Chapter Text
The Sector 7 slums buzzed with the ambient sounds of life as the evening stretched into nighttime. Undercity citizens made their way up and down the dirt streets, going about their lives as if this were any other night. As if a terrorist cell hadn't set up shop in their midst. As if a team of four Third Class SOLDIERs weren't currently preparing an all-out raid on their hideout.
Cloud pulled tactical goggles over his eyes and detached his broadsword from his back. "Maya, Jake. You two in position?" he murmured into his comm once Henry, his other teammate, had done the same.
"Affirmative. Give us the signal when you and Henry are ready." Jake's voice was hushed as Cloud's had been.
Cloud glanced over at Henry, who flashed him a quick thumbs up. "Ready." He then nestled himself further into the darkness of the alleyway. He and Henry stood positioned in an alleyway behind the terrorists' hideout, while Jake and Maya were quite literally going to knock on the front door. Through his comm, he could hear the faint sound of knuckles rapping against a wooden door. A long moment of tense silence followed.
The click of a lock set off a quick-fire sequence of events. All hell break out inside the building, sharp gunshots and voices barking orders echoing through their comms. But it wasn't his job to worry about the details of what was happening inside; he and Henry were to cut down anyone who escaped. And those lucky bastards came streaming out of the back door as if the building was on fire. Cloud advanced on them with the grace of a predator, slashing at the first and driving a boot into the next. Henry, who was quite formidable with his hook swords, ripped through them with practiced ease.
A well-aimed gunshot seared through Cloud's shoulder. His grip on his sword faltered for the briefest moment before his gaze raised and caught sight of the man holding a smoking gun. His vision filled with red, and Cloud's next move cut straight through his windpipe. The body hit the ground with a thud, signaling the end of the fight.
But not the end of the mission.
"Still up for another round?" Henry asked Cloud. For such a tough guy, the way his fingers touched Cloud's forearm was surprisingly ginger.
"Just a flesh wound," Cloud said with a quick smile. He glanced at his shoulder, and sure enough, it had only grazed him. Still hurt like hell, though.
"Here. Just in case."
Tendrils of green light swirled around his arm, emitting a soft warmth. When the magic of the Cure faded, the wound was nothing more than a scrape. "Thanks."
"Let's go." Henry stalked past him and into the building.
Cloud followed.
The hideout was a defunct clinic, abandoned when the doctor in charge of it passed away. Officially, no one owned it. For a group seeking total anonymity, such a place would be heaven. Until someone reported suspicious activity to Shinra, that is. Cloud peered into examination rooms turned into weapons storage. It was devoid of any living people as far as he could tell. Though, he knew otherwise when Jake's voice carried through the comm.
"My name is Jake Winters, SOLDIER Third Class. My squad and I have been sent to clear out this base. We may be able to spare you if you provide us with information. Consider it a mercy."
A faint expletive was the reply.
Cloud picked up the pace. Where the hell were Jake and Maya? He couldn't hear their voices through the cracked walls.
"We're not going to tolerate your bad attitude," Maya warned. "You gonna talk, or am I gonna have to beat the hell out of you?"
"I'm not telling you shit. You can go fuck yourselves for all I care." The voice was female and raspy, as if she'd inhaled dust.
"We should hurry," Henry said.
Cloud silently agreed. He could hear the faint echo of his squadmates' voices through the walls. It served as a guide, and soon, Cloud rounded a corner to see Jake and Maya standing over a woman in the hallway. A black bag obscured her face.
"There you are, Cloud, Henry." Jake greeted them as though it were a friendly meetup.
The woman visibly stiffened.
"I think we're done here," Maya said. She bent down and forced the woman to stand. "The Turks will have fun with this one."
The woman writhed, struggling to break free from Maya's hold.
Maya scoffed and tossed her onto the ground. The woman's metal breastplate clinked against the ground as she fell, the sharp sound causing Cloud to wince. "Stop being difficult," Maya growled, yanking her up once again and dragging her toward the exit. "Come on, guys! Our work's done."
"You heard her," Jake said, following after her.
Cloud and Henry fell in line.
———
Sephiroth stretched his arms above his head, reaching toward the sky—rather, the ceiling of his office—and focusing on the cadence of his breathing. No one was going to bother him; Genesis was the only person who ever barged into his office, and he was on vacation. Not that Sephiroth cared if Genesis saw him doing yoga. Hell, he'd probably join him.
He refrained from thinking about Cloud's mission, the one he was currently on. It was a shock that Shinra would assign a bunch of Third Class SOLDIERs to clear out a den of terrorists. On top of that, it was the same group that had taken a shot at Rufus Shinra in Junon and then attacked a convoy for their ordnance. Not that he thought Cloud and his squad couldn't handle it; they were a very capable bunch. However, missions such as those often went to more seasoned members of SOLDIER or to the Turks. His mind had been plagued with scenario after scenario, ranging from minor bruises to—
Sephiroth shook his head and tried to refocus. Nothing was going to happen to Cloud. And if anything did, AVALANCHE would have hell to pay.
As Sephiroth folded himself over, letting his arms hang limp, someone knocked quietly on his office door. He sighed and rolled himself up. The tension in his shoulders returned. He adjusted his clothes and opened the door to reveal Lazard standing there. Sephiroth forced a pleasant expression and invited him inside.
Lazard politely raised a gloved hand. "I'm just here to let you know that Cloud and his squad are back. Unharmed."
Sephiroth snorted, and his shoulders visibly relaxed. Lazard had somehow managed to piece together that Cloud and Sephiroth were an item, despite the fact that they'd kept it as secret as possible. "Thank you."
"I tried to call you, but the call wouldn't go through."
"Minor difficulties with my phone. I'll get them sorted out as soon as possible." The "minor difficulties" he was referring to was his phone being practically destroyed while fighting a rather nasty marlboro the morning before.
"Emails it is, then." Lazard nodded. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving now."
Sephiroth wished him a good night and closed the door. He hurriedly cleaned up his desk and submitted a mission report with minimal proofreading. He then closed everything down and left for the elevator, intent on getting to Cloud's apartment first.
He stopped by his own first to visit Hera, his beloved ragdoll cat. The bell on her collar jingled as she came up to meet him. He petted her head before going to the kitchen and pouring her some food. She meowed once, presumably as a way of saying thank you, and then began to eat. Sephiroth said goodnight and headed out the door. He likely wouldn't return until the following morning. He rode in the elevator once more and exited on Cloud's floor.
———
The smell of a home-cooked meal greeted Cloud as he entered his apartment. He heaved a deep breath before gingerly placing his sword in it's holder on the wall. After taking off his boots, Cloud made his way to the kitchen. There, Sephiroth put the finishing touches on a rather large salad. He flashed Cloud a quick smile, then frowned deeply. "Get out of your mission clothes."
"Right here, right now?" Cloud teased.
Sephiroth rolled his eyes and turned back to the salad. "Dinner isn't ready yet. Go get a shower, and put on something comfortable."
"Of course." Cloud turned on his heel and headed to his bathroom for a shower.
Sephiroth told himself this evening was about helping Cloud de-stress after a mission. Though he knew it was for himself as well. It was to help himself calm down, to reassure himself that Cloud was alright. He busied himself with tossing one last can of vegetables into the salad and then checking on the spaghetti. He stirred it a few times before scooping it out onto a pair of plates.
By the time he'd finished setting the table, Cloud was entering the kitchen, clad in lounge clothes. "That smells really good."
"Tastes pretty good too," Sephiroth replied. "Sit."
Cloud took his usual seat at the table. "Thanks, Seph. For cooking."
"You're very welcome. I figured you'd eat some kind of junk food once you returned."
Cloud scoffed and glanced away. "Okay, yeah, probably. What are you? My mom?"
"Nope." Sephiroth twirled a bunch of noodles around his fork. He smirked before saying his next words. "But you should eat before your food gets cold."
"You sound just like her," Cloud muttered as he took a bite of his salad.
Cloud must have been starving because soon after, he dug into his food like a hungry teenager. Sephiroth watched him every now and then, the smallest smile on his face. It was adorable, to say the least.
"Do you know when Angeal and Genesis are coming back?" Cloud suddenly asked. "Zack said he has some stuff he wants to talk to Angeal about."
"Later this week," Sephiroth replied.
"I hope they're having fun."
"If I know them well, Genesis will have tried nearly every exotic drink Costa del Sol has to offer, and Angeal has probably taken hundreds of photos of the wildlife. In fact, if they bring anything back, it's likely going to be another plant."
Cloud laughed, shaking his head with a smile.
Once dinner was done, Sephiroth swept Cloud off the floor and carried him to the bedroom. He dumped him unceremoniously onto the mattress before turning out the lights. Sephiroth then joined him, curling his body around Cloud protectively.
"Not what I was thinking when you carried me in here," Cloud admitted.
"Go to sleep, you horny gremlin."
Cloud turned his upper body so that his eyes met Sephiroth's. They glowed faintly in the darkness, dim compared to how brightly Sephiroth's shone. His expression was serious. "You don't have to dote over me. I know you do it out of love, but really, you don't have to. You're not going to lose me."
Cloud's words touched a sore spot. Sephiroth fought the memories, the dread and betrayal he'd felt when he'd thought Cloud was unfaithful. Sephiroth nodded. He was well aware of his clingy tendencies and how off-putting they could be. "Sorry. I've been worrying about you all day. AVALANCHE isn't a joke, and—" He stopped himself. Cloud was more than capable of keeping himself safe.
Cloud pecked a kiss on Sephiroth's lips. "It's okay. I'm fine; you're fine. We're all fine, and we're going to be fine for a very long time. There's nothing to worry about."
Sephiroth nodded once more. He gave Cloud a kiss in turn and buried his face into the pillow. "You should get some rest, though."
"I agree." Cloud set his head down and heaved a sigh. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you."
Sephiroth smiled faintly. "Sleep well, love." He closed his eyes and told himself everything was okay. Cloud was okay. He was okay. There was nothing to worry about.
———
Lazard entered Rufus Shinra's office around lunchtime, his only break throughout the day. Rufus didn't get a break except for the ones he took anyway, and it seemed like he was in the middle of one. Rufus looked up at him, one of his guns disassembled in front of him as he cleaned it. Dark Nation, a dreadful creature, lifted her head to watch Lazard. She sniffed the air before laying her head back down.
"How can I help you?" Rufus asked, thoroughly disinterested.
"The Costa del Sol emergency responders have officially confirmed the deaths of Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos. They died the day after they left."
"Manner and cause of death?"
"They drank poisoned wine. Presumably intentionally."
Rufus paused, his hand freezing where it had been wiping a rag down the dark metal. "Why?"
Lazard shrugged. "I have no idea. We've got a few Turks digging into it."
"I want a report on my desk as soon as a motive is decided." He paused. "And my condolences."
Lazard nearly scoffed. "Thank you, Mr. Vice President. However, I have another reason for visiting you today. I believe this whole ordeal could be very profitable for the both of us if executed correctly."
Rufus raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."
———
Zack unlocked the door to Angeal's apartment, humming quietly to himself as he did so. Once the door was closed, he called out, "Little plants? Where are you?" There was no answer, of course. Zack went to the kitchen and filled up the watering can in the sink. A note sat on the counter, where Angeal's neat cursive detailed the care of all his plants. Most of them only needed water every other week. Though, Zack was slow to admit he'd lost the keycard to Angeal's room. It had taken a few days to finally find it hiding under his stack of mail. Nearly all of them were due for a drink.
Zack entered the room where Angeal kept his plants and sighed in relief when he saw that all of them were still green. There were some shriveled leaves here and there, but he could deal with that. Zack began with the ones on the far left side of the room, referencing the note with every new plant. He spoke to them as he did so. To some of them, he gave compliments; to others, he apologized for taking so long and promised to nurse them back to full health. Angeal said that talking to plants helped them grow. Whether that was true or not Zack didn't know, but it couldn't hurt. Once finished, he straightened out his back and returned to the kitchen.
A stack of envelopes on Angeal's desk caught his attention. Zack paused and tried to remember if Angeal had asked him to mail anything. He was certain the answer was no, but he set down the watering can and picked up the one on top. It was addressed to Whoever Finds This Letter. Zack had technically found it, right? An odd feeling of dread grew inside his gut. He carefully opened the envelope and began to read the letter inside.
Dear Recipient,
If you are reading this, that means I have passed.
Zack paused, awkwardly chuckling and certain that this had to be a sick joke. Except, Angeal would never joke like this. Zack shook his head and kept reading.
With this letter, you will find several others, each addressed to an individual here in Midgar. I humbly ask that you distribute these envelopes to them. Consider it my last request.
Zack dug through the envelopes. Sure enough, he found one with his name on it. His blood ran cold, and his heartbeat hitched at the sight. This was a joke. It had to be a joke.
I also ask that you keep these letters safe from prying eyes, as they contain very personal information.
Thank you.
Regards,
Angeal Hewley
The letter fell from Zack's hands. He knew it was a joke, but at the same time, he knew something was deeply wrong. He grabbed the envelope addressed to himself and opened it. Once he read the first line of the letter, Zack stuffed it back inside the envelope and pulled out his phone. He called Angeal's phone, but the call went straight to voicemail. Next was Genesis, but the exact same thing happened. Icy dread crawled up Zack's arms. What was he supposed to do?
Zack called the next person he could think of—Sephiroth. Again, his call went to voicemail. Zack's chest convulsed with heavy breaths. He sank down onto the couch as the world around him spun. He'd seen people he knew die before, seen their bodies even. Why was this bothering him? Zack buried his face in his hands and tried to calm down.
Zack stood, setting the letter down on the desk as soon as he was steady. He'd go to Sephiroth personally, then.
He was only a foot from the door when it swung open. A pair of Turks barged in, Cissnei and that new recruit, the blonde.
"Hey, Zack," Cissnei said, her voice calm and even as always.
"We've been tasked with searching this apartment," the new recruit said.
Zack stammered for a moment before recovering. They'd come at the perfect time. "Do you ladies know anything about Angeal and Genesis's whereabouts? There's a bunch of letters on his desk, and it makes it sound like he's dead."
Cissnei and the recruit betrayed nothing. "Elena, go get those letters. We'll have to take them as evidence."
Zack lowered his eyebrows. "Evidence? So you do know something."
"Yes, and I'll tell you all about it later." Cissnei took a step closer and spoke in a low voice. "Zack, I need you to leave right now and act like you were never here."
"Cissnei, you better spill—"
"Or what?" She shook her head. "It's an order from Tseng. Something shady is going on, and he wants as few people caught up in this as possible. You were never here, and you're not going to breathe a word of this to anyone. It's for your safety."
"Something's happened to them, hasn't it?" Zack shouted.
Cissnei pointed a finger in his face—an unusual, threatening display. "You were never here, and you saw nothing. If you don't cooperate, we can't protect you from the consequences."
"What are you talking about?" he spat.
Cissnei planted a hand on his chest and pushed him out the door, taking advantage of his state of shock. "Talk to Tseng if you need any more information. I'm afraid this is all I can tell you."
———
It was a risk that Rufus Shinra was willing to take.
Once more, Rufus examined the photos Lazard had sent him, as well as the mountains of paperwork required to document dead SOLDIERs. And there was more documentation since they died somewhere other than the battlefield. Though, judging by Hollander's records, the cause of death could hardly be described as mysterious. The two of them were dying, so they'd decided to speed up the process. End of story.
There would be a funeral, a televised memorial for their fans, likely a few interviews with the press. It would be a month before this disaster cleared up. President Shinra had handed it off to Rufus, saying that he couldn't care less. It wasn't like they'd lost Sephiroth, who was completely irreplaceable. Other than achieving First Class, they were fairly unremarkable when one considered the whole of Shinra. Several other upcoming SOLDIERs could easily take their places in the limelight, possibly even Angeal's student. And that Dana Gregory woman would definitely appeal to little tomboys all around the globe.
But that wasn't what interested Rufus. He opened up the file Lazard had put together regarding Sephiroth's relationship with the Angeal and Genesis. To his surprise, it was a rather thick one. It seemed that Sephiroth had had exactly zero friends for his entire childhood until Genesis and Angeal had joined SOLDIER. The three of them had quickly become a tight-knit trio.
And now Sephiroth had lost them, his only friends in the entire world.
What a sob story.
Sephiroth wouldn't take the news well. Only Lazard and Hollander had been privy to Angeal and Genesis's condition, possibly Professor Hojo as well. And when he learned that a flaw in the scientific process had caused it, the outcome would be explosive. Rufus wasn't an emotional person, and neither was Sephiroth. However, he knew that things like this could drive any person to the brink of insanity. Once that happened, Rufus and Lazard could use it. Shinra's most powerful killing machine manipulated to obey them? Unbelievable power.
Sure, it could backfire. If Sephiroth found out, he would certainly slice them to pieces with Masamune. However, it was a risk that Rufus Shinra was willing to take.
It was a risk he had to take.
———
It was later that evening that Angeal and Genesis were supposed to return that the news came through. Sephiroth stared at the email with a blank expression. Part of him wanted to punch a wall, and another part wanted to crawl into a ball and waste away. And then there was a part of him that wanted this to be a hoax, another one of Hojo's mind games. He hated those, but he'd endure it if it meant this was fake. His eyes roamed over the words again and again, searching for a sign. However, there was nothing.
Angeal and Genesis were dead.