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Darkened Skies	By : Cynthia Category: Final Fantasy VII > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 949 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters are the property of Square Enix. I do not profit from this fanfiction, it’s for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
"Darkened Skies"
Chapter ten: Intervention
A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction
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Author's note: Possible trigger warning for people who have suffered depression or dealt with a loved one suffering depression.
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While Angeal and Genesis were busy impressing the suits and trying to hold SOLDIER together, Zack did his best to keep an eye on Sephiroth without stalking him. When he couldn't keep a physical eye on him, he checked in on him with phone calls. The man seemed to get more moody and withdrawn each day. Worse still, he showed no ambition to return to active duty. As Zack's concern grew, his concentration suffered further and his attempts at subtlety failed. Sephiroth finally had enough of it and he cornered Zack in the locker room after training one morning.
            "I know what you're doing."
            Zack tried hard to look ignorant. "What...getting dressed?"
            Sephiroth smirked humorlessly and shook his head. "You're spying on me. Angeal put you up to it, no doubt."
            "N-no! He's got other things to worry about."
            "Which is why he assigned you to do it for him," reasoned the general. "You've apparently forgotten that your mentor and I have known one another longer than you have. It's all right, Zackary. I'm not angry."
            "Er...you aren't?"
            Sephiroth shook his head and lowered his eyes. "No. Your doubts are warranted, after the...incident...at the reactor. I stepped down and handed in my blade for a reason. I know my limits and when I feel I'm ready, I'll resume my duties to this department."
            Zack was hesitantly relieved. He started to speak, but a 2nd walked past and he waited until he was out of hearing range. "I guess I make a pretty bad stalker. I only did it because we've been worried about you and you're not the easiest guy to read, you know?"
            "Then you shouldn't try. Concentrate on your training and don't worry about me. Your concern is appreciated, but un-necessary." He turned away and finished getting dressed. "Things aren't always simple, Zack. There are always layers. Remember that."
            Zack cocked his head inquisitively. "Sure, Seph. I'm just glad you're feeling better."
            Sephiroth nodded and took his leave. Zack finished dressing after he'd gone and he began to whistle a tune as he finished up and closed his locker, finally feeling like he could slack off and relax a little. His phone went off and he tossed it lightly into the air before catching it and flipping it open. "Zack, here."
            "Hey, you," Cissnei's voice said, "I told you I'd call you back."
            Zack smiled and straddled the bench near his locker. "Yeah, you did. Hey, are you free tonight?"
            "Really?" Cissnei sounded warily optimistic. "Are you telling me you actually have some free time? It seems like our schedules never line up."
            Zack laughed. "Uh-huh. So how about it? You and me, wherever you want to go and whatever you want to do. I've been saving up for it, so money isn't a problem unless you want to go to one of those VIP places on the upper plate."
            "I don't need anything fancy," insisted the Turk girl. "I'm just happy spending time with you. We could go and see a movie, if you want."
            The idea was a winner, as far as Zack was concerned.   "I'd love to do that, sweet stuff. How about you call me when you get off work and I'll meet up with you to go pick out a movie?"
            "You bet," Cissnei enthused. "I'm looking forward to it, Zack."
            "Me too. See you then."
            Zack hung up the phone and put it away. He started to replace the phone in his pocket when something occurred to him. Genesis' voice spoke clearly in his mind as he recalled the warning issued by the redhead, before he and Angeal got released from holding.
            "If he starts trying to be nice to you, watch out."

            Sephiroth was being uncommonly friendly with him when they spoke a little while ago—just like he had in Nibelheim, before he withdrew from everyone. His final words of advice replayed in Zack's mind and a chill went through him.
            "Things aren't always simple, Zack. There are always layers. Remember that."
            Maybe the comment was Sephiroth's way of giving a covert farewell to him.
            "Oh, no," Zack groaned, his eyes widening with dread. "How could I have missed that?"
            A part of him knew why he missed it, though. His attention was divided between worrying about Sephiroth, worrying about Angeal and worrying about what was going to happen to SOLDIER. The people he normally looked to for guidance seemed to be falling apart on him and Zack was going through a trial by fire, jumping into leadership responsibilities with no clear idea of what he was doing.
            Dreading the thought of what could happen if he was right about Sephiroth's subtle change in temperament, Zack forgot about everything else and took off in pursuit. Rather than yell out that the general might be off his rocker, he asked people in passing if they'd seen him and which direction he went, if they had.
~*****************************************~

            "Kunsel! Kunsel, have you seen General Sephiroth?"
            The 2nd jumped in alarm when Zack came up behind him and grabbed him by the arm. "Shit...you scared me!"
            "Sephiroth," reiterated Zack urgently, "have you seen him?"
            "Uh, he passed by the barracks a few minutes ago, I think. He was heading for the elevator. What's going on?"
            Not wanting to jump to conclusions just yet, Zack forced himself to calm down and he told his friend a half-truth. "I just need to check in with him about something and I'm afraid I'll miss him if I don't catch up with him fast. Thanks, buddy!"
            Zack ran for the elevators, leaving Kunsel watching after him and scratching his head. He dug his phone out of his pocket on the way and he selected Sephiroth's number from his contact list. "Come on...pick up. Don't do this to me, man."
~************************************~

            Sephiroth shut and locked the door behind him as he entered his quarters, before retrieving his phone and looking at the ID on the screen. He shook his head and silenced the device, and then he set it on the bedside table.
            "My apologies, Zackary. Nothing further needs to be said."
He reached beneath it and found the sealed weapon case he kept under there. The entity living inside of him stirred, roused from its hypnotically induced sleep by his actions and intentions. Jenova wasn't a bit happy with what she sensed from him as Sephiroth opened the latches on the case and lifted the lid. Sephiroth was a decent shot, but he preferred to rely on his skill with the sword, his moves and perhaps materia if the situation warranted it. He never carried his firearms with him unless he expected heavy opposition on a mission.
"You seem worried," Sephiroth mused aloud.
He lifted the pistol out of the case and he studied it for a moment. Though he'd been issued the gun at age sixteen, it still looked the same as it did when it came out of the weapons shop. Sephiroth took good care of his weapons—even the ones he never used. He opened the ammunition chamber and pondered the magazine lying in the case, waiting to be loaded. A smile curved his lips when Jenova asked him what he thought he was doing. She told him that his friends had lied to him, that she was his true mother and the mortal woman who bore him was merely a tool...an incubator for him to grow inside.
"Then it seems Lucrecia and I have something in common," Sephiroth whispered, his pupils contracting as he struggled to maintain coherent thought. "We're both merely incubators. She bore me and I bear the thing that dares to call itself my mother...a thing that should have never been extracted from the earth to begin with."
Jenova protested, of course. She said that he was a god, that she loved him and she only wanted to protect him, so that he could rule Gaia at her side. Sephiroth pressed the cool metal barrel of the gun against his forehead and he shut his eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure an eternity wandering the cosmos on a dead world with no company could eventually become boring."
He opened his eyes again and lowered the weapon, reaching for the magazine clip in the case. "I see it all clearly now. I'm only the exception to your plan to obliterate mankind because you don't want to be completely alone."
He grimaced as her voice grew more urgent and insistent. The temptation to give in was high. He'd heard Jenova in his mind since childhood and up until he joined the academy and trained with Angeal and Genesis, she was the only friend he had. He didn't hate her anymore than he hated any predator or virus. She was a creature of pure, primal instinct—he understood that much about her. The one he truly hated was the man responsible for putting Jenova in him...the man that took him away from his birth mother and left her to die without hesitation. Hojo didn't have the excuse that he was a primordial being from another world. He couldn't blame the things he'd done on natural instinct or alien needs.
Sephiroth's hand clenched around the magazine clip and his mouth drew into a thin, stressed line. Hojo knew exactly what he was doing when he injected his Lucrecia's pregnant body with the foreign DNA from the Jenova specimen. His belief that Jenova was an Ancient didn't excuse the fact that he deliberately experimented on his wife and his own unborn child. The most disturbing thing to Sephiroth was the knowledge that Lucrecia—for whatever reason—had let him. Now, he was doomed to live life with this foreign personality inside of him...always vying for control...always posing a threat to everything he touched.
            "I know one way to silence you for good," murmured Sephiroth with resolve as he loaded the clip into the gun. "I will be master of my own fate, or I won't exist at all."
~*****************************************~

            Zack decided that Sephiroth better be trying to hang himself or jump off a building—never mind the fact that jumping off a building didn't pose much of a danger to a guy with flight capabilities. He'd go bonkers himself if all this stressing was for nothing. He couldn't reach Sephiroth and Zack was sure that by the seventh try, the general surely would have picked up the phone just to tell him to stop calling. He couldn't ask anyone in the building for help, because if he was misreading Sephiroth, he'd get in trouble for sure for spreading rumors that he was suicidal.
            Zack stopped before the elevators and he stood there fidgeting and muttering to himself. He had no idea which floor he should search first. He remembered what cops did when they were trying to track down criminals and he decided to try that trick.
            "Okay...I'm Sephiroth. I'm a big war hero with hair and eyes that make supermodels jealous. I like smacking subordinates on the back of the head and I hate fun of any kind. My sword's so long you could use it as a pole-vault and I wonder if I'm trying to make up for something with that."
            It wasn't working. He tried to imitate Sephiroth's calm, almost hypnotic voice, but he only succeeded in making himself sound like he was straining to take a dump. Zack groaned and he fell back on old habits, because he honestly didn't know who else to turn to. He stood there doing the "pee-pee dance" as he dialed his mentor and waited impatiently for him to pick up.
~****************************************~

            "And I'm telling you, the Public Safety department needs that money more than SOLDIER!" Heidegger glared at Lazard and the assembly looked on uncomfortably, well aware of the heavy-set, bearded man's penchant for slapping people around when he got frustrated.
Lazard stood calm in the face of Heidegger's anger, though his fair features bore a telling flush that belied his tranquil stance. He didn't flinch away from the bigger man and he gave his two SOLDIER operatives a warning glance when they looked ready to intervene.
"I realize that the standard military has suffered losses in the war with Wutai, but I think the president would agree that the casualties would have been much higher if it weren't for our specialist operatives. SOLDIER is a vital part to the whole of our military might, and if it crumbles, other military branches are sure to follow. I'm not asking for a budget cut in other departments to cover the cost of repairing mine. I'm just requesting that the yearly bonus quota be spent where I think it's most needed."
His argument was perfectly reasonable and Rufus narrowed his eyes in thought. He drummed his fingers on the lacquered surface of the meeting desk and he looked around at the other participants. This summit could last for a full week, before everything was pronounced resolved and drawn to a close. Every unresolved argument meant more meetings, more time negotiating and more money drained from the company's petty cash. Every day they spent here in this expensive motel was another day ShinRa had to pay over a thousand gil per suite to accommodate the participating executives.   President Shinra would be particularly displeased over the last part, and he would likely put the blame on Rufus for not being assertive enough to guide the summit speedily through.
Rufus made a decision based on practicality and logic, rather than personal desire. "I agree with Deusericus; the bonus this year should be put into SOLDIER for recruitment, training and enhancement procedures."
Everyone around the table went silent. Turks, investors, executives, attorneys and bookkeepers all stared at Rufus with open surprise. Lazard's pale brows went up as well and he was temporarily flustered by the unexpected support.
"You...agree with me?"
Rufus spread his hands and leaned back in his chair, smirking inwardly at the shock he could see on Scarlet's face out the corner of his eye. She almost looked betrayed and he silently applauded himself for throwing her off guard. "What is there to disagree with? SOLDIER is a valuable asset of ShinRa Incorporated."
He looked at the two Soldiers Lazard had brought with him. They stood by the door, providing admittedly solid security. The burly one was ruggedly handsome and he looked as though he could snap a man like a twig. His auburn-haired companion bore the pretty-boy looks of a rock star and he probably had scores of young women salivating over him—and likely some men, too.
"This company will be mine, one day," Rufus announced coolly. "And that includes SOLDIER and all its operatives. It would be foolish of me to allow the most powerful military unit at my disposal to sink further into disrepair. I'd like to see it built back up again."
            Lazard's surprised expression faded into veiled umbrage. Rufus wouldn't have expected anything less and he enjoyed smug satisfaction over putting his half-brother back into his place. Let him believe he ran the SOLDIER department. Though their father had made it crystal clear that he wanted Lazard to remain administrator of SOLDIER, he was careful not to extend too much power and authority to that position. He told Rufus that the key to managing employees was to allow them enough wiggle room to give the illusion of freedom...until the leash ran out of slack. The trick was to give that leash a tug now and then, to remind the employee who was boss. President Shinra also promised that one day soon, Rufus would learn all the secrets of the company.
            As he pondered what exactly his father meant by "secrets", someone's PHS started to ring. Evidently, the sound was coming from Sergeant Hewley. The big man dug the communication device out of his pocket and apologized for the noise.
            "I thought I had it turned off," Angeal explained. "Excuse me."
He leaned over to mutter something in his red-clad companion's ear and Genesis nodded, leaning against the wall in a casual manner. As Hewley left the room to take the call, Rhapsodos' enhanced aqua gaze scanned lazily over the assembly and people began to shift uncomfortably in their seats—particularly Palmer. Genesis' gaze met the balding executives and Rufus was intrigued and slightly amused to watch Palmer shrink down in his seat, as if trying to hide from that Mako stare.
            "Well, onto business," prompted Rufus. He'd succeeded in throwing everyone off and he knew that now was the time to close deals and make proposals, while they were rattled and vulnerable.
~****************************************~

            Once he was standing in the hallway outside the boardroom, Angeal answered his phone and he let his trainee know in no uncertain terms that he was not pleased. "Zack, I thought I told you not to call this number before nineteen hundred hours. I was in the middle of a board meeting."
            "Yeah, you're welcome," Zack said, apparently missing the tone in Angeal's voice. "Listen, I would have waited but something's come up and I need your advice. It's really important, Ange."
            Angeal sighed and squeezed his eyes shut before rubbing the lids with his thumb and forefinger. "What is it?"
            "I can't find Sephiroth."
            Angeal opened his eyes, frowning. "What do you mean?"
            "I mean what I just said," answered Zack impatiently. "Remember Gen saying I should worry if Sephiroth tries to be nice?"
            "Yes."
            "Well, he had a little talk with me in the locker room after I finished training and showering, and he was like, super nice...I mean, for Sephiroth. He wasn't sub-zero like usual, is what I'm saying."
            Angeal wasn't sure whether to worry or not. "Believe it or not, Sephiroth has been known to crack a smile now and then. He's capable of being pleasant to his friends, too."
            "Not like this," insisted Zack. "Or, maybe with you guys but not with me. I'm still a punk in training to him and I know I get on his nerves. Look, I've tried calling him but he's not picking up. People have told me he took the elevator but I'm not sure where I should start looking. That's why I called you. Where would Sephiroth go if he was...uh...you know...planning to do that thing we talked about?"
            Angeal waited for the janitor to pass before speaking in a low voice. "Check his quarters first. If he were going to do harm to himself, he wouldn't make a spectacle of it. If he isn't in his quarters, he may be on the roof."
            "Got it," answered Zack. "Sleeping quarters, then the roof. Any idea where he'd go if he left HQ to do it?"
            Angeal's brows drew down in thought. "I don't think he'd leave to do it, but there's another possibility that Genesis and I have been worrying about. Sephiroth may decide to return to the Nibelheim reactor and finish what he started with Jenova's remains. If you can't locate him in or near Headquarters, check the train station. It's hard for Sephiroth to go anywhere without being recognized, so people are bound to tell you if they've seen him."
            "Man, I hope you're wrong about that," sighed Zack. "One trip to Nibelheim was enough for me. Oh well, I'd better get to his quarters and check on him."
            "Phone me with the details, once you've confirmed what's going on," instructed Angeal. "And Zack...I'm sure I don't need to say it, but don't tell anyone what's happening until you know there's something to worry about. A false alarm would just raise more questions about Lazard's ability to run the program, and we don't want that."
            "Yeah, I already figured as much. I'll contact you when I've got something to report, Angeal."
~**************************************~

            "Sephiroth? General?"
Zack knocked on the door of Sephiroth's quarters, not really expecting an answer. He sighed when his prediction came true and he looked around cautiously. He started to brace himself to break the door down, but he noticed a security camera swiveling around on the ceiling to his left. He groaned. How the hell was he supposed to explain why he busted into the general's private quarters? He could disable the camera, but that would just alert security to come and investigate the cause of the malfunction.
"Think, Zack...think!" He smacked his forehead a couple of times, hoping to force out a brilliant idea the way he could force ketchup out of a bottle by tapping the bottom of it.
The sound of a firearm going off on the other side of the door cinched it for him. Zack forgot about trying to come up with a scheme to convince security to let him use a copy of Sephiroth's keycard. He took several steps back and sucked in a couple of quick breaths as he braced for impact. Aiming for the spot near the keycard reader so that he could dislodge the locking mechanism and force it to open, he charged at the barrier and slammed his shoulder hard against the surface. It shuddered, but remained shut.
Zack rubbed his shoulder and prepared to try again. "Damn! Why can't they just put normal doors in this building, with doorknobs and stuff?" He really hated the sliding doors in Headquarters and though they were designed to open under pressure in the event of an earthquake, explosion or other emergency, he would have had a much easier time kicking open a standard door.
"Hang on, Seph," he grunted as he rammed the door again. "I'm coming!"
He refused to consider the very likely possibility that he was already too late.
~***********************************~

            Sephiroth's hand shook a she wrestled mentally with Jenova. "You won't...succeed again," he promised. She'd managed to spoil his aim and he now had a neat bullet hole in his ceiling. Fortunately, there was nothing above his quarters, so the chances of anyone getting hit by that shot were nil.
There was another crash and he turned his head to look at the door. Zack would break through soon. He couldn't afford to miss a second time, if he was going to end this. Sephiroth opened his mouth and he gripped the barrel of his gun with his other hand to hold it steady as he positioned it. He shut his eyes and prepared to try again, ready to face the blackness of oblivion.
~**************************************~

            On his fourth try, Zack put enough force behind his blow to dislodge the locking mechanism and force the door to open. His arms windmilled as he tried to catch his balance and avoid falling through the open door on his face.
            "Sephiroth?" Zack stumbled through the door and looked around, quickly taking in the scene before him. Though larger than most military accommodations, the general's quarters were a studio setup, with a kitchen alcove and a separate bathroom.   He spotted Sephiroth sitting on his bed, and his relief to find him alive was quickly replaced by alarm.
            The General had the barrel of a gun in his mouth and he was about to pull the trigger.
            Zack didn't question why Sephiroth was still alive after hearing the gun go off moments ago. He didn't ask why the man was trying to blow his brains out. He just dove for Sephiroth, completely forgetting that he was his superior, a decorated war hero and possibly the most powerful fighter on the planet. Zack's only focus at this moment was to get that firearm out of Sephiroth's hands before it went off and snuffed his lights out. He knocked Sephiroth onto his back and he tried to grab the gun from him.
            The snarl on Sepiroth's lips reminded Zack of a pissed off tomcat. That was all he had time to notice before the general bucked him off, hard enough to send Zack flying backwards into the wall. He struck his head against the wall and when the stars cleared from his vision, he saw two Sephiroths preparing to suck lead. Zack yelled in determination and jumped the other man again, struggling with all his might to hold him down and wrest the weapon from his hand. Trained to adapt quickly, Zack adjusted his tactics to avoid a repeat of earlier. He wrapped his limbs around Sephiroth's body to prevent getting bucked off again and he barely avoided a nasty head-butt.
            "Thought you'd have more class than that," grunted Zack in response to the unexpected combat move.
Sephiroth didn't answer him, of course. He'd always considered Seph too dignified to resort to barroom brawl tactics like head-butting, though he should have known better than to make assumptions. There was a reason why this man was the best in his regiment and Zack reminded himself to respect that. As Sephiroth rolled over with him and gained the upper hand, Zack was given another painful reminder of the general's fighting prowess. He shouted in pain as Sephiroth slammed his grasping hand against the headboard of the bed, attempting to force his grip on his wrist loose.
            Zack snarled up at his superior and his eyes swam with tears of pain and frustration. "Forget it! I'm not letting you do this!"
            He was going to lose his grip and the wild, desperate look in Sephiroth's emerald gaze assured Zack that if he failed to do this, someone was definitely getting shot—and not necessarily Sephiroth. He decided to practice a little dirty pool of his own and he gave Sephiroth a close-up view of his forehead, reciprocating the general's earlier actions. He got lucky...very lucky. Sephiroth was concentrating on freeing his gun hand from Zack's grip and though he jerked his head back to avoid full collision, he wasn't quite fast enough to evade the brunet's cranium completely.
Zack winced with regret as he felt the impact of Seph's nose against his forehead, but the hit made the taller man loosen his grip on his gun and Zack took advantage of that immediately. He again paid Sephiroth back for his actions and he slammed his hand against the edge of the headboard, forcing him to drop his gun. As Sephiroth clamped a hand over his nose and struggled to recover from the attack, Zack kicked him away and made a mad scramble for the gun. He caught it before Seph could reach for it and when he saw that the window was open a crack, he immediately dove at it and threw the gun out of it. The weapon spun end-over-end as it fell to the street, far below.
Zack breathed a sigh of relief and he turned to face Sephiroth, intending to reason with him. His words were choked off by the vise-like grip of Sephiroth's hand around his throat. Zack grabbed Sephiroth's forearm with both hands and he struggled to breath as he was shoved against the wall and lifted off his feet. He looked into Sephiroth's maddened, dilated eyes and he struggled to draw enough breath to reason with him.
For a horrifying moment, he thought he was going to die. He was just beginning to lose consciousness when Sephiroth seemed to realize what he was doing and reconsider his actions. The general's rage faded from his expression, to be replaced by hopeless resolve. He lowered Zack to the floor and released him, bowing his head.
"Go."
Zack coughed and rubbed his neck as he shook his head. "N-no," he choked out. He put his hands on his knees and bent over a little as he caught his breath. "I'm not leaving you like this. I can't let you do it, Sephiroth."
"You're a fool."
Zack raised his head and looked up at the general with a frown. "For what? Wanting someone I respect and care for to live? Yeah, right. Someone in this room is a 'fool', but it's not me."
Sephiroth looked away. "You don't understand."
Zack sighed and straightened up. "Nope. I probably never will, either. That seems to be my lot in life with most things. Just because I don't understand why you just tried to off yourself doesn't mean I'm wrong for stopping you."
"You saw the way I was," Sephiroth insisted, still not looking at him. "In Nibelheim. You know what I could do, if I ever lost control."
"So don't lose control," advised Zack. When the other man looked at him with an exasperated expression, he shrugged. "Too simple for you? Okay, let's break it down. Do you want to lose control like that again?"
Sephiroth lowered his gaze. "A part of me does."
"So what does the other part want?"
The general sighed. "The other part wants to reclaim my life and see to it that this sort of thing never happens again, Zackary. I fail to see your point."
Zack dared to give him a friendly pat on the arm and he guided him back to the bed, coaxing him to sit down. Because the man was already so emotionally devastated, he allowed it. "My point is you aren't a bad guy, Sephiroth. I know it, Angeal knows it and I think something inside you knows it too. You don't deserve to die for what Hojo did, man."
"I'm a threat," insisted Sephiroth. "Would you say civilians deserve to die over what Hojo did to me, Fair? Because, that's what it will amount to if I fall into madness again. You say 'don't', but it's really not as simple as that."
"I know," admitted Zack with a sigh. "But you can't just give up. We need you, Sephiroth. The world needs you. Heroes like you don't get born every minute, you know. Besides all that, you were Hojo's big accomplishment, right? What do you think will happen if his greatest success dies? You know the guy better than I do. Would he just let his work die with you?"
Sephiroth's expression darkened like a thundercloud and his fists clenched over his knees. "No."
"That's right," agreed Zack sagely. "He'd start over. He might even try to make an improved version of you. The man's just not right in the head and someone's got to keep him in line. I don't think the company is going to do it and none of us know him the way you do. He'll do what he did to you again, if he has the chance. Think about that."
Sephiroth bowed his head and his silver hair fell around his shoulders and over his face like a shiny curtain. "Very well, Zack. I'll require a visit to Hojo soon, if I'm to stay here after all."
Zack regarded him suspiciously. "Yeah? Do you mean that?"
Sephiroth lifted his head to peer at Zack through hanging strands of pale hair. "You've convinced me that my being here is the lesser of two evils, for now. Well done."
Zack wanted to respond to that, but the sound of footsteps and clicking guns outside in the hallway gave him pause. He groaned and glanced at the window, where he'd thrown the gun out. "Shit...this is going to be fun to explain."
Sephiroth took a slow breath and he stood up, schooling his expression into the familiarly cool, impassive one Zack was so used to seeing on his face. "I'll take care of it."
Security guards were getting positioned outside the door and Sephiroth approached with calm, confident authority. "Stand down. There's no need for alarm."
"General, Sir," saluted one of the guards respectfully. "We've received reports of gunfire coming from your room and security monitors showed Private Fair breaking through your door. Can you explain what's going on?"
"Certainly," answered Sephiroth, with a glance over his shoulder at Zack. "I was attempting to disassemble my firearm for cleaning. The magazine clip was jammed and the weapon went off. The bullet missed me and penetrated the ceiling. Private Fair was coming to report to me when the gun went off, and he broke the door down out of fear for my safety when he heard the misfire. Why aren't you writing this down?"
All four of the security guards were standing there like slack-jawed yokels as they listened to his monotone explanation, and his closing question startled the leader out of his fascination. He saluted Sephiroth again and he dug clumsily through his pockets for a report pad.
"Yes Sir...right away, Sir. Nobody was injured?"
"Only my ceiling." Sephiroth indicated the little hole in his ceiling. "I'd appreciate it if you'll send someone to repair the damage."
"I...see. Well, the only reason I ask is because," the guard visibly gulped, "because your nose is bleeding, Sir."
Sephiroth wiped absently at the trickle of drying blood and Zack grimaced guiltily. The general was quick to offer a logical explanation for the bleed, however—and it wasn't exactly a lie.
"That's just the result of an unfortunate collision with Private Fair's head. He charged in here without looking where he was going and my nose took the brunt of it. Have you any further questions, or don't you have other work to do?"
"Sorry, General," apologized the lead guard. "We'll just get out of your way now. I'll send someone from maintenance to look at your door and ceiling. Have a good day, Sir."
Sephiroth nodded and he waited until they were gone to turn and face Zack again. "I'd advise you to collect my gun from the street, before someone else finds it and reports it."
Zack started to do as he said out of sheer habit, but he stopped himself and gave Sephiroth a suspicious look. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sorry, but I'm not letting you out of my sight again until I know you aren't looking for a ticket on the fastest ride out of this life. You come with me. I'll get your gun and I'll put it away somewhere safe, and then I'm going to check out your quarters to make sure there aren't other goodies stashed somewhere."
Sephiroth raised a brow at him. "Do you really believe I'm going to allow you to search through my personal belongings?"
Zack forced himself to meet that challenging gaze evenly—though it made his stomach feel like lead to do so. "I'm trying to help you, Seph. You agreed to stick around and that means you've got to let me do my part to make sure that happens, okay?"
The general looked like he might argue with him for a moment, but then the last of his energy reserves seemed to leave him at once and he sank down on the bed with a sigh. "Do whatever you must, Zackary."
His compliance was almost as disturbing as his behavior in Nibelheim, to Zack. It was very hard to see one of his role models looking so...defeated. He sighed and the ever-present optimist in him insisted that things would eventually get better.
~***************************************~

            Genesis watched and listened with interest as his companion spoke on the phone with Zack Fair. Lazard was finishing up some paperwork with Rufus, so they were alone in the suite until he returned. What Genesis managed to glean from the one-sided conversation he was hearing was that Sephiroth had tried to do something awful, and Zack arrived just on time to save the day. Most of Angeal's responses were "Mmm-hmm's" and "I see's". The grim cast of Angeal's chiseled features gave away more than his responses to his phone conversation.
            "You did the right thing, Zack," Angeal said in closing. "That was some fast thinking and I'm proud of you. I need you to keep it up for a little while longer. No, I don't know exactly when we'll be returning to Midgar...that's why I need you to keep doing what you're doing. There's nobody else I trust with this and he can't be left alone. I promise, when we get back I'll speak to Lazard about giving you a couple of weeks off duty. You've earned it."
            Angeal glanced at Genesis. "Yes, he's right here." He smirked. "No, Zack. He hasn't killed anyone yet. Yes, we do both have our hands full, don't we? Try to get some rest. You won't have to do this alone for much longer. Okay. Goodbye."
            Angeal ended the call and replaced his phone in his pocket. Genesis stared at him as he crossed the living area to the bar and poured two shots of whiskey from one of the complimentary bottles resting on the shelf. Genesis walked over to join him and when the big man offered one of the shots to him without saying anything, he knew things were more serious than he'd thought.
            "Well?" Genesis prompted after downing his shot and setting the glass back down on the bar. "What news did your puppy have for us?"
            Angeal drank his liquor down with a grimace and poured two more shots. "Sephiroth tried to kill himself."
            Just like that. Angeal didn't try to sugarcoat it one bit and his dark blue gaze sought out Genesis' aqua one as he picked up his shot glass and studied the amber liquid inside of it. "Something he'd said to Zack earlier really bothered him and he got worried. When he called me a couple of hours ago during that meeting, he was asking me where I thought Sephiroth might go if he wanted to commit suicide. I told him to check his quarters—which he did. He found Seph with a gun in his mouth."
            Genesis lowered his shot glass, halfway to his lips. "Minerva...I didn't see that coming."
            Angeal frowned at him.
            Genesis spread his hands. "I really didn't. I know you were concerned, but of the three of us, Sephiroth was the last one I expected to try and end his own life. I assumed you and I would be riding the lemming train long before him, if it came to suicide."
            "Then what did you expect him to do, Genesis?" Angeal downed his second shot and began pouring a third. "You've known him for as long as I have. Did you really think Nibelheim would be the end of it?"
            "No," answered Genesis. "I expected Sephiroth to torch Nibelheim and then go skipping home to Midgar with his dear 'mother's' decapitated head, so that he could paint the town red with Hojo's blood. I never expected him to be the sort to choose self-destruction over going on a killing spree."
            Angeal nodded. "You have a point. I just had a feeling, watching the way he was acting after the reactor incident. We both know that Sephiroth thrives on practical thinking. I think we can also both relate to the feeling that the world might be better off without monsters like us in it."
            Genesis watched him tilt his head back to drink the third shot and something twisted inside of him. Here was a man who could bench-press a truck, yet he never used his substantial strength to harm a living soul unless he had to. He had the muscle power to crush a man's windpipe with his bare hand and hardly any effort, but those battle-roughened hands were always gentle—even when practicing authority. He was honorable, inspiring and self-sacrificing to a fault. The label of "monster" simply didn't fit him.
            "You're no monster, Angeal."
            The big man swallowed his drink and looked at him curiously. "What made you say that?"
            Genesis shrugged and he absently patted the reassuring bulk of his playbook, hidden in an inner pocket of his jacket.
"There is no hate, only joy

For you are beloved by the goddess

Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds."
            Angeal shook his head. "It's not me."
            "It is you," insisted Genesis. "That line was practically written for you, Angeal. Deny it as much as you like, but I can see it."
            Angeal gave him a tired little smile of surrender. "You have a way of viewing the world that I'll never understand, so I can't argue with you."
            "Good," approved the redhead. He frowned when Angeal started to pour yet another shot and he reached for the whiskey bottle, stopping him. "Take it from one who knows; alcohol abuse is all good fun until you wake up in the morning looking like a hat full of assholes and feeling worse. Put it back, Hewley."
            Angeal frowned at him, betraying annoyance. "So you're telling me it's okay for you to get drunk over a few snooty rich people getting on your nerves, but it's not okay for me to do it after hearing that one of my closest friends tried to shoot himself?"
            Genesis grimaced, unable to counter that argument. "Well no...I just...you never were a drinker and I feel responsible for getting you started."
            "I've drank before," protested Angeal, "I just wasn't familiar with all of those fancy cocktails they were serving yesterday. I'll be fine."
            "But you've never drank heavily before," insisted Genesis. "I doubt you've ever even experienced a hangover. I...oh, stop looking at me that way. You just...ugh...damnation." He practically sulked as he released the whiskey bottle and gave a nod at it, never happy to lose an argument to his lover. "Fine, drink up. Just be aware that if you pass out on the floor, you'll be sleeping where you land. You're too big for me to carry to the couch."
            "I'll keep that in mind. Do you want another?"
            Genesis made a face and shook his head. "Two was enough for me...more than enough, actually. After last night, I probably shouldn't have imbibed at all."
            Angeal nodded in understanding and resumed pouring his shot. "Zack will shadow Sephiroth until we return. He's already gone through his quarters to make sure there aren't any sharp objects, medication or hidden firearms."
            "Are you trying to drive the kid insane too?" questioned Genesis. "He's only seventeen, Angeal. I'm usually the first to agree that hard discipline is a winner with new recruits, but you may be pushing the envelope, here. I think the three of us are mad enough on our own, without dragging your protégé into the pit with us."
            "I realize that," muttered Angeal. "If there was someone I could trust to help Zack watch over Sephiroth while we're away, I would get them. We can't let this get out and we can't leave Sephiroth alone in his current state of mind, though. I have faith in Zack's ability to handle the situation, for now."
            Genesis shrugged. "You know him better than I do. Let's hope you're right."
            Angeal peered at him suspiciously before grinning softly.
            "What?" demanded Genesis. "Stop looking so creepy."
            "He's grown on you."
            Genesis furrowed his brows. "Who?"
            "Zack," answered Angeal with satisfaction. "You're starting to like him."
            "Don't be ridiculous," excused Genesis. "I just know that if your boy wonder snaps under the pressure you've heaped on him, you'll be pulverizing yourself with the angst bat for months. Frankly, I'd rather not deal with that."
            Angeal chuckled softly, already loosened up by the alcohol he'd consumed so fast. "Let's just be thankful that Sephiroth is alive and being looked after."
            "Hmph...let me guess...it will fall on us to take shifts babysitting him when we return to Midgar."
            Angeal's smile faded and he looked at Genesis in a chastising way. "Would you rather he kill himself?"
            Genesis narrowed his eyes at him. "You know better."
            Angeal shrugged. "Then we'll be his guardians, until he's past this stage."
            Genesis couldn't resist mentioning a troubling possibility. "And what if he doesn't get past this stage?"
            Angeal sighed and took a seat on one of the bar stools. "If someone really wants to end their own life, they'll find a way to do it. As his friends, we owe it to him to at least try to help him. It's ultimately up to Sephiroth."
            Genesis nodded, having no argument to that. "I've changed my mind; I'll have one more shot."
~***************************************~

-To be continued
- 9
- 10
- 11
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Darkened Skies