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Chapter Text

-Once Honor falls and rage takes hold, how long will it be until you become the monster you fear yourself to be?

Angeal watched from his hidden perch, horrifyingly memorized, as Zack dueled Genesis in the depths of Modeoheim. In some ways, he was glad his pup had come, in others, he was terrified. He knew what his heart desired, release from the suffering of this monstrous existence, death, and Zack could give it to him. It would stop him, stop the hunger. Each and every time he converted a monster into... into a clone of himself, he could feel the hunger, the urge growing. He didn't think it would be long before he fell in the same way Genesis did, to madness, to begin converting people. He wanted it to stop before it could reach that point...

Yet...

Seeing his pup fighting Genesis like this, it was terrifying to him. Degrading or not, Genesis was still one of the most powerful SOLDIERs alive, Zack couldn't possibly be holding back in the battle, the boy couldn't have gotten that strong yet. Thus, he was willing to cut loose against Genesis, and possibly against him to. He couldn't hear what they were saying to one another at the distance he had, and between the clash of swords and cackle of magic. But with every blow, he imagined it was between himself and Zack, and the mounting horror and illness in his gut scrapped at him. Could he honestly do this? Fight Zack? Force him into a battle to the death?

Was he ready to die?

Was he ready to risk Zack dying?

Did he want to see the cold calculating eyes of a SOLDIER doing his duty and striking him down?

Or if it wasn't like that...

Did he want to see the tears and horror in his pups face when he was forced to strike his mentor down?

"...take the world with me!" came a cry from below.

Angeal gave a start and glanced up in time to see Genesis falling off the edge of the platform, Zack staring down after him. Angeal wanted to cry out for his old friend, insane or not he was still Angeal's friend, but kept silent to not draw attention. So that was it... Zack truly was willing to do it, to kill them. To drive him off the edge though, couldn't he have had the decency to just put Genesis down instead to make him suffer in a long fearful plummet to his death? Was this to be Angeal's own fate? Not a quick clean death, but something drawn out?

His arms shook, his head throbbed, his throat was dry, his pupils dilated. Genesis was gone, and Zack would be coming for him next. Was this really what he wanted? A whisper that had steadily been growing louder and stronger since he got his wing echoed in the back of his mind advising retreat. He watched Zack leave the area, heading down further into Modeoheim. If Angeal truly wanted to die, he'd fly down and meet the pup at the heart of this frozen hell. If he didn't want to die... did he leave now, or go after Hollander first?

Not save to kill the swine, my son.

Angeal flinched and shook his head. "Go away... you're not real."

He promised your brother salvation, but never delivered, never intended to do anything but use my sons to his own designs.

Angeal glanced down at his clenched hands. "..."

Hadn't he had that thought on his own several times now? Always checking and asking if Hollander had made any progress to save Genesis? Angeal had hoped so badly to save his friend from this fate, now to no avail...

If you had brought him to me, I could have saved him, my son.

Angeal shuttered and clawed at his scalp, as if to rip the voice out. "Shut up..."

Don't deny me my child, let me help you.

"I don't need help from a voice in my head," he hissed.

And you'd prefer the help of that scheming weasel, my son?

Angeal growled in agitation.

Go then, ask the leach, ask him if he had any designs to actual help your brother.

Angeal stood up and licked his lips.

And ask, why he didn't seek help within Shinra itself? Did they not have better equipment there? Others that could have aided in researching a 'cure'? A place he could have relaxed in comfort and not both stressed out his body and rapidly advanced his condition?

Disturbingly good points for a voice of madness.

Angeal sighed and spread his wings, taking off and flying down to the core of Modeoheim. He landed several minutes later with a soft thud and crossed his arms, bowing his head in thought.

He tilted his head and called out loudly. "Hollander! Get out here!"

A few moments later, Hollander scrambled out from wherever he had been lurking. "Angeal! There you are. Genesis is fighting..."

"Is dead," spat out Angeal.

Hollander frowned. "Dead? The boy killed him?"

"Yes, knocked him into the abyss below," said Angeal, turning to glare at Hollander who hardly looked stricken by the news, "Because SOMEONE never made any progress in his promised cure, because someone kept him weak, stripped of so much of his strength and power."

Yessss... you see it don't you? He wanted your brother agitated, easily controlled.

"That's not true!" said Hollander, "I was trying to help him!"

"Then why exactly did you take him away from the one place that might have stood a chance at saving him?" demanded Angeal, "The labs at Shinra would have offered him better care. Other scientists, perhaps even Hojo, could have helped him."

Hollander scowled. "Hojo doesn't care about my projects, he even calls you my failures for god's sake!"

Ah... the fool missteps, did you hear what he called you and your brother?

Angeal replayed Hollander's words before going still and then glaring full force at him. "Projects? Is that what we are to you Hollander? PROJECTS that you can run into the ground!?"

I would have taken much better care of my sons.

"That's not what I meant...," backpedaled Hollander.

"We're not science experiments!" roared Angeal, "Genesis was my friend! He needed help! Not to be used!"

"If you wanted him helped, why didn't you bring him back to Shinra?" came the voice of his pup.

Angeal glanced over to see Zack cautiously approaching, Tseng and a Trooper hanging back by the entrance; Zack continued, "They've got all the labs and science people there, maybe they could have helped him!"

Angeal smiled at that. "There's the smart pup I taught. I was just in fact asking our 'dear' doctor here that very question."

He turned towards Hollander, who had slowly been shifting back towards a side exit. "Going somewhere Doctor?"

Hollander froze and held up both hands. "J-just putting a little distance in-case this comes to blows, I wouldn't want to get in your way."

Angeal's smile thinned. "Unless I held back and let Zack win, he wouldn't stand a chance against me, you saw to that when you experimented on me before I was even born, so you can stay right where you are."

"Wait what?" exclaimed Zack, "What do you mean experimented on?"

Angeal scowled, rolling his shoulders. "I call myself a monster for more reason than just this wing. I bear the cells of..."

Your mother.

"...a monster inside of me," snarled Angeal, rising his voice to drive the voice away.

"Jenova is a Cetra, not a...," began Hollander.

"That's bullshit and you know it," spat Angeal, "The abilities I have, that Genesis has, of turning people and monsters into copies, is nothing like anything I've read about the Ancients. Ancients were said to hear the voice of the planet, nurture and heal and grow nature, use magic without materia. Out of the ones I listed, I only have one of them, and I'm pretty sure it's not the voice of the planet I'm hearing."

Hollander grew still, oh so very still. "Hearing... but that's impossible, there were no brain waves..."

Angeal narrowed his eyes. So, Hollander DID have some clue.

"Angeal...," whispered Zack, sounding oh so afraid, "You're hearing voices?"

"Voice, singular, female, calls itself my mother, and...," began Angeal.

I am your mother.

"...AND wont shut up!" Angeal snarled.

Zack looked so sorrowful, "Your mom?"

"No, not... not Gillian, someone, something else," said Angeal, rubbing the side of his head.

"Angeal," began Hollander, looking so much more scared than Zack, carefully stepping forward, "You need to listen to me."

Like your brother did? And end up dead? Kill this craven fool.

"Whatever it is saying, do not listen, do you understand?" said Hollander in so serious and yet terrified a voice.

Kill him.

Angeal tensed, feeling an almost compulsion like sensation run down his spine, a desire to draw his blade.

"Duh, I think it's common knowledge to not listen to voices in your head," said Zack, giving Hollander a dubious look.

Hollander turned and scowled at Zack. "Boy, this is way over your head, sit down and shut up and maybe we all wont die here."

This worm only fears your wrath, he seeks to stall your judgement and retribution.

Angeal tended to agree with that.

Zack ignored Hollander and turned to Angeal, puppy eyes pleading. "Look, 'Geal, come back with me and we can get you help, please!"

"No, its to late for that. I don't want any 'help' from Shinra. They're the ones who did this in the first place," spat Angeal before glaring at Hollander, "And you! You knew, didn't you? That Jenova was no ancient?"

I am hardly anything so weak.

"I... I suspected, yes," admitted Hollander.

"And you went through with the experiments anyway?" demanded Angeal, taking a step forwards "Did you have any idea... no, of course you did. You wanted to play god, wanted your crowning achievement to be better than Hojos, better than Sephiroth!"

"Angeal! Please calm down!" begged Hollander, taking a step back, "I want to help you, but you have to let me!"

Like he helped your brother? Ah... but we both know such help never came. Kill him.

"I think I'm done letting you control anything I do," said Angeal with a deadly calm, "And I'm making sure you can't screw up anyone else's lives, ever again."

KILL HIM!

"Angeal! Wait!" exclaimed Hollander.

KILL HIM NOW!

Angeal drew the Buster Sword and burst forward, embedding it straight through Hollander's chest. "No, I'm done waiting. You had your chance, and it died when Genesis did."

Hollander gagged and spasmed as Angeal lifted the Buster Sword into the air and then threw Hollander off it, his body slamming against a far wall before sliding down and off the edge of the platform. If the sword or the impact hadn't killed him, then let him die as Genesis did, it was only fitting to suffer the same fate the one he had failed to help had.

"Holy... Angeal, you just murdered him," whispered Zack, shocked.

Angeal narrowed his eyes. "Like you murdered Genesis?"

Zack recoiled. "A-angeal... I didn't want it to be that way... he just... he didn't give me a chance or a choice..."

This boy should be punished.

"On my honor..." began Zack.

"Honor?" demanded Angeal, interrupting him, "Where was the honor in killing a sick man? Genesis was my best friend!"

"I know that!" exclaimed Zack, "I didn't want him to die! I tried to stop him from going off the edge, but I reached him to late!"

Angeal glared at him. "To little to late as they say."

"Look, Angeal," pleaded Zack, "Genesis was doing horrible things! Turning people into copies! Causing so much damage everywhere and civilian casualties..."

"You think I don't know that?" said Angeal bitterly, "You think I didn't try to calm his rage...

Justified.

"...justified rage?" demanded Angeal, "The only reason things weren't so much worse than they already were was because I could at least somewhat hold back his wrath, helped ground him just a little bit."

"You could have brought him in," pointed out Zack.

"Oh no, don't you go trying to turn this on me," said Angeal, pointing a finger at Zack, "By the time I linked up with Genesis, he had already caused damage to Shinra. The only 'help' they would have given him was a bullet between his eyes. You know company policy."

Such a cruel and callous corporation, perhaps you should adopt your brothers Crusade and rid the world of them...

"I chose my best friend over a grossly negligent, complacent, corrupt, and pure evil corporation!" spat Angeal, "How many years have I been looking the other way?"

And believing their lies?

"...and believing their lies?" demanded Angeal, "No more. I was trying to minimize the damage, but no more. By sending you here, by killing Genesis, it's over. I won't stop, I wont rest, until Shinra is destroyed."

Zack looked panicked. "Angeal! Wait a sec...!"

"And you, why you?" he growled, "Were they truly so cruel to send you after your own mentor? Even on the off-chance that you did somehow take me down, I know you, it would destroy you, leave you with crippling guilt for decades to come, if not the rest of your life."

"I didn't come here to kill anyone!" exclaimed Zack, "I just wanted to bring you home, bring both of you home."

Angeal studied his pups face before softening. "I believe you."

Zack smiled.

Angeal's face hardened. "But whats done is done Zack. You killed Genesis. You murdered my best friend. You still matter to much to me, I won't kill you, but you will be punished."

Zack's smiled was gone instantly, and the boy held up both hands. "Woah woah woah, wait a sec 'Geal!"

Angeal sheathed the Buster Sword and burst forward, embedding his fist deep into Zack's stomach, launching him all the way back towards the entrance, slamming him into the wall above the door. Tseng and the Trooper dove out of the falling soldier's body and drew their guns, firing at Angeal. But he was already gone, his wing carrying him through the air. He swooped down, lashing out with a boot and cracking the Trooper's shoulder, sending him flying through the doorway. He turned and caught Tseng's gun as the man turned it on him, crushing both it and the man's hand in his mighty fist.

Tseng hardly flinched, drawing a second gun with his spare hand, only for Angeal to backhand him to the ground, "And you. Turk. Shinra's little lapdog and hitman. How many of Shinra's sins rest on your shoulders?"

He reached for the Buster Sword, ready to end the Turk's life, only to yelp, caught offguard, as Zack caught him in a Full Nelson. "Angeal! Calm down!"

Angeal slammed his head back, breaking Zack's nose and sending him staggered. He turned and reached out, grabbing Zack, lifting him up with one hand, and then slamming him down on Angeal's knee. Zack wheezed and collapsed to the ground when Angeal let him go. He kicked the pup, sending him flying to the middle of the platform, and stalked forward after him.

"It was foolish to send you here, Genesis may have been degrading, but I am not," said Angeal, voice etched with warning, "I am at my full strength..."

And growing stronger as your powers and abilities awaken.

"... and unless I let you, you can't touch me. They should have sent Sephiroth," said Angeal, shaking his head.

"S-seph... refused," gasped out Zack.

Angeal smiled a little at that. "So he still cares."

My Chosen One is your brother, he would not draw his blade on his kin unless driven to it.

Chosen One?

Angeal shook his head and walked passed Zack. "I suppose that'll be enough for now. I've made my displeasure known."

"Angeal... I'm sorry," he heard Zack whisper.

Angeal stopped walking and sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't blame you Zack, your a loyal pup, if but loyal to the wrong handler. Shinra is to blame, and will pay."

Why not take the boy with you? He has some loyalty to you, change him, make him yours, and he will never raise a hand to you or those who belong to you again...

NO!

Angeal thrust the thought as hard as he could at the voice, causing a surprised screech. "Zack is off limits! I would never do that to him! Use my power on him!"

Stubborn prideful honorable child. You still have so much to learn.

Angeal walked to the edge of the platform and extended his wing, taking off without another word. He flew aimlessly for a time, watching the snowy landscape blur below him. It took him some time to realize it wasn't just the landscape and the speed he was going at the blurred things. For the first time in a very long time, he felt tears streaming down his face. Genesis was dead... his best friend was gone... oh Genesis...

Fret not my child, come to me, and we will make them pay, will make them all pay...

Angeal shook his head, trying to push away the voice. He descended to the ground, to a small hideaway he and Genesis had in a cave along the coast of the Northern Continent. He clambered heavily into the cave, his entire body weary, his mind exhausted and troubled by the days events. He had gone to Modeoheim intending to die, instead... instead rage had filled him so heavily. He had raised a brutal hand to Zack, moreso than he had done before. Albeit the boy had killed Genesis...

He sighed and crumpled against the closest wall, desperate to sleep, to escape the world without his best friend, and to temporarily escape the voice whispering into the back of his mind...

Chapter Text

Zack was exhausted. Getting the crap kicked out of him by Angeal, coupled with a lack of sleep and all the cold of Modeoheim that had settled into his bones made him ache despite the Mako. His commanding officer's green catlike eyes focused on him sure didn't help the country boy either. Being in a conference room being debriefed by some of the most top people in Shinra reaaaaallly didn't help either. Sephiroth and Director Lazard, Director Verdot and Tseng, and creepy man Hojo himself all in one room staring him down. Oh man...

"Could you repeat what you just said," said Sephiroth slowly, "I'm fairly certain I didn't hear that right."

"He uh... he said he was hearing a voice in his head," said Zack, watching the pained resignation in Sephiroth's eyes, "If I understood all the mumbo jumbo and pseudo talk they were going on about, I think it was this 'Jenova' they mentioned?"

Sephiroth frowned and muttered, "Why would he hear my Mother's voice?"

Hojo turned sharply to him. "Boy, what did you say?"

Sephiroth turned, scowling a little at being talked down to. "My mother, Jenova. Why would he be hearing her voice?"

Hojo looked incredulous for a split second before he looked irritated. "I don't know who told you Jenova is your mother, but she's not. Even if we were to widen the definition of 'Mother' to include anyone who had taken part of the formation of your existence, it would be a stretch. Jenova, was..."

He paused briefly and looked at Director Verdot, eyebrow raised. Veld sighed, pinched his nose briefly, and nodded.

Hojo continued, "...was a several thousand year old being that was excavated out of the ice in the Northern Crater. It's cells were used as the foundation of what was to become the 'Jenova Project', a precursor to two sub projects, Jenova Project G and Jenova Project S. G, turned out Hollander's failures, Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewely. S, turned out you, Sephiroth, and was used as the basis for the SOLDIER Program."

Zack's eyes went a little wide and looked worriedly at Sephiroth. The man's face had become a smooth mask, betraying none of what he had thought. Zack fidgeted, wondering how the man was going to react...

"Oh stop squirming boy," said Hojo, glaring at him, "Sephiroth is not foolish like Hollander's failures were. He is not going to lose his mind over trivial information from before he was born. If he has questions, which I imagine he does, he may ask, later, when we are in a more secure area."

Sephiroth nodded briskly, face growing just a tad pinched, before refocusing. "Again, why would he be hearing this 'Jenova's' voice?"

"It doesn't matter why, because it's impossible," said Hojo with derision, "The boy has simply gone mad."

"He did never directly said it was Jenova," pointed out Tseng, "Just implied."

Sephiroth's eyes flickered back and forth for a moment before tilting his head in acknowledgement. "Perhaps, but I wish to look at every angle. Tell me Professor, why is it impossible?"

"Because Jenova is brain dead," said Hojo flatly, "There has not been a flicker of activity in all the year's we've monitored it."

Sephiroth's eyes sharpened. "Brain activity. That would imply it was alive in order to check for it."

Zack blinked a few times. Oh, good point. Man, Seph was smart like that. "Yeah, how the heck can something several thousand years old, that was frozen like a popsicle, still be alive?"

Hojo adjusted his glasses. "Once thawed out, it's body showed signs of normal functions, but did not move or act otherwise. It's heart beat, but it's brain did not show any signs of activity. It is brain dead, and alive or not, it can do nothing."

"But how is it alive?" Zack asked.

"Jenova's cells have a high regenerative property," said Hojo, "The enhanced recovery SOLDIERs have isn't solely from Mako."

"So if you put one of us in the fridge for a few thousand years, we'd come out okay?" asked Zack, skeptical.

"You? No," said Hojo, "You don't have nearly enough Jenova cells in you. Sephiroth however should be able to withstand and survive such conditions. With the modifications I made to Jenova's cells that he was given, he should even retain or at least be able to recover his higher brain functions."

"Lovely," mused Sephiroth, "I would rather not be frozen in such a state to begin with however."

Sephiroth crossed his arms. "There is one thing that prevents me from directly agreeing with you about Jenova. Hollander seemed to believe Angeal about the voice, Zackery implied Hollander was terrified of the prospect. Why? Why would he fear this 'Jenova' so?"

Hojo scoffs. "I don't particularly find the fears of a fool like Hollander to be worthy of concern, even IF our musings about Jenova are correct."

"What musings exactly?" asked Sephiroth, eyes narrowing.

"When Jenova was initially extracted, we believed she was an Ancient, the initial experiments were meant to recreate the Ancients," explained Hojo, "As Hollander spouted to the boy here, Jenova's cells expressed characteristics and traits not quite aligned with the Cetra. Her body is mostly Cetra, however it has certain... additions to it that almost seem parasitical in nature. Especially in how the Jenova Cells interact with other cells."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Meaning what."

"Meaning that there are suspicions that Jenova might have been involved with the destruction of the Ancients, rather than being one," admitted Hojo, "Which is one of the reasons things were maneuvered towards the SOLDIER program rather than its original intent."

Sephiroth pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "Making living weapons based off what may have killed the Ancients does sound like Shinra's preferred ideal, evidently without any consideration for side effects or consequences. Tell me, Professor, am I doomed to both physical and mental degradation as well?"

Hojo scoffed. "Unlike Hollander, I was far more selectively elaborate in what I introduced or altered into the serum you were injected with while in the womb. The copying process as Genesis and Angeal's ability has been referred to was something I distinctly did not allow to carry over from Jenova. You were meant to be better than Jenova ever was after all, and the genetic instability that comes with such an ability would have been detrimental."

"How was it not detrimental to Jenova itself?" asked Sephiroth.

Hojo hesitated, eyes again flickering to Veld.

Veld cleared his throat. "Science is not my specialty, but even I connected the dots when I looked at Jenova's pure cells under a microscope, separated from her host. Her DNA structure is like nothing from this planet."

Sephiroth blinked. "Alien. You mean that this 'Jenova' was an alien lifeform?"

"Yes," agreed Hojo, "That is the most likely explanation. In essence, Jenova, from what I've been able to identify from her traits, or rather it's traits, was an alien sentient virus that's entire purpose was to spread and consume life. As such, its genetic instability is a boon, to be able to take in and absorb traits to suit its climates."

Zack swallowed, hard. "That's... fucked up man. You thought it was a good idea to stick us all with that?!"

Hojo shook his head. "You do not understand, boy. If I were to dumb it down for you, consider the 'food chain', surely they still teach that concept in your backwater schooling," he ignored the scowl Zack gave him, "You have producers such as plants, primary consumers as herbivores, secondary consumers which feed off them, tertiary consumers which in turn eat them, and finally, the apex predator, a creature that has no natural predator, but, starts the cycle over when they die and decompose."

His eyes fixed on Zack. "Jenova exists outside of the food chain. What it consumes does not eventually return because if everything went according to its designs, it would never die."

"I find myself rather inclined to agree with Fair," commented Sephiroth, "While I rather prefer being alive and existing, Jenova should have been incinerated the moment you identified exactly what it is."

"Its not a threat..." began Hojo.

"Its not about Jenova," snapped Sephiroth, "What if you had created something worse that wasn't brain dead?"

Sephiroth slammed a hand down on the table before Hojo could speak, near snapping it in half. "Gods sake Hojo! Angeal is my friend, but even I now recognize the danger he represents. He is not physically degrading, but mentally? What if his mind fades to the point where he acts off nothing but madness and instinct? With the powers of Jenova he could easily become a new Jenova, potentially even worse. You and Hollander mixed together two different lifeforms from wildly different existences, who knows what we are capable of compared to either Jenova or humanity?"

Hojo wrinkled his nose. "Hewely and Rhapsodos's madness aside, Sephiroth, that was the intent. Hollander attempted with his failures, but as evident, he couldn't do it. You were born to transcend any such limitations and weaknesses."

Lazard speaks for the first time that meeting. "And had it never occurred to you the dangers of this? I am not condemning Sephiroth, but as an example if he ever went the way of his former friends, how would anyone actually stop him?"

Hojo looks him dead in the eye and says, "They wouldn't."

Zack swallows thickly.

Sephiroth lets out a soft, tired breath. "I have little inclination of following either of them into death or madness."

Zack flinches a little at the way the words are stressed, especially death. He sorely hope his CO doesn't resent or hate him for doing what he had to do. He hadn't wanted Genesis to die...

"As of the moment, I believe I need to personally take over Hewely's pursuit," continued Sephiroth.

Lazard's eyebrows climbed. "You'd refused thus far to go after either of them."

"That was before I learned the depth of the circumstances surrounding this," countered Sephiroth, "Before I learned that Angeal was mentally degrading, to the point where he would raise his hand with the intent to harm his own mentee."

Zack winced at that. "He didn't kill me, but I hadn't gotten whopped like that before."

Sephiroth tilted his head in acknowledgement. "I had hoped Angeal might be a voice of reason and talk sense into Genesis so that they would return..."

"Against company directive?" posed Tseng carefully, "Both of them had orders to be terminated."

Sephiroth settled his gaze on the Turk. "There are very few things I have ever particularly asked for from Shinra. In that, the Board of Directors would have to bend, especially when the degradation afflicting Genesis and Angeal was the result of a Shinra approved project."

"Had they refused?" pressed Tseng.

Sephiroth raised a single eyebrow. "I believe Hojo phrased it quite well, Turk. If I were to say they lived, what could you actually do to force me to stand aside and let them be executed? You would not like the consequences of trying."

Tseng says nothing in response, but his lips are pressed tight.

"Is there a problem with that, Director Verdot?" inquired Sephiroth.

Veld hummed. "None that I'm going to be foolish enough to challenge you on. If you can recover Hewely as an asset, then my department will work with you to clean this mess up."

"Good. I will be pursuing Angeal in order to capture him and return him to Shinra where Hojo will discover a means to cure or at least alleviate the symptoms of degradation," said Sephiroth firmly.

Hojo huffed. "Rhapsodos would have been one thing, finding the root cause of what was causing his body to fall apart would have likely fixed the whole mess if it could be treated at all. Hewely is another matter entirely, he is not physically degrading, he shouldn't be mentally degrading either assuming Hollander didn't somehow botch the process, which is evident that he did."

Zack sat on that thought for a long moment before quietly bringing back up an earlier topic, "Unless he's actually hearing a real voice in his head."

Hojo scoffed. "I've been over this boy, Jenova is brain dead."

"But... I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but if Jenova is a sentient virus that hops bodies, why does it matter that the body its in is brain dead?" asked Zack dubiously.

Hojo blinks at him, opening and then closing his mouth with a snap, frowning. "But it hasn't done anything. Jenova has not moved or acted once since it was dug up."

"I mean... I haven't seen the body, is anything wrong with it?" asked Zack.

"Nothing in particular that would stop a normal person from acting or moving," answered Hojo.

"...is it taking a nap?"

"Do you have the IQ of a chimpanzee?"

"Rude."

"Gentlemen," interrupted Veld, "I believe the purpose of this meeting has been concluded. I'm sure Sephiroth has questions for Hojo to be fielded in the labs before he prepares to leave after Hewely, and you should get some rest Fair."

Zack shrugged. "Probably, but question for you first Mr. Turk."

Veld waited.

Zack really hoped he was going to get an answer that didn't make him hate Shinra anymore than he already was starting to, he had liked the other country boy after all. "What happened to Cloud?"

Veld blinked. "Who?"

"The surviving trooper from the mission is awaiting debrief in a secure location," commented Tseng.

"Yeah, about that," said Zack, sitting up straight, "I've been with Shinra long enough to know what happens to little fishes who get involved with big messes, and I'd rather that not happen to my buddy."

"I will take that under advisement," was all Tseng said back smoothly in response.

Dammit...

There was nothing else Zack could really do. The meeting began to disperse, and Zack still had one more thing he wanted to do before he hit his bed. "Sephiroth, sir?"

The man paused. "Yes Zackery?"

"Could we... talk for a minute?" he asked.

Sephiroth stood aside from the door and let the rest of the room walk out. "What is it?"

Zack opened and closed his mouth a few times before swallowing, taking a deep breath, and speaking, "I'm... sorry sir."

"About what?"

"I didn't... I didn't want Genesis to die, ass as he was to me and others, I knew he was your friend," said Zack, hoping and praying Seph didn't hate him for it.

Sephiroth blinked once. "Genesis is the one who threw himself off the edge, not you, besides..."

His mouth quirked a bit, his voice lowering to levels only a SOLDIER could hear. "I doubt this is the last we've seen of him."

Zack startled before whispering, "But he fell..."

"He has a wing, Zackery."

Zack's mouth snapped shut. Oh, right, duh. So what he hinted earlier was an act. Nice. Genesis was weakened and degrading in a way Angeal was not, he couldn't defend himself as well, best to give him the illusion of death until Sephiroth could track him down.

He grinned and made a zipping motion with his mouth, earning a crisp nod from Sephiroth. "Go get some rest, Zackery, I intend for us to leave in the morning to begin tracking Angeal down."

Zack's eyes briefly went wide before he nodded. "Hell yes sir, I'll be ready and waiting to go and bring 'Geal home this time."

"Just be prepared Zackery," said Sephiroth solemnly, "Whether Angeal is mentally degrading, or Jenova isn't dead and is trying to influence him, things will only get worse before they get better..."