AN: FFN wipes out the formating - strikethrough, emojis, and many italics. I recommend finding me on AO3 for this chapter
Inter-fan club chat started - Sent to all registered fan clubs
New post: Spotted in Junon
[Picture of Soldiers at the Junon base, marching off the transport ramp back to dry ground. It was a private affair, but many people still greeted the returning men at the docks. The picture was grainy and slightly blurred, like someone snuck the shot quickly.]
[Second picture zoomed in. The faces were blurred, but the Firsts were easily recognizable. Behind them was a blond trooper and a black-haired Soldier Second.]
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AllstarYall [All's Fair: They're BACK!
GetOffTheFlowers [All's Fair]:
RainingBanoras [Silver Elite]: Wow, all in one picture. I'm looking respectfully.
ScootingGremlin[All's Fair]: I'm not!
LoneSheep [Red Leather]: Genesis hmmm. Does anyone else think he is looking under the weather?
ShiningJolly [Keepers of Honor]: That poor man!
LuvPsyche [Study Group]: Maybe needs some magic cupcakes~
AngieZozz [Study Group]: It must be the late-night sessions with Loveless
HalfofNoGalaxy [Silver Elite]: Maybe he's just sick?
BonnieJoir [Keepers of Honor]: Or maybe the late-night sessions with a certain tall, dark, and handsome ️ …
BonnieJoir [Study Group] reposted a picture. This one is even blurrier.
MissFeline [Study Group]:
ClemAhoy [Keepers of Honor]:
MagicallyChinchillin [Silver Elite]: Two taken off the market in one go!
Calamitous [Red Leather]: Finally, something the fan clubs can agree on?
Motohead [Gold Canary]: Inter fan club chat? What is this…
MaskedTuxedo [Silver Elite]: Gold Canary? Wait, that username…I think I know you…
Motohead left the chat
38 Reactions Shock
12 Reactions Chick
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Alelear [All's Fair: Gold Canary? Which fan club is that?
XXII. Devil Inside
"Angeal, didya miss me?" Zack asked, glowing under the attention of his mentor once more. Angeal chuckled and grabbed Zack in a friendly headlock.
Genesis ignored the scene to look for his protege in the crowd of Soldiers that climbed off the ship. Characteristic blond hair peeked out between dark uniforms and grey helmets. Genesis could only see the top of the spikes- his student was still almost a head shorter than his peers. Walking next to Cloud was Sephiroth's familiar silhouette.
When Cloud stepped in front of Genesis and looked up, Genesis hesitated before putting his hands on Cloud's shoulders in greeting, his expression carefully schooled.
"None worse for wear, I see," Genesis gave Cloud a soft shove toward Angeal and Zack, their dark heads bent together and recognizable in the crowd, "Go on ahead."
His student didn't budge from Genesis's push, but his feet moved anyway. Genesis watched Cloud amble over to Zack, who quickly folded the new participant into a conversation. Then Genesis rounded on Sephiroth, he face tightening into obvious displeasure.
"What. Happened?" Genesis hissed, "You promised. Does that look like keeping an eye on him?"
Cloud was paler than before. His hair was limp. Dare Genesis say it, even the blond spikes drooped. There were dark rings under faintly glowing eyes. Now Genesis wants answers.
Sephiroth closed his eyes and sighed.
"He had a bad episode," Sephiroth explained, "It's been getting less frequent, but something set him off en route."
It didn't answer anything. It took everything in Genesis not to draw his rapier and have it out with Sephiroth on the Junon hangar deck (this time without the VR). Genesis crossed his arms over his chest instead, pinning his hands under his biceps.
"Episode?"
Sephiroth shook his head, "Not here." A brief eye contact belied a contest of wills. A spark of understanding shot through Genesis. He huffed and shook his head.
"Shinra never shells out enough for psyche exams," he scoffed out loud and turned his attention to the small group of people walking in front of him. Zack and Angeal were bent close as they walked. When they met at the dock, Zack reverently handed back his mentor the Buster Sword. Now, it sat across Angeal's broad back once again. Genesis felt a wave of warmth looking at Angeal's familiar silhouette, but his worry at Cloud tempered it. The puppy slung an arm around the blond as he watched and it made Genesis frown to realize that the gesture was half out of necessity.
They nearly reached the barracks when Sephiroth turned to Genesis again and raised a brow.
"Do you still need to remain in Junon?" Genesis hummed in response. He thought about Hollander, about his swirling questions, about a book still tucked in his belongings, and then shook his head.
"Not anymore." Sephiroth nodded in acceptance as they stopped speaking about anything else of consequence.
Sephiroth, you better explain yourself. Soon. Else, he would explain at sword point.
Midgar looked different. Cloud knew consciously that the city did not change in his absence.
Cloud left Midgar on the cusp of turning fifteen. He returned closer to thirty, sixteen. A lifetime passed him by.
The city didn't change. He changed.
The metal frames of his glasses sat strangely on the bridge of his nose. He didn't need them (did he ever?), but Genesis insisted on picking out a "more fashionable" pair for him anyway from an upscale store in Junon that specialized in firearms. (Vincent would have loved this place.)
He wished for his riding goggles instead.
He wished for wind in his hair and the roar of Fenrir's engine as they rode across the Midgarian wasteland. Instead, he was crammed into a Shinra truck, peering out the side as it bounced along poorly maintained roads.
His feet ached to take him to Sector Seven, to Seventh Heaven. Yet, he knew that the bar didn't exist yet, even if the building did and there was a bar there.
The last time he saw the plate above him, it was shattered beyond repair, allowing sun to illuminate the stained glass of a church that was long left in shade.
No.
He knew the church and the flower girl, both still safely protected by Turks and Gainsborough's men. The plate was intact when he left. In fact, it was a little bigger now as Shinra continued its urban development projects with what little budget the department had been allocated. Reeve complained about it to Cloud once, before the deployment.
Who am I, really?
Distantly, Cloud remembered his life before. After he fell into a mako pool. Before he got to Midgar. That time, he stumbled across Nibelheim and directly into Shinra Manor. It was all a hallucination. It must be. The manor was empty. Abandoned. Playing in its halls was a dream. Mom wasn't there. Then it wasn't empty. But he didn't find Mom.
"The beginning of a nightmare…the least of my sins…Sephiroth."
"Gaia to Cloud," Zack lightly tapped Cloud's shoulder.
It was enough to snap Cloud out of his haze.
"Do you remember when we first met?" Cloud asked instead ("In Modeoheim"), "In the materia lab."
Zack grinned, his teeth flashing and cheeks dimpling slightly.
"How could I forget? Ah, I made such a fool of myself."
The city's edge came closer into view, and soon, the Shinra tower disappeared from view as the truck drove them under the half-finished plate extending over the city walls, casting shadows on the road beneath. The shadow lethargically crept over them as the truck drove on.
"How do you think Dr. Zalinka will take the news that I lost his materia?" Cloud whispered. Zack laughed.
"Ha! I think he'd just be happy you're back in one piece, buddy." Cloud hummed and looked around the rest of the truck. His eyes met slitted green ones. When Sephiroth saw Cloud looking back, he looked away.
Cloud found more and more of his thoughts preoccupied with the General. At one point, Cloud thought of him as a friend. Now? He didn't know. The man showed none of the madness Cloud saw in that other future. Sephiroth only acted out of concern for his friends and his troops.
And yet, when Cloud closed his eyes, he could only see a familiar silhouette in front of the tableau of a familiar village engulfed in flames.
A reasonable man. A stand-up guy. A hero. Cloud's hero. A friend? He was gone in one night. Cloud's fists tightened on his bent knees. His nails dug into the meat of his palms. The sensation jolted him out of his visions.
I won't let Nibelheim be razed again.
I want to strangle him. Not for the first time, Genesis let the thought form about someone.
It wasn't that Genesis actually wanted to see Sephiroth hurt. That didn't make him less furious with his friend. Sephiroth tried to explain what happened in Wutai when they finally found time to sneak off Junon base together the night before returning to Midgar under the guise of training. Every sentence he uttered made Genesis's brow raise higher. (Ignoring orders? Negotiating with Kisaragi? Who is this man?) The story flowed out of him until he got to the part about Cloud's mako poisoning and what happened after. Then Genesis had to drag every sentence out of Sephiroth, who picked the damnedest time to clam up.
Cloud's run-in with Avalanche enraged Genesis. What happened in Avalanche's clutches? What affected Cloud like this? Cloud looked at Genesis like a stranger every once in a while before awareness snapped back. It stung. It hurt. Genesis wanted somewhere to direct his anger. But there was nothing to snap at but vapor. And Sephiroth. Genesis burned to go back to Wutai himself. Sephiroth was clearly too soft. How could he let this happen under his watch?
Letting Kisaragi clean house? Ha. Who knew what else the man was hiding under his voluminous sleeves? Like a shield against the cannon. (Something about that also felt off, but Genesis could only be angry as so many things at once.)
Sephiroth insisted the trail went cold. But how would he know for sure?
Also, how did Cloud get poisoned? How much mako did his student absorb to make his eyes glow every time he cast a spell? Not the way a Soldier's does either - glow with pure mako. It concerned Genesis so much that he stopped his training with Cloud and forbade him from carrying materia until Genesis found some glasses.
That was another thing. Cloud didn't even know. He didn't even seem to remember he wore glasses. Genesis dragged him to the nearest shop to find something that would hide the glow even a little.
Just what happened?
Damn it. Damn everything.
Also. Also. Also, Sephiroth wasn't off the fucking hook. Genesis had known him since they were teenagers. The man turned "taciturn" into an art form.
At the end of their little "training bout", Genesis was ready to blow up at Sephiroth. But his own failing body got in the way of exacting violence. To his chagrin, Sephiroth had to carry him back to base and hide the evidence of blood down the front of his overcoat (made easier by the fact that it was already conveniently red). Genesis will find out what Sephiroth left out, but he would trust Sephiroth's judgment for now.
The questions gnawed at Genesis even as pain wreaked havoc on his body. The journey back to Midgar was uneventful, if tense. Genesis watched Cloud struggle against a mind monster that Genesis couldn't see or attack.
Their actual arrival in Midgar was met with little fanfare. Rufus showed his punchable face one more time to give a cliched speech. It wasn't an honor anyone wanted. Seeing Rufus made Genesis want to lose it all over again. Only Angeal's warm palm on his back kept Genesis from flying into uncontrollable rage.
His fingers twitched.
I want to strangle him. It was so uncouth. But Genesis could accept it for the satisfaction he'd feel.
The speech concluded, and everyone was told they had some leave (how very generous), and that was it. Troopers were reassigned to their dorms and given new assignments, and as suddenly as they were gone, they were back.
Free for the afternoon, the Firsts (including Zack unofficially, at least until the paperwork was finalized), with Cloud in tow, instead piled in Genesis's office, the only one with enough seats for everyone involved. They settled in after cleaning the office thoroughly (and checking for more than one type of bug).
Cloud was squeezed between Zack and Angeal on the sofa while Genesis took his usual seat, and Sephiroth declined the other remaining seat to lean against the wall instead.
The drama queen.
And somehow, after all this. After finally sitting down to have a chat. The chat. The one Genesis was waiting for. Instead of talking about what was happening with Cloud, they were talking about what to do about him.
Goddess, give me strength.
"I still don't like this one bit," Genesis complained, arms crossed over his chest.
"He's only interested in materia," Cloud explained, "Rayleigh, his assistant, transferred from the biological department because she didn't like their ethical practices. Zalinka's a good guy. It's our best shot."
"What's he going to do that Hollander can't?" Genesis protested.
"He's in mako science, so he does still understand human - mako interactions. He explained things like mako poisoning symptoms better than the classes or the texts. That's why I was so interested in his lab," Cloud said. Sephiroth's head swiveled to look at him. But Genesis had too many thoughts in his head to try and figure out what Sephiroth was reacting to.
They were out of options. Genesis knew it. Angeal knew it. Sephiroth knew it. And no amount of bluster, of hiding his fear behind his anger, was cutting it anymore.
Hollander was a disappointment. They needed someone else. Hojo was vetoed before anyone suggested it. Genesis wanted to ignore it longer, but Angeal wouldn't hear of it. It turned out that Sephiroth agreed with Angeal.
Wouldn't it be better if I took this to the grave? What would the life of a test subject measure against a mythological creature?
(Old texts call it a unicorn. Most modern scholars don't think it existed, and certainly, no summon creature resembles it. And if it did, it would have been hunted to extinction. Those were his own words.)
Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world's end, didn't it? Wings stripped away, the end is nigh-
But Genesis cut that train of thought off, too. Angeal would be devastated if he knew, and Cloud would, too.
Genesis's reluctance to go to Zalinka wasn't for his own sake. He had been tested since he was a child. The other Firsts, too.
No.
What concerned him more - Cloud. Getting Zalinka's help means getting Cloud involved. Knowing how these things went, if something looks different about Genesis, there would be questions.
They were out of options.
Genesis wanted to pursue Avalanche until the end of the earth. He wanted to paint everything the color of his namesake and show people it wan't just by chance that he was the Crimson Commander. But his body was failing him. He can't protect his friends unless he was healed. He can't heal unless they tried something else.
They were out of options. And Cloud said he trusted Zalinka.
Genesis shot a look at Sephiroth. There was something else Sephiroth wasn't saying. Had gone to lengths to hide. Zack looked nervously between them, knowingly, but Genesis wouldn't stoop so low as to force it out of Angeal's student. It would be like abusing a puppy.
No.
Something happened in Wutai. Something that Sephiroth cared about a lot. And now, he was thinking about jeopardizing that, jeopardizing Cloud, for Genesis. Flattered. Confused. Irritated.
After so many years, why haven't I come any closer to understanding you?
Cloud rubbed his temple, his brows scrunching in pain, but he spoke again before anyone could say anything. "Zalinka isn't like the other scientists. It's our best shot."
Genesis bit his lip. Angeal stood up and walked up to Genesis. He laid his hand on top of Genesis's. Deep blue eyes gazed soulfully at him.
"Please."
Sephiroth looked away from them. As Genesis held Angeal's gaze, he could hear the conversation around them.
"You had mako poisoning before," Sephiroth asked softly, "When?"
Genesis huffed, and Angeal shook his head. Hollander tried and failed. But he also failed even to come close to what Genesis now believed to be an important truth about Cloud. Would Zalinka?
"Nibelheim," Cloud said, "When I was a kid."
"Do you remember…?"
Cloud shrugged, "Not much. It was a blur. Probably the same as now. Memory problems, general illness." Sephiroth straightened, staring at Cloud.
"Did you meet any strangers in Nibelheim when you were young? People not from the town?" The blond hesitated but then shook his head.
"Nope." Cloud offered nothing more.
Genesis shifted in his chair. He flipped his hand up, intertwining his fingers with Angeal's, and sighed.
"Zalinka it is. But only about me." Not Cloud.
Green eyes narrowed at him. Sephiroth nodded.
"Hmm, what puzzling symptoms," Zalinka replied thoughtfully, "It's not my area of expertise, but if it is as you say..."
Sephiroth and Angeal were called sternly to Rufus's office, regretfully leaving Genesis and Zack to accompany Cloud with promises to relay everything that happened. (Zack winced at the likely haranguing and was beyond glad he was still Second class and, therefore, a peon in Rufus's eyes).
Zalinka was exactly as Zack remembered, except his hair had gotten greyer and wilder. They stood around Zalinka's desk, the same one Cloud sat at when he greeted Zack roughly a year ago (time passes so damn fast).
Scattered around the desk were more materia fragments than Zack remembered.
In fact, the entire lab was messier than Zack remembered.
Cloud seemed unsurprised. With a small huff, the blond moved a few seemingly unrelated pieces on the desk, dumping them into a nearby labeled bin ("Hazardous: Waste Mako!" in familiar handwriting), tidying up like he never left being a lab tech.
Meanwhile, Zalinka leaned closer to Genesis, looking him over. His eyes, distorted behind his thick lens, made him look like he was peering through a microscope. Genesis stared back, shoulders tense. Zalinka harumphed.
"Well, I can hardly examine you like this," he said. Then, he grumbled, "Humans. Bah, how boring."
By this time, Rayleigh wheeled in her chair.
"It's not like you to not have equipment on hand, professor," she said, her tone inquisitive. Zalinka gestured at Genesis, whose eyebrow ticked at being treated as if he wasn't there again.
"I need to take specimens. Biological specimens," the professor said dejectedly and disinterestedly as he waved half-heartedly at Genesis. The commander visibly tensed.
"Excuse me? I never said yes-" Genesis started to protest, but Zack saw Cloud grab Genesis's arm, stopping him midsentence. Zalinka didn't act as though he even heard. Instead, he dug through various drawers, muttering to himself.
Zack watched Cloud and Rayleigh share an exasperated look.
"I might have something from the move," Rayleigh offered instead, "Won't be a minute."
She walked over to the neater side of the materia lab and retrieved a labeled cardboard file box. She rummaged inside, and when her hand appeared again, it grasped a pack of syringes, still in clear wrappers. Zack tensed at the sight. Beside him, so did Cloud and Genesis.
"We will need to borrow some equipment," Zalinka said while Rayleigh pulled one of the packs open. "Since we don't want the rest of the science department sticking their noses in, it'll take a little while to get the results."
"Just a prick," Rayleigh said as she approached. One gloved hand had a syringe with a straight needle already attached, while the other held an alcohol swab. Genesis just sighed as he removed his jacket and rolled up a sleeve with a familiar motion.
"Get out." Rufus snapped.
Sephiroth simply narrowed his eyes. His jaw was tense, and he stood even straighter.
"If you bothered to work with Lazard, you would have known. Removing the director while Soldiers are deployed isn't something competent leaders do. Breaking the chain of comm-"
"Get. Out!" Rufus raised his voice. At his side, Heidegger watched the two men hissing at each other like it was a ping-pong match, his political survival instincts finally kicking in and preventing him from stepping in between.
Reeve, long-suffering, quietly sipped on his cooling coffee.
Commander Hewley stood by Sephiroth's side. Though neither man displayed anger as Rufus had, Sephiroth's tone was like ice, while Hewley's expression was carved out of stone.
Good.
Reeve didn't feel an ounce of sympathy for Rufus, and after all the bluster and threats of being removed, Sephiroth would remain in command exactly where he had been. Shinra might lose Soldier otherwise. After Wutai, they were only steps away from a mass desertion.
Instead, Reeve was entirely distracted by a different matter. The troops' return meant his mechanically inclined friend's return. The weight in his chest lightened with every message he exchanged with Cloud. Reeve tuned out the argument in the background and only absently marked Sephiroth's departure from the board room, back straight and head held high, as he texted his mother with dinner arrangements under the heavy wooden table.
"Damn it, Corneo," Clay growled. He put in his resignation in Junon and caught the earliest transport back to Midgar. He only had a brief time of peace and reunion with his family before trouble came knocking.
Sitting around the table, Elmyra and Aerith silently ate (how Clay missed Elmyra's cooking!) while Carlo, Clay's lieutenant, caught him up.
Not only had Corneo's lackeys succeeded in taking out the satellite offices, but they also stole several important deeds. On top of the theft, the unofficial front of the war was getting uncomfortably close to Sector Five's doorstep. To his family's doorstep. His thoughts turned to his old man. He even missed the funeral.
Clay sighed deeply. On some level, he kind of missed the simplicity of Wutai. Even at its worst, at least that war had been far away from his family's doorstep.
Clay looked at the ceiling, fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose as a headache crept in.
He hadn't slept well. Elmyra found him huddled on their bedroom floor one night. Thank gods for Elmyra's patience with him, but no amount of coaxing allowed Clay to talk about the war in detail. He didn't know how. And for a brief naive moment, he thought it was all behind him. The peace was glorious. The peace was unsettling. The peace was fleeting. It turned out there was a war at home. And for the first time in weeks, Clay was at peace.
"We need to attack back, right?" Carlo asked. Clay shook his head.
"Not without proper intel. Go in guns blazing and Corneo will slink off like the snake he is." He slapped his hands on his thighs then stood up, picking up the empty plate. "Gather the men tomorrow. I want to take stock of the equipment, too."
Aerith stayed silent after Carlo left. When he tried to help, Elmyra shooed him out of the kitchen, urging him to catch up with Aerith. Meanwhile, Elmyra picked up the other dishes, and soon, Clay heard familiar sounds of soft clattering and water.
Father and daughter sat at the table, looking at each other. Clay was at a loss for what to say. Family business was easy. Planning another campaign was easy. What did he say to a young woman when, when he still thought of her as a little girl?
"I can help-"
"No," Clay snapped. The sound of water running continued, but the sounds of dishes ceased. Clay tensed, then tried to relax, looking at Aerith. "...No, it's too dangerous. You don't know what men like Corneo can do."
Aerith crossed her arms against her chest. Her cheeks puffed out a little.
"I've been protecting myself fine while you were gone," she said. Ignoring a pang in his chest, Clay shook his head.
"No means no."
With a huff, Aerith threw the napkin on the table and darted out of the house.
"Aerith-" Clay stood. Elmyra laid a hand on his arm.
"Let her go," she said, "She usually just goes to the garden to blow off steam. And she can take care of herself, you know. "
Clay sighed again but sat back down and pulled Elmyra into his lap, smiling when she let out a startled giggle.
"I know. I'm sorry. I-" At her exasperated look, Clay sighed and stopped apologizing. Instead, he said, "I missed you both.
"Seriously, Reno, I'm okay," Cloud reassured again. Reno had the blond's shoulders in his grasp as he examined his friend from head to toe. Gun watched but made no move to extract Cloud, a small smile on her face. She was glad to see him back, too. A little shell-shocked, a little taller, but in one piece.
They had been on a mission when they caught wind of the Midgar unit's return. It didn't take long for Reno to find Cloud and drag him back out of the Tower for a proper celebratory meal. Gun once again tagged along (not without quipping, "Let's not stick him with the bill this time.")
She was looking forward to hearing about Cloud's adventures firsthand. After the initial reports, there had been an information blackout. Then, the Turks were mobilized to quell the protests as Gun's extended leave ended, and she didn't keep track of the gossip or the news after that. The media must have exaggerated things, though, if the main force came back in mostly good shape. Then again, Gun wouldn't trust Shinra ever again.
"I know how disgusting those ration packs are, yo," Reno said as they walked out of the train station and into a fountain plaza. To Gun's relief, Reno picked a popular, though not particularly fancy, spot topside—no more suspicious dive bars.
A familiar voice suddenly called out as they rounded a corner into the theater district.
"Cloud!" The blond froze and turned. Then gaped.
"Aeri- Aerith?"
A pretty brunette rushed over towards them. Reno and Gun shared a look.
"The Ancient?" Gun whispered to Reno, who nodded, stupified. Gun had only seen the Turks' person of interest from afar and in pictures. Tseng was particularly protective about her whereabouts. Meanwhile, the girl in question is just strolling around Sector Eight.
"What are you doing all the way out here?" Cloud asked. Aerith huffed loudly and crossed her arms. Her basket, still full of flowers, swung precariously where it was looped around her elbow.
"My dad," she said, "He's been an insufferable prick since he got back." Cloud winced for some reason. Aerith took a closer look at Cloud's company.
"Huh? You're..the Turks?"
"Corneo, huh," Reno muttered knowingly. They found a booth at the noisy cantina, and Aerith explained while waiting for food. Now, they huddled over a plate of chips and salsa.
"All of Sector Five is on edge," Aerith nodded, then cocked her head. There was a peculiar expression on her face that Cloud knew well from a future that hadn't (can't) come to pass. "Say…"
Whatever Aerith was contemplating, Gun at least seemed to read it like a book.
"No way, young lady," Gun scolded, "Corneo is dangerous."
Aerith looked from Reno to Gun, then back again. "Too dangerous for the Turks?"
"We have been investigating…."
"Not too successfully, I'm guessing."
Reno groaned, a hand coming up to cover his eyes, "Tseng'd kill us."
"He has guards all over Wall Market. You can't get within range of the man if he doesn't allow it," Gun said. However, she leaned in eagerly. Suddenly, a chill ran down Cloud's spine. A sixth sense that he wasn't going to like what comes next.
"Well, he might allow this one," Aerith said, then leaned in conspiratorially. "Word is Corneo holds nightly auditions for brides. Think about it: three girls right in the heart of the manor."
Gun hummed, a hand coming up to her chin.
You can't be thinking about this seriously, too?! Cloud shot a pleading look at Reno, but the redhead was too busy staring at Gun.
Gun. The cool-headed sharpshooter. That one. Contemplating a completely hair-brained scheme.
"People disappear," Reno said. Aerith bit into a particularly loaded-up chip with a loud crunch.
"All the more reason to check it out," she insisted between bites, "Or are the Turks losing control of their lackeys?"
Cloud's sense of dread deepened like a lead weight in his gut. There's no way, right?
"There aren't enough female Turks the Don doesn't know about," Gun contemplated out loud. "Cissnei is out, Knife won't do it, and the Don met Shotgun before…under memorable circumstances."
"So that just leaves Gun, who won't do it either," Reno interrupted quickly, "I think that's the end of that, yo."
"Not so fast, mister," Aerith said, "If Gun does it, and I do it, Tseng can't even argue I don't have protection detail. That just leaves one slot open. Think the Turks can find someone who at least won't ruin the operation?"
"We are so dead," Reno repeated. Gun just hummed.
"We have a few contacts in Wall Market that can get us in, no questions asked. A third bride, however…"
"Does it have to be a girl? There must be plenty of guys in the Turks, right?" Aerith asked. Reno's eyes widened, and he stuffed his face with a chip instead of answering—the coward. Gun just shook her head.
"The less Tseng knows, the better," she said, "If we involve more people, Tseng will know." Aerith's shoulders dipped.
"Oh," she pouted. "Guess two is okay. Or…"
Cloud was caught in the gaze of green eyes, and he felt two other pairs join.
"Oh no. No no no-"
"Cloud would make a pretty lady," Reno said, one hand under his chin as he leaned forward. He had a half-crazed look on his face as though not believing the words coming out of his own mouth. The stress of impending death by Tseng must have driven him insane.
"Of course," Gun added, "Elena liked his face. And she does have a thing for pretty men."
I didn't just hear that. Cloud sputtered while Aerith giggled. He was powerless under her hopeful gaze, though. Finally, he sighed and nodded.
This again…
Cloud almost regretted begging off eating with the Soldiers. He had been grateful to Reno for giving him an excuse to leave the overbearing, watchful gaze of the Firsts. It didn't feel like something Cloud deserved.
Gun knocked her knuckles on the table as the waiter dropped by with the main course.
"Let's eat," Reno said, resigned. Gun grunted and started to type something on her phone.
Thinking of the Firsts…Genesis…
Cloud picked at his order and looked up at Aerith, who was cheerfully dousing her rice bowl in hot sauce.
"Hey Aeris…" The way to heal Ge…The next words died on his tongue. Aerith wouldn't be able to help. Asking her would just bring her more danger. Perhaps she only gained that knowledge after she joined the Lifestream. And Cloud wouldn't allow that to happen. Not again. He shook his head.
"Hmm?"
"Never mind, I forgot what I was about to say." Aerith giggled.
"Head in the clouds again?"
Gun's phone made a soft sound. She glanced at it then smiled. "It'll take a few days to set everything up," Gun said, "I'll message you all once things are in position." Then she glared at Reno.
"Tseng finds out about this, and you will know intimately how great my aim is." Reno nervously laughed and dug into his meal as he crossed his legs.
"What is strange is the counter agent," Zalinka said as he showed his findings on the monitor, "In addition to the host specimen and the antibody, there is a third sample breaking down from the antibody. It may be a secondary infection, but whatever it is, it's making you sick."
Rayleigh hummed thoughtfully next to the professor.
Angeal noticed Genesis wince.
Weeks later, and things settled back down in Midgar. Missions were assigned, Soldiers were sent on their way. The world fell back into an uneasy peace. The Firsts were on a short leash and not allowed to leave Midgar, but that suited them all fine for now. And when they received the note from Zalinka, they again crowded themselves into the materia lab. It was messier than ever, and even the ordinarily neat and composed Rayleigh looked more harried than before.
Zalinka paused in speaking when he noticed the silence around him and looked up in time to see Genesis look at Angeal, who looked back with wide eyes.
"The transfusions…" Angeal said. His other hand went to his elbow as he recalled Hollander's testing. Zalinka looked between them, then at Sephiroth and Cloud.
"What aren't you telling me, young man," he asked Cloud instead. Cloud, looking contrite, opened his mouth.
"No," Genesis said, his tone urgent. Cloud closed his mouth again with a click. The lab turned silent other than the sound of machines humming in the background.
"You said an antibody," Sephiroth said thoughtfully. Zalinka nodded, seemingly grateful for the silence to break.
"Yes, I assume from your treatment with Professor Hollander?"
Genesis rounded on Sephiroth.
"We need to talk. Now."
Zalinka coughed. "Gentlemen, if we could all calm down -"
It wasn't enough as the two men launched into a tense exchange. Neither raised their voice, but it made Angeal wince all the same. Whatever they were arguing over, Angeal couldn't understand the content even though he understood the words. But he gathered enough to know Sephiroth and Genesis were both keeping things from each other and the rest of them. Zack watched them go with wide eyes, but what drew Angeal's attention was Cloud, clutching at his head, his brows drawn together in pain.
"Cloud," Angeal said, walking toward his side.
"-take responsibility," Genesis snarled.
"It's not that simple-" Sephiroth said. Cloud started shaking. The hairs on the back of Angeal's neck prickled. There was a build-up of mana in the air. All the Soldiers picked up on it, and the heated argument stopped cold.
"C-Cloud?" Blue eyes, unmistakably bright, looked up from behind glasses with sturdy frames.
"It's me, professor," Cloud blurted out.
A/N
If you think a user name is oddly familiar in that opening chatroom… you'd be right!
My thanks to all my regular commenters on FFN and AO3. It means a lot to see your comments pop up in my inbox week after week! I hope you enjoyed the small mention, and I hope to include some more cameos in the future!
Still not the happiest with this chapter - Genesis came in like a wrecking ball. Maybe it was meant to be. Also, did Genesis call someone else a drama queen? The irony might be lost on him.