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: Hey guys, the holidays are right around the corner and I can't wait! I'll be a bit busier than usual, but nothing too crazy. Unlike last year. (doesn't even want to think about it). Enjoy guys and have a great week!

Bahamut: Hey everyone! As I promised, here's another update, and again I apologize for the long hiatus. Hopefully these updates make up for it. ;) Now like Shade said, the holidays are around the corner, but we hopefully can be able to get a couple more updates out there before the new year. Enjoy!

Unexpected Surprises

Ever since Genesis had returned to his apartment all he could think of was his nice, soft, warm bed. But before he could even dream of curling up under the covers he had to wash away the filth he had accumulated overseas. Twenty minutes and two body wash cycles later Genesis was squeaky clean and collapsing onto his bed. Ditching his red leather coat for a simple white T-shirt and sleeping trunks with little flame patterns on them he happily lost himself in oblivion.

And then came the knock. It was only three quick raps on the door and then silence, but it was enough to rouse the Commander from sleep. Having lived in Wutai for so long with a battle-ready mind, expecting danger at every turn, his senses were acutely trained to get him fully awake at the slightest sound of noise.

Looking up at the clock he blinked and glared at it as the 5:14 AM time on the clock registered. He thought about going back to sleep, but as one of the head Commanders he was expected to do many things he didn't want to. Answering the door at an ungoddess-like hour was sadly among them.

Getting up and grumbling a thousand curses he dawned his famous coat and headed for the door. When he opened it he attempted to get his tired eyes to put on their best glare before realizing there was no one in the hall. Lucky for them. He was about to step back inside and slam the door with the mindset that if he had to be awake at this hour then the other two should also suffer, but stopped when he saw three boxes at his feet.

"If this is more fan mail from Red Leather so help me..." He opened the first box and blinked in surprise as he pulled out one of his gold-plated volumes of Loveless.

"Sweet Shiva!" He breathed as he opened the other two boxes. It was all here! His precious collection! He smiled as he realized why the person hadn't stuck around. Zack was probably afraid to face him alone so soon after his little prank. Genesis smiled at the realization that despite what the Second did he also disobeyed a direct order from the General and gave him his collection back early.

He took the boxes into his room and placed them safely in his bedroom. He'd put them back in their rightful place after the weekend to avoid being caught. Sephiroth had that annoying rule that all his orders were to be followed no matter how far'fetched they seemed. Once safely inside, Genesis thought about going back to bed. He certainly had been comfy and was still a bit tired, but he figured since he rarely woke up to good news or surprises he had better enjoy this one, so he stayed up and made himself a cup of tea.

xoxo

Zack had already been in the elevator before Genesis opened the door, and was waiting on it to reach his floor. He glanced at his watch, satisfied that he was done with that and Cloud was probably still fast asleep in bed. Hopefully that made Genesis happy after the little incident in his apartment last night over the whole thing.

Plus if he was in a good mood long enough things might go well for them during dinner tonight at Sephiroth's. He was more worried for Cloud than himself, really. He could handle himself well enough among the 1sts -they were like his family after all- but Cloud wasn't quite at that stage of relaxation around the General of SOLDIER, let alone all three of the famous 1st Class SOLDIERs of Shinra.

The elevator doors opened on his floor and he strolled out and down the hallway to his apartment. He hadn't bothered locking his door and just walked in, keeping as quiet as he could. Walking into his room, he found the cadet right where he'd left him, and he grinned a bit to himself.

Cloud was pretty adorable when he slept.

It was still a little early so he decided to make them a quick breakfast before leaving. With that in mind the 2nd Class went to his kitchen and grabbed a few eggs out before he started cooking them up in a skillet. He wasn't the best of cooks but he could make some lean scrambled eggs in his humble opinion.

He'd let the smell of food wake his sleeping friend, they'd eat, then head straight to the Train Graveyard in the Slums. He was pretty excited about going out and training someone that needed the extra help more than himself. He idly wondered if this was how Angeal felt when he took Zack on as a student years earlier.

The teen smiled at the memory, and could only imagine how happy Cloud will feel when Zack becomes 1st and can officially take him on as a student.

Cloud was having a good dream. He was riding atop of a train that was traveling through Midgar. From somewhere behind him he could hear Zack giving him orders about spies dressing to look like normal army troops.

"Don't be fooled, Spiky. They're not as harmless as they look."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be careful." Taking his sword, he rushed ahead, leaping from car to car before the troops started appearing. Seven in all. Most were wielding guns and one had a rocket launcher. Cloud easily dispatched the five gunmen and then when he got too close, the sixth spy tried using the launcher as a blunt weapon. Cloud sliced through it and shoved the guy off the train when he came at him with a knife next.

The last spy came at Cloud wielding a sword and the two blades clashed. The guy was good, pushing Cloud back and almost making him stumble. But there was one thing he didn't see coming. Cloud's thumb hit a trigger in the hilt of his blade and a smaller blade split from the main one. It was a little over half the size, but the distraction of the flashing steel was enough for Cloud to take advantage and finish him off.

Cloud rejoined the two blades and slung it over to place it back in the harness on his back. "They never see that trick coming." He mused to himself. His phone rung and he flipped it open to see a message from Zack saying that he passed. He looked up towards to face the direction the train was heading in as it came to the stop up ahead when the dream ended.

The next thing he noticed was the smell of eggs. He felt his stomach growl in response and for a minute thought he was back home and waking up to his mother's cooking. It smelled similar. But when he opened his eyes he noticed that he was not in his room, nor was he in the barracks. Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes before looking around. It wasn't until he saw a picture on the nightstand of Commander Hewley and a teen with crazy wild dark hair that it registered to him that he was in Zack's apartment.

A few minutes later Cloud entered the living room, wearing a light blue T-shirt and black camo pants which he had brought in his duffle bag. Waking up to the smell of breakfast was much better than having an instructor screaming in your face or an annoying bell system. He smirked when he saw Zack cooking.

"Mornin'," He greeted.

The 2nd Class had two plates at the ready and probably a dozen eggs scrambled in the skillet. He looked up at the teen with a bright smile. "Mornin', Spiky!" He beamed, always the early riser and morning person. That had always gotten on everyone's nerves, that Zack was such a morning person. As soon as his eyes were open he was full of energy and ready for the day.

Even Angeal wasn't a morning person, at least not before he had his cup of coffee for the day. Which if Zack interfered with his mentor that early and hindered said process of getting coffee, the teen sorely regretted it later during training. Shaking that thought from mind with a laugh to himself, he continued scrambling the eggs until they looked like one giant scrambled egg.

Before the eggs were done he tossed in some cheese and let it melt, and as they finished he started to fill the plates up. He didn't give Cloud quite half because he knew it would be too much for someone with no Mako fueling their appetite.

Grinning at the overflowing eggs on each plate he turned his stove off before he forgot -and Zack had forgot to turn his stove off before- and took the plates over to the small table in the kitchen. "Eat up! We got a long day of training ahead of us!" He said, going over to his sink and looking over the dirty dishes.

After he picked two glasses that had to be clean -at least he secretly hoped they were clean- he filled them with orange juice and sat them next to their plates with a smile aimed at Cloud. "Sorry, it's the only other thing aside from beer and soda.." He ruffled Cloud's hair then turned and grabbed ketchup from his fridge.

As soon as he was sitting in front of his plate, he covered his eggs with said ketchup. "Want some?" He asked, grinning up at the cadet.

Cloud yawned as he shook his head. "No thanks." He took the salt and sprinkled it over his breakfast before taking a bite. It was rare to get a meal in Shinra when you didn't have to worry about the food making you gag or breaking your teeth. It wasn't the same as his mother's cooking. It lacked the melting layer of butter with garlic powder and a slice of toast on the side, but it was good.

"If you'd rather I wear my uniform when we head to the graveyard it'll only take me about two minutes to change." He only avoided putting in on the first place because he had only brought one uniform and it was probably stained with sweat from yesterday's cadet duties.

He picked up his glass of juice next and washed down his bite. "It's fine." He couldn't help but think back to his dream and enjoy it. He knew he was a SOLDIER and Zack was his mentor, probably already a First. He then thought about the sword he used and wondered how he could go about turning that dream sword into reality.

"Have you ever heard of a sword that could split into two blades?" The question was probably sudden, but he really wanted to know. If there was such a blade, he wanted it.

The 2nd Class already had a mouthful of eggs shoveled in and was chewing it when Cloud mentioned changing. He swallowed so he could talk and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, what you got on is fine enough." He smiled and took another bite of the ketchup soaked eggs. He was only wearing his uniform because he was so used to wearing it when he knew there would be training. Better than ruining some of his better clothes at any rate.

When Cloud asked about the sword he blinked and stared at him for a moment as the words registered. He didn't think Cloud knew anything about weapons, considering he was from Nibelheim and still new to Midgar and SOLDIER.

He thought it over around a mouthful of eggs before he swallowed and nodded. "Sounds like a type of buster sword I seen once. Really expensive, a little too flashy for my taste, but it's the only sword I can think of that split into two or more blades." He said, watching Cloud curiously.

He couldn't help but wonder and of course, that meant he couldn't help but ask. "Where'd you hear about a sword like that? Cadets usually don't know much about weapons, let alone ones that aren't even used by anyone in SOLDIER." He poked his fork at Cloud's chest with a grin. "You holdin' out on me, Spiky?"

Cloud hmmm'd over the information as he took another bite of his eggs. So, there was such a sword? And it could split into more than just two? Even more exciting was that no one else in SOLDIER had such a sword which meant that his weapon would be unique.

"I dreamed that I had that kind of sword. It came in handy and I just wondered if that kind of weapon existed. If I make SOLDIER, that's the kind of weapon I'd want."

Cloud didn't want many material things in his life. In fact, there had only been one until now. He had hated relying on others to get him to Midgar when he left home and didn't really like dealing with all of the people. But if he had a Motorcycle then that would change everything. Now alongside that he thought of having the sword and as he took another swig of his juice the idea combined. What if his motorcycle could somehow carry the different blades in hidden compartments?

The idea was crazy and probably unheard of, but it was still awesome and it brought a smile to his face. He had to become a SOLDIER first before he started playing with such ideas. But it wasn't easy taking baby steps when you hung out with someone like Zack. "What kind of sword would you want? Or, are you fine with the one you have now?"

"You dreamed of it?" Zack asked, leaning back and grinning wryly. He'd never heard of someone dreaming of their future weapon. He laughed a little but shook his head. "Well you better start saving now, even for a 2nd Class it was too expensive." He said with a wry grin. He scarfed down the remainder of his breakfast and grabbed for his glass, chugging orange juice down in just a few gulps before it was all gone.

He stood up and stretched his lean frame before tossing his dishes in the sink with the rest of his dirty dish collection. He looked at Cloud and hummed, thinking over his question. "I'm pretty okay with what I have, but I'd give anything to have one like Angeal's Buster Sword. He let me swing it around once after I made 2nd Class. It fit in my hands like a glove, it was amazing. The weight of it in my hands, the groove of the hilt along my fingers." He smiled fondly.

That moment had been even better than having made 2nd Class in his opinion.

The 2nd Class smiled and walked over, ruffling Cloud's hair. "Hurry up and finish so we can get going." He said, walking out and grabbing his armor, strapping it on then getting his sword and putting it on it's magnet holster on his back. He grabbed his Materia next and checked the MP of each while waiting for Cloud to finish eating.

Zack blinked when he suddenly remembered something and he held up his hand and ran to his bedroom, digging through his closet for a box he'd meant to get out earlier. He found it after five minutes of searching and dusted it off while he walked back to the kitchen with it.

"That reminds me, here. Want you to have this." He sat the box in front of Cloud and gripped his shoulder, smiling down at the cadet. "A basic Materia set. You got your Cure, Barrier, Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder. It was my first set, but it barely got used since I was more focused on sword training and my tactics exams. I got a different set, so you can have this one and master it yourself."

Cloud merely shrugged when he heard the cost was high. He had expected it. Anything that specialized had to be pricey. But he was also determined to save up every bit of Gil he could in order to get it.

He had just finished the last few bites of his breakfast when Zack ran into his room to get something. Cloud looked over at the sink and the collection of dishes and smirked. He guessed that whatever the SOLDIER was looking for might take him a bit with that mess. Challenge accepted.

By the time Zack emerged from his room Cloud was seated back at the table, but the dishes were all clean and put away in the cupboards. Cloud couldn't believe how dirty some of those dishes were. It was like they had sat there for a month and judging by the rest of the apartment they probably had. He chose not to dwell on that and instead focused on the box sitting in front of him.

It didn't register until Zack placed a hand on his shoulder. Wait, a full set of Materia?! "Are you serious?" He had wanted to get a feel for the elements before his classmates sure and Zack had mentioned last night about letting him use a few, like Cure, but to actually give him a full set. He really didn't know what to say.

Well, actually he did know what to say. "You know you're spoiling me, right?" He definitely planned on mastering these. Especially Thunder and Cure.

Zack beamed at the cadet and plopped down in the chair next to him with a bright, happy smile. "Maybe I am, but you can just make it up to me later or something." He rolled his shoulder in a shrug and patted Cloud's head. "Just put those to good use." He said with a grin.

He stood back up and was about to leave the kitchen when he seen the dishes -or better yet, lack there of now- and the empty sink. "Hey, what happened to all the dishes?" He asked, scratching his head like it was some kind of magic trick. He looked at Cloud skeptically. "Did you do that?" He asked, grinning now. "Man, when I become 1st Class and get a bigger apartment, you're coming to live with me. That's the cleanest my kitchen's been in months!" He laughed and walked out.

Though he wasn't exactly joking, he was actually kind of serious about that, sad as it was to admit. He was always awful at cleaning and it showed painfully in his little apartment, but if he had Cloud keeping it cleaned up he'd never have to worry about it again.

"Come on, Spiky! Cleaning dishes won't get you into SOLDIER! We're headin' to the Train Graveyard before it gets any later!" He called as he grabbed the last few things he'd need for their training and prepared for a long day outside.

Cloud shifted his eyes innocently towards the ceiling. "Maybe." What the cadet lacked in power, he made up for in speed, which also included chores. He always did the dishes for his mother whenever he happened to see them before she did, so it was no big deal that the habit still carried on to this day. That and Cloud really didn't like being in a dirty house. Zack's place was different, it had a more comfortable feel to it. Doing the dishes was Cloud's way of thanking Zack for breakfast.

As he sat there letting his mind run away he just managed to catch the last of what Zack was saying as he headed towards the door. Grabbing his new Materia along with a few other things that might come in handy, Cloud hurried after Zack.

The 2nd Class grinned back at Cloud and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "You're gonna enjoy it today. After we train for a few hours I'll take you to Wall Market for some awesome lunch." He beamed at the cadet before stepping away and hitting the elevator button. The doors slid open and the teen was already waiting inside, bouncing in place. He was full of energy and ready to go train for a few hours with the cadet, fighting monsters in the Train Graveyard and teaching Cloud how to use Materia.

Zack felt pretty happy after he gave the Materia set to Cloud, and knew the blonde would keep it and work on them when he could. He also knew it would be a big help on getting pass the exams for SOLDIER to already have a set and working with his own Materia ahead of others.

Cloud was looking forward to getting a chance to use his Materia, and they'd probably get a good workout considering he didn't have his own sword yet. He was about to reply when he noticed something red in the elevator behind Zack who didn't seem to notice it yet.

"Do you mind, not rocking the boat this early in the morning, Fair? Not everyone has such boundless energy as you." Leaning against the back of the elevator was Genesis Rhapsodos. He was fully dressed and geared up to look like he was about to lead a platoon into battle.

The doors started to slide closed before he stuck his hand out to stop them. "You going to stand there all day, cadet?"

Cloud shook his head and joined the two before the doors closed again. Genesis cast a glance over at Zack and smirked at him before looking back to address the cadet. "I see the impatient pup has once again forgotten a few details. For example, cadets don't have their own weapons yet and therefore need to borrow one first?"

Cloud wasn't exactly sure how to answer the Commander, but fell silent when he pulled out a long sword from behind his coat. "It's a Third Class blade; the standard long sword. I trust you won't damage or lose it?"

The teen didn't know what to say to that. "Y-yes, sir. Thank you."

Genesis rolled his eyes before shoving it towards the blonde. "Just take it already. You need to work on your reflexes and response time if you ever hope to pass your exam." He then turned to Zack. "Make sure to start him on tests of speed and timing. Strength won't do him any good if he's too slow to face a quicker opponent."

Why Genesis was giving them tips he didn't know. Perhaps it was his way of making up for yesterday? After he had time to think about how he scared the cadet with kicking him out, he did realize that he went too far. There was also the event last night in the security room. Seeing the footage and what transpired between the two and then the need to keep the boy safe from Hojo. That was what he was doing now. Heading towards the barracks to give Cadet Strife's bunk mates a surprise wake-up call. It was the weekend so they were allowed to sleep in, well, not after Genesis was through with them.

Zack had let out an undignified yelp when Genesis started talking. He hadn't expected him, especially at this hour. He looked at him and smiled weakly. "Well I was gonna take one from one of the gyms before we left." He said, rubbing the back of his head. He hadn't forgot about Cloud needing a weapon of his own, they just hadn't gotten that far yet.

"But uh, thanks." He said, eyeing the Commander. He couldn't quite tell if he was still angry or finally settled after getting his books back since Zack's little prank, and this rare nice side was definitely not something the 2nd Class was prepared for this early in the morning from Genesis Rhapsodos of all people.

He shook his head a bit ruefully and grinned. "But I'm also gonna see what he can do with Materia. We're going to the Train Graveyard for some free-style training." He said with a bright smile.

Of course, no one was better at Materia than Genesis Rhapsodos. He didn't think even Sephiroth had the same level of mastery, but then again he didn't remember Sephiroth using a ton of Materia like the Commander here. He was more reserved in his use of Materia. It was always a little more intimidating if the General picked up a Materia, though.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Zack looked at the 1st Class. "So what are you doing up this early on a Saturday?" He asked, a bit curious. He hoped Genesis wasn't out to get him or something like that after waking him up so early.

TBC