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 everyone. Fangirl and I are so thankful that you've been following along. This update did take a bit, but that's because we've both been super busy. I'm really happy you guys like this story so much, but to the few who have been messaging me on my profile, it's best if you leave a review here. That way, both Fangirl and I can see it and bring out updates a little faster. We love getting reviews, it what helps fuel our passion to write. But Fangirl can't do anything if only I get messages through PM's. Feel free to contact me all you like, but Fangirl's the one holding the reigns for this awesome adventure. ;)

Fangirl: I couldn't have said any of what Shade said better! So without further ado, the next chapter is here!

The Stench of Progress

Cloud wasn't sure what to make of the look that Zack had given him. He was saddened by something, but before Cloud could try to figure out why the train's brakes screeched as they arrived and Zack was up and pulling Cloud with him. Fine, if Zack had any doubts about Cloud's resolve then he'd just have to prove it to him. Sure, he was an underdog, but he had never let that stop him before and he wasn't going to start now.

The smell that greeted him made him think twice however. He had to shake his head as the stench threatened to overwhelm him. "Fresh? I've encountered road kill that didn't smell this bad!"

The 2nd Class gave a hoot of laughter at Cloud's response. He always loved seeing the reactions of people who had never been in the Slums before. It was always hilarious no matter the person. He clapped Cloud on the back as he guided him off the platform and toward the Train Graveyard. "If you smell that, you know you're in the Slums!" He snickered.

Thankfully Zack was very much immune, because he knew how bad the stench was. If not for years of coming here, his Mako enhanced sense of smell would have knocked him right on his back with the aroma of the Slums.

"Come on, the Train Graveyard is just this way." He said, walking toward the entrance right off from the train platform. He could already hear the sounds of fiends and beasts rummaging through the area ahead with his enhanced hearing, and he grinned as brightly as if he was a kid going into a candy shop.

"Oh joy," Cloud replied as he breathed through his mouth in order to dull the smell somewhat. He knew he'd have to get used to the stench eventually, but it would take a while, unless the stink alone killed his nose first.

As they passed by a mound of broken metal and other junk Cloud could've sworn he heard the scattering of claws and a growl. That told him that he needed to keep his guard up. He kept his sword held loose and ready, just in case something became gutsy enough to try and take them by surprise.

He took a slow breath to calm his building nerves. This was it. Time to put up or shut up and show the people of Midgar and SOLDIER just what Cloud Strife could do.

Zack looked to Cloud with a wry grin, slapping him on the back. "Better if you breathe through your nose and get used to it now, especially since we'll be training here for a few hours. Don't wanna exhaust yourself by breathing through your mouth the whole time, better to train yourself to breathe through your nose." He sniggered, knowing how hard that would be while engulfed in the scent of the Slums.

Best place to train for that.

As the 2nd Class made it to a semi nice clearing, he sat the bag of supplies down and started to stretch. "Alright, first off, stretch. You don't want your muscles locking up before we even get through basic training." He said, looking to Cloud with a smile. He figured the teen knew how to do that much on his own, but just in case he did a few stretches himself. "Like this!" He demonstrated for the cadet.

Cloud had a feeling Zack would say something like that. He let out a sigh (through his nose) which almost made him gag, but he fought back the urge. Gaia, that was going to be hard. But he set down his sword and fell into the routine his instructor had set up for him and the other cadets when they went through their morning run and workout. This part he was well used to. He fell into a pattern of stretches.

The 2nd Class grinned a bit at Cloud's pattern and monotonous style of stretching. He remembered the form and pattern well enough from when he was a cadet, the whole thing having been drilled into his psyche. And it wasn't terrible for a few years, even after becoming 3rd Class, but he knew of some better stretches for more rigorous training.

For now though, they weren't going to be needing that and he let the cadet stretch on his own terms while he himself started doing a few squats to wait on Cloud to finish up.

When Cloud had finished warming up he stood up and looked around. He didn't think the monsters would be so noisy, but during his warm up he had heard several of them scurrying among the scrap piles. They were either very brave or strong enough not to worry about being heard.

He looked over at Zack who was doing squats. He wasn't sure if that was part of his warm up or if he was just doing that to pass the time. "So," He asked. "Where do we start?"

Zack stood upright in an instant and flashed a bright, cheery grin at the cadet. "We start with the sword; a SOLDIERs best friend." He said, grabbing his own and swinging it a few times with the flick of his wrist. He motioned for Cloud to take up the one Genesis had given him before the 2nd Class took a defensive stance.

"Make sure you pay attention to where your feet are." He motioned to his own. "This stance is for defense. But it's not very good when you're trying to be the one on the offense. So pick up your sword and let's see how you hold it and how your stance is from the get-go. Stand like you'd come at me."

He smiled a bit. He remembered all the times he and Angeal had practiced stances when using the sword. It was royally beaten into his head by this point, and he appreciated Angeal all the more for the time and effort it took to teach the teen those things.

Cloud nodded and picked up his sword. He tested his grip on it first, noticing that it felt a little strange. He had seen how easily Zack flicked his and noting the comfortable grip the SOLDIER had on his weapon. It seemed a bit heavy to Cloud, but he hoped that was just the lack of Mako. This sword was made for a Third Class after all.

Taking the sword in both hands, he spread his feet apart, one behind the other as if he prepared to charge and swing his sword. He hoped he was doing it right, or at least not looking like the clumsy cadet everyone thought he was. "Like this?"

The raven haired SOLDIER watched Cloud test the sword, then take a stance. It actually wasn't too bad for a cadet, but there were holes that could easily be exposed in his stance. "Not bad, but more like this." He walked over and stood next to Cloud, taking an offensive stance to show him where to place his feet.

He tapped the tip of his sword to Cloud's left boot. "Most people are right handed and focus on their right side when attacking, they kind of forget to make up for their left side and leave it open when they go on the offensive." He said, offering a kind smile at the cadet. "Try again." He said, stepping back away and back into the defensive stance, watching the cadet with a critical gaze.

For all his joking, good humor, and all that, Zack was serious when it came to training and learning how to survive a battle. He was a SOLDIER, after all.

Cloud nodded and adjusted his stance to match how Zack had shown him. He adjusted his hold on the sword slightly to keep his less dominant side in check. When he thought he had it right he faced Zack just like with the first attempt.

Zack nodded to the blonde when his stance was better. "Good. Alright, that's the stance you want to take when you're going on the offensive. Remember it and drill it into your skull because it's something you'll need to do without even thinking about it later. It has to become second nature to you, like breathing. Got it? Good."

He grinned and cracked his neck. "Now come at me like I'm your enemy. Don't hold back -you can't hurt me." He said, ready for whatever Cloud could dish out. Being a 2nd Class versus a cadet would obviously make it hard for Cloud to actually inflict anything serious on him, so he wasn't concerned and would rather have the teen not hold back anyway.

Angeal had never wanted Zack to hold back when they trained.

Cloud gave him the slightest of smirks. This was probably the most serious he had ever seen Zack since they had met. It meant that he was taking this seriously and Cloud was only too happy to return the favor. Thankfully he was a fast learner and already mentally noted the position of his stance.

He was a little unsure about actually attacking his friend. Cloud thought about suggesting he practice on a few pieces of garbage at first, but Zack had a point. Cloud doubted he could hurt the SOLDIER even if he wanted to.

With a slight nod he took a breath to prepare himself for the charge. He knew he'd probably end up flat on his back, but he'd still give it his all. Without a word he charged ahead, bringing the sword up for a diagonal slash as he closed in on the Second and struck downward with his sword.

The teen watched Cloud's stance, noted he had it down well, and watched his footing as he suddenly charged at the 2nd Class. He blocked the cadet with ease, but instead of knocking him back he flipped his blade with a flick of his wrist and gave a good hit to Cloud's stomach with the hilt.

Stepping back he smiled slightly at the younger teen. "Nice attack, but try not to get too flashy when you don't have the speed to block immediately upon attack. Just stick with the simple stuff right now."

He tapped the flat of his sword against Cloud's wrist. "Don't aim high when you're short, no offense. The sword can make up some of the length, sure, but don't let your eyes get drawn too far from your opponent's midsection. Sometimes an opponent will use a dagger, if you're focusing on swinging up to their heads or something like just now, they could pull a dagger out and stab you in the gut."

He took his stance again. "Remember, your sword can only reach so far, so try not to aim too high. Go for what's in your line of sight for the time being. Keep your opponent's hands in sight. Now again." He offered a gentle, reassuring smile at the cadet and nodded for him to come at him again.

Cloud blinked as he looked down at his middle where Zack had jabbed him and imagined if that had been the sharp end of a dagger. He'd be on the ground bleeding out like a faucet. That image alone hammered the message home. Mentally vowing he wouldn't repeat his mistakes he took his offensive stance again and calmed his nerves as he focused.

Alright, no flashy moves. Keep it simple and focused Strife. Keep yourself centered and don't overreach.

With his mental plan set, he charged at Zack again. This time, instead of a slash aimed for the head, he went with a straight jab. He was aiming for Zack's chest while keeping his eyes focused on his opponent's hands, assuming they'd come up to block the hit or knock it away.

xoxo

Genesis carried a sack slung over his shoulder as he made his way to his best friend's apartment. After returning from the barracks he had grabbed a spare supply bag and dumped all of Strife's things inside because he really didn't feel like explaining to everyone who passed by why he was carrying a handful of cadet belongings and most embarrassing of all, a pair of chocobo print underwear. The sack was a much better choice.

He wasn't looking forward to stepping into Angeal's apartment with all of those plants and the constant threat of bugs, but this matter couldn't exactly wait. Sooner or later the cadet's instructor would want some answers and both Genesis and Angeal hadn't exactly begun filing out the movement notice.

This is going to be fun, Genesis thought as he knocked twice on Angeal's door.

Angeal was up and enjoying his morning coffee while reading the Daily Midgar newspaper when he heard the knock at his door. Glancing up at the clock, he raised an eyebrow. He didn't know who it would be at this hour but set his newspaper and mug of coffee down and stood up from his recliner in the living room.

He opened the door and was actually a little taken aback to see Genesis of all people. "You're up on a weekend at this hour? Gaia, who died?" He asked, half jokingly, half serious. It would take a lot for Genesis Rhapsodos to be up and about at this hour on the weekend, especially after a long trip to Wutai like he'd just gotten back from.

The Commander noticed the bag slung over his shoulder and crossed his arms. "There isn't a cadet's body in there, is there? I'm not helping you hide it." He said with a wry grin.

Genesis smirked as his friend greeted him. "Had I been forced to stay in those barracks a moment longer that may very well have been the case, fortunately they got the hint and so no one had to die today." He adjusted the sack over his shoulder. "However, there is a matter of safety to be discussed. Remember what we disclosed last night about moving him in with the pup? We may have to speed that up and make his little sleepover a bit more permanent."

He glanced up at the camera, being careful of what he said.

The dark haired Commander snorted and nodded, stepping aside for his friend to enter. "Come in. Do you want some coffee?" He asked, closing the door behind his friend and walking back to the living room to retrieve his mug. He had a feeling he would need to refill it for today despite it being a weekend.

"So how did it go, what did you learn, and what did you do." He said, like he was well prepared for whatever his friend had to say on the matter. He glanced at his friend with a slight smile. He did want to know how things went, and from the way Genesis had no doubt packed up Cloud's things it meant things didn't quite go well for some reason or another.

"Gaia, yes!" That morning's tea he had when he woke up seemed like an eternity ago even if it had only been one or two hours at most, however he wasn't about to pass up his friend's offer.

He entered the room and for once, didn't pay the plants much attention. They weren't that bad really. It was just the creatures that called them home that bothered him. He set the sack down and took a seat on the couch. Genesis chuckled a bit as the questions flew from his friend's mouth. "Keep your shirt on 'Geal." He rolled his eyes before revealing what he knew.

"It went as expected, though we might need to look into stricter application programs. Those boys were not very bright when it came to pop quizzes. They're quite lazy as well. Not caring to brush up on their research and waiting for the class before even thinking about studying for it. It makes me almost want to quiz the Pup's little cadet to see if he's any better, though I'm a bit afraid to find out."

He folded his arms and leaned back into the couch. "I didn't do much. Just gave them a nice jump start, and I may have used my Fire Materia." He stopped and glanced at his friend, no doubt expecting a look. "Don't worry, I held back. I'm sure they've had sunburns that were worse. They're lucky they were un-enhanced otherwise they would have suffered a lot worse. Nobody throws a pillow in my face and gets away with it."

He nudged the bag at his feet a bit before bringing up the last bit of news. "I learned that the cadets did indeed need to be dealt with on the matter concerning the Hojo incident. Not only did they seem the type to report that to a higher up, but they also tried to get the boy in trouble for a number of things including ordering around a higher-up like he believed he was too good for them."

He gave Angeal a look that said they were right to worry. "I know neither of us, nor Sephiroth ever had to deal with bullies when we were cadets, but I think Strife would have been in trouble when he returned to his dorm. I didn't reprimand the cadets for this because they hadn't done it yet, but I saw everything I needed to."

He closed his eyes and shook his head when he saw it. "While looking around the room I noticed a few things that stood out. A coil of rope hidden under some magazines, a roll of duct tape sitting on a night stand, and the most worrying piece of evidence was found when I was gathering up the last of the cadet's things. Under his blankets was a white T-shirt with the words 'SOLDIER's PET' in red. I don't know exactly what they were planning to do with those three items, but I think it's safe to say it wouldn't be good. So I took the liberty to move Strife out of there now, but I only grabbed his things. I need you to make it official to his instructor."

The raven haired Commander chuckled a bit at his friend and nodded while he walked over and grabbed a second mug before pouring himself and Genesis a fresh mug of coffee. "A pillow to your face? What complete insubordination." He said jokingly, rolling his eyes. It was the weekend.

Listening to Genesis, he frowned a bit at hearing how it went. He didn't know what on Gaia they'd need rope, duck tape, and that t-shirt for, but it wouldn't have been good. He hadn't thought the cadet's bunkmates would have gone so far, but it looked like Strife was in danger not just from Hojo but from his own peers.

That made Angeal sick to his stomach. He remembered when he'd first taken Zack on as his pupil, and although Zack smiled it off, he knew the teen had taken some hits from the others his own age. He never did get the full story on what all happened between the teen and the others, Zack refused to talk about it saying it was 'nothing', and Angeal didn't want to hurt the pup's pride.

Ironically, most of Zack's class aside from a couple, were now among the ranks of Infantrymen.

Shaking his head as he took the two mugs of coffee into the living room, he handed one to Genesis with a sigh and sat back down in his recliner. "You made the right decision to move him now. I don't think he would have stood a chance against them." He mumbled, looking down at the steaming coffee inside his cup. "I'll talk to his instructor today and write up the transfer form." He glanced at Genesis while sipping his coffee.

"You should tell Sephiroth all this. He needs to know that the cadets are less than desirable to join SOLDIER if they can't answer simple questions or if they're loyalty is next to nothing for one another. Bring up the idea of having a stricter application program." Angeal suggested, leaning back into his chair.

Genesis accepted the mug and nodded his thanks before blowing on it and taking a sip. He took a moment to enjoy the warmth as it traveled down his throat before answering. "It's a fair guess that it'd be obvious." He had to be careful and remember that Angeal didn't really watch much TV and wasn't really a big movie fan.

"You've never seen hazing rituals?" He asked. "This one didn't seem to be an initiation, however. It seemed more like a 'learn-your-place-in-life' sort of deal. They probably would have tied him up with the rope, taped his mouth shut and forced him to wear that shirt in some way. They probably would have stuffed him in a closet somewhere or placed him in a public place to humiliate him. You see it in movies and shows all the time."

He took another sip of his coffee. "I didn't see it fit to punish them right then, but it's clear the ring leader is that Cadet Mathews, he was also on the tape. I think the best he can look forward to in this company is the regular army if he's lucky."

Genesis smirked as Angeal suggested talking to the General. "Perhaps it'd be best if he saw it with his own eyes. I know we don't want to raise suspicion, but I am curious to know what they were planning to do when the cadet returned and no one can make a man cry like Sephiroth. I remember in the war he made a few Wutain spies wet their pants."

Angeal snorted quietly at that. He knew of hazing rituals, but due to his size he'd always intimidated others and never had to personally go through one himself. He was thankful for that at the very least.

He then rolled his eyes at his friend. "I'm not big on watching TV, Gen." He motioned to his own television. Zack had used it far more than he ever did, and he personally only ever used it when watching the Midgar news station. He just would rather be reading a good book, tending to his plants, or doing paperwork quietly.

He considered what Genesis said though, and thought it over for several moments before he finally replied. "It's been a while since Shinra last had a surprise check up in the barracks." He said, sipping his coffee and turning his gaze to meet his friend's. "You've seen the duck tape, rope, and shirt. Have a couple 3rd Classes pay a surprise visit to all the bunkers tomorrow, see what they turn up."

It wasn't unusual for Shinra to have ordered 'surprise inspections' for cadets. It was always a concern that drugs are used to enhance or the rare instant a spy is caught. So no suspicion would be raised if one such inspection took place, and then Sephiroth would be able to interrogate this cadet Mathews concerning his involvement among others.

The red-clad Commander took another sip of his coffee before nodding in agreement. "A surprise inspection is a great idea. I must be still tired if I didn't think of that first." He wanted to mentally kick himself, but he had to remember that not only was he not used to being awake this early on a Saturday, but he also hadn't even been back home for even twenty-four hours yet. No wonder his mind wasn't as sharp as usual.

Genesis nodded in agreement. "I'll speak to the Thirds later today and have it all arranged. Meanwhile, I suggest we let the others know later on at dinner. That way everyone will be in one place. Because you know how I hate having to repeat myself."

Angeal couldn't help but chuckle at his friend. "Why you're even up this early is beyond me. You could have went to the cadets bunker later and still have the surprise element on your side to scare them." He chuckled again. What had gotten Genesis out of bed? He shook his head and sipped his coffee again.

"Waiting until dinner tonight will be fine though to talk about Cloud moving in with Zack." He sat his coffee cup down with a snort. "Gaia help us, I have a feeling Zack and Cloud are going to be a real handful together all the time." He mused.

Genesis opened his mouth to tell him just why he was up so early when his common sense kicked in. If he had mentioned that it was Zack then Angeal would ask why and Genesis might let it slip that he had his collection back. Not that Angeal could really do anything about it, but if Sephiroth caught wind of it then there'd be hell to pay. "I couldn't sleep well without my collection."

He snickered a bit at the very idea Angeal talking about the Second and cadet. "Oh come now, Angeal. I'm sure those two hellions can't do anything worse than what we've done in our early days. Remember the lab explosion when we were Thirds? I've rarely seen Sephiroth happier than he was on that day. And I almost felt bad for Hojo...almost."

Angeal rolled his eyes at his friend. "Good Goddess, Gen, you really do have an addiction. I think Zack was beginning an intervention for you." He said wryly, laughing as he looked at his friend with a look. At the mention of what the two had done when they were 3rds though, he snorted and grabbed his newspaper, rolling it up and smacking his friend's leg. "Hey now, we said we wouldn't discuss that." He said sternly, but there was a grin spreading across his features.

He did remember that incident. Anyone involved at the time wouldn't be able to ever forget it. And he bet Hojo remembered well enough too.

The great Genesis Rhapsodos gave a whimper and a pout as he stuck out his lower lip and tried to look like a kicked puppy. He figured if it worked for Zack then maybe he'd have similar luck. "You wouldn't say that to a boy who's lost his favorite teddy bear. I don't see how this is any different."

Genesis shrugged his shoulders as Angeal struck him with the paper and couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't discuss it, I merely hinted it. But you have to admit we were the cause of many headaches and nightmares of the higher ups back in the day."

TBC