Since chapter one seems to still be working for the time being, I post this warning here as well.

Please note! This and many other of my fics will likely be "purged" once the auto-reporting bot gets around to FFVII. For future updates, please go to my Livejournal. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I don't think there's anything we can do. FFnet's time has come, it seems. I will also continue to post on AFFnet, if you'd prefer to read there. :)

Thanks to everyone who has read or commented my fics here, I hope to see you elsewhere on the net.

~Zig

While this is mainly a FFVII fanfic, one character is borrowed from another fandom. If you don't recognize it from the title; more information will be given in the next chapter. ^.^

I want to thank everyone who has supported this story from the beginning. Were it not for all of you, this fic would have faded and died out long ago. Your comments and feedback have kept me glued to my keyboard, even when the words refused to come. Here's to you.

Zackary Fair, SOLDIER: Third Class was on a mission. He'd been sent here, to this small village, a few days ago to investigate reports of missing children. It seemed that kids were just disappearing from all over the globe these days, their ages ranging from as young as six to as old as seventeen or even eighteen. The kidnappings had started almost a decade ago, and the numbers of children disappearing was now totaling in the hundreds. There had been two distinct waves of these crimes so far, the most recent being three years ago. That is, until a few months ago when some children in this village had gone missing. The war in Wutai was still consuming most of ShinRa's resources, and required the attention of their top SOLDIERs. Zack was at the top of his rank, and set for a promotion to second class. His performance on this mission would determine whether or not he received the promotion. Needless to say, he was more than excited. The mission had actually been assigned to a second class soldier, but Angeal had made a shining recommendation for his pupil that landed him the position instead. Zack beamed. There was no way he was gonna let his mentor down!

Zack and his two infantrymen had already been there for two and a half days, asking everyone they could find for information. Most of their leads wound up being dead ends. Literally. Originally, the kidnappings had been discreet. The children were being taken alone, or even from their homes in the dead of night. Now, the kidnapper was growing more bold, killing parents in the street and taking the kids. No one ever saw or heard anything, even in such a tiny village. Zack was baffled and frustrated; and to say that he was angry was more than an understatement. In his mind, harming innocent children was the most sickening thing… despite the fact that he was still practically one himself, at sixteen years of age. He knew he was young for being in SOLDIER, just like Angeal had been when he'd joined years ago. Zack always had a suspicion that the older male saw at least a bit of himself in the younger, having grown up in a similar town and familial situation.

Zack's thoughts meandered down different paths as he lay in the small bed in the room of the inn he was staying in. He fidgeted in the confined space for as long as he could tolerate before standing up and heading for the door. This was absurd, he needed answers and he wasn't going to get them from laying around all night. Zack paused at the doorway. Maybe that was it… he would use his youth to his advantage. He turned back, digging through his duffel bag for his casual clothes. He changed quickly, stopping in front of the mirror to fluff his hair a little more, trying to make it a little more young-looking and 'cute' with his bangs still long and flopping down to frame his face while the back spiked up and all over like a kid with bed head. When he finally determined himself to be looking enough like a kid sneaking out for a night on the town (which he hoped would work, since this town really had no night life to speak of) he headed for the door, quietly shutting and locking it behind himself. He debated informing his infantrymen, but decided against it. If they came along with him, it would ruin the image he was trying to convey. Besides, he didn't want to put them in any more danger than necessary.

Zack wandered the streets with no set destination or pattern. He let his mind wander, hoping to look like someone who could easily be caught off guard. He hoped that he would be the one doing the catching, if not… he shrugged, his fingertips toying with the small capsule in his pocket. The tiny tracking devices had been created for use in the Wutai war. Enemy prisoners were fed meals laced with them, before being allowed to 'escape'. All the ShinRa troops had to do then was follow the signal home. If it came to it, Zack would consume the capsule at the last possible second. Anyone looking for him would have at most three days to find him before the capsule worked its way through his system, and Zack wanted to give them the maximum amount of time to determine his location. The location of what he hoped would be all the missing kids.

At that thought, his senses prickled and his hair stood on end. Someone was watching him. He turned quickly, heading into a dark alley. A move that would be terribly stupid for any normal human. Zack wasn't normal though, not anymore. He was SOLDIER. He pulled the pill out of his pocket, slipping it between his lips and tucking it away between his gum and his cheek. In all likelihood, he wouldn't get the chance to take it later. Zack tensed involuntarily as he felt the presence follow him into the alleyway. He walked slightly faster, feigning fear; though the pounding of his heart was certainly real enough. A dead end. Zack stopped, turning around cautiously. No one was in sight. His internal warning signals blazed and he swallowed the capsule a fraction of a second before he was hit from behind and went down.

"Sir!"

Angeal sighed, taking the receiver from the infantryman who now held it out to him. "Angeal here." He listened for a moment before frowning deeply, the line between his eyebrows deepening as he leaned forward in his chair. "When did you last see him?"

Genesis leaned back in his seat, looking over to his fellow first class SOLDIER, and long time friend across the tent they shared. He could tell the burly man was upset. That was never a good thing. The red haired swordsman watched the short, one sided conversation, waiting for his friend to hang up before asking what was wrong.

"Zack's gone missing. The two infantrymen stationed with him found his room locked, but empty this morning. All of Zack's clothes and weapons were still in it." He said tersely, gathering up his various pieces of armor and his sword from around the tent. "They saw him last night. He can't have been gone longer than several hours. I still have a few days to find him."

Genesis arched his eyebrows at this. "Find him? And how do you intend to do that? Did he leave you a breadcrumb trail—oh, of course." Genesis eyed the small capsule that Angeal had held up. "Your puppy is well trained," he smirked. "You do realize that those aren't for personal use, Angeal…"

The taller man shrugged. "I had a hunch," he sheathed his sword, now fully dressed, "looks like I was right."

"Wait." Genesis stood suddenly, grabbing his sword and slinging it onto his back. "I'm coming with you."

Angeal shot him a confused look. "You seem to have forgotten that we're in the middle of a war."

"You're one to talk," Genesis snorted. "Look, things are quiet right now, Seph is more than sufficient to hold down the fort for the next few days. Besides, you aren't the only one who's grown fond of the pup. He may be a nuisance at times but he's got some real talent, now move your ass, we're running out of time."

Angeal couldn't help but smile at his friend's back as the fiery red head shoved his way through the tent flap and out into the sunlight.