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Chapter Text

A Brief History

It’s said the world flooded 2000 years ago. What was once sprawling landscapes, vast plains and thick forests became unforgiving seas, leaving a handful of islands yet to be swallowed by the tides. The exact cause has been debated since the day it occurred. Some speak of a northern ice cap that no longer exists, some claim it was a form of divine retribution, a punishment for collective sin. The answer lies in the tales of the Ancients, passed from parent to child, so that the mistake of their elders would never be made again. A great power was created to combat a threat to the Planet's life unlike anything seen before. A blight from the stars. But that power came at the cost of every form of life on the Planet. While the evil may have been sealed away, its watery tomb was not for it alone.

30 years prior to today, the ShinRa Naval Corp, an extension of the power company, controlled most of the Planet’s seas with an iron grip. Competitors are squashed out before they are allowed to flourish. Once the major waterways were secure, they saw fit to take to the skies. Not stopping with airships, they began toying with genetic engineering, resulting in the creation of Harpies, humans born altered with monster DNA. These feathered soldiers are raised from birth to be the perfect picture of the company’s prowess. Obedient and beautiful, evoking the imagery of angels. They are anything but.

Present day, the program is floundering. A mass desertion occurred following the Specimen G catastrophe, and upper management has struggled to save face since. Research and Development has promised results after a five year ‘study’. However, their samples seemed to have disappeared…

~~~

The night had been all but quiet on the ship, torrential rain beating down on the deck. Bursts of laughter and the clinking of glass could be heard all the way in the sleeping quarters. None of it bothered Tifa.

Finding some calm in the normalcy, maybe she'd get some sleep before tomorrow's mission. The ship was on course for Midgar, and they would arrive by morning.

Thoughts of the future surfaced as she drifted off, swaddled in her bunk. She was doing this all for the Planet, what was she going to do when it was finally safe? Even if the reactors are no longer operational, the remnants of ShinRa would certainly render Midgar too dangerous to stay in.

She'd liked that little bar gig she had going back before they moved their activity out of the floating city. Maybe set up shop somewhere. They were traveling after all, why not scout out some potential while they're at it? There's a lot to see. And many paths to take. If only she knew which one she wanted to follow.

Home. That's what Tifa really wanted, wasn't it? To go home?

Home wasn't an option anymore. Nibelheim was gone . With everyone in it.

Mood soured, Tifa curled in on herself, burying her face into the blanket she had balled up in her arms. This train of thought wasn't going anywhere good. Taking a deep breath, she tried to keep calm, just sleep it off. But her mind kept crawling back to that day. To her years looking for the only person left from before . But he left years ago, seemingly without a trace. Did he make it to SOLDIER? If he did, why didn't he keep his promise? Where'd he go?

She'd asked Jessie to check if she could find anything on him, but there was nothing. Nothing . He didn't...he didn't lie and leave , did he? He promised he'd make it...that he'd come back for her?

Her mouth was dry, burning eyes squeezed shut. 'Just SLEEP, damn it.'

Time crawled, minutes seemed to drag on for hours in her mind. It was agonizing.

Jolted from her thoughts by the sound of shattering glass, Tifa wrestled her covers off and stammered her way into the corridor. Blinking the sting from her eyes, she felt her way down to the source of the commotion. Rounding the threshold, she looked out to make sense of the situation, the forms of her friends coming into focus. The next thing she saw raised alarms in her head.

A Harpy? On the ship? ShinRa wasn't supposed to know where they were, Jessie had thrown them off Riptide's tail days ago.

He seemed to be struggling, disoriented. Tifa quirked a brow. 'Odd, I thought they were supposed to be elite fighters. Why is this one so...out of it?'

Soon enough, the group had the intruder pinned. Even in his sluggish state, it took 3 of them to hold him there. Barret was doing most of the work, pressing his hand to the Harpy's back, keeping him in place on the floor. Jessie and Biggs kept his wings still, those alone could do serious harm if allowed to flail freely.

She stepped forward, trying to get a better view. The stranger was looking around frantically, and eyes locked. A flash of recognition passed his face.

"Tifa?"

It was a hoarse call for help as the gravity of the situation seemed to fall on him.

Tifa's childhood friend doesn't look like the boy she last saw 7 years ago. There was no way it was him . It couldn't be. Long, lanky legs ending in webbed digits extended behind him from where she stood, and large white feathered wings were held out at his sides. The idea that this was Cloud, the very human boy from her village, seemed impossible. What happened?

"A-" Blinking, Tifa came to her senses. "You guys need to get off of him. I- please, now!"

That got some weird looks in response.

"Tifa, what are you talking about? Let go of a ShinRa agent? Are you out of your mind!?" Barret exclaimed, disbelief written across his face.

"I-" Tifa bit down on her lip, brow furrowed as she searched for the right words. "I know him. I know that sounds crazy, but I know him. I promise. Please just...let me talk to him."

Her eyes were pleading, settling intensely on Barret. Letting out a deep sigh, he relented. "Alright. But not before we get him tied down. Don't need him causing any more damage."

As the others moved to get him secure, Cloud tried to resist, but gave up as Barret pressed down harder. No point making this any more difficult than it already was.

When they were done, his wings were tied at his sides, his ankles and wrists bound to each other. Gaze cast to the side, he refused to bring his eyes up from the floor. The others left Tifa to her business, she'd insisted they speak alone.

She could get a really good look at him now. There were feathers all up his back, some peeking out from above the neck of his shirt. His hands were dark, with webbing between clawed fingers. Stark black feathers jutted out from where his ears should have been, pinned back against the sides of his head.

"Cloud."

His ears perked up at the name, if briefly. His glare at the floor deepened, frown pressing thin. He was doing everything in his power not to look at her.

Tifa kneeled down, tilting her head in an attempt to meet his eyes. "Please talk to me."

That seemed to break him. Swallowing hard, Cloud slowly turned to her, something unreadable in his expression. "Okay." He said hoarsely.

She had no idea where to start, there was just too much to ask. Jumping in too fast would shut him down, she'd have to work up to the big question. "So, where have you been for the last seven years?"

"Seven?" He said, shooting Tifa a quizzical look before a realization seemed to dawn on him. "No, it was...five years. Not seven."

Five years...

"You were there when-"

"When they burned Nibelheim to the ground? Yeah, yeah I was there that day." Cloud shifted his gaze back to the floor, lightly tracing the grain of the boards with the tip of a talon.

Tifa sat there, reeling. That couldn't be true, he hadn't been there. She knew he hadn't. Anger burned in her chest, but she did what she could to stamp it out for now. There had to be more to this.

Something must have shown on her face, Cloud almost scrambled to continue. "You-, uh, I didn't show myself. While I was there."

Cloud trailed off, mumbling by the end. Tifa watched as he shrunk away, ducking his head. "I was with the party heading up to the reactor. You were our guide, there were two infantrymen, a SOLDIER and a Harpy. I told you I was going to join SOLDIER, but I...hadn't made it yet. So I didn't say anything."

His words hung in the air, laden with shame. Tifa stared in confusion, the only way he could have really known that was if he had been there. Not even ShinRa had files on what happened, at least not ones that Jessie could find. But given Cloud's current...circumstances, they probably had something big to hide. Bigger than just the attack itself.

Tifa reached out, brushing the edge of his wing with her finger tips. Looking up to his face, a silent question was asked. Cloud swallowed hard, averting his eyes. "I was still in town after your fighting teacher took you. We got swarmed and...I don't know. Everything after that is fuzzy. Next thing I know I'm in some lab and they, they-"

Cloud's words were cut short, rapid breathing snuffing them out. His eyes became distant, and he pulled himself in tight. Tifa moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She could feel him shaking. "Cloud, Cloud listen to me, okay? You don't have to tell me anything else."

Rubbing circles on his shoulder, Tifa felt him choke back a sob, and he leaned into her fully. They sat there for a long while, until Cloud's breathing finally evened out. Taking the opportunity, Tifa began untying the binds he'd been put in. Cloud watched in silence as she worked, gently tracing a thumb where the rope had been once Tifa had moved onto his wings.

"There, all done." Tifa stepped back proudly, a light smile planted on her face. Turning, she cast the rope to the side. Cloud remained seated on the floor, lost in thought.

"So your friends are just going to let me go? After taking the time to make sure I wasn't going anywhere?" Tifa stiffened. She hadn't thought of that.

"I'm...not sure. But I'll see if I can work something out!" She said, raising her hands in assurance. Cloud's doubt was evident, but he didn't have any better options. Looking around the room, Tifa made a decision. "Hold tight for a bit, I think I know what to do. Okay?"

He looked up at her for a moment, and nodded.

"Good. Be back in a bit." With a smile, she turned to leave.

Chapter Text

The door clicked behind her, Cloud was left alone.

As quietly as he could manage, Cloud got up on his feet. With slow footsteps, he headed to the door, carefully putting an ear to it. It was hard to hear through the thick wood, but he could make out some of their conversation.

"-think he can help us-" He heard Tifa say faintly.

"Why would he help us? ShinRa tend to stick to their own. Why would he just give them up?" That was the man that had held him down, his voice traveling through the door with clarity.

"Barret, I don't think he wants to go back, something really bad happened-" 'Barret'. Cloud filed that one away. If this conversation went the way Tifa hoped it would, names would probably be useful.

"5 years ago? Like that 5 years ago? When they-" His voice hushed suddenly, Cloud couldn't make out the rest of his words.

"-got caught up in it too, I guess. I don't know everything but-"

From there on, he couldn't hear a thing. He slid down the door, giving a huff as he hit the ground. What the hell was he doing? These people probably wanted him dead. But better dead than back in that lab. The thought alone made him shudder.

As heavy footsteps pulled him from his thoughts, he rushed to his feet. The door swung open, Cloud barely stumbled out of the way in time to not get hit.

"Alright, so here's the deal. You're gonna help us infiltrate one of the reactors in Midgar. Get us in, get us out." Barret gave a stern look to the Harpy, dark shades hiding his eyes. "Once we're done, we'll get you as far from ShinRa as you want. But if I catch wind that you ratted us out, you're done. Got it?"

Cloud glowered at the man, it wasn't like he had much of a choice. "Yeah, got it." He echoed back.

Barret eased up a bit, his lips curling into a slightly amused smile. "Alright then. Well then, for now you're with us."

Turning with a chuckle, Barret beckoned Cloud to follow with a hand. His...only hand now that Cloud was looking. How he'd missed the gun grafted to his other arm, Cloud had no idea. Must have been more out of it than he thought.

Barret led him down a corridor, passing the other two that had taken him down when he entered. They watched as he walked by, Cloud watched back, unable to peel his eyes away until his neck couldn't turn any further.

Directing his gaze to his guide's back, they were coming to the end of the hall. Barret stopped, opening a small door off to the side. "Not much room left on the ship. It's all we got except for the couch back in the cabin."

The room was. Small. If he was being generous. It was clearly an old storage closet, boxes and tools stacked haphazardly in the back. A hammock hung from the steel beams that ran across the ceiling. Cloud supposed it was better than nothing.

"You won't be holed up in here long, we'll be at the dock by morning."

A nod seemed to satisfy Barret, who began making his way back down the hall.

Cloud stood and stared at the beige fabric in front of him, its canvas rough to the touch. Not having anything else to do for the evening, he may as well sleep. Cloud braced himself on a stack of boxes, his balance wavering on a thin leg as he tried to get the other into the hammock. After a bit of flailing, his knee was solidly in place. Lightly bouncing in place, he prepared to hop the rest of the way in.

Hoisting his other leg up, his wings flapped in an effort to stay balanced, knocking over several items on the storage shelf behind him. Whatever it was, it better not have been anything the crew cared about. Finally in the hammock, Cloud collapsed onto his stomach, wings overhanging the sides.

He let out a deep exhale, and tried shifting himself into a more comfortable position. Not much seemed to work, but eventually sleep claimed him, dark and dreamless.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Cloud woke to the blaring horn of the ship, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the heel of his hand. Propping himself up on his elbows, he looked around, gathering his bearings. Cloud couldn't quite pinpoint why it felt so odd to be inside.

Try as he might, everything was still fuzzy. He remembered...someone traveling with him, but the trip from what he assumed to be Nibelheim to the middle of the Midgar sea was a blur. Hell, he didn't even know how he got on the ship in the first place.

Frustrated with his memory, he hefted himself out of the hammock, staring into space wasn't doing him any good. His legs wobbled as he hit the ground, protesting on his way to the door.

Poking his head out, he scanned the hallway for the others. It was empty. The doors to the other rooms were closed, whether they were occupied or not, he couldn't tell. Cloud took the railing in a hand, leaning his shoulder to the wall as he worked his way down. His wings dragged on the floor behind him, they hadn’t woken up yet.

Unlike the hall behind him, the main cabin was not so empty. To the side of the room was a kitchenette, the woman from the night before was sitting cross legged on the small counter, Tifa standing beside her. They had been laughing about something until they noticed him, but they hadn't turned cold.

"Cloud, you're up!"

"Hmm." Cloud nodded. "I'm not late, am I?"

"No no, you're good. The sun's not even up yet. We just wanted to get started early." Tifa said, gesturing to the person perched beside her.

"Yeah, we're arriving a bit ahead of schedule, so breakfast got moved up. I'm Jessie by the way." She said, extending a hand to Cloud. "And sorry about last night, I'm sure that wasn't exactly fun. No hard feelings?"

Hesitantly, Cloud took her hand, giving a single firm shake. "Yeah. Guess I can't really blame you."

"That's good to hear! Y'know, now that you're up, we should probably go over the plan. Right, Tifa?"

"Yeah! Admittedly, a lot of things are still up in the air until we get there, one of our team members stayed behind to continue intel gathering while we were gone. So we'll get everything ironed out once we talk with him." She said with a reassuring nod. "You were stationed in Midgar, right? Know your way around?"

Cloud gave a shrug. "Sort of. My unit mostly stayed up on the plate while we were there, never really went into the slums."

"We'll just have to show you around then." Jessie offered, but Cloud wasn't so sure that was the best idea. He shrunk away slightly, wings folding in tighter.

Tifa placed a hand on his shoulder, a sympathetic look on her face. "It'll be okay. People there know us. They'll...warm up to you."

"Jessie!" Barret yelled from outside, gripping everyone's attention.

"Oh! That's my cue, gotta go help dock." Hopping down from the counter with a lopsided grin, Jessie bumped shoulders with Tifa, and ran outside. Tifa gave a small huff, a grin spreading across her face as she shook her head.

"We'll be docking in Sector 4, but the base in Sector 7. Jessie and I were talking about how we'd get you in, it's not like you can take the train in with us. Just, not enough time to get an ID is all."

"That's...all?" Cloud said skeptically, giving one of his wings a twitch.

Tifa caught that one. "Well, uh, yeah, the whole Harpy thing doesn't make it any easier. But! That friend we mentioned? He's going to meet us at the port and will be able to sneak you through the back way. Turns out ShinRa doesn't monitor their maintenance tunnels too well."

Despite Tifa's optimistic tone, Cloud wasn't thrilled with the idea. Heading into enemy territory with a complete stranger didn't sit too well with him. But he agreed nonetheless. 

Cloud made his way out to the deck, the dark sky barely fading into day as the sun peeked around the horizon, back lighting their destination. The plates of Midgar stood tall and proud over the small island it was built upon, the morning sun casting a long shadow across the ocean's surface. 

It'd been a long time since he'd seen the city like this. 

The port drew closer, Cloud watched as the others prepared to dock, gathering the lines and checking the anchor. Without thinking, he joined them, old habits kicking in. They looked for a minute, but shrugged and continued.

With all the prep they could get done before arriving, the group opted for a break. Barret and Jessie headed back inside, the other man looked like he was going to join them, but stopped short. 

"Barret gave me the rundown on your conversation. Take it you'll be sticking around for a bit?"

Cloud eyed him for a moment. "Depends on how long this takes." He said curtly. 

"Ah." He was a bit taken aback by Cloud's cold response, not sure what to make of it. "Well, if that's the case, here's to hoping things go well while you're here. I'm Biggs by the way."

He outstretched a hand, just like Jessie had in the cabin, but the Harpy didn't take it this time. "Cloud." 

Taking the hint, Biggs gave an awkward smile and left him be, joining the others back inside.

There wasn't much to do but wait, so Cloud rested against the railing, staring out at the steel behemoth before them. 

"Whatcha thinking about?" Tifa asked from behind. He didn't know how long she'd been there.

"Nothing." He said, shaking his head. It was partially true, more feelings than thoughts. It was almost nostalgic, were it not for the growing ache in his chest. 

Eventually, the boat pulled into port, Cloud sat back and let the crew handle it themselves. Jessie and Biggs stood on the pier ready to tie the lines in place, Barret and Tifa staying on deck to throw them over. 

Tired of waiting, Cloud hopped over the rail, catching the air in his wings on the way down. His landing was clumsy at best, but no one was watching as far as he could tell. The place was mostly empty, being there early had its advantages. Just beyond where the boat was being tied, Cloud caught a glimpse of someone walking their way. Jessie looked up from her work and frantically patted Biggs on the shoulder to get his attention. He looked up in confusion until he caught a look at the stranger.

"Wedge!" The two yell in unison, running over, and practically tackling the man in the process. Cloud could hear Barret laugh from up on deck, grinning as he made his way down. Watching as Barret joined the others, they started talking enthusiastically, about what, Cloud couldn't hear.

"You can go say hi, you know." Tifa said from behind him. Cloud didn't respond, just kept looking. "I mean, he's going to help you get to Sector 7, you'll have to talk to him at some point."

Cloud gave a low hum.

Tifa pulled ahead, following as the team walked down the pier, urging Cloud to follow. Even for the city, it was too early for the lamps to be on, so everything was cast in darkness. An unguarded fence met them, acting as the entrance to the slums. Tifa took his hand, pulling him along. 

"Wedge! This is Cloud, the one we spoke about over comms earlier. Cloud, this is Wedge, he very graciously agreed to help get you into Sector 7." She turned to look at Cloud. He didn't say anything.

"I told you, it's no problem. You said he's a friend of yours, don't see why I'd say no?" He said with a shrug, flashing Tifa a smile. He took a peek at Cloud, who had since retreated farther behind her.

Barret, Jessie and Biggs opened the fence gate, chain link rattling as it swung. Barret looked back at Tifa while the other two went through, as if to tell her they were going.

"Looks like they're moving, train will be here soon. Well, see you two at the bar!" Tifa waved before rushing to catching up with the others, leaving Cloud and Wedge alone.

He didn't really want to talk, so he just followed quietly, nodding in response on occasion. Wedge led him to a heavy door located not far from the gate, leading down under a maintenance building.

It was tight, they had to duck just to fit through the entry hatch. Not entirely unfamiliar to Cloud, recalling a time when the other members of his unit had 'volunteered' him to retrieve a parcel they'd accidentally dropped into a ship crawl space. Dodging between hot pipes and rough scaffolding as the boat lurched had made up the rest of his day. A shudder ran through his wings, pushing the memory to the side for now.

They continued forward down the entry hall, opening up significantly once they reached the main corridor, a dimly lit concrete tube with a catwalk suspended at its center. Cloud let himself breath a moment, the air bitter with traces of oil and mildew.

He peered around his guide. The path branched ahead, no clear end in sight. "How far to Sector 7?"

"It's about thirty minutes to the other side of the pillar, well, as long as no one else is down here. But the bar's not too far from where we'll get out." Wedge explained, turning his head to look at the other. Cloud gave a stiff nod, motioning for them to keep going.

Their footsteps echoed throughout, filling the silence between them. Cloud would periodically see Wedge glance back at him. But it wasn't out of distrust, there was an openness to his expression. An invitation almost. Cloud looked down to his feet, debating to take it.

He opened his mouth to say something, but a metallic clang rang through the tunnel. Cloud whipped around to see where it came from, wings flaring out. Wedge, who was now behind him, barely ducked in time to not get hit. Eyes scanned for movement. Nothing. Breathing heavy, Cloud folded his wings, standing on edge. Moments passed, the buzz of the lights above was the only thing to be heard.

A hand brushed against his shoulder, resting there as he tensed under the touch. Cloud looked back, concern creased in the other's brow. 

He shrugged his hand away. Turning back to the path ahead, Cloud kept his eyes to the ground. Wedge let his hand fall to his side, and began walking. Minutes went by without a word, the only sound coming from the tunnel itself.

Cloud was trying to keep his head clear, the closed space was starting to get to him. He thought back to the crawl space on the ship. How much worse it had been. By comparison, this was a cake walk.

His mind went in circles until his chest collided with his guide's back, pulling his attention to the present. "Wh-"

Without a word, Wedge took him by the arm, pulling him into one of the offshoot paths. He held a hand up, as if to halt Cloud. He shot a look at the back of Wedge's head, but it melted away after a second. Now he could hear it. Heavy boots shook against the grated metal floor, getting closer and closer. The world seemed to pause, he dared not move, no weapon to fight with.

Whoever was there had turned, their echoes becoming fainter. They both let go of a breath Cloud didn't know they'd been holding.

"Sorry for grabbing you like that, I wasn't thinking."  Wedge said bashfully.

Cloud stood there and blinked. "You did what you needed to. I wasn't paying attention. That's on me."

His stoic admission came as a surprise. Wedge seemed at a loss for words, Cloud just shrugged and moved back to the main path. With the coast clear, it was best they got going, Cloud hoped they wouldn't meet anyone else for the rest of the walk. 

"The exit's right up there!" Wedge broke the silence after a few minutes, pointing to a ladder just off to the side. "You first?"

Cloud stepped ahead, looking at the hatch in the ceiling. Grabbing the rungs, he climbed up. The artificial "sunlight" burned as he cracked open the cover, causing him to wince. Squinting, he pushed it all the way open, and crawled out of the hole.

He stood a moment, adjusting to the light. Heaps of scrap and rubble surrounded the clearing, a dirt road carved through. It didn't have much in the way of signage. With no one in sight, Cloud took the opportunity to stretch, wings spreading to their full length as he worked. From behind him, he could hear Wedge make his way up the maintenance shaft, closing the cover with a heavy thud. With one last shake, Cloud situated his wings back at his sides, ready to carry on. He stood, watching as his guide adjusted like he had moments before. 

Looking up, the main pillar of Sector 7 was the only thing he could see beyond the piles, the plate itself looming far above. The longer he looked, the more suffocating it became. Didn't feel much different than being in the tunnel below. It was dizzying. Cloud tore his eyes from the steel structure, trying to fall back into the illusion the false sun gave. 

"Which way to the meeting spot?"

"Town is," Holding onto the last syllable, Wedge pivoted. "That way!"

He pointed down the road heading south, away from the center of the city. Cloud started moving, Wedge catching up to his side after a moment. "Can I ask you something?"

Wedge looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, sure thing."

"What exactly are you going to be doing in the Reactor? Barret said I would be getting you all in and out, but he didn't say what for."

Tensing up, he looked away and let out a deep sigh. "I'm...not sure I should be the one to tell you that. And it's not exactly private out here."

Looking back to the road, Cloud couldn't help but wonder what mess he really got himself into. The farther they walked, the more signs of life made themselves apparent, tire tracks, garbage, even old food stalls. And then there were people, milling around, going about their day. But the closer they got, the more eyes Cloud could feel on him. Even without looking, he knew people were moving away, their stares, however, remained unchanged.

Even the infantrymen they had passed by the gate stiffened, stuck somewhere between wanting to salute or pretend to ignore him. Cloud fell behind a few strides, focusing on following Wedge. Anything to block out all those eyes. 

Another memory surfaced, much hazier than the last one. One of the few times he met a Harpy in person, talking about how there wasn't a place on land that they were free from prying eyes. It was a strange feeling, Cloud was so used to flying under the radar, he never imagined what this level of attention was really like. 'And you wanted to be a hero?' He thought bitterly.

As they made their way into the crowd, he kept his eyes to his guide's heels, ignoring the hush talk of the strangers around him. 

Wedge stopped, motioning to a building across the small plaza. "That's the bar, everyone should be there by now."

Cloud watched as he rushed up the steps, disappearing behind the front doors. The place was, rustic, to put it nicely. Corrugated metal and reclaimed timber made up its body, a large sign reading 'Seventh Heaven' sat atop the porch roof. 

Heading inside, he had expected to see more people. But the bar was empty. Maybe he shouldn't have been that surprised, it was still early. But even Wedge had disappeared, and supposedly the rest of the group was here. Cloud slowly paced to the center of the room, scanning his surroundings. Everything seemed innocuous enough, just seating and a small kitchen around the corner from the bar. 

Small footsteps padded across the wood floor, Cloud just making out a small shadow from behind the door to the back, peering at him through the gap. He tilted his head, and peered back. Whoever was back there knew they'd been caught, retreating with a small gasp. Cloud huffed, crossing his arms as he stood there. These looks were getting annoying.

A moment went by, and larger footsteps could be heard, drawing Cloud's attention again. This time, the door opened, Tifa stepping out. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting, we had some small things to go over first. Actually, they're still going over it, but in the meantime, how 'bout a drink?" 

Chapter Text

Aerith squeezed through dusty air ducts, careful not to make too much noise. If her last venture out of the building was anything to go by, she should be able to reach the public floors before anyone noticed she left. 

The worst of her journey was just starting. Running out of vent to crawl, she pried one of the ventilation covers off, and slipped out through the narrow opening. 

This place always gave her the creeps, not somewhere she'd take her sweet time getting out of.

Patient beds lined the dimly lit research ward, privacy curtains providing her ample cover. Peeking around the corner, Aerith waited for any lab assistants that could still be milling about. 

She'd picked a good time today, the lab was empty. But that was no reason to let her guard down. With thoughtful foot falls, Aerith skirted the edge of the storage room. Crates and cages littered the space, most of them empty. An odd change, they were always doing *something* in here.

The lab opened up right before the elevator, the dark, foreboding space didn't have much to offer for cover. There were two ways she could go, under the scaffolding of the observation deck, or around the back of specimen holding. 

One greatly outweighed the other in terms of safety, but something caught Aerith's eye before she made her move. A flicker of light. The only sign of life she'd seen all evening rested in a glass prison, back turned to the door. 

Taking one last look at the path under observation, she turned to the cell. Toeing the edge of the room and taking occasional glances towards the exit, Aerith reached the glass.

Inside rested a, dog? Lion? He sort of had a mane, but nothing like an actual lion would have. No amount of squinting could give her an answer. Tentatively, Aerith tapped the glass. 

"Hey, you okay in there?" 

Flinching at the sound, the prisoner jumped to his feet, assuming a defensive stance and giving her a deep glare from the other side of the cell. After giving Aerith a quick look over, he eased, but kept a watchful eye on her. 

"You're not one of the lab techs."

Aerith faltered, she wasn't expecting an actual response. "You can talk!?"

Her outburst earned her a rather unimpressed look, his ear twitched in annoyance. "Yes. Now if that's all you have to say, can you please let me go back to sleep?"

"Oh, sorry. That was kind of rude, huh?" She admitted bashfully. "But, no that wasn't all. I was gonna try and get you out."

Before he could respond, Aerith was already looking for something to open the cell with. Couldn't break the glass, that'd create too much noise, and run the risk of hurting the person she was trying to save. Couldn't pick the lock, it was passcode protected. It was too bad they confiscated her materia, really would have come in handy. The only option left was to pry the door open somehow.

In with a set of other lab tools, Aerith located a pair of forceps. Returning to the door, she knelt down to look at the lock. Holding them together tight, she wiggled the tool into a small gap in the seal. Watching closely, she hooked the back of the latch, and pushed the forceps down. With a faint click, the locking mechanism released, and the door opened.  

"There we go!" 

He looked at the threshold, and then warily back at Aerith. Slowly, he stepped out of the cell, waiting for Aerith to make a move. But she sat there quietly, looking at him curiously. He gave a huff and shook his head, just what was it that she wanted?

"You know, we should probably be getting out of here. There aren't any techs around now, but it won't take them long to figure out you're gone."

He pondered a moment, but nodded. She hadn't given him a reason not to trust her, and she seemed to know where she was going.

"Since we're going to be trekking together for a bit, do you have a name?"

"The humans in the lab called me Red XIII, but call me whatever you'd like."

"Alright! Red it is." And with a nod, Aerith arose from her knees, "I'm Aerith by the way." She turned and outstretched a hand. Red slowly gave a paw and shook. Satisfied with his response, they were off to the elevator. 

Still checking the observation deck for onlookers, Aerith came to a realization. Sure, she could have made it through the lower floors mostly unnoticed like she had many times before, but the same couldn't be said for her feline friend. Her footsteps came to a halt, falling behind Red's stride. 

"Is something wrong?" He asked, slowing his own pace, stopping to look at her with a tilt of his head.

"No no, not quite." Aerith gave a thoughtful hum, brows furrowing. "It's just that we need a way to get past security."

There wasn't much in the lab itself, but up a small flight of stairs there was a door left ajar. 

"You stay here for a minute, I'm gonna see if I can't find us some disguises." She instructed with a wink.

"Wh- disguises?" Red shot her a puzzled, and slightly concerned look. There was no way that whatever she had planned would work. But Aerith was already off, climbing the staircase and disappearing behind the door.

A few moments later, she reemerged, a large bundle of cloth wrapped in her arms. Red could see a glint of mischief in her eyes, aimed directly at him. He might be having some second thoughts about trusting this stranger.

The room had apparently been where the scientists kept there spare lab coats, amongst other clothing. Aerith had dawned her lab coat, a pair of lightly tinted sunglasses, and a dark red scarf tied up around the back of her head, hiding her braid. She'd dressed Red in a baggy t-shirt, lab coat, and wrapped a long white scarf around most of his neck.

It wasn't great by any means, but it was all about that walk! They could get past anyone with enough confidence, always worked before.

~~~

The elevator ride from R&D to the public floors was always a little nerve racking, but Aerith had made the trip many, many times. Just. Never with anyone else. 

With a ding, the sliding doors parted, and out of the elevator they went. Red couldn't quite walk upright on his own, so Aerith slung one of his front legs up over her shoulder, and together they shuffled across the floor to the other lift. 

The maze of glass offices stood ahead of them, most empty this early in the morning. As the walked, Aerith couldn't help but grow wary. She'd usually be on her way out by now, but the slow pace she kept to help Red made the trip considerably longer. But they were in the final stretch, the pair of elevators to the lobby lay right ahead, just a few more steps and-

"Um, ma'am?" A shaky voice called from behind, halting the pair right where they stood. Aerith pushed her shades up as close to her eyes as she could.

"Yes?" Barely turning her head towards the lady behind her.

"Is...everything alright? Your, um, lab partner seemed to be limping." 

Aerith turned to woman fully, hiding what she could of Red behind her. "Oh! Everything's fine! We just had a small, mishap! In the lab. Dropped a box. He'll be okay, promise." She flashed a bright, faux smile in reassurance, and waved her off. 

Once the doors slid closed behind them, Aerith let out a deep sigh, glad that it was over. They'd be back in Sector 5 by sunrise.