Night fell on the Shinra Building without notice. With how dark Midgar was even during the day, no one would realize what time it was by the sky but only by a clock. The people of Midgar had learned to be satisfied with what little things they did have though.

Cloud wandered aimlessly into his apartment, dropping the keys to his Hardy Daytona on the bar counter and slipping his black suit jacket off his shoulders. His neck was aching from the long hours at work, and from never having a chance to sit the whole day. He untucked his shirt, collapsing in a chair as he unbuttoned it. He was greeted by a small white cat leaping into his face.

"Hello there, cat," he said.

One other morning he had discovered the poor creature in the alley behind his home and perhaps out of pity he brought the animal to his home and fed it. She was still living with him now when he had never wanted her in the first place, but he had grown attached to the little beast.

He gently removed the cat from pawing his bare chest and set it on the table. It let out a pitiful excuse for a cry to be picked up, but Cloud simply smiled and headed to his room. He didn't bother with the light but simply fell on his bed, his black tie still hanging around his neck and boots on his feet.

What's that?!

A f---fire!

You look in that house! I'll check this one!

The flames... they were rising above the whole town... no....

How could this have happened?

What about me dreams?! My family?!

They are nothing because.... you are....

That voice... it's so familiar! Who is it?

...a puppet...

I am... am a puppet?

Something's calling now....

So....

Wake....

Wake up!

Sweat falling down his face Cloud shot up out of his bed, nearly frightening the poor white cat to death. It leapt up in the air with a loud hiss, but settle down in his sock drawer. Cloud stayed seated, gasping for breath. He felt hot. Like it was in his dream. But who's voice was it that he heard? And why did he have that dream?

His only way to forget it was to push the thoughts to the back of his mind and try to rest. He found he could only lay on his bed and stare at the blank ceiling.

* * *

"Sleep well, Cloud?"

Cloud looked at Rufus with clouded over blue eyes, his hair was messier than usual and his suit wasn't looking the best he could make it. Rufus took that as a simple no, and shrugged to show he had meant nothing by it. Sighing, Cloud slid the Buster Sword in the sheath across his back as Rufus was checking his large shotgun for ammo. Both satisfied with their weapons they headed out of the weapons chamber in the Shinra Building and onto the main floor. Hunter stood waiting for them, arms crossed over his chest as if he were bored.

"Ready to go?," he asked the two Angels.

Both nodded in reply.

"Good," Hunter said. "Don't fuck up out there. And get back here right after."

Nodding again the two headed out of the Shinra Building, a few sets of eyes on them from the people milling around the main lobby of the building. Rufus was quick to pull a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, bringing it close to his face to light it. For a moment his face lit up with a dim yellow glow, then faded as he turned out his lighter.

"That's a disgusting habit, Rufus," Cloud told him.

The Shinra merely nodded. Shaking his head Cloud continued down the streets toward the train station nearby. It wasn't far, but it was a long trip for a train on the plate to get down to the slums and they were in a hurry to get to Sector 5. As they expected, the train came a little late, but they supposed they could manage for the time being. There was few words shared as the two young men stood in the train, waiting for their stop.

Eventually the train halted at the train station in Sector 5. It was a small damp station, the lamp post lights flickering out like so many of the other lights in the slums. The streets were dirty and filled with trash, and the people there were much like all this. Neither thought much of this for long, but simply continued toward the Sector 5 Reactor. They entered the reactor through the back way, their steps echoing in the dim corridors. Cloud checked quickly to see if the soldiers were where they were supposed to be, then he and Rufus ducked behind a door to wait.

After a short half hour, or longer, a group of three people dashed by Cloud and Rufus. Cloud quickly shoved Rufus and motioned for him to follow as they left their hiding place. Looking at the group, Rufus recognized a tall black man as someone he had seen leaving the last bombing, and another, a short girl in a skirt as another one of them. He grew angry with himself for letting AVALANCHE slip through his fingers so easily. But not again.

"Hi," Rufus said with a grin. He brought his shotgun up, aiming at the man he thought was the leader's head.

"Shit! It's a damn ambush!," he yelled.

Cloud meanwhile was staring at the third member of their party, a dark haired young man perhaps a few years older than himself. The man carried a large sword like Cloud's, only Cloud knew his was known as Enhancer, and was slightly smaller than his Buster Sword. The man's green eyes were infected with Mako energy like Cloud's blue eyes.

"Z...Zack?," he asked. "Zack, that is you, isn't it?"

The youth turned to look at Cloud, his green eyes glowing like fire embers. His clothes were a simple SOLDIER's uniform, a shoulder armor piece protecting his right shoulder. His black hair was spikey like Cloud's, with even more spikes jutting out. His eyes narrowed and he held his sword before him ready to battle the Angels.

Rufus was following orders though, and took a remote control from his pocket. Just as his thumb would have pressed the button, the sounds of a helicopter's engines were heard.

One of President Shinra personal helicopters landed beside the bridge they stood upon, lowering slowly to the ground. Rufus recognized Tseng in his navy blue suit as he jumped out, then President Shinra himself followed. He took a few steps past the dumbfounded Angels, looking over AVALANCHE's pathetic excuse for a terrorist group.

"President Shinra?," Zack asked timidly.

The gruff leader of the group Cloud had been told name was Barret Wallace took a defiant step forward, raising the hand crafter gun arm on his right hand. President Shinra smirked simply and placed his arms behind his back to speak. The familiar cold eyes of a Shinra fell on Zack.

"You're the SOLDIER that quit and joined AVALANCHE, aren't you?," he asked. "Too bad. You could have been as great as Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth?," both Cloud and Zack choked out in a weak tone.

President Shinra sighed, thinking of the top 1st class SOLDIER Sephiroth. If it had not been for an accident in Nibelheim five years ago Sephiroth would still be with Shinra and not in the pit of the Mako reactor there. All details of that happening were still sketchy to everyone involved. President Shinra did manage a good job of hiding this though. Every trace of the 'Nibelheim Incident' were now lost.

"Ah Sephiroth," he sighed. "He was brilliant... Perhaps too brilliant. But as for all of you, I have brought a little playmate." He nodded to Rufus.

Rufus glared at his father for a moment, then pressed the red button on the remote with a slight click noise. He and Cloud then ventured toward AVALANCHE as President Shinra's RoboGuard machine came forward, whirring loudly. Shinra then climbed back into his helicopter with Tseng, leaving the Angels to deal with AVALANCHE.

"Zack!," the girl, Tifa Lockheart it seemed, exclaimed. "What is this?!"

"Just a RoboGuard!," he replied. "Fight it!"

He was pulled back by Rufus' hand on his shoulder. As he turned to face who it might be, Rufus quickly brought his fist into Zack's face sending the ex-SOLDIER to the ground. Zack reacted by bringing his leg to Rufus' legs, causing the Shinra to fall flat on his back. The bridge gave a great shake as this happened, but neither Rufus nor Zack noticed. Zack threw a hit to Rufus' face, but Rufus brought his hand up and caught Zack's fist mid air. Cloud watched as they ventured dangerously close to the RoboGuard.

"I'll have to destroy it," he muttered.

If he didn't, Rufus would surely be caught beneath the blades and killed. With a burst of energy Cloud leapt high into the air with a shout of "Braver!" and brought the Buster Sword down upon the RoboGuard. The two members of AVALANCHE realized if they didn't fight the RoboGuard also Zack would be killed by it. Tifa rushed forward with a yell of "Beat Rush!" Watching her, Cloud was impressed with the terrorist's skills.

The RoboGuard shook violently as Zack scrambled away from Rufus, blood dripping from the side of his mouth and his nose bleeding also. Rufus tried to get to his feet, a gash across his forehead purely visible. It was then the RoboGuard started to deactivate. Blue shocks of energy surrounded it, sparks flying every which way. It exploded shortly there after, leaving a huge gape in the bridge, and Rufus hanging from a piece of scrap metal in it.

"Rufus!," Cloud exclaimed. "Hang on!"

"I'm tryin', Cloud," he replied with clenched teeth.

AVALANCHE and Cloud watched in horror as Rufus' grip gave out, and he plummeted to the ground hundreds of feet below.