FROM: A. Gainsborough, 6 Petal Lane, Center District, Sector 5

TO: Clay Gainsborough, Wutai 5th Division, 115th Company

Dear Dad,

I hope this letter finds you safe. Every day, Mom and I think of you. Mom still leaves a place setting at the dinner table. News from Shinra has been spotty at best, and we don't think they're sharing the whole story with us on the news. Your last reply took so long, I don't believe the letter I sent back even made it to you yet. So, when I heard Cloud was being deployed, I asked him to bring this letter for you (I'll forgive you if you read them out of order!) He's a great kid. You'll like him.

So much has changed since the last time you were home on leave. I wish I could say for the better. That's probably what Mom will say. Truth is, Uncle Meguro is sick and the slums are turning more dangerous than before. People have been disappearing. I'll be okay, because of my shadows, but I worry all the time for everyone in the sector.

Despite all that, we are all holding out strong for your return, even Uncle Meguro. So please, stay safe. And when you're back, Mom will cook the biggest feast in Midgar.

Love,

Aerith

P.S. We sent a package with hot sauce, sunflower seeds from the garden, and mom's homemade jerky with that previous letter I mentioned. Hope you get it soon!

XII. Dead Reckoning

"You need to eat," Cloud said carefully as he set the tray off to the side of Genesis's desk. For the third day in a row, Genesis missed his meals.

Genesis grunted.

He was more grateful than he could explain to Cloud. Recently, Genesis's temper was like a wild beast. The slightest spark could set him off. Multiple times, he had snapped at Cloud over the silliest things.

Genesis could tell when the episodes happen. He would get debilitating headaches that turned his mood sour. Then suddenly everything makes him irritable. When it happened, he holed himself in his room, unwilling to interact with the men.

During the times he felt at his worst, Cloud bore the brunt of his mood. And even still, the blond came with a tray of food and missives that needed Genesis's attention.

It was the last few days of preparation before they moved out. Everyone was busy. Thanks to this, the rest of the camp hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Cloud gestured for him to eat before turning to the paperwork that was supposed to be Genesis's to finish, heavy glasses sliding down his nose.

It's just the weather, Genesis thought as he half-heartedly dug into the gruel, I'll get used to it and this will pass.

He had to. They leave for Toin tomorrow.

Kunsel's boot sank into the river mud with a squelch. Water rushed in, filling his boot again. His socks and trousers were already soaked uncomfortably to the knees and a glance around showed that the rest of the unit wasn't doing much better. With a grunt, he pulled his leg out of the mud, leaving a deep imprint. Above them, the sky was a dark grey but not yet raining. A small blessing.

Ahead of them, Sebastian was taking point with Luxiere beside him, along with two troopers, guns trained skittishly towards the treeline. Gainsborough sent a squad along as guides, but as a consequence, their progress was slower than anyone had expected.

The entire line of men, close to fifty strong, trudged along the river bank staying under cover as much as possible. To one side, the rains had caused the river to swell. Brown water rushed past, ferocious like Wutai's guardian summon. On the other side lie dense forests they had to cut through to traverse. There was only a narrow strip of dry land where they could move with relative ease between the forest and the river. Already this route took them past one adamantai nest.

Behind them, Genesis brought up the rear. His sharp eyes darted around, keeping lookout while one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Beside him, Cloud bent down to examine something before straightening up again. It turned out Cloud had experience tracking and that knowledge was paying dividends now.

Country boy indeed.

For someone unenhanced, he was keeping pace just fine. Better than the troopers in any case.

"Monster tracks," Cloud said, his tone even but voice traveling far enough to reach further up the line. "Big as a truck." Everyone within earshot tensed.

Kunsel dropped his pace to walk beside Cloud.

"What do you think it might be?" He asked when Cloud came in earshot. The other man hummed thoughtfully.

"Whatever it is, it is bipedal," Cloud answered, "Look at the drag marks. It was carrying something. Long-limbed. And close if the rains haven't completely washed the tracks away."

"Vajradhara beasts," Genesis said knowingly, "Wutaians capture and keep them as guards. Better hope we don't run into many." Kunsel gulped.

"Say," Kunsel asked Cloud curiously, "Where's your hometown anyway?" They had a long trek in front of them. Kunsel may as well make idle conversation. Cloud hummed again, his mouth hidden behind an army regulation scarf and his eyes scanned their surroundings as they walked. With the stinging insects everywhere, Kunsel was starting to appreciate the wisdom of that particular sartorial choice too.

"Village in the mountains called Nibelheim. It's on the western continent."

"Mountain town huh?" Cloud nodded.

"They say the reactor there is one of the earliest models."

They picked their way around thick roots as the river bank narrowed abruptly. Kunsel used one hand to steady his step while Cloud nimbly climbed over them as if it were flat ground.

"What did you hunt there?" Kunsel wondered out loud. Cloud let out a chuckle.

"Whatever was edible," he admitted. "Winter was harsh."

"Huh. Like what?" Cloud shrugged, tone casual as he listed them off.

"Kyuvilduns are the easiest to catch but they hide underground in winter. Nibel wolf is the next best thing, but gamey. Some of the older folk in town swear by dragon meat but good luck catching one."

Kunsel watched in interest as Genesis visibly turned slightly green.

"Is there normal food there?" Cloud goggled at Genesis.

"Of course, we are villagers, not savages," Cloud answered indignantly.

"Say," Luxiere said as they continued to walk forward. Sebastian sighed to himself. They had been walking in silence for the last hour and Luxiere had gotten bored. Rolling his eyes behind his visor, Sebastian merely grunted. Luxiere didn't get the hint, "What do you think?"

"What do I think about what?"

"This whole thing," Luxiere waved blithely at the jungle around them, "Sending Soldiers for hikes in the woods. Seems like the regular army can't pull its weight." Sebastian, used to Luxiere's casual snobbery, just grunted.

In times like these, he really missed Essai. After the shitshow of a mission to Junon, they mostly kept him on shorter missions close to the base. Having Essai to banter with or even Zack would be a vast improvement when the surrounding air was as muggy and damp as Titan's asshole (and Luxiere was an asshole).

Luxiere noticed Sebastian's mood and decided to pick on the trooper instead, so far silently walking next to them.

"Ramirez, right?" He asked, "Army too weak to stroll around the jungle?" Ramirez took the ribbing surprisingly well.

He simply shrugged and replied, "Dunno sir, only been here a month."

"Huh," Sebastian pondered, "Weren't you supposed to be our guide?" Ramirez tipped his head toward the other trooper. He was wearing a modified helmet Sebastian saw a lot of Wutaian vets wear. Without the city visors over the trooper's face, Sebastian could see the other man's eyes dart around their surroundings. Nervous. He also looked familiar.

Jensen, Sebastian suddenly recalled.

"We were the only ones who said yes. Old timers rather dig up mines. Safer," Ramirez continued.

"Yeah. I've been here longer," Jensen said, tone nonchalant. "Old timers know the forest is as inhospitable as Shiva's tits. You can get shot at from every direction. Whole squads have been known to disappear."

"Whole squads can disappear in Junon," Ramirez muttered under his breath.

Another trooper patted Jensen's shoulder as he caught up. "You got the best scout right here," he said, "Jensen got captured on another campaign by the Wutaians. Entire squad just gone. We found this guy weeks later, just wandering the forest. Knows how to survive here better than most."

"We're on schedule," Jensen said instead. In front of them the river forked, two streams meeting where they stood. Rushing water lapped against boulders that must have been flushed down from the mountains above. They formed a natural ford upstream of the fork. Jensen explained, "We'll need to get to the other side. Otherwise, this side bends west and will take us off course. This is about the only crossing for miles."

Luxiere cursed.

"You must be joking."

"Here's the map, sir. If you want to check yourself," Ramirez held up a folded field map and a compass. They paused long enough that the rest of the line was slowly catching up while Jensen was pulling a length rope out of his pack. Sebastian turned when he heard Genesis from behind him.

"Sitrep?" The commander asked as he walked to the front of the group.

"River crossing, sir," Sebastian answered. Genesis gazed across the river.

"I'll take the van," Genesis decided, "If the first group gets caught out we'd be sitting ducks." He waved Cloud forward. Sebastian watched the other man assess the terrain with Genesis, a concerned frown on his face. Cloud crouched down to pick up a sizable rock. With a soft grunt, he threw it into the river. It landed with a plunk and disappeared into the turbulent water.

"We'll get swept right out if we fall in," he warned. Genesis put a hand on his hip.

"The troopers, perhaps." He turned to Luxiere and ordered, "Tell the Soldiers to pair up with an infantryman. We'll cross in waves, two to three Soldiers to a trooper. Link up with the trooper in the middle." As he watched the order get transmitted, Sebastian turned to Ramirez.

"You can stick with me."

Meanwhile, Jensen tied one end of the rope to a tree trunk and placed the other end in Genesis's outstretched hand.

"Cloud, you're with me," Genesis said, holding out his other hand. When Cloud walked within arm's length, Genesis nodded at the rest of the group. "Follow me."

Sebastian was startled as Genesis grabbed Cloud in one move and then jumped atop the boulders, smoothly leaping only a few times to land on the other bank. It happened so fast, that Genesis looked as if he was flying. Sebastian was fairly sure neither got a bit of water on them. He could make out Genesis's aide being deposited on his feet and Genesis gesturing at him before waving back at the Soldiers gathered around the other bank while Cloud tied the rope securely to a nearby tree.

Sebastian shook his head. Firsts were built differently, that was for sure. Luxiere was muttering under his breath but Sebastian couldn't hear what he was saying. Ignoring the other man, he turned to Ramirez and sheepishly said. "Well, I don't think I can pull that off. We are going to get a bit wet I think." Ramirez, whose jaw had dropped at Genesis's feat only nodded silently and bent down to roll up his trousers. Sebastian winced, not looking forward to getting wet again.

The water was surprisingly cool, a welcome contrast to the muggy air they had been marching in. Sebastian stepped carefully, one hand on the rope that now slung across the river and the other on a long stick he found, prodding the depths under him for any unevenness. Behind him, Ramirez held onto his harness, sandwiched between him and Roche.

The crossing was thankfully uneventful, and when they got to the other side, Cloud reached out to give them a hand while Genesis kept watch.

Ramirez sat on a boulder, taking off his boots to dump the water out while Sebastian turned around to watch the rest of the group cross.

"Keep your wits about you," Cloud warned Ramirez as the trooper rolled his pants back down and tugged his weapon forward across his front again, "Forest is too quiet."

Ramirez turned to look at where Genesis was.

"You don't think it's him?" Cloud shook his head.

"Birds were still chirping when we started marching, didn't they?" Ramirez let out a soft "oh" sound and then tensed around his rifle further. Sebastian unlatched his sword from its magnetic mount and joined Genesis at the small perimeter they were establishing. Better safe than sorry.

Roche was helping another come ashore when it happened. At this point, more than half the company was on one bank and the next group was slowly wading their way across.

"Flash flood!" Someone cried. A distant rumbling grew louder. The Soldier Roche was helping grabbed the trooper still latched onto him, leaping forward while Roche pulled on another trooper in the group. In the river, the men started scrambling back. They had only made it less than halfway through.

Roche's senses centered on the men struggling to get back to higher ground. It felt like time slowed down as a torrent of water crashed down on them. Moments later, Roche was staring at the wide eyes of another Soldier on the opposite bank. Between them, the water had turned white with turbulence as boulders came crashing down. There was a snapping sound as the tree next to Roche groaned, the rope tied to it pulling hard. Roche raised an arm to shield himself when the rope snapped, whipping wildly before disappearing into the water. The group caught in the flood was gone.

"Holy fuck," Roche whispered.

Luxiere approached from behind.

"They're goners if we don't find them," he said grimly as he took in the destruction. The water levels had increased precipitously, widening the river. Angry waves lapped at their feet where there previously was a steep incline dotted by rock and lined with sand.

"We might be goners if we go looking," Jensen said, "No way we're crossing back this way."

Genesis joined them as he also looked across. He waved one of the troopers over for their comms unit.

"It wouldn't make sense to try and regroup," Genesis explained, speaking both to the men left behind and to those around him, "Look for the ones who were swept downstream. Whether successful or not, go back to base and let Gainborough know the rendezvous is still a go. We need to press on."

"Roger. We will head back and search for survivors, over."

"Stay safe."

Never had Roche missed his bike and the open road more than the brief time he spent in Wutai. Like others, he was as apprehensive as he was excited about a chance to prove himself when the deployment orders came. The more senior Soldiers had warned him the job wasn't what it was cracked up to be. They weren't wrong. This place wasn't the red line, it was past it.

Falling in step behind Genesis, they caught back up to the front of the line. One of the troopers was trembling, his gun trained at the bushes. Genesis's wingman was looking that way too, on guard.

"We need to get a move on," Cloud said, "We stay here any longer we will be sitting 'bos."

Genesis looked over the men.

"Ando, Gaines at the back. Grenhill and Tarik, take the lead." Roche fell in step next to Cloud.

"My friend," he said, "What's got your engine so revved up?" Cloud glanced at him.

"We're bunched up on a narrow strip of land, and our only way back just got washed out," he said, "If I were Wutai, I'd think pretty hard about attacking right now."

The land past the river crossing flattened, making traversal easier for the remainder of the journey. They walked under the cover of trees, but still within Soldiers' earshot of the now rushing river, following its path as they trekked into the rolling hills surrounding Toin. By Private Jensen's reckoning, they were halfway when the decision was made to look for a place to camp. In the valley, sunlight was swiftly failing.

Roche chafed at the idea. The Soldiers could make good time, operating on minimal sleep if needed, but Genesis vetoed pushing on, "Then we would show up mid-day, exhausted while the enemy is rested."

Roche hadn't finished digging his foxhole when he was called over by a jumpy Ramirez.

"Scouting party just came back. You all need to see this," he said.

It was only a short trek. Immediately Roche could see why the other men were skittish. Half-decomposed monster carcasses were mingled with distinctly Wutaian armor.

Cloud took in the scene, "They were fighting."

"Do you think it was a Wutaian scouting party?" A few other Soldiers were slowly fanning out around what looked like a battlefield, only days old, when a loud flutter of birds reverberated through the forest.

"That doesn't sound like they are coming back to roost," Ramirez paused his digging with a frown. Cloud glanced westward, the directions from where a large flock flew overhead.

"No. They're startled by something." Roche sighed as he raised his sword, just in time. Dying sunlight illuminated the grotesque maws of lizardlike beasts, swiftly slithering toward their position, stirring the underbrush. The first screech was met with a short burst of bullet fire. Then the battle began.

"So it's materia powered then?"

The recovery team finally pieced together enough remnants from the explosion that rocked the headquarters to have a decent idea of what happened.

The scientist before Veld rubbed his head in exhaustion, turning the mess into a bird's nest. Veld also wanted to throw his hands in the air. It had been a quick question that turned into a half-hour explanation and Veld was still no closer to comprehension.

Zalinka turned silent. His lips were moving as though he was chewing the inside of his mouth. Finally, he explained slowly.

"You of course know that if you run out of energy, you can't use materia anymore."

Veld held back a flash of irritation at the man going from undecipherable jargon to treating him like a child. "Yes, professor, Turks had to learn how to use materia."

"Hmm, normally that's the end of that. Most people don't push past the limit, because they can't," he said, "Soldiers and people a little more proficient in casting can push past that limit. What we call overdraw."

"Say more," Veld prompted when Zalinka stopped, staring at him to check if he understood.

"When you overdraw, you run the risk of mako poisoning. Why? Because you used up your natural mana and started drawing from your environment. It's like…like…drinking all the fresh water from your glass when you are out at sea and filling it with salt water."

The complicated metaphors again.

"Say more," Veld prompted again.

"So imagine you push past that. Involuntarily."

"So you explode if you overdraw too much?" Veld raised a brow.

"No!" Zalinka snapped, throwing his hands in the air, "The bomb uses the mana channeling abilities of an enhanced subject to generate a much larger explosion via an unstable crystal matrix coupled with a manual trigger."

"So it's materia powered," Veld concluded. Zalinka groaned.

"Get out of my lab."

It's been a week of visiting the Wall Market. The old man at the ramen shop was starting to think of him as one of the regulars.

Zack still wasn't sure what they were looking for, other than information - any information. And what an eye-opener it was. Zack didn't spend much time below the plate unless it was for Shinra work, and Shinra didn't try to have very much to do with what was below the plate. When Zack enlisted, the truck brought him from a border stop directly to the heart of it all - Shinra Tower. Now, out of uniform, Zack found himself diving into the dizzying underplate culture - so much less sanitized and so much more organic.

His stomach knew it too. Zack always thought of himself as having an iron stomach. He'd already had food poisoning twice. His Soldier constitution thankfully never let him stay down for too long, but both times were vividly unpleasant. Thus, Zack found himself having more ramen in a week than he had in years. The little shop, tucked away in a quieter corner of Wall Market offered meals Zack could trust. Or at least, they weren't likely to get him sick.

Sitting next to him in the tiny restaurant, Cissnei stared at the bowl of steaming noodles in front of her.

"Thanks, gramps," Zack said when the old man set a bowl down in front of him that looked twice larger than Cissnei's. Soldier metabolism coupled with Zack being a growing teenager made him ravenous most of the time. Involuntarily emptying his guts out the day before did not help matters.

"Nothing," Cissnei sighed as she poked at her bowl half-heartedly, watching as the shop owner walked into the back. Clattering plates being washed drowned out most other noise.

"Did you say there's a gang war?" Zack asked, in between inhaling his noodles, "It's been pretty calm for the entire time."

"Exactly. Too calm," Cissnei nodded. Zack hummed. The shopowner returned Zack's order of extra pork belly, noodles, and egg on a tray in his hands.

"Smell delicious", Zack greeted, easily dumping the entire order of extra toppings into his bowl, ignoring Cissnei's look of disgust. "Say, we heard the slums are pretty dangerous, but Wall Market's been surprisingly quiet." Gramps rubbed one hand on his apron, splattered with ramen broth. The other hand came up to rub at his chin.

"Around these parts? It's the heart of the Don's territory, and dangerous is bad for business. Topsiders like you all wouldn't come down anymore if that's the case, see?" He pointed to a sign at the door. "We all pay protection money to one man here."

Zack nodded. Cissnei, catching on quickly, joined the conversation.

"Hey mister, we don't want to go looking for trouble. What do we do to avoid it?" she asked. The older man roared in laughter.

"Avoid lookin' for trouble? You came to the wrong place for that, lass. This is Wall Market!" He placed two hands on the counter and leaned forward as if telling a big secret, "Been hearing 'bout gun fights every night in the collapsed tunnels between Sector Five and Six. The Don has beef with the next sector over. That's the word on the street."

"Huh," Zack said.

The old man continued, "You look like you could handle yourself. Soldier or Ex-Soldier?" Zack startled but the shopowner shook his head. "Eyes are a dead giveaway. Don't matter much in these parts. I'm looking out for a new regular customer when I tell ya, don't look for trouble too hard or it'll find you. Enhanced or not, it won't matter if you are riddled with bullet holes."

Cissnei nodded and began to dig into her bowl with gusto, "Thanks Gramps."

Moments later, they left the shop and looked at each other.

"We have a lead," Cissnei said and they walked together toward the exit of Wall Market.

As they passed by the metal gates that demarcated Wall Market and past the garish decorations of the chocobo carriage waiting out front for passengers, Zack turned to Cissnei. "So, you know where we're going?" he asked. His red-headed partner (what is with Turks and redheads anyway) nodded.

"I know where that is. Used to be neutral ground between turfs." Zack hummed.

"What's the deal with that anyway?" he asked.

"Turfs?" Cissnei asked, "Oh, you're a country boy so you don't have the nose for it." They veered off the main street between sectors and down a dark alleyway lined with piping. There was barely any light and the dull yellow bulbs flickered overhead, casting both of them in an orange hue. Their steps echoed hollowly on the steel decking below.

"Yeah," Zack replied, "People keep talking about that. You and Reno too."

"Well," Cissnei answered, "The slums are split by different groups. Gangs if you will, though some are more legitimate than others. For the longest time, three of the biggest are the Manson brothers in Sector Eight, Wall Market under control by Don Corneo, and Sector Five controlled by Under Plate Construction. All of them got big via their legit businesses - entertainment for the Don and the Mansons, and construction work for the Boss."

"How did they get mixed up in violence, then?" Cissnei sighed.

"That's just the thing, isn't it? It's the undercity. Legitimate business is big money for the slums, and the rule of law is weaker. What's surprising though is that the two big groups are going at it. Usually, it's just a lot of the smaller sub-gangs causing trouble."

"Then what Reno said is right? They got their hands on more dangerous weapons?" Cissnei shrugged.

"Could be. Better keep your wits about you." Zack grinned, "Always!"

The narrow tunnel gave way to Zack's first glimpse of the collapsed expressway and Zack let out a whistle, impressed. Stretching before them was a wide expense of ruined concrete, at least four lanes across. Peeking out from above were slivers of the uncovered sky.

"Sector six plate collapsed all across here," Cissnei said, "They never got back to repair it and a lot of the ground under our feet is probably corroded. Watch your step."

Looking around, Zack could imagine why it would be hard to trace criminal activity. There were dead ends and hidden passages all over the place.

"It's probably better to split up," Cissnei said as if reading Zack's mind. Zack scratched his head.

"That's for the best," he said, "But how are we gonna be sure we won't get lost?" Cissnei pointed up.

"Look at the orientation of the hole in the plate," she answered, "This is about the only place you can see Reactor Five." Zack nodded and then tapped on the earpiece he donned. "Holler when you find something!"

Zack didn't have to go far before he picked up the sounds of a fight. Following the noise, he picked his way down on a ramped expressway to find himself on a ledge, overlooking the scene of carnage. Inside the pit were several robotic arms. The construction workers inside them were taking shelter as their positions were being fired on. It looks like they were caught unawares while completing some kind of construction or cleanup.

"Shit," he said to himself as he crouched behind a piece of rubble, "That's mil-spec gear."

Zack felt a flare of anger at the scene. Of defenseless men being fired on while trying to just do their jobs. The attackers had several sweepers at the fore and most of the men wore body armor and carried modern machine guns. None of the junkers Zack had seen the last few days in the slums.

Never had Zack wished he had his sword more.

"Zack, come in," Cissnei's voice suddenly spoke into his ear. It was barely audible over the shooting. "I'm hearing sounds of fighting." Zack held one hand up to his earpiece.

"Yeah, people with heavy weaponry firing on some construction workers. We need to help them."

"Do not engage," Cissnei said, "It would be suicide. I am spotting reinforcements headed your way." Zack cursed.

Inaction did not sit well with him, but Cissnei was right. The construction workers were pinned behind heavy metal, but Zack would have no such cover.

"They are sitting ducks over there."

"Sit tight," Cissnei commanded, voice audibly labored, "I'm running to you. Reno is also en route."

Good.

They had split up for the mission. Reno said he needed to make himself scarce ("My handsome mug is in high demand in these parts," he had said, before hitting up some of his old informants).

While Zack kept watch, the guys shooting appeared to have gotten bored. The man in charge shouted out at the cowering workers.

"Aren't so tough now with Gainsborough gone," he threatened, "We were going easy on you. Come out before we smoke you out!"

"You fucking hoodlums," one of the construction workers, or perhaps a guard, shouted. He then fired back a few short bursts. The answer was a hail of bullets toward where he hid. Zack hoped the man ducked back fast enough. The shooting went on for what felt like forever, and when it stopped. Silence.

"Yo," Zack nearly jumped out of his skin when the voice came not from his comms equipment but from right behind him.

"Fuck, Reno, warn a guy will ya," Zack glared. The Turk offered him a lazy smirk, clearly satisfied he got the jump on Zack. Then he slung a sword from his back. Zack grabbed the handle gratefully. "My baby, I missed you so." Reno snorted.

"Cissnei is on her way," he ducked down next to Zack, "Other thugs are coming too. Not sure which side yet. We stay put for now since the situation is about to get complicated, fast." Zack groaned. He hated Turk jobs because of this. All the watching and waiting. For precisely this reason, Angeal signed him up for a decent number of them. Allegedly it was to teach some patience. Hanging his head he nodded. Reno had command of the mission, after all.

Thankfully, Zack didn't wait long. The thugs Cissnei spotted burst onto the scene, but contrary to expectation, they opened fire on the men attacking the construction workers.

A few men dropped like stones while others fired back a few shots before running.

"That's right," one of the newcomers called as he slung his machine gun around his back, "Run back to Corneo with your tail between your legs.

"Come on," Reno tapped on Zack's shoulder and then tilted his chin at the way he came. "We are trailing them. Stay out of sight and in earshot. You are going to be our ears." Zack groaned.

"So you wanted a Soldier on this for the enhanced hearing?" Reno shrugged and grinned.

"Waste not want not, yo. Ya ain't good for much else," he teased with a wink. Then his face turned serious as they dropped behind a piece of rubble and found a rusted ladder that would take them to ground level. The construction workers, who were left, were coming out, carrying the bodies of their wounded and dead.

"Cole, thank fuck the gods got here in time. Corneo again," one of the construction workers complained gruffly, "Sixth time this month." His armband singled him out as a site manager of some kind. They followed the men as they walked further toward Sector Five, waving silently to Cissnei when she dropped down from her scouting spot to join them.

"You are going to need an armed escort on the job now," said Cole - he must be the muscle for Under Plate Construction. The construction worker sighed.

"With Meguro bedbound and the Boss still gone, Corneo smells blood. But fuck, how did they get so much firepower? You don't think-"

"Wouldn't make any fucking sense," Cole shook his head, "Shinra hired us for the job. Why would they be arming up Corneo?"

"Shit, beats me. Where else are they getting gear like that from?"

Another construction worker walked closer to him, one hand on a shoulder to stop the bleeding, clearly pained.

"Whoever it was gave him a new pet," he said, "Got a buddy in the Sector Seven watch. Something's been terrorizing the sewers so much the Sahagans have been running amok on the surface instead."

There wasn't much conversation after as the men and those who tailed them approached Sector Five. While the group in front of them greeted armed guards at the entrance to the sector, talking about reporting to the Underboss, Zack hung back with Reno and Cissnei.

"Guess who I ran into," Reno said when it became clear they weren't getting much more information. "Gun."

"Huh," Cissnei said, "In Wall Market? That's not like her." Reno shrugged.

"She's on leave and dealing with shit. Who can say?" Zack thought he might have met Gun briefly, but didn't ask about more.

"Speaking of Wall Market," Zack said, then reported on the conversations they missed.

Reno's eyes narrowed.

"I think it's time we had a little chat with the good Don."

"Denied," Rufus said.

Sephiroth drew back, his jaws clenched in anger. As if sensing Sephiroth's mood, Dark Nation pulled back its lips to bare its teeth as Sephiroth, half threatening half threatened.

They had been talking to Lazard about reinforcing Genesis in Wutai.

"Sending only a few hundred men is only going to prolong the campaign," Sephiroth had said, "Let us go with a second wave." Lazard had been reluctant, haltingly explaining that there were security concerns in Midgar, around the new president, but Angeal could tell the man was close to caving.

Unexpectedly, Rufus strolled into Lazard's office without even a knock, as if he owned the place. The other blond did, of course, but even the former president never deigned to stroll into the office of a department head unannounced.

"I don't understand," Sephiroth said, shaking his head, "Despite recent attacks, headquarters remains one of the most secure places in Midgar. Half of Soldier is sitting idle while the fighting is heaviest in Wutai."

Rufus simply tilted his head to one side and then coldly said, "Shinra did not pour resources into Soldiers only for it to be repaid with insubordination. You will not deploy to Wutai."

His word final, Rufus strode out of the office, ignoring Lazard as he went.

Genesis, Angeal thought. There had been a sinking feeling in his chest ever since Genesis left. He could only hope it was nothing.

Aerith being the adopted daughter of a family with a "family business" is canon. When I learned that out I really wanted to expand on it.

Also, Roche is so hard to write. Hope that went okay.