Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Some days, it felt like the universe was about overdue to give you a break. Say for example you had escaped an underground lab with your comatose friend and went on the run. Say you had to track down and finally stop a man whose body was falling apart from experiments, and who had decided to destroy the world about it. Say you finally managed to stop him after following him through a monster filled underground maze of caves and laboratories and while you managed to win the fight you were still exhausted and sore and full of cuts and bruises.

That would be a good moment to take a rest, right? And yet.

"Four years?!"

From somewhere behind him, Genesis asked, "what about it?"

Zack's eyes ran over the letter again, taking in the words to make sure he had read them correctly. The message remained the same.

How are you? I wish I knew where you were. It's already been four years now.

This is the 89th letter that I've sent to you, but I don't even know where to send them anymore. I really hope that this final letter that I'm writing gets to you.

By the way, the flowers are selling very well! They make everyone so happy. Thanks to you, Zack.

Aerith

Four years? That couldn't be. He knew he had spent a long time in that lab in Nibelheim, but that long? It had been impossible to tell the time down there. Why hadn't he checked after escaping? He was on the run, but he could have taken five minutes to look at the date on a newspaper.

"Four years? Has it been four years?" he asked, turning on his feet.

Genesis raised an eyebrow at him, still sitting near Cloud, looking both a little worse for the wear and healthier than he had since Zack first met him. "Since Nibelheim? Almost five. Didn't you know?"

Zack rubbed a hand on his face. Shit.

After breaking out, he hadn't had a moment to rest. Run from the Turks, run from the army, chase Genesis across half the world to give him a good beating, all while making sure Cloud didn't die on him, somehow the thought of checking what year it was had completely escaped him. And here he had hoped he could take a breather now.

Instead, that Angeal copy had managed to give him Aerith's letter before dying. And he was grateful for that, he truly was, but now he felt like the world's biggest idiot for not realizing he had been in that green tube for four years.

He should go back to Midgar. That had been the plan since the beginning, and not just because of Aerith . Midgar had doctors who could help him wake Cloud up. But with Genesis causing trouble, Zack had had to drop the idea. Besides, he had hoped Cloud would wake up on his own. Sneaking into Midgar with that large a potato sack would be way more complicated.

However, he was looking at four years. If he had known, he would have headed straight for Midgar and screw whatever Genesis was doing.

Wait. Genesis said it had been almost five years now, not four. When had this letter been written? Aerith said it was the eighty-ninth, but she hadn't put a date on it.

She also said it was her last letter. Did that mean she was giving up on seeing Zack again? Or that she thought Zack had decided not to come back to her? She should know he would never do that, but there was no denying it would make sense after so long without any news.

Was this some kind of break up letter? The thought made Zack's stomach sink. She couldn't leave him. Or, well, she could, if she wanted to, but she had to know the whole story first. Zack had to explain himself.

He felt like the world's shittiest boyfriend. Aerith had done nothing but tell him how much she wished they could spend more time together, and what did he do? Vanish without a trace.

New plan. Genesis was good as new, no more degradation bullshit, Zack was going to grab Cloud and go to Midgar.

To say his day was ruined didn't quite cover it. He was full of bruises, cuts, and a couple burns from the fight with Genesis, his last connections to Angeal had died in front of his eyes, and now he might be learning via letter that he was single again.

"You look upset," Genesis said.

He was very alert for someone who had just been beaten the way he had. His Goddess must have healed him from the injuries. He was pale and clearly exhausted, but looking at him he might be in an even better state than Zack himself.

Zack waved his hand. "If you really want to know, my girlfriend said she's been trying to send me letters for four years, but it's been too long and now she's stopping."

"Your girlfriend can deliver letters to you through leftover Angeal copies?" Genesis asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Clearly, I mean." Zack skimmed over the letter again. "The other letters never got to me, but I was in a lab before."

"Condolences."

Zack folded the letter, placing it safely in his pocket. "I've got to go."

After that earlier fight leaving Zack drained, Cloud seemed heavier than he usually was. Not too much for Zack to lift him, of course. Sometimes, Cloud put some weight on his own legs, a sign that he was still in there somewhere, but today he was as limp as he could be. Zack had to drag him towards their bike.

"Would you mind a travel partner?"

Zack turned back. Genesis was standing up, stumbling for a second but quickly finding his balance again. "What?"

"I find myself distressingly aimless as of now," Genesis said, brushing down his coat. "I'm... not quite in the state to create new plans, but following you may keep me busy while I decide what to do now."

"Seriously?"

Genesis shrugged, as if trying to make the request seem casual. "I have just reached my only goal for the past seven years. Is it surprising that I may be at a loss as to what to do with myself?"

No, but Zack wasn't too keen on Genesis following him either. He was no longer degrading, and that hopefully meant no more gratuitous atrocities. That didn't change the fact that he was a murderer who had turned innocent people into an army of clones, set his hometown on fire, and attacked Zack a number of times. Not exactly the kind of person one wanted as a partner while on the run.

Although, Genesis had been running from Shinra for far longer than Zack had. Even when at rock bottom, Genesis had always slipped right out of everyone's grip.

Zack glanced at Cloud. If it were just Zack on the run it'd be one thing, but he had Cloud to protect too. Right now, Zack was banged up and tired. If Shinra found them when he wasn't at his best, he couldn't guarantee Cloud's safety. Genesis was also banged up, but two exhausted First Class SOLDIERs might be equivalent to one First Class SOLDIER in peak shape.

And he couldn't deny part of him would feel better if he could keep an eye on Genesis. He shouldn't have any reason to hurt anyone anymore, but you never knew with this guy. Zack would rather not have to run across the world again if needed.

With a sigh, Zack nodded towards where he had left the bike. "Cloud goes in the sidecar. If you want to come along, you either find something else to drive or you ride behind me."

"I can put up with that indignity."

The question was whether Zack could put up with having Genesis sitting at his back for long, but he wanted to believe he wouldn't be stabbed while he was driving.

Aside from the three of them, Banora was desert. Shinra hadn't bothered to rebuild, and the only other living beings were birds and trees. The corpses of the troops Shinra had sent after Zack littered the old paths, left where Lazard and the other copy had struck them down.

The town gave Zack an unsettling feeling. Just a few years ago it had been a nice country village quite like many others, and now all that was left was burnt ruins. It got more jarring the more he stayed here.

If Genesis felt the same way, he didn't say. He was quiet as Zack placed Cloud into the sidecar, looking around as if to ensure no enemies were left.

"Ready to leave?" Zack asked, getting astride.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

Genesis didn't reply. He got on the bike behind Zack, shifting to get comfortable. "I'll refrain from romantically wrapping my arms around your waist."

"How kind," Zack replied, rolling his eyes. "If you're all set, I'll go."

"I am."

Zack glanced at Cloud to make sure he was properly placed, and started the engine. Next stop: Midgar, Sector Five, to beg for forgiveness in Aerith's church.

Or, well, somewhere along the way where they could find a place to sleep the night.

***

Genesis let out a sigh. "My ancient enemy, we meet again."

Despite the dramatics, Zack couldn't disagree. Rations did suck. He had raided an abandoned Shinra outpost a few days back and managed to find something still edible. The taste was horrible, but at least they were packed with nutrients. It would keep him going far longer than some cheap crackers.

"There we go buddy. Better this way, isn't it?" Zack said, taking off Cloud's boots.

Cloud didn't answer, of course, but Zack was confident he did feel some relief. The night air was cool, and Zack was also looking forward to giving his toes some freedom. He patted Cloud's knee, and turned back to Genesis.

"For him, I assume?" Genesis said, holding up the baby food he must have fished out of the sidecar.

"Yeah. I haven't gotten him to chew yet, but he can swallow at least."

In some ways, Cloud ate better than Zack did. Whenever Zack found some money he'd use it to buy the baby food, because that was all Cloud could eat. He tried to get some variety, to give Cloud a complete diet. And also because he figured Cloud would appreciate not having to eat always the same thing.

Genesis glanced at Cloud. "Just to be sure I understand everything, this is a severe case of mako poisoning, correct?"

"What else?"

"And how long has he been this way?"

"A while."

Zack had no idea. There was no way to tell at what point of the experiments Cloud had ended up like this. Could have been three weeks before escaping, could have been three years. In a way, Zack preferred to think it had been three years, because he didn't want to think about the possibility that he had been only a few days or weeks too late in breaking them out.

Genesis turned away, and shrugged off his coat. Zack found himself blinking at him, somehow confused. The clothes underneath the coat were clearly SOLDIER uniform, and yet the sight of him in turtleneck and bare arms surprised him. It was so plain. The same clothes every other SOLDIER in the world wore.

The coat was draped over a low hanging branch. They had decided to set up camp in a clearing a little off the road. There was a village not too far, but neither Zack nor Genesis had wanted to go for it. If Shinra had tracked Zack here, they may have some soldiers stationed around. It would be best to stay hidden until far from Banora.

Genesis sat down against a tree, picking up a ration. "You do realize your friend may never be able to wake up again, right?"

Zack's jaw tightened. "He will."

"It is quite an extreme case."

"Cloud is tougher than he looks. He'll pull through."

It was just a matter of time. Yes, maybe it had crossed Zack's mind once or twice that it may be too late, but he had always chased that thought away. Cloud wasn't one to give up easily. There was progress – small, but it was there.

"Well," Genesis said, "you are, after all, quite attached to lost causes."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"A mere comment." Genesis took a bite of the protein block Shinra passed as food, and made a face. "Horrible."

Zack glared at him for a moment, and then went to grab the baby food and a plastic spoon. He was already starting to regret bringing Genesis along.

He shuffled to Cloud instead, who was far better company. "We've got chicken tonight. Doesn't look too great, but hey, all the more reason to wake up. You'll get proper food again if you do."

"Admitting his stomach can even handle solid food," Genesis commented.

"And if you wake up you'll be able to flip Genesis off yourself," Zack added, placing a spoonful inside Cloud mouth. He swallowed it, good boy.

When Genesis didn't immediately reply, Zack turned and saw him busy chewing. He hoped the ration had glued his jaws shut.

Feeding Cloud was something Zack had gotten quite good at. They barely spilled anything anymore. In an alternative life where Zack hadn't become SOLDIER he could have been a wicked nurse.

"So," Genesis started, having apparently recovered from the ration, "I have a general understanding of what happened, but I'm not clear on some details. How did you end up locked into that lab?"

Zack paused, spoon halfway to Cloud's mouth. He breathed in slowly. "You mean you don't know what happened in Nibelheim?"

"I left after my... confrontation with Sephiroth. Later I found out the town had been burnt down, that you had been taken in by Shinra, and that Sephiroth was allegedly dead. Can't say I'm too surprised."

"Of what?" Zack asked, turning to him. "Of him being dead? Or of him snapping and murdering an entire town? Because you know, that's actually not something most people do."

Genesis narrowed his eyes. "I know what they kept in that reactor. I could feel it when I was there, pushing against my mind. Degradation left me vulnerable, maybe, but Shinra didn't put half as much of that thing in me as they did in Sephiroth. It surprises me he would crumble so easily, but who knows what effects that thing had on him."

"Not like anyone was around to give him a little push," Zack said, forcing himself to keep his hands slow and steady as he spoon fed Cloud.

There was a brief pause. "I wasn't at my most lucid back then. What happened after that? And how did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Kill Sephiroth. I have done my research, and as far as I can tell he is truly dead, not just a Shinra cover up. How?"

Zack swallowed. There had been no choice at a time other than killing Sephiroth, he had been too far gone to reason. Still, Zack's heart ached. At least for his part, he had really considered Sephiroth a good friend.

"I didn't do it," he said. "I attacked him, but I couldn't do it. Cloud did it."

" Cloud? "

Zack glanced at Genesis briefly. "Told you he's tougher than he looks."

"He's not a SOLDIER," Genesis said. His eyes were wide in disbelief, clearly unable to comprehend what Zack had said.

"Memories are a little fuzzy, but I know Cloud took the Buster Sword after Sephiroth wounded me. He went after him and... Pushed him into the reactor, I think?"

Zack didn't quite remember. Cloud had chased Sephiroth in the other room, he had been bleeding out on the floor, and then gotten pumped full of who knows as soon as Hojo had found him. Things were confused.

"But he's just... He was infantry."

"Yeah. Doesn't mean he wasn't a force to reckon with. When he wakes up he might be able to kick all of our asses."

Cloud's eyelids fluttered, as if knowing they were talking about him. Zack hoped it was the case.

"That's preposterous," Genesis said. "I spent years fighting Sephiroth, sparring against him day after day, and I could not win once. There was no beating him by force nor taking him by surprise."

"I know, I sparred with him too."

"How do you expect me to belief that a scrawny infantryman was able of doing what I could not for so long?"

It seemed nothing could deflate Genesis's ego. Not degradation, not getting a humbling from his Goddess, not having Zack defeat him, and now he refused the idea of someone possibly being better than him in a fight. How had Angeal and Sephiroth put up with him back in the day?

"Have you considered that maybe dizzying your opponent with Loveless isn't the best strategy?" Zack said.

"Don't act smart. You know what you're saying is impossible."

"So what?" Zack snapped. The jar of baby food was empty, and he'd need to give Cloud a second one, but for now he put everything down and stood facing Genesis. "I know what happened there. Cloud stopped Sephiroth. Maybe you are just refusing to consider possibilities you don't like."

"Or maybe I'm just realistic."

"You? Since when?"

Genesis scoffed. "I admit I have been irrational the past few years, but I now feel more lucid than I have in a long time. Besides, I was clearly right in following Loveless for my search, if that is what you are talking about."

"If you can accept that your favorite fairy tale lead you to being cured, then you can also accept that someone who isn't you may have defeated Sephiroth."

"My favorite fairy tale," Genesis started, "is a centuries old epic that was only rediscovered in recent times, with references that can be tied in to real historical events, making it clear that the author–"

"Spare me," Zack said, and turned back to Cloud.

For once, Genesis did shut up. He was possibly too busy eating to talk. Zack took care of Cloud, and then grabbed a ration of his own. They'd have enough food for a couple days at least. In that time they should be able to cover enough road to find a place where Zack could get some gil and buy what they needed.

The rations were so gross. They had to be the number one reason for defection.

"Where do you plan on going now?" Genesis asked after a while.

"Midgar."

"Midgar? You want to go right in Shinra's mouth?"

Zack shrugged. "I need to see my girlfriend. Tell her I'm alive. It shouldn't be hard to hide in the slums."

Security below the Plate had always been lax. If Zack laid low, he could manage to get in without being seen.

"Shinra's security is always stricter than you expect. Take it from one who has been on the run far longer than you have."

"But you did get in Midgar. More than once."

"I had nothing to lose," Genesis said. "My goal was to cause as much trouble as possible, and my copies could keep everyone occupied. That is entirely different than sneaking in while dragging a man sized limp weight. Not to mention, does Shinra know who your girlfriend is? I would reckon they do, and they know you would try to contact her, and have her under surveillance."

Zack's jaw tightened. He remembered what Cissnei had said when he had tried to go to Gongaga. There was no one Zack knew that he could meet without risk.

He shook his head. "Look. Where can I go that Shinra won't look for me? There's nowhere they won't try to follow, but I can take them by surprise."

"And Midgar is your choice?"

"It's exactly because it's stupid that it's smart," Zack said. "If you are running from someone, you don't try to get in their house, right? They won't expect it. And I know Midgar, I can hide there."

Despite what Genesis might think, Zack wasn't an idiot. He had been thinking it over already. The plan was reckless. But it might also be just stupid enough to work.

And he wasn't going to tell Genesis that, because it was none of his business, but Aerith in particular was the best choice for this strategy. She had the Turks watching her all the time. Shinra knew that Zack knew that, and they would think him crazy to go to her. Therefore, it was the best choice.

If the Turks did find him, then Zack hoped they would cover for him. Cissnei had said she would bring Zack in if she saw him another time, but it might just be for show. She wasn't like that. Tseng wasn't as cold-hearted as he pretended to be either.

"If you are convinced of this," Genesis commented.

"Remind me, why did you decide to stick around again?"

"I told you. I have spent the past seven years looking for a cure to my degradation, and now I have found it. I need to decide what to do with myself. Also, you never know when the next army could come for you. Thanks to you, I'm currently in no state to take one on, and following you until I recover is for the best."

"Thanks to me," Zack repeated. "Remind me, which one of us continued to fight even when there was no need anymore?"

"Touché."

Zack hoped Genesis would recover soon. So far he was very intent on getting on every single one of Zack's nerves.

"So, question for you," he said.

"Ask away."

"Are you not a crazy murderer now?"

Genesis sighed. "I don't believe you ever stop being a murderer once you become one, and sane is not an adjective anyone ever used for me. But am I likely to burn down a village? No."

"Did you," Zack waved a hand, "heal? Mentally?"

"It is as if I'm waking from a dream," Genesis said. "The world looks... sharper. All of a sudden, thoughts that seemed perfectly reasonable just hours ago have turned into complete, garbled nonsense. It's staggering. The trees, the air, even you seem different than I remember."

Zack looked down. How much had degradation affected Genesis's mind, he wondered? He knew that with time his behavior had gotten less and less rational. When Zack had first met him Genesis was just weird and eccentric, but then he had spiraled out of reason entirely. How much madness had been his and how much had been his entire being fraying at the edges?

"But don't mistake me," Genesis continued. "I am rational now, yes. That doesn't mean nice or kind. If anything, being able to think clearly might make me more dangerous."

Zack leveled him with a flat stare. "It'd kill you to stop being dramatic for five minutes, wouldn't it?"

"Quite."

The asshole. Not that Zack had ever planned on acting as if nothing had ever happened. He believed people deserved second chances, and that maybe Genesis could become a good person one day, but that didn't mean he could just forgive and forget a little mass murdering.

Damn, it was so weird to look at him without that coat on. Zack almost expected him to have been covered in scales underneath it.

Genesis raised an eyebrow. "You're staring."

Zack blinked. "It's... You never take off that coat."

"Yes, I suppose you never saw me so informal," Genesis said. He sighed, looking at where he had left it. "Do you believe I should change it? It is a new phase of my life after all, but I am quite attached to it."

Zack said nothing. He had gotten an entire new haircut after Angeal had died, so who was he to judge?

"I'll have to expect to see you in green soon, then?" he said.

"Oh, please. Red is my color."

They ate the rest of their dinner in silence. Genesis excused himself once he was done with his rations, needing to relieve himself, and Zack turned to Cloud as soon as Genesis was out of sight.

"Don't you let him influence you, alright?" he said, pointing a finger at Cloud. "You're gonna come out of this."

Chapter Text

"Are you sure there's nothing I can help you with?" Zack asked.

The man gave him a stink eye. Zack took that to mean that there really was nothing for him to do here.

They had kept driving until the bike had ran out of gas. As always these days, Zack was running low on gil. Sometimes if he flashed his smile enough times people would pay him for small jobs, but he'd have to look somewhere other than the gas station this time around.

The town wasn't too big, but Zack had seen a groceries store and the world's rattiest motel. They could afford a room for the night, and he could stock up on some supplies needed for Cloud, but after that he would be left penniless. Unless he managed to find a small job.

Genesis was waiting for him, leaning against the bike. "No luck, I take it."

"No. Let's book a room, and then I think I'll go around looking for someone."

Genesis had no complaints about that. Zack had expected him to protest, say something about how the motel wasn't up to his refined tastes, but Genesis had said any bed was better than no bed.

Zack was struggling to form a definite opinion on Genesis on this matter. Given Genesis's privileged childhood and fancy everything, it was reasonable to expect he would be snobbish about food and accommodations. Then again, he had been on the run for years. Before that, he had spent more years fighting a war. It did make sense that he would know how to adapt without a fuss.

Really, Zack's confusion about Genesis went far beyond that. He always used to wonder why would Angeal, so honorable and dutiful, would be friends with someone like Genesis. It meant Genesis must have been also honorable, at some point. Zack knew it, rationally. However, it had been hard to reconcile it with Genesis the murderous monster.

And now Zack wasn't sure how to feel about Genesis at all. Genesis had done horrible things and caused so much suffering. But he had been subdued lately. Was it regrets that made him remain silent for long minutes, staring off into the distance? Who knew. As much as Zack wanted to believe Genesis could improve himself, it was hard to shake off the instinctual unease his presence brought after all their clashes.

It was just weird to be working together with him. Zack had been hoping Genesis would stop his rampage for years, and now that it had happened Zack felt like he was in a strange parallel reality.

They left the bike in front of the motel, so that Zack could keep an eye on Cloud even as they went inside. A middle aged woman chewing a gum raised an eyebrow at them.

"Good afternoon," Zack said, flashing a smile. "Do you happen to have a spare room?"

"A few. For two?"

"Three."

She hummed. "Got something. Double bed and one single."

"Would it be possible to instead have one double room and a single one?" Genesis piped in.

Zack shot him a glance. He assumed Genesis was looking for some privacy, but this wasn't a good moment for it.

"We can do that too, yeah," the woman said.

"And how much would it be?" Zack asked.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "With documents or without?"

Zack grinned sheepishly. He figured this was the kind of establishment that saw a lot of unsavory clients from time to time.

"A triple room will be 400 gil a night. Double plus single is 300 and then another 200."

Which was more than this place was worth either way, but the lady must be gouging the prices to pay for her silence.

Zack nudged Genesis. "We don't have too much money," he murmured.

"I figured that much," Genesis replied, sighing. "I imagine a triple it."

"Ah, actually, do your double rooms happen to have a couch?" Zack asked.

It turned out they did, and that the prospect of sleeping on a couch was something Genesis found intolerable. With the pain in your neck couches could give you, one might as well take the floor. So he said, at least.

Also, the room was a double in that it had a single large bed.

"Look," Zack said, dragging Cloud in, "Cloud gets the bed, and that's not debatable. You can share with him, and I'll be on the couch."

"I suppose he at least won't kick," Genesis commented.

The bedding was an unpleasant mustard color. Zack settled Cloud on the couch in the meantime, checking for any unsavory stains in the sheets. They looked to have been washed recently. It was already a step up from some other places they had stayed in.

"You settle in, I'll go ask that woman a couple things," Genesis said.

"Sure."

There wasn't a lot Zack needed to do. Mainly he made sure Cloud was comfortable, taking some of his clothes off and making sure there weren't any pressure sores. They'd both have to take a shower this evening.

Then, locking the door behind himself, Zack went to see what Genesis was up to. He was still at the reception, but the situation surprised him. Genesis was leaning against the desk, an easy smile on his face that Zack didn't think he'd ever seen before, and the lady had also traded her previous frown for a smile.

"Ah, there you are," Genesis said, seeing him. "The lovely lady here told me we could find some work at the groceries store."

"Stop being a flatterer, I know your type of man," the woman said.

Genesis turned back to her. "I would say I hope I'm better than the men you see every day, but you seem to think I'm some kind of scoundrel, and I wouldn't wish anyone worse than a scoundrel on you."

Zack raised an eyebrow.

The woman waved a finger at Genesis. "Mind yourself. I've been married too long to let myself be wooed by you."

"Ah, but does a little jealousy not spice up a relationship? I wouldn't want to be disrespectful, but it would be my pleasure to help you get your husband's blood running, so to speak."

Zack raised his other eyebrow.

The woman waved a hand at Genesis. "Shush. You wanted to know where to earn some money, I told you where. Now leave me be."

Genesis greeted the woman with a tip of his head. Zack's nod was shorter as he followed Genesis out of the motel.

"What was that?" he asked, as soon as they were out of earshot.

"That was me finding a way to earn some gil in an honest way. Thought it might appease your sense of honor."

"And that involved being so... Stupid?"

Genesis grinned at him. "Zack, Zack. You have your little puppy charm, but that doesn't work with everyone. Sometimes, being a little suave is the answer."

"You call that suave? I'm surprised she didn't slap you."

With a sigh, Genesis placed a hand on Zack's shoulder. "Well, you need a special type of charm to be able to pull it off. Now, I believe that grocery store has some boxes waiting for you."

"For me?"

"I was the charm and intellect. You can contribute the muscle." Genesis patted Zack's pauldron. "I'll make sure Cloud doesn't fall off the bed."

"So I drove all day and now I get to work again?"

"My friend, the fates are cruel. Most cruel."

Maybe, if Zack kept Genesis around long enough, his constant reciting of Loveless would get Cloud to wake up just to tell him to shut up.

***

"You're a real dick, you know that?"

Genesis was lying in bed. He was only wearing his pants, shirtless and barefoot, his hair slightly damp. "Did you work hard, puppy?"

"I moved so many boxes," Zack said, dragging himself into the room. It wasn't that the work was excessively hard, especially not with his enhancements, but he had already been sore all over thanks to the constant driving. He wanted nothing more than to crash on the couch.

"I hope they paid you well."

"Eh, we've barely covered the room. They've also let me grab a couple things."

He dropped the plastic bag on the bed. Genesis peered inside. Zack had gotten some food for Cloud, but he had also managed to snatch something for the two of them. Even if Genesis didn't deserve it.

"Oranges?" Genesis asked, pulling them out.

"Scurvy's always lurking, you know."

Genesis sighed. "I see Angeal terrorized you as well."

Zack paused a moment. Angeal had, yes. His name coming from Genesis's mouth was in a way unsettling.

"How much did they make you work to pay you all of this?" Genesis asked.

Zack placed his hands on his hips. "I moved all of their inventory, and then helped change the owner's pickup tires, and then they made me change a couple light bulbs while I was at it. Now I'm giving me and Cloud a shower."

"Careful with the hot water, it runs out fast," Genesis said.

Zack picked Cloud up and moved the two of them to the bathroom. There was a stool in the shower, that was the greatest luxury ever right now. It meant Zack could put Cloud down somewhere that wasn't the floor.

Heeding Genesis's warning, Zack got to work fast. He paid more attention to Cloud, scrubbing as much dirt as he could, before getting under the spray and cleaning himself with the already cooling water. At least they had soap.

He dropped Cloud back in bed almost naked. Better to leave his skin breathing for a while than to immediately shove him back into his travel clothes. Genesis glanced at him, but wisely decided not to comment on the diaper Cloud had to wear. Not like he could control himself in this state.

While they were showering, Genesis had turned on the motel TV and opened one of the two bags of chips Zack had brought back. Zack took the other, and went to the couch. Bumpy, but he had slept in worse places.

"Anything interesting happened?" he asked, seeing Genesis had put on the news.

"There was some disturbance related to an Avalanche cell, but Shinra has it under control. Claims to, at least, we all know what passes for under control there. A new mayor was elected in Junon, who is most definitely a Shinra puppet. And a company that is technically owned by Shinra has just released a revolutionary new computer system which will sell all your data to Shinra but using a different layout."

"Anything not Shinra related?"

"There was an unexpected wave of jellyfish getting stranded somewhere south of Costa del Sol."

Fascinating. Zack popped some chips in his mouth, watching as the reporter began talking about chocobo racing results.

"You are still determined on going to Midgar to find your girlfriend," Genesis said.

"Yep."

"Even if it's still a suicide plan."

"At least I have a girlfriend and don't need to act like an idiot with any woman I meet."

Genesis sighed. "I'll have you know I am considered very seductive."

Zack raised an eyebrow, looking at Genesis up and down. "Before or after you open your mouth?"

"If your heterosexuality is too overpowering for you to recognize that I am objectively attractive, that is your own problem," Genesis replied. "In addition, might I remind you I received a rather refined upbringing. I know how to sweet talk my way into most people's graces, when I want."

"Key word being when you want."

"I don't waste my talents on just everyone."

Zack nodded. "So you're saying if I liked men I would think you are the hottest and sexiest thing in this continent?"

"Yes."

"Too bad. I like men and I still think you're just a weirdo."

There was a moment of silence from the other side of the room. "You are... what, bisexual? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yeah," Zack replied. He shifted his shoulders in an approximation of a shrug, trying to play it cool. It wasn't like him to get nervous about telling people about himself, but this specific matter could make him a little defensive from time to time. "You got a problem with that?"

"It'd be quite hypocritical of me," Genesis said.

"Oh. You're into guys too?"

Genesis waved a hand. "What of me exactly made you think I'm straight?"

"Dunno. It's rude to assume."

"It is. That being said, I'm very good at assuming, and you looked like the high peak of straightness to me."

"Guess I don't really... advertise it. You know how the army is."

Zack didn't think there was anything bad with being into men, or that he should be ashamed of it, and he wasn't. That being said, gay people weren't well accepted in the army. Or, bi people, but when it came to how they got treated exact labels didn't make too much of a difference.

When Zack was a Second, before he even knew about himself, he'd told some other SOLDIERs to stop using certain words to insult people. They'd made fun of him for a month, asking over and over if he was secretly gay. Zack suspected that if he had looked a little more vulnerable to bullies he wouldn't have gotten away with just some rude comments.

At some point he had thought that if he came out as a First Class then his influence would suppress that behavior. But, well, he hadn't been in charge all that long. Kunsel was one of the few who had known, and he had told Zack that if the army found out it might undermine his authority more than anything else. It was better to warm them up slowly to the concept, so he had said.

He wondered how Kunsel was doing lately. Snooping around as usual, he hoped.

"I do know the army, yes," Genesis said. "And I know Shinra. They love you if you're their first queer reactor manager, so you can help them get some popularity. But the President would never let one of the symbols of his army be anything other than a masculine, virile, straight man."

"Yeah."

"Kind of ironical, considering what his son does at parties."

Zack frowned. "Who, Rufus?"

"I imagine the old man has enough illegitimate children to cover the entire spectrum of human gender and sexuality, but yes, I do mean Rufus. I wonder sometimes if the Turks get a special training on how to cover up sex scandals."

Zack found himself laughing at that. He pictured Tseng, all proper and prim, giving Rufus Shinra a lecture on safe sex while waving a condom.

It felt nice to joke about it. Being secretive didn't suit him, it had been difficult to know his reputation would be at risk if he came out, while also knowing some of his subordinates might be giving others a hard time. Right now, he felt a strange sort of kinship with Genesis. Shared army pains.

Now that Zack thought about it, he remembered some rumors back in the day about Genesis not being quite straight. Something about him being too flamboyant. Zack had guessed they might be true just as much as they might be false. After all, if Zack liked guys, and he was pretty masculine, there should also be men who didn't like guys at all, but were still kind of feminine, right?

A small moan came from Cloud's direction.

"Is that normal?" Genesis asked.

"Yeah. He's been making that sound more often lately."

Zack took it as a good sign. If Cloud could let out sounds of some kind that meant he had to be getting closer to waking up.

Genesis looked at Cloud for a couple seconds, before turning back to the TV. His expression had been almost disturbed. It irked Zack to see it, but he'd be lying if he said it was the first time someone looked at Cloud like that. Lots of people acted almost disgusted by him. As if they expected to also catch mako coma by standing too close to him.

He decided to chalk this one up to Genesis being annoyed by most things around him.

"What do you want to do after you have found your girlfriend?" Genesis asked, changing subject.

"Tell her I'm very sorry about disappearing for five years, I guess."

"And after that?"

"Hell if I know," Zack said. "I don't have many long term plans past trying to stay alive and not be put back in a lab. I'll figure it out after Cloud's back on his own feet. Maybe I might try being a mercenary or something."

Zack had never been too good at planning ahead. It used to annoy Angeal, who kept repeating that being a First Class SOLDIER would mean a lot of responsibility, and that meant having to think about the bigger picture. Zack was just far better at living day by day.

"I seem to remember you wanting to be a hero," Genesis said.

"And I still do. Just, guess I need to figure out how. I used to think being SOLDIER would be the right way, but I didn't know how rotted Shinra was back then."

It left a bitter taste in his mouth, thinking about it. Being a SOLDIER used to mean something, and it still did to him. Honor, duty, all those ideals Angeal had taught him, those were what Zack had thought he would find, and hoped were embodied by at least some of the people still involved with the program.

But SOLDIER was run by Shinra, and no matter how good something sounded in theory, Shinra ruined everything it touched.

"They are very good with propaganda, that's for sure," Genesis said. "Ever thought about a little anti-Shinra work?"

"What do you mean?"

Genesis placed a chip in his mouth, pausing in a way Zack was almost sure was for dramatic effect. "Were we just any defectors, we could hope that one day Shinra would get tired of us and let us live our lives, devote their resources to something more useful than hunting us down. But with us, they can't. We know too much, and we are some of their most important test subject. Even a mere G subject like myself would become Hojo's new favorite toy if he realized that my degradation was cured."

"So you want to do what? Attack Shinra?"

"An open attack would need thorough planning, but in the meantime we could start with some minor disturbances. Where to begin is the question."

"I imagine you would love to set a reactor on fire," Zack commented.

"I can control my arsonist tendencies, thank you," Genesis said. "Speaking of you instead, if you want to be a hero this is a way. It would help a whole lot of people if Shinra's experiments were stopped."

That was undeniable. Zack didn't dare imagine how many people had been squirreled away to the labs over the years, or disposed of by the Turks. But he also didn't know if he would like Genesis's idea of being a disturbance.

"I don't know," Zack said. "I don't think I'm suited for this kind of thing. Sounds a bit like terrorism."

"And what are your qualms about it?"

Zack shrugged. "People die. I don't have a problem if I'm being attacked first, but depending on the action you could also involve civilians who were just there to live their lives. I don't like the idea of them being caught in the middle."

"Did you show these strong moral principles when Shinra sent you to slaughter Wutai people who had no goal other than defend their homes after Shinra attacked first?"

Well. There was no denying that a lot of people who had lost their lives in that war hadn't deserved it. Bombs didn't discriminate. He had heard about some horrible things other SOLDIERs had done.

But Zack hadn't been like that. He wasn't going to pretend he was wholly innocent, because in hindsight he could agree Shinra were the one to attack first, and that Shinra's intentions weren't as pure as spreading civilization to poor Wutai villages. That being said, Zack had tried to do right. Never killed anyone if he could help it, he had even kept other Seconds and Thirds in check.

Still. In a sense, Zack was in a personal war against Shinra. Casualties happened in war, unfortunately.

"Thought so," Genesis said. "Consider it, it's not like you have anything else to do."

"I'll think it over."

Apparently satisfied with the answer, Genesis turned his attention back to the TV. The news were over, leaving space to a quiz show. Genesis grabbed the remote, going through the four available channels to find something else.

Zack sighed. He had the feeling Genesis was fairly set on that plan. There could be some advantages to agreeing to work with him. Two Firsts were a small army on their own. Less danger for both of them individually, better chances of achieving their respective goals.

The cons boiled down to Genesis's personality as a whole. Zack had no guarantee Genesis wouldn't go back to murdering people without reason the next time he was in a bad mood.

He glanced at Genesis. "You know what?"

"What?"

"You're a weirdo. And not seductive at all."

"Have you considered you are the one with abysmal tastes?"

"Nope."

***

Zack woke up, as he often did, around dawn. He had always been a morning person, and being on the run had made him a far lighter sleeper. The dimmest rays of light where enough to make him stir.

Also, that couch was really uncomfortable. Not quite long enough to fit him, with his feet left hanging out. He had aches all over. The pains left from the fight with Genesis had faded, but the couch had renewed them.

With a yawn, he sat up. Some light was starting to stream in from under the curtains. He scratched his face, feeling fresh stubble. Given they had a bathroom today, he would be able to shave with a whole mirror to make sure he had no leftover hair.

He glanced at the bed, checking whether Genesis was up already. Then, he did a double take.

Genesis was still sleeping soundly. Cloud was breathing softly, in the same position Zack had put him last night. Except now Genesis had an arm slung around Cloud's chest, and was drooling on Cloud's shoulder.

Keeping a PHS would be a bad idea, Shinra could use to track him, but right now Zack desperately wished he had one just to take a picture of the scene. Zack let out the ugliest snort, watching Genesis hugging Cloud like a teddy bear.

After a moment of admiring them, Zack walked around the bed. He crouched down, watching Genesis from over Cloud's body. "Hey, Genesis."

Genesis's face twitched.

"Wakey, wakey, cuddlebug."

That had Genesis open his eyes. He blinked a couple times, and then rolled over so fast his hand almost hit Zack in the face. "Shut up."

"Y'know, I wouldn't have put you down as a cuddler, but I guess everyone needs a hug from time to time."

"You saw nothing," Genesis croaked, voice heavy with sleep.

"Do you want to share with me next time? I hug back."

Genesis threw a pillow at him.

Cackling, Zack went to snatch the bathroom for himself before Genesis got out of bed.

Chapter Text

Tonight, they were staying somewhere actually large enough to be called a town rather than a village. Not that they could afford a bed every night. Gil aside, sleeping in the wilderness made them harder to track.

It was taking them twice as long as needed to reach Midgar. Had they taken he most straightforward route, they might have gotten there days ago. However, they had to make plenty of deviations to be sure that no one was following. Genesis had insisted on taking a longer detour than what Zack felt necessary, approaching the city not straight from the south but from the east.

To be fair, Genesis was still insisting they shouldn't go to Midgar in the first place. Zack fully understood the risks, but since Genesis hadn't given him any good alternative, that was still his goal.

A week now that they had traveled together. Genesis... had some ups and downs.

The downs mainly amounted to the regular comments about how Cloud wouldn't wake up, or the occasional snide remark about meeting Aerith not being important enough to risk going to Midgar. All very annoying. Which was an improvement from going on a murder spree. If one wanted to see the positives.

Zack was still on edge around him, part of him half-expecting Genesis to turn around and snap again. So far, Genesis had behaved. That gave Zack some hope that he would continue this way.

That being said, Zack was starting to enjoy their chats. So long as Genesis didn't start ranting about Loveless, that made Zack's blood pressure spike. But Zack was beginning to realize how much he had missed talking with someone, as opposed of to someone who couldn't reply. It eased some kind of ache in Zack's chest.

Another good thing about Genesis was that he could give Zack a small break when it came to Cloud. Zack had had to focus on him all the time since escaping from Nibelheim. He would even wake up in the middle of the night, needing to make sure Cloud was still next to him. It was worth it, but exhausting.

Genesis could take some pressure off. Zack was the one who did most of the work, feeding and cleaning Cloud, and to be honest he wouldn't trust Genesis to do it. However, Genesis had agreed to keep an eye on Cloud occasionally.

They were both at the motel now. Genesis said he wanted to enjoy his bed for as long as he had it. It gave Zack the chance to take a walk on his own, looking for anything interesting to do.

There was a small library. Zack stopped, thinking. He had never been a big reader, but books weren't the only things available in a library.

"Hi," he said, walking in. "Do you have a computer I can use?"

The woman at the desk blinked at him. Given how small the town was, it might be a shock for her to see a foreigner here. "Ah, sure. That way."

"Thanks!"

Computers had also never been Zack's specialty. He knew how to use them as well as anyone his age, but he was no hacker.

Kunsel had done his best to drill as much computer knowledge into him as he could, back in the day. Internet security was of utmost importance, he used to say. Zack had tuned out most of it. It wasn't as if he had ever needed to hide his activity, he didn't even illegally download movies, which had downright scandalized Kunsel.

Now he tried to remember every scrap of information he had been given. Accessing his email would be a risk. Shinra probably had it under control, if he logged on they might use it to figure out where he was. This close to Midgar it would take no time at all for them to send soldiers after him.

What would Kunsel do, Zack wondered. Making a new email address was easy enough. Nerd or not, any twenty-three years old could figure out that much.

Shiva's tits, he was twenty-three. It still felt weird to think about it. When he had escaped the lab, he had thought he couldn't be older than twenty. It had felt like forever, stuck in that tube, but he had assumed it was just the pain of the experiments that had made time drag on.

Better not too think too much about it. Regardless of how long he had spent there, he was still way too young to get an existential crisis.

New email. It would have to be something Shinra wouldn't recognize, but Kunsel would understand. Zack scratched his head, trying to think of something.

An inside joke, maybe? One that had gone on long enough for Kunsel to remember even years later. Like that time when they were on a mission together as Seconds, and they'd been waiting to ambush the targets, and a wild chocobo chick had shown up and started pulling Zack's hair. Kunsel never let Zack forget.

chocobolurehair. Sounded good enough. No one would connect it to Zack.

He didn't know if Kunsel's email was also under control. It might be. Either because Kunsel was Zack's friends, and Shinra thought Zack might contact him, or because Kunsel had stolen the wrong file from the Turks and was now suspected of being a traitor. Better to be safe than sorry.

He should disguise his message as some kind of spam, and hope Kunsel understood. Zack had also never been good at encoding messages. If he could think of it, hopefully Kunsel would be smart enough to figure out the hidden message.

STILL ALIVE!

After five years of silence get ready for the new game by SpikyHead! chocobolurehair is coming to you soon! Tell your FRIENDS!

That made sense, right? He and Kunsel used to play games together all the time. The spiky head thing pointed to Zack, clearly, it was another comment Kunsel loved to make about his hair. And the words written in all caps were obviously a message.

Kunsel was going to give him so much shit the next time they met.

Zack took a good half an hour writing down the rest of the email. It wasn't easy to think of a way to convey the message. He wished he could just type hey man, doing good, coming back to Midgar, but Kunsel had always preached paranoia when online.

Finally, once he was satisfied with the results, he clicked send. He wouldn't be able to check for a reply soon, but that was fine. By the time he had a computer available again, he might be back in Midgar, and able to see Kunsel in person.

***

"What is wrong," Zack growled.

"It's a piece of junk, that's what's wrong."

Zack tried once again to start the engine. The bike sputtered, and did nothing more. It wasn't a fuel issue, they'd stopped at a gas station not too long ago. He didn't think it was the oil either. There was no visible problem, and yet it refused to start.

"It's pointless," Genesis said.

"Just give me five minutes."

"Do you even know how to fix a bike?"

Zack turned to Genesis, scowling. "Are you doing anything to help aside from standing there and making comments?"

This thing couldn't give up now. They were at the outskirts of Midgar's wastes, it would take them less than a day to drive there at top speed, two if they moved more carefully. There had to be a problem Zack could solve.

Going on foot would take too long. Only some brave grasses still managed to grow here, taking away any cover an actual forest could give. Sure, there were rock formations everywhere, but it was still too exposed. Their clothes wouldn't blend in with the desert browns.

"Even if we found the problem, what do you plan on doing? We don't have tools or spare parts."

"Better than not trying at all."

Genesis sighed. "Give up."

Zack yet again attempted to restart the bike. Nothing. "What do you want me to do? Cross the wastes on foot, with nowhere to hide?"

"Maybe this is a sign from fate that going to Midgar is a bad choice."

Zack's hand tightened on the handle. This mess had already put him in a bad mood, and Genesis was well and truly getting on his nerves. "You do know no one is forcing you to come to Midgar with me."

"No, but maybe I was hoping to put some sense into you."

"Sense. From you," Zack commented.

There was a distant buzzing in the air, like a helicopter. Too far to be a threat. Too close for Zack's comfort.

Genesis narrowed his eyes. "Given you don't seem to be using your brain at all in your decision making, yes."

"I told you why I'm-"

"Because you want to see your beloved girlfriend," Genesis interrupted. "Who sent you a letter to tell you she's had enough of trying to reach you. Face the facts. She's moved on, Fair. Fell out of love. Got sick of being a widow at twenty. Didn't think you were the type of man who can't take a no."

If Genesis hadn't already been getting on Zack's nerves, it would be almost funny how wrong he was with his assumptions.

"I can guarantee you that whatever idea you have about our situations is bullshit."

"You've wasted the last five years of your life and now you're running around hoping that you can somehow set the clock back and have everything return to how it used to be. It won't work. You've been clinging to the thought of her because you needed something to hold on to, because she's the only person in your life you can hope will still be there for you after all of this. Except she has continued to live. The two of you were teenagers, and feelings change fast at that age. What are the chances she hasn't fallen for a new man already?"

Genesis raised an eyebrow as he finished talking. He looked quite proud of his speech.

"First of all, you have no idea what you're talking about," Zack snapped. "You don't know what me and her had going on. Whatever the case, I'm going to see her. We work out later what happens later, but I have to show her I'm still alive."

He wasn't as naive as Genesis seemed to think he was. Of course Aerith had moved on with her life, what else was she supposed to do? Look out of the window and sigh wistfully? Who even had time to do something like that in the slums?

There was no clinging going on here. If Aerith decided to dump Zack after all, then Zack would respect that. He'd understand. Be a gentleman about it. But their relationship hadn't been exactly normal either. There might be some way to salvage it.

And this all went beyond Zack's feelings. Aerith was first of all his friend, and his absence must have hurt her. She deserved an apology, regardless of whether she was still waiting for him after all, or gone through a dozen different men since writing her last letter.

Genesis rolled his eyes. "You really are the champion of lost causes, aren't you?"

"Are you done with that? I'm sick of hearing it."

"But it's true. It would all be very romantic if she had been waiting for you all this time, but that's not how life works. And I believe I've already expressed my opinion about him." Genesis pointed at Cloud.

"And I've already told you he's going to wake up."

"No one wakes up after being in a mako coma for so long," Genesis said, with the tone of someone talking to a particularly dumb child.

Zack pointed a finger at Cloud. "He is in there. I know he is. It's just a matter of time before he wakes up."

"I certainly hope he isn't in there. How would you feel? Comatose, unable to move or talk, having your friend feed you some baby mush and clean your ass. Would you like to live like that?"

"No," Zack said. "But I would be happy I have friends willing to take care of me. Would you prefer to be abandoned in a corner and left to starve to death?"

"I'm sure you know plenty of ways to kill someone quickly and without pain. Your friend may appreciate a sword through the heart more than being kept alive in this state."

Zack stepped up to Genesis, and jammed a finger in the middle of his chest. "Shut. Up. I am not giving up on a friend, no matter how bad things get."

"Is that what you told Angeal too?"

Zack froze. "What?"

"Don't think I don't know exactly what happened in Modeoheim," Genesis hissed. "Wasn't Angeal your friend too? And yet with him you did run out of chances to give. What of Cloud makes you more hopeful than you were with Angeal?"

There had been very few times in his life when Zack had become so angry he saw red, and the feeling hit him like a running train. Blood rushed to his face, hotter than any fire Genesis could start.

"You don't know shit of what happened!" Zack shouted.

"I do."

Zack stepped straight into Genesis's space, their noses almost touching. "You weren't there. You have no idea what Angeal did or said-"

Genesis leaned back, but didn't step away. "He said he wanted to die, and you let him have it."

"And whose fault it that?"

That made Genesis stop for a second, a deep scowl on his face.

"Who pushed him to do that?" Zack shouted. "Who put it into his head that he was a monster? Me or you?"

"Don't you dare–"

"He thought there was nothing to be done! And you are the one who made him think that. I told him, and I told you, over and over, than you weren't monsters, but you just had to keep insisting. Did he know he told me to fight you, that if I could take him out then there was hope I could stop you as well?"

A flash of emotion across Genesis's face. For a second, he looked stricken, as if Zack had slapped him.

In a different occasion, Zack might have stopped, taken a step back and tried to calm himself down. He didn't like screaming. Nor was he the kind of person who said things to hurt others on purpose.

Except it had been a shitty day in the middle of five shitty years and Genesis had went poking in the worst places and Zack was so angry he was almost shaking with it.

"And what about Sephiroth?" he continued. "Isn't that what you told him too, that he was a monster? And then he went and snapped too."

"I never made him do anything."

"No, you just put those things in all of your friends' heads and now they're all dead!"

Zack breathed hard, staring at Genesis. Genesis stared back at him, silent for once, and why did his face look almost blurry?

Genesis scowl became deeper, darker. "Tell yourself whatever makes you feel better, but I'm not the one who put a sword through Angeal."

Zack's fists tightened at his sides, so hard it almost hurt. It came back to him as if it were yesterday. Angeal's desperate face, his scream as he transformed, the way his flesh had given underneath Zack's sword. He didn't know if it was the anger or the memory that made him nauseous.

"You have no idea what it feels like," Genesis hissed, "to know that ever since you were conceived you were nothing but an experiment, that your entire life was a lie. Even if Shinra has kept you as a lab rat for years, you will never understand."

"I understand well enough that you didn't do anything to help them."

Genesis shoved him hard. "I'm tired of listening to you moralizing like you don't have blood on your hands."

There was a bang, and something wheezed right behind Zack's head.

Zack and Genesis stared at each other for a moment. Genesis's face was frozen in the same kind of shock that had choked any word still in Zack's throat.

Then, they both lept into action. Zack jumped to Cloud's side, dragging him behind the closest boulder. His eyes darted around, looking for the enemy.

"Was that a sniper?"

Genesis had taken out his sword, and turned on his feet. "Had that been a sniper, your head would have exploded already."

He was right. No sniper worth anything would have missed. Someone not that good with firearms, then, like an average Shinra infantryman. Except, no unenhanced person without a death wish would try to take down two SOLDIER Firsts on their own.

The thought that this was a trap hadn't even fully formed in Zack's head before he saw them. Infantry in grey and blue, hiding behind some large rocks ahead. They were showing themselves now, each armed with either a rifle or a sword.

How long had they been there? Zack had been too focused on Genesis just now to pay attention to his surroundings, but he would have noticed enemies moving around. The ambush must have been prepared in advance. Meaning, Shinra had known just where Zack and Genesis were.

The buzzing of helicopters was becoming closer. Raising his eyes to the sky, Zack saw multiple dark spots becoming larger and larger.

Damn it. He could see what had happened now. Shinra must have had multiple small groups hidden at various locations. These ones had called for backup when the bike had broken down right in front of them. Now, they had gotten orders to attack.

Had it even been just bad luck that the bike had stopped working here, of all places?

The infantrymen weren't moving, but the rifles were all pointed towards them. Slowly, Zack took a few steps towards Genesis, and away from Cloud. No more bullets came. Maybe the first one hadn't missed. It had been a warning.

"They want us to turn ourselves in, it seems," Genesis said.

Zack counted them. Not even twenty enemies. But the helicopters were coming fast.

"I'm not giving up now," Zack hissed at him.

Genesis threw him a freezing glare. "Why do you think I would?"

Zack didn't care what Genesis was going to do. He was going to fight. If Genesis cared to join, that would only be a bonus.

Slowly, Zack raised his hand to take the Buster Sword. All rifles turned straight to him.

There were cars coming too. Helicopters could only take so many people, after all. If Shinra's forces were scattered, they had to use all vehicles available to rush here.

"Try not to get in the line of fire," Genesis said.

"We are in the line of fire."

"Mine, I meant."

Zack had all of three seconds to brace himself before Genesis cast. Fireballs rushed towards the enemies, forcing some to scatter. A few bullets rang out.

The rustle of Genesis's feathers was drowned out by the noise. The bullets flew past where he had been, getting lost somewhere between the rocks. A few people cursed. Shinra hadn't warned them about the flying bastard, it seemed.

Zack wasn't going to just stand there. He used the enemies's shock to rush forward, Buster Sword in hand. The closest swordsman fell to the ground.

Chaos reigned between the enemies for a moment, giving both Zack and Genesis an opportunity to lower their numbers. Then, they seemed to come to a silent agreement. Those with rifles began to focus on Genesis, trying to shoot him out of the sky. Zack got swarmed with short range weapons.

Fine by him. Dealing with other swords was easier than guns anyways. His slashes had greater range and force behind them, the Buster Sword so heavy a couple of Shinra's flimsy tin sticks chipped against it.

Zack's ears rang, and not only because of the noise. All the anger that had been burning him just minutes before ended up unleashed on these Shinra troops. One blow for every word Genesis had said to him.

The rush of battle was familiar enough to Zack, but this fury wasn't. Keep your head during fights, Angeal had taught him, and Zack had tried to do that. In Wutai, while on the run, against people and monsters. Against Angeal, who had made Zack cut him down, and all because he wanted Zack to be able to teach a lesson to the asshole that was making it rain fire.

The red of spilled blood fueled Zack's anger. Any of these people might be hiding red hair underneath that helmet, and the Buster Sword came down to crack one in half.

One of the incoming helicopters was getting close. Zack didn't even notice until it went down into a fiery explosion thanks to a well aimed fire spell. One problem less. Somehow, instead of being a relief, it only made Zack's frustration grow.

He realized a moment too late, or maybe at the last useful moment, that anger was distracting him too much. A bullet grazed his ribs. Too superficial to be a problem, but fuck if that didn't hurt.

With a shout, Zack took down the closest swordsman, and looked around. A car had stopped not too far, and enemies were now running their way. These ones were shooting at him. Maybe they thought Genesis was better left to the helicopters.

Zack grit his teeth. He should have noticed. The car's engine this close should have been loud enough for him to hear. It was the battlefield he had to care about, not a fight with Genesis. So, he raised the Buster Sword, shielding himself from the bullet rain, and rushed towards the newcomers.

***

The sound of the helicopter engine exploding was deafening. Zack barely noticed it. He had already heard half a dozen go down already. His poor ears couldn't take much more of this.

Nor could the rest of him. At first, it had seemed like they had everything under control. However, Zack had underestimated just how many people Shinra had decided to throw at them. Every car and every helicopter seemed to be followed by another. The troops each could bring were few, but they slowed Zack and Genesis enough for the next one to arrive.

This truck should, hopefully, be the last. There was no more engine noise. Each of Zack's arms felt as heavy as three Buster Swords, but he gripped the handle tighter. Just one last effort.

He saw Genesis, in the corner of his eye. At some point he had landed, a sign that he may also be exhausted.

It should be comforting to know Zack wasn't the weak one here. It would, if Zack had the energy to care.

He ran towards the fight. Sword raised, bullets ricocheting off of it. His feet were dangerously unsteady on the blood soaked rock. At the right moment, he spun. The blade cut clean through a man, and he was in place to stab another.

And just at the end, he screwed up. Would have been funny, if not for how extremely not funny it was to have a bullet run through your lung. Zack let out a strangled sound, and fell to the ground.

Blood filled his mouth. It was hard to scream this way, and so he did so only internally. Not now. They were done, they were almost done, he couldn't end up like this now. Not when he had Cloud to take care of. And Aerith to see. He had to stand up, except trying to move only had him crash down again.

Just as the possibility that he might actually die like this was starting to become real, a cool relief enveloped him. A healing spell. They were not pleasant, either, because feeling your injuries heal at an accelerated pace was if not painful at least deeply disturbing. But it almost immediately took away the edge of the agony. Zack's breathing eased, remaining choked only because of all the blood stuck in his throat.

"Don't cough too hard," Genesis said, as Zack did just that. "You'll undo it."

"Thanks," Zack gasped.

To be fair, it still hurt. But it also wasn't easy to cast a spell strong enough to close a bullet hole. Zack should take not bleeding out as a win. Breathing was still torture.

Genesis's boots moved around him. "I nearly cannot believe you would let your guard down right at the end."

"Didn't mean it."

"I would hope so."

With some effort, Zack rolled on his good side. He leveraged himself on his elbow, and looked around.

The ground was red. Not the dusty colors of the wastes, straight up red. Corpses were scattered around like confetti at the world's worst party. Multiple wrecked vehicles were still burning, and if there was something good about his nose being full of his own blood it was that he didn't have to smell everyone else's.

Genesis didn't look too great. He wasn't seriously injured, but it seemed bullets had grazed him multiple times. The grip he had on his sword was almost limp. His face was ashen. Even his wing seemed to be drooping a bit.

Zack swallowed. Maybe he should be happy Genesis had been alive and well enough to heal him. Maybe he should be mad no one had stabbed him for good. Either option was too much effort.

"We should leave before Shinra sends more," Zack croaked.

"If they have more," Genesis commented.

Zack was sure they did, but he could see why Genesis would say that.

"While you are on the ground, let me tell you that..."

Zack blinked at Genesis to figure out what the told you so was, but Genesis trailed off. His expression turned into one of shock. It made Zack worry that more danger could come, but then he realized Genesis was staring in the opposite direction as where the enemies had been coming.

He followed Genesis's eyes, and his mouth dropped.

"Cloud?"

That was Cloud alright. Apparently unharmed, the hiding spot must have been a good one. But most importantly, he was moving. He crawled on the ground, uncoordinated and undignified, but he was doing it.

"Cloud!"

Zack pushed himself up. Pain flared in his chest, but he somehow managed to stand. And then collapsed again after a few steps, dropping now where Cloud was.

"You did it," he whispered, "you did it, buddy, you're awake."

Cloud blinked at Zack. His expression was absent, and his mouth moved without sound, like he wasn't quite sure how speaking worked anymore. None of that mattered. All that was important was that Cloud was with them.

Zack reached out, and ruffled his dirty hair. "I knew you would do that. How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

After a few seconds of silence, Cloud croaked, "al...right."

Hysterical laughter bubbled out of Zack, and he quickly tried to kill it when he realized how much it hurt to laugh. "Good. Good! See, Genesis? He's fine!"

"That's... somewhat debatable, but I suppose so," Genesis said. For once, he actually looked like he had no idea what to say.

Being proven wrong hurt, it seemed.

"We've got to work on some things," Zack said, "but you'll be back in top shape in no time at all, won't you?"

Cloud's eyes were still vacant, but after a moment he nodded.

"Get ready, I'll be a horrible therapist."

"Yes, yes, it's heartwarming," Genesis snapped, sounding like someone had poured lemon juice in his dickhole. "Can I suggest we save the reunion for later and get out of here instead? Unless you want your friend to be awake just long enough to die. Some of these cars are still usable, and it's only a few hours from here to Kalm."

Instinctively, Zack made to tell Genesis that they weren't going to Kalm, but to Midgar. He shut his mouth before the words could come out.

"Kalm it is," he conceded.

He could admit that trying to sneak into Midgar now would not be the best option.

It took a while for them all to get into the car. Cloud couldn't stand. Zack would have helped, but Genesis made it clear that if Zack reopened that bullet hole Genesis would become very creative with additional holes. Besides, Genesis had used up all his magical energies. He couldn't cure him another time.

So, Genesis loaded Cloud in the backseat, and then even helped Zack get in the passenger's seat.

"You know how to drive this?" Zack asked.

Genesis threw him a murderous glance, and turned on the engine.

Driving around here meant endless potholes, and the jostling was the opposite of fun for Zack. He struggled to check his wound. The skin was scabbed, not healed. There might still be some damage inside, it would take time to heal. It didn't take long for his head to start spinning. With the adrenaline leaving him, the bloodloss took over.

However, he found he didn't care about that. In the rear-view mirror he watched Cloud, held up straight by the seatbelt. He sure hoped the coma had taken Cloud's motion sickness away, because he wasn't sure if Cloud could even warn them if he felt like throwing up.

Zack grinned. They were alive. He and Cloud were both going to be fine. And Genesis too, he guessed, he was too happy to be mad at him now. They were unstoppable.

Chapter Text

Zack wondered if he would have been happier had he died yesterday.

He thought it was yesterday, at least. There was no telling how long he had been asleep. Couple hours, couple days. He felt like he would need another couple weeks.

Exhaustion had truly started to set in during the drive. Zack had forced himself to stay awake, knowing Genesis had had to be almost as tired as he. While he hadn't received any serious injury, using that much magic drained people. They had gotten to Kalm without accident, but at some point Genesis had started to mutter Loveless under his breath to avoid falling asleep at the wheel.

They had somehow managed to find an inn to stay at, and dragged themselves to the room. Zack had undressed, washed off some mud and blood in the sink, and passed out. SOLDIER healing had already been working on fixing what Genesis's spell hadn't, and Zack hadn't worried about dying in his sleep.

Now, his head hurt, and his throat was parched. Dehydration, he guessed. He hadn't compensated for the bloodloss.

To drink water, he would need to get out of bed. That implied standing up. And sitting up before that. Horrible. All his muscles were sore. Fixing the hole in his lung had put too much of a strain on his system. There was still a dull ache in his chest that promised to become much worse if he moved too much.

Zack took a slow breath. His lungs were working fine, and without too much pain. If everything went right, he would be fully healed in a few days. Maybe a week.

Thank the Goddess for Genesis's magic, or something.

With great effort, Zack turned on his side. If he remembered right, Cloud's bed had been to his right.

Cloud was curled up on the mattress. The light in the room was dim, but Zack could make out Cloud's open eyes.

"Hey," Zack said, swallowing to try and wet his mouth.

"Hi," Cloud replied. It was readier than yesterday's answers.

"How do you feel?"

A moment of silence. "Hungry."

Zack huffed a laugh, and immediately regretted it. "I bet you are."

"He figured out how to stand while you were out of it. Shaky, but he wobbled to the bathroom on his own, so there's that."

With a groan, Zack rolled to the other side. That was the injured side, so he opted to stay on his back and turn his head.

"How long have we been here?" he asked.

Genesis was also in bed. He was under the sheets, and from his bare shoulders and arms Zack guessed he was naked. One forearm was draped across his forehead.

"About a day," Genesis said. "It's early morning."

When they had gotten to Kalm, it had been the middle of the night. That meant Zack had been asleep for a whole fucking day.

Now that he thought about it, he vaguely remembered getting up to piss at some point. Kind of felt like a dream. His bladder was definitely filling up again, now that he was getting aware of it.

"I got him a smoothie earlier," Genesis added. "Suppose he deserved one."

"Damn right he did."

Alright. Bathroom time. He just had to do this, and then he could go back to lie in bed.

Oh, standing up sucked. Zero over ten. His head spun, and he had to immediately lean against a wall to avoid falling.

Slowly, Zack managed to relieve himself. He drank some water form the sink, and then went straight back to bed. Neither Cloud nor Genesis had moved.

"Thanks for keeping me alive earlier," Zack said, after a moment.

"Be happy killing Shinra goons puts me in a good mood."

He definitely hadn't been in a good mood before the fight had started. Remembering the argument made bitterness join the dryness in Zack's mouth. It hadn't been just a little spat. Mature people would talk about it, apologize for what was said.

But Genesis was not mature, and Zack felt too spiteful to apologize. And in any case, this wouldn't be a good time. They were back in the same position they had been in when Genesis had joined them in Banora. Battered, bruised, and in need of rest.

Zack for sure wasn't in any shape to continue arguing. Besides, staying angry for long had no use other than to make people bitter and hateful. He pushed down the stubborn spark of rage left over from their fight, telling himself that the only thing he could achieve by bringing it up again would be kicking Genesis while they were both down. Despite being the picture of the selfish asshole, Genesis had saved Zack's life, and Zack wasn't going to sink to a lower level of human decency than him.

The battle also came back to his mind, and remembering brought him unexpected guilt. Not over killing those people, exactly. While Zack was sure most of them were just being used by Shinra, an enemy was an enemy. His life, or their lives.

But he didn't know what had come over him there at the start. That kind of anger wasn't like him. He could tell himself that it was Genesis's fault for crossing the line and pissing him off, but that felt like an excuse. Brutality couldn't be excused. Cutting down real enemies while pretending they were his sort of ally he had argued with was just low.

Angeal would be ashamed of Zack for those thoughts.

Luckily, Genesis spoke up again before Zack had time to think too much about it.

"I will go get some breakfast."

"That'd be good, thanks."

"You would fall on your face if I let you go."

Probably.

Zack stared up at the ceiling as Genesis got out of bed and collected his clothes. Only after the door opened and shut he turned back to Cloud.

"Other than hungry, how are you doing?" he asked. "Does anything hurt?"

"No," Cloud said.

"Genesis treated you right while I was asleep?"

Cloud didn't answer that. Zack figured it might be a little too early yet. Everyone needed some time to remember how thinking worked after waking up, after all. Cloud had been asleep for a long, long time.

And he had never been a morning person either. Zack remembered it from their missions. Cloud never woke up early if he wasn't forced to, and when it happened he stayed grumpy for at least half an hour after.

Zack decided to try with something easier. "Genesis said you walked to the bathroom earlier. Did you really do that?"

It took Cloud a few seconds to answer, but he did. "Yeah."

"Well, that's pretty good. If you're already standing, then you're going to be in top shape in no time at all."

The fact he had also regained control of his bladder was a definite plus too.

"No time... at all?"

"You bet. You might even be back on your feet faster than me."

To be fair, that was kind of a stretch. Closing a hole was a whole different matter than building muscle strength, and Cloud had lost a lot of that.

Although. Zack hadn't had a lot of experience with comas, but he had seen plenty of injured people through the years. Muscles could atrophy shockingly fast if one ended up bedridden. Cloud had never been a large man, but now that Zack thought about it, he was also in excellent shape for someone who had been asleep for years.

The experiments must have had some effects on that. Zack didn't know what the scientists had been going for, but with all the mako they had pumped in Cloud they might have put him on a SOLDIER level. In that case, his body might recover much faster than expected.

Once Cloud was better, they would test it out. See if his strength was within human limits or if it had increased. Given Shinra still wanted them dead, it would be convenient if Cloud could also fight on a SOLDIER level.

Genesis came back soon after, bearing gifts. Mostly eggs and bacon for himself and Zack, and yogurt for Cloud.

"This is what the inn had," he said, placing the plates down on the small room table. "Just so you know, I'm out of money. I will start borrowing yours."

"Borrowing implies you will pay me back."

"I saved your life, don't be stingy."

Whatever.

Cloud looked vaguely envious of their breakfast as opposed to his. Then he tried to eat the yogurt on his own, with the first spoonful spilling all over him, and the second going down the wrong way. It was probably for the best if they stuck to easy things for a little longer.

***

Most of the day was spent lingering in bed. If at first laying down and doing nothing was like a blessing, as time passed Zack grew bored. He had never liked staying still, and he wasn't used to it either.

However, his body wouldn't work with him. Zack made himself walk around the room a few times, and it became easier and easier, but not as easy as it should have. There was a limit even to his healing.

He occupied himself with Cloud instead. Talking to him made Cloud's words smoother and faster. It also visibly tired him. Zack couldn't push him too much.

Annoying Genesis was also an option. He tried, and after a while Genesis said he was going for a walk. Because when he decided to annoy people, then everyone had to sit and listen to his stupid poem, but if Zack was a bit irritating then suddenly Genesis had so many things to do.

He came back for lunch, with food and a couple newspapers.

"Guess what," he said.

"You got me fries?"

"No." Genesis dropped the food on Zack's bed. "At the cost of stating the obvious, Shinra has covered up our fight."

"All of it?"

"Yes. No newspaper I've found mentions the loss of a significant portion of the army right out of Midgar. Not the national ones, not the local ones."

Zack sighed. As Genesis said, it was obvious Shinra would try to cover it up.

But they were still talking about a massive amount of people, not to mention the vehicles. They were too far from Midgar for the explosions to be seen or heard, maybe, but the swarm of helicopters couldn't be hidden. And soon Shinra would have to tell the families of the deceased, too. Zack wondered how they hoped to keep everything under wraps.

"I was thinking," Genesis said.

There was a distressing amount of leaves in these sandwiches, Zack noted. "Should I be scared?"

"No. When you were fighting, did you notice any SOLDIER?"

Zack blinked. "Aside from us?"

"Do you truly want me to answer that?"

"No," Zack said.

And now that he thought about it, it was strange. Sending SOLDIERs to fight SOLDIERs was smarter. Zack doubted any of the current members were on his and Genesis's level, but they had to be harder to take down than regular infantry.

Genesis licked a drop of mayo that had dripped on his finger. "They must have had a reason to swarm us with pawns instead of trying to match us on our level."

"Maybe they thought other SOLDIERs would side with us."

"Loyalty? No. We have been presumed dead for too long, many current members must have been recruited after we left. Besides, even you couldn't have been friends with all of them. I'm sure Shinra could have convinced them that we are nothing but traitors, not to be shown any mercy."

Technically they were traitors.

Or did they not count as traitors, since Shinra had betrayed them first?

"Do you have any suggestions, then?" Zack asked.

"Well," Genesis started, in a tone that promised way too much talking for Zack's liking, "there are a couple possibilities. One, is that they didn't want to risk losing SOLDIERs. They are too valuable a resource, and they can't be replenished as fast as the infantry, especially the higher ranking ones. I know they promoted new First Classes too, but I doubt they could keep up with us. After all, we all trained with Sephiroth, and–"

Cloud made a sudden, choked noise.

Zack turned around. "Everything alright?"

Cloud coughed. He was holding a water bottle, and it started to spill. Zack rushed to take it out of his hands, and to give him a few good hits on his back.

"Take it easy, buddy," he told him.

Cloud's coughing slowed down as he remembered how to breathe.

"So, you think Shinra doesn't want to risk losing out on SOLDIERs?" Zack asked, turning back to Genesis.

"You are getting food all over your sheets," Genesis pointed out.

"Shit."

Zack had let his sandwich drop down on bed. The sauce would leave a stain.

Genesis hummed. "SOLDIER isn't as important now that Shinra isn't at war, and recruitment has gone down. The deaths of SOLDIERs would also be harder to explain to their families. However, unless they are going through a SOLDIER shortage, this does not justify them not sending even the last of the Thirds after us. There might be an emergency ongoing that we aren't aware of, and Shinra needs to focus its forces. My guess would be Avalanche, or maybe a stubborn Wutai rebel cell, but there could be more we aren't aware of."

Maybe. Zack hadn't had anything to do with Avalanche in years. He had had a few run ins, of course, but the Turks had been the ones in charge of suppressing it. It was impossible for him to guess how strong the organization was now. The same went for Wutai rebels.

"But," Genesis continued, "there is another matter to consider."

"And it is?"

"They might be testing us."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Testing?"

"We have both been away for long enough that their old data on us isn't accurate anymore, not to mention that I have healed from the degradation. I also imagine none of them predicted the two of us working together. We are a threat beyond their previous predictions, and they have to be cautious."

So they had thrown the infantry at them to see what happened. Either Zack and Genesis would have been taken down, or a bunch of replaceable units would have died. Shinra would have gained something while also avoiding major losses.

"I hadn't thought of that," Zack admitted.

"And that is why one of us is known as a strategist and the other as a puppy."

Zack looked at Genesis with skepticism. "And you would be the strategist? What's your strategy, set everything on fire and see what happens?"

"Maybe I should remind you that the two of us only got to know each other after my body and mind began to fail me."

Having been around the healthy Genesis, Zack had to admit that he was significantly less unhinged than before. Enough to make it believable he could be decent at strategizing. Admitted his temper didn't snap first.

Very distant memories of his time as a Second Class came back to Zack. He had always been assigned to Angeal, and so he had never thought too much about how the other Firsts were like as commanding officers. Of course he had had fantasies of proving himself to Sephiroth one day, but who hadn't? For the most part, he had been more than satisfied with Angeal.

But he vaguely remembered the other Seconds talking. They used to say Genesis was a nightmare to work under, but also very competent. Maybe he had been a good strategist once. Maybe.

"So, any other conclusion, great strategist?" Zack asked.

"The conclusion is that we have to keep watching our backs. Right now, I assume Shinra is too busy sweeping things under the rug to come looking for us. However, it's obvious we would have come to Kalm. This place won't be safe for long."

They had to run again. Zack was getting quite tired of it.

"The question is," Genesis started, "will we be leaving together?"

Zack paused. "I'm guessing you still want to... screw with Shinra, somehow."

"Yes. Given recent developments, I'm not going to get close to Midgar without a good plan and reason to do so. There is no shortage of Shinra outposts in the world."

Part of Zack still insisted that actually, they should try. Shinra would never expect it less than they did now, and they were also low on security. He wanted to return so bad it could almost be called longing.

"Besides, if I were to approach, I could fly there. It's faster than going on foot, or even by car depending on your route. If they haven't placed additional security, I already have tried ways to get in. None of this is an option for you."

He hated it when Genesis was right. Zack wouldn't even know how to account for Cloud now. Carrying him around wouldn't have been ideal, but Zack had only planned for that scenario. With Cloud awake but still very confused things could get complicated. Zack couldn't have him wander around.

"I guess it would be better to postpone," Zack said.

"After five years, a few more months won't make a big difference to your girlfriend."

Zack took a deep breath. Don't start another fight, don't start another fight. "Listen. I'm only going to say this once, alright?"

"I'm all ears," Genesis said.

"You don't know how our relationship worked. And I mean it, you don't know. I'm not going to give you details because it's frankly none of your business, but we... We had something unusual. Stop trying to make guesses when you don't even have most of the information."

Genesis's eyebrows raised up towards his hairline. "Really, now."

"Yes, really really. So drop it."

"If you say so," Genesis replied, but didn't sound entirely convinced.

"Talking about stuff that is actually important, do you know where you want to go other than not Midgar?"

Genesis hummed. "I've been thinking. I remember the locations of some smaller Shinra bases that could be easy to assault. Most of them weren't ones I was interested in – if there was no scientific research going on then it wasn't useful to me. They could hold interesting information, and I must confess I am far less updated on Shinra's current going ons than I would like."

"Which bases?" Zack asked.

"Depends. What I can take on my own may be different than what I could if you decided to join me."

For some reason, Zack had the feeling Genesis wanted him to stick around. He could say that it was because of convenience, but it couldn't be all of it. Otherwise, he would have parted ways with Zack as soon as he had recovered, without bothering to come all the way to Midgar while complaining every step of the way. Nor would he have saved Zack's life there, or offer him to keep working together now.

The question was why. Did Genesis want friends? Zack discarded the thought as soon as it had occurred to him. While he thought that everyone needed friends, Genesis wasn't the type of person who looked for them. Especially not one like Zack.

Attention, maybe. That was more like it. Genesis wanted someone to pay attention to him, and Zack could provide it.

It still didn't feel like a good enough reason.

"Look, I'll think about it," Zack said.

"Not too long, we don't have that much time."

Zack rolled his eyes. "I know. Can I have a couple days?"

"You may," Genesis conceded. How generous of him.

Chapter Text

"Now this is a nice day," Zack said, stretching his arms.

The sun was shining bright on Kalm. It was just warm enough for a nice walk.

"Yes," Cloud said.

He was standing on his own. His legs were still wobbly, but Zack had been to Kalm before, and he was confident Cloud wouldn't get too tired out. Roads were mostly flat. There should be plenty of benches where they could catch a break.

Zack himself had no choice but to walk slow. Yesterday at the inn he had recovered, and now he felt well enough to go outside, but he had to take his time. His chest still ached if he breathed in too deep.

"Is there anything you want to see?" Zack asked.

Cloud shrugged.

"We'll just walk around, then."

It was mid morning, and not many people were around. Most had to be at work, or at school. Those who were out were for the most part older people playing cards at this or that cafe. They glanced at Zack and Cloud as they passed by. Some raised their eyebrows or shook their heads, following them with their eyes.

It wasn't as if the two of them could go unnoticed. Kalm was just big enough for new people not to be instantly spotted, but they were painfully out of place. They hadn't found new clothes yet. The dark colors of the uniform hid the blood stains Zack hadn't been able to wash off, but there was no disguising the bullet holes.

"Tell you what," Zack said. "How about we find some new clothes?"

"Fine by me," Cloud replied.

They had to wander for a while, but in the end Zack found a store that sold imitation military clothes. Their turtlenecks looked a lot like SOLDIER issue ones. Not as warm, but good enough for early fall.

If they went with Genesis's plan and started raiding Shinra bases, they could also find new uniforms there. They would be better quality, and free.

Maybe Zack should give up and go for civilian clothing instead. It would be less conspicuous, for sure. However, he had more than earned his right to dress this way, and he didn't plan on giving up.

Civilian clothes were for off days, for when he was done with his missions and got to sit on the couch with takeout and a bad movie on TV. Zack had to keep his mind in the game for as long as was needed.

Cloud was starting to look a little too pale once they were done shopping. Zack put a hand on his elbow, and led him to the closest bench to sit down. He also felt quite relieved when he plopped down. Damn injury was still screwing with him. They hadn't done anything too strenuous, but he was already a little short of breath.

"Everything alright?" Zack asked. "You look a little off. Are you tired?"

Like him, Cloud was also breathing a bit faster than was warranted. "Tired. Weak."

"I believe that." Zack rubbed Cloud's shoulder. "Is it weak as in your muscles are tired, or weak as in dizzy?"

"Dizzy," Cloud said, after thinking about it.

"Well, you're running off of liquid food. If you had a good burger in you I bet you'd be feeling a lot better."

Cloud blinked at Zack. "Can I?"

Zack laughed. "Maybe it's still too much for your stomach now. Better getting you used to something easier first."

After this long on baby food, Cloud's stomach would riot if it was given the greasy, fatty food Cloud deserved as reward for waking up. Fruit could be better, or vegetables. Admittedly, Zack wasn't sure what the best next step was. They could only try and hope the mako also worked on making Cloud's stomach strong enough.

Zack stretched his legs. "Hey. What do you think of sticking with Genesis?"

"I... don't know."

"He wants to go cause trouble for Shinra," Zack said. "Would you like that?"

"Yes."

Zack almost laughed again at Cloud's quick answer. Of course Cloud would want to screw with Shinra after all they had done to him. Not even the disorientation the coma had left could take away his spirit.

Which made Zack think he had something to ask him.

"Cloud, can you tell me something? What's the last thing you remember, before waking up the other day?"

Cloud frowned, deep in thought. "Not sure."

"Do you remember anything from when you were asleep?"

"I don't..." Cloud paused. "There's flashes. It's not clear."

That was for the best, Zack supposed. It wouldn't make Cloud happy to remember all the times Zack had had to change his diaper.

"And what about before that?" Zack pressed. "Do you remember the lab? Nibelheim?"

The words made Cloud visibly flinch.

"Sorry, buddy. I just want to make sure the mako didn't mess you up."

When you joined SOLDIER, they told you what the common side effects of mako were. Allegedly so you could make an informed decision. Of course, Shinra made sure to hide the worst, or downplay it at least.

Memory loss wasn't that rare. A good number of SOLDIERs ended up losing a week or so around the time of injections. It had happened to Zack too, once. When he had been promoted to Second, and received his booster dose. Everything for about five days around the injection had turned into a blur, a confused hole in his memory.

And he was sure he didn't remember everything about the labs, either. Much of it was too out of focus. Cloud might have lost a lot more.

"Nibelheim," Cloud whispered.

"What do you remember of Nibelheim?"

"The– The fire, and... In the reactor. He was in the reactor. There was... a thing."

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Zack said, wrapping one arm around Cloud's shoulder. They were sitting so that he could breathe, and now he was getting too close to hyperventilating for Zack's liking instead.

"They all died."

Zack pulled Cloud close. His body was as rigid as a wooden board. "I'm sorry, Cloud. I shouldn't have brought this up."

Now he felt guilty about making him upset. They would have had to talk about it at some point, but maybe Zack should have waited. He should have allowed Cloud to recover more. Trying to soothe him, Zack rubbed his hand on Cloud's arm.

"Fuck Shinra," Cloud said.

"Yeah. Fuck 'em."

"We're... causing trouble."

"We will."

Cloud might not be in the best state of mind now, but Zack was sure he would feel this way even after recovering. As long as Zack had known him, Cloud had been first of all stubborn. There was no way he would let Shinra off the hook.

Which led them to the fact that Zack didn't know how one would go at being some kind of terrorist. It was something you needed to plan, and he wasn't good at planning.

He was sure Genesis would find ways to get on his nerves again. Not even on purpose, he would just do something in his usual Genesis way and make Zack want to strangle him. Half of his plans would certainly be things Zack was morally opposed to. The other half would be some convoluted insane scheme that may or may not rely on using Loveless as a prophetic text.

But Genesis was the only one who had ideas. And Zack would feel better knowing there were two people with their full physical and mental faculties around Cloud. And Genesis wanted Zack to stay with him, for some unknown and likely unpleasant reason, and Zack had never been good at denying someone company of all things. And someone should make sure Genesis wasn't going on a rampage again.

Zack was starting to think he might be a masochist.

"We can try to stick with Genesis, then," Zack said. Then, hoping to change the subject, "what do you think of Genesis?"

"Talks a lot."

Yes, that was a very good summary.

"Did you ever work with him before? No, wait. You probably joined right before he left."

"What?" Cloud asked. He sounded confused, but less shaken than before.

"Genesis was a First Class SOLDIER, too," Zack explained. "But he deserted years ago. He's been on the run from Shinra for a long time."

Zack tried to do some maths. Genesis had left when Zack was sixteen, and Cloud was two years younger than him. You had to be fourteen to join the army. Cloud couldn't have been around for more than a few weeks when Genesis deserted, and new recruits weren't put directly under First Classes.

Cloud should have still known of him, because everyone knew of the Firsts. However, it had been a long time ago. Shinra had been extremely secretive about Genesis after defection. Yes, Cloud had been sent on a few missions relating to Genesis before, but Zack doubted he had ever been given the full picture. Zack couldn't blame him for needing some help putting pieces together.

"He's kind of annoying at times," Zack continued. "And he will talk about his stupid favorite book until your stomach turns just hearing the name. But he knows how to fight, and I guess he saved my life the other day."

"That's good," Cloud said.

"Guess it is." Zack sighed. "And he's right about going to Midgar being too dangerous, but I hate to admit it. It just makes me so mad to give that to him."

Being right made Genesis so damn smug, and a smug Genesis was an absolutely insufferable Genesis. More insufferable than usual.

"You want to go to Midgar?" Cloud asked. That was a lot of words one after the other, Zack was proud.

"Yeah. Remember Aerith? My girlfriend? She's in Midgar. She, you know, she lives in the slums, sells flowers."

"Sorta," Cloud said.

Zack didn't think the two of them had ever met. He was sure he had mentioned Aerith to Cloud and vice versa, but he had never organized a proper meetup. That would go on his to do list.

"She wrote me a letter. Well, many letters, but I only got the last one, and that was sent months ago. She said that I had been away for too long, basically. It didn't say she was breaking up with me, exactly, but as Genesis keeps reminding me, relationships don't last when one person disappears for five years. She already thought I didn't spend enough time with her before Nibelheim."

"Sorry," Cloud said.

"It's fine. Not you fault, anyways." Zack huffed. "Genesis says she probably found a new boyfriend by now. I know she can't have fallen in love with another guy, but I can't really explain to Genesis why without talking about things he has no right knowing."

"Oh."

Zack took a deep breath, and rubbed his face. "It's just... Look, keep this between us, alright? You're my friend, and Aerith wouldn't mind, but this shouldn't get to Genesis."

"Sure."

"Aerith and me, we didn't have a... traditional thing. After we stared dating, Aerith found out she was aromantic. That basically means she can't fall in love with people, like... Like how being gay would make a girl only interested in other girls, except it makes her not romantically interested in anyone. So, she didn't really have feelings for me other than being friends. But she also liked spending time with me, and going on dates, and... She just liked the whole thing. I did have feelings for her, and she didn't mind that I did, and I didn't mind that she didn't, so we just kind of went with it. So she isn't technically my girlfriend in the way people usually mean it, but it's easier to say girlfriend than to say, 'the girl I'm in love with who goes on dates with me because she likes the concept of holding hands'."

Cloud stared at Zack without speaking, just blinking at him.

"That was a lot," Zack said, slowing down. "Sorry. But anyways, I know Aerith won't have fallen in love with other guys. She doesn't fall in love, she wasn't even in love with me. But I think that makes me feel worse, in a way. People know being in love can fade and all. Friendships feel more permanent, you know? And I need to know Aerith still cares for me as a friend. I don't care about the rest, if she never wants to kiss me again that's fine, I just don't want the friendship to have faded."

Cloud kept staring at Zack.

"Maybe I shouldn't have dumped all this on you," Zack said.

Cloud was barely aware of himself, and now Zack was telling him his relationships troubles. Poor guy couldn't have any idea what Zack just told him. Zack himself had needed time to figure out what aromanticism was, and he might not be the smartest guy in the block but he also hadn't just woken up from months of mako coma when Aerith had told him.

"You know what, why don't we get some snacks," Zack proposed. "Let's put something in that stomach of yours."

Cloud perked up at that. Poor guy had to be starving.

***

In the afternoon, Zack left Cloud back at the inn to rest, and left again. During their walk, he had spotted a library, and this seemed like a good moment to get reacquainted with computers.

By some miracle, he remembered both his burner email name and the password. He prayed he got some answer from Kunsel, that his email hadn't ended up in the trash. That Kunsel had been smart enough to figure out the code.

To his surprise, he found he had received an email from an unknown sender.

Zack (at least, I hope you are Zack), this address is secure. It was a pain to avoid Shinra's trackers, and I don't want to use it too often and risk blowing it, so I won't look at it often.

Tell me you are doing alright. I know Shinra has been diverting some troops lately, but I haven't been able to figure out why. They are covering everything with way too many fake operations. What I know for certain is that Avalanche has been causing problems, and recently they have had to divert more and more of the Turks towards it. Maybe this can be good for you, they can't follow your trail if they are too busy with the terrorists.

Be safe. As much as I want to see you, don't come to Midgar. They've been recalling forces to the city, and they haven't given us a good reason for it. There must be something going on I haven't been able to discover yet.

Get ready for a kick in the balls when you get back, because you deserve it after making me worry for five years.

Kunsel

Zack was very close to bursting into laughter in the middle of the library. He settled for typing back an answer while grinning from one ear to the other.

Kunsel's message had been sent five days before. A few days after Zack's message. The forces Shinra had been recalling to Midgar must have been the ones they sent at Zack and Genesis.

Hey man. I'm doing fine and also I know why they were recalling forces. Me and Genesis tried to come to Midgar, we're working together now btw, he's still a dick but he's more resonable now. Anyways they threw half the army at us. No SOLDIERs tho, which is kind of weird, they were all infantry. We're fine, don't worry.

Do you know anything of what avalanche is doing? We're tyring not to get caught, it could be good to know where Shinra is busy.

Can you do me a favor? When you have time, go under the plate and say hi to Aerith for me. Tell her I got her letter. I guess if you say we can't come to Midgar then I'll believe you, Genesis has been telling me the same thing but I trust your judgment more. Tell Aerith I'm trying to see her again but it's hard with Shinra on my ass. And tell her I didn't mean to disappear, shit happened I couldn't do anything about. Long story trust me.

My balls look forward to meeting your knee. Don't get caught Kuns.

There. Now Kunsel knew for sure Zack was alive, and Aerith would also know it. If Kunsel got back to him, then they could also have inside information on Shinra.

And Zack guessed he really wasn't going to Midgar after all. But that was fine. If Kunsel could talk to Aerith for him, then that was a weight off Zack's back.

***

"Alright," Zack said, coming back into their room. "We're sticking with you for now."

"How generous," Genesis commented.

"But we're going to put some rules first."

Genesis made a wide gesture with his hands. "Go on."

Zack stood in front of Genesis's bed, looking down on him. He had thought this over while he was in the library, pretending to be reading a book just to have an excuse to sit there. The two – now three – of them weren't going to work together long if they didn't set some boundaries.

"First, if we start talking about some things, we are going to be at each other's throat in no time."

"Things that don't need to be named," Genesis said, impassively staring up at him from the bed.

"Yes. And we clearly both have our opinions on how some things went, and if you were... If we were friends, I'd be on your ass about it for the rest of your life."

"Except we aren't friends."

It wasn't phrased as a question. Just a statement. In many other situations, Zack would say maybe not, but they could be.

However, Genesis was Genesis. Being friends with him sounded like carefully walking across a minefield. Zack considered himself easy going, but he wouldn't lie and claim he was as patient as Angeal used to be.

It was better to stick to some kind of... professional relationship for now. They had a common goal, that was it. If they managed to gain some kind of understanding, good, but Zack had no intention of becoming Genesis's babysitter.

"Beggars can't be choosers," Zack said. "We both want the same thing, and we don't have many other people to work with. We can tear each other limb from limb after Shinra is no longer a problem."

"How mature of you, puppy."

"I'm not a teenager anymore, Genesis."

Genesis smirked to himself, and nodded. "Anything else?"

"Plans have to be discussed, and we all have to agree to them. This includes Cloud."

"Once he's capable of doing so," Genesis added.

Zack turned to Cloud. He was sitting on his bed, looking at them, but so far he had said nothing. "He's... unwell, not a kid. If he has objections to something, I'm listening to him."

"Very well. I'm assuming by plans you also mean things such as financial decisions, where to sleep at night, whether we should take on some kind of job to get some money, and the likes."

"Yes."

Genesis nodded again. Now he seemed to be more thoughtful. "Reasonable. Do you have other demands?"

"Demands, no. Would it kill you to drop the superiority complex?"

"Very likely, I fear."

Zack rolled his eyes, and went to sit on his bed. "Figures."

"We have an agreement, then." Genesis remained silent for a few moments. "There is something I might need to tell you about."

"Is it going to make me want to wring your neck?" Zack asked.

"That depends on what kind of person you are, but I don't think that low of you."

Zack raised his eyebrows. He wasn't sure what to make of that sentence. "Go on."

"It is something about me," Genesis started. "I wouldn't say it's too... relevant to our agreement, but if we are to travel together for long you will probably notice, especially if we have to pool resources, and I'd rather have this conversation on my own terms."

"Tell me you're not degrading again."

"Nothing so dramatic. I am transgender."

Zack blinked, feeling a vague sense of whiplash. "Come again?"

"Transgender. Are you familiar with the term?"

"Uh, yeah."

Zack wouldn't say he was like an expert on it, but he knew what it meant. Back when Aerith had come out, the two of them had done a lot of online researches on various LGBT+ stuff. He had never been close to a trans person, but he had the basics.

"Wait," he said, brain catching up with what Genesis had said, "so you are a...?"

"Man," Genesis finished. "I am a man. I simply happened to be born with two X chromosomes and a vagina."

"Oh. I, uh. I didn't know."

That was a stupid comment. Then again, Zack had no idea what to say. Anything along the lines of, I never would have guessed, would have been pretty rude. Not a lie, but Zack knew he wasn't supposed to say things like that.

"Obviously," Genesis said, rolling his eyes. "As I said, I don't see this being too relevant. However, I need to take hormones regularly. They aren't exactly over the counter meds, which means I will steal in a pharmacy from time to time. I am not going to compromise on this matter."

Zack couldn't say he approved, or was happy about it, but well. What was he going to say? Forbid Genesis from taking hormones? Aside from the morality of it, that would piss Genesis off, and Zack didn't want Genesis to be even more difficult.

"Fine. Just don't leave a trail of robbed pharmacies for Shinra to follow."

"Don't worry," Genesis said. "I can take enough to last me for a while."

"Alright."

Zack sat still, staring at Genesis.

Genesis sighed. "Very well, I shall allow you a short amount of time for any idiotic questions you have regarding the matter."

"How did you hide it so well?" Zack asked. "No, actually, scratch that, how did Shinra not give you shit for it?"

They had just had the gay people in the army conversation not that long ago. Being trans was a bigger deal than that.

"When I was recruited," Genesis started, "I said that I would either be counted as male, or I would not join at all. They accepted. It was quite the ego boost at the time, that I had shown so much promise that they would give in to any demand just to have me. Then I got to know the Science Department, and realized they were probably just excited to test out the effects of hormone therapy on SOLDIER biology. And then, well, I understood they couldn't let a Project G subject just walk off after he had willingly showed up to their doorsteps."

"Makes sense."

"The deal was for me not to keep the matter secret. Considering I was in my early teens and hated being seen as anything but male with a passion, it wasn't hard for me to agree. They were very good at keeping the information under wraps. Far less alpha males wannabe would have joined SOLDIER knowing one of the highest ranking ones was some kind of gender deviant."

Zack nodded. Then, he frowned, mulling Genesis's words over.

"What's the matter?" Genesis asked.

"You said, you are a man, who just happened to be born with two X chromosomes."

"I did."

"Then," Zack said, "you see DNA as some... As a thing that doesn't really define your identity, right? You have like, a woman's DNA or something, but you are still a man. So why all the whining about being a monster just because Shinra spiked your DNA a little? You still, uh, you identify as a human."

Genesis stared at Zack for a few seconds. He licked his lips.

"Don't tell me you've never thought about it," Zack said.

"It's not the same thing," Genesis eventually replied.

"Well, sure, you knew you had those X chromosomes since forever, and they lied to you about the experiments, I get that, but still–"

"How about we get to the next pressing question," Genesis snapped.

Zack narrowed his eyes at him.

Well, whatever. He hoped Genesis got to live with that now.

"I'm good," Zack said.

"Really? You are taking it quite well."

"Hey, I'm not a dick, alright? You do you."

"Thank you," Genesis said. There might have been a hint of something honest underneath the sarcasm. "Now that the discussions are out of the way, I suggest we get to the planning our next move part."

Genesis sat on his bed, and took out a map. The folded paper kind, the ones sold at travel stores. He opened it, showing that it included the entire continent. Zack was still wrapping his mind around what Genesis had said so far, but he allowed Genesis to change the subject this one time.

"I have marked a few spots here," Genesis said. "Locations of interest."

Zack leaned towards it, his eyes jumping to a group of marker circles. "Shinra bases?"

"For the most part. I've got an abandoned reactor too, this one."

Genesis pointed at one circle on the map.

"Didn't know there was one there," Zack commented.

"It's an older one, it ceased operations about... a decade ago. Some malfunctions, and then they decided the local mako flow wasn't as intense as they had hoped. At least, that's what I remember. Obligatory disclaimer that I'm using years old information when it comes to various places."

"I might have a way to get some news."

Genesis looked at him. "How?"

"I managed to contact one friend on the inside," Zack explained. "Kunsel, he's a Second Class. He's a good friend of mine, and he's also a champion at getting into files he shouldn't access."

"You think he's reliable?" Genesis asked, not without some skepticism.

"Trust me. The Turks wish they were as good as him."

"So long as he's not an active risk, I suppose it's better than nothing."

Much, much better than nothing.

"He told me Shinra is having some trouble with Avalanche now," Zack said. "I asked him for details, not sure when he'll answer me. It might be useful for us."

Genesis shrugged. "The enemy of my enemy."

Zack leaned on his elbows, looking closer at the map Genesis was holding. It marked five different locations. Three of them, he was familiar with. None of them were large bases, but they were bigger than the small outposts Zack had tried raiding on his own.

In the past, Zack had never liked Avalanche. Now, there was a certain thrill in planning to do exactly the same kind of things terrorists did. Except Avalanche could only dream about what two First Classes – and one recovering enhanced former infantryman – might do.

Chapter Text

The problem of having come to Kalm on a stolen Shinra car was that they didn't know if there was some kind of tracking device in it. Genesis was very firm on getting rid of it. Zack felt it was paranoid, but he submitted to Genesis's longer runaway experience. And he could admit the giant Shinra logo on the side would risk catching a little too much attention.

For some reason, Genesis knew how to steal cars. Zack decided not to question Genesis's assortment of skills, especially not when they were convenient.

They had spent a week in Kalm. Enough for both Genesis and Zack to be in working order, and for Cloud to kind of exist in the present moment. They used the time to gather what they needed. Bags of non-perishable food, clean clothes, some nausea meds in case Cloud remembered he didn't get along with cars. Genesis took a commission to kill some monsters near the outskirts of town one day, and didn't even tell Zack about it, which was rude, he just showed up at the inn with money. The hole in Zack's lung closed for good. Cloud ate, spoke in full sentences, walked around, and even showed interest in the world around him.

Now they all sat in the car Genesis had hotwired, driving out of Kalm. It was almost five in the morning. The car was a bit banged up, but it worked, and it was unassuming enough to go unnoticed. Genesis had turned on the radio to keep himself alert while he drove.

Zack had his head against the window. The outskirts of Kalm weren't all that much to look at. It beat the desert, but aside from the town itself there was nothing but trees and grass. Greens, browns, some greys. Mostly grey, really, considering the morning mist surrounding them.

Still, Zack tried to keep his eyes sharp, checking for any unusual movement. Although he doubted Shinra would be chasing them now.

He had gotten an email from Kunsel the day before, and the updates he had given on Avalanche were quite something. Apparently, someone in the group had tried to attack Midgar with some sort of summon. A pretty big one. It had been stopped, but Shinra was working overtime to keep everything under control.

Kunsel wasn't sure on the entire scope of the consequences yet, but he said the Turks were having major issues after it. That cut down the resources Shinra could send after the three of them.

The story had been confirmed by the people of Kalm. Some had been in Midgar at the time. They talked of some kind of large monster, and Shinra officials coming to say that everything was fine. As the closest town to Midgar, people were nervous.

Genesis had declared it the perfect time to leave. Avalanche had unknowingly created an excellent distraction, allowing Zack, Genesis, and Cloud to slip away while Shinra was busy sweeping this under the rug on something else. They would be far, far away by the time Shinra had a chance to check Kalm.

Kunsel had also said he hadn't had the occasion to see Aerith yet, but he would as soon as he could. Zack tried not to feel too antsy. He knew there wasn't always time to sneak off below plate, but he hoped Kunsel would hurry.

A rabbit decided it was the perfect time to cross the road. Genesis slammed the brakes. It broke Zack out of his contemplative mood.

"Cursed animal," Genesis muttered. "You don't have these problems when you fly."

"What, you never have a bird fly right in front of you?" Zack asked.

"I will abandon you here in this car."

Someone was grumpy. Between Genesis and Cloud, Zack wasn't sure who hated mornings the most. In the backseat, Cloud was in a state not too different from his previous coma. Talking to him earlier had resulted in grunts and then him snapping at Zack, which Zack was going to take as a sign of Cloud's condition improving enough for him to feel annoyance.

Genesis swerved, this time to avoid a cat. These roads weren't too trafficked, and the animals felt safe enough crossing whenever.

"I can always be the one to to drive if you want," Zack said, after letting Genesis whisper his new round of curses.

"No."

"You had no problem letting me drive when we had the bike."

"That was a different situation."

Zack nudged Genesis's shoulder. "Admit it, you loved being pressed against my back."

"No. You stank."

"So did you, and I didn't complain."

"Fair," Genesis growled. "Keep your mouth shut at least until the sun is fully up."

Zack sighed dramatically. "Fine."

They kept going until sometimes after seven, with Zack mostly in silence. Which was boring. His leg was bouncing so much he worried about making a hole in the car.

At that point, Genesis stopped, saying he needed to piss. He parked the car off the side of the road, and went off between the trees. Which, Zack realized now Genesis always went out of sight for this. Not that Zack had any interest in watching Genesis piss, but most guys wouldn't have a problem just going against the closest tree.

He guessed keeping his privacy must have been very important for Genesis. Zack had no idea how Genesis had managed to avoid anyone seeing him naked back in Wutai, with those shitty communal camp showers.

While Genesis did his business, Zack got out, stretched his legs a bit, and went to check on Cloud.

"Everything alright?" he asked. "The car isn't bothering you, right?"

"I'm doing fine," Cloud said. He stood by the side of the car, arms crossed.

"Maybe Shinra managed to cure you of the motion sickness," Zack said.

It would be for the best. Right now the road was mostly straight, and well kept. Zack was sure it would turn far worse as they went. They were headed for the northeastern part of the continent, which meant the smack middle of nowhere.

Because that's where reactors were, after all. Nothing else out there. They had decided to head for the dismissed reactor Genesis knew, because if Nibelheim had taught them anything was that Shinra liked to hide their secrets in reactor towns. Zack had to wonder what they could have kept back in Gongaga.

There were other reasons to go there. First, they would pass a small Shinra outpost along the way. It was in a convenient position, from there they could either head north to the reactor or south to pretty much anything else. And no one would think they would head north. Because, again, aside from the reactor there was absolutely nothing of interest.

Zack thought this would be good for Cloud. He had regained most of his coordination, and had started to show that his strength had been enhanced after all. With luck, they would find a weapon for him in the next couple towns. A low stakes mission would be a good way for Cloud to test himself.

Not that Zack was thrilled about putting Cloud in a fight soon, but they had little choice about it. The sooner he could protect himself the better.

Although, first they should let him try things out on some weak monster or the likes. Zack wasn't throwing him directly in front of an armed guard.

"I'm done," Genesis said, reappearing. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yup," Zack replied.

Cloud just shrugged.

"It shouldn't be too long before we get to the next town," Genesis said, taking the wheel again. "Which one is it?"

Zack grabbed the map. They had pilfered many of those from the tourist shops, enough to get by. After Kalm, they had already passed through a couple small towns, the last one about twenty minutes before. Zack looked for it.

"It's going to be Nersmad," he said.

Who had ever even heard of these places? And Cloud had once given him shit because of how Gongaga sounded.

"How many more until our stop?" Genesis asked.

"It's... three more towns. Fourth one is it."

They had agreed to stop by a slightly larger town they thought they would reach around noon. Get some gas – if they didn't end up needing it before – and eat there. Unwind for a minute, and then hit the road again.

They should take advantage of the civilization while they had it. The further from Kalm, the rarer towns became. According to Genesis, a lot of places had lost most of their population in the past decades, with everyone moving to Midgar for better jobs. In a couple days they would see nothing but occasional farms.

Two days to get to the outpost, they had estimated. After that it was another three to reach the old reactor. All in theory, depending on the conditions of the road, because the further from Kalm the shittier the upkeep.

Zack's ass was going to be car seat shaped once they got there.

***

It was about six in the afternoon when they decided to stop for the night. Zack had taken over driving after lunch, and discovered Genesis couldn't give clear directions to save his life. They had snapped at each other multiple times, thanks to Genesis's allergy to say, turn left, or, turn right, as opposed to, just go there.

The town was decently sized, but it only had two places to sleep. One was full, the other asked for an insane amount of money, and so they decided to camp in the car. Genesis, on grounds of having driven the most, got to lay down in the backseat. Zack and Cloud each took one of the front seats.

The next morning, Zack thought next time he should try sleeping on the roof.

They didn't leave immediately. While driving around, Zack had spotted something interesting. The store opened at nine, and so at nine on the spot he had dragged Cloud inside to shop.

"What would you prefer?" Zack asked. "A sword or a gun?"

"You both have swords already," Cloud said, eyes darting around.

"Genesis can take care of ranged fighters with Materia, if that's what you're worried about. Just think about what you would find most comfortable."

All infantry received basic training with both swords and firearms. Most of them ended up with ranged weapons in the end, as close combat was usually left to SOLDIERs. Zack remembered Cloud had been decent with both. Shinra issued him with rifles on missions, but one time Zack had put a sword in his hand to try and Cloud had handled it well.

Cloud looked lost. He walked back and forth in the weapons store, staring at everything. This place wasn't the most furnished, and the bulk of the selection was firearms. There were only a couple swords, and then some assorted knives.

"I don't know," Cloud said.

"What do you feel insecure about?"

Cloud glanced at Zack. "I'm... I haven't used swords in a long time."

"You also haven't used guns for a long time."

"I don't know if I remember."

"What am I for other than help you with it?" Zack asked. "We can spar to practice, if you want a sword. And I haven't touched a gun since basic, but I figure I can still give you some tips."

Cloud's brows furrowed. "What if I make a mistake?"

"Are you worried about hurting me?"

Cloud nodded.

"No need." Zack placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder and squeezed. "I've got more than enough practice to parry if you slip. And if you really worry about hurting someone, we can make you fight Genesis instead."

They walked in silence around the store a little more. The guy behind the counter glanced at them from time to time, but mostly stared at his phone. Zack doubted he had seen many other customers this week.

"Is this okay?" Cloud eventually asked, pointing at one sword.

Zack looked at it. It wasn't bad, it was no Buster Sword but it was alright. The blade was smaller than most SOLDIER issue ones, making it easier for a regular person to swing it around.

"You're the one who has to tell me that," Zack said. "If you want a sword, we get you a sword. If you want to become our personal sniper, we get you a gun."

Cloud didn't seem particularly thrilled by the second suggestion.

They left the store with the new sword sticking to the magnet on Cloud's back. Genesis was waiting for them at the car, eternal Loveless copy in hand.

"Are you done?" he asked, seeing them.

"Yep, we can leave whenever."

Genesis glanced at the new weapon. "You know how to use that, I trust."

"Yes," Cloud replied. He had tensed at the question, and then apparently shoved his previous doubts away. Or he was just putting up a front for Genesis.

"We can practice when we stop for lunch," Zack said.

"Very well."

Genesis was kind of cold with Cloud, Zack had noticed. Didn't speak to him a lot. Ignored him when he could, really. Zack hoped Genesis would warm up a little with time. Cloud had never been the most confident person, and he didn't need Genesis bringing him down with his negative energy.

***

"Ready?" Zack asked.

Cloud nodded, adjusting his grip on the sword.

They were in the middle of the woods. When they had come across a small dirt road, they had driven down it and stopped in a secluded place. There was enough space here for Cloud to practice, and no one around to see.

They started with some basic movements. Zack instructed Cloud on various moves to practice, and watched how he was doing. Which was well enough, for the most part. He was very obviously rusty, and surely not First Class SOLDIER level, but it was clear Cloud had the basics down.

The main issue was coordination. Not only was Cloud awkward still, but often his swings were too wide and lacked control. Which was a common issue with newly enhanced SOLDIERs. They didn't know their own strength anymore, put way more force into their blows than necessary. Cloud looked straight up baffled after the first few swings. He must have expected the sword to feel way heavier than it did.

All of this was stuff they could work on. The more Cloud practiced, the better he would understand his own strength. As for the way he occasionally tripped on his own feet, given how quick Cloud was shrugging off this coma Zack was confident they would fix the issue soon.

"Let's try a small spar," Zack said, when he was satisfied with looking.

Cloud gave a short nod, and got in position. He looked so serious. Made Zack want to pinch his cheeks.

Zack raised the Buster Sword, and signaled to Cloud to be the one to start. It took a couple seconds, but Cloud came at him. A side blow towards Zack's side, telegraphed so far ahead that no one wouldn't be able to parry it.

"Come on, put more effort into it."

Cloud readjusted his grip. "I don't–"

"Want to hurt me, I know, and don't worry. If I get hurt, it'll be my own fault."

It was what Angeal used to tell Zack when they were starting out. That Angeal had plenty of battle experience, and if a fourteen years old with no training could hurt him then Angeal must have been paying too little attention. Using his mentor's old lines on others would never stop being weird.

Cloud took a deep breath, and tried again. The first couple times he was still slow, but he seemed to grow more confident. He put more strength in his blows, and parrying them Zack got to feel just how much Cloud's strength had increased. Way above a normal man.

In fact, way above a Third Class too. Once Cloud stopped being so concerned, Zack found he had to put in some effort to keep his own sword steady when their weapons collided. It was the kind of strength that could snap the wrist of an unenhanced enemy.

That being said, the technique could really use some polishing. Zack didn't have much trouble defending himself, and when he started fighting back it didn't take him long to slip past Cloud's guard.

"Enough for now," Zack said, stepping away.

Cloud's breath was a little labored, but he wasn't panting. Increased endurance.

Zack put the Buster Sword on his back. "You're not doing bad."

"You were winning," Cloud replied.

"What, you think they hand out First Class seats like it's candy? You haven't been trained, and spent five years asleep, it's not weird that I was winning. With a normal enemy, you wouldn't have a problem. Right, Genesis?"

Genesis had blessedly been silent as he watched them spar. He looked at Zack, and Zack gave him a look that he hoped sent the message of, 'don't be a dick'.

"You are definitely physically strong enough to be a SOLDIER," Genesis said, turning to Cloud. "That alone gives you an edge."

"I am?"

Zack looked at him quizzically. "You didn't realize?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Dude. I felt how strong you were just now. They definitely gave you the good stuff."

"There is no saying how much mako they put in your body," Genesis added. "Likely much higher than a regular SOLDIER dose, given you were only an experimental subject. No one could get all that mako without some lasting effects."

"That... makes sense," Cloud said. His hands turned the sword around, as if to test its weight another time.

"And this means you're going to be one hell of an asset in a fight," Zack added. "Most people can't stand a chance against you."

Obviously Genesis had to be the spoilsport. "Although better technique wouldn't hurt."

"We can work on that," Zack said.

"And you should. If he ends up against a SOLDIER, he won't be able to win."

Zack huffed. "We're going to take an outpost with what, ten people? Twenty? If they have SOLDIERs stationed there, it's going to be one lone Third Class and the two of us can take care of it."

"I hope we won't stick to small outposts forever," Genesis replied.

"And by the time we move to real bases, Cloud will have improved, and gotten his whole strength back properly. We just need to keep practicing."

"I can wait in the car if you want," Cloud said. "For this one."

Zack shook his head. "I say you can come, if you want. You're the one who has to tell me that. And... I mean, what if we take one day to just get ready? Not like anyone is chasing us."

"Unfortunate figure of speech," Genesis said.

Zack cringed. He had almost forgotten they were on the run for a moment.

"You get what I mean. We plan on getting there tomorrow, what if we take the day off today and move the attack to the day after tomorrow? We'll feel better if we don't drive all day now."

"Will you feel better if you spar with him all afternoon?" Genesis asked.

Good point. Right now, Zack wasn't tired, but on the long run he might exhaust both himself and Cloud.

However, they didn't need to train the whole time. They could take a break now and eat, relax for an hour or so, and then try sparring again. Zack might not be a fan of sitting around doing nothing, but sitting under the trees on a nice sunny day beat sitting in the car until evening.

Besides, Cloud's recovery was so fast that even a single additional day might make a big difference for him.

"Come on," Zack said.

"We spent a week resting in Kalm. You are getting lazy."

"I don't need rest," Cloud spoke up. "I can go."

"Can the two of you stop being workaholics? What does it change really if we take one additional day to get there?"

Neither of them had anything to say to that. On the other hand, there was a definite advantage to taking a little longer. Being fresh and rested for their attack would lead to better results than trying it while tired and cranky from the car.

"Fine," Genesis conceded. "But you take the responsibility of dealing with him. I have been told I am not cut to be a teacher."

***

"These are communal, you know," Zack said.

They had decided to have dinner at a diner they found. Since Cloud's stomach was handling food well, Zack had allowed him fries privileges, and Cloud was already abusing of them.

"Not if you don't hurry up," Cloud replied, dipping another fry in mayo.

There was a hint of playfulness in his voice, and that made Zack's heart feel a little lighter. Cloud had been so disconnected the first days, face and eyes constantly blank. Now some of his old personality was starting to show properly.

Genesis grabbed a large fistful of fries from the communal plate and put them on his napkin, like the child he was. The rest of their food wasn't there yet.

"Why am I the only mature one here," Zack said.

"I know not what you are talking about," Genesis replied.

"I feel like a single father, and one of my children is older than I am."

Genesis bit into one fry, one eyebrow raised. "Is daddy going to be upset?"

Zack kicked him under the table. Genesis kicked back. Cloud shifted a little further from Zack, avoiding the line of fire.

"There we are, boys," the server said, coming back with their plates. "Plain hamburger, no additions."

"Here," Cloud said.

She put his burger in front of him. A sad thing, with no sauces or anything, but Cloud couldn't push his food luck too much yet. "Next, regular cheeseburger, no pickles."

"Mine, thank you," Genesis said.

"Alright. And I suppose the special is for you, then."

"Yup."

The server gave Zack his perfectly normal and reasonable burger, and left.

"And you even want fries after that thing," Genesis commented.

"Shut up, no pickles."

"Have you ever heard of the philosophy of less is more?"

Zack shook his head, trying to figure out how to bite his burger. Two patties, cheese, bacon, fried onion rings, pickles (because he wasn't five), tomato slices, and dripping three kinds of sauces. True perfection.

"You two wish you were me," Zack said, after the first bite.

"Sorry," Cloud replied, "delicate stomach."

"I am not washing your clothes later," Genesis told him, as he... took fork and knife to cut the burger in pieces. Because of course he did. Once a pretentious rich boy, always a pretentious rich boy.

It was all so normal. Zack bet that if any of the other people in the room were to be asked to describe three sorta terrorists planning on attacking a Shinra base, they would not point at them. They were just three guys on a roadtrip stopping for a bite.

Through the years, Zack had found that it was often like this. Very normal days, followed by battles, and then more very normal days. You had to compartmentalize. Thinking of nothing but future fights did nothing but drive people insane.

It was better to remind yourself that after any battle, there would be another evening out for a burger. And the next time, and the one after that. Until maybe, one day, they would be free to be nothing but three regular guys. No Shinra on their ass.

Zack took another bite, enjoying the greasy, filling taste of a night off.

Chapter Text

The base wasn't anything special. A bleak grey building, the Shinra logo peeling off the walls. It had been built fifteen minutes by car from a small town. The trees surrounding it made for good hiding spots, allowing them to observe it without being seen.

Two exists. Zack would say one in the front and one in the back, but he wasn't sure what the front of this place even was. It was a perfect square. A perfect block of concrete dropped in the middle of nothing. He and Cloud kept their eyes fixed on it from their hiding spot in the vegetation, waiting.

Their signal to move was the roar of a summoned Ifrit from the other side of the building. The security would run out towards it, and find Genesis.

"Come on," Zack whispered. With the confusion, he and Cloud could sneak in from the backdoor unnoticed.

Zack sprinted to the entrance, Cloud following a few steps behind. Zack would have to draw enemies to himself. Part of him would have preferred to leave Cloud hidden with the car, but he wouldn't have felt at ease not having him in sight.

The door wasn't SOLDIER-proof. Zack slammed into it with his full strength and weight. It kind of hurt, and it might bruise a little, but the door caved easily.

As expected most of the security had rushed out to fight the summon, and they didn't meet any until a couple hallways in. A man with a rifle, guarding one in a lab coat.

"Who are you?" the man shouted, raising the weapon.

Zack slowly moved the Buster Sword in front of him, straightening it out towards the man. "How about you put the weapon down and then we talk?"

The man swallowed. He was wasn't wearing a helmet – uniform rules seemed lax around here – and Zack saw his eyes dart between his face and the sword. Luckily, he didn't look like the kind of idiot who thought a gun gave you an immediate advantage. The rifle turned to point downwards.

"Put it on the ground," Zack said. "Then hands up. You too, mister doctor."

The man in the lab coat complied. Zack eyed him with distrust. A lanky guy in his thirties with a panicked expression. Looked harmless, but you never knew what a Shinra scientist could do.

Weird, that they had found one. With how small the place was, Zack would have figured they didn't do research around here.

"Now turn around," Zack said.

"You're SOLDIERs, aren't you?" the security man asked. "Why are you doing this?"

"We've got out reasons."

"You can't just–"

"Turn around, and maybe I'll tell you."

The two complied. It was clear they thought Zack and Cloud were going to stab them in the back as soon as they did. Instead, Zack just cast a Sleep on the security guard. He caught him before the man hit the ground, not wanting him to wake up because of the hit.

"You'll do us a favor, doc," Zack said, bending down. Genesis had gotten them some plastic zip-ties, and Zack quickly tied up the sleeping officer.

"I'm not a doctor," the scientist squeaked. "Just a researcher."

"Same thing. What kind of research do you do here?"

"We're just storing Materia."

Cloud stepped up, and pressed the side of the sword against the scientist's back. "You sure about that?"

That was a damn good threatening snarl. Cloud was a natural at this. Wouldn't have scared Zack, but Zack didn't think anything Cloud could ever do would scare him. The researcher, however, grew as rigid as a statue.

"I swear it's just storage!"

"We'll believe you this time around," Zack said. "Start taking us there."

Materia storage would have Genesis drool once he got in.

The researcher started walking, raised hands shaking slightly. Cloud watched him like a hawk. His face looked way too serious and focused for the simple task of keeping some nerd at sword point. Zack didn't comment on it. So long as it made Cloud feel good about himself. He turned his attention ahead, ready for any surprise waiting for them behind a corner.

They found another scientist, this one without anyone to guard her. Her hands were up in the air as soon as she saw them coming. Zack figured one hostage was enough, so he put her to sleep as well, hiding her in a corner.

From the outside, the base looked built on two levels. A ground floor, and an upper one that was probably meant for dorms. However, next to the stairs leading to the first floor, there was another set going down into an unseen basement.

Just as they got there, three people rushed down the stairs. Off duty security, Zack guessed, who had just managed to throw their pants on and run to the Ifrit still roaring outside. They weren't as smart as their colleague. One of them even fired a shot at them, regardless of the hostage.

"I'll deal with them," Zack told Cloud as the bullet ricocheted off the flat of his sword.

They were easy to dispatch. Zack didn't even need to kill them, he just swept at the legs. Not cutting them off, but enough to make them scream in pain and fall to the ground. A Sleep, and a quick Cure to avoid them bleeding out on the floor.

"Awfully nice of you to patch them up."

Zack turned, and found Genesis strolling their way. No hurry whatsoever in his steps. Aside from a couple out of place strands of hair, he looked as if he had just dressed up and left his room.

"Tell me you didn't leave a corpse trail," Zack said.

"I wouldn't know, these idiots can't even deal with one summon."

So he had left them all out there. The air was starting to feel a little hot, maybe that Ifrit was going overboard.

"What do we have here?" Genesis asked, turning to their scientist.

"He says there's a Materia storage area down there."

As predicted, Genesis's eyes started shining at that. "Show the way."

The basement floor was mostly open plan, with a couple desks here and there. Only one man had been sitting behind one of the desks, and he shot up as soon as he saw them come.

"Sound any kind of alarm and you'll wish you never were born," Genesis barked.

The man shakily raised his hands.

In truth, it was very likely someone would notify Shinra of what was happening soon. The Ifrit alone was a problem. The second security had time to breathe they would call for reinforcements, if they hadn't already. However, they had been fast enough for time not to be too much of an issue.

Much of the room was full of cabinets, and those were full of either Materia or mako stones. Zack wasn't enough of an expert to tell just from looking, but Genesis was already making the rounds, eyes running over each stone in turn.

"Anything good?" Zack asked.

"Most of this is common or low in level, but we have some interesting ones."

"Just don't take too long with the shopping."

"I'll contain myself." Genesis took a Summon Materia in hand, turning it around. "How about you chat with the shop owners for now?"

Zack turned on the two scientists, hands on his hips. They were cowering in a corner, with Cloud glowering at them in his best impression of the world's angriest kitten.

"So," he started, offering them a smile, "what do you do around here other than hoarding all of this stuff?"

"Nothing," said the man they had found down here. He was in his forties, his hair combed to try and hide the receding hairline.

Zack stepped closer. "You sure about that? This is a whole lot of Materia for a little unimportant base."

"We are only a sorting station. All of this comes from mines in the south, we store it here and then send it over to Midgar."

Neither Zack nor Genesis had known about this. From what Zack remembered, Materia sorting stations were in large cities less likely to be attacked.

"Don't you have a little too few guards?" Zack asked.

Sensitive locations like this usually had more than a small handful of security personnel. Here there wasn't even a single SOLDIER. Someone with better information than the three of them, who had access to Shinra's servers maybe, would have no trouble finding and raiding the facility. In Zack's days, you had eighteen layers of security for this sort of place.

"What, you just came in without even knowing what this place is?" the man asked.

Zack shrugged. "What if we did?"

"That's... What is wrong with you?"

"We don't have time for that conversation," Zack replied. "Is this a recent thing, putting you in charge of the sorting?"

The two scientists glanced at each other.

"A few months," the older one said. "They shut down some other places."

"Is it true," Genesis chimed in, "that Shinra is making interesting progress in its development of artificial Materia?"

Zack glanced to him. Genesis was turning a bright green Materia in his hand, thumb running over the smooth surface.

"I wouldn't know about that," the scientist replied.

"Please. Even with Wutai no longer being a threat, it's not wise to leave all of this with so little security. Unless Shinra believes they will be able to mass produce it in the foreseeable future."

The scientists looked uncomfortable.

Zack wasn't sure he followed. Wasn't a good amount of Materia already mass produced? All these mako stones were just waiting to be tossed into a machine and get spat out as shiny new Materia.

That was when a siren started blaring.

"Shit," Cloud hissed, grimacing at the sound.

"No time to talk," Genesis said. "Fair, give me a hand and grab what you can."

Zack quickly grabbed the closest pieces of Materia and shoved them in his pockets.

"Fair?" the younger scientist asked. His voice was almost drowned out by the noise. "Zack Fair? The First Class?"

Zack grinned at him. "In the flesh."

The scientist gaped. Zack felt almost offended he had not been recognized until Genesis had said his name. He hadn't posed for all those photosets just for his face to be forgotten.

They rushed out. A couple security personnel tried to stop them. Genesis, apparently emboldened by his findings, shot fire at them. Given they already looked fairly singed from trying to subdue Ifrit, they all ducked down fast.

There were no reinforcements in sight when they exited the facility. Not shocking, the base was pretty far from any other in the area, but it was still better to leave fast.

While Zack and Cloud ran, Genesis's wing unfurled. He took flight, all according to the escape plan they had set. Genesis was faster in the air than any human could be on ground, and they could use that to their advantage.

Cloud stumbled a few times. It slowed them down, but not much. So long as they kept going, they could afford to occasionally stop and to straighten him up. Zack made a mental note of giving him some track training.

They made it through the trees fast enough, and onto the road. Zack kept looking up, checking for helicopters. They wouldn't come by car to such a remote location.

Luckily, in the end the only thing that approached was the sound of a familiar engine. Genesis had rushed to their car's hiding spot, and drove up to met them. He stopped for the ten seconds needed for Zack and Cloud to jump in, then sped off fast enough for the wheels to screech against the asphalt.

A couple breaths into the drive, and Zack burst out laughing.

"We did it!"

"Slow down, puppy," Genesis said. "We're still too close for comfort."

"Don't be a downer, Gen."

"Call me 'Gen' again and I will fix you, puppy."

Dramatic, dramatic.

Zack turned around in his seat. In the back, Cloud's face was tomato red and his breathing ragged.

"You good?"

Cloud nodded.

"We've got to get you more used to running around," Zack commented.

"Guess so," Cloud wheezed.

Zack outstretched his hand towards the backseat. "High five, buddy."

With a huff, Cloud smacked their palms together.

***

They drove until evening before stopping the car off the side of the road. Genesis was still paranoid about Shinra finding them, but in Zack's opinion if they hadn't seen hide or tail of them so far they should be safe. They camped in the woods, no signs of life anywhere. It was time to relax and enjoy the little fire they had lit.

"Alright, let's look at the haul," Zack said, dropping his pilfered Materia on the ground.

He had to admit, there was a certain thrill in stealing stuff. This crime thing wasn't bad. Just thinking about it made an image of Angeal manifest in his mind, lecturing him over his behavior.

Except. Angeal had been a thief too once, hadn't he? He would understand.

Zack had grabbed a reasonable amount of Materia as they were running. Five pieces, what he could fit in his pockets. Cloud also had managed to take a couple. Meanwhile, Genesis had... way more than he should. Enough for Zack to wonder just how many pockets that coat of his had.

"Is it good?" Zack asked, as Genesis examined it.

"Every piece of Materia has potential for greatness."

Zack snorted. "Didn't think you'd believe in the Heart of the Cards. Of the Materias."

Genesis blinked, and raised his eyes to Zack. "Come again?"

"The Heart of the Cards. Y'know, no cards are too weak, you just have to believe in your deck."

"Did you get hit in the head?" Genesis asked.

"Oh, come on. Cloud, you know the Heart of the Cards, right?"

"You mean there's people who don't?"

If Cloud still remembered it through the mako coma, then clearly it was fundamental knowledge everyone should have.

Genesis glanced between the two of them. "Infinite in mystery indeed, is the inside of your heads."

Bore.

Genesis looked each piece of Materia over, examining it with care. He turned them between with his fingers, checking for any irregularities. Which some had. The Materia you found in stores was perfectly smooth, but some of these had bumps and scratches. One even looked more oblong than round.

The scientist said these came from mines. Natural Materias were rare, and Zack guessed they weren't all nice and pretty.

"What was it earlier about artificial Materia?" Zack asked. "You mean, a different process than refining mako stones?"

Genesis placed one Materia to the side. He was splitting them in piles, but Zack wasn't sure what the criteria was. "Indeed. Have you ever heard of Shinra attempting to crystallize mako directly into Materia?"

"Can't say I have."

"It was a hopeless research, last I heard of it. Refining mako stones is a delicate process, but one that can in the end be beneficial. Mako stone is abundant enough for it to be relatively cheap, too. Forcing mako to crystallize in a lab setting is more complicated. You need to burn ten times the mako to produce enough energy, there is a high chance of incidents, and the end product is generally unusable."

"But you think they are making progress."

"The resulting Materia strongly depends on the parent mako stone used. If Shinra could crystallize mako, not only would they no longer need to mine mako stone, but they would also have a far higher control on the end product."

"No offense, but it seems a bit of a stretch to guess all of this from a single unprotected base," Zack said.

Genesis sighed. "I suppose with the war over Shinra can afford to downsize on bases. Still, it is quite reckless."

"But good for us."

"We have been lucky," Genesis said, know-it-all voice on. "The base was almost defenseless. Not all of them are like this, and they might be on guard now."

"You know you don't have to always think of the worst case scenario, right?"

"Someone must, and it won't be you."

Cloud shuffled closer, eyes on the Materia piles. "So what did we pick?"

"So far, we have two Ice, one Lightning, one Poison, two Sleep, and this one is a Counter," Genesis said, dropping said Materia into a pile.

"What's that?" Zack asked, pointing at one of the unsorted ones. "That's a Summon."

"Yes, who grabbed it?"

Cloud raised his hand.

"Congratulations, we can summon a Moogle."

Zack reached out, and patted Cloud's shoulder. "I'm sure it'll be useful."

"Heart of the Cards," Cloud said.

"You know it, man."

They watched as Genesis finished sorting. He wasn't separating them by color – yes, Zack knew different colors corresponded to different types of magic, but he called them colors anyways. There wasn't a clear pattern that he could see.

"Very well," Genesis said, once done. "This pile here, is Materia that has already been used before. None of it is Mastered, but it's better than nothing."

It was the smallest pile. Made sense, if this was mostly mined stuff. The pieces also looked the best, all smooth and shiny.

"This is the Moogle," Zack said, pointing at their only Summon. "Those two are..."

"Ice, and Sleep. These," Genesis pointed at the second, larger pile, "are usable, but still virgin Materia."

Zack snorted. Virgin.

"What age did you get sent to the frontlines again?" Genesis asked.

"Fourteen."

"Yes, clearly the trauma has left you emotionally stuck at that age."

The only correct answer to that was to show his tongue at Genesis.

"Charming," Genesis said. "This third pile. I need to check whether they are usable."

"Why shouldn't they be?"

"They're damaged. For instance."

Genesis took one green Materia, and turned it over the fireplace. Zack and Cloud leaned in, looking at it. From a distance, Zack had noticed a few scratches, but nothing too dramatic. However, with the light shining right on it, he could make out a spiderweb of cracks crossing through the center.

"What happened to it?" Cloud asked.

"Nothing. It's possible for mako to be disturbed during Materia formation, this kind of pattern is typical of natural Materia. If the defects are too widespread, the magic flow can be altered, and it can result in faulty spells, or even the Materia exploding in the caster's hands."

"That can happen?" Zack asked.

"It can, and it's about as pleasant as putting your hand on a mine. I will make some careful trials to check."

And hopefully not lose an arm. Not even for Genesis's own sake, mainly because Zack didn't want to deal with Genesis getting cranky over it.

"You could have been a Materia scientist in another life," Zack commented.

"This is nothing too out there," Genesis replied. "Remember, Banora was on top of a massive mako spring. There was plenty of natural Materia, it would have been an embarrassment not to learn a couple things."

It felt more than a couple things to Zack, but if Genesis had decided to be humble about something, Zack wasn't going to argue.

Besides, Zack had to admit that it was nice to hear people talk about things they were passionate about, and he heard that twinge of excitement in Genesis's voice. People were happy if they talked about their passions, and Zack liked it when people were happy. Even if it was Genesis.

Unless it was Loveless. That was a special case. Zack should have to ask more Materia questions later to prevent the Loveless lectures.

Genesis dropped the flawed Materia. "You, Cloud. What are your skills with Materia?"

"I can use it," Cloud said.

"I didn't ask if you can use it, although that is a good start. I'm asking how well can you use it. If I put one of these in your hands, can I trust you not to kill yourself?"

"Yes," Cloud replied, clipped.

Without words, Genesis took one of the virgin Materias and threw it to Cloud. "Tell me what it is."

Cloud scowled at him. His eyes then turned down to the Materia, rolling it over. For a moment he didn't answer, enough for Zack to wonder whether he was able of telling what he had in his hands.

However, he did eventually say, "Lightning."

"Correct," Genesis said. "Can you cast?"

Cloud stood up, and walked a little distance from them. His lips moved without speaking, as if trying to remember the words needed to activate the magic. That part shouldn't be hard. In Zack's experience, once you had gotten some confidence with the Materia, the words just bubbled into your head holding one. Like the Materia itself was suggesting how to use it.

Then, Cloud tried to cast. Nothing happened.

He tried a second time. Again, nothing.

"Do you need a hint?" Genesis asked.

"No."

"Are you certain?"

Cloud looked at Genesis like he wanted to aim the lightning at him.

"Alright, alright," Zack said, standing up. "Come on. You're just out of practice."

He walked up to Cloud, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I can do it," Cloud said.

"I know, buddy. You just need to focus. Believe in your Materia and all."

"Heart of the Materia?" Cloud asked.

Zack grinned. "You bet. Come on, try it again."

Cloud cast the spell. Nothing.

"I know you've got the energy in here," Zack said, and gave Cloud's chest a good slap. "You just have to channel it. Imagine you're trying to singe Genesis's stupid hair off."

"I can still hear you."

"Good. Cast this spell, Cloud, I'll be up here with you all night until you manage."

Cloud took a deep breath. The Materia again rolled between his fingers. The words, once did nothing. But the second time, Zack saw some sparks dancing on top of the green stone.

He decided to say nothing about it. If Cloud hadn't noticed, knowing might just make him more frustrated.

And then, finally, after a few more tries, a bolt jumped from the Materia. It wasn't a large one, which was for the best given they were in the middle of the woods. Still, it was lightning. It was directed away from Zack, but his hair raised at the proximity.

"You did it!" Zack shouted, and slapped Cloud's shoulders.

A grin formed on Cloud's face.

"Not the best spell, but better than nothing."

Zack turned to Genesis. "Shut it."

"I speak only the truth."

"Shut it again."

Cloud needed encouragement here, not Genesis's bitching.

Genesis rolled his eyes. "I suppose some extra credit should be given considering it was virgin Materia. It can be harder to make the magic flow if the crystal has never been used before."

"Now aren't you proud of yourself," Zack said. "You sure popped that rock cherry."

Cloud snorted, and elbowed Zack in the ribs.

He deserved a reward for that spell. Honestly, they all did. Next town they got to, they would have to treat themselves. Get a proper inn, maybe one that served you breakfast too, and with some fancy high tech mattress.

***

"It's either the queen bed plus single, or nothing."

Motels sucked this far north. Not like anyone came around these parts for pleasure. This was the best place they had been able to find, and of course all of the ten other people traveling around here had already gotten a room.

"What do we do?" Zack asked. It was too late to search for something better. He really didn't want to end up sleeping in the car again, and they couldn't camp with the way it had started raining.

"Two of us can survive sharing," Genesis said.

They could, Zack guessed. A bed was a bed.

"Is it a problem if I get my own bed?" Cloud asked.

Zack answered before Genesis could. "No, it's fine."

For sure, Cloud deserved it the most.

But that left him with the big problem of having to share bed with Genesis. Zack could cope, he supposed. Nothing embarrassing or inappropriate about two grown men sharing a bed. Just a regular sleeping arrangement.

When it became time to go to bed, Zack wasn't sure either of them could be called an adult anymore.

"Stay in your half, and I will stay in mine," Genesis said.

"I can't exactly control myself while I sleep," Zack replied. "And I remember you being quite touchy feely in your dreams."

Genesis narrowed his eyes at him. "Go to bed, Fair."

They both usually stripped down to their underwear to sleep. Tonight, however, Genesis had kept on his shirt too, because Goddess forbid Zack brush against his sacred bare skin in their sleep. Zack was in his underwear, because he didn't have weird hangups.

Although, it kind of felt vulnerable. Like Genesis could see every spot he could stab Zack in all too clearly. Not that Genesis had reason to do that, but who knew. He could develop a sudden murderous sleep walking tendency.

Genesis got under the covers, and turned towards the wall. Zack did the same, and turned in the opposite direction, towards Cloud's bed. He leaned to turn off the lights.

"Good night," Cloud said, the mako in his eyes glistening in the dark.

"Night."

Zack closed his eyes. Just fall asleep. Stay on your side of the bed, and sleep. It was a good position, comfortable, decent pillow too. Five minutes and he would be out.

He had never felt the overwhelming need to lie spread eagle as bad as he did now.

A little shifting wouldn't hurt. Shuffling his shoulders. Rearranging his arms. There was kind of an itch in his left shoulder blade.

Something hit his shin. Something extremely cold.

"Dude," Zack hissed.

"Stop moving," Genesis said.

"I'm never doing footsie with you, you're freezing."

"Can you put aside your childish obsession with sex jokes for a moment?"

Zack kicked backwards towards Genesis. This was going to be hell.

***

Zack woke up, and felt like he was in a furnace. The world was boiling hot. Sweat was clinging to his skin. Was there a fire going on in the room?

He made to move, and realized he couldn't. Something was around his waist. Something that was holding him in a powerful grip. Something kind of like an arm.

Still confused from sleep, Zack opened his eyes. Hotel room. No lights, and no fire. Just an oppressively hot presence plastered against him.

Oh shit.

That was definitely Genesis cuddling him. Not a sentence Zack would have ever imagined thinking. Apparently that time Genesis had gone to cuddle Cloud hadn't been a one off thing, it was a pattern with this guy. And now Zack was trapped.

He wasn't sure how to feel about it. Once he got out of Genesis' grip, it would be very funny. Right now, Zack had never been more terrified to be on the receiving end of a hug before.

After a long moment, he decided he wasn't going to suffer alone.

"Hey," he whispered, elbowing backwards. "Genesis. Man. What the fuck."

Genesis shifted. His forehead pressed against the back of Zack's head. Now Zack could feel his breathing against his bare neck too, amazing.

"Genesis, are you awake? Do you know what you're doing here?"

Genesis mumbled something.

"I didn't hear that."

"Said you're a little spoon."

Like that was the point here! Why should Zack be ashamed of it, he wasn't even aware he was going to have a cuddle session tonight. Yet Genesis sounded so smug.

Zack elbowed him again, harder. "Get off."

Genesis did, rolling away. Beautiful cool air hit Zack's back. How come the cold feet monster had turned into a volcano through the night?

Oh, Zack was so not going to let him live this down.

Although, he was also kind of relieved. Zack knew he was a hugger too. If he had been the one to wrap octopus style around Genesis, he would have never been allowed to forget it.

Chapter Text

The further west they went, the less people they found. Towns were few and far in between. Farms too. There was nothing but long stretches of forest and prairies. The only thing more common than the trees were the holes in the road.

They briefly stopped at a town that couldn't have more than a thousand people. There wasn't much of anything, but there was a public library. It might be the last they would find on this stretch of the road.

Zack didn't get the freedom to check his email on his own today. Genesis had insisted that important information should be reviewed by all of them, and so they were all sitting in front of the same computer – the only one, actually, in this tiny tiny library. The chairs were small, and so were the desks. Genesis's knee was bumping into Zack's thigh, and Cloud was plastered to his side.

Kunsel had sent an email the day before. Perfect timing.

Hey,

I managed to speak with Aerith. I told her you're alive and doing fine. She says when you come back she's personally going to bash your head in with a baseball bat for making her worry so much.

"Charming girl," Genesis said.

Zack just snorted, a smile spreading on his face. That was his Aerith. A little shy at first, but once she felt at ease with someone she could be a true menace.

Well, she had been shy when Zack had met her. It had been gradual, but she had been getting more confident in herself, and he had encouraged her. Maybe now she was a menace all the time. He couldn't wait to see it.

And fyi, your girlfriend is also considering moving to a life of crime. She told me she heard some splinter cells of Avalanche are still active below plate, and asked me if it could be worth looking for them. To get Shinra off your back, I mean. I don't like it, but Aerith is very determined about this. I'll be doing my research on these people.

Before you ask, yes I will keep an eye on her, yes I will look into it myself, and yes I will tie her to a chair if she decides to do anything too dangerous.

"Reckless, but it could come in handy," Genesis said. "We can only benefit from Shinra being forced to divide its attention."

"I'm not going to encourage my girlfriend to go run with Avalanche," Zack replied.

It didn't matter much to Zack that he and Avalanche were now technically allies in the fight against Shinra. He had seen how little Avalanche cared about collateral damage. And the Ravens thing. No way Zack would ever forget what had happened to Essai and Sebastian. Avalanche wasn't the kind of people Zack wanted near Aerith.

Actually, Zack would feel a lot more relaxed if Aerith wasn't trying to work with anti-Shinra groups in the first place.

"Understandable. Acting below Plate is risky. If Shinra knows she's your girlfriend, more likely than not she is already under surveillance."

Oh, Genesis didn't know the half of it.

But on to the important news – not that Aerith isn't important but you get me – the Turks are in shambles. I was contacted by Cissnei, she told me she would only leave me a message and not to look for her. There have been issues in the department for ages, since Veld got demoted. It all came to a head a few weeks ago. She didn't give me a lot of details, the message was short, but she says almost everyone in the department defected. To her knowledge only Tseng, Reno and Rude stayed behind and get this: apparently Rufus Shinra himself put in a good words for them, because the President was ready to straight up execute them.

This should be good news to you, I hope. Without the Turks you'll be much harder to track down. If you run across Cissnei she might help you out, but don't ask me where she went because I have no idea.

"So that's why no one started tailing us after we attacked the base," Genesis said. "They are short staffed. We decimated the army, and they are all out of Turks."

Zack shook his head, re-reading the words. "What the hell happened for all these Turks to leave?"

"Even Turks might have a limit to what they're willing to do for money."

"You don't get it. I know Cissnei, she was raised by Shinra. She's basically been a Turk all her life, it's all she had."

"Not unlike you were raised by SOLDIER," Genesis pointed out.

Zack licked his lips. "Not the same."

"Why not?"

"I had a family, parents, a life before SOLDIER. Cissnei was an orphan. I can't imagine what she could be doing outside of Shinra."

Cloud shifted next to him. "Do you also know those three? Tseng, Reno, and Rude?"

"Yeah," Zack said, nodding. "And I can't imagine what they would have done to piss Shinra off so much. Tseng was like the perfect Turk."

Shinra would have liked Tseng to be stricter with Aerith, but that was the only flaw in his service that Zack knew of. Hardly anything worth being executed. Reno and Rude were weirdos, but they also did their job as told, and Zack had never heard of them going against orders.

That's all the news I have for you. Let me know when you read this. Say hi to Cloud and don't let Genesis drive you to insanity.

Kunsel

"I resent the implication it is I who is driving you insane," Genesis said.

"I'm not the one who can't shut up about a book."

"And I'm not the one who spent two hours explaining the intricacies of Wutai animation focusing on trading cards."

Zack clicked Reply. "Do you guys have anything in particular to ask Kunsel?"

"A complete rundown of Shinra's activities would be too much, I imagine," Genesis commented. "It could be worth knowing more of this Turk situation, but I suspect only the few Turks that remain have the full picture, and I don't count on any of them being helpful. Ask whether there are any large scale operations going on, or if he knows anything about the army being moved to our side of the continent."

Zack nodded, writing it down. "Any idea, Cloud?"

"Huh? No, I guess what Genesis said is good."

"Want me to say hi to Kunsel for you?" Zack asked.

Cloud shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

Zack looked at him for a moment, but then went back to typing. Cloud and Kunsel had been friendly enough, but he didn't think they had been close. It was rare for Cloud to open up when it came to the SOLDIER friends Zack had introduced to him. Insecurities, probably. Still, Kunsel would be happy to know Cloud said hi back.

***

They reached the abandoned Risha reactor at a leisure pace. Driving through town, Zack wondered if this place could be called a town in the first place. It made Gongaga look like a metropolis. Houses were sparse, and more than a few abandoned.

The weather didn't make the place look any happier. Grey clouds covered the sky. It wasn't raining yet, but Zack wouldn't be surprised if it started soon.

At least, they had reached the sea. Having grown up in the middle of the continent, Zack had always found the sight a little magical. All this endless water, the peace beaches brought.

However, today the sea wasn't all the peaceful. Greyer than the sky, and even from a distance Zack could make out the rolling waves.

"Cheerful place," Genesis commented. He had reclined his seat back, and put his feet on the dashboard. Zack would complain about him making it harder to see out of the window on that side, but that would imply there being anything worth seeing.

"I don't think we need to ask for directions to the reactor," Zack said.

The landscape was almost flat, and the reactor had been built on the tallest so called hill around. A menacing metal shape peering from above the bare trees.

"Somehow, I suspect none of the locals would like it if we asked either."

"Yeah, they don't look cheerful either."

The few around were openly scowling at the car.

Zack just sped up, going towards the reactor. He was very quick to leave behind the last of the houses.

The reactor was getting pretty close to falling apart. Rust and salt damage were starting to climb up the metal walls. Given the bird calls, and suspicious white stains near the top, Zack guessed there were plenty of nests up there.

He parked on the road, not like anyone else was using it. The area directly around the reactor was covered in concrete. A very fat seagull glared at them as they left the car, as if offended by their presence.

Zack stretched his arms. "I don't think we'll have problems getting in."

The doors were broken, leaving a dark hole to greet them. It made Zack a little wary. No matter how rusted and damaged, reactor doors were built to resist human interference. Something else must have come around here.

And Zack hoped it had come from the outside. A shiver went down his back, remembering rows of pods and green glowing windows.

Not that it was hard not to shiver here. Air was chilly. Sea breeze could be a pain.

"Not what I had expected," Genesis said, frowning.

"Could someone have broken in?" Cloud asked.

Zack turned to him. "Well, I don't think they broke the doors down for fun."

"We should hope nothing broke out," Genesis said.

The words had Cloud's face harden. His eyes looked lost for a moment, and then he reached for his sword.

Zack waited to take his weapon. If they were lucky, they would find nothing but more annoyed fat seagulls.

They walked in slowly. The only hint of light inside was the faint glow of their SOLDIER eyes. More rust, more bird shit. At least, building plans didn't change much between reactors, and it wasn't hard to figure out how to reach to the lower levels, jumping between platforms where the stairs had started to break down.

An active reactor would have bubbling mako pools. This one was dry. Only some glowing green stains remained. They didn't do a lot to improve visibility, and in fact Zack would have preferred those streaks not to be there at all. It was creepy.

Not, however, as creepy as the pods they found when they reached the deeper rooms.

Genesis lit a fire in his hand, allowing them to better see the scene. Not as many as the Nibelheim reactor used to hold, only half a dozen. Four were open. One of those had a skeleton in front of it, the creature must have keeled over as soon as it was released. No sign of the occupants of the other three.

Zack stepped up to one of the still closed ones. Shut down, no light to reveal the creature inside. Genesis brought the fire closer, showing something slumped against the round window.

The pod was sealed so well the thing didn't look rotten, despite having been dead for something like ten years.

Zack took a step back, closing his eyes. He wasn't just shivering anymore, now ice had climbed around his entire spine. This was bringing back some very uncomfortable memories. At least there was no other door behind the pods, no bigger monster waiting for them.

The sound of retching made him snap out of it.

Cloud was leaning against the railing, dry heaving. Damn. Zack should have told him to wait outside when he had seen the torn open doors.

"You good?" he asked, quickly getting to his side.

"It's... The car got to me."

"Delayed reaction?" Genesis asked, voice dry.

Zack's head snapped to him. Having him stand there in front of the pods was another uncomfortable reminder of some very bad times. It made Zack's knuckles itch.

"Why don't we go get some air," Zack said, still scowling at Genesis.

Cloud put a hand on his arm. "I'm fine."

"There might still be some fumes in this place. Let's get you out."

Zack took hold of Cloud's elbow, and steered him towards the exit. Seeing what this place was like on the inside, he doubted there was anything of worth left. No need to stay in here long.

Fresh air would also cool Zack's head. He and Genesis were working together now. Genesis hadn't been in the right state of mind in Nibelheim. Zack had also had some regrets about how Nibelheim had went down. Breaking Genesis's stupid nose would get them nowhere.

After being in that metal trap, even the gloomy sky was a welcomed sight. Despite the change of lights, Cloud still looked remarkably green.

"Wanna sit down?" Zack asked.

Cloud shook his head. "I'm fine, really. Just need a minute."

"Road was a bit bumpy," Zack said. "I don't think anyone came to fix it in ten years."

He'd keep up Cloud's excuse for now. Later, at some point, they'd need to have a proper talk about Nibelheim. Just because Cloud was awake now it didn't mean Zack wasn't committed to his well being anymore, and if he had played nurse well enough he might be a passable therapist too.

However, not when Cloud looked like he would throw up if pressed about it.

Cloud, for his part, went down to sit at the edge of the concrete platform.

Zack plopped down next to him. "This place is crap. Birds had the right idea. They're really decorating it how it deserves."

"Can you wait a few minutes before making me think about gross stuff?" Cloud asked.

"No. This is the perfect moment."

Cloud punched his arm.

Zack nodded to the car. This actually gave him the chance to bring something up. "Do you think you'd feel better if you were the one to drive?"

"Maybe?" Cloud said.

"Wanna try later?"

It would help both Zack's and Genesis's mood if Cloud could also take turns at the wheel. Zack's legs were starting to cramp a bit.

"I don't know. Haven't driven anything in a while."

"It'll come back to you. Like riding a bicycle."

"Because all bicycles weigh various tons."

It shouldn't be that bad. The car had automatic transmission, too. Driving stick, that would have been harder to pick up again.

"Do you have a driving license?" Zack asked, after a moment.

"No. You?"

"Shinra made me get one. But you do know how to drive, right?"

Cloud elbowed him. "What kind of country bumpkin would I be without illegally driving grandpa's old truck since I could reach the pedals?"

Zack didn't think Cloud had ever mentioned his grandfather before. Then again, he had always been a bit tight lipped when it came to his family, only sometimes talking about his mother.

"Why, you actually reach the pedals?" Zack asked.

Cloud punched him again, harder.

Steps coming from the reactor told them Genesis was coming out. Zack turned to him, and decided the fresh air had indeed helped, because he no longer felt like hitting Genesis. No more than the usual amount.

"Found anything?"

Genesis shrugged. "Nothing of use. I examined our deceased friends, but alas I am not a medical doctor."

"I don't think you are a doctor in anything."

"Thank you, Zack, for reminding me of my tragic lack of a PhD."

Now Zack was catching glimpses of a world where Genesis did have one. Gods. Dr Rhapsodos. His ego would have its own gravity.

"They're all dead, right?" Cloud chimed in. "Those things."

"Very. The machines keeping them alive shut down years ago. Some clearly managed to escape, but those that didn't are not a problem."

Cloud scowled. "So Shinra shut this place down, and just left them there?"

Genesis shrugged. "I doubt they thought any would have survived. One was barely able to make it out of its pod before dying."

"And the other three broke down the doors to escape."

Zack turned in the direction of town. The houses were quite the contrast against the otherwise uniform green landscape. "Maybe we should ask the locals if they know anything about them."

"They'll tell you where they wish we would put the monsters and close the door in your face," Genesis said.

"Look, maybe they're not that annoyed with us."

"You try talking to them."

***

"And what is that to you?"

There was exactly one pub in the whole town, and the woman behind the counter didn't look impressed by the three strangers standing in it.

"Is there any harm in telling me?" Zack said.

"I don't know. No one who comes in and drives up to that reactor is good news."

Zack briefly turned back. Genesis was cleaning his nails, not interested in helping, and Cloud had become enthralled by some kind of fishing equipment hanging on the wall.

"Look, we aren't Shinra," Zack told the lady. "We're just mercenaries. We heard there was a reactor around here, and came to check it out."

"Why would we need mercenaries around here?"

"Well, I'll let you know we are very good at dealing with mutated mako monsters."

The woman didn't look impressed. "Admitting we have any."

"We're also good with regular monsters, too. We're open minded."

"Sure," the woman snorted.

"Look, if you tell me you really have nothing going on here, we're going to leave you alone. But if you've got some trouble, why not let us take care of it?"

"And for what price, merc?" she sneered.

"Warm meal would be a good start," Zack replied, smiling at her.

"And a good end, too."

Zack leaned on the counter. "Does that mean you do have something for us?"

After a moment, the woman huffed. "Look, I don't know about those things that came out of the reactor and if they're still around, but there's quite a few people who thinks they interbred with something after."

"Why do you say that?" Zack asked, the well-calibrated pleading puppy notes leaving his voice.

"There's more monsters around here than there used to. Uglier, too. There's a big nasty one near the cliffs up north, and it doesn't care about our shotguns. If you big mercs can take care of that, we'll talk."

Again, Zack turned to the others. Both Genesis and Cloud now looked interested.

"Just tell us where," Zack said.

***

"What the actual fuck," Zack said.

After leaving the tavern, Genesis had said he didn't know if the mako monsters could have interbred with the local monsters. Those creatures had been almost humanoid. Common monsters in this area weren't. There was a limit to what mako mutations could do to something.

Well, it turned out Genesis was a shit doctor and an even worse biologist, because that for sure wasn't a normal Replicon. Which would have been ugly enough by itself. This thing was bigger, and its feathers much sparser. Its arms were very long. The body somewhere in the middle between a human and a bird body plan.

"I quite concur," Genesis replied, as the monster screamed at them.

It had human teeth? In the beak? Zack was going to have so many nightmares about this tonight.

But no time to think about it. Genesis started the attack, swinging his sword at the monster. The thing was agile, but that advantage became lost with three enemies attacking it. Zack went for the legs, and gross, it had feet.

It wasn't a long fight. Cloud, bless him, got his shining moment in distracting the monster right as Genesis moved to bury his sword into the monster's side. The thing squawked, and tried to bite Cloud. Cloud kind of slapped it across the face with the flat of his sword, looking supremely disgusted.

Zack cut off a reaching arm. The monster fell down for good, and they all immediately went to decapitate it.

"Fuck this thing," Cloud said, with emphasis.

"I would prefer not to," Genesis replied.

"What was it about the inbreeding thing?" Zack asked. "Oh, they're too different, oh, it's just stupid villagers who don't know what they're talking about–"

"For all we know this is just the result of mutation."

"Just admit you talked out of your ass there."

Cloud snorted. "Why, there's times he doesn't?"

Genesis kicked Zack's shin. "He will set you both on fire."

"You'd set yourself on fire before admitting you were wrong," Cloud told him.

Zack snickered, jumping on one leg, because Genesis's kick had been way stronger than warranted.

"And which one of you wonderful men," Genesis said, crossing his arms, "will carry this thing's head all the way back to town to prove we killed it?"

Ah. Ew.

Chapter Text

Zack woke up feeling sweltering, suffocatingly hot.

After a couple panicked seconds, he remembered. They were staying the night at a chocobo farm, and they had been offered a room with a double bed and a bunk single bed. Perfect for a couple with a child. The child being Cloud, who had claimed the single bed at the speed of light, and the couple being apparently Zack and Genesis.

And Genesis had done what he did every time he fell asleep close to someone: wrap himself around them in what Zack assumed was a perfect imitation of a Malboro's mating habits.

Now, Zack wasn't going to lie. He was the one who had thrown one leg across Genesis in his sleep, because he also had his octopus instincts. He, however, hadn't told Genesis to smush Zack's face into his chest.

At least Genesis was kind of dressed.

Thinking about it, maybe Cloud had his reasons for avoiding at all costs ending up in bed with either of them.

Zack began to struggle against Genesis's grip. After a moment, Genesis let out an annoyed grunt.

"Morning, buddy," Zack gasped.

Some kind of growl.

"You mind letting me go?"

Genesis shoved Zack – as if this was his fault – and rolled over.

The farm had a common bathroom for all guests. Zack left the room, going to relieve himself before the others woke up. He needed to shave, too. They hadn't gotten a bathroom in a few days, and he was starting to get patchy. Genesis had been complaining about how bad Zack's scruff looked, as if that was even his problem.

By the time Zack was done, the other two were still asleep. Zack leaned down, and poked Genesis's side.

"Hath endured torment," Genesis groaned, rolling away.

"And you willeth endureth moreth. Get up."

Genesis just pressed his face in the pillow.

Zack decided to attempt with the other sleeping beauty. "Hey, Cloud. Wakey wakey."

Surprisingly, Cloud didn't complain or try to escape into the blankets. Quite the opposite. As soon as Zack shook him, Cloud's eyes snapped open, and he shot to sit up as if Zack had woken him screaming about a fire.

The ceiling was low. Cloud's forehead slammed straight into a beam.

"Everything good, Spike?" Zack asked. That looked like it hurt.

Cloud fell back down in bed, a hand on his face. "Fuck."

"Let's hope you didn't break the ceiling," Zack said, making a show of reaching for the offending beam.

"Fuck off."

"What was the hurry about?"

Cloud groaned, massaging his head. "Nothing. Was having a weird dream."

Zack leaned against the bed frame. "What kind?"

"Just weird," Cloud said. He paused, as if trying to remember the details. "It's like I was standing in the middle of this room, but I was also still in bed. And the me standing was watching the me sleeping. Just staring at me."

Zack figured he might also be a bit alarmed if he was woken up while having that kind of dream.

"Bit self centered to stare at yourself as you sleep, isn't it?" he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I already have to see your faces all day, like hell I'm watching the two of you humping each other in my dreams too."

"We don't hump each other."

"Not like you can tell looking at how you sleep."

Zack flicked Cloud's cheek. Cloud batted at his hand with a groan.

Seeing as neither of the other two looked close to leaving the bed, Zack opted for violence. He walked to the window and yanked open the curtains. Sounds of pain and threats came from both beds.

"It's not time to hibernate yet," Zack said. Hard was the life of the single father.

***

"So, how big are these snakes?" Cloud asked.

They were hoping to move to the southeastern part of the continent, past the mountains. The route was easy enough, but they hadn't accounted for the Zoloms. Neither Zack nor Genesis had been around these parts often enough to remember the snakes until the chocobo farmer had pointed the problem out.

"I heard they may reach thirty meters," Genesis said, "but most are smaller than that. Twenty or so meters, I would say."

He lying across the backseat, apparently preparing for a nap. Cloud was taking the wheel today. After some coaxing, they had managed to get him to drive, and now it was a struggle to make him get a break. Mad with power.

Cloud swerved to avoid a pothole, with a bit too much energy for Zack's liking. "And are they that big of a problem?"

"I don't know, might a twenty meters snake be an issue?" Genesis said.

"For normal people, sure. Don't tell me it'll be a problem for us."

"It's not the size, it's the special abilities," Genesis explained. "They possess a good level of fire magic."

Personally, Zack wasn't that concerned. The three of them against a Zolom would be an easy fight. The people at the chocobo farm had just put them a bit on edge.

Genesis stretched his arms. "We won't have any problem until we reach the marshes, anyways. Wake me up then."

"Will do," Zack said.

Behind them, Genesis shuffled a little, and closed his eyes. His breathing even out fast. That guy was like a cat, he could never get enough sleep.

The car fell silent. Nothing for Zack to do, or to look at. Just grass, and hills, and the occasional grazing chocobo. Boring.

He might have taken a nap too, except Cloud was being quite nervous with the driving today. Sudden swerves, speeding up a little too much considering the road. Every bump made the car jump, and Cloud's fingers tighten on the wheel.

"Everything alright?" Zack eventually asked.

"Yes."

"Then why are you trying to dent the wheel?"

Cloud's grip relaxed. "I'm not."

"Sure you aren't." Zack sighed. "What is it? The Zoloms making you nervous?"

"No."

Well, he certainly didn't sound like he was in a good mood, so something else must have been the matter. Zack tried to think about it. The day had been good enough so far. Aside from Cloud hitting his face into the ceiling earlier.

"Are you still thinking about your weird dream?" Zack guessed.

"Why? It was just a dream," Cloud snapped.

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Touchy."

"I'm not touchy," Cloud replied, very touchily.

"So, is it the dream after all?"

Cloud didn't answer, staring at the road with his eyebrows pulled.

To be honest, from how Cloud had described it, it hadn't been a dream worth mulling over all day. Weird and maybe creepy, but not anything that bad. Not the kind of dream that made you wake up in a cold sweat.

Zack hadn't had those in a while. He used to sometimes, when he was with Shinra. After Angeal had died. But keeping busy helped push the thoughts away, and he had been very busy this past year. There had been a couple times, but not many.

A few days ago he had woken up in the middle of night from a noise. He had made out the shape of Genesis sitting up, looking like he was hugging his knees to his chest. Zack had rolled to the other side, and pretended he had seen nothing.

"We all have weird dreams from time to time," Zack said. "Sometimes it's the dumb shit that stays with you, too. Like, I get it."

Cloud let out a long sigh. "It was just a dream."

"But it would be kind of creepy to have someone stare at you while you sleep."

"Except I was doing the staring."

Zack nodded. "Extremely creepy."

After a moment, Cloud spoke again. "That... wasn't the weirdest thing."

"And what was it?"

"It was like I was looking with someone else's eyes. Or something else's."

"Why do you say that?" Zack asked.

"Things were off, somehow. It was dark, but I could still see colors and shapes, but not the right colors. Everything had some kind of filter. And some things were too sharp, and others out of focus."

Zack hummed, frowning. Strange, but a dream was a dream.

"It's stupid," Cloud said, shaking his head.

"Nah, it's not. Seeing things in a different way can be hard."

"Is this some kind of wise metaphor?"

Zack shrugged. "No, I'm talking very literally. Did you know I used to be colorblind?"

Cloud glanced at Zack, then back at the road. "Used to be?"

"Yep."

"I didn't know you could stop being colorblind."

A rabbit decided it was the best time to cross the road. Cloud hit the brakes. The animal even stopped to look at them before running off into the grass.

"It's genetic, yeah," Zack said, readjusting his seat belt. "But Shinra has a way to fix your eyes. It's super hard and expensive and experimental, so they only offer it to SOLDIERs and the likes. I was a bit concerned at first, but I was too curious about seeing all the colors."

"And how did it go?"

"They did some surgery, then had me keep my eyes covered for a couple days. According to them I still don't have perfect color vision, but now it's only dim colors that give me problems. I can see everything for the most part."

"And you like..." Cloud paused. "What is it you couldn't see? Red and green?"

Zack huffed. "Buddy. Can you imagine growing up in a jungle, and then one day realizing everything around you had not been a sad yellow the whole time?"

That had Cloud snort.

"I stared at plants," Zack said, "for like an embarrassing long time after surgery."

And gotten the headaches of his life, because his brain had gone fourteen years without elaborating red or green and then it all came slamming into his eyes. Overwhelming as hell.

But worth it. He never would have seen Aerith's pretty eyes otherwise.

He wondered how she was doing. Last time Kunsel had updated him, he had said Aerith was still pushing him to become terrorists or something. Kunsel had found out some stuff about those Avalanche people. He said they were a little too extreme for his liking, but aside from that they actually seemed like good people.

Zack missed them both. For a while he had been able to ignore his desire to go to Midgar, but now the urge was coming back. It was almost a physical ache. Even if Shinra was there, its threat was turning weaker and weaker in Zack's mind.

He sighed. No, he had to wait still. The three of them had many more bases to raid before that. And no clear long term plan.

"Are you the one upset now?" Cloud asked.

Yeah, great going there. He had managed to distract Cloud from that dream and then made himself sad.

"I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Midgar. I want to go back. I know it's a shit idea, but I do."

Cloud paused for a moment. "Me too."

"Really?" Zack asked. "What for?"

Cloud didn't have people waiting for him in Midgar, after all.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Cloud said. "I guess it might feel like we're doing something more important than just bully a few infantry people."

"Can't blame you."

In any case, they wouldn't be going for a while. They would find plenty of things to do past the mountains.

***

The road through the marshes sucked. Badly kept. Wet, obviously. Zack woke Genesis up, and they drove through with their eyes fixed outside the window. It was for the best to be alert, and quick. The mountains were growing larger on the horizon, but it would only be safe once they reached the pass.

Except Cloud slowed down. He had to, because the road was blocked.

"What the fuck," Zack said.

Genesis leaned against his seat. "Well, when a snake has grown a little too much–"

"I know how snakes work, thanks."

That didn't prepare him for the giant empty skin lying across the road. They could try to drive on top of it, but with how large it was there was the genuine risk of getting the car stuck in it.

Zack and Genesis got out to move it. The skin wasn't intact – there were large pieces missing, something might have already dragged it a bit. It crinkled under Zack's hands. Being nothing but empty skin, it was light, but you could get lost inside of it.

As they piled the skin to the side, they heard a low, long sound. Something in between a hiss and a growl.

"Shit," Zack said.

There was a large pond off the side of the road. Zack hadn't been looking at it, and it obviously had been careless of him. A dark shape rose from the water, straightening up towards the sky.

Twenty meters snake was kind of more impressive when you actually saw one.

"Do you think this was the owner?" Zack said, still holding on to the skin.

"Does that matter?" Genesis asked.

There was no running from this thing, not when it was this close. Cloud scrambled out of the car, sword in hand. However, after the initial surprise Zack's blood was warming up with more excitement than anything else. This would be fun.

All of three of them attacked at the same time. The Zolom looked almost shocked, as if it never would have expected dinner rushing at it of all things. Very funny face on a giant snake.

The scales were tougher when attached to the snake than when they were only leftover skin. Still, they couldn't handle swords. The cuts were shallower than Zack would have expected, but they were bleeding.

With a furious hiss, the Zolom's massive tail came like a whip towards Genesis. He had to take flight to avoid it. Zack attacked again, trying to cut through more flesh.

The air became hot. Boiling hot. The heat rose fast, and more powerful than that of any fire spell. Zack looked up. The snake's mouth was open, and its eyes had turned into liquid heat.

"Duck!" Zack shouted.

He ran back, trying to avoid the heat. Genesis hadn't been kidding about the fire spells, this was powerful. Zack ran straight to the other side of the road, and jumped behind some bushes, hoping they would provide some protection.

It came, and it was strong. For a second, Zack couldn't breathe. How did this thing pack all of this heat? He wanted to go roll in the watery mud of the marshes to cool his skin down. Even the air inside his lungs felt on fire.

But not now. As soon as the heat died down, he was back to the snake. The Zolom straightened up, mouth open in a threatening sound.

Zack didn't waste time. He hacked at the Zolom's belly, trying to cut through. The snake let out pained hisses, trying to get away from the attacks.

The Buster Sword got eventually buried to the hilt into the snake. It wasn't a stabbing kind of weapon, not really, but when it was needed it was needed.

"You all alright?" Zack asked.

"Bit singed," Cloud said. The tips of his hair spikes were a little blackened. While his skin was somewhat red, he didn't look badly burnt.

Genesis landed. "As I said, quite impressive fire skills."

"We noticed," Zack said. "Come on, we can't spend the whole day fighting snakes."

***

They could, in fact, be stopped by snakes over, and over. The first few were fun, but having to fight them off became tiring after a while.

By the time they got to the end of the marshes, they were all annoyed and covered in mud and burns. And then they had to drive through the mountain pass. It was night by the time they got to the other side. They found the first available motel, and booked the cheapest room they had.

Three beds. Good. Zack had had enough heat today without Genesis plastering himself around him.

Shower orders were decided by drawing straws. Cloud got the first shower, Genesis the second, and Zack the last.

Zack still started with undressing down to his underwear. Too hot. It had been hours since the last Zolom, and he still needed to cool off. A little bit of naked time was what he needed.

"What?" he asked, finding Genesis looking at him.

"What?" Genesis repeated.

"Are you looking at me?"

"I need to look to look at something, and your thighs are better than any of the furniture in this room."

Zack looked down at himself, and then back up. "Thanks, I guess."

His thighs were pretty damn good. For all his flaws, one couldn't say Genesis's tastes were bad. Books aside.

"Do you think we should get a new car?" Zack asked.

Theirs had gotten banged up quite a bit during the day. Zack considered them lucky than the tires hadn't melted.

"I think we should plan after we have all washed ourselves."

***

As usual, Zack was the first to wake up the next morning. It wasn't even that early. Between driving and fighting, they had all been a bit wiped. Before getting out of bed, he took his sweet time, scratching his stomach, stretching his arms.

Because the motel didn't offer breakfast, he figured he would be a nice person and go buy it for everyone. They didn't even stir as he put clothes on and left. Zack really had to get them to work on their sleeping patterns.

This morning, the sky was overcast, and the air a little chilly. It was almost winter, after all. Zack took a look around the town they were in. The only place to get food was a small store.

The little bell on the door rang as Zack stepped in. He wasn't paid much attention. The store owner was busy watching the news on the wall mounted TV. It left Zack to walk around, picking something the others would like.

At least, until the woman on TV changed the subject she was talking about.

"We go back to Midgar for updates on yesterday night's situation. The fire has been officially declared under control, local emergency services have managed to extinguish it. At present time, the official report is of three dead and more than thirty injured. While the result could have been much worse without the swift actions of Shinra's accident services, some suspect the victim count may be much higher, as Shinra personnel was within the reactor at the time."

"What is going on?" Zack asked, stepping up to the counter.

The store owner barely glanced at him. "A reactor in Midgar blew up."

"How?"

Immediately after asking, Zack berated himself. No way some random guy in the middle of nothing would have any insight on a reactor malfunction.

But to his surprise, the man had an explanation. "It's not certain yet, but they said it was a bomb."

"A bomb?" Zack repeated, incredulous.

"Those Avalanche people. Ever heard of them?"

What the fuck had Aerith and Kunsel been doing?

Chapter Text

"Where's the fire, Fair," Genesis groaned, as Zack came rushing into their room.

"Midgar," Zack replied. They didn't even have a room TV in this inn. However, they did have a radio, and Zack turned it on, switching frequencies until he found one talking about the news.

"There's lots of talk in Midgar today, with people asking what has Shinra been doing to put an end to the Avalanche threat. Recent reports said the organization was on its last legs, which makes us all wonder how they were able to sneak inside a heavily protected mako reactor and place a bomb in it."

"What," Cloud said.

Zack shushed him. The three of them, Cloud and Genesis now fully awake, listened as the reporter went on about the theories on the attack. Either the radio or the TV had wrong information, because now the radio said the death count was up to ten.

"They know how to make noise, don't they," Genesis said.

"I don't get it," Zack said, pacing along the room. "This can't be Avalanche, or at least not the same group Kunsel and Aerith found."

"And why not?"

"Because I know Kunsel and Aerith wouldn't just put a bomb in a reactor!"

Genesis sighed. "For Avalanche to enter a reactor, they would need accurate plans of the interior, codes to open the doors, as well as knowing what kind of security they would run into. How would they be able to obtain them, if not with Kunsel's help?"

Zack stopped in his tracks. Shinra might abandon reactors it no longer needed, but getting into an active one was far from easy. Especially in Midgar.

"I have enough experience with breaking into Midgar's facilities to know how much information Avalanche would need for a stealth mission into a reactor. Unless any of their members are former Shinra employees, but very few people are stationed in reactors. And I don't assume Avalanche forced its way in."

"But Kunsel wouldn't approve of this!" Zack snapped. "He wouldn't give them any plans if he knew they were putting all those civilians at risk."

"They might have tricked him."

"Kunsel? Yeah, no."

Avalanche would need spectacular liars to trick someone like Kunsel. That man could smell lies and hidden information like a trained dog. He might be willing to turn against Shinra, but there was no way he would take the risk of sharing that kind of information without knowing exactly why it was needed.

And Aerith, too. She was a bullshit hound, and the one who had the direct contact with Avalanche. Kunsel couldn't afford to go down plate too often, it was Aerith who had found a woman who worked with Avalanche and met up with her. No way she would have agreed to risk so many lives.

"Couldn't it be someone else?" Cloud asked. "Shinra says Avalanche, but they can't be the only people who would do something like this."

Zack nodded. "Maybe it could be Wutai."

"Unlikely, but not impossible," Genesis said. "However, I see no reason to blame Avalanche for something Wutai did."

As much as Zack hated it, he had to agree. If Wutai was a threat again, then Shinra wouldn't hesitate before throwing all their resources at them.

None of this made any sense. Zack hated being here, unable to do anything other than listen to the news and make theories. He was a man of action. Even if the action was finding the closest phone and demanding Kunsel explain.

Itching to do something, Zack got in the middle of the room, and began to squat.

"What are you doing?" Genesis asked.

"Squats."

"And why are you doing them?"

"Because I will explode if I do nothing!"

He needed to burn off all this nervous energy before he started to claw at the walls.

"Last time we heard from Kunsel," Cloud said, "he said he was considering helping Avalanche out, right?"

"He didn't say what," Zack replied. "For all we know it could have been what the best vending machine in the Tower."

The last email they had read had been sent more than a week ago. Lots of things could happen in a week, but this was a little too much.

Genesis hummed. "He might have been deliberately vague with the details. There is always risk of Shinra managing to intercept our communications, after all."

"If they had intercepted them, wouldn't they have already traced us?"

They had been attacked by some Shinra troops a couple times in the past weeks, but nothing that would suggest Shinra was following them. Always small groups, they often even looked surprised to see them. Only once there had been two Third Class SOLDIERs, and they hadn't been a real threat.

"I said risk, not certainty," Genesis replied. "And I would not put it past Shinra to be actively trying to make us overconfident in our abilities."

Trust Genesis to be the paranoid one. Sure, it was possible Shinra knew exactly where they were and was just waiting to make their move, but it was also perfectly possible that Shinra did in fact have no idea what to do with them.

"We need to find a place with a computer," Cloud said.

Zack huffed. "Not a chance in this town."

There wasn't a public library, there wasn't even a school or anything.

"It may be a worthy investment to get a PHS," Genesis said.

"Even I know that would it make far easier for Shinra to track us."

"I'm not talking about purchasing one. Stealing one and discarding it after use might be a good option."

As much as Zack hated the idea of depriving an innocent person of their PHS, it might be the only option to figure out what was happening.

"Anyways," Genesis said, "I doubt Kunsel will have time to send us anything while the emergency is still ongoing. Shinra must be on high alert."

***

There was nothing to do in this town other than sleeping, and so they took the car again as soon as they could. As they drove, the radio gave them more news. The count was at almost twenty dead, half of which had been civilians caught in the fire, the rest being Shinra personnel. Various dozens of people had been injured in some way. Hundreds had been evacuated.

Originally, they had planned to go towards Fort Condor, but that was a reactor town, and they should be careful in the next few days. What happened in Midgar would have all of Shinra in a frenzy. Better to lay low, take some casual merc jobs, until the situation had quieted down.

Some people said they would pay them to get rid of a Spriggan nest, and so they went. Spriggans were hardly worth two SOLDIER Firsts plus another highly enhanced man, but there were many, and the pay was decent. Hunting them down would take them the whole day at least. It'd need mental and physical effort. Just what Zack needed least he explode.

They chased them through the grasslands, and into a forest. The nest was likely hidden somewhere between the trees. Soon they had to leave the path to follow the monsters, having to deal with the thick underbrush slowing them down.

"I feel watched in this place," Zack said, hopping over a fallen log.

"In a forest, there often are animals," Cloud replied.

"Ha-ah. You're hilarious today."

"Thanks."

But Zack had grown up in a jungle, so he would say he was fairly familiar with wild animals. Here, there was this little itch in the back of his mind. A need to be on guard that didn't seem due to a few birds and squirrels staring at them. Hidden Spriggans, maybe. Zack's sixth sense was usually pretty good about these things.

Genesis looked around, turning on his feet. "I have to admit, I also feel like something is staring."

"You're only the most colorful thing in this forest."

It was a mystery how Genesis kept finding red clothes every time the old ones got ruined and needed replacing. He might be conjuring them.

A Spriggan came hopping out of the woods.

"Mine!" Zack shouted.

Cloud rushed to beat him to it. "Hold it!"

"Why are you so excited about that ugly frog," Genesis asked, as the other two chased the monster down.

Because there was nothing to do, aside from chasing down ugly frogs. It was that, or worrying endlessly about Avalanche.

How Zack wished he was in Midgar right now.

"Ha, there we go," Zack shouted, after cutting the monster down. It hadn't exactly been an exciting fight, but he'd take what he could get.

Cloud pouted. Next time he'd have to be faster.

"Let me go!"

Zack and Cloud flinched. They had left Genesis behind to chase the monster, and the scream came from his direction. But that hadn't been Genesis's voice at all. Way too high pitched.

Because it hadn't been Genesis to shout. There was a new person wearing some kind of poncho, face covered by the hood; by the voice and frame Zack guessed they were a girl. Genesis had her right arm in a vice grip, and she was struggling to break free. With her free hand she was hitting Genesis's chest.

"Hey, what is going on?" Zack asked.

"We have a little forest bandit," Genesis replied, sounding unbothered by the blows the girl was landing on him. No matter how strong she was, she couldn't possibly get free from him this way.

"I'm no bandit!" the girl shouted.

"And yet, I'm under the impression you were trying to rob me."

Rob Genesis? Wait, was that why Zack had been feeling watched? Weird. This girl would have to be pretty reckless to try and rob three armed men on her own.

"Alright, alright," Zack said, stepping in. "How about we all calm down? Genesis, let her go, let's talk about it like adults."

Genesis raised an eyebrow at Zack, but did as told. The girl wrenched her arm free, massaging it as she took a couple steps back.

Zack turned to her. "So. What did you do exactly to piss him off like that?"

"I was–"

Zack blinked. The girl had cut herself off suddenly. He couldn't see her eyes under the hood, but she seemed to be staring right at him.

"Everything alright?" Zack asked.

"You!"

Zack startled at the shout. "Me?"

The girl pointed a finger at him. "Yes, you! I know you!"

"You do?"

"She looks pretty sure about it," Cloud commented.

She did, and Zack had no idea why. He would say he didn't recognize her, but it was hard to recognize anyone with that hood.

"Zack Fair!" the girl shouted.

"Yes, that's him," Genesis said. He stared at Zack, arms crossed. His voice had taken that tone he used when he thought there was a show worth watching.

Zack cleared his throat. "Sorry, could you, ah, take off the hood?"

"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten about me!"

"Is she your ex or something?" Cloud asked.

If not for the fact that Zack didn't have an ex, he also would have wondered. Maybe a girl he had flirted with at some point? No, her voice sounded a little too young. Like a teenager, and if she was a teenager now she would have been a kid before Shinra had put him in the tube.

The girl took off her hood, and yes, she was a teenager. Short, black hair, and a scowl that could burn a hole through Zack. She stepped up to him, and threw a punch square at his face.

"Hey!" Zack shouted, blocking it.

Although, that did juggle his memory. A kid with the same exact haircut, thinking she could actually win a fight with a SOLDIER four times her size.

"Wait! Are you–"

"Yuffie Kisaragi!" she shouted, trying to punch him again. "And don't you forget it, you Shinra dog!"

She definitely had gotten better with the punches. It's not like she could hurt Zack even if she did land a hit, but he had to take a couple steps back as he parried.

"Nice seeing you too!" Zack said, jumping to the side to avoid a kick to his balls.

"Weren't we all meant to calm down?" Cloud asked.

He had gone to stand next to Genesis, the both of them entranced by Zack trying to protect himself from Yuffie's murderous rage.

"I'm trying! Can we– Do you have to?" Zack managed to grab Yuffie's wrist. "Can we talk about this like adults?"

Yuffie just glared at him. "I'm not an adult yet."

Zack glared back.

"May I ask how do the two of you know each other?" Genesis asked, one hand raised as if asking for permission to speak.

"She's from Wutai," Zack said. "She used to send me emails about hidden treasures and then tried to steal them after I got them."

"I wasn't stealing! I gave you the location, it was only fair you shared!"

"And how old was she exactly?"

Zack opened his mouth, then turned to Yuffie. "How old were you, anyways?"

"I was ten!"

Cloud cleared his throat. "Why were you getting emails about hidden treasures from a ten years old from Wutai?"

"Yeah, about that, you never explained how you had my email," Zack told Yuffie.

"Yes, I did. I told you there was a blonde man who leaked a lot of SOLDIER addresses."

Like that explained anything.

"I would be interested in hearing her side too," Genesis said.

Yuffie huffed, and ripped her arm from Zack's grasp. And he hadn't been holding on too tightly anyways, he wasn't trying to hurt anyone here. "As I said, a man gave my father in Wutai the addresses of a lot of active SOLDIERs. I knew the location of many treasures I hoped could help Wutai – some were a bunch of junk, but I needed someone who could deal with the monsters first. So, I decided to use Shinra's own army to my own advantage."

"And why him?" Genesis asked, pointing at Zack.

"Well, he actually answered," Yuffie said.

In hindsight, that had been kind of stupid of Zack. He should have marked that first email as spam and be done with it. Like, technically speaking, it had led to him getting a few useful things, but it did sound a little stupid now that he thought about it.

"Plus," Yuffie continued, crossing her arms, "he was in the group that stormed Fort Tamlin. What greatest insult to Shinra than to get the instrument of Wutai's downfall to work to restore its glory?"

Genesis nodded. "Understandable. So, let me guess, you are still working towards your country's restoration and decided that robbing random people is the way to do it?"

"Don't treat me like I'm Shinra, I don't go hitting people when they're already down! I'm a true and honorable Wutai ninja. You people are all armed and have at least one SOLDIER too, you would have made it out of this forest with or without your Materia."

Some instinctual part of Zack wanted to argue that Shinra didn't hit people when they were down either. Which would be a lie. Zack knew better than anyone how much Shinra loved to take advantage of someone's weakness. Just, ingrained thoughts he still got from time to time.

But man. This really was a blast from the past. He felt seventeen again, wondering how the hell was this child getting into all those dangerous places. Thinking back on it now, it made even less sense. Where had Yuffie been getting the resources to travel out of Wutai in the first place? Wasn't anyone keeping an eye on her?

Genesis smiled at her. "And does Godo approve of Wutai's little princess stealing things from others?"

"Do you think I care if my father approves or not?"

Zack blinked. Wait. Yuffie Kisaragi, like Godo...

"Wait a second, you're Godo's daughter?"

"You mean you didn't know?" Genesis asked.

"Why would I know?"

"That a Wutai girl with the last name Kisaragi might be related to Godo Kisaragi?"

Fine, that made of sense now that Genesis said it. However, it wasn't like Zack had been thinking about Yuffie's last name when he used to have to fish her out of trouble. And for all he knew, Kisaragi might be a common name there.

Huh. So that was how she could travel that much. Godo's money should be enough to buy all the tickets she needed. As for finding her way around, well, if Zack had managed to go from Gongaga to Midgar at thirteen Yuffie could have also known how to read a map.

Zack was starting to feel the distant beginning of a headache. Meeting Yuffie of all people around here was an absolutely insane coincidence to begin with. And realizing she was an actually important person... Gods. Past Zack had been such a moron.

"You–" Yuffie stopped, eyes narrowed at Genesis. "You... Are you SOLDIER too?"

Genesis snorted. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

"You are traveling with Zack, and... I feel I have seen you somewhere."

"Most likely. Genesis Rhapsodos."

Yuffie's face, red from all the shouting, paled so fast Zack worried she would have dropped unconscious on the spot. "Genesis Rhapsodos?"

"You have heard of me, I take it," Genesis said.

Yuffie took a step back. Zack didn't think he had ever seen anyone change attitude so fast before. It was leaving him reeling. "But you're dead. Shinra said so."

"Shinra also claims he is dead," Genesis replied, nodding to Zack.

"You're one of those three," Yuffie whispered. "Shinra's monsters."

"Who are Shinra monsters?" Zack asked.

Yuffie turned to him. For the first time since knowing her, she looked genuinely afraid. "The three SOLDIER Firsts who would lay waste to Wutai. Sephiroth, Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos."

Zack's head spun for a moment. He had known the forces of Wutai used to call Sephiroth the Demon of Wutai, but he had never heard these kind of names for Genesis. Let alone Angeal.

"They weren't monsters," Zack said.

"Oh, they weren't? Don't you know how many people they killed, how many towns they burnt down?"

"I'm afraid you hit a rather sensitive spot for a variety of reasons," Genesis said. "Zack here was mentored by Angeal, please don't badmouth him or we'll be here arguing all day and we really don't have time to waste on this. But feel free to insult me if you wish, I'm not one to shy from my responsibilities."

Zack turned to scowl at Genesis. "Angeal wouldn't–"

"You're not a child anymore so don't act like it. I'm sure you won't struggle to guess what assorted atrocities I might have carried out during the war. Give me a single reason for Angeal to have had orders different from mine."

That made Zack's jaw snap shut. Shinra had not been kind to Wutai, Zack could see it now. Angeal had never been one to refuse orders. There used to be times when he would go to or return from missions with a deep scowl on his face, but he never voiced complaints to Zack.

And Zack hadn't spent that long in Wutai. Before Fort Tamlin, he had only been involved in a few short missions. After all, Wutai was already on its knees once Zack had joined Shinra. Older SOLDIERs than him had gotten it there.

"Why are you alive?" Yuffie asked, looking at Genesis as if he might stab her any second now.

"Wouldn't the more interesting question be, why would Shinra declare one of its precious First Class dead when I have been alive this whole time?"

Yuffie swallowed.

Zack sighed, turning to her. "Genesis deserted years ago. He was originally assigned to Fort Tamlin, I was sent with Angeal as a back up. Shinra... well, they did some experiments on him, and he left after his body began degrading. I had to hunt him down all over the world when I wasn't following your leads."

Yuffie frowned. "But... Then, why are you with him? Did you desert as well?"

"Yep," Zack said. "I saw something Shinra didn't want me to, so they decided to experiment on me as well."

Yuffie's eyes darted from one person to the other, until they settled on Cloud. "Are you SOLDIER too?"

"No. I just did lab rat time with Zack."

"So," Yuffie said, after a long moment, "you're all no longer with Shinra."

"Yep," Zack replied.

"Then, what are you doing?"

Zack shrugged. "Raiding Shinra bases, mostly."

For a few seconds, Yuffie remained still, before pointing her finger at Zack. "Wait, are you guys the ones who have been messing with Shinra lately?"

Zack grinned. "The very ones."

"This is insane," Yuffie declared, throwing her hands up.

Genesis took a step towards her. That immediately had her on edge again, reaching under her poncho, presumably looking for some kind of weapon. With an eye roll, Genesis raised his hands.

"Now that we answered some of your questions, you could repay the favor."

"What kind of questions do you have?" Yuffie asked, wary.

"Does Wutai have some form of affiliation with Avalanche."

Yuffie shook her head. "Not really. We help each other from time to time, but we mostly do our own thing."

"Then, I assume you know nothing of what happened in Midgar."

"The reactor thing? Oh, that was crazy of them. We've done a little messing with reactors in Wutai, but to put a whole bomb in one? And in Midgar?"

Zack and Genesis exchanged a look. Then, it had indeed been Avalanche to do this.

"And you've had no contact at all with Avalanche?" Zack asked.

"No. Wait, do you guys work with Avalanche now?"

"No," Zack replied, shaking his head. "But a friend of mine is helping them out. He didn't tell us anything about a bombing, and we're wondering if Shinra could be lying about what happened."

Yuffie rubbed her chin, as if in thought. "Maybe the reactor blew up on its own, and Shinra is trying to hide that they're a bunch of incompetents."

That actually wasn't a bad theory. Why had none of them thought about it before?

Cloud kicked a rock on the ground. "Guess we won't know until Kunsel writes us."

"Guess so." Yuffie put her hands on her hips. "Well. We've done enough chatting. This ninja has a mission to do."

The sudden confidence with which she said that spoke a lot of fake bravado. Zack wondered if she was just eager to get as far away from Genesis as possible.

Somehow, it had never occurred to Zack people could be that afraid of Genesis. Sephiroth, yes. But Genesis? He was dangerous and unpredictable, but not that brand of terrifying. Not to the point that his name and presence alone should be sending someone into near panic.

He decided not to think about what that said about Angeal.

"You're leaving?" Zack asked.

"I'm not going to stand in this clearing all day."

Zack nodded. "Take care."

Surprisingly, that had Yuffie glare at him. "Don't tell me what to do."

"I wasn't– You know what, whatever, you're old enough to go die if you want."

"Damn straight I am!"

And with that, Yuffie ran off. She hadn't burst out crying, which Zack was going to count as a win.

"You have some interesting connections," Genesis commented.

Chapter Text

Zack tapped his foot against the ground. He was nervous, but not necessarily about the base they were about to break into. It had been a week since that reactor had blown up. So far, they hadn’t been able to check whether Kunsel had said anything. Who knew what was up with him. He might be well, or he might have gotten caught and given to the Turks. Or worse, Hojo.

But right now he didn’t have time to worry. Genesis was doing some aerial observations of the base. Cloud, sitting on a log, was sharpening his sword. They would need to work their way into the building, and it wouldn't be easy. This was a well protected base.

Both Zack and Cloud turned when they heard footsteps coming their way.

"There's a few dozen guards in total, I would say," Genesis said, appearing between the trees. "Regular infantry weapons. I haven't seen SOLDIERs nor heavy artillery, but that doesn't mean they don't have any within the building."

"Worth entering, you think?" Cloud asked.

"If there is anything valuable inside, yes."

"And if there isn't?"

Genesis shrugged. "A little chaos is always welcome, but I suspect they increased security after our latest attacks. There were a little too many guards."

Not too many for them to be unable to take them, Zack was sure of that. However, it wouldn't be a walk in the park either. If there was nothing for them inside the building, it would be a waste of efforts.

"We should take a closer look," Zack said.

"Why, don't you trust my judgement?"

"I like using my own eyes too."

It was a short walk to a place they could directly observe the base. They had to be careful, there was a wide circle around the base that had been left completely bare. No trees, no boulders, no places for them to hide. Genesis led them to the closest patch of forest to the base.

Tall concrete wall, barbed wire on top of it. A few guards walked around the perimeter, each holding a rifle. Beyond the wall the top of the building could be seen. Other guards stood on the roof, ready to shoot down anyone who approached.

"Any way to approach without being seen?" Zack whispered to Genesis.

"Not from the ground."

Cloud shuffled. "We can have Genesis attack from above, and we come in once they're distracted by him."

"The only way to get in without having to climb the wall is the front gate," Genesis said. "Anyone who isn't focusing on me would be on the both of you. I would prefer it if we could take them from three different sides."

Zack mentally measured up the wall. "I might be able to jump past."

"You might also be able to get stuck dangling from the barbed wire."

"But if I do jump past, they won't be expecting it."

The problem was that any direction they came from the ground they would be seen in advance. Both of them could deal with a couple bullets, but this was a lot of people. Someone would go and sound the alarm. If they did before Zack had reached the wall, that would be a great way to have a machine gun aimed at him.

A siren pierced the air, loud enough for him to gasp.

"What the fuck," he hissed, covering his poor ears.

"Did they see us?" Cloud said.

They hadn't. If they had, they would be rushing to their corner of the woods. Instead, whatever had happened was drawing attention inside the building.

"Is someone else attacking the same day we wanted to try?" Zack said. "What kind of coincidence is that?"

"I didn't see anyone else before," Genesis replied.

The three of them remained still. It might have been wiser to run, but not before they had figured out what was happening.

Gunshots from behind the wall. Screams. Something that sounded like catch and you can't run. Then, a figure jumped up from behind the wall. Somehow, they managed to stand right on the edge of the wall, without getting tangled in the wire, and jumped on the other side.

"Is that the girl from the other day?" Cloud whispered.

Zack gaped. That was indeed her. They were too far to see clearly, but the clothes were the same. She was holding something in her hand, a weapon that reminded Zack of Cissnei's shuriken.

What did she think she was doing? Entering a base, on her own, when she wasn't even enhanced in any way? This really brought Zack way back. Would his life ever be free of this specific overconfident little girl getting in massive amount of trouble?

Zack hoped she hadn't decided to do this as some kind of way of showing she was on their own level of anti-Shinra work, because if so he was going to strangle her.

She ran towards the forest, although not to where the three of them were hidden. Bullets ricocheted off the ground, but none hit.

Except a second figure jumped up from behind the wall. This one had the characteristic uniform of a Second Class SOLDIER.

"You said there were no SOLDIERs," Zack hissed.

"I said I saw none," Genesis snapped back, "not that they couldn't be inside the base."

Yuffie had already put some distance between herself and the base, but a second SOLDIER came running out from the front gate, trying to cut off her escape from the side. The first SOLDIER was catching up fast.

"Should we help her?" Cloud asked.

Genesis elbowed him. "We can't afford that."

A bullet exploded a patch of grass right next to Yuffie.

"Well we can't let Shinra catch her either," Zack said.

"Then let us hope she can run as fast as she talks."

She threw her shuriken at the SOLDIER coming from the side, who ducked without issue. The one chasing her had taken out the sword, and Zack didn't know if she could protect herself if it came down to it.

A third Second Class appeared.

"Damn it," Zack hissed, and reached for the Buster Sword.

"Fair, do not dare –"

Zack didn't stop to listen. He rushed in as Yuffie was forced to stop, surrounded. Even if she was a dumb annoying kid, Zack couldn't leave her to fend for herself. But he was going to kick her ass himself later.

One SOLDIER spotted him, and shouted. All three turned to him, clearly seeing him as a bigger threat than Yuffie.

The closest one decided to attack Zack. Zack parried, and grimaced. A Second Class was only a Second Class, but it was still a lot more enhancements than a regular person, and Zack could actually feel that force crawling up through his arm. Zack had been sparring with Cloud, but Cloud wasn't trying to cut Zack down and drag him back to Shinra.

Maybe he should ask Genesis for a spar from time to time. It would be good practice.

But now, Zack had to first focus on throwing this Second off of him. He pushed her sword off the Buster Sword, making her stumble backwards.

"Either you guys let her go," Zack said, "or I'll have to make you."

"I didn't need your help!" Yuffie shouted.

The Seconds looked at each other. Then, one of them raised a hand, apparently fixing an earbud.

"We have one of our men," he said.

Zack froze. "What is that supposed to mean?"

The Seconds didn't answer, but they readied themselves for a fight.

One First against three Seconds could win without too many problems. The two other Seconds that came from the base were more of an issue. So were the mechs.

Good thing Cloud and Genesis also came to help, even if Genesis looked at Zack like he wanted to skin him alive.

The fight wasn't an easy one. Zack spent half of it looking out for both Cloud and Yuffie. Cloud was dealing well enough with the Second he was engaged in combat with, managing to parry the attacks and slowly gain the upper hand. As for Yuffie, she flipped Zack off when he shouted at her to mind the mechs and leave the SOLDIERs to them. Then Genesis told her the exact same thing, and this time she obeyed.

The helmets worked to make the group of Seconds completely anonymous. When one fell to the ground, bleeding from the wounds Zack had inflicted, a spark of guilt danced through his chest. He had spent so much time fighting with people dressed this way. In a different world, he might be one of them, trying to do what Shinra said was the right thing.

But then he remembered Kunsel, who also dressed this way, and how much danger he had exposed himself to for them, and Zack didn't feel guilty anymore.

Genesis was also someone Zack needed to look out for. Not because he couldn't protect himself, but because when he was pissed he became a danger for everyone involved. His spells were dancing across the entire field. It was like he wasn't even aiming those fireballs.

"Take this!" Yuffie shouted, shuriken cutting through a mech's wires. The machine sparked and stuttered, crumbling down but not before sending a last wave of bullets towards Zack.

"Should we try to get out of here?" Cloud shouted.

Zack turned to the base. The infantry was hesitant, maybe because of fear, maybe because of orders. However, some brave ones were starting to approach. A few more mechs were making their ways towards them, ready to replace the fallen ones.

"Maybe we should," Zack shouted back.

"We shouldn't have gotten involved to begin with," Genesis snapped.

"I wasn't leaving Yuffie to it!"

Yuffie jumped on top of the mech she had felled. "I didn't need you!"

Genesis fished Materia out of his pocket. It glinted red in the sun. A couple seconds, and Ifrit appeared, roaring. Not enough to hold everyone back for long, but it would buy them some time.

Zack cut down the last of the Seconds still fighting. "Ready to run."

"I will take her," Genesis declared. "The two of you have legs."

"You will– Stay back, what are you– Let me go!"

Genesis secured an arm around Yuffie's waist, and took flight. Yuffie's scream was one of pure terror.

"Come on," Zack told Cloud. "Race you to the car."

The two of them ran to the woods as fast as they could. Infantry would be hopeless against Ifrit, but the mechs wouldn't be intimidated. The only option was to have the trees and underbrush block the machines' way.

No one followed them. Whether Ifrit was too much to deal with, or they decided it wasn't worth giving chase, the sounds of the enemies disappeared soon. Zack and Cloud kept running. They did so until they got to the car.

Genesis was waiting for them behind the wheel. As for Yuffie, she was thrown into the backseat, looking terrified.

"Why is she here?" Cloud asked, getting in the front seat.

"Because Fair wanted to save his precious little friend," Genesis snapped.

"Zack," Yuffie said, as Zack got in besides her, "tell him I'm fine. I'm safe, I'm good, I can leave on my own."

"Let's get you to a better place first," Zack replied.

"This is kidnapping!"

"Better getting kidnapped by us than by Shinra," Zack told her, as Genesis started down the road at a speed that was definitely too high for this place. "What did you think you were doing? Did you think you could that base on your own?"

Yuffie kicked his leg. "What do you care? Besides, I had it all under control!"

"Oh, and those SOLDIERs were just playing tag with you?"

"It was you they wanted, not me!"

"Wait, what?" Cloud asked, turning around in his seat. "What is that about?"

Right. Zack would scold Yuffie later, now he needed to update the others. "When I got there, one said I was one of the men they were looking for."

Cloud frowned. "They were waiting for us?"

"We clearly weren't as good at hiding as we thought," Genesis said. He swerved harshly, sending Yuffie crashing into Zack.

Zack straightened up. "They couldn't have known we would have gone for that base in particular."

"No, but they could make assumptions based on where we were last seen. I imagine they placed additional security everywhere they considered at risk. We should thank Yuffie for drawing them out."

Zack swallowed. It was hard to avoid a mech's weapons when stuck inside a building. Finding them after they had already broken in would have been a nasty surprise.

"Can you let me go as a way of thanking me?" Yuffie said.

Zack rolled his eyes. "And we're supposed to trust you can handle yourself."

"I can!"

"Like shit you can."

"Fuck you!"

***

They drove until late at night. To avoid attention, they camped off the side of the road. None of them wanted to find out if Shinra had warned every hotel, inn, and room for rent this side of the continent.

"I hate you all," Yuffie declared, sitting against a tree.

"You're free to leave now," Cloud said.

"Leave? It's the middle of the night, I have no idea where I am, where do you want me to go? You guys brought me here, the least you can do is offer me something to eat."

"Be glad you don't have to hunt squirrels for dinner," Genesis snapped at her. "Zack, come with me."

"Huh? What for?"

"Just do it."

Zack glanced at Cloud, who shrugged. Genesis was already walking off into the woods, and Zack figured he might as well follow.

"What is this about?" Zack asked, as Genesis led them away from camp.

Turning on his heels, Genesis leveled him with a glare that could have burnt lesser men alive. "Perhaps I only mean to gut you for the stunt you pulled."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Be mad at me all you want, I wasn't going to leave her."

"Do you consider her a friend?" Genesis asked.

"Well, I don't know really, she was a kid last I saw her. I don't think she sees me as a friend. But I guess at some point I ended up becoming... protective, I guess."

Genesis raised both eyebrows. "How many times did you follow those emails of hers?"

"I don't know. Five or six, maybe. Gonna be honest, most of the tips she gave me were pretty bad, but after the first couple times I didn't want to risk her going to hunt for treasure on her own. Then she stopped sending me anything, probably her parents caught her and told her to stop."

He could remember it like it was yesterday, fighting off the monsters just to end up with Yuffie trying to knock him out.

Genesis raised his hands, as if unsure whether he wanted to wrap them around Zack's neck. "I truly fail to understand how you thought it was a good idea to follow tips from a Wutai child."

"Look, I get it, alright? Kinda stupid."

"Kinda. I imagine your couldn't help your brotherly instincts setting in earlier."

That took Zack aback. "What brotherly instincts? I would have done that for anyone."

Maybe he had started feeling protective when it came to Yuffie, but that was normal. She had been a child regularly putting herself in danger. Protecting people should have been what SOLDIER was about, Zack had just been doing his duty.

"And you don't even see how that is a problem." Genesis sighed. "Never mind, if all I wanted was to call you an idiot I would have done so at camp."

"Right. Why did we have to walk off?"

"I need you to take a look at an injury," Genesis said.

The defensiveness immediately left Zack. "Injury? Were you hit?"

He didn't see anything wrong with Genesis. Zack had gotten a few small scratches, but they had healed already.

Genesis began to get his coat off. "Only scratches, but there is one annoying one. Unfortunately, I can't see it myself."

The cut in question was on Genesis's ribcage, not quite on Genesis's side as much as it was on his back. Zack walked behind him.

"It's not bleeding," he said.

"Does the skin feel warm?"

Zack took a glove off. Genesis was warm in general, but the skin near the wound was feverish hot.

"Very warm," Zack said. "It's swollen, too. How did you get this?"

"One of the Second managed got lucky."

"Poisoned blade?" Zack asked. He had seen it happen before. A normal person would be incapacitated shortly after getting cut, but on SOLDIERs this kind of weapons caused only some mild symptoms.

"I suspected as much," Genesis said. "I am feeling quite fatigued, a little more than I should be."

"You shouldn't have been driving, then."

"I did switch with Cloud."

"Yes, because Cloud insisted first."

Zack took a look at Genesis's back. There weren't any more injuries other than that.

"Do we have something against poison?" Zack asked.

"No, but it won't take long for it to wear off."

"You want to just wait it out? Are you sure?"

Genesis turned around. Zack's hand, which had still been resting on his back, ended up being against Genesis's chest. Zack lowered it quickly.

"The dose is too light to be a problem," Genesis said. "It should be out of my system by tomorrow's morning."

If Genesis was only a little tired, then a good night of sleep would fix him right up. It took more than a scratch to deliver a dose strong enough to put down a First Class. There shouldn't be any problem.

Zack crossed his arms. "So. I'm going to guess you didn't come all the way out here to spare Yuffie from seeing your bare chest."

Which Zack was starting to notice was a pretty good chest. Lean, but well defined. Impossible not to notice it, after the two of them had been in close quarters for two months. Having a girlfriend in Midgar didn't make Zack blind.

"I'm sure Yuffie has seen a shirtless man before," Genesis said.

"You were just too ashamed to show any weakness in front of her, then."

Genesis put his shirt back on. "Mind yourself."

However, Genesis didn't immediately start walking back towards camp.

"What?"

"It is just a poisoned cut, right? You didn't notice any skin discoloration?"

Zack shrugged. "No, wh– Ah."

Right. The Goddess had healed Genesis's degradation, but it never hurt to be too sure.

"It has been a while since it took this long for an injury to heal," Genesis confirmed. He wasn't quite looking at Zack's face. "I needed a second set of eyes.

Zack decided not to make comments.

Genesis dressed again, they returned to camp. There was a fire going, and surprisingly Cloud and Yuffie were sitting close together, talking.

"We're back," Zack said.

Cloud turned. "Hey. We've got something to tell you."

"Really? What is it?"

Yuffie took something from her pocket, and threw it at Zack. "Eat it."

"Eat it?" Zack repeated, catching the small object. "What is this, a bean?"

"Come on, eat it."

No harm in trying. Zack popped it into his mouth, and bit down.

Pain spread in his jaw. He covered his face with his hand, whining.

"Da-chao bean?" Genesis guessed. "I have never seen anyone who wasn't from Wutai managing to eat one."

"Shinra people and your weak jaws," Yuffie declared. Arguing for the entire car ride seemed to have made her lose some of her fear of Genesis.

Zack spat the bean in his hand. "Is this what you wanted to tell me? Hard beans?"

"No," Cloud said. "Well, that too. But also, Yuffie has a PHS."

Now that was useful.

"Cloud says you need a way to look at your emails," Yuffie said.

"That'd be nice, yeah," Zack said.

Yuffie sniffed. "Why don't you have your own PHS?"

"We don't want Shinra to use it to track us. Could you lend yours to us? Please?"

"Fine," Yuffie said, after a moment. "But just because you might have some useful information. And you'll owe me. Also, I'm not letting you have it, just tell me the email and password and I'll type it in."

"Alright."

Yuffie took out the PHS. It was one of the new ones, with the big screen and no buttons. Shinra had already been making some when Zack had been captured, but he had never used one. It seemed they had boomed while he was away.

"Do you have to stare while I write?" Yuffie asked, as Zack looked at the PHS from above her shoulder.

"Sorry. I just never had a PHS like that."

Yuffie looked down at it. "Don't bullshit me, you're not that old."

He resented the implication that he was any amount of old.

"Hm," Yuffie said, once she was done typing. "You do have a new email."

"Can you let me read it, at least?" Zack asked.

"Fine. Don't you dare scratch the screen."

Zack took the PHS with care, and tapped on the new email.

Hi Zack,

Aerith here. Kunsel said he has to be extra careful for a bit.

Zack's heart skipped a beat.

I think you heard of the reactor blowing up here in Midgar. What the tv says is true, avalanche put the bomb in. I have talking with them, I helped them and Kunsel leaked the plans for the reactor. Sorry we didn't say that to you earlier we knew you weren't going to be happy about it. But Zack we didn't mean for the bomb to do all of that. I didn't go with them, but they told me where they put it and Jessie who made the bomb also told me how. Kunsel says it's impossible for that bomb to have made all that damage in that place.

So they want to bomb another reactor now. Me and Kunsel are making them wait, Kunsel is looking into what happened for an explanation. I feel a bit guilty, I convinced Kunsel to give them the plans. But I've been talking with these people and they're good guys, they don't want to hurt people on purpose

Also it's fun to do a little crime. Its good to get a little revenge for the Turks following me around all the time. I think they know I'm doing something wrong, but what are they going to do about it? Stalk me more?

I hope you're doing alright. Say hi to the people traveling with you. I'll be talking with avalanche and make sure they don't do anything stupid. Don't do anything stupid either, I'll be super mad if you do.

Bye Zack,

Aerith

"Who is Aerith?" Yuffie asked. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Yup," Zack said.

"Wait, you have a girlfriend?"

Zack glared at her.

"We know for sure it was Avalanche now," Cloud said. "Do you think Kunsel is right about there being something wrong with the damage the bomb did?"

"I've never seen Kunsel being wrong about anything ever."

If this was an accident and Avalanche hadn't meant to cause that kind of explosion, then Zack could see why Aerith and Kunsel would participate. Not that he understood what the hell they had been thinking. But if they thought it would only break a couple machines, then Zack supposed he could kind of get where they were coming from.

Still wanted to scream at the both of them.

"We don't know much more than we already did," Genesis said, always the wet blanket. "It's very suspicious that the bomb caused excessive damage. Reactors are built to contain damage as much as possible, if something breaks in one section the others should automatically lock down."

"Not if the reactor was build badly," Yuffie chimed in.

"And if they managed to put a bomb exactly where it would take advantage of existing damage, then that explosion was indeed fate, but I suspect something happened that we don't know about. Also, a question for you, Fair."

"Shoot."

"Why is your girlfriend so unconcerned about being stalked by Turks?"

Ah. Right. They hadn't had the conversation about Aerith being an Ancient yet. Maybe Zack shouldn't tell Genesis about it, it was still Aerith's private information, and she didn't like sharing that fact.

"They have been following her for a while," Zack said.

Genesis raised an eyebrow. "And why?"

"Uh, long story. Really long story. Anyways, they wouldn't hurt her. I think."

It was obvious Genesis wasn't satisfied with that, so Zack decided to change subject.

"Do we have some decent canned food? I want to celebrate my girlfriend and my best friend not being in jail."

Cloud shrugged. "It's canned food, how good can it be?"

Chapter Text

Zack wasn't too clear on why Yuffie had decided to stick around. She shouted at him for every minor issue, paled whenever Genesis so much as looked at her, and constantly bickered with Cloud. Her list of complaints was endless, but she still followed them. When asked, she claimed following former SOLDIERs around could be useful to her plans. Whatever those were.

Zack figured she was lonely. This far from home, and she didn't know anyone other than them. She could be a bit annoying, but in the end the more the merrier. It eased Zack's mind to be able to keep an eye on her.

If she could only stop complaining about having to share quarters with three men. The first time they stopped at an inn, she threw a small fit by the fact she had a separate bed, and not a whole separate room. As if they had money for that. Zack understood that a girl might be uncomfortable with the arrangement, but she was the one who had decided to tag along, so she should suck it up.

And possibly not scream and throw things at him if he didn't warn her to close her eyes before taking his shirt off.

On a more positive note, she allowed them to keep using her PHS to read emails. Genesis claimed having a PHS at all was a risk, but even he wasn't stubborn enough to try and separate a sixteen years old from hers.

Kunsel wrote again, saying he was hunting for an explanation for that oversized explosion, but finding nothing. Best guess, the bomb had been built wrong. He said he would have preferred to halt further bombings until they figured the problem out, but the others had been pushy. Kunsel had managed to make them delay their plan by a few days, but they had to move forward now.

Zack wasn't thrilled by the news, at all, but it wasn't as if he could do much about it.

They carefully listened to the radio in the car for the next few days. It wasn't too long before the announcement that something had happened in Mako Reactor Five. The news claimed this time Shinra had stopped Avalanche's plans before the worse could happen, that was why there were only some minor power fluctuations.

Zack didn't know if he liked to hear about it. It could mean the bomb had worked correctly, and Shinra was trying to make itself look good. It could mean Avalanche had been captured. No way to know until Aerith and Kunsel wrote them.

***

They had sent Yuffie to buy breakfast that morning. She was also one of those 'disgusting inhuman morning people', as Genesis said. The inn had given them one room with two bunk beds. Yuffie had stomped her way out, saying the three of them all stunk and they should be grateful she did anything for them.

She ran back into the room while Genesis was under the shower. The door opened so fast it slammed straight into the wall.

"Yuffie?" Zack said.

"Is everything alright?" Cloud asked.

Obviously not. Yuffie was white as a sheet.

She had a newspaper in hand. Worldlessly, she passed it to Zack.

Terrorists drop Midgar's Sector Seven plate

"What," Zack said, numb. Even as he said that, his eyes stared at the picture taking up a quarter of the front page. Midgar, but full of rubble, one slice of the plate missing.

"Read it," Yuffie said.

Tragedy struck the city of Midgar last night, at 02:54 AM. Sector Seven's plate was detached from its support structure and fell on the underlying slums. At the time of writing, authorities have not released the number of deaths, but it can be inferred to be in the thousands, if not tens of thousands.

Soon after the incident, Shinra, responsible for Midgar's construction, released a statement regarding the situation. While many might jump to accuse Shinra of faulty mainteinance, the true culprits may be a terrorist group. In particular, the anti-Shinra organization Avalanche. Readers may remember that the organization has already placed bombs two of Midgar's mako reactors in the past month.

"No," Zack said.

Just. No.

The bathroom door opened. Genesis stopped, finding them all standing there.

"What happened?" he asked.

Zack passed him the newspaper. He watched Genesis's eyes widen as they ran over the words.

"It can't have been Avalanche," he eventually said.

"Of course not!" Zack burst out. "They wouldn't have. I mean, they're not the most morally sound people if they're putting bombs around, but there's a world of difference between a reactor and this."

This, this Zack was sure Aerith and Kunsel hadn't agreed to.

"Of course not," Genesis echoed, "because you can't drop a plate. There are too many safety mechanisms in place, they put endless failsafes after the Sector Six crash. No ragtag terrorist group with its homemade explosives could detach a plate."

"Then, what happened?" Cloud asked.

Genesis shook his head at the paper. "I don't know."

"Maybe someone else did it?" Yuffie said. "Someone leaked the information to... I don't know, there's plenty of people who hate Shinra."

"Would Wutai do this?"

Yuffie seemed to physically swell with anger at that. "We would never!"

"If you wouldn't," Cloud said, "and Avalanche wouldn't, who would?"

There was a long moment of silence.

"The only people who know the mechanism to detach a plate are the Board of Directors, and the engineers from Urban Development," Genesis said, slowly. "Either one engineer gave out the information, or..."

Zack shook his head. "They wouldn't."

"Wouldn't they?"

"Not even Shinra would get to the point of murdering that many people."

"Welcome to Wutai," Yuffie murmured.

Zack shook his head. "Wutai is a different thing."

"Why? Because we matter less in Wutai?"

"Because Wutai is on the other side of the world," Zack snapped. "Midgar is built around Shinra's base. Why would they kill all those people on their own doorsteps?"

There was nothing to gain from it. Zack couldn't think of a single way this would benefit Shinra.

"Zack is right," Genesis said, interrupting Yuffie before she could speak. "Think about it in terms of money. The war in Wutai started because of Shinra's interest in expanding its economic empire. Rebuilding Midgar alone would cost them an unimaginable amount of money. Even with how deranged the Board of Directors can be, I can't think of a single reason they would think this is a good idea."

Yuffie had no reply to that. Neither did Zack, nor Cloud. Nothing of this made sense.

***

The radio talked of nothing but the plate falling. After all, nothing in the world could be equally important as that. Numbers kept rising. A hundred confirmed dead, two hundred, three hundred, at one point Zack tried blocking it all out. They kept refreshing the email on Yuffie's PHS. Nothing from either Kunsel or Aerith.

Zack kept his head against the car window as they drove. The bumps to his face were almost the light of the day.

"...A new report from Shinra. Apparently, there is reasonable proof that Avalanche has been working together with some Wutai terrorist group."

"Bullshit," Yuffie shouted.

"As expected from Shinra," Cloud said.

"More proof that Avalanche isn't responsible," Genesis said. "Otherwise Shinra wouldn't be so quick to paint them as the villain."

Zack closed his eyes, and breathed out slowly. "Genesis. Can you do me a favor?"

"What kind?"

"Can you please tell me about Loveless? I need something else to think about."

Genesis remained silent for a moment. "There is a group of five lines in Act Two whose meaning is heavily debated."

With some luck, Genesis's voice would knock every thought out of Zack's head before Zack made Cloud turn the car in the direction of Midgar.

***

They got into the next town late, booked a motel, and then found a fast food open until midnight for dinner. When they returned to their rooms, it was well past time to sleep. Even if Zack didn't feel like it. All of these bad news, and nothing he could do about them. He would need a thousand squats to calm himself down.

Two rooms tonight. One for Cloud and Yuffie, one for Zack and Genesis. Zack didn't know why he and Genesis had been declared roommates, but he wasn't in the mood to make a fuss about it.

"Don't you dare turn on that television," Genesis said, as soon as the door closed behind them.

"No worries."

Zack had had more than enough of worldy events. The entire day had left him with a heavy chest, unspent energy, and a persistent headache.

Genesis tossed his shoes somewhere, and dropped down on his bed. He huffed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Do you know what I could use?"

"What?" Zack said, slipping his shoes off.

"A good fuck."

Zack paused. "Are you just making me aware of it, or...?"

"Worry not," Genesis said, waving his hand. "You are painfully loyal to your girlfriend, far be it from me to tempt you into my bed. I am just saying it would be a good moment to have mind blowing sex and think of nothing until tomorrow."

Zack supposed that between sex and setting a town on fire the former was a better way to deal with bad news.

He paused. "But you are saying if I was single you'd be hitting on me."

"Beggars can't be choosers, and being trans makes finding a one night stand significantly more complicated."

Made sense.

"Sorry about that," Zack said. "Can't help you there. Unless you want to see if Cloud is into you, you'll have to keep your pants on."

"Cloud? Hm. Pretty, but right now I'd rather someone who isn't a virgin."

Which, given Cloud had been sixteen when they had been put into the labs, and had never mentioned a relationship... Yeah, he probably was.

"Question, are we going to keep talking about our respective dry spells much longer?"

"Why, am I making you uncomfortable?"

"I don't know, feels weird to be talking about this when a few thousand people just died and we don't know why," Zack said. "Also, I have no idea what I'm even supposed to be telling you."

Genesis sighed. "Nothing you can say will do anything for my genitals, I fear."

"I'm almost offended."

"I don't know what passes for dirty talk in your head, but knowing you I would rather not find out."

"Hey. I can be extremely sexy."

"You are a man whose only experiences with sex happened as a teenager, with another teenager. I have significant doubts."

Zack huffed. Aerith had never had any complaints about his dirty talk. Then again, Aerith habitually held long conversations with flowers. She had been very appreciative of every terrible plant themed pun Zack had managed to find.

Gods. Where was she in all of this? Her house was in Sector Five, and that was the only thing keeping Zack from going insane right now. She should be safe.

"You know what I need instead," Zack said, forcing that train of thought to stop.

"What?"

"A bath that is actually warm."

Which the motel was unlikely to provide.

"That does sound wonderful," Genesis said. "Before or after sex?"

"I'm not picky. Is it... I just realized it's been five years since the last time I had a decent bath and all the time to enjoy it."

Another depressing note to add on to an already depressing day.

"Welcome to the club."

"Really?" Zack asked. "I had figured you would have stormed a spa here and there."

"Degradation has the annoying side effect of making you feel horribly cold."

Zack laid down in his bed, shifting to make himself comfortable. "You know, I never asked where all your copies ended up. I figured you ran out of them at some point."

"Not entirely wrong," Genesis said. "Most degraded long ago. Some mutated beyond recognition. At some point, I stopped making them. According to Hollander my DNA was too frayed, the rate of failed implants too high. No copies remain anymore."

Zack wondered if he was masochistic enough to ask Genesis if he ever felt sorry about what he did to all those innocent people. Maybe another day. Now, he just rubbed the base of his nose to push the headache away.

"A lot of things would be easier if I had some copies to throw at Shinra," Genesis said.

"You'd need a mad scientist to help you with it, and you are out of those."

"I could always steal Hojo."

Zack turned to Genesis. "You wouldn't subject yourself to Hojo."

"Because Hollander was so much more charming," Genesis said, dry.

"He was a little more human at least."

Genesis snorted. "How?"

Zack gestured at his chest. "Hollander had that shirt, you know? The Banora shirt."

"Because his precious experiments had grown up in Banora," Genesis said.

"Sure, but at least it kind of gave him a human look. But Hojo? Have you ever seen or heard Hojo do anything that isn't about science?"

Genesis stared at Zack for a long moment. "I always did my best to avoid spending enough time with Hojo to find out."

"I didn't have a lot of choice about that in recent years."

And he had never, ever gotten the impression Hojo had any kind of personal interest or hobby that didn't involve torturing people. He drank coffee, from time to time. To stay alive and alert, Zack imagined. It was the most human thing he had seen him do. Never had he heard Hojo express any kind of preference on said coffee.

He shouldn't think about him, it made the headache worse.

Someone pounded on their door.

"Hey! Are you awake?" came Yuffie's voice. She sounded winded, fuck, why did she sound winded?

"What is it?" Zack shouted.

"Cloud is being weird and I don't know what's wrong with him."

Zack shot up. In a second he had opened the door, finding Yuffie mid knock.

"What do you mean Cloud is being weird?"

"He went to bed immediately," Yuffie said. "Now it's like he's catatonic."

Ice crept up Zack's spine.

He ran to the other room. Cloud was lying in bed, completely still, as if he was asleep. His eyes, however, were staring straight up.

"Cloud. Do you hear me?" Zack said.

There was no answer.

Zack dropped to his knees. Cloud looked as unresponsive as when he had been in a coma. His breathing, however, was way too quick, like he had been running for miles.

"Come on, Cloud," Zack called, shaking his shoulder.

"I tried that already," Yuffie said.

Zack took Cloud's face between his hands. It was clammy. A few strands of hair were sticking to his forehead. There was no sign Cloud had even noticed someone was touching him.

"Don't you dare do this, Cloud," Zack ordered. "Not again, don't you fucking dare do this again."

"It can't be mako coma again," Genesis said. He must have followed them. "He hasn't been exposed to anything."

"Would be awfully nice to know what it is then!"

Nothing. Even pinching Cloud had no effect.

Zack's heart was racing. Not after all the effort to make Cloud wake up again. Cloud was going to live a hundred years as the picture of health, none of this bullshit.

Cloud's eyes turned. For a second, Zack thought it was a sign of Cloud snapping out of it. However, it became clear fast that that wasn't the case, Cloud's eyes were just darting this way and that, as if chasing something.

"He looks like he's having a nightmare," Genesis said.

"Can you wake him up?" Zack snapped, turning to him.

Genesis only shook his head. He came to stand behind Zack, looking down at Cloud.

Yuffie let out a long groan. "I'm so sick and tired of not knowing anything! We don't know why that plate fell, we don't know what is happening with Cloud, do we know anything at all?"

"I know I'm getting a migraine," Genesis said.

"Oh, now that's useful!"

Zack tuned them out. He focused on Cloud, trying to think of ways to make him react. From time to time, Cloud's face twitched, grimacing as if in pain.

Suddenly, Cloud drew in a sharp breath, and croaked out something.

"Cloud?" Zack called, again. "What did you say?"

Cloud's voice was raspy, as if dragged out by force. "Reunion."

"Re... Reunion? What does that mean?"

No reply.

It dragged on like that for what felt like forever. Cloud twitched and sweated and occasionally spoke, but never more than a couple words at a time, and it never made any kind of sense. The whole situation was made to torture Zack. No matter how he shook him, called, begged, Cloud didn't snap out of it.

Until he did. It was not dramatic, or even really noticeable. He didn't sit up in bed or scream or anything. Zack might not have noticed the way Cloud's eyes cleared had he not been bent over him. A minute shift, the vacant look fading. It left an alert, if confused gaze in its place.

"Cloud?" Zack whispered.

Cloud licked his lips. "Zack?"

"Oh thank fuck, thank every fucking god–"

"Are you back with us?" Yuffie asked.

"I... what?"

"You gave me the scare of my life, you know? Going all weird just like that!"

If Yuffie had been worried, Zack had been terrified.

"What did I do?" Cloud asked. "Why are you all staring at me?"

"We couldn't wake you up," Zack said. "You were just looking up at nothing, just twitching, you kept saying something about a reunion."

Cloud's confused expression turned into a frown. "Reunion?"

"What happened before you lost it?" Genesis asked. "Yuffie told us you went to bed early. Were you feeling sick?"

Zack turned his head towards Genesis. His voice was sharper than Zack had expected. Genesis stared at Cloud with something that wasn't worry or relief. Intense, almost feverish. Almost frightened.

"I was..." Cloud paused, thinking. "I was just tired. Long day."

"And then? Do you remember anything from now?"

Cloud tilted his head. "There's... Shit. That was a weird one."

"What was?" Genesis snapped.

"It's like a dream, like I was dreaming."

"What did you dream about?" Zack asked.

The frown on Cloud's face deepened. He glanced at Genesis, then back at Zack.

"Cloud?" Zack asked.

With a grunt, Cloud pushed himself up on his elbows, sitting on bed.

"I was in a building, looking for something," he said. "Looking for... For someone, I think. It's all confused. There were these rooms that looked like laboratories, and other rooms that were more like an office. An old man, too. I think he did something... Something bad, he was in this big, fancy office, and I... Never mind that. But I found her. The person I was looking for. I just don't know who it was."

"And this dream was worth making us all worry like that?" Yuffie said.

Cloud shrugged. "It's just a dream."

"Not when you go catatonic in the middle of it," Zack replied.

"I'm fine now," Cloud said. "Maybe it's just somethng left over from the coma."

He didn't look too convinced himself. The tone was almost forcefully neutral. His fingers were tapping on the mattress, maybe without him even realizing it.

"I don't think so."

They all turned to look at Genesis. He had his arms crossed. His hand was clearly gripping his bicep, as if restraining himself.

"You're a doctor now?" Cloud asked.

"No. But you woke up from your coma months ago. If it had left damage, we would have noticed it earlier."

Cloud pushed himself off the bed, and stood up. "Well, I'm good either way."

"You sure about that?" Zack asked.

There was no denying Cloud looked to have recovered already. He didn't have trouble standing up. His face had also started to regain the little color it usually had.

"I'm feeling good. Wouldn't even know anything happened if you weren't all gawking."

Zack stood up as well. "We were worried, man."

"Sorry about that, I guess. I need to go to the bathroom, I don't think I need any supervision for that."

Cloud's voice had turned clipped. He walked past them, and disappeared behind the bathroom door.

"It might be time for us to leave," Genesis said.

"But," Zack started.

Genesis offered him the least natural shrug Zack had ever seen. "You've seen him. If anything happens, Yuffie can call us."

"Yeah, no way I'd be dealing with it on my own," Yuffie said.

Zack made to argue, but stopped himself. Cloud had started to get annoyed by the attention, as much as Zack wanted to keep an eye on him for a week he knew it would just upset Cloud more.

Besides that, now he had to figure out what was happening in Genesis's head.

"Fine," Zack said. "Yuffie, call us as soon as anything happens. Goodnight, Cloud!"

The shout was answered with an unintellegible grunt.

Zack and Genesis returned to their room. As soon as they did, Zack crossed his arms and leveled a stare at Genesis.

"Spill it."

Genesis raised an eyebrow at him. "Spill what?"

"Whatever it is you're thinking. I know you've got some kind of theory."

"I wouldn't call it a theory," Genesi said. "Just something that crossed my mind. A mental association."

"What kind?"

Genesis sat down on his bed. He spent a few moments frowning at the floor before speaking. "Hollander once told me about a theory Hojo had. Mostly to complain about how Hojo was so full of himself and all of that. Hojo called it the Reunion Theory."

"Reunion?" Zack repeated.

"Strange, isn't it? And what's more, it concerned Jenova and those who are in some way infected by J-cells."

Zack's jaw tightened. Jenova. He would like to forget all about that thing. Although, given they had also infected Cloud, that was an additional point towards Genesis's mental association.

"Jenova has been inactive since Shinra found it," Genesis continued. "They don't even know if it can be considered alive in the traditional sense. However, presumably it should have powers similar to those seen in project G. The ability of infecting others with its DNA, to control them, and to reabsorb them too."

"Like..." Zack said, leaving the sentence open.

Genesis nodded. "Hojo's Reunion Theory says that Jenova's... goal, or life cycle, however you want to see it, would involve drawing all that it has infected back to itself. This way, it would make itself more powerful by selectively picking the best traits. Hollander claimed the theory had good basis, but that it was full of holes."

"A literal reunion," Zack said.

"Indeed. However, if this was some symptom of Reunion Theory, so to speak, you and I should be affected as well. Unless our cells are too mutated at this point."

Zack thought about it for a second, and shook his head. "That's creepy, but you don't have any proof aside from the name."

Genesis hummed, and laid down. "I don't. I realized how much I was jumping to conclusions as Cloud started speaking. It might just be a coincidence."

Truth be told, in a way Zack almost hoped that theory was right. At least it would offer an explanation for what had happened. Not necessarily a good one, but anything was better than not having any clue why Cloud had had that episode.

Zack should have pushed more to stick by Cloud. What if it happened again, and Yuffie didn't notice because she was asleep? They needed to investigate this, not leave it be just because Cloud said he was feeling alright now. Hell knew Cloud would let himself die before admitting anything was wrong.

Tomorrow morning. At the moment, Zack knew he wouldn't be able to think straight. Tomorrow they would try to work out something better than Genesis's creepy mad scientist theories.

Talk about a shit day.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Zack was as usual up before Genesis stirred. He got dressed quickly, and immediately went to knock on Cloud and Yuffie's door. Yuffie answered, rubbing her eyes.

"Everything good?" Zack asked.

She nodded. "He's still sleeping."

Zack peeked inside. Cloud was an indistinct shape under his blanket.

"Want to go have a walk while the others wake up?" he asked Yuffie.

After a moment, she nodded. "Give me a second."

Yuffie went to dress, and Zack waited for her in the hallway. Today... They should ask around if anyone had a job for them. This town was nice, and the motel not too pricey, they could stick around for a couple days if there was some monster to hunt.

On a more personal note, Zack would have to bother Cloud into explaining exactly how he was feeling. In the light of day, Genesis's idea from yesterday seemed even more far-fetched. There had to be a more mundane explanation. Maybe Cloud had hit his head recently and no one had noticed?

They also had to check if Kunsel had updated them. Zack had almost managed to forget about the Plate falling in yesterday night's panic.

Yuffie came back out. "Let's go."

The two of them left the building. A cold drop hit Zack's cheek as soon as they did. He looked up, grimacing. The sky was overcast. It would be a pain to do any kind of work in the rain.

"Now, this would be a good morning for running a few laps," Yuffie said, cheerful.

"It's raining."

"That's the point! It builds character, and the mud increases the challenge."

"If you say so," Zack replied. This girl was a little insane about her training, and that was saying something coming from him.

"Sometimes I wonder how Shinra ever managed to take Wutai," Yuffie huffed. "You people are all wimps. Without all your weird enhancements, you wouldn't..."

"We wouldn't what?"

Yuffie looked frozen on the spot. He tried waving a hand in front of her eyes. She pointed ahead, opening and closing her mouth without words.

Zack followed the direction of her finger. They were walking in front of a cafe, one that also sold some newspapers. All the different ones on display said the same thing.

President Shinra dead

"You're seeing this, right," Yuffie whispered. "This isn't some kind of... best dream of my life."

Wordlessly, Zack walked into the store, grabbing the first newspaper he found. "I'm taking one copy."

The old lady behind the register nodded at him. "Hell of a shock, huh? First that mess in Midgar, now the President dead. Makes you wonder what will be next."

Zack sort of didn't want to wonder.

Yuffie had taken refuge from the rain under a ledge. He joined her.

"What happened? Did the old man have a heart attack or something? No, no something more humiliating."

"You shouldn't be mean to dead people," Zack said, straightening the paper.

"Being dead doesn't make him suddenly not a filthy pig."

Zack skimmed the words, trying to figure out what was going on. The President had been found dead in his own office, Shinra hadn't shared what the cause of death was yet. Rufus Shinra was taking control – did Rufus actually know how to run the place? Zack didn't think he had ever seen the man do anything except being pretty at parties.

"It really doesn't say what did him in?" Yuffie said. "Bet it was something too embarrassing for Shinra to share."

"Or it's still being investigated."

"Like, they're waiting for an autopsy?"

"Could be." The President wasn't a young man. It could very well have been a heart attack, a stroke, any other sudden health problem, and that would have to get determined by a doctor. But the timing was suspicious. "Or, maybe, it's something connected to the what happened with the Plate."

"You think he was assassinated?" Yuffie asked, sounding thrilled about it.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Avalanche wouldn't have dared. Granted, they had a history of assassination attempts, but not the group they were familiar with. Getting past the Tower's security alone would be a massive gamble. Not even Kunsel could sneak them all in and straight to the President's office without anyone noticing.

Kunsel was already inside, but he couldn't have attacked the President. He wasn't the type for that.

"We need someone smart," Yuffie said. "Let's get Genesis out of bed."

"Are you saying Genesis is smarter than the two of us?"

"He has a lot more insight in how Shinra works than I do. And he is smarter than you."

Zack gaped. "I have spent my best years making sure you didn't get yourself torn to pieces by monsters, and this is how you thank me?"

"Move it!"

They ran back to the motel. Zack's room was the closest, and so they burst in first. Genesis was awake at least, buckling up his belt when they opened the door.

"What happened now?" Genesis asked.

"The President is dead!" Zack said, throwing the newspaper at him.

Genesis looked down at the page, lips parting in shock. His eyes ran over the article over and over, hands tightening on the paper.

Before Genesis could say anything, Yuffie yelped. "Hey! You have a new email! It's form last night, actually."

She showed Zack the PHS. Zack's heart jumped, praying that Kunsel wouldn't disappoint and solve at least a few questions.

Zack, it's Kunsel. Ive got to be quick shit hit the fan here, I'll tell you more tomorrow with some luck. Shinra dropped plate 7 on purpose to frame avalanche. If your reading in the morning you probably know already prez is dead. Sephiroth killed him. SEPHIROTH. Its insane but trust me

Ill write as soon as i can. C ya

"Give me that," Genesis said, as soon as Zack was done reading the email out loud. He almost ripped the PHS from Zack's suddenly numb hands.

"Sephiroth?" Yuffie repeated. "That Sephiroth? SOLDIER, grey hair, long sword?"

Zack sat down on bed. Wow, this room sure was spinning fast around him.

Yuffie shook her head. "I heard he was KIA, but since you guys are fine–"

"He was killed," Zack said. "He... He fell in a reactor. You don't survive that, not even if you are Sephiroth."

The hand Genesis was using to hold the PHS fell down to his side. "Sephiroth is dead. I would have known if he was alive."

"Maybe Shinra hid it from you?" Yuffie said.

"They couldn't hide something like that! Not from me, not this long. I followed every hint of a trail I could find and I tell you, Sephiroth died in Nibelheim five years ago."

Yuffie flinched at the way Genesis was speaking. Something in between anger and desperation dripped from his words. It brought Zack back to the degradation.

The tone was unpleasant enough it prompted Zack to stand up again, and step between Genesis and Yuffie. "I know he's dead, and you know he's dead. But I also know Kunsel, and he doesn't say anything if he's not sure of it."

"Your friend can still be wrong from time to time," Genesis said.

"Do we have anything better right now? We can only wait until he writes again and tells us what he saw."

Genesis turned away. He took a deep breath, nostrils flaring. Then, he looked at the PHS again.

"One fifty-three," Genesis said.

"What?"

"The email was sent at one fifty-three in the morning. This," Genesis raised the newspaper, "says the President was found shortly after two."

"That timeline matches up," Zack said.

Genesis breathed in sharply. Without words, he turned, and marched to Cloud's room.

"Genesis?" Zack asked, following.

Genesis didn't answer. "Yuffie, the key."

His tone didn't leave space for arguing. Yuffie rushed to open, and Genesis went in. He ripped the blankets off of Cloud, throwing them to the ground.

"What–"

"You said you dreamt of an old man yesterday," Genesis said. "What did he look like?"

Cloud blinked. He still laid in bed, face red from the pillow, and didn't look like he had any understanding of Genesis's words. "What?"

"When you went into that state yesterday, you said there was an old man in a fancy office. What did the old man look like? Or the office?"

Cloud's eyes darted around, before landing on Zack. "What's going on with him?"

"Answer me!" Genesis snarled.

"Calm down!" Zack placed a hand on Genesis's arm, ready to drag him off if he didn't behave. "Cloud, just tell him."

"Why?" Cloud asked. His voice had taken a defiant edge.

Zack shook his head.

After a moment of staring at them, Cloud spoke up. "The old man was... an old man? White hair, I think. He was dressed nicely. Smoking something."

A strange feeling settled in Zack's stomach.

"What else do you remember? Where was he? What was he doing?"

"What is with you," Cloud grumbled. "He was in an office, I think. Very big office, big windows too. The old man was in a chair, behind a desk. Think there might have been something else too but... I don't know, it was out of focus. I don't remember what the old man was doing, it was like random images as I got closer to him."

"Why were you getting close to him?" Genesis insisted.

Something flashed behind Cloud's eyes. He licked his lips, hesitating.

Genesis made to lean closer. Zack pushed him back, glaring at him. It didn't look like Genesis cared. "What did you want from the old man?"

"I think I stabbed him," Cloud said. The words were shaky, as if Cloud didn't quite want to say them. Then, he shrugged. "But who cares if I stabbed some guy in a dream? It's a fucking dream, and you are being weird."

Zack swallowed.

"I also would like to understand," Yuffie said. She was still in the doorway, at a safe distance from Genesis.

"Have you," Zack started, "have you ever been in the President's office?"

Because Zack had only been a couple times, and he wasn't sure he remembered well.

Genesis took a deep breath. "Unless he remodeled, it matches."

Zack wasn't sure what time Cloud had recovered yesterday, but he was sure they had been up well past one.

The newspaper was still in Genesis's hands. He turned a couple pages, and shoved it in Cloud's face. "Did the old man look like this?"

"Uh. Yeah." Cloud tilted his head, lips parted. "Wait, that's... the President?"

Oh fuck this.

"You know this makes even less sense, right?" Zack said.

The idea of Sephiroth being alive and murdering was crazy enough. Reunion Theory, on its own, was also crazy enough. Sephiroth being somehow alive and killing President Shinra and Cloud having a vision of it made absolutely no sense.

"I know," Genesis said. "And I want you to remember that Lazard was following Angeal's wishes, years after Angeal had died."

Meaning it wasn't entirely impossible for Cloud to be acting like Sephiroth would want either. Except, Cloud wasn't a copy in the way Lazard had been. His body hadn't mutated to resemble Sephiroth's.

Besides, it would be one thing if Cloud himself had tried to murder President Shinra because of Sephiroth's will. To Zack's knowledge, copies did not have random visions.

"But it might have been a copy," Zack said, clinging on to the only thing that made any sense. "A Sephiroth copy. Kunsel could have seen that."

"Why the fuck are we talking about Sephiroth now?" Cloud said.

Zack took a deep breath. "It's, ah. Look, I'm going to send Kunsel a quick reply and then I'll help explain."

Kuns,

Write me immediately because what the fuck does any of this mean???

***

They gave up on looking for a job. None of them was in the right mindset to hunt or fight anything. Cloud had gone from confused to shocked to furious when Genesis had explained his ideas. He hadn't spoken to any of them since. In a way, Zack couldn't quite blame him.

Genesis was on edge, pacing up and down the room. He had nearly bit the motel's staff's head off when they had come to check if the room needed cleaning. Yuffie was still confused. She had heard nothing of Jenova or copies until today, and was constantly looking at her PHS to see if Kunsel had replied. Zack had decided to do squats until his legs gave out.

Kunsel took his sweet time answering them, making them stew in their questions until the early afternoon. The email was announced by Yuffie's squeak.

Zack,

Sorry for leaving you like that. I was having some problems. Ok so let me explain what happened in the past ten days or so:

- Avalanche went into reactor 5. They put the bomb, but while escaping they were intercepted by some mechs, managed to sneak away. The bomb blew up, it only did some localized damaged, like the first bomb should have done.

- Shinra decided to drop the plate on sector 7 as a way to turn public opinion against avalanche. Avalanche found out and tried to stop it, but they didn't make it in time. Aerith ended up getting captured by Shinra. Avalanche decided to try and break into Shinra to break her out.

- *I* didn't find out the plate was going to fall because it turns out Shinra found out I was the one leaking information. You can call me an idiot do it. Yesterday night I got taken to the President's office after they realized Avalanche was getting into the building. The President was basically telling me I either did what they wanted or they'd hurt avalanche and then get the Turks to make me talk.

- This is where it gets really crazy. I swear I'm not making this up. I was in the office, there was the President sitting there gloating and some guards keeping me still to listen. Then Sephiroth walks in, and I swear it was him. Leather coat, long hair and all. One second the President was talking, then he looked scared and I turn around and Sephiroth is coming towards him, sword in hand. The guards try to stop him, he kills them. I jump out of his way, and he didn't even look at me. He walked up to the President, and stabbed him through. He left then, and I don't even know why but he left the sword there.

- Don't believe me look at the attachment.

- At this point I knew avalanche was inside so I found them and Aerith. There were guards trying to block them, I managed to find a way out for us. We found a decent vehicle and ran. Piece of junk car managed to break down halfway though the desert so now we're having to hitchhike our way to Kalm.

- I'm writing this while sitting on a rock while we take a break. Aerith says hi. There is a woman named Tifa who asks me if you are really the same Zack who went to Nibelheim years ago, I think you are. Barret and Red also say hi. Barret is like the local boss of avalanche, Red is complicated to explain.

So now you're up to date. I'll probably be able to write you more often now that I don't have to worry about being found out anymore. Congrats on officially making me a wanted man, I knew you were trouble the day I met your sorry ass.

I'd like to see you again, but it might be better if we don't try to meet. I think we are being followed, so why don't you guys do us a favor for once and get Shinra's attention on you? Thanks.

But see you soon hopefully.

P.S. Aerith says she can't wait to tell you all she's done with Avalanche. She says you'll be proud of her. I think you'll get five heart attacks in a row like I did.

"What is the attachment?" Genesis asked.

Zack tapped to expand the 'attachments' section. There were two different files, and Zack opened the first one. He nearly dropped the PHS.

It was a photo. Out of focus and tilted to one side, like Kunsel had taken his PHS out in a sudden rush to get the picture. The image showed the President's office, pretty much as Zack remembered it. In one side of the picture was the blurry shape of a man slumped on a chair, a sword coming out from his chest. Most of the picture was taken up by the large windows behind the President's desk, the ones leading to the roof of the building. A dark, human silhouette was outside. Even if blurry, the cascade of silver on their back was unmistakable.

Zack quickly opened the second picture. This one was clearer. It was a shot of the President's corpse. Masamune was clearly recognizable, sticking out of the President's chest, dark blood staining his clothes.

"Well?" Genesis asked.

Zack passed him the PHS, letting him see for himself. Cloud and Yuffie crowded behind Genesis, trying to look over his shoulders. Yuffie drew in a sharp breath, covering her mouth, eyes wide in shock. Genesis's face was like ice. Cloud lost all color in his face.

"That's Sephiroth's sword," Genesis said. "Even if we had doubts on the man in the other picture, no one else would use that sword."

Cloud swallowed. "That's what I saw. The President, the office. It's all just like it was in my dream."

Genesis gave the PHS back to Yuffie. "My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains."

"Cloud? Everything alright?" Zack asked, as Cloud walked towards the bedroom door.

"I need some air."

Zack bit his lip, watching Cloud go. He didn't know what to do. What he wanted was to drag Cloud into a bear hug and tell him this was just some freaky one-off, that he was alright. However, emotions were never Cloud's strong suit. Maybe pushing him to be with them now would do more harm than good.

Then again, last time Zack had left a friend to deal with hard news on his own, it hadn't exactly ended well. He'd give Cloud an hour or two at most.

"What do we do now?" Yuffie asked.

"Fuck some shit up so Kunsel and the others can sneak away from Midgar," Zack said, shaking his head.

Yuffie nodded. "By the way, who is this Tifa?"

With everything else going on in that email, Zack had almost forgotten about her.

"She's a girl from Nibelheim," Zack said. "Cloud's hometown, that got burnt down by Sephiroth. I met her when me and Sephiroth were sent there on a mission. I'm glad she's alright, she was injured pretty badly when I last saw her."

Oh, and Cloud needed to get ready for that conversation. Zack had allowed him to hide himself from Tifa that one time, because he couldn't have predicted anything that would have happened later. It was time Cloud was honest with her.

"I have another proposal," Genesis said.

"Which is?"

"We head towards Nibelheim."

Zack paused briefly. "Why?"

"It was where Jenova, and documentation on Project S was being kept. If we're lucky, there might still be something left there for us."

Genesis spoke as if they had already decided that their next move should be to investigate Sephiroth's apparent rebirth. Zack didn't see any reason to argue.

"Cloud won't like it," Zack said.

"Cloud will have to deal with the things he doesn't like, I fear."

Zack sighed. "Let's tell Kunsel we are heading towards it. They can follow us."

If Zack never had to return to Nibelheim again in his life it would still be too soon.