WARNING: This chapter contains the "F" bomb a few times along with some other colorful yet foul language. Viewer- er- reader discretion is advised. Thanks, Powell...

CHAPTER 11 – THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL

Sanders let out a big yawn as he stood up and winced as his back popped. He had just double-checked each of the deliveries set to go out tomorrow for Zack to pick up and made sure they were all accounted for and in their proper place. Goddess forbid Zack grab the wrong delivery again. Sanders shook his head as he remembered the lashing all three of them had gotten from the woman. It wasn't their fault... a simple accident made plausible when the woman's handwriting was atrocious and nearly unreadable. How Zack managed to calm her down was anyone's guess.

Sanders had already closed the register, counted the day's money, and put it in the safe to make a bank deposit first thing in the morning. He was on his way to lock the door when the phone rang. He turned to answer it. "Sanders General Store, we're closed for the evening, but I'd be happy to help you tomorrow…"

He sighed when the person hung up, shook his head, and turned to lock up when he saw someone inside, leaning against the door.

"Long time no see, Sandy."

Sanders's eyes were wide with shock as he stared at Powell. He recovered his composure quickly, though, and turned away. "Yeah, not since you shot me and left me for dead."

Powell pushed off from the door and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "That was an accident. I was focused on that boxing bitch and didn't see it was you. I... I thought you were dead. The chocobo said you were."

Sanders sighed.

"Yeah, he told me that's what he said to you…" he then failed to hide the hurt expression. "He also said you told him I deserved it."

Powell shook his head. "That was just me bein' sore. You know how I get. Why would I want you dead? We're best friends!"

Sanders looked down to the side, not answering.

Powell leaned in closer, "Aren't we?"

Sanders looked up at him, face completely neutral. "How'd you get out of prison?"

Powell smirked then. "I got a proposition for you, Sandy. They told me the pipsqueak gave you a second chance, and you own this du-er, this store because he pulled some strings. So, you and him are chummy now, right? You can have so much more and get back to where we should be if you help us out."

"What are you talking about?" Sanders asked.

"This." Powell pulled out a syringe with a strange glowing red liquid inside. "You should be able to get close enough to the punk to inject it. There's a lot here, but they're just being thorough. It shouldn't even take half of this to kill him."

"You want me to kill Cloud?" Sanders squawked in surprise.

"Shhh," Powell scolded, clapping a hand to his friend's mouth. "Not so loud. This has to be quick and unexpected. I can't get near him; he'd clock my ass out faster than you can say chocobo. It has to be you. Do this, and you're a hero!"

"Killing someone with poison doesn't make you a hero, especially if you're killing one," Sanders replied, still not taking the syringe.

Powell shook his head. "Don't be a wuss; this will make everything right. These new guys, they're not like the Splicer, and they acknowledge hard work and deeds that leave a big impact. Killing Cloud will earn both of us a high rank."

Sanders looked at the syringe then, studying it. "What's in that stuff anyway?"

"They put it in their weapons, forging their own blades with this stuff in the mix. They make their bullets with it, too. It's supposed to turn any mako it touches into a burning, super corrosive acid. The more mako you got the more painful your death. We know how much mako that asshole has; his damn eyes light up like stadium lights! We can finally get him back after all he's put us through."

Sanders shook his head then and backed away. "I... I don't know. I'm at a crossroads. Finally, I've made it out of the thick of the woods, and I don't know what path to take."

He turned to his friend. "Can I think about it?"

Powell gave him a calculating look before he sighed. "Alright, I understand. You think it over. I'll be back tomorrow for your answer."

With that, he left. Sanders waited about ten minutes before he grabbed his keys, rushed out the door, locking it behind him, and made a mad dash for the bar.

*FFTT-FT*

A few blocks away Powell was standing on the corner of a roof, his arms resting on his bent knee.

"Well?" came a voice from behind him.

"I don't think he'll do it. They brainwashed him," he replied, offering the syringe back to the man, who took it and stared downward at something.

"It seems he's already made his decision."

Powell turned and looked down at the street; sure enough, Sanders was running towards the direction of the bar.

The man handed him a rifle. "You know what to do."

Powell slowly took the weapon, a small flash of regret shone in his eyes before they hardened, and he aimed the gun, training it on his former friend's back, right between the shoulder blades.

"Bye, Sandy."

A single shot rang out into the night.

*FFTT-FT*

The city always looked so beautiful at night, all of the lights making it glitter like a starry sky. Though it was colder than normal for this time of year, Corliss still loved cruising down the streets on Daredevil, feeling the wind in her face. It would be nice to take a drive out of town with a friend; it had been a while since she was able to do something like that. She was really looking forward to it.

She pulled up to the bar, noting that it was fairly busy. Parking right outside, she didn't see Fenrir anywhere, so she figured Cloud had a last-minute delivery pop up. Locking Daredevil up, she took off her goggles and walked inside. Just as she thought, the place was full of patrons... what she hadn't expected to see was Cloud behind the bar.

So much for the ride out of town, she mused to herself.

Walking up to the blond, she took a seat.

"Hey, Cloud," she greeted.

Cloud knew how hard Tifa's job was, but he swore he'd never underestimate it again. It was easy with Petra's help, but working solo and taking care of a busy bar was an entirely new monster. He was in the middle of mixing a drink when he heard the greeting.

"Hey, Cor," he returned as he poured the drink and slid it down the bar counter.

"Cloud, hit me with a mako shot," called a man sitting farther down, making his eyes glow.

Cloud nodded. "Comin' right up."

Corliss tilted her head. "Mako shot?"

As he mixed the drink, he looked back over to Corliss. "It's a special drink Tifa and I came up with together. The enhanced normally can't get a buzz from even the strongest drink, so we wanted to come up with something that could give them the kick they were looking for."

"Oh? What's the proof on it?" Corliss asked, marveling at the ingenuity.

"200 proof," Cloud replied, "But we can't just let any normal person drink it. They'd get alcohol poisoning. So, we tell them to make their eyes glow. That way, we know that they can handle their liquor."

"Smart," the dark-haired woman agreed.

There was a silence between the two before Cloud picked up the conversation again.

"Sorry about tonight. Tifa's not feeling well, and Petra's got the night off."

She shrugged.

"Life happens. Don't sweat it," she smiled, " You're pretty slammed in here, though."

She looked around, not knowing if this was normal for Seventh Heaven or not.

"You're lookin' a little flustered, buddy..." she grinned at him.

"Yeah," he agreed, walking over to the man and setting the drink in front of him. There was no way he'd risk another patron getting a hold of it by accident. Cloud was a very responsible bartender that way. "I added a bit more kick to it this time, Josh. I know you asked Tifa to spice it up a bit last time."

The dark-haired former Second Class smirked as he raised the shot glass to the blond hero. "Thanks, man. You always know how to treat us has-been SOLDIERs with respect. Wish the rest of this town would."

"There's always a brighter tomorrow," Cloud told him as the man downed the shot. He returned back over to Corliss and sighed.

"I'm not really flustered," he told her. "I just didn't expect the winter rush to start this early; then again, it is colder than usual."

He wiped a glass with his rag and then huffed. "Well, cold for Edge anyway. This is paradise compared to Nibelheim."

He then set the glass down and exhaled, defeated. "Corliss, I have a problem..."

He glanced towards the door that would lead to the kitchen and the garage beyond. "It's about Fenrir."

He tried to hold back the sour expression on his face, but some of it shone through. "He's in shambles."

Her expression sunk into a horrified shock. "No! What happened? Is it really bad? What kind of sick son of a bitch would... Cloud, damn... I'm sorry! I'm sure he can be saved. He's too tough to give up! I... I can help! Whatever it takes!"

She stopped herself, blushing just a little. "Sorry... but, Shiva..."

Cloud dropped his head, hanging it in defeat. "Believe me, it tears me up inside. I've never openly gushed over it, but that bike... is a part of me. Fenrir and I have been through hell and back! He's never let me down, but those monsters just shot him down like that."

He threw the damp rag into the bar sink. "They used high-powered automatics, too!"

He huffed in annoyance then, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Zack and I are trying to fix it, but we don't even know where to start. The front rim and suspension are completely severed from the rest of the bike, and there are several smaller pieces broken off. The custom compartments for my swords are warped and bent, I'll have to reorder those parts completely new, and the poor beast is riddled with so many bullet holes some parts look more like honeycomb cheese.

"If you can help bring him back to life then I would be in your debt."

She met his eyes, determination overtaking her features. "If you get me the materials, I will be honored to bring him back."

Her lips formed a thin line as she shook her head. "Don't ever let me catch those lowlifes!"

Something told Cloud that she wasn't even close to joking.

Cloud gave her the most relieved smile. "You are a lifesaver. I'll pay whatever the price."

The bar door opened again, for the five hundredth time that night, but it was different. Any who noticed the newcomer grew quiet and fearful, while a few jumped from their seats in surprise. "Cl-Clou-oud..."

The blond looked up and his eyes widened as the newcomer fell to the floor, holding his chest. "Sanders!"

Cloud leaped clear over the bar counter and dropped next to the man. The hero tried to pry his hands from the wound, but he didn't see any blood coming from his chest; from the back, however, was a different story. Blood coated his light shirt, dying it crimson, and Cloud couldn't even tell where the injury was. "Someone toss me a towel, anything!"

"Here," Josh reached over and grabbed a rag from over the counter and tossed it to him, and Cloud applied the pressure. He looked back towards the door and saw the trail of blood leading outside. There was a lot there. "Hang on Sanders; stay with me."

The reformed shop owner shuddered, and Cloud realized his muscles were twitching from a deep pain. It was a lot like how Cloud and Genesis had reacted before.

"Anti-mako bullet?" Cloud questioned out loud. Taking out his pocket knife, Cloud removed the rag and looked for the wound. "Sanders, I'm sorry; this is going to hurt like hell."

"He's... gone too far..." Sanders breathed in pain.

Corliss dashed towards them, dropping to her knees and sliding in on them. "Hang on, Cloud... try this."

She removed a multitool from her pocket, flipped out the tweezers, and then handed it to Cloud.

Cloud nodded his thanks as he accepted the tool and began searching for what he knew he'd find. "His spasms are weak; that's not a good sign. He's either suffered through this pain for a long time, or he's lost too much blood."

Sanders whined in pain, and his shoulders jerked in pure agony.

"I'm sorry," the blond told him, completely understanding.

He tried to find it, but there was so much blood he kept losing the entry wound. Finally, the tool closed around the bullet.

"I got it," he went to pull it out, but it slipped from the tweezers, and he instinctively grabbed it with his bare hand and hissed in pain as it burned him. He dropped it to the floor and clenched his fist before reapplying pressure to the wound. "It's out, Sanders; just hang on."

Corliss picked the bullet up, knowing there were other enhanced individuals in this bar, and she didn't want them to accidentally touch it.

"So... tired..." Sanders replied.

"Don't you dare," Cloud snapped at him, "You've come too far to stop now."

"Hey... Sanders..." Corliss said to him, though she had no idea who this guy was, "I know you're tired, bud... and you'll be able to rest soon. Can you focus on me? Look at me, buddy... okay?"

Sanders nodded weakly, meeting her eyes.

"Listen to my voice, Sanders. Everything is going to be just fine," she spoke in a low, even tone... but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

The bar had fallen silent and was watching carefully. "Just keep breathing... in and out... in and out... keep listening to my voice, Sanders. You're wide awake, now... not feeling any pain... just keep breathing in and out... in and out...You're feeling wide awake... and there's no pain... Are you feeling any pain?"

Sanders shook his head as he simply stared at her. "That's good, Sanders... keep breathing in and out... Cloud is going to patch you up with some restorative magic... and you're not tired at all, are you?"

Again, Sanders shook his head. She turned to Cloud, her voice calm and warm. "Do what you're going to do."

Cloud stared at her in amazement before he got up and hurried over to the First Aid kit and pulled out the mastered materia that they kept there before he returned. He cast curaga and focused on healing the wound to stop the bleeding.

Once the wound was closed and he was out of immediate danger, Cloud turned him back over. "I can't do anything about the blood he's lost; he needs proper medical help for that."

Sanders looked up at his two saviors and couldn't hold back his tears, though he kept them silent. "I... envy you Cloud. You and Zack are so close. You know he'll take a bullet for you any day, and same goes for you about him."

The blond didn't say anything, knowing what he meant. "But it looks like Powell wouldn't just let me take the bullet but gave it to me personally."

Cloud shook his head. "Just take it easy. Don't think about it right now."

"Don't you worry, Sanders," Corliss told him, "From what I can tell, you've got good friends, here. Just try to relax. We need to get you to the hospital..."

She looked up at Cloud. "I would take him on my bike, but I don't think he could hold on."

Cloud looked over across the room, not sure what to do when a man stood up.

"Go on, Cloud, I've got things here."

It was Ronny, one of Henry's boys. If there was one group of patrons he'd trust, it'd be one out of Henry's group.

"Thanks. If Tifa comes down, tell her what happened and not to worry."

"Just go and do your hero thing. I got this covered."

"We'll have to take the truck," Cloud told Corliss.

She nodded. "You drive. I'll hang on to Sanders."

*FFTT-FT*

Powell glared as he jumped over a few more rooftops, keeping track of Sanders as he stumbled and staggered to the bar. How the hell was he still going?! Powell knew he hit a serious spot by the amount of blood Sanders was losing. He wanted him to die quickly. It was too late to take back the bullet; he wanted his friend to stop suffering. Then again, he realized that Sanders knew too much.

If Cloud found out, there'd be no way to kill him. Sanders made it to the bar and collapsed and Powell saw Cloud rush to his side. Anger made him see red as he aimed the rifle at Cloud. He had a shot lined up right at Cloud's forehead and chuckled. "Scratch one pain in the ass."

"You know... you're going to miss." came a voice from behind him. "There's a light wind coming from the north... and you'll give away your position."

The man watched the recruit with amusement and interest, taking note of the anger seared into his face.

Powell growled as he tried to adjust for the correction, but Cloud had moved, and the new angle made it impossible to get a good enough shot to kill him in one hit. He lowered the rifle and turned to look at the man who had appeared. "I will kill him. He ruined everything for me."

The man regarded Powell for a moment, taking in his statement. He looked down at the scene unfolding in the bar.

"Why don't we go somewhere and have a chat about your goals?" he suggested. "I think we could come to an understanding."

Powell growled in frustration before he nodded his head. "Fine, but you should send someone to watch over that dork. The chocobo will put him in the hospital, and if he lives, he'll squeal."

He stepped away from the edge of the roof then, indicating for this stranger to lead the way.

"I'll take care of it," the mystery man assured him. There were plenty of UC's at the hospital that could make sure his ex-friend couldn't squeal. He led Powell off the roof and to one of Enixus' quiet and secure locations. Inside was a comfortable room with a couch, a couple of chairs, and a table. "Please, have a seat. The name is Ryker, by the way."

He gestured in the direction of the empty places to sit and eased himself into one of the chairs.

"So, tell me... what has Cloud Strife done to you to warrant your hatred?" he asked.

Powell sat down on the couch, taking advantage of something more comfortable than prison bunks. "What hasn't the asshole done?"

He scoffed before sighing. "He took my future from me. I was a promising SOLDIER candidate, smart, fast, strong... I was a total shoe-in! And then one day, me'n Sandy see this blond punk-ass cadet playing suck-up to a SOLDIER, and the dumbass bought his shitty timid, 'I'm a humble country boy' line. It kept happening and his marks were getting better than ours. So, one night, me an' Sandy cornered the SOLDIER's Pet and taught him a lesson. We got caught and were expelled. Ran into Licer after that, and the asshole ended up a SOLDIER anyway. It's not fucking right, damn it!"

He pounded his fist into the arm of the couch.

"What an ass," Ryker commented. "So, he stole your future from you. What else? I know that can't be all of it."

Ryker knew that wasn't all of it. Bottom line: this guy was jealous of Cloud Strife. That never sits well with anyone. Perhaps, though, he could be useful in keeping Strife in line... or at the very least, distracted.

Powell glared, his tired eyes showing the toll the many sleepless nights had taken on him. "We almost got him with Licer; we would've gotten the praise. Kane screwed us up though. We all got punished for failure again, and then when Licer did get him, he was gonna turn Strife into a brainwashed killer. Was gonna call him 'The Slayer' and was wiping his memories. Licer was gonna replace us again, and that asshole would be commanding us. Now that bitch has made his life perfect, and he gets to live the happy life while I rot in a jail cell. His bitch girlfriend even made me shoot my own friend!"

Now we're getting somewhere.

"Woah... wait a minute. What bitch are we talking about here?" Ryker interjected.

Powell blinked as he thought back over his story. "There were two I mentioned. One is his big-busted girlfriend he kept bawling over cuz he thought Kane killed her, and the other was one of Licer's pet projects. She could bring people back from the dead. Kane was one. I guess the asshole's girlfriend was another."

Time to play indignant.

"Pshh... so now he's livin' the good life, huh? Damn... doesn't seem right." he shook his head.

"No," Powell agreed. "Asshole took credit for shit he didn't do. Everyone says he killed Sephiroth, but I say where is the fucking proof? Is there any hard, solid, no-argument facts? I haven't found any. And now he's all buddy-buddy with the guy? The hell?! You don't become chummy with the guy you claimed you killed!"

"So you're just gonna kill him? After everything he put you through, you're just gonna let him die... without letting him suffer?" Ryker asked incredulously. "Come on... he deserves so much worse than that."

Ryker sat forward. "I mean... I know Enixus has an axe to grind with him. He cost them billions of gil. He messed up a whole bunch of experiments they paid for. He set them back huge... but the shit he did to you? That is in a whole new league. He needs to suffer, Powell."

Powell growled in annoyance. "I want him to suffer, but whenever anyone tries, he fights through it and the one unleashing the torment always pays."

He looked over to Ryker. "According to Licer, Strife was an escaped lab rat himself. I think he was Hojo's pet project or one of them. I don't know if I should believe that since most of those things turn into deformed mutants."

Ryker nodded sympathetically. "So, he's slippery."

He took out his phone, dialing the number to one of his assistants. "Riley... bring the file on Cloud Strife to my location."

He flipped it closed and put it back in his pocket. "Enixus has been watching Strife for a long time, but it's only recently that he's been really getting on their nerves. If you want to bring down a building, you take out the supports."

A small devious grin appeared on Powell's face, and it threatened to grow. "Supports... if there's a way I can help, set me up. I want him to know it was me who finally fucked him over in the end. I want him to regret not killing me when he had the chance. Asshole had the gall to laugh and say he wanted to kill me, but then he changed his mind, like a damn coward! I don't expect all the credit. I just want in on it and for him to know it was me."

"That's the spirit," Ryker encouraged him. "So, tell me... what do you think his supports are?"

Well, that didn't take long...

That small smirk grew into an evil grin. "I know for a fact that bitch is one. He'd die to protect her. Teka? Tiffany? It was some stupid T-sounding name. I should know it; he said it enough times when he thought she was dead. There was also this punk kid... during the Canyon War, he pulled a knife on me and demanded I tell him where Cloud was. I'd bet that's another one. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone around him is a damn support. He's got his own sympathy club going on."

He then pulled back. "The info I'm feeding you is good. When it checks out, I want to be rewarded for it. I did just give up my only other access into the punk's group with a spy by offing Sandy. He was always soft, so I was hoping to use that. It's impossible now."

As they sat there, Riley entered with the Strife file... which he really didn't need. He had the thing memorized, but he needed to play it up. It turned out that Powell wasn't exactly the brightest light in the city.

"Thank you, Riley." Ryker said, "That will be all."

He opened up the file, thumbing through the pages he had carefully studied. "All right. Tifa Lockhart? Is that the... bitch?"

Powell nodded. "Yeah, that's the name. Like I said, he'd die to keep her safe. I guess women and kids are his weakness. The damn wuss. He only looks strong because the other assholes around him do what he says. I'm still trying to figure out what his angle is. If I could command people like that, hell, I wouldn't need to watch my back."

He laid sideways on the couch, getting nice and comfy.

"So Tifa would qualify as a support. He is also the guardian for three... Denzel, Marlene, and Angel." Ryker read out of the file.

That's it. Get comfortable.

"Denzel, that was the punk-ass kid! I had fun zapping him. I only wish I could've set the voltage higher. I wanted to see the little shit squirm."

He then paused. "So, he took in that girl for keeps? He's collectin' kids ain't he? For what, training his own little army?"

Ryker forced a laugh. "Probably."

Almost too easy to manipulate. "So, if we take out Tifa and Denzel, his supports would be gone."

He looked back down at the file. "Wait a minute... It says this Angel girl can bring people back from the dead? Wow... what good would it do to kill any of these people if she can just bring them right back?"

Powell glared at the man.

Hadn't he been listening when I said that earlier? Idiot. maybe when I'm done with Strife, I can take his job next...

"Yeah, think I should take out her first. Once she's dead the others will drop like flies."

Ryker stared at him, acting as if he were in awe of the idea.

"Good thinking. You know... your skills were wasted with Licer." Ryker said, "I'll bet he never fully utilized your talent, did he?"

Stroke... stroke... stroke the ego.

Powell scoffed. "Hell no! Asshole had his own ideas that had to be done his way, and we were all stupid monkeys. If we said no we got shoved into a damn chair that fried our brains. If he had listened to my idea from the start the ninja girl would be dead, and Strife would have been ours days sooner, but Noooo, he had to be so adamant about getting the girl back and worrying about the others. The only one he did listen to was Kane, and then the asshole turned traitor."

He sat up then and stared straight at Ryker, his eyes dimly flickering. "And I was the one who told Licer about it. I was gonna get promoted to head commander. And guess who screwed it up for me again? Just take one wild guess."

"Strife really screwed things up for you," Ryker agreed.

He closed the file, sighing. "I shouldn't be doing this... but..." pause for dramatics... He handed the file to Powell. "This is EVERYTHING we know about Strife. I'm putting you in charge of this. You deserve your revenge, Powell, and I really want to see you get it. Whatever you need for this operation, let me know. I'll make sure you have it."

Powell's eyes widened as he reached out and accepted the file. "You... you serious? I mean, thank you! You won't regret this. I'll take him down. Then the city will belong to Enixus once again."

His eyes glowed brighter then as he opened the file, and as he flipped through the pages his smile slowly grew. That stupid blond chocobo was so dead!

*FFTT-FT*

Tifa woke up feeling very refreshed. Oddly enough, she didn't remember going to sleep. She sat up, looking around the room. It was still dark? That couldn't be right. Glancing beside her, she noticed Cloud wasn't there. Had he stayed somewhere else for a delivery? No, he couldn't be on a delivery. Fenrir was... wait... She rubbed at her eyes, trying to recall when exactly she had gone to sleep.

When her eyes fell on the clock, the anxiety practically slammed into her. It was almost 8pm! Who was running the bar? How had she slept so late? She had overslept before, but this was a new one...

Finally, it came to her. She had been in that meeting with the girl that looked exactly like Jessie. They wrapped it up... Sephiroth and Angeal had just arrived but stepped out to give them some privacy... and then Cloud suggested that she call in Petra for the night... she couldn't remember anything past that.

Tifa stood, still shaking off the grogginess of waking up. Leaving the bedroom, she strode down the hall, heading straight for the bar. As she descended the stairs, she was surprised to see Ronny tending the till.

"Ronny? What's going on?" she asked, approaching the bar.

Ronny was washing some glasses in the sink when he heard Tifa call to him. "Oh, there you are. Cloud said you'd probably wake up before he got back."

"I finally cleaned up the mess, Ron," Josh said as he set the silver pail of dirty soap water on the bar.

"Not on the countertop," Ronny scolded.

"Sorry," Josh replied, setting it on the floor instead, the water having a thick red tint to the dirty/cloudy gray.

Ronny turned back to Tifa. "Cloud was runnin' the bar alone when this guy stumbled in bleeding out like a faucet. He and this girl managed to save him and drove him to the hospital. I told him I'd mind the bar until you or he got back. You doin' okay? Cloud said you weren't feeling well."

Her eyes darted to the reddish water.

"I'm fine," she dismissed with a wave of her hand, "but Cloud's all right?"

"Oh, yeah. He helped that guy out like a real champ," Josh replied with a big grin. He was still a little drunk, but he was a happy one.

Ronny rolled his eyes as he turned to Tifa. "Cloud's fine. Don't worry. The girl he was with... I think he called her Cor? She seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders."

Tifa let out a relieved sigh. Corliss. At least someone was with him. Oh, they were supposed to go on a ride out of town together. But who was the "injured guy"?

"Thanks for helping out, Ronny," Tifa smiled at him, "I can take it from here."

She walked behind the bar and looked at the jumble of bottles... her perfect system... ruined. She smiled, nonetheless. Cloud was okay. Nothing to worry about.

Ronny smirked sheepishly at her. "Sorry about the mess; Cloud had it a lot neater than I did. I'm more used to drinking the stuff, not serving it."

Josh picked up the pail and set it to the side as Ronny made his way out and around the bar back to the customer side.

"I think he said the guy's name was Sammy?"

"I didn't catch it," Ronny replied.

"Sammy?" she questioned. That name didn't ring a bell. They didn't know anyone with that name. Unfortunately, she would have to wait for Cloud to return before getting the full story. She set about reorganizing the cluttered system, though she kept her eyes on the door.

"And don't worry about your tab... either of you." she told them, "It's on the house, tonight."

"Thanks, Tifa," Ronny told her. "You guys always take good care of us; we're just happy to help out."

"Yeah, what he said," Josh added. "I think I had my fill though. Cloud's mako shots really got a sweet kick to 'em, but Im'ma call it quits tonight and walk home."

"Oh no you don't," Ronny told him. "The way you're swayin' you're likely to run into every possible sign from here to Wutai. I'll drive you home."

"You drank, too," Josh pouted.

Ronny huffed. "I only had one dragon's gut because it's cold outside, or did you miss the thin layer of snow?"

The two headed out the door, stepping to the side to let another group enter. Josh was so loopy he forgot which time period he was in and threw the head of silver hair a sloppy salute. "Goodnight, General, sir."

Sephiroth blinked in confusion before he returned the gesture with a nod and turned, following the others inside. Genesis was carrying a large brown sack over his shoulders and looked around, noticing the bar was fairly steady.

He saw Tifa then and approached her. "Ms. Lockhart. Do you have a solid, confined space I can dump this sack of potatoes for now where it can't get away until we're ready to question it?"

She stared at Genesis, wondering why he would want to question potatoes... and then internally smacked herself, realizing the sack of potatoes was a person.

"The walk-in fridge?" she offered, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and her forefinger.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Angeal stepped in front of Genesis. "Yeah, I'll take him to the fridge... you fill Tifa in."

Genesis merely shrugged as he gracelessly slipped the sack off his shoulder, letting it fall to the floor. He then looked over to the others before he returned his gaze toward Tifa. "Forgive our intrusion upon your business, Ms. Lockhart, but we would not be here if we hadn't suffered another attack. These brutes are getting bolder... and perhaps losing some brain cells in the process, if they have the nerve to attack me of all people. I bring valuable information for all of us, that is... once I make the pig squeal."

Angeal winced as the body hit the floor, having the urge to facepalm. He scooped up the "potato sack" and headed off for the walk-in fridge.

Tifa nodded to Genesis.

"I'm glad you're all right." she told him, "I guess we had a bit of an incident here, as well. Someone came in bleeding... Cloud and Corliss took him to the hospital... I don't know the details, unfortunately."

She leaned on the counter. "I'm still trying to figure out how I managed to get from the meeting to my bedroom..."

Sephiroth regarded her for a moment, but Genesis moved in first, getting super close to her.

"It's alright," he told her before he placed his hand on her forehead. "Hmm... no confusion spell, and I don't sense any sort of other magical tampering. Are you sure you weren't just overworked?"

Tifa smiled at Genesis, a little touched by the gesture. "One minute, I was talking to Cloud at the booth this morning after the meeting, and the next I was waking up in my bed."

His posture was still tense, but his tone was soft, indicating that he was offering nothing but kindness and concern. Sephiroth studied the bar before glancing up at the clock.

"I wonder if it was wise for Strife to leave, and where is Zackary? I thought Genesis mentioned a buddy system?"

Tifa shrugged. Another damn mystery. She looked over at Sephiroth. "He's with Corliss... oh, you haven't met her yet. She's also going to be joining the program. She's absolutely amazing. I'm sure they'll be back soon. As for Zack, I can't tell you..."

A/N: Sorry about the long wait in between chapters. We are hoping to start posting regularly, now. As a side note, we created "honeycomb cheese" as a substitution for Swiss cheese since Switzerland doesn't exist in Gaia. For your information, honeycomb cheese is a mixture of cheese and honey. During the fermenting process, the honey releases bubbles that cause the cheese to have holes.