the punishment, but that didn't mean Genesis couldn't make the Second Class wet his pants the next time he saw him.

His eye twitched when Sephiroth asked for the tragic news. "Oh ha ha," He replied with a deadpan look. "I realize humor is not among your many strengths, Seph, so I'll let that pathetic attempt slide." A smirk returned to Genesis's lip as he recalled the other incident. "Speaking of slide. That crazy SOLDIER decided to slide some fertilizer down the ventilation shaft. Right onto Hojo's head!"

Angeal chuckled warily and looked at Sephiroth with a nod. "Zack poured a whole bag of fertilizer and a bucket of water down the ventilation shafts, apparently on top of Hojo's latest project. And Hojo." He bit his gloved finger in an attempt to keep from laughing. He'd have loved to have seen that. At the very least, the greasy scientist had to finally take a full and proper bath. Which Angeal doubted he'd done anytime lately.

Sephiroth chuckled at Genesis. Always so dramatic about Loveless. He'd have to commend Zack on getting rid of them for a little while.

But when Genesis and Angeal explained what the 2nd Class did to Hojo, his usually neutral expression fell away and he couldn't help the snorting laugh that escaped. "Did you say...fertilizer...on him?" He leaned back, putting his chin in his hand and smirking. Now that was pure genius on the teen's part. Oh how he would have loved to have seen Hojo covered in fertilizer.

Genesis snickered at the idea. "I would have given almost anything to see the look on his slimy face when all that muck landed on him."

He wiped an invisible tear from his eye as tried to finally compose himself. "That pup also appears to have the best timing or perhaps just dump luck. No one knows it was him either. Hojo was alone except for one assistant and neither of them know who's responsible, but just to be safe I think it best if we keep Zack's escapades to just us, him and the cadet he no doubt forced to help him. Hojo has sworn to do some pretty twisted things to whoever ruined his latest project. Personally, I think he's just angry that he was made to look like a fool for once."

He stretched his arms up in an attempt to pop his shoulders. "We haven't heard of anything else that the pup may have done so I think it's safe to say that the pup's reign of terror is over. Though, we still haven't caught him yet. I suggested we wait in his apartment for him to turn up."

The raven haired Commander chortled. "Dumb luck." He commented wryly. There just couldn't be any way Zack had known Hojo was standing there that moment. His student was smart, but he wasn't that smart yet.

Shaking his head ruefully, he ran a hand through his hair. "I hope you won't put this on paper Seph. I don't want to know what Hojo threatened and I don't want him getting his hands on Zack." He looked at the General pleadingly. The idea of Hojo getting his hands on Zack made his heart drum painfully in his chest.

He hoped Sephiroth didn't plan on writing up the 2nd's escapades from the day for his safety.

Sephiroth chuckled, also having wished he'd seen the look on Hojo's face. He had to give Zack some props for that one. "I believe keeping this off paper is indeed the best decision for everyone's sake." He glanced to Angeal, seeing the relieved look cross his face. He nodded and looked to Genesis while standing from behind his desk. "If Zack's 'reign of terror' is indeed done, then let's go and wait for him to show up. At least I don't have to worry about Shinra come crumbling down today."

It was a half hearted joke, because with Zack on the loose like today who knew what could happen. He was at least impressed with Zack's little 'prank' on Hojo. That was probably the best news he'd received in over a month, and he'd savor it for life.

Genesis smirked. As much as he enjoyed giving Sephiroth a hard time, both he and Angeal had tried to give him at least a little reprieve from the stress of commanding SOLDIER and dealing with the stress of every day life, especially with a crazy man like Hojo constantly calling Sephiroth in every other week for...whatever it was. Sephiroth would never tell them what would go on between the two, but it was obvious how much it troubled him because he would always become distant and it was hard to find him. Other times he'd be in the training room which would then be closed several days after for repairs. And that system was not easy to damage.

It was nice to see Sephiroth actually amused for once instead of the gloomy brooder he normally is. He never let on how much he worried for the man that he thought of as one of his closest friends. Though, he never admitted that part out loud. It brought Genesis's earlier problem back into focus and he realized that Sephiroth must feel the same in some way, otherwise he wouldn't have agreed to keep the secret about what Genesis had said earlier regarding treason.

In an attempt to push those thoughts out of his mind again, Genesis stood up and nodded towards Sephiroth, indicating for him to lead the way to the Second's apartment. "After you, General."

Sephiroth nodded to Genesis and walked out from behind his desk, leading the way toward the elevator. "I hope we're not sitting around for long. Last I recall a 2nd's quarters isn't exactly built for three." He snorted. He'd never had to live in a smaller apartment than his own considering he'd moved in as soon as Hojo thought him to be old enough to be living on his own, even before he was General or even a 1st Class. Even other 1sts apartments were more adequate than a 2nd's.

Angeal smiled wryly and pushed the button for the floor with Zack's apartment when they got onto the elevator. "It's not the size of the apartment you need to be concerned for. It's the fact Zack probably hasn't done laundry in about a month." Angeal snorted quietly. His student had the messiest apartment he'd ever known. He himself wasn't a clean freak, but Zack made slobs look tidy with how he left things strewn about.

And he didn't want to know what some of the stains were that were on some of the furniture and flooring. By all accounts Angeal was a strong, brave SOLDIER, but he wasn't strong enough or brave enough to ask the teen what they were.

Genesis failed to hide the distaste in his features from the description his friend gave for the Second's living quarters. "Perhaps that's where I'll start. By making his belongings disappear. An eye for an eye after all." Though, a few dirty clothes and whatever else the teen possessed didn't seem to measure up to a treasure trove of precious novels, but perhaps there would be something the teen valued that he could use as leverage to teach him a lesson. A favorite CD perhaps? A poster, a movie, something.

"I wonder how we can kill time until he comes back? Perhaps we should try to find out which cadet was helping him? Unless he's still with Zack, that is."

Sephiroth glanced at Genesis while they waited for the elevator to reach the 2nd's apartment flooring. "It's doubtful Fair has anything that he deems as important as you do your Loveless collection." He stepped off the elevator when the doors opened and walked toward Zack's apartment.

Turning to look at Genesis, he smirked just the smallest however. "Of course, no one is as obsessed over material objects as you are with Loveless, so you'll be hard pressed to teach any lessons that way."

Angeal couldn't hold back the laugh at that. Sephiroth was right, no one obsessed over things the way Genesis did Loveless. It was always something they teased him about. "Be nice Seph." He patted Genesis on the back with a wry grin. "Gen's like a teenage girl, he can't help it. Especially after he seen Gackt starring in the first time he ever saw the Loveless play."

He laughed again and walked ahead, entering Zack's apartment when there. Of course he was greeted with the scents of a small apartment occupied by a teenage SOLDIER, but he was used to it and ignored it for the most part. "As for that cadet, we'll ask him when he gets here who helped him."

Nodding, he cleared off the couch with a snort at the dirty laundry strewn everywhere before he sat down. "Hopefully he'll be in soon. With Reno busy and Zack's 2nd Class friends out on missions, he shouldn't be out too long by himself." He hoped that was the case, anyway.

If Genesis had been a cat his fur would have been sticking out in a furry rage at their comments. Insulting Loveless was bad enough, but comparing him to a teenage girl?! Boy did that hit a nerve. "Fine, go ahead and have your laugh, but when I get a student of my own, I'll make sure he's trained to respect the classic brilliance that is Loveless and I'll teach him to respect his betters."

Of course, Genesis didn't want a student. He barely had the patience to tolerate the cadets when passing them in the halls. But it still would be nice to know if he did become a mentor that he'd be able to handle him and prove that he was just as good a teacher as his friend. "I'll still find some way to get back at him though, mark my words."

When Genesis entered the apartment, he had to cover his nose with his hand. "Great Bahamut! How can anyone stand to live in this dump?" Angeal had not been exaggerating, but as he looked down at his feet he saw something interesting and he bent over to pick it up. "It seems we won't have to look far to find out which cadet is helping him. It seems he's staying here." He was holding a discarded top half of a cadet uniform.

Sephiroth stepped into the apartment, ignoring the scent in favor of the sheer mess. He was compulsive about how things were, and this apartment was chewing at his compulsive nature to straighten up almost painfully. "I do hope when he becomes 1st Class, he'll at least attempt to keep his apartment cleaner."

The General wasn't about to sit down in this mess, and opted to cross his arms and lean against the back of the couch, glancing down at Angeal. "I would have thought he'd have gotten some cleaning pointers from you by now." He said, before flicking his gaze toward the garment Genesis had found.

"Then Fair should be returning soon, cadets still have a curfew, even on the weekends." He could live with that.

The raven haired Commander smiled wryly at Genesis and chuckled. "You don't have the patience for a student, and even if by some miracle you managed to tolerate one long enough, he'd be just as sick of Loveless as anyone else, if not more." He laughed quietly. His best friend would never meet anyone whom 'respected' Loveless on the same level as himself.

Glancing the discarded cadet uniform, Angeal nodded toward the discarded overnight bag. "That bag must be his then. I thought I heard Zack talking about having a friend over for the weekend, didn't realize it was a cadet though."

TBC