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!

Bahamut: Welcome back for another update! Sorry it's taken awhile to be updated, haha! Life, you know? But hey! Shade and I figured you guys have been patient enough for the next chapter. ;) Plans for training are being made here, and next chapter should prove most interesting to read, so stay tuned for the updates following this one! For now, enjoy this one, because the feel-good air is about to combust.

Shade: Bahamut summed it up about right. We would have gotten this out sooner, but, yeah, the Holidays are coming around. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, and if Turkey day isn't among your holidays, then we hope you had a great weekend regardless. :D We'll try to get one more update before Year's end and as she said, the next chapter is one of the big ones. Enjoy! ^_^

Planning a Little Training

Cloud wasn't going to ruin their appetites by mentioning the fact that his instructor had given them a sneak peek at the kind of food they'd get on the field during missions. The contents inside varied and their instructor said that it was dehydrated and natural. Obviously he was high on something because anyone with a lick of common sense could tell there was no way that whatever was in the packets had ever been natural. What was supposed to be cheese looked and smelled like something had used it as a blanket and then died. The rest of the pack was even less appetizing than that.

Cloud forced the memory to the back of his mind as he took a bigger bite into his ice cream. The flavor was refreshing and as he looked over at Zack he realized that he'd try to pay him back one day. Sadly, he couldn't really do that right now since cadets pretty much made next to nothing. But he silently promised himself that when he became a SOLDIER he'd take his future-proclaimed mentor out for a good meal to repay him.

Cloud had no idea why he thought of the sudden realization, but once it was in his mind, it wouldn't leave him alone. "Wait, wouldn't that disprove your theory about him? If Genesis could read the menu, then, doesn't that mean that he knows how to read something else besides Loveless?"

Zack blinked slowly as the words were processed through his mind. Then without warning he guffawed, throwing his head back and laughing in full honesty. That was the funniest thing ever and he didn't know why, but he couldn't stop laughing.

When his ribs started hurting he tried to calm himself down, snorting and snickering for minutes after. "Oh, man. That's hilarious. Yeah, except Gen practically lives over in Wutai. It's no surprise he can read the language. But Loveless isn't in Wutainese." He snickered again while chewing on his dessert.

He'd completely forgotten about his theory once the books had been replaced and they'd moved on, but Cloud had actually remembered. That was so funny, the teen couldn't help but laugh again. "We're gonna get along just fine, you an' me Cloud!" He grinned, eyes flashing with amusement.

The teen really was something else.

Cloud had almost choked on his cherry as Zack burst out laughing. He blinked a few times, wondering what on Gaia was so funny and cast a quick glance around the shop. There were only two other tables full of people and the clerk who looked their way but then shook his head and went back to what he was doing.

Okay, so they were used to Zack's...quirks. He just waited for the older teen to get the laugh out of his system and offered a smile in return. When he stated they were going to get along he could only raise an amused eye brow. "So, we haven't been getting along so far? Could have fooled me."

He took a straw that was sitting in the tray to the side and freed it from it's paper wrapper, only to ball it up and flick it Zack's direction.

When he was hit with the balled up piece of wrapper, Zack grinned. "Oh you wanna play that game, huh? Two can play it that way." And then he flicked a bit of whipped cream right back, hitting the cadet square on the nose. "Bullseye!" He laughed again while trying to eat his treat before it had a chance to melt completely.

"I can just see we'll make a great mentor and student combo!" He beamed at Cloud after he'd finished his dessert. "I can't wait to introduce you to everyone, you're gonna fit right in!" He sniggered while picking at the last bit of what was left of his dessert, smiling all the while.

"If you're up to it maybe tomorrow I'll take you into the Slums and show you around Wall Market. Or if you're feeling up to working up a sweat, we can head over to the Train Graveyard and we can see what you're made of on the monsters around there. It's a great place for training if you wanna stick close to Shinra."

With plans whirring around his mind, Zack didn't know what they'd do for the remainder of the weekend but he figured it'd end up being fun with Cloud regardless of what they decided to do.

Cloud was about to take another bite of his ice cream when something struck his nose and he flinched slightly before looking at his nose - going cross-eyed in the process. Taking his napkin he wiped his nose and gave Zack a look. "Shouldn't we pace ourselves? I doubt we could fit all that into a single weekend." Obviously Zack didn't know the meaning of the term: baby steps.

"I've never been below the plate, at least not since I first arrived and then it was just through the gate and right to the train station." He had no idea what a train graveyard was, he hoped it didn't mean full of ghost-type monsters. He had heard about them and assumed a few lived in the old mansion towards the back of his town, but no one dared to go near that place.

Cloud still didn't know who the SOLDIER's friends were either. He mentioned a Turk before, Reno was his name? and of course there was his mentor, Angeal, but who else did Zack consider a close friend? Though, the idea of getting in some training did sound appealing. "What kind of training would you have in mind?"

Zack wasn't rebuffed in the least about not being able to fit everything into one weekend. They had all the time in the world right now in his opinion and he'd take full advantage of it, squeezing in as much he could when he could.

But when Cloud actually perked up at the suggestion of training, the 2nd Class brightened up. "Well first we'd see what you're capable of with the basics. I know you're supposed to be using a rifle right now but all that training is for nothing when most SOLDIERs use swords so we'll skip that and see how you are with a sword."

He stood up and stretched before he began doing squats, mind going a mile a second. "Then I'll teach you some sweet beginner moves. Easy for someone who's not used to holding the weight of a sword and they're useful in combat." He hummed and stood upright in a flash. "Maybe try your endurance too. You need to build up your endurance. Mako helps but it helps more if you've already got a basic amount of endurance yourself." He pumped his fist with a grin. "Think you can take it, cadet?"

The blonde cadet wondered if Zack knew how relieved he was to hear that. He hated that stupid gun with a passion. He wasn't a bad aim, but it just felt wrong. A sword though, Cloud had seen other SOLDIERs pass in the halls and saw some with their swords and couldn't help but stare. He wanted one. He didn't know why, but it felt like he was meant to have one. Cadets and those who failed the exam and joined the normal army were forced to use rifles and the last thing Cloud wanted was to be stuck with one of those.

When Zack asked if Cloud could handle the challenge he finished the last of his ice cream and stood up. "I won't know until I try." His eyes were filled with determination. Zack had so much faith in him, more than anyone else he had met since coming here. He had to repay that faith somehow and proving he was worthy of the challenge seemed fair enough.

Cloud looked up at the clock again and sighed. It was less than twenty minutes until curfew. "I guess we should be heading back."

Zack could see the determination in Cloud's eyes and it made adrenaline rush in his veins with his Mako. He liked seeing that in the cadet and hoped he could make it grow stronger. "That's the spirit! We'll head to the Train Graveyard for some one-on-one practice where no one will bother us! Only a few monsters and I can handle them if they get too tough for you."

He wrapped an arm around Cloud's shoulders and grinned down at him while walking out of the ice cream shop. "Don't worry about curfew, we'll be back before then. Shinra's just around the corner from here." He beamed and looked ahead while they walked through the street and back toward Shinra's HQ.

"Do you have any Materia yet?" He asked, wondering if Cloud even had a basic Cure. Or even knew how to use Materia. When he'd first joined he hadn't known how to use Materia and it took practicing with them to get the hang of it. But that first basic set was always essential and needed -even if Shinra didn't tell the cadets that.

Cloud nodded. It was nice to get some real practice in, instead of just going over repetition with assembling and reassembling his rifle and then working out by doing all sorts of exercises. He knew it was to build up endurance and muscle strength, but he couldn't keep up with the way the instructor had them going. And in the end he'd always end up looking like a clumsy country bumpkin. With Zack though, there was a good chance he could do it.

The blonde shook his head sadly as they made their way back to HQ. "We're not scheduled to start Materia lessons until the week after next."

"Don't worry, we'll try working with Materia too. There's a lot of ghost type fiends in the Train Graveyard, the perfect to use Materia on." He smiled and patted Cloud's shoulder. "The cadets that are from the city have a better idea of Materia since Shinra makes them readily available, but cadets from smaller towns like ours have a harder time getting used to using Materia. So we'll practice with that so you can get some training in and be on equal terms with the other cadets." He winked and looked ahead.

The streets were still full of people returning home after a long day's work, starting night shifts, or going out to party, but Zack walked through the crowds until they dispersed around the Shinra building and walked through the double doors.

Flashing his ID to the secretary, he smiled charmingly and nodded to Cloud. With the issue of Cloud's curfew done with, he unwrapped his arm from Cloud's shoulder and jogged up the steps toward the elevators. "Come on! We can watch a movie before bed. Wanna get some rest before tomorrow, 'cause we're gonna be getting up bright and early for training, cadet!"

xoxo

Genesis huffed at Angeal's comment and had to bite back the bratty, immature retort that wanted to combat his friend's words. When his friend pointed out the bag in the corner that belonged to the cadet Genesis dropped the shirt and his eyes glinted as he took a step towards the bag.

"Then should we not learn all that we can about this cadet? In order to see what it is we're dealing with, that is. That way confronting him may be a bit more...entertaining." He wiggled his fingers as he took a step towards the bag, like a cat stalking up to an unsuspecting mouse.

Sephiroth just shook his head. He wasn't going to get into the middle that, nor was he interested in snooping in a cadet's overnight bag. It was hardly anything of interest to him. He just wanted to have a little chat with Zack about his pranks today and be on with his life. And possibly be seeking a new desk if that scuff didn't come out soon.

Angeal on the other hand had plenty to say. He huffed and reached over from the back of the couch, snatching Genesis's coat and dragging him down to sit on the couch. "Sit down and behave. That poor cadet probably got sucked into Zack's plot unknowingly, I doubt he's some evil mastermind." He rolled his eyes.

He felt bad enough that they'd no doubt be scaring the cadet with the legendary trio of SOLDIER in one small apartment waiting for them, but he wasn't going to let Genesis go snooping through the teen's belongings. Cadets didn't have much to begin with, their privacy stripped away the moment they enter SOLDIER.

They certainly didn't need one of the biggest gossippers -next only to Reno- going through their things.

Genesis let out a small squeak as he was yanked back and forced to plop onto the couch next to his friend. He actually stuck out his lower lip and sat back, folding his arms in a pout. "You're no fun." He still eyed the bag from where he sat. "I never said he was a mastermind, I was only curious to see if he was worth scaring or not. No doubt your pup has been telling him stories about us the way he likes to ramble. I just wanted to even the playing field. Know your enemy, right Seph?" He asked, looking up at the General.

He then glanced past the silver-haired man towards the far wall by the door. "Can we at least turn off the lights before they get here?"

Chuckling quietly at the sound and look Genesis made, Sephiroth shook his head, strands of silver hair falling over his shoulder from the action like a shimmering waterfall. "I highly doubt a new cadet is considered an enemy, Genesis." He mused, lips twitching in a smirk aimed at Genesis.

"Besides," He said, reaching over and flicking the light switch off to somewhat appease Genesis. "Like Angeal said, the cadet probably doesn't know any better. He's not the main culprit, we all know who that is. Right Angeal?" He turned his glowing gaze on said Commander.

Angeal smiled weakly and rubbed the back of his head. "Zack's a good SOLDIER, he just needs some supervision sometimes. Like Genesis." He smirked a bit at Genesis at that one.

Shaking his head though, he crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned back into the couch. "Don't worry, Zack won't be touching Loveless or your office again, I'll make sure he understands that." He nodded, though in the back of his mind he doubted their lectures would really make that much of an impact.

They never did on Genesis, anyway, and he ended up as one of SOLDIERs Commanders.

Genesis rolled his eyes. It was easy to forget how literal Sephiroth could take things sometimes. And he wondered if Hojo had kept him under a rock throughout his whole childhood, though he'd never say that out loud. One mention of Hojo and the good mood his friend was in would vanish and be almost impossible to retrieve.

The red Commander was happy that he got one thing to go his way as his eyes began to glow in the dark like his fellow Firsts. He huffed at the idea of needing supervision. "There is a difference between needing someone to babysit and simply trying to wind down after a long mission. Is it so wrong that I want to let loose and enjoy myself without causing everyone to think I'm crazy?"

He sighed in his dramatic fashion before pulling out his favorite mastered Fire Materia and simply holding it in his hand as he stared into it's depths. It always seemed to calm him to hold such power in his hands. He smirked at his friend's promise. "Good. Hopefully he listens to you, otherwise any sparring session we have when he becomes a First will be carried out without mercy."

Sephiroth looked at Genesis pointedly. "Your idea of winding down usually consists of blowing something up, usually the labs." He shook his head. He'd filled out every report after Genesis would 'let loose' after a long mission, having to appease the President and Hojo.

Though secretly Sephiroth really didn't mind that much, especially when he reminded the President what a valuable asset Genesis was to SOLDIER in Wutai with his skills. That always got under Hojo's skin, that Shinra wouldn't get rid of the Commander. And that was worth the extra paperwork each and every time for the General.

Angeal smiled warily. He'd have to remember to warn Zack about sparring with Genesis once he made 1st Class. "At least by then he should be able to withstand your attacks." He said, laughing weakly. Zack was strong, but he wasn't a 1st Class yet and right now he wouldn't stand a chance against someone like Genesis, even in a spar.

But he hoped it wouldn't come to that. "Try and play nice Gen, he really does care about you." He smiled slightly. Zack was fiercely loyal and devoted to his friends, and being around Sephiroth and Genesis thanks to Angeal the teen had extended his devotion and loyalty to the two 1sts.

On that aspect, Angeal couldn't feel more proud of how the teen put friends above himself. If only he didn't feel the need to prank his 'close' friends the most, and they wouldn't be sitting in his apartment right about now.

Genesis gave the General a knowing look. "Oh please, I'm doing everyone a favor there. Have you seen the kind of freak show that sicko is running down there? It almost makes me sorry for the poor creatures he involves in his projects. Why shouldn't I put them out of their misery? Though, causing that behemoth's urine sample to spill all over Hojo's head that one time was purely accidental."

Genesis laid his head back against the couch as he looked at the far wall. "I know, Angeal. He's a damn good SOLDIER, I'll admit that. And I have no doubts that he'll make a great First, but he still has a lot to learn still."

Part of Genesis didn't want to admit that he secretly hoped the rug-rat never changed. SOLDIER needed someone like him. Someone who could mingle openly with people from all ranks and all branches of the company. Not many people could do that. Some could try, but no one was welcomed as warmly as Zack could be.

"I'm sure it was." Sephiroth replied, though his tone said differently. That had been rather humorous, though he did his best to keep the humor to himself. Hojo had been angered enough and he didn't want the professor's wrath intensified more than it had already been done.

"On the topic of Fair becoming 1st Class, do you think he's getting close to taking the exam for the promotion?" He wondered aloud, glancing over the back of the couch at Angeal.

The Commander ran a hand through his hair and nodded. Sephiroth might have been following the reports, but only Angeal had any real insight when he trained with him on how close he'd be to taking the 1st's exam. "He is, but Gen's right, there's still some things he needs to learn." And he needed to mature just the tiniest bit more, though Angeal kept that to himself because everyone present already knew that much about Zack.

"His stealth ability is still lacking a bit. And his patience." He chuckled. Zack hated the word 'patience' because the teen truly had none to speak of.

Genesis toyed with one of the buttons on his coat for a moment in thought before coming up with a suggestion. "What if all three of us put him through a training test? Stick him in a training room and have him go up against the three of us? Nothing extremely destructive, he'd simply have to take us by surprise. This would be a test of stealth and the patience to pull it off. If he can get past at least two of us, that should be enough to know if he's ready, correct?

"Of course, there will be paperwork involved in setting it up and Sephiroth still needs a word with that head Turk about my little dilemma concerning my mission in Wutai." He wasn't about to forget to make sure that the Princess remained safe. "And there's also Lazard's approval to deal with."

"I'll be leaving to speak with Tseng after we're done here. I'll call him in to my apartment and we'll discuss your situation. As for the Director," Sephiroth shifted, glancing down at Genesis where he stood leaning against the back of the couch still. "Lazard will approve anything if it means getting another 1st Class in SOLDIER."

Lazard was a decent man and Sephiroth actually didn't mind speaking with him concerning his SOLDIERs, unlike the President. Lazard knew Shinra needed more 1sts and knew that Zack was on the list of being next to take the exam. So this test to help Zack get better with real stealth and patience needed of a 1st would no doubt be approved immediately.

Angeal hummed. He liked that idea, and three was better than one indeed. "That'll work. Think you can make it happen sometime this week? Gaia only knows when the President decides to send Genesis back to Wutai, so it's best to do it now while he's here."

He smiled a little sadly at his friend. He hated how Genesis spent so much time in Wutai and away from them. He didn't doubt his friend's ability to stay alive, it just wasn't his home and his friends were here, not there.

TBC