Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘Far away now

Trapped at the start of all we know’

Life had been wonderful, while it had its ups and downs, there couldn’t have been a happier group in Shinra. The five First class SOLDIER’s were the pride of the company, the power they held, the orders they followed, the trust they influenced on the men beneath them. They had met at different parts of their lives, one they had met when he was a happy excited Third class, easily dragging him into the fold. The last of the group came in while a cadet, but worked strongly to move up and eventually they reached the rank of First. They had endured it all, from Hojo’s experiments to near death experiences. Yet in the end, with each other to protect and cherish, to hold and love, nothing could bring the five of them down.

Sephiroth and Genesis were described as the possessive, protective and deadly swift killer’s of the group. They were the swords and weapons, ones that people had to weary about the most when it came to approaching them. Angeal and Zack were the shield, the physical protectors if attacked and could become aggressive if their loved ones were accosted. Though much more approachable, especially Zack, however they only let someone so close both physically and emotionally. And then there was Cloud, the beautiful blond boy of the group, the one who grew up into quite a handsome young man and always seemed to have one of the four with him. It was obvious to anyone that the four were over protective of the youngest but it was also easy to see the blond didn’t mind.

‘Traces of doubt

Keep obscuring my way out

Lost in days gone’

The love they had for each other was easy to see, it made others envious but also happy to see that even they could find some semblance of normalcy in their hectic life when it came to living and working for Shinra. Every holiday had been spent together, every birthday, every moment they could have been spent together. There had been two gifts each of them had gotten each other, all five wore a ring on the ring finger, a band of reinforced Platinum, five stones resided in it. One black for Angeal’s hair, one blue for Zack’s eyes, A gold one for Cloud, a silver one for Sephiroth and a nice red one for Genesis. A band to signify that in the end they had really married each other, a claim to each other, of lovers, of friends, of protectors, of ones that belonged. They had fun, they argued, they cried, they loved, they comforted, they communicated, they were there for each other and with each other. All the good times always outweighed the worst.

Until now

It had been a simple mission for him, a first one for him to go out alone, they had agreed to finally allow it albeit reluctantly. It had come in, a simple message, just a trip to the Northern Crater to check some odd readings that had come up. Nothing abnormal had come from it and it was a check, so with the agreement, they allowed him to go. It had been the worst MISTAKE of their lives. Breakfast had been made in the morning, sweet kisses and love making followed by a shower and they saw him off in the Helicopter, waving goodbye. It was the LAST time they would ever see their lover again.

‘Living in a memory turned wrong

So far that I wake up now afraid

When I can hear a whisper’

The four of them had dinner that night, their Phs sitting on the counter in front of them waiting for any news. Later on, a message came through that he had made it he would be resting and then venturing out in the morning to see what was going on. Content with that and many ‘I love you’s’ from all around, they bid Cloud a swift goodnight and the four departed to bed. The next day, they sent a good morning message and a resounding love you’s again, this time nothing came back. Thinking nothing of it since the area was notorious for lack of signal, they went about their day, nervous regardless and a little anxious despite trying to hide it. Two more days passed without communication before the message came for the four to meet the President in his office.

Confused, the four moved to do just that, as they entered however they all tensed, eyes trailing to the pilot that had taken Cloud out to the freezing cold. The man looked worse for wear and that caused problems with the group in general before they returned their attention to the President. The man’s words however became their undoing rather swiftly.

“I am sorry to say this, I truly am. First Class SOLDIER Cloud Strife is Deceased.” The man uttered, a look of weariness laced his eyes as he stared at the four men before him. Everyone knew of their relationship and dynamics with the Blond boy so naturally his eyes trailed to Genesis and Sephiroth first.

‘Tell me to stay

Find me the chance to walk away

Show me the path’

The shock of such a statement was enough to floor them all, the Turks even stood there stunned, they had grown fond of the blond boy for he was the one that enjoyed their company as much as they had him. Reno looked rather sullen and lowered his head, a few tears managing to slip by his eyes as he bit his lip to muffle a whimper. Rude wasn’t far behind, head tilted back and eyes closed behind those glasses as he took a shuddering breath inwards. Tseng shifted on his feet, but refused, absolutely refused to show emotion, later he would allow it, for now he could not.

“Where is he?” The whisper was quiet, deadly and one to be answered with swift precision as Zack bit back a muffled wail of anguish as he gripped Angeal.

“In a private room on floor 67, room 34. He’s been taken care of.” The president murmured, he had been cleaned of blood and wounds taken care of so he didn’t look like the massacred body he had when he had come in.

As soon as those words had uttered, the four were gone in a fluid rush of movement. Elevators forgotten they ran down the stairs swiftly, nearly tripping in the haze of despair and sorrow, of blurred eyes and pounding hearts and heads.

‘Home to you in the aftermath

Guilty with shame

Of leaving you helpless in the flames’

They swiftly entered the room and came to a stop in the entryway, eyes locked onto the body covered with a white sheet on a nice bed. The pale, cold body of their beloved blond lover. Zack finally let the wail out and he bolted over, clutching at the unmoving male as he planted shaky kisses on the others lips. “Spike...please...wake up.” He uttered, despair creeping past his voice as Angeal’s sniffling and near whimpers himself brought a hand to Cloud’s arm. Genesis stood there, eyes blurry as the red headed male stepped closer before he reached out a shaky hand and brushed the hair away from the blond’s lifeless face, gasping softly. A large gash ran from under the right side of his chin all the way up towards the left side of his eye, deep and stitched together.

Pulling the blanket back further, three gashes, so deep it looked like it nearly tore the male into three pieces of strings, vertically went from his hips to his neck. It didn’t help that his right arm looked to have been severed and reattached either. They could only imagine what his back and lower half looked like. Whatever had happened in the Northern Crater had caused the loss of their loved one, they hadn’t been there to help or defend him, hadn’t been there to comfort him in his time of need and he died alone, that added to the deepest mark of losing him. Sephiroth had walked over by now, staring down at the blond as his fingers gently stroked such cold cheeks. “Cloud…” He uttered, but to the three, the one immovable General now had a broken voice, broken, lost, sad, hurt...everything he shouldn’t be. So they wept together, cried together and screamed together over the loss of the one that meant so much.

‘So that we could thrive when I return

When I can hear you whisper

In the beat of your heart’

The funeral had been attended by many, from Cadets to fellow SOLDIERS, to the Department heads and the President himself. The Vice President and quite a few people in Midgar that could. It had been a huge event, of course that was after a small private one that they had requested first. Cloud had been a man that while not chatty, people flocked to, he went out, hunted monsters in Midgar, helped people who asked, he bonded not even trying to. Drew people in and for it, was mourned by a great many. Flowers had lined the streets, gifts and flowers had been given to the Four First’s and condolences had been given in plenty. The light that had shined in their eyes had dulled, smiles were rare as the years soon progressed afterwards. While they had not changed with each other, they were not the same, no longer would they be separated during missions, nor did they join parties anymore.

Every night they mourned, every second they nearly wept, even the turks had a hard time getting back into routine but they managed. Life was never the same, joy was hard to come by and while they knew Cloud would never want them to mourn, they could not find the joy they had before without him. They kept up their work, focused on just living as they could and while they did, the President died of natural causes, Rufus took over, Reeve constructed more efficient ways to do things, Scarlett continued to make weapons, things continued as always. Before they realized it, twenty years had gone by, they hardly aged, in fact they barely looked any older than what they had been, it was perhaps due to the mako they often got, or even Jenova cells that stayed the hands of time.

‘I can still hear a spark

I’ll follow all the signs

Across a thousand years in time, you’ll know me’

As they went to bed that night, they didn’t realize it would be the last time they would be sleeping in their bed. By the time the morning arrived, Sephiroth stirred, dull green slitted eyes snapped open as he looked around, tensed as his eyes caught sight of this anomaly. First off, they were outside, on a bed not of theirs and in some type of ruined city from the looks of it. Swiftly, he shook his lovers awake, swiftly motioning around them and with the shock, they all got up. He was surprised to see each of them having folded clothes and their own weapons laying over top of them. Glancing at each of them, they all got dressed before setting off, looking to see just what the hell was going on after finding out that this hadn’t been a dream. After finding a paper, reading the date and some news, the four, baffled and confused, decided to head out and find a place inhabited to get more information.

Having wings helped in a lot of ways since Midgar seemed isolated from a lot of places. Zack had a single white wing like Angeal’s just on the opposite side, thanks to Hojo’s meddling a long time ago. With ease, the four had taken off, intent on finding out what the hell was happening. When Edge came into view, they landed a little bit of a distance away and willed the wings away before heading into the town. Sadly standing out and with how they looked, everyone recognized them instantly, screaming ensued and before they realized it, they were being attacked by a group of people. It took quite a bit of coaxing, defending, talking and pleading for them to get them to stop. Once they did, they went to the bar that the woman owned, she closed it, locked the doors and from there, they talked for hours.

‘I’ve been back to the start

From the very last part

And all the stars align’

They told her of where they were from, of what they knew, how they got there or the lack of what they knew of that. They didn’t bring up Cloud, they never could, he was a memory only sacred to them they were sure. In return she told them all about what they knew, about how Sephiroth had been the cause of so much problems, well their Sephiroth obviously now not him. How Meteor fell and destroyed Midgar. They aired everything out and because of that, they found out why the people screamed and ran when Sephiroth had been spotted. When asked about the rest of them, the woman stated they had all died, well all but Genesis, no one knew about him. When prompted on how she knew that, she simply stated in a sad and deep swallow that Cloud had told her.

The other four sat rooted, stared and then one asked softly what happened. She stated that he had sacrificed himself to save them from a combined attack from two WEAPON’s that had somehow managed to meet at one place. It happened four years ago and since they had been trying to get their life together. The four then explained their life with their Cloud, how he had come to be a First Class SOLDIER and well loved by many. They soon explained how he died and how long they had been without him, it was obvious to the other group in the room how badly impacted they were. They remember Sephiroth with glowing green eyes, not dull eyes like this one. It looked as if life had left him forever; it was quite sad in a way.

‘To lead you to this place to find me waiting

What is it worth

To give it all up for new rebirth’

Finally they introduced themselves, Barret had the gun for an arm, Yuffie was the young Wutian woman. Nanaki the fire Lion, Vincent Valentine. Cid swiftly said his part, lighting a cig before it was snuffed out quickly by Vincent followed by a swift cuss from Cid and a grumble. Cait Sith piped up in some parts and told them that Reeve and Rufus would be made aware of the situation and not to worry. Tifa was the last to introduce herself and mentioned the bar was hers and Cloud’s, that Denzel and Marlene lived upstairs. Soon after Tifa offered the other four men one of the larger bedrooms upstairs for free and they could help out around the bar and hunt monsters.

When everything calmed down and it became clear that Sephiroth wouldn’t murder them in their sleep or while their back was turned, it became an easy way of living. Eventually they incorporated the four into the SDS, letting them join the legacy that Cloud had built and for that the four had become grateful. While not exactly their Cloud, it was still a version of him and it meant the world. Each of them had gotten a bike, nice and smooth, gifts from Rufus saying that Cloud would have wanted them to have them. So while helping out at the bar, they also helped with deliveries and monsters, keeping their lives busy as they integrated into this new world that they had been forced into.

‘If I could be strong

Then maybe this wouldn’t feel so wrong

Now that I’m lost’

A little bit of life came back into them, bit by bit, it helped to be around people who lost someone as close to them, someone they all knew, the same person they all desired to be with. However they all felt the same, that Cloud had been and seen enough, that he deserved his rest, that all he had done meant that he was meant for it. Life became peaceful for the most part, everything seemed calm, they had a life and now with more people in it. That changed seven years later however when something had come crawling through Kalm, the creature was told to be moving slowly, it had a tentacle on the bottom half and moved oddly, people were afraid to come near it so they called on SDS to help them. In the end, all of them had gone out, for it was something that was worrisome.

When they had reached the area it was in, Vincent and Nanaki seemed to tense and they uttered a word that the Four firsts now knew JENOVA. Thankfully Sephiroth had a relative hold on himself while they fought the creature, it took a bit despite all of them, it seemed JENOVA had gotten more powerful and that was a worrisome thing. The fact she came back and moved around freely had been another problem in itself as well. With the defeat, they headed to Rufus and his Turks to discuss the next course of action and what might be causing the reappearance of this foul creature.

‘And now that I know victory’s cost

Whisper a Prayer to guide me home

Into the deep unknown’

No answers seemed to come from the meeting, more confusion than anything else, it was hard to understand and now they could only hope, they could pray to Gaia, to the planet that if JENOVA came back they could beat her. If this thing was coming for them then they would be ready, that they had the power to win a fight unknown to them. For now they went about the normal routine with added security. They split into groups and had patrols in areas, keeping watch for the next attack. They didn’t realize that this threat would be huge, it would cost them if not prepared and for once, they would worry for the oncoming future they encounter.

‘In the beat of your heart

I can still hear a spark

I’ll follow all the signs

Across a thousand years in time, you’ll know me

I’ve been back to the start

From the very last part

And all the stars align

To lead you to this place to find me waiting’

Far away, alone and sealed away, a man rested, having been completely sealed and locked away for so long, years obscured by Gaia and the planet. Arms crossed across his chest, three jagged scars ran down his chest, from waist to neckline, but the one across his face had healed completely. His shoulder had healed as well, leaving only the faint scars in the front. Head bowed, he listened around him, sleeping for so long that was all he could do, listen to the planet. He felt the movements, heard HER whispers, then he heard it, the PRAYERS of those he loved, needing someone, some hope to help them. But he also felt it, felt JENOVA stirring, getting stronger and it caused him to shift in the pure Mako he rested in. Shifting himself, his eyes slowly opened, glowing mako hues stared down at the cave floor below him.

‘I never asked to walk the road alone

But someday I’ll make it home

Don’t let the lifeline disappear
To guide me back when hope is near’

Slowly, he placed a black gloved hand on the edge of the crystallized case before it shattered, dropping him to the floor on his knees, one hand bracing him completely. Huffing deeply, he took a deep breath of fresh air, arching his back before slowly standing, muscles popping, stretching, pulling and bones cracking in bliss. Eyes fluttered closed, the blue eyes he had changed just a little, while glowing, infused with heavy mako, they had a ring of green, but the middle also held the green and the outside held the blue to it. Tapping his left boot to the floor, he walked over to his sword, embedded face down into the dirt before him. First Tsurugi easily moved in it’s owner’s hand, swinging swiftly before being put on the back of the man that owned it.

‘Promise a future I can come back to

When now all I have is you

I’ll follow all the signs

Across a thousand years in time’

The cold breeze that swiftly made its way into the cave fluttered his half skirt, the long sleeve on the left side felt comfortable to him. While he had never worn such a garment before, he knew that it was fit for him. Glancing down, he eyed the wolf head on the front of it and then down to his chest to see a pair of comfortable goggles that idly reminded him of Reno in a way. Shaking his head, he moved to leave the cave, traversing a wide tunnel as he listened to the planet, he heard her speaking, calling him a WEAPON, the protector, the last one. He was the last Cetra, but she gave him a promise, if he did his part, she would give him something in return and he would hold her to it. Placing a hand on his chest, he listened a moment, tilting his head sideways as he listened for it and he heard the low growl of Bahamut inside of him. Interesting as it was, he would commune to the beast later, most likely an added defense if he couldn’t protect himself.

‘I’m breaking

We’re fading

But you’re not alone

One more try

For tonight

I can’t do this on my own’

A deep breath as he opened his eyes moments later, then he felt it, the tear and the rip into his back. Arching, he hissed before the sound of wings, the flapping and pulse of the new appendages could be felt. On his top right, a large black wing stretched out, fluttering and quivering, it represented Sephiroth. Below it was a white one, just as large and beautiful, it jerked out and brushed the ground before laying back in ease, it represented Angeal. On his left side, another white wing jutted out on top, swinging around to wrap and touch his chest, this one represented Zack’s. Last but not least, the bottom left rested another black wing, tipped towards the ground in a little droop, representing Genesis. Each wing rested right where the wings of his lovers resided and he found it rather endearing in a sense. All of his memories and feelings lay intact thankfully.

‘In the beat of your heart

I can still hear a spark

I’ll follow all the signs

Across a thousand years in time, you’ll know me

I’ve been back to the start

From the very last part

And all the stars align

To lead you to this place to find me waiting’

Never having these wings before, he knew it would be interesting to get used to them, to be able to use this ability to fly, for once he would be able to with his lovers. He would be able to fight again beside them and see them once more along with his friends, the ones this Cloud had left behind. Stretching the wings out, he flapped them a few more times before sending himself into the air, slipping his goggles up over his eyes to cover himself from the falling snow and he took off, first thing was first, he had to answer those prayers, to help those he loved and to protect this planet once more.

Chapter Text

Wings flapped with heavy beats, ripping past the snow, feeling the cold sink into his flesh as he moved on, eyes trailing ahead before glancing down. The ground was beautiful, pristine white since hardly a soul traversed the harsh landscape. If he wasn’t enhanced and had power behind him, he probably wouldn’t find this as easy as it was. Tilting himself, he edged more towards Icicle inn, looking over the area, seeing a few people. It seemed rather peaceful and he smiled before continuing on, knowing he had a while before he made it to Edge. This was the perfect time to commune to the creature inside of him. ‘Are you going to be with me for the rest of my life here?” Cloud questioned inside his mind, surely knowing that speaking out loud would make him look more like a crazy person than anyone sane.

‘Depends, would you like me to be? I am here as a basic shell defense for you. While your skin is not strong enough to protect from attacks, mine is.’ There seemed to be something settling inside.

‘I don’t know, never really pictured having a summon locked into my soul. So you're just to protect then?’ Cloud could feel safe with that in mind, that he basically had extra protection for not only himself but those he loved.

‘Yes, mind you I can do more than that, you only need to ask and I am at your command.’ A low purr could be heard from inside of the link between them. ‘Be mindful there are people in this world still that would very much like to use you for things of ill intent.’

‘I know, I’ll be careful.’ Tilting his wings, he swiftly started his flight towards Costa Del Sol, it felt weird as the temperature picked up in degrees and he found it kinda nice. Right now he needed to get supplies, clothes, and a hot bath. His eyes took in the sandy beaches, the blue of the water, it was a beautiful sight. A few more decided flaps, he landed a little bit away, trying not to stir up panic or curiosity too much. Boots hit the ground and he stood straight, stretching his back before his wings folded into his sides before retracting fully once he settled.

Shaking his back, he shut his eyes, letting out a soft sigh before opening them and starting forward, eyes taking in the sight around him. People seemed to be buzzing about, not just the city life either, no they seemed to be in a bit of a panic. Frowning, his eyes trailed after a few people before he swiftly entered a clothes shop, eyeing the rack before he found a nice long, dark blue cloak and slipping it on before placing the gil on the counter. The owner seemed to be missing but he had no intention of stealing. Thankfully, the cloak seemed to cover up his sword as well, well most of it.

The bottom tip peaked out as the cloak stopped at his ankles, it worked regardless. Exiting the store, he watched people continue to fret and he heard Bahamut in his head moments later. ‘I can sense the taint of that thing heading here, she’s close by.’

‘I’m surprised no one is here to defend the town, I know they would have sent word.’ Cloud frowned before his gloved hand shot out, snagging the nearest person who had been trying to run by. “What’s going on?” While he knew, he really wanted to know why SDS wasn’t there yet.

“That...that creature is coming!” The man seemed jittery and nearly trying to yank and pull away to run.

Cloud gripped harder, pulling the man to him a little firmer, but not enough to hurt him. “I understand that, calm down. Now where is SDS?” While SDS was a delivery service, they did more than that, they still protected and hunted beasts that didn’t belong and would cause problems.

“They won’t be here for another twenty minutes! It’ll be here in five! We have to evacuate, they said!” As soon as Cloud had loosened his grip, the man had bolted. Sighing, Cloud lowered his head a moment, thinking before reaching to his bracer, feeling his Materia. A mastered Lightning, Earth and Barrier resided there. On his sword he knew rested a mastered Cure and an Enemy Lure. Well at least his items worked together, huffing, he started to head towards the water now, heading to the beach he knew she would appear from.

The last thing he needed was the town being destroyed, stopping not far from the waters edge, it didn’t take long before he saw the first tentacle crawl up from the depths. Cloud had to admit, after seeing this he might not try swimming for a while. Shifting, he undid his cloak, letting only the right side fall off before taking his weapon from his back and putting it blade down in the sand before he refastened his cloak back in place. Rolling his shoulders, he lowered his head, letting a deep breath as his right hand went to his left hand, fingers gently stroking his wedding band underneath his gloves. A small smile coming to his lips before he allowed his fingers to drop. Reaching for his sword, he pulled it out of the sand, hold it with one hand for a moment.

Instantly he activated the Enemy Lure, making sure that JENOVA focused solely on him and no one or nothing else. Once it became active, he watched as the large creature turned right to him, focusing ill intent before she even started to try and get into his head, trying to whisper and sooth him, to gain control of him. ‘Block her out, she’s getting loud and it’s hard to concentrate.’

‘Noted, keep an eye on her, she wants control of you. Her cells are trying to join her.’ Bahamut shifted himself inside, protecting what he could, while he was more of a physical protector, he would try to also be a mental if it was needed.

Letting a deep breath escape him, Cloud got ready, giving only the barest of nods before he jumped back, dodging the first attack. Swinging his sword, he cut the offending tentacle in half, slicing it neatly as it landed a few feet away with an inhuman screech following it. Wincing at how loud she was to his sensitive hearing, he jerked back again when this time she sent more than one, this time perceiving him as a higher threat. ‘Keep the time, we need to vacate before the others get here.’ Ducking and dodging, he sent Thundaga at her, searing a side of her as it soon regenerated. “Fuck..”

‘Why? I thought you were to meet them? Don’t you want to see them?’ A quick shift of skin of Cloud’s showed black scales covering a spot JENOVA managed to get by and use acid, it melted the scales but protected the skin before the scales slowly dropped off to reveal unmarred skin.

‘Of course I do, but I am not ready yet, plus there are a few things I want to check out before I get locked down for a few days with them.’ Seeing the save, he sighed before jumping back again, only to feel a bit of pain on his side from another tentacle slamming into him. Huffing out a wheeze sound, he shut his eyes for a moment. ‘Everywhere I hit she keeps coming back and regenerating.’ He nearly growled as a Quake 3 shook her foundation and caused her to collapse for a moment.

Bahamut looked over JENOVA for a moment, eyeing her closely before his eyes before the side that had been shocked another two times. ‘Go for that side a few more times, I can see it’s getting weaker at over healing.’

By now citizens of the city had stopped, staring in awe at the fact a lone person had stopped the beast from advancing and taking them down. Some had raised their own Phs and started to snap pictures as he fought, some even recording. They kept a good distance back as they eyed the whole thing, unsure of what to make of this spectacle.

Tilting his head, Cloud thought about it before nodding, shifting his body he started to assault that one side in particular with one hand, sending repeated Thundaga’s and Quake 3 in swift succession, his other hand continued to use his sword to deflect the limbs that came at him, either trying to impale, toss or beat down. A few did get past, a few hitting his sides, one got his leg and another across his shoulder and when backtracking nicked his cheek. Growling low in his throat, Cloud ducked another one and sent a rage induced Thundaga at the spot, another shriek before JENOVA fell on her side, slumped.

That was all he needed before he lunged, both hands on his sword closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before he charged, feeling the power rush through him as he quickly went at her, slashing and cutting, Thundaga flowed through his sword by his hand and he could hear the sounding screech coming from the creature.

‘You have three minutes.’ Was the only warning Bahamut seemed to want to give him, despite it being way too close to the time for them coming in. He knew from that time, that they would be able to spot the battle or the participants in it.

‘You couldn’t have said anything sooner could you?’ He frowned as he jumped back onto the land, feeling his pants from the knees down soaking wet. Wincing, he watched the body slump down, the life drained from the creature. Panting, he swung his sword twice before resting it on his shoulder, closing his eyes a moment as he sighed, only to lift his head and turn, seeing people clapping and cheering for him. Shaking his head, he knew he needed to go, especially when he heard the Helicopters and the Shera airship Cid was so fond of. Looking up, he could see them and when he did he tensed, seeing all of them hovering in the open doorways, ready to leap and take action, he could make out them all, to Zack with his Buster sword, Angeal’s imposing form to Genesis’ red jacket. Swallowing, he could see Sephiroth’s silver hair blowing in the wing and Cloud could admit they looked just as regal as he knew them to be.

Shaking his head, his eyes fixated on the other end and he could see Tifa and Barret, along with Vincent and Yuffie. Nanaki was probably with Cid inside, but he had no doubt that the other would join in when they were ready. His eyes trailed to the helicopter next and he could see Reno and Rude at the ready, it was obvious that Rufus was sharing in the fight. Lowering his head, he turned and swiftly rushed back into the town, bypassing people with inhuman speed almost and quickly made his way to disappear from view and sight.

As they approached, Sephiroth noticed something out of the ordinary, leaning further over the opened door, his hand clenching the handle, he felt his brows furrow in disbelief. It was obvious by the hacked, burnt and bloody mess that this JENOVA piece was dead. His eyes trailed to his lovers before he looked to Reno and Rude, making a gesture for them to drop off on the beach with them. When he saw the nod, he turned to look at Genesis and the others. “This is not what I expected when coming to their aid.” He admitted, a bit baffled but internally relieved to see the city still standing in one piece.

“What...who do you think did this? It had to be someone wickedly strong, ya know? We have a hard enough time.” Peering at the people below, Zack shifted on his feet before he tilted his head, watching the people as well. “They have Phs’s out, maybe they have this on video or something?”

Receiving a nod, they all waited for the ship to land before disembarking, slowly moving forward towards the dead creature. Genesis walked off, going to talk to the people as he searched through them. Looking at the corpse, they could see how much damage had been done to it and with weary glances at each other, they looked towards Reno and Rude. “Anyone you might know?” Angeal asked moments later.

“Nah, not anyone on boss’s payroll yo, we would have said somethin.” Reno placed his hands behind his head, tilting it as he observed the thing closely before he whistled. “Whoever it was though, they used magic and blade skills like a boss.” He tilted his head before looking over as Genesis came over with a phone and a look of confusion and something else on his face.

“All of you need to see this.” Genesis moved to kneel a little, letting everyone get a good spot before turning the Phs sideways and playing the video recorded, it showed a cloak figure casting something and it was obvious with the way JENOVA turned and focused solely on the one person. It was the blade that garnered the attention, it looked vaguely familiar but they couldn’t place it all that well, like a memory long forgotten. The video continued, showing the whole fight, the spell work, the blade work. What only their sight seemed to get was the black scales that had fallen off on the arm from the acid. They also noticed the rub to his ring fingers before the whole fight.

They continued to watch the rest of the fight, seeing him take a few hits, nothing too terrible, but he seemed dedicated to one spot repeatedly and soon he went full force at the beast before finally ending it. The video ended with the cloaked figure running off into town. Turning the phone off after sending the video to himself and Sephiroth, for which they would send it to Tseng and a few others, Genesis returned the phone before looking at the group. At first everyone looked to one another, unsure of really what to say, what could they say? That a stranger with a blade familiar took down a powerful beast they kept having trouble with?

Genesis placed a hand on his hip before he closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a deep breath before looking to the weary group. “We need to find this person, question them and hope for recruitment at the end of it.”

“You would want to get the person to join, what if they don’t want to?” Yuffie questioned, curious as she rocked back and forth on her heels, thinking as she eyed them. It would do them good to have someone so powerful with them after all.

A low sigh escaped her before Tifa placed her head on her chin, closing her eyes a moment. “We have to try, it would help immensely even if we have to pay.” Shifting, she turned to see nods of agreements from the others before she looked to see Vincent staring off in the distance. Brows furrowed, she followed his train of sight, not seeing what was the problem. “Vincent?”

His name had his head tilting towards her a little before turning the direction he was looking. “I’ll be back.” Swiftly, he walked off, disappearing into the crowds moments later, leaving behind a confused group.

Shaking his head, Angeal sighed before looking at them. “Let’s look around, make sure people are okay and see if we can’t find this person.” Seeing the nods of agreement, they split up into small groups, in case they did encounter the individual. Genesis went with Sephiroth, Yuffie, Nanaki and Rude. The other group had the more boisterous of the group and one calm person, Angeal, Zack, Barret, and Reno. Since Vincent had gone off by himself, they started the search, no one seemed to know the person however, despite the multiple attempts at finding out, no one seemed to notice anyone new until the cloaked figure came out into the open.

As soon as he realized Vincent was on him, Cloud booked it, darting past a few startled people. Leaping up over a few crates, he jerked when Vincent came crashing down moments later. Cloud knew Vincent was quick, he also had those demons in him that whispered things that also could help. Jerking to the side, he heard Bahamut whisper a swift left, for which he dodged to the left in time to avoid a gold claw that would have snagged his cloak. Running quicker, he started out of the city, seeing a truck starting to disappear in the distance, he swiftly pushed, trying to get quick enough to at least get to it.

The sudden feeling of his cloak being snagged, his hand grabbed his cloak, making sure it wasn’t yanked off as it ripped the lower right half, missing the exposure of his skirt side. It ripped to almost his knee cap and he jerked away before jumping far, landing softly enough on the truck before it took off, sending him far enough away from Vincent. Looking back, he watched Vincent, seeing the man standing there, gold claw holding a piece of his shredded cloak in one hand. That had been so close, his breathing had been ragged as he watched that black hair sway and those eyes bore at him so intently. Lowering his head, he slowly settled down and allowed the truck to decide his destination. Vincent was scary when he was determined, fast and able to fly, he had to be glad he wasn’t continuing the pursuit or he would have to show more than he was willing right now.

Turning, Vincent walked back the way he came, the piece of cloak in hand as he went to meet at the Shera. As he turned to rest against the opened door, he twisted and turned the fabric in his hand, observing it as he thought about the chase he had just endured, the person was quick, agile and seemed to know just what he had been planning at one moment. He could hear Chaos chuckling inside and he frowned, observing the cloth before bringing it to his face and inhaling the scent lingering on it. Briefly, his eyes widened and he lowered it, looking back at it once more, the smell was a mix, something of a life stream from what he heard Chaos say, but also somehow...Cloud...but that couldn’t be, could it? There was even a faint scent of Bahamut from what Chaos had briefly mentioned as well.

Deciding to keep that part to himself on the scent, he looked up when the groups returned and watched them come towards him. Holding up the cloth in his hand, he saw the emotions come across the faces in surprise and shock.

“What happened?” Sephiroth asked as he took the cloth, observing it closely as he looked it over. It was smooth to the touch but other than that, nothing that seemed any different from any other cloth from the city.

“I spotted him and gave chase, he took off, I went after him. Unfortunately, he managed to outrun me and took a ride on a truck heading out of town, thankfully it was heading towards Edge.” Since they lived there, they would be able to meet that person there and find them easier.

“If they have such speed, then it will be a fun chase yeah?” Zack grinned, stretching as he looked to the group, seeing something new and exciting about this whole situation and the fact they could recruit someone like him would be a fun thing.

“We’ll leave that to ya, we’ll go let boss man know and see what he says.” Reno gave them a salute before he and Rude went to the helicopter and left.

The rest of the group filtered into the Shera before taking off, heading home as they discussed the whole situation. All the while Vincent kept the cloth in his cloak, he wanted to keep it as proof. A few hours later and they landed, since the Shera was faster than the vehicles on the road, they would have made it before the person. As soon as they landed, everyone departed and split up, each person took a partner and spread out over the town, deciding to try and ambush the person. Having no idea if they would be safe single handedly, they still didn’t know if the person was friend or foe either. Genesis and Tifa took the middle of the city, Yuffie and Zack took the north edge of the city. Vincent and Barret took the south edge of the city. Sephiroth and Nanaki took the east, and Angeal and Cid took the west. No matter the entrance or even getting into the middle, someone would spot or sense the person.

So now the waiting game began, waiting and waiting until finally someone did see the truck. Angeal and Cid noticed it and saw that no one was in it, frowning, the two glanced to each other before Angeal typed a message, stating that it was empty, that no one had been on it besides the driver who had entered the city and seemed to leave the truck in the market to do some shopping.

Zack sighed, shaking his head as he read the message before he looked to Yuffie. “Think he dipped early?” He asked, glancing around as people walked about.

“Maybe? I mean if he was smart he would have. He seems smart enough. Oh! Zack look!” Yuffie grabbed his wrist, jerking him forward and pointing to a group of people walking, behind them but close by was a person in the blue cloak they had been looking for. Looking at each other, they grinned.

Nodding to her, he motioned for her to move to the front while he took the back to flank, when she got into position, he scooted up behind the man before he gently tapped his shoulder. “Hey!” He chirped happy, he watched the man tense but just barely, curious, he slung an arm around his shoulders and smiled. “You know, we just wanted to meet and say thank you for what you did back there.”

Glancing towards the other, Cloud swallowed before he closed his eyes a moment only to shrug a little. “It’s the least I can do…” He whispered softly, shifting before he tried to dislodge the arm, but it tightened instead.

Ignoring the attempt to knock him off, he shifted and moved to press his middle half closer to him, nearly hanging off of him. “So, our group wanted to thank you fully, you know...bring you over to get you a few drinks, dinner..and maybe give you a job. We kinda need the help you know?”

Sighing softly, he shifted himself, glancing to see Yuffie in front of him before he closed his eyes, while he knew that they meant well, he needed some more time. “Look...give me...until tomorrow night. I’ll meet you wherever you want.” It was a time he needed to get things together to meet them.

Zack paused, watching the shadowed face before he thought about it, he knew they needed to be on good terms with this person so with a slight reluctance, he gave a small nod and slowly lowered his arm. “Alright, it’s the 7th Heaven, we’ll be expecting you there, so don’t disappoint okay?”
“Promise.” Was a simple reply before he slowly ventured off, moving to blend back in with the crowd once more and disappear again, needing to put the distance between himself and from them once more.

Watching him go, Zack and Yuffie looked to each other before sighing. “Let’s hope he shows.” Zack murmured before he sent a message for everyone to meet at the bar and recount for what happened, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow night.