Sephiroth frowned as he checked his phone. Cadet Strife hadn't responded to the documentation that had been e-mailed to him. He would have expected an immediate acceptance or even rejection, but perhaps the boy needed to think on it? On a whim, he decided to check the email system log data to see if the youth, perhaps, hadn't opened the email or the attached document. Curiously, the message indicated the email had been undeliverable. That was… odd. Perhaps there had been a mix-up with his email address? The encryption would prevent him from viewing the actual address, and he didn't want to try hacking it so soon after his infiltration into the science labs. Plus, simply seeing the address would do nothing if it had been entered into the database incorrectly. But, were that the case, surely the Cadet would have reported it by now?

He glanced down at the stacks of paper on his desk, having finished his paperwork for the day (thankful he'd caught up again). He did have some that needed to go to the communications department, and he could check up on the email in person. He rather liked that idea.

Nodding to himself, he picked up the piles of papers he would need to deliver, and made his way out of the office. He dropped off the different forms to the respective offices and then, finally, ended up in the communications office.

Approaching one of the secretaries (who eeped when she saw him – he wasn't that strange of a sight around the tower for Gaia's sake), he held out the paperwork, which she took after only a few moments of staring.

"I have something else I'd like to take a look at," he said once she'd seated herself again.

Her eyes widened and she looked back up at him like a mouse cornered by a cat. He didn't like the image that brought up and thus didn't acknowledge it, moving on instead.

"I submitted some information that should have been forwarded to a cadet for a response, but he hasn't responded. I would like to check and see if said paperwork went through."

"R-right," the secretary, a young woman with short, brown hair that fell down to her chin, said shakily. "What's his name?"

"Cloud Strife."

She began to look through her data, then frowned. "From Nibelheim?"

"Yes."

"There's an error message that says his e-mail can't be verified."

Sephiroth matched her expression. "What is his e-mail?"

She blinked at the screen then turned her confused expression back to him. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then exhaled with a look of nervous frustration, pivoted the screen halfway around, and pointed to a line on the digital paperwork form that read "North_side_of_the_square_second_house_on_the_right …."

It was Sephiroth's turn to blink. "What?"

He knew the paper application for the cadet program had been simple, with a line for the email, the 'at' sign, and then a list of common domains they could circle. ShinRa had a sub-company that handled e-mails that most of the general populace chose, one 'sr-mail'. The 'shinra' domain itself was rarely used outside of company employees and the cadets only received a company address when they received a permanent placement in the company.

"The forms are scanned, for reference, correct?"

She nodded and pulled up the image of the original form. The same long string of words stared back at him in perfectly legible handwriting. He'd suspected a clerical error in transferring the forms into the database, but he could not see an error even after close scrutiny. However, having such a long name and at ShinRa was… odd to say the least. And wasn't there supposed to be a character limit?

Sephiroth's frown deepened. "I… believe there has been a mix up, but I will see to it.

"Due to that, however, I have another request: Would you print off the following files?" He took out his PHS and began looking through it, giving his permission for the secretary to access the relevant files. She dutifully sent them to the nearby printer and retrieved the resulting papers for him, handing over the small packet shortly.

"Thank you," Sephiroth said politely as he looked through to make sure he had all of the paperwork in place. "Now I believe I will need to speak with Cadet Strife. Would you happen to know where he is currently?"

The Secretary, who seemed far more at ease now, turned back to her computer and began to type. "Normally, he's in class 409 B, but… he recently received an emergency call from his hometown."

Sephiroth stiffened. "How long ago was that?"

She checked again. "It ended… approximately five minutes ago. He may still be here, if you would like to check the booths."

He nodded. "Thank you. You have been most helpful."

The young woman blushed a little. "You're welcome," she replied, her voice quieter again.

Sephiroth nodded again and turned to head over to the phone booths that would likely be superfluous in only a couple of years if the way communication technology had advanced recently was anything to go by. Still, they served their purpose now. Towers hadn't been built in some of the more rural areas yet and so some people still depended on phone lines.

He suspected Nibelheim was one of those areas.

He could hear voices around the corner, though he didn't focus on picking out any words, thinking on what the strange email implied about young Cloud. The Silver General rounded the corner leading into the booth area, and froze. He had most certainly found the cadet… and two Turks. Reno and Rude if he wasn't mistaken.

The connotation of those three interacting in the same area for any reason at this point did not strike him as good. Had something changed? Likely, but he'd have to go over what could have set the Turks on the blond later. Right now, a rescue was in order… for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that Sephiroth didn't want the Turks around Cloud right now. Or any of his friends. Or SOLDIERS.

To be fair, they were Turks.

"...uple of things," Reno was saying as Sephiroth started forward again, sounding both cheerful and dangerous. The First had to at least give him points for intimidation. "Your name is Cloud Strife, right? Cadet? Fourteen? From Nibelheim?"

Sephiroth drew in a breath and clenched his fists for just a moment before releasing them. So they had purposefully tracked Cloud down… That confirmed his suspicions, unfortunately. But… why?

For his part, the cadet's already very light skin went ashen. It seemed he'd put two and two together as well.

"Um… yes?" the boy practically whispered.

As if sensing blood in the water, Reno pounced. "Great! Now, tell me: Have you unlocked your first limit break yet?"

Cloud blinked in confusion and Sephiroth paused in his stride. Why would they ask something like that?

"Um… what?" The boy sounded as confused as Sephiroth felt.

"We're looking for new recruits," Reno said, leaning on Cloud's shoulder as if they were old friends. From the way Cloud stiffened, he did not reciprocate.

This… hadn't been in the game. Had the game been wrong? Or was it something Game Cloud forgot? But if so, then why had Game Reno and Game Rude forgotten as well?

And why were they approaching Cloud? Cloud who looked utterly speechless.

"M-m-me?" the cadet finally managed to stutter out.

"We're looking for candidates with special abilities," Rude clarified tersely.

"Yeah. And we heard you already had a limit break. At your age, that's no small thing. So whaddya say?"

"… um…" Cloud looked around frantically, obviously uncomfortable and searching for an escape. His eyes landed on Sephiroth and widened. "G-g-general Sephiroth!" He snapped into a salute fast enough that, had Reno been any closer, Cloud may have hit him. Sephiroth wondered if that would have been entirely accidental…

Rude frowned and turned to face Sephiroth, who stood there looking unimpressed as Reno snorted, looking both impressed and miffed. "Yeah, right. Nice try, kid, though nice swing, but you'll have to try harder than that to distract—"

"Reno," Rude's voice drew the red-head's attention.

"What?" he asked, annoyed as he looked up and saw Sephiroth. The expression on his face was rather amusing.

"Turks cannot poach new recruits from SOLDIER candidates," Sephiroth informed them, then glanced at Cloud. "At ease, Cadet Strife."

Reno recovered first, puffing up, not intimidated by Sephiroth at all. He wasn't sure whether that was due to the young-man's backbone or stupidity, but leaned towards a combination of both.

"He's just an infantry cadet right now, and that's fair game!"

Sephiroth raised his eyebrow, showing them how much he was not amused. He spoke slowly and clearly, so there could be no chance of further misunderstandings. "As of yesterday, the paperwork went through for him to sign to be my personal student as part of the SOLDIER mentorship program."

Cloud choked and looked as if he may have a heart attack at any moment, blue eyes fixed on Sephiroth as if he had just sprouted wings.

Upon second examination of that thought (and based on Zack's breakdown in the church), it may not have been the best analogy to entertain. He checked discreetly, just in case, but thankfully found nothing.

"What?" Reno asked, utterly perplexed. "This runt?"

That seemed to break through Cloud's stupor as he turned a glare on the red-headed Turk, not that said Turk saw it.

"Apparently there was a… problem with his e-mail, so I came to give him a personal copy."

Now all three of them looked stunned. Even Rude didn't look quite as unflappable as his reputation suggested.

"M-me?" Cloud whispered again, his voice coming out as a high-pitched rasp.

"Yeah, why him?" Reno demanded.

Sephiroth just fixed him with a cool gaze. "Not that it is any of your business, but I saw some natural skill the regular cadet program does not seem to be able to address nor develop. Now, if you will excuse me and my soon-to-be protege…"

With that, he gestured for Cloud to come towards him. The blond looked to be in a sort of daze as he did so, passing both Turks by.

"Wait…" Sephiroth heard Reno hiss to Rude, "was it supposed to happen like that?"

The bald Turk hummed. "Potentially."

"We gotta tell the boss!" the red-head said. "Come on!"

The SOLDIER First paused for a moment and glanced back at the Turks over his shoulder, but they were already leaving. That had been… odd. A little too odd for him to just dismiss it.

"Um… Mister Sephiroth… Sir?"

But he could think on it later. He pushed that train of thought to the side as he focused on the boy following behind him… who had just called him 'Mister' and not 'General'. He must be rather shaken.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Um… did… did you mean it, sir?"

Sephiroth raised one eyebrow in question. "Please specify."

The boy's face had gone very red. "A-about the… mentorship… I mean."

Ah, yes. He could see why that might be difficult for a cadet to accept. "I did." With that, he handed the boy the packet of papers he'd been carrying. "Look through that and if you have questions you may ask me."

"Oh… Um… right."

"There seems to be a problem with your e-mail…"

If anything, the boy's face went a shade darker. He'd likely faint if any more blood rushed to his head. "Oh. Sorry."

Sephiroth eyed him for a couple more seconds before deciding to ask outright. "Cloud, do you know what an e-mail is?"

The boy squeaked and shrunk in on himself. "Um… easier… mail?"

The Silver General actually paused on his way out of the department and stared at the blond in disbelief. "Did none of your roommates or classmates ever tell you?"

Cloud shook his head, refusing to look up at the taller man. "The nicer ones laugh at me and say it's a good joke. The mean ones… um… well, they just laugh at me."

Sephiroth rather suspected they did more than that, but decided to let that go… for now. He would come back to it later. But at the moment, he withheld a sigh.

"Did you have a computer growing up?"

Cloud shook his head. "Ma couldn't afford one."

"What about at school?"

He shrugged. "We had a couple the mayor insisted on, but other kids were on them all the time."

"Did they not teach you how to use the internet?" Sephiroth asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Cloud shrugged again and muttered something so softly that Sephiroth only caught the word 'dial-up'. Which, if the town didn't have proper internet…. This, Sephiroth could see as a far more believable reason for Game – or future Cloud's lack of advancement in ShinRa. Either way…

For a brief moment, he internally balked at needing to explain something so simple. But he remembered Zack's patience the previous evening, and willingness, and even eagerness to explain bits of the game that were so obvious to him that the First's confusion confused him.

This contributed to why Sephiroth would not be teaching his new mentee the basics of swords, although safety reasons came first. The internet and e-mail, though, Sephiroth could teach. It might not be critical information in his goal of training the boy, but if he was going to be a mentor, he would do his best to be available, even concerning other areas than fighting and combat strategy.

"Very well, let me explain the basics." With that, he began to walk down the hall again, heading back to his office. Cloud fell into step behind him. "E-mails are messages distributed by electronic means from one electronic device capable of using the programs to one or more recipients via a network. You should have an automatic account if you have a PHS."

"Oh… I… um, couldn't afford one," Cloud muttered. "Not when I first got here."

Sephiroth nodded. "Understandable."

"Really?" the boy asked, sounding both skeptical and hopeful.

That puzzled the SOLDIER. "Yes, of course. It is not your fault you did not know these things."

"Yes, sir." He didn't sound like he believed that.

They walked in silence for several seconds as Cloud looked over the papers he'd been given. It really was kind of impressive that he didn't run into anyone while reading, but then again, he simply had to fall into step behind Sephiroth and everyone tended to get out of the way of the Silver General, leaving the pathway rather open. Still, he didn't seem to be the studious type, so his ability to even do that without running into anyone and only trip once or twice proved he could multi-task rather well. Yet another hidden SOLDIER trait this boy seemed to be natural at.

"So… I'd be working with Third Class Zachary Fair initially?" the blond asked. "Why?"

"Under my supervision, of course," Sephiroth nodded. "If you have any problems, you may come to me, but he needs some experience teaching and… I learned the basics so long ago that I would likely not be a good teacher of them. It is difficult to teach something that I consider to be second nature."

"I… I see."

They got onto the elevator and Sephiroth pushed the button for his office's floor. Cloud was still reading. He finished looking over the documents just before they reached Sephiroth's office.

At that point, he was back to walking in a daze.

Sephiroth frowned. "Cloud, I want you to know that this will help you if you want to become a SOLDIER. However, it will also likely be very difficult. I… tend to be a perfectionist and can be terse and distant at the best of times." Or so Genesis told him. "As such, you do not have to accept this offer, just as you do not have to accept the Turks', no matter how they try to bully you into it."

Because they would.

Cloud just stared up at him as they now stood just outside of his office. Then he looked down at the packet and then back up again.

"This… is a dream come true," the boy said. Sephiroth chuckled quietly. "What's the catch?"

That chuckle turned into a frown and Sephiroth opened his door, gesturing for Cloud to head inside. He followed and sat himself down behind the desk as the boy took the seat in front of it.

"What do you mean?" Sephiroth asked.

"Nothing this good ever happens to me," the blond insisted. "So what's the catch?"

The Silver General's frown deepened. He couldn't tell the boy he was training him as insurance – as a weapon to potentially stop Sephiroth in the future. "I… am unaware as to any 'catch' other than you being exposed to ShinRa's Science department sooner than you would have been otherwise. You will also be held to a higher standard."

Cloud frowned. "And if I don't meet that standard… sir?"

Why did this line of questioning trouble Sephiroth so? In more ways than one, it seemed…

"You, I, and your teachers will assess as to why and attempt to address any problems we find."

Cloud's eyes narrowed. The further the conversation went on, the more Sephiroth could see of this boy's future self. Was that what made him so uncomfortable? Or was it Cloud's cynicism at such a young age? Or both, perhaps?

"How many infractions before ShinRa kicks me out?"

Sephiroth blinked. "It… is more difficult than you may believe to be kicked out of ShinRa." Otherwise more people would likely try. Still, there were things that needed to be addressed here.

"Infractions will be judged on a case by case basis, but you don't have many on your record. Why do you think there will be more going forward?"

Cloud went to speak, then seemed to think better of it and sat back, closing his mouth with an audible clop.

"I believe this is something we need to address," Sephiroth pressed. "Why do you need to worry about something like that?"

The blond seemed to debate with himself for several seconds before he came to a decision. "I… that Turk back there was right, I am a runt. I'm small and short and people think they can push me 'round. Before I came here I pushed back."

Ah. That… made sense.

"And you don't push back now because…?"

"'Cause they said I'd get kicked out."

Oh? Sephiroth felt his brow furrow. "Who, exactly, told you that?"

Cloud must have reached his 'sharing' limit because he backed down and shrugged. "Lot's a people."

"Hmm… I see," Sephiroth said thoughtfully, unsure if he should believe that. He supposed that rumors of termination as a legitimate punishment could be circulated and even encouraged by commanding officers to try and keep the cadets in line, but it was also possible that Cloud had decided to cover for someone so as to not get them in trouble or 'stir the pot' as Angeal liked to say. Or, more likely, a combination thereof.

"Well," the General continued, "I can personally assure you that short of serious infractions equivalent to a felony, you would not be discharged. Leaving the company is possible for infantry and office workers, but… far more difficult for either Turks or SOLDIERS. So… perhaps that is the 'catch' you're looking for. Once you become either a SOLDIER or a Turk, you tie your future to the company's, for better or worse." It was probably better that Cloud didn't know the upper ranks of the SOLDIERS were currently making their own plans for said company. Plausible deniability and all of that. Well, that and he didn't want to bring Cloud into anything until he had A. proved himself and B. Sephiroth had Genesis, Angeal, and Zack's opinions on the matter.

The room fell into silence as Cloud contemplated his superior's words with a face that had once again gone pale.

"I… see," he said.

"I did assume you knew that before, so I apologize for not addressing it," Sephiroth said softly, trying to ease the boy's nerves down again so he could make his decision without regrets. "If we continue to interact going forward, I may need you to ask questions, even obvious ones, as I may not know what will need to be explained otherwise."

Cloud nodded, eyes fixed on the packet of papers in his lap.

"If you need time to think about it—" Sephiroth started.

The younger boy interrupted. "I don't."

Sephiroth closed his mouth, staring at the cadet disapprovingly.

"Sorry, sir," Cloud muttered. "I'll… work on that. It's just… I came here for this. I'm not backing down now."

He looked up at Sephiroth, locking gazes with determined fervor.

More silence.

"I want you to be one hundred percent sure on this, Cloud," Sephiroth said. "This isn't a decision to make lightly."

The boy licked his lips and took a deep breath. "I know, sir, I do. But… you say that I don't have to choose to go into either program. No offense, sir, but if the Turks want me in their program, I doubt there's little I can do to stop that. I've heard stories about how… persuasive they can be." He shuddered. "If I have a choice between the Turks or SOLDIER, I will definitely choose SOLDIER."

Well, it had been more of an informed decision than Sephiroth had thought, but it still seemed rather fast for all the information the boy had only just received.

He studied the cadet for several seconds before realizing there would be no changing the boy's mind. So he reached inside his desk and withdrew a pen.

"Very well. Do you have any questions before you sign?"

Cloud swallowed. "This is just a mentorship, right?"

"It will give you a permanent place in the company, but yes, it is a mentorship."

The boy gathered himself and nodded. Then he grabbed the pen and began to sign his name on the many dotted lines. Once he finished, he sat back with a long, deep breath. Well, it seemed he'd be dramatic enough for SOLDIER in any case.

"Very well. I will make sure these are filed appropriately and we will begin on Monday. You will meet Zack in gym A-2 on floor 41 at zero six hundred hours sharp. Is that clear?"

Cloud nodded firmly. "Yes, sir."

Sephiroth allowed himself a small smile. "Good. Now, two things to address before you go. One: we will need to get you a workable e-mail, and you need to learn the basics of how to use a computer. You don't have to be an expert, but I will make sure some time is set aside to go over more modern electronics. You will need to know them."

The boy seemed both relieved and annoyed. Sephiroth wasn't quite sure how he pulled that off. "Yes, sir."

"I believe you will thank me for this later," the Silver General said, amused. Then he sobered and leaned forward, folding his hands on his desk as he focused on his new mentee.

"Second: I want you to push back, Cloud. If you are attacked, you have a right to defend yourself. However, if you can use non-violent means to address an altercation, then that is the option to take, do I make myself clear?"

The blond sighed. "Yes, sir. You sound like Ma."

And Sephiroth's smirk came right back. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Cloud couldn't seem to suppress a smile himself. This… this could actually work for both of them, in and above the idea of keeping an eye on the boy. Sephiroth was actually looking forward to seeing his student realize his potential and hoped he was up to the challenge the situation would undoubtedly provide.

"I do have one more question, though it's mainly to satisfy my own curiosity: if you have never received a company email, how have you managed your mission messages?"

"Context?" The blond replied with a shrug. "I listen, and the others in my squad like to talk."

A clever way to manage such an unusual handicap, but entirely plausible. While in Wutai, Sephiroth had sometimes overheard troops discussing group e-mails, either to complain about assignments or to simply stave off boredom, so it was more than plausible if the boy was careful enough.

"Impressive problem solving skills. A desirable skill for SOLDIER." Cloud looked surprised for a second, then pleased, and then embarrassed. Sephiroth didn't know why he found that extremely amusing. He wondered how this discovery translated into what they knew about the game, but quickly realized that, were it not for the player, Cloud would have been solving all those 'mini-game' puzzles on his own. That is, if the situation translated into the various puzzles as the game suggested.

After a couple more moments of silence, the General nodded. "You should probably return to class," he said, pulling a notepad out and quickly scribbling a permission slip for Cloud.

"Oh! Right! Thank you, sir!" Cloud exclaimed, looking like he'd completely forgotten.

That had been another curiosity, and he doubted he would find another opening to be able to ask directly. "About that: is everything alright? I heard you received an emergency phone call."

Cloud blinked, then sighed. "It was Tifa. She… kind of freaked out about something and I had to calm her down. She said Ma's fine. So's the town."

Sephiroth frowned. "The girl you grew up next to?"

The blond nodded, likely recalling Sephiroth's interrogation from before.

"Does she do that often? Panic, I mean," Sephiroth asked.

Cloud frowned and shook his head worriedly. "No. She's usually way more put together than I am."

That did sound more like the Tifa from the game… What would have set her off so badly? "May I ask why she called you?"

For several seconds, the cadet studied his superior, obviously debating on if he should tell him or not. Eventually, though, Cloud just shook his head. "It's kind of personal, sir. I told her she can't do that often though, so it won't happen again."

It was Sephiroth's turn to study his subordinate. "Very well," he said, deciding not to push it for now. If things escalated, Angeal and Zack could do some investigating. For now, though, "Do you have any questions before you go?"

Cloud began to shake his head, but then stopped and tipped his head to one side.

"Why do you call me by my name?"

Sephiroth blinked, then raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yesterday you called me 'Cadet Strife'. Today you called me 'Cloud'. Why?"

Oh. Sephiroth… hadn't realized he'd done that. He thought back and had to withhold a wince at what he found. 'Because I've played a game about you from the future and feel like I know you that well,' sounded about as good as, 'because your future self told me not to call him that and while I certainly understand, I think I may resent that a little.'

Fortunately, he had an easy, simple, and believable excuse.

"My friend, Angeal, calls his protege by his first name. You will find that I tend to have… difficulties when it comes to social interactions due to my upbringing, and I tend to take cues from those around me whom I trust." Which also had the benefit of being true, if not the most accurate reason. Still, he should probably try to be more accommodating. "Would you prefer 'Cadet Strife'?"

Cloud, for his part, thought about that for several seconds before he looked away shyly. "Um… Cloud is fine." Then he winced, as if expecting to be shot down.

Somehow, Sephiroth suspected this child had just as many psychological issues as he'd had at that age… just different ones. It surprised Sephiroth how much the realization put him at ease, as did the permission to call the boy by his given name. This Cloud trusted him, at least a small amount. He would make sure that trust was not misplaced.

"Cloud, then. Here is your note," he handed the permission slip to the boy, then gestured towards the door. "And I will see you on Monday."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," he said with a deep bow. He didn't need to do that… but Sephiroth decided that they'd address that later. The boy hesitated. "I, um… do have one more question…" Then he rushed, "Is your investigation going well? I mean I'm not asking for details, just–"

Sephiroth couldn't help a tiny twitch of a smile as he held up a hand and the boy closed his mouth quickly. "I appreciate your concern. The only thing I can share is that it is progressing.

"Yessir. And, thank you, again." Another bow.

"You're welcome… Cloud," he replied as the boy left, door closing behind him.

xXx

Hojo hated traveling. It was one of the few things that truly tired him out and made him want his bed more than his lab. And it made no scientific sense! One just sat around in a bumpy, uncomfortable seat. How could something so passive cause one to become so exhausted?

So he was heading back to his rarely used rooms (still near his lab, but not near enough), avoiding the morning workers making their way around the building when he got the notification. Any alteration to Sephiroth's record came automatically to him and he frowned as he saw the message.

He immediately went to his masterpiece's file and read through the information he'd long since memorized looking for discrepancies…

Like that.

Hojo blinked.

Sephiroth had… become a mentor? To an infantry cadet?

What.

He fell into a muttering spell as he accessed the company's database from his phs and began looking for the file of the cadet. It didn't take him long to pull up the information. But doing so just had him frowning more. The child was… mediocre at best. Below average in many physical cases, and the hit-or-miss from his academic scores spoke of someone with spotty upbringing when it came to education. The boy was also tiny for his age (tiny enough that he may have lied on his application – not that that was uncommon).

The only real thing of note was the boy's home town: Nibelheim. Sephiroth's birth place…

Was there a connection?

Was Reunion starting already? Without him even having to instigate it? He'd have to keep a close eye on it and see.

"Just who are you, Cloud Strife? And how are you connected to all of this?" Hojo asked, then grinned. "Most interesting…"

xXx

AN: Nods to my personal favorite FFVII story, The Fifth Act, in here. Also, the idea that Cloud may not have known electronics enough (it was the 90's when the game was made and severely backwater) came from Quathis. I liked it because it does make sense. And finally, Imagination wanted me to have Cloud meet Sephiroth and Zack in Gym D-15 using locker room P on floor 41, area R. We ended up thinking it was a bit much, but points if you get the reference/joke. ;)

Thanks to Imagination7413 and Quathis for their help on this!

Also, thank you to my discord community who allow me to poll them for decisions my beta reader and I are stuck on. LOL You guys are awesome. :)

Discord: discord. gg/xDDz3gqWfy (no spaces)