Chapter 30: Somebody That I Used to Know

Summary: Cissnei escorts them through Junon's inner corridors. Supposedly, she's taking them to where a Robed Man was spotted, but Zack isn't sure he should trust her. Maybe, he shouldn't trust anybody.

AN: Thank you all for your patience! This one fought me a little, but I think it's okay now.

They stayed quiet until they were out of earshot of the two troopers that had escorted the general to Rufus, but as soon as they were around a corner or two. Then Zack watched as Cloud bent over, bracing his hands on his knees and gasped. "Odin's balls!"

Zack burst out laughing followed quickly by Genesis.

Genesis dropped a hand on Cloud's back. "My darling Cloud, you were magnificent!"

"Thanks," Cloud straightened, a small, satisfied smile flickered across his lips. "That was satisfying."

"You were rude deliberately," Cissnei said, blank-faced. "To General Heidegger."

Cloud held up a finger. "One, really don't discuss client's business with outsiders," he said. "Two, Heidegger was a shit commander. Bad tactician; a glory hound… Ass-kissing murderer." He pulled in a shaky breath. "Always thought it's why Shinra don't announce casualty rates."

"Angeal used to theorize it was the reason Heidegger was never on the front lines of any action," Genesis said. "He thought the bastard knew he would not have survived for long. Friendly fire –" He waved a hand. "So tragic."

Cissnei frowned. "That would have been treason."

Another hand wave, and a knowing smirk. "No. Merely an accident. They do happen on a battlefield."

"He sent a battalion of regulars to take Zack out," Cloud said. "Had to've known most of 'em would die.

Cloud's words drove Aerith to wrap herself around him. Zack let himself be wrapped since she felt (and smelled) nice.

Genesis sniffed. "He always underestimated SOLDIER."

"It nearly worked," Zack said as if defending the general. He rubbed reassuring hands over Aerith's back. (Who, exactly, was being reassured, he didn't actually know.)

Cloud shifted unhappily. "Enough died that the smoke was coloured green. Thought it was a zolem wandered in from the marshes."

Zack turned to his friend – the man who'd saved him. "You never told me that."

Cloud shrugged, looking unhappy. "'s where the materia came from."

Zack looked at the Turk, Cissnei. Who'd, once upon a time, treated him like a human rather than an experiment. "Did he know… Did Heidegger know what – who – he was sending those people up against?"

Cissnei blinked at him. Confirming nothing.

"Rufus'll have a hard time convincing people he's different from his father if he keeps all the same board members," Tifa said. It was an accusation.

"It's a good point," Zack said quietly. "Keeping Heidegger and Scarlet – and yes, even Palmer – on the board says that Rufus isn't going to make things any better for most people."

"Why would he want to?" was Tifa's question. "Why would he care?" was Genesis's.

Zack shrugged to both. "To be different from his father? What do you think, Cissnei?"

"I will pass your concerns on," the Turk replied blandly.

"Don't bother trying to turn Shinra's spies against the good general." Genesis said with a sneer. "As long as Rufus has a use for him, he's protected."

Tifa snorted. Zack closed his eyes against the bleak anger – looked like intimidation and fear were still gonna be Shinra's standard tactics.

"So where do we go now?" he asked instead of all the other things he could be feeling.

"Oceanview, sector C, lower inside"

Zack hadn't spent too much time in the residential levels, but Cloud nodded. "Know it. Two levels below this one, mid-range residences, with a few decent shops."

Cissnei agreed. "There is a weapons shop there," she said. "And a good item shop. Much better than anything down in the village."

"You say that like it's the village's fault that their prosperity has been stripped away," Tifa said with a snarl. "This base poisoned all the fish and you've replaced their industry with nothing. Just like under the plate, Shinra is perfectly happy letting people starve as long as they don't have to see it."

"And did your father, the mayor, help the less fortunate residents of Nibelheim?" Cissnei shot back. She shifted her gaze to Cloud. "Help those who couldn't keep up with the pace of change." Cloud sighed loudly and Zack figured he wasn't too happy to have his less than stable childhood made part of the argument.

"We should get going," he said. "Before Heidegger finishes his business with Rufus. Don't think we want to bump into him in the halls."

Cissnei gave him a look that said she knew exactly what he was doing. So did Cloud, but at least his friend looked grateful.

It didn't take long to get to "Oceanview, sector C, lower inside". Everything was essentially deserted so they didn't have to muscle their way through the narrow corridors or down the steep stairs. Zack figured most everyone must be up on the Main Promenade waiting to see history. He didn't see how it would be much different from a standard military parade, but maybe Palmer was more creative than he looked. (Zack doubted it very much.)

Cissnei stopped in front of a discreet neon sign. "This is the item shop I spoke of. It sells things not even SOLDIER Stores has in stock."

Zack looked at Cloud and the rest. They'd loaded up pretty good in Midgar; did they really want to shop more?

From Aerith's clasped hands and Genesis brushing down his coat, Zack knew the answer would be yes before they even spoke.

Cissnei followed them in, watching.

Maybe the shop was Shinra owned, and this was an opportunity to get some of Rufus' ten million gil back? Maybe she was making sure they didn't steal anything? Or, more likely, Tseng had told her to bring them here and then to watch someone's reaction.

It made Zack's scalp itch.

That said, it was a well stocked store: healing potions ethers, maiden's kiss – a couple elixirs and a phoenix down that Cloud immediately announced he was buying. He rang the little bell on the counter, and the door to the staff area opened.

Zack recognized the guy who came through right away. Kryffin Conway, SOLDIER Third Class. One of the first men through the program, he'd become a Third before Zack had even joined. He'd always declared himself satisfied to stay a Third. Last Zack had heard, before leaving for Nibelheim, Kryffin had still been happy as a Third.

Now he was a civilian, and this was why Cissnei was watching.

Thankfully, Cloud was keeping the former-SOLDIER busy by having him pull out a half-dozen different items. It meant Kryffin hadn't bothered to look at who else was in his store.

Zack looked over at Genesis, staring until the other SOLDIER looked back. He tipped his head towards Cissnei. Genesis raised an eyebrow but nodded agreeably. The redhead grabbed Tifa and hauled her over to help him keep the Turk distracted. Only when Zack heard the three of them talking did he step up beside Cloud. "Kryffin?"

Eyes that should've been bright, mako blue looked up at him. "Zack Fair? That you?" Instead of Kryffin's smooth baritone, the voice was like tumbled rocks with hints of glass. There was even more grey hair among the brown.

"Yeah, old man. It's me."

Kryffin grinned and stretched out his right arm and no survival instinct in the world could've stopped Zack from clasping it.

He had on short sleeves. So did Kryffin. If Kryffin was a Robed Man…

Zack braced himself.

They touched skin to skin.

Nothing happened.

No image of a nightmare hellscape invaded his brain. No choir chanted 'reunion'. It was just SOLDIER-hot skin and SOLDIER strength.

"They said you was dead."

Zack's laugh was mostly relief. "Came close, but if you want weirder, I got a resurrected Genesis with me."

"No shit," Kryffin breathed. He leaned over to look around Zack's shoulder. "I'll be damned. Why didn't you bring back Hewley?"

Considering how long it had been, it still hurt. A lot.

He gave Kryffin a tight smile and changed the subject. "What happened to you? I figured you'd hit retirement age still a Third."

Kryffin shook his head sadly. "Finally got talking into trying for Second," he said. "They told me I had the right body chemistry, so no need to worry. It'd be easy – easier than when I went through the process to become a Third. They said the new guys needed experienced leaders, a steady hand, and the ranks of Second Class were dangerously thin."

"Guilt trip," Zack summarized.

"Big time," Kryffin said bitterly. "Turned out they lied. As usual. I had a bad reaction to the treatment, so I got mustered out instead."

"Huh," Zack grunted. Sounded like someone else he knew. "Weak bones?" he asked. "Blackouts? Things like that?" He ignored the sharp look Cloud shot him.

Kryffin nodded. "Plus anemia, seizures, and oddly enough, sleepwalking." He gave a soft laugh. "I sometimes wake up in the weirdest places." Well, shit, Zack thought: this is why Cissnei brought them here.

"That sucks, man."

"Nah, it's okay," Kryffin said with a rueful smirk. " Most of it's gone now, and it turns out I was one of the lucky ones."

"Whadya mean?" Cloud asked with a frown. That lead Zack to introducing his friend to the old SOLDIER, which included a short explanation of Cloud's experience as a Shinra trooper-slash-experiment.

"Fucking Hojo, man," Kryffin said. "They really dumped that shit on you?"

Cloud nodded, jaw clenched. "Half didn't make it."

Kryffin shook his head in understanding. "SOLDIER, man. Shouldn't fucking exist, swear to the gods. It's just one desperate disaster after another."

"It wasn't that bad," Zack protested. "I mean, the process was painful as all fuck, but it worked."

"Not for most people, Zack. Not for guys that went in with me," Kryffin said with a snort. "Of the twelve Thirds and six Seconds who went in for treatment, only three came out improved in any way. Seven didn't change at all. Eight went backwards – they lost power. Not what Shinra expected at all. Couple of us got sick enough to be mustered out, and Raff Chesitt, died."

Zack went over his memories of life pre-Nibelheim. He'd done a lot of work with the SOLDIER recruits, helped out a lot of the Thirds, but the Seconds had been harder to get to know. Seconds were strong enough to be sent out on solo missions. Still, he maybe, kinda-sorta remembered Chesitt – thin guy with big, crooked teeth.

"How do you know he died?" Cloud asked.

Kryffin gave him and odd look. "He was in the room across from me one night, alarms went off and everyone rushed in. In the morning, he was gone. I know the rumours about SOLDIERs going missing, but he screamed that his bones were melting."

Zack knew that feeling – knew it too well actually. But he hadn't died. It was quite possible Chesitt hadn't died either.

He wanted to break something – or rather, someone. Fuck Hojo!

"Zack, look at this staff I found," Aerith voice was a bright interruption. She held it out to him. "Feel it," she said. "It's really nice!"

"Has fewer materia slots," Zack said blankly. He was kinda sorry he hadn't punched Heidegger when he had the chance.

Aerith shrugged. "Feels stronger though," she said tentatively. It was enough to pull Zack out of his anger. He focused on the weapon Aerith held out to him. Cloud kept chatting with Kryffin while Zack took it. He bounced it in his hand a little, backed away from the counter and gave it a little swing.

He wasn't the best with a staff, but he thought he understood what Aerith meant. There was a weight to this weapon that her mithril rod didn't have. It wouldn't cast as often, maybe, but when it did, it would count.

He handed it back. "It's good," he said and watched her smile happily.

"That one's called Striking Staff," Kryffin said. "Only thirteen hundred gil." Kryffin's expression was professionally cheerful. Because he was a salesman now, not a SOLDIER. Selling stuff was his livelihood.

Zack laugh was rueful and short. Everybody looked at him. He shrugged. "If this wasn't my life, I'd swear it was one of those over-hyped Grand Epics that Genesis used to like."

"Still like," Genesis corrected softly.

Kryffin stared at him. "Don't everybody always die in those stories?"

Zack's laugh was more open this time. "Well, technically…"

Genesis aimed a slap at the back of his head, but Zack dodged it.

Aerith smiled at the old SOLDIER. "While they're playing, I'd like to buy this staff."

In the end, Cloud got the elixirs and the phoenix down from the display case (and one from storage that Kryffin had been holding back). Cloud also picked up an infused tent which he said was much better than a regular canvas one. The infused tent would help them heal faster, recover better, Cloud said. He didn't say what it was infused with. (Some kind of mako, was Zack's guess.)

Aerith got her new staff, and Genesis bought a fancy Bolt ring that would protect him from electrical damage. "It was one of their favourite 'tests'," he explained. "Seeing if the application of electricity would encourage the appearance of whatever result they were looking for. When weaker currents didn't work, they would turn up the power." He put the ring on and then admired the shine of the gem. "I have grown to greatly detest being electrified."

"Better not fight Reno, then," Zack said when his jaw unlocked. (As little as he trusted this new Genesis, it was very hard not to be angry with Shinra, like, all the time, and that wasn't who Zack wanted to be.)

There were some very nice swords that wouldn't have been out of place in SOLDIER Stores, and it made Zack wonder if some of the remaining SOLDIERs were feeding their salvaged items to Kryffin rather than up through official channels. Something to ask Kunsel about. If he remembered.

He also wanted to ask Cissnei a question or three about why she brought them here. He was pretty sure what the Turk's answer would be, but maybe she would surprise him.

Before he could ask her, his PHS rang. Most of the people who had his number were with him in the hallway. He gave Cloud a nod. "I'm going to take this over there." He jerked his head to the side. Hopefully they'd think it was his mum, and not, as he suspected, Barrett with an update.

But when he checked the screen, he didn't recognize the number. At least… it was kind of familiar?

"Hello?" he said slowly.

"Zack! By all that's holy! I couldn't believe it when I heard you'd made it!"

The voice was kind of familiar. Male, young – or maybe, around his own age?

The voice laughed. "It's Luxiere!"

Now Zack recognized the voice. Luxiere had been made a SOLDIER Second Class right after Zack had made First. He'd always asked Zack for advice: calling him and sending him emails. Always real friendly. There'd been something off about him though. Something that made Zack a bit wary.

Luxiere said he believed in SOLDIER honour, but he'd also seemed ambitious – and kind of a sycophant if Zack was being honest. The guy had always ended his messages to Zack with dramatic vows of loyalty that… Well, it had been awkward.

"Hey, Luxiere," Zack responded cautiously.

"Are you okay? Where are you?" Luxiere asked. "Kunsel wouldn't tell me much aside from the fact that you're alive, and living in Midgar of all things."

That clinched it for Zack. If Kunsel wasn't giving Luxiere information, then Zack wouldn't either.

"Yeah, I'm alive," he said. "But I'm on a job. Can't talk now."

"Oh yeah? Who you working for?" His voice lowered, teasing. "Is Shinra hiring you back? Are you going to be the new head of SOLDIER?"

"Delivery service," Zack replied, voice tight. "You wouldn't know it. Anyway, we're in the middle of something, so I got to go."

"Oh, okay, sure. We'll talk later though, right?" He was being pushy. Like always.

"I got your number. I'll call you."

"Okay. I'll look forward to it!" There was a lot of unwarranted enthusiasm in the SOLDIER's voice.

Zack pushed the button to end the call, and wondered how Luxiere had gotten his new number.

Jeckie had been able to get him a PHS old enough to load his old SIM card into, but it couldn't make voice calls. Cloud had bought him a new one "because texting on a galloping chocobo wasn't ever happening." (That was the gist of the lecture, at least.)

Jessie and Biggs had rigged it so that text messages to the old PHS passed through to the new one without displaying his new number. Until Zack called him yesterday, Kunsel hadn't had his new number – and neither had any of the SOLDIERs he'd served with. Like Luxiere.

He hadn't called Luxiere.

Luxiere had sent him a weird message while Zack had been on the run last year. He'd urged Zack to let himself be "fake" captured by him, and it had seemed off and just no. Like, why the hells would anyone think Zack would want to be back in Shinra's clutches, fakely or otherwise?

He'd gotten a couple texts from Luxiere since then, but Zack hadn't called specifically because of that message.

And yet, somehow, the Second had gotten his number.

Zack looked over at his team – his new friends. Like clockwork, Cloud turned from whatever they'd been discussing to look at him. Zack raised the PHS, shaking it to indicate he was going to make another call.

Cloud dropped his chin in a nod then he tipped it at the weapon shop a couple doors down from Kryffin's store. Zack nodded: he'd meet them there when he was finished.

He walked farther away, into a shadowed back corner and let himself shake.

First Kunsel, then Kryffin, and then Luxiere…

How had Luxiere gotten his number?

It could've been the Turks.

Zack had given it to Tseng – mostly because the Turks would've found it out anyway. But what reason could they have to give it to Luxiere?

One of the bosses in Shinra could've ordered them to do it. But Tuesti and Palmer wouldn't know he was alive, and Rufus probably wouldn't know any of his SOLDIERs by name. That left Heidegger or Scarlett. Either of them could've ordered the Turks to hand it over. Or Kunsel.

Kunsel was still in Shinra, still vulnerable, still in the chain of command. If he was ordered to share Zack's personal information, he'd have to do it.

But why would Heidegger or Scarlett give such an order? Neither one of them wanted to restart SOLDIER. Did they?

Or maybe Kunsel hadn't been ordered. Maybe everything he'd said yesterday was a lie and he was working with Shinra, still trying to bring him in – capture Hojo's escaped experiment.

Maybe he was being surrounded by SOLDIERs – current and former – in order to make him feel safe with them again. So that he'd go back to his "friends", back to Shinra, of his own free will.

Who could he trust?

Zack's thumb hovered over the 'connect' button. He took a deep breath and realized he'd curled into a ball in a corner – solid metal walls to his back, clear line of sight in front of him, sword within easy reach, out of sight of anybody passing by.

He had friends, just a couple doors away. If he called, they'd come.

He was safe, Zack reminded himself.

Rufus wanted him out there fighting Sephiroth, and the new president had more power than either Scarlett or Heidegger.

Zack ignored the little voice that said that could be temporary. After all, Rufus' father had been killed so being president didn't make Rufus invulnerable.

And loyalty didn't exist in Shinra Electric Power Company – not at the top anyway.

So, he thought back over the record of Kunsel's calls and texts going back to the disastrous mission to Nibelheim. The first messages, filled with concern and demanding Zack call him. And then, after everything had been hushed up, and he'd been locked up in Ramah's hell with Hojo, Kunsel had left drunken voice messages on his birthday. The Second had sent links to sad songs on the anniversary of his "death", and commemorative texts on the anniversary of them making in through to SOLDIER Seconds.

Simple messages of absence and regret and grief. All sent long before he'd escaped.

Sent, like Aerith's final letter, with absolutely no expectation that Zack was alive to respond.

He pressed the button.

The buzzing ring was the same as it had been five years ago. He wondered why Shinra hadn't created a more pleasant sound.

"Kunsel."

"Hey, K. It's Zack."

"Yeah, kinda figured," Kunsel said back. "Hang on; I'm in a crowd."

There were background noises – metal hitting metal, shouts. Kunsel was training. Or in combat.

Probably training if he could just walk away.

The noise faded then stopped. "Okay, I'm outside and can hear you better. You okay?"

"Yeah, mostly," Zack said. "I just got a weird call from Luxiere."

"That guy," Kunsel groaned. "Fuck. He'd be a decent SOLDIER if he spent more time training and less time politicking."

Zack laughed. "Odd sentiment coming from you."

"I gossip," Kunsel said with an offended sniff. "It's completely different."

Zack felt some of his muscles unclench, some of his worry sluff away. Either Kunsel was the best actor in a hundred years, or he wasn't part of some grand conspiracy. "How political is he?"

"A lot," Kunsel replied. "He spends his free time with the executive assistant to the assistant director of SOLDIER who report directly to Heidegger. Minor power, but still something. Pretty sure he carries tales about the rest of us. And when he's not sucking up to them, he's trying to make himself look good to the Thirds and the recruits."

"Sounds like he's busy," Zack said.

Kunsel snorted. "It's all lies and hornshit. You know he tells the new Thirds how close he was to you. The way he says it, you were practically his mentor."

Zack blinked. "I… gave him pointers, but …"

"But you did that for a lot of the recruits. I know." Kunsel snorted. "If anyone asks me, I tell them the truth, but hardly anybody does. You were known as a friendly guy so, I mean, it's not unbelievable." He sighed. "I'm sorry you have to put up with him."

"Yeah, thanks," Zack muttered. He could hear water running through a pipe somewhere, and a squeaking noise that could be metal shifting against metal or rats. There were always rats.

He scrubbed a hand through his hair, using the familiar pressure to steady himself. "Is there still a reward for my capture?"

"There was never a reward. Not officially." There was a sad, resigned quality to Kunsel's voice. "But, yeah, word came down that you hadn't died, but had done a Genesis. 'Anyone with any information', etcetera."

"Unknown future favours."

"Any of us with less ambition and more brains ignored the hints," Kunsel snorted. "Never a good idea to stand out too much in Shinra."

Well… Zack couldn't really say that Kunsel was wrong about that.

"I got a weird message from Luxiere while I was on the road," he said instead. "Tried to talk me into surrendering to him, as a ploy."

"Yeah. That fits with Luxiere. He's not exactly subtle," Kunsel said. It was a fairly harsh criticism from the ever-discreet Second.

"How'd he get my number?" Zack asked, because sometimes, subtlety and discretion got in the way of straight answers. "Only two people in Shinra have it, and I can't see Tseng handing it over to a SOLDIER just because."

"I didn't give it to him."

"You weren't ordered to hand it over?"

"Fuck, no," Kunsel swore. "It's why I'm outside in the fucking wind instead of inside where there's warmth. I don't want anyone to know we're talking again. Talk about standing out…" he muttered.

Zack believed him.

The emotional weight fell away, and Zack felt dizzy with relief. Maybe because he was suddenly taking full breaths again.

"They could be monitoring my phone, though," Kunsel added softly and Zack tensed up again. "Fuck, they're probably monitoring all the SOLDIERs' phones. In case you somehow convince us all to revolt like Genesis did. Shit!" It went quiet, but Zack knew his old friend was sorting through all the bits of information he kept in his brain. "It can't be Hojo; he's gone. But Heidegger… That's a definite possibility. Fuck!"

"You're scared." It was an odd thought. Kunsel had always been cautious, but he'd never been afraid.

"Fuck yeah, I'm scared," On the other end of the line, Kunsel took a shaky breath. "I told you I'd looked around a little a year or so ago, after we learned you were still alive. I didn't tell you that suddenly, the science department was looking back."

"Shit," Zack said on a breath.

"That's why I backed off, Zack. I got fucking scared, and…. Fuck. I knew what Hojo's psychonuts did to anything they got their hands on, and I couldn't." Another shaky breath. "I just couldn't. I'm so sorry, Zack."

"K, you already apologized."

Kunsel cut him off. "But not for everything. Not for being afraid. So much for my SOLDIER honour."

Zack suddenly had an image of Angeal in his head – but it wasn't Angeal. It was Lazard, a greyed-out clone of Angeal. I want to save the world.

Who was the honourable one, Angeal? Zack asked the ghost of his dead mentor. The one who died afraid of becoming a monster? Or the one who died as a monster trying to do the right thing.

"You know they've stopped even trying to make more Firsts?" Kunsel said.

"So I heard recently," Zack said. "Too afraid they'll die during the process."

"Or turn fucking crazy like the AGES."

Hearing Kunsel use that phrase threw Zack back ten years, when he'd first joined SOLDIER: Angeal, Genesis, Sephiroth = AGS = the AGES. The original three in birth order. Already legendary warriors even though they weren't much older than him.

"But I've seen the promos: SOLDIER First Class So-and-So saving a village from rampaging behemoths," Zack pointed out. "Or clearing out remnants of Avalanche insurgents from bumfuck nowheresville."

"PR department call them Firsts, but they're nothing near what you were and even farther away from the AGES." Kunsel laughed softly."Of everyone who entered the First Class program, you are the only success Hojo ever had – still alive, still sane, still strong and human shaped."

Zack tightened up again. It was hard to breath. Such a simple thing, but it explained why the company had handed him over at Nibelheim. Hojo would've asked for him – demanded it – for testing and tissue samples and experiment after experiment. He was the anomaly and Hojo needed to know why he was different."

"You okay, man?" Kunsel's voice was full of concern.

"Were you ever exposed to mako as a kid? Fall into a pool, or survive a reactor leak?"

"Uhh," Kunsel responded blankly. "I grew up in Healin, Zack. Most boring place on Terra."

There was a moment of silence. Zack could feel Kunsel putting it together. Just as he'd done since meeting Cloud.

"Weren't the AGES exposed as children?" Kunsel asked. "Isn't that what got Genesis and Angeal so twisted up seven years ago?"

"Sephiroth, too," Zack confirmed. "From before birth actually."

"And you?"

"Long term, slow leak when mum was pregnant," he said. "Pops said it was six months or so before Shinra fixed the issue." He'd asked the last time he'd called his parents. Hearing the story of Cloud's last unit and his theory that they'd been brought together because they'd been exposed to mako as kids, had made Zack wonder.

"But Hojo's gone, now," he reminded himself. "And Heidegger's very definitely not interested in carrying on the SOLDIER program, so we should be safe." Zack had to force his jaws shut to stop the instinctive "Right?" A plaintive need for reassurance that Kunsel couldn't give.

"That and the change of president," Kunsel replied. "If Rufus demands proof that the stuff the Science Department or R&D do actually works then we should all be okay. No more escaped experiments or malfunctioning mechs getting loose and trying to kill us."

Zack laughed. "He'd certainly save a lot of money. He might care about that."

Kunsel laughed back. "Well, that would be a first at Shinra, wouldn't it."

They talked back and forth a bit more, talking about nothing, telling each other to stay safe, and very carefully not bringing up anything else to do with Shinra. At least not directly. It was hard to pretend to not be aware that Kunsel and a bunch of the Seconds were training up for something. Zack also couldn't deny that his old friend very badly wanted out of Shinra, but was afraid of what would happen if he tried to leave. It would take a lot more confidence (and a Genesis-level of arrogance) for Zack to assume he could keep Kunsel safe if the SOLDIER joined them, but he was tempted to offer anyway.

He couldn't even ask to have Kunsel assigned as their official back-up. If Zack asked for Kunsel by name, that would make him stand out in a way they'd both agreed was a bad idea. If he didn't ask for Kunsel, then Shinra would assign someone he didn't know or a Turk. Having back up he couldn't trust would be worse than having no back up at all.

When he hung up, it was to a silence laden with all the things they couldn't say and didn't trust.

One day, the world would be free of Shinra, but today wasn't that day.

Zack stayed in his dark corner for a bit longer, wondering what that day would be like. Would the company fold gracefully, or would it take half the world with it when it went? There were mako reactors, finished and unfinished, throughout the continents. Explode enough of them and tear the world apart.

"Fuck," he muttered. Maybe that was what the fake-Sephiroth had tried to do with Deepground. Who the hells knew what a cheap copy of the great fighter (but only so-so tactician) wanted? This whole trip could turn out to have been a waste of time.

It occurred to Zack, that if they couldn't figure out the motive, then they'd always be trailing behind and this mission would go on for years.

Fuck that, he thought to himself, getting to his feet. They'd figure it out and get ahead of the copies, or they'd fucking refund Rufus the money.

He was halfway up and completely off balance when Kryffin's voice came out of the dark. "Fair?"

It was so unexpected that Zack jumped, bobbled the landing, and lost his footing. He landed hard on his side – on the pocket he was keeping his spare materia in to add some extra-painful indignity to his lack of grace.

"Fuck, Zack!" Kryffin laughed. "You're supposed to be good on your feet."

Zack took the hand the former Third offered and let himself be lifted to his feet. "You startled me," he whined.

It just made Kryffin laugh harder. There was a hint of his old baritone voice, but mostly it was a crackling wheeze. "Good thing I'm not a bad guy then."

"That mean you won't tell anyone?" Zack bent down to pick up his sword and his thigh twinged.

"Oh I'll tell people," Kryffin smirked. "But only people who'll appreciate it."

Zack gave him a baleful look. "What are you doing here?" he asked. He reached down to rub his thigh. Oooh that was going to bruise.

Kryffin shuffled. "I saw you come down here by yourself, and I wanted a word. Privately."

Zack looked up at the old SOLDIER. "What about?"

"About why Turks are suddenly hanging around my shop," Kryffin said. "About how old man Shinra was killed at the top of the most secure building in the world."

Zack snorted. "This place is more secure than Shinra Tower," he said, pulling out the odd materia they'd taken from Marco. It was rounder than it had been, smoother, but it was still a nasty thing to fall on. "But yeah. Fair questions."

Kryffin looked at his hand. "What is that?" His broken voice cracked a little more.

Zack looked down at it. The bumpy tear-drop shape glowed half as bright as regular materia, and unlike his girlfriend, he couldn't get a sense of it at all.

"Don't know, really," he replied. "Some kind of Summon, we think."

But Kryffin wasn't listening. He was hunched over. One hand clutching his stomach and the other squeezing his head.

"Kryffin?" Zack put his hand on the old SOLDIER's shoulder. "Hey man. You okay?"

He wasn't okay, that was obvious, but Zack didn't know what to do. He had a Heal materia, so he cast Cure real quick. Didn't help. He wished desperately that Aerith or Cloud were here because they were way better at that stuff than he was.

He could carry Kryffin back to his shop, at least. Maybe there'd be people there who could help.

He went to tuck the weird summon back into his pocket, when a Kryffin's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

"Where did you get that?" The voice was smooth baritone, but not the one Zack remembered Kryffin having. In fact, it sounded like…

"I asked you a question, SOLDIER."

Zack looked up. And up… A full head higher than his own height, taller even than Barret. That alone revealed who this was – who it couldn't be.

"The hell...?" he muttered. "Where's Kryffin?"

"You haven't answered my question."

It sure as hells sounded like Sephiroth. It looked like Sephiroth, but it wasn't. It couldn't be.

"You're not real – you're dead!" He meant to shout, but it came out more as a whisper.

The thing that had taken over Kryffin's body smirked. Cat slit eyes narrowed in cruel amusement. "I am?" it smirked.

It was enough to make Zack angry, snapping him out of his disbelieving haze. "Yeah. I was there!" He tried to rip his wrist out of fake-Sephiroth's grip.

The smirk left the copy's face. "Oh, you need not remind me. It was the crowning moment of our time together. But that was then, and this is now. Give me the Summon." Long hands tightened around Zack's wrist.

Zack pulled against it, harder, but unsurprisingly its grasp didn't loosen.

His sword was on his back, and most of his materia was linked to attacking with it – adding power or damage to his swings. However, he did have one that might work…

Using his held wrist as a pivot point, Zack swung at the replica's bare skin. There wasn't much showing over the belly guard, but it was enough. The hit landed. Zack pushed all his will into the Transform materia. He didn't try for Toad, but maybe Mini would shrink the copy back down to Kryffin size.

For a moment, Zack thought maybe it had worked.

The copy flinched, and for a moment Zack saw Kryffin's dull blue eyes and dark hair.

Then the colour faded from the hair and the mako green returned to the eyes.

"Really, Zack," the copy said with mocking pity. "Did you really think that would work?" The smile dropped. "Give me the materia." Its hand squeezed Zack's wrist until he felt a bone snap.

Compared to what he'd suffered under Hojo, it was a small pain an easily ignored. Zack punched again, cast Mini again, and prayed desperately for his team to wonder what was taking him so long.