Silver Elite Group Chat

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SilverLashes: Did you see? The pictures were something.

TotallyClearVisors: Something indeed. She's hot! General is a man with taste.

SephNumber1Fan: Hey, whose side are you on? She's a rival!

SilverLashes: Get real. No one here actually thinks they have a chance.

CompanyGrunt86 changed username to DetectiveKannon

DetectiveKannon: I ship it. And yeah, she's smoking. If it doesn't work out, ya think another lad would have a chance?

SephNumber1Fan: Hey, we're Sephiroth's fan club, remember?

MaskedTuxedo: ️

XXIV. Dealt Hand

"That's the whole story. Rufus was independently bankrolling Avalanche via Corneo with Corneo skimming off the top," Gun summarized, "Then after Shinra senior died, Avalanche wasn't playing ball anymore, and Rufus closed the spigot."

Reno saw Gun clench her fists, and his eyes darted to the electro rod, arm's length away under the coffee table. It was confirmation. Rod died for nothing—for a family feud. Veld always warned them to stay out of the affairs of the Shinra family, and Reno was beginning to see why.

Now, they found the smoking gun. (Gun was smokin', too, but that was a different topic.)

"So, Corneo lost his extra cash stream but got used to the new lifestyle," Reno said between bites of Corelli takeout, willfully shoving the rest of that line of thinking away.

"And got a new backer," Gun said grimly. "With Corneo's connections, he can get Avalanche anywhere in Midgar under Rufus's nose."

Gun had taken up Reno's offer to hide out at his HQ apartment. The following day, Reno swung by her place and ordered takeout on the way back. Gun's safehouse looked undisturbed, but they'd let things blow over a bit after kicking over the rats' nest. Reno set up some surveillance in the area, just in case.

They spent the day pouring over the records since they both had time off. Corneo was a surprisingly meticulous bookkeeper. In hindsight, it made sense. The man made his way from the dredges fixing colosseum bets for the previous slum don. And, despite his flamboyant taste and fumbling demeanor, the cold calculation underneath was what got him Wall Market. On top of it all, his biggest client was Shinra itself.

"What I don't get is why Avalanche is paying Corneo. What do they get out of it?" Reno asked. Gun set down the ledger to rub her eyes.

"Hojo. That's what they want. Science department secrets. Rufus wasn't playing ball in return once he got what he wanted and Shinra senior died," Gun said. Then she snorted. "One good deed deserves another." She reached over the coffee table and tapped the letter.

Gun was the least put-together Reno had ever seen. She sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch, her back leaning against a cushion she pilfered. The sofa itself was unmade, as was Gun's hair. She didn't even bother changing out of her sleep clothes - a worn shirt and drawstring shorts from Reno's drawer.

Reno wasn't looking. He swears.

Open in front of Reno was the letter Gun found tucked into the ledger.

"Hojo. Hojo?" Reno sprawled back on his elbows, "That lunatic? They're paying, what, double a year's worth of Corneo's yearly operating revenue to get in contact with Hojo?"

"Had to make it worthwhile to doublecross Shinra in Midgar," Gun shrugged and took a bite of cold takeout.

"And funding enough weapons to outfit a small army to boot." The amount made Reno's head spin. You didn't get sums like that in the slums. It was more than a lot of people saw their entire lives.

"Which means there is a particularly juicy prize," Gun said, mouth still full of food. Reno was momentarily amused by how quickly Gun let go of decorum. "Maybe even something they're willing to kill for."

Reno snorted. "Talk about irony. Rufus armed Avalanche, and now they're returning to roost, Shinra weapons and all."

Gun pulled out her phone and began to tap on it.

"I need to pull forensics from last year." Reno groaned. That was a lot of files. He ran a hand through his hair tiredly.

"You know the science department is under information lockdown, right?" Gun paused her tapping for a moment and sighed.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Do you think …Hojo answered?"

"The results are pretty conclusive," Zalinka said. The Firsts plus Cloud piled into his lab again. This time, Zalinka was alone. The piles of waste materia only appeared to have grown while the man researched.

"Am I dying, doc," Genesis asked almost flippantly. Angeal frowned at him. Stop joking about that. Zalinka scratched his head.

"Well, yes and no," he paused, then flatly reminded them, "Everyone is dying a bit more every day." Genesis snorted and uncrossed his arms, spreading them out.

"What's the prognosis?"

"Well, your degradation is slowing down," Zalinka said, "And yours is speeding up." He looked at Angeal. Angeal frowned.

"I feel fine," he said. Genesis described all the symptoms to Angeal in detail. None of them rang true. No headaches, no sudden inability to use materia, no pain anywhere.

"And I feel like a herd of bandersnatch ran me over," Genesis said dryly. "Did you confuse the samples, Doctor?"

Zalinka hummed.

"Yes, well, the nature of your enhancements is possibly only something Hollander or Hojo understand. I'm merely a materia scientist. Not even in the running for department head," he pushed his glasses up, "I can only tell you what the results are saying. Rayleigh was kind enough to label them properly and run them thrice."

Genesis laid a hand on Angeal's arm, expression turning serious.

"Is there a way to stop it? For both of us?" Genesis asked. Zalinka gestured to Cloud, who accompanied them silently.

"The samples responded similarly," Zalinka turned to Sephiroth, who loomed behind Cloud, watching the exchange silently. "Are you sure you still didn't want to be tested?"

"No. Thank you, professor." Sephiroth's voice was firm. Zalinka shrugged. Angeal was again reminded of the scientist's utter lack of interest in humans.

"So, you need more samples to confirm?" Angeal asked. Zalinka shook his head.

"Not sure if that'll help unless you want one of the other scientists involved," he looked at Angeal. "In any case, I'm isolating the antibody now. Rather, Rayleigh will be. For that, I'll need…"

Cloud sighed and offered his arm.

As Zalinka drew Cloud's blood, Genesis wandered over to where Angeal stood and silently slotted their fingers together. Angeal shot Genesis a look that was undoubtedly goofy, but his partner (boyfriend? lover?) simply looked back with a fond expression on his face. Once Zalinka deemed the sample enough, he set it aside and bandaged Cloud. Then, he stuffed a juice box in Cloud's hand before wandering away, muttering under his breath.

As they waited, Cloud and Sephiroth had a silent but tense discussion. Zalinka returned with Rayleigh in tow, who began to clean up around them. Cloud cleared his throat.

"Professor, there's something else…"

Cloud haltingly began to tell the professor about some experimental materia he lost in Wutai. Absorbed, potentially. After that, he had trouble controlling his spells, casting ones far more potent than expected. Next to him, Sephiroth's face was tense. Zalinka's brows rose higher and higher.

So there was more to the story than just mako poisoning, Angeal thought. His hand tightened on Genesis's arm as his partner's face turned sour. Not now. Genesis tensed and then relaxed under Angeal's palm. Angeal mentally winced for another VR room that would be destroyed once Genesis felt well enough to have it out with Sephiroth.

Zalinka tapped at his clipboard. "You are always finding more intriguing problems, my boy." Cloud's face fell.

"Sorry about the materia, Professor." Zalinka waved away the apology.

"If I cared about that, I wouldn't have let you take it to a war zone, hmm?" He waved at his desk. At what in that mess, Angeal didn't know. "Besides, I got all the data I needed. This is far more interesting. Oh, how I wished I came-"

Rayleigh's loud sigh stopped Zalinka.

"The matter at hand, professor," she said pointedly when the man looked like he wanted to go on. Angeal had to hide his smirk.

"However that happened, we know it's not materia."

"Huh, it doesn't?" Cloud asked, surprised. Zalinka frowned at him.

"Use your head, boy. Too long in the army," Zalinka muttered. Rayleigh cleared her throat, and Zalinka sighed. "For one, the timeline doesn't match, does it?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Summon materia are a conduit for energy. Don't you ever wonder how a man can call the gods for help? I only used its unique structure for the fusion materia. Otherwise, I can't imagine any human being able to stabilize the spell. That's why you don't instantly poison yourself when you use it. Just think of the immense power you call on without overdraw effects when you summon," Zalinka explained with the air of a lecturing professor, "I don't know what side effects it would have for a living being to absorb it. Still, I hypothesize it simply opens your conduits to the planet. Either way, the materia itself wouldn't have granted you any immunity you didn't otherwise have." Genesis looked at Cloud consideringly.

"Sounds about right," Genesis said after a pause, "It was an emergency field transfusion, and I left Wutai before Cloud's…reaction."

"Oh," Cloud said, "I've been exposed to mako before, but I've never…done that…"

Zalinka turned to Cloud, brows raised, "Oh?"

Cloud shared a look with Sephiroth, then answered Zalinka.

"I fell into a mako pool when I was young." Zalinka's eyes widened, further magnified by his large glasses.

"A mako pool? A natural one?" Cloud nodded. Zalinka put his clipboard down and rooted around his desk, muttering. Stacks of paper fell to the floor with a crash as Rayleigh groaned again. Angeal winced with sympathy. "Now, where did I put it?" Triumphantly, he resurfaced with some kind of metal contraption.

"Umm, professor?" Cloud leaned back warily. Angeal could see why. Zalinka's maniacal expression wouldn't have been out of place on Hojo's face.

"A natural mako pool," the scientist repeated, "Natural materia! I've wanted more samples for ages. I keep getting differing results when I compare natural and lab-grown materia. I-"

Cloud cleared his throat, sounding a lot like Rayleigh.

"Professor, please explain."

Zalinka paused, and the manic look softened to one of excitement.

"Honestly, Cloud, I have no idea what might have happened. Natural mako pools are rare, and their origins are closely tied to the planet. There is only one expert in the world on it, and well, Cosmo Canyon's relationship with Shinra is uncommunicative at best. Studying that pool, though, could potentially unlock some breakthroughs," Zalinka shrugged. "Or, at minimum, rule it out as a factor to your fascinating situation. Nonetheless, a valuable insight."

"Before that, let's see if it helps Angeal, okay?" Cloud said, guiding the professor toward the biological equipment that hadn't been in the lab before. Angeal, resigned, wheeled over the only chair clear of research materia. At least in this, the lab did not resemble the Soldier labs at all. No metal operating tables, no gurneys. Barely a box full of equipment for drawing blood and a blood chemistry analyzer Angeal recognized as commonly used in Hollander's lab. Everything else was dedicated to materia. Zalinka plopped Cloud's blood into the machine.

As Rayleigh adjusted different knobs, Zalinka explained, "You're in luck. This machine will separate blood from plasma. Cloud and Genesis have matching blood types- AB. I isolated the antibody to the plasma, which makes Cloud a universal donor. I don't have to request specialized equipment I have no business using, and it lets us fly under the radar. "

Rayleigh tapped a few buttons on the machine, and it started to hum. As the scientist worked, he absently asked, "Where is this pool anyway?"

Cloud closed his eyes and sighed. Then he opened them, downcast. Suddenly, Angeal had a bad premonition that he couldn't understand.

"Nibelheim. My hometown."

Reeve sighed in relief as the last circuit board lit up. He wiped off the last of the solder flux and reached for his multimeter, taking readings on the many ports as he sent commands from his keyboard to the microchip. The motor responded as expected.

After weeks of debugging, integration testing gone wrong, and many sleepless nights, the final piece finally worked as designed. He slid the circular board into place in the central skeleton. Then he connected the power and sent a command from his laptop. The robot sprung to life.

"Hiya!" It chirped. The head, just taking shape, tilted to one side with a single eye lit up. Then, the sound of a motor and the toy was leaning forward, using its front limbs to push itself up onto its feet. The program constantly compensated for shifts in its center of gravity to balance it on its legs. Reeve never realized how difficult balance on two limbs was until he had to recreate it artificially. The pendulum-like stride of a human was nearly impossible to implement.

When Reeve wasn't monitoring, the robot could act somewhat independently. It was vital for Reeve, who had to step in and out of meetings throughout the day.

He typed several more commands into his laptop and saw on the screen what the robot was seeing from its two cameras. It was still a skeleton, but Reeves already had a stuffed toy in mind for its appearance.

"I understand, but I'm disappointed," Genesis said, arms crossed. He was pouting.

After Zalinka verified Angeal's results, Genesis received another injection. After a few days of recovering, Genesis felt well enough that no VR room was safe. He resumed sessions with Cloud and with the other Firsts. His magic was still unreliable, but Genesis was a proficient swordsman regardless of the handicap.

Where Genesis stabilized, Angeal's health visibly worsened despite the transfusion. Zalinka assured them it was normal after what he had seen of Genesis. Angeal was being monitored regularly under the guise of testing materia for Zalinka.

Cloud was pretty sure Zalinka was asking the man to test materia for his own research and spinning it to his advantage, but Cloud wasn't going to call him out. The monitoring confirmed that whatever antibodies Cloud had, they worked for Angeal, too.

On the other hand, Cloud was still getting used to whatever enhancement he received from his accident. Contrary to the new memories, he didn't feel like a Soldier at all. He felt stronger and more connected to magic, but it felt…different somehow- like he fit better in his skin. As Zack told him, when he cast magic, his eyes glowed, but normally, he didn't have any of the Soldier mutations. And perhaps that was a good thing.

It was easy to refuse when a third-class promotion came up for Cloud (contingent on the exam). It felt odd. Cloud reconciled two sets of memories in him. One where his biggest desire was to be a Soldier. A so-called hero. And another where he had no desire to be a Soldier, knowing where it led.

Genesis was disappointed, but after the latest revelations, he was also reluctant to put Cloud in the program. What would happen to Cloud? What would Hojo have done if he had found out?

Cloud lowered his sword when it became clear that Genesis was done. Genesis watched with a contemplative expression as he put the borrowed Soldiers' sword away. "Your birthday's coming up, isn't it?"

"Same time every year. August nin-" Cloud paused, "Oh, eleventh now." Genesis simply tsked and waved Cloud out of the VR.

"Dinner time for the growing chick." Cloud pulled at his hair.

"Still not a chocobo, Gen."

The Turks couldn't officially act on Don Corneo. Officially, they were never there. Not even Tseng could know. The ledger also couldn't be used as evidence since it implicated Rufus.

Unofficially, there were plenty of other ways to make life harder in the slums.

The priority was clearing out the sewers. This was simple. It only took Reno a few well-placed words with his informants to make it back to the Administrative department. Then, with uncharacteristic efficiency, Shinra sent public officials to investigate.

If that mission conveniently included a few Turks and also happened to cover Avalanche's little stash, well, they should have been more careful. Gun and Reno decided against planting evidence regarding Corneo's involvement. The fact that tunnels extended deep into Coreno's territory already invited scrutiny.

As luck would have it, scouring the sewers turned up the pet's nest instead, laden with the personal effects of several missing women. There wouldn't be a lot they could do, but Gun hoped the women's families would get closure.

For now, Corneo was placed under house arrest while Shinra handled the more immediate munition store investigation. Gun thought that was Corneo getting off too lightly and wondered if taking the ledger had been a mistake. Reno only laughed at her when she voiced the thought out loud and reminded her that Corneo would have burned it the minute Shinra stepped food in Wall Market. And who knew what else Rufus would have done to cover things up?

Gun stepped back into Avalanche's hideout, pretending she had never seen it before.

Cissnei let out a low whistle as another crate was lifted up.

"I don't think I've seen this much firepower in one place outside of Wutai," Cissnei said admiringly as she jotted down the tally of contents.

Gun voiced her agreement, then bit her lip. This wasn't even half of what she saw that night. Avalanche couldn't have moved that much cargo so quickly, so where did it go?

"Nibelheim, hmm?" Reeve rubbed his chin. "That's one of the few reactors that falls under Science department management rather than Urban Development. If it's like the other reactors we transferred from the Science department, it's overdue for repair. How far from town is it, again?"

There hadn't been a major tragedy from a reactor yet, but there had been some close calls. It felt like a matter of time, and his department had been racing against the clock to inspect and fix early design deficiencies. Cloud was a mako science student. Maybe he can-

"Oh, stop," Ruvie scolded gently, hitting Reeve lightly on the arm as she stood up. "No more shop talk at the dinner table."

Reeve cleared his throat, and Cloud smiled.

"Can't help it, mom." Reeve heard the cabinet shut. When Ruvie returned, a blue frosted cake returned with her, proudly balanced on a much-loved cake plate Reeve was very familiar with.

"A homemade cake for the birthday boy!" Cloud gaped at the cake, and a mix of pride and satisfaction shot through Reeve. Mom did good.

Later that evening, they walked toward the train station. Cloud groaned about how much he ate.

"I don't think I can eat again for a week," he said. Reeve raised one arm. The bag of leftovers weighed heavily in his grasp. He grinned.

"So you'd say no to helping me with leftovers?" Cloud shook his head.

"Gladly. Next week." Reeve laughed, and then he turned serious.

"I thought it was bad before, but Shinra under Rufus has been… different," Reeve admitted. Cloud was silent as they passed a few houses and reached the main road.

"He's younger," Cloud said, considering, "More rash. Inexperienced." Reeve shook his head.

"Rufus is Rufus. He's always been like that. Ruthless to the bone." Reeve said. They stood in front of the station. At this time of night, the streets were quiet and dark. Reeve turned to Cloud. "Not everything in life is a zero-sum game. I don't think Rufus is aware of how little control he has. It's like sand. The harder he grasps, the more things slip from his fingers."

Cloud frowned.

"You mean like with Lazard…" Reeve nodded. Everyone heard Lazard was out of the picture. Externally, Shinra continued to be a well-oiled machine. Internally, tensions were bubbling between the rudderless Soldier department and its new management chain.

"Things are moving. I intend to find out," Reeve said with conviction. Cloud ran a hand through his hair. To Reeve's amusement, the spikes flattened only to pop back up again.

"I can't stop you," Cloud said, "Be careful." Reeve reached forward to ruffle the spikes again, his grin widening at the indignant wark.

"Look at you being worried," he said, "And don't be. We will."

Cloud tilted his head, thinking momentarily before seemingly changing the subject.

"I have an odd friend you might like. He resembles a character from those campy vampire shows. Would get along with Cait if they ever ran into each other."

Reeve was puzzled but didn't get a chance to ask as the train pulled into the station with a loud whistle.

The church was calm. Artificial light from the Midgar lamps outside filtered through the stained glass windows, projecting a rainbow of colors into the pews. Cloud sat silently on one pew, staring sightlessly at the flower garden that took the place of the altar.

A soft susurration of fabric pulled Cloud from his thoughts.

"Hello, Vincent."

The red-cloaked man stepped out from the shadows into the artificial light cast by the new hole in the ceiling (is that where Zack…?). He had been standing under stained glass depicting a snake tempting a maiden with an apple. Cloud patted the seat next to him. Vincent approached him, eyes flickering.

"You seem…different," Vincent said, standing before Cloud instead of sitting.

"Hmm," Cloud leaned back, "Did Chaos tell you that." Vincent scoffed.

"I don't need Chaos to see what is before me." Cloud laughed softly and looked away from Vincent.

"A lot happened in Wutai."

"...Sorry… for leaving when I did." Cloud shook his head. He still had mixed feelings about what Vincent did. After years of being Cloud's teacher and his only family, Vincent left with a few terse words never to be heard from again. Only what felt like a lifetime of grafted memories dulled the pain of abandonment into understanding. And even now, Cloud felt a tinge of pain inside his chest and a taste of bitterness in his mouth.

But after Wutai, Cloud thought he could understand at least a little bit more.

"You had something more important to do. I didn't understand then," he said, looking down at his own hands. The last time he was here, he was but a child. The last time he was here, Aeris was dead. The only reminder was a pool of spring water - It won't happen. He clenched his hands tight, nails digging into his palms. Vincent finally sat. His cloak brushed against Cloud's arm, and Cloud looked at him. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

The crooked smile that split Vincent's face was just a hair wider than normal for a human. It wasn't an expression Vincent made. Around them, the shadows deepened. It would be upsetting if Cloud hadn't seen it countless times.

"We arrived at a place we thought was the destination only to find it a mere pitstop on the long road," they said.

Cloud only nodded and sat silently, staring at the flower patch illuminated by light streaming from the rose window above them. When Cloud looked again, Vincent was already gone.

An interesting unintended consequence of fudging his birthday was that Cloud had two birthdays. Given why he did that and what he had to go through, plus the high likelihood that it saved Genesis's life in Wutai, the Firsts pulled out all the stops when the nineteenth rolled around.

Sephiroth arrived first after picking up the cake and their joint present (Genesis gleefully sent the man on all the errands as petty revenge. Served him right - withholding information.)

The doorbell rang right on time. While Angeal minded the stove, Genesis grabbed the door to let Sephiroth in. In one hand, the present. In the other, the cake. Under his other arm, the man carried a bottle of wine that had Genesis grinning as he waved him in. Banora white.

Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel came a bit later by design. Zack had an arm around Cloud's shoulder while Kunsel followed at a measured pace behind. They pulled Cloud directly out of his part-time academy classes, which he finally resumed post-war. When they walked in, Cloud's perplexed face turned to surprise.

Thus, the warm evening found the Firsts (counting Zack), Cloud, and Kunsel crowded into Angeal and Genesis's new apartment. The interior was still sparse, but that didn't stop Angeal from cooking much more than six people with Soldier appetites could handle. To Genesis's satisfaction, Cloud was delighted by the traditional Nibel dishes on the table (though they thankfully left wolf meat off the menu). He hummed with every bite.

If Genesis pulled Angeal in by the apron strings to sneak in some snogging during meal prep and after, that was Genesis's business.

"Well, I think it's about that time," Angeal said as dinner wound down. Cloud whimpered almost a little knowingly as Angeal disappeared into the kitchen, coming back with a monstrosity of a cake. It was giant even to split amongst six people, and Sephiroth picked a deep shade of purple for the frosting, to both Angeal and Genesis's bewilderment. Cloud had an absolute look of chagrin on his face when he saw the cake. (Genesis will guilt the story out of Cloud. Sephiroth would never tell.)

"Well, it's that time," Genesis said decisively as dinner wound down. The food was more than half gone, and Zack even showed signs of slowing. At Genesis's nod, Angeal disappeared again. When he appeared, he had a long shape in his hands, wrapped in fabric. Genesis already knew what was in the package and watched Cloud's reaction instead. Blue eyes widened as he realized what it was.

"A…sword?"

"Nothing fancy, mind you," Genesis said, "But better than the standard Soldier issue." He tried not to show his nervousness about gifting it to Cloud. Genesis picked it out after vetoing many suggestions from both Sephiroth and Angeal. The three of them decided on a broadsword in the end since Cloud seemed especially partial to it. Genesis was adamant it would be lighter and more compatible with magic. The result was a blade with the characteristics of a standard Mythril blade, with a bit more heft and extra materia slots.

They ordered it when Angeal ordered a sword for Zack for the puppy's combined birthday and promotion celebration a few months prior. Still, the work took extra time due to Genesis's exacting demands for a magic channeling blade.

Cloud reverently accepted the wrapped package while everyone else looked on in anticipation. He let out a soft gasp as he unwrapped it.

"I designed it, Sephiroth got the materials, and Angeal tested the broadsword balance," Genesis explained. Cloud sniffed, then rubbed his eyes. When he looked up from his present, they were a bit red and had a misty sheen.

"Thank you. This is the best birthday I've had."

Zack coo'd and slung an arm around Cloud.

"Hey buddy," He said, shaking Cloud a little, "The night ain't over."

"Wha-"

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Angeal raised a brow in amusement as he opened it to reveal Reno leaning against the wall and Gun beside him, hands on her hips.

"Yo!" Reno greeted, then looked behind Angeal, "And there's the birthday boy. Did you think we'd forget?" Cloud looked surprised for the second time that night.

"Let's go," Gun said impatiently. "We give up the reservation if we're more than fifteen minutes late."

Cloud looked flabbergasted. He looked from his new sword to the door, then to Genesis, who smirked and crossed his arms.

"Leave it with me," Genesis said, "I'll bring it to training tomorrow. You have somewhere else to be."

Cloud shakily got up from the table. Zack impatiently pushed him out the door as the other Firsts looked on. Genesis smirked. At the same time, Angeal stopped smiling and suddenly made a concerned face as a thought occurred. He called after them.

"Drink responsibly!"

Sebastian signed as he peeled his blood-soaked uniform off.

Another day, another monster nest to clear out in Junon. Each one gave Sebastian the heebie jeebies. They were as Essai described. Half mad science and half horror show. And not dissimilar from the ones they cleared out in Wutai.

This time, at least, Essai was on the same assignment. They could look out for each other when they were sent out together, though neither was particularly happy to be sent to Junon again.

Back in civies, Sebastian looked forward to some downtime. A glance at his phone revealed that Essai hadn't returned from his mission yet. It would be a few more hours before Sebastian got worried.

He took the elevator to Lower Junon, his feet retracing familiar steps across well-trodden cobblestone to a bar along the waterfront. He sat down and hadn't put his order in when there was a commotion outside.

"Help! Someone's in the water!"

Sebastian stood back up with a soft grown and walked outside.

In the shallow bay, a rotund body lying face down bobbed in the gentle waves. It already drew a crowd along the shore. He didn't have a good feeling. The body wasn't moving. Instinct took over. Sebastian leaped down to the beach and waded into the water. He grabbed the body and pulled it back into the shallow beach. Then he flipped it over and grimaced.

The face was badly bloated in the seawater, but Sebastian recognized it nonetheless. Professor Hollander stared back at him, eye sockets empty, soft tissue nibbled away by the local fish.

Autumn was nearly over when the mission to Nibelheim finally came up. Cloud both anticipated and dreaded the day it would appear on the mission list, but there it was, staring at him from his inbox, forwarded from the assignment office for Cloud to accompany Soldiers to the west.

It wasn't surprising it took so long. They all agreed to wait for a mission that way instead of having Zalinka put in a request- better to avoid unwelcome attention. But that meant a lot of waiting. Nibelheim was a backwater, and missions from Midgar were rare, even rarer, to send Soldiers.

What was surprising was the mission's contents. Mount Nibel had become a monster nest. The monsters were so strong and aggressive that they threatened the small team that maintained the reactor and the town. Villagers were scared to leave their homes, and multiple security teams deployed to the mountain didn't report back.

Was Nibelheim ever this dangerous before?

Later that afternoon, they gathered in Genesis's office again, with Cloud sitting next to Zack and Angeal on the couch while Genesis paced. Sephiroth stood by the wall, watching everyone.

"We already agreed you and Angeal needed to stay in Midgar," Sephiroth reminded Genesis with a tired tone. Genesis ignored Sephiroth and continued pacing.

Honestly, Cloud was hoping one of the other Firsts came too, in case Sephiroth…

But Zalinka hadn't cleared them. No one knew when there would be another opportunity. And Cloud wouldn't want either of them in harm's way while battling the effects of degradation.

Cloud would be the guide, Zack would be on his first longer mission after his promotion, and Sephiroth would supervise. It was the perfect cover.

Cloud sighed deeply. It was irrational to refuse. Sephiroth didn't show any signs of going off the deep end. But, he didn't before, either, not until Nibelheim.

It felt something like fate that these were the cards he was dealt. He wondered if he would play them any better now.

Learning to walk on two legs in a different body was slow going. What was stranger was being so…close to the ground. It offered a completely different perspective for Reeve.

Cait Sith wandered through the dusty air ducts slowly, carefully mapping out the labyrinthine network of tunnels that lined the Shinra tower. Even with Reeve's access to the floor plans, navigating it with a two-foot-tall body was challenging. Not everything was connected, so he had to double back several times while dodging curious eyes and manipulating security cameras. Several times, Reeve found areas where contractors clearly cut corners and didn't follow drawings (he couldn't help but make notes about those.)

The exploration opened a whole new world. One wrong turn took Cait through a series of pipes that took him right over the Soldier's offices.

Was it him, or were these tunnels less dusty than the others? One terminus put him at a vertical vent shaft and…

Bingo.

Floor sixty-seven was stenciled on the stairwell, visible from the slits of a nearby vent. There was no access from the vents into the lab, which made sense. The lab HVAC system was isolated from the rest of the building to prevent contamination. They had to keep air there at a lower pressure than the rest of the floors. Even with removing some of the more…adventurous…experiments to the basement, there were still enough mako vapors to be a concern.

Reeve made sure to loop the cameras before Cait Sith left the cover of the air ducts to secret himself on one of the supply carts. Now, the wait.

Cloud leaned his forearms against the railing and closed his eyes, letting the fading dusk light warm his back and the sea breeze ruffle his hair.

Just like in his memories, they departed from Junon toward Nibelheim. This time, they departed directly, not stopping at the base. Sephiroth seemed more restless than normal the entire journey from Midgar. The ship would anchor north of Nibelheim close to Rocket Town, where the unit would go the rest of the way by truck to the remote mountain village.

Home.

Was it home?

What was left of it?

The trauma of seeing Nibel burn faded only slightly to a smolder. Cloud's Nibelheim still stands. Cloud's mom still lay six feet under almost permanently frozen ground, where she had been since the wolf attack nine years ago. The house still stood with its new occupants.

What was left of home? What was home?

Cloud watched the waves lap against the sides of the ship and let the gentle rocking take him further into his own mind until a taller shadow joined his cast over the side of the vessel. They formed two dark pillars against the calm water, backlit by brilliant orange dusk.

Cloud turned to see Sephiroth watching him. Sephiroth tilted his head, eyes still trained on Cloud's face. Cloud felt his cheeks warm.

It must be the sun.

Sephiroth smiled softly. The low angle of the sun's rays reflected in his eyes, turning them amber.

"A gil for your thoughts?" he asked. Cloud let out a huff that was not quite a laugh but shifted over a little and turned back to watch the waves. Sephiroth took the invitation for what it was and joined him at the railing, his body so close Cloud could feel the edge of his trench coat lightly brushing against his calf.

They stood in comfortable silence for a while.

This is something Cloud appreciated about Sephiroth. This Sephiroth. (His Sephiroth? His cheeks felt warm again.) Cloud didn't know what to do when they first started having lunch together. He wasn't talkative and couldn't carry on the conversation like Zack. The flashes he had gotten from his first brush with mako left him only vague impressions that this man wasn't a friend. Even Vincent warned him explicitly about running into Sephiroth. He squirmed through the entire meal.

Cloud didn't know exactly when it was. But after a few lunches, he realized that the silence became normal, almost companionable. Sephiroth maintained an aura of calm around him that belied a (slightly awkward) sense of humor and an intense protectiveness for those he considered friends.

It hit Cloud, then, that the tragedy of Nibelheim wasn't just the loss of a town, his mother, or his childhood. The man known as Sephiroth was gone. Cloud, Zack, and Tifa all witnessed the death of a hero that birthed a monster in his place.

And now they were headed straight back there—to the future site of a tragedy. They were willingly walking towards it to understand what happened to Cloud and to help Genesis and Angeal.

Not for the first time, a confession was on the tip of Cloud's tongue.

"Do you ever wonder about our choices?" Cloud finally asked instead, breaking the silence.

Sephiroth leaned forward a little, and Cloud could see his hair draped over the railing from the corner of his eyes. However, Cloud continued to watch the horizon. The cliffs of Junon were slowly disappearing as the ship continued north.

"Constantly," Sephiroth answered after a pause, "Life or death is decided by seconds and by hair widths. Those decisions could decide the outcome of battles. Then wars. History."

Cloud couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

Of course, he talks about it with military metaphors.

"What about outside of battle?" Cloud asked, "Your life, your childhood? You said you spent it in Nibelheim, but I still don't know much about it."

"I…I only knew battle for a long time," Sephiroth admitted, "By the time I was fourteen, the only reprieve from Hojo's tests was when I was sent on missions." Cloud knew that Sephiroth's past was bleak. Having the man explain directly was gut-wrenching.

"Hm," Cloud turned his head to look at Sephiroth. When he met green eyes, Cloud looked down. "Have you ever…doubted what you would do?"

"All the time. I often wonder if it is my own action or inaction that results in my failures," Sephiroth said. That made Cloud look up in shock.

"You? Fail?" Sephiroth's smile turned self-deprecating.

"There are a great many things I've failed, mistakes I've made," he said. "I am only grateful I am alive in the here and now to correct them."

Cloud wondered if it would be his own action or inaction that would matter here. He couldn't let Nibelheim, what it catalyzed, what came after, come to pass again. And if that meant saving Sephiroth or stopping him, Cloud didn't know. Cloud hummed and turned to lean against the railing, facing the setting sun.

The day was uncommonly clear. The shadow of Mount Nibel's jagged spire peeked out just over the horizon, backdropped against the reddening sky. Cloud closed his eyes as the setting sun became too bright. The afterimage looked like a man standing before a screen of flames.

A/N

Zalinks explains my headcanons. He is a bit of a spiritual predecessor to Chadley from Remake (since Chadley wasn't in the original, and I imagine 5 years earlier was a bit early for Chadley to be around).

In the late game, there were a bunch of strong materia that didn't do anything until you leveled them up so that's the situation here. If materia actually had crystal structures, I imagine different types would be pretty different.