A/N: You know, I'm surprised this method of getting Zack to survive hasn't been done before. Or, if it has, I haven't read it.

The Limit break Genesis uses is based on a spell in Final Fantasy II. I figured all of Genesis' limit breaks would be based off of powerful magic spells, like his in game limit break of Apocalypse.

Published: 9/12/2017

Warnings: Violence as usual.

Chapter 1

The Survivor

Zack sighed.

At first, he hadn't been sure of this, but…

He couldn't deny it. Having Genesis Rhapsodos on his side, rather than trying to eviscerate him thirteen different ways, was a godsend. Or, as Gen would put it, a 'Gift of the Goddess'.

Bah. Self centered bastard. Nevermind the fact that a literal Goddess had purged Genesis of his Degradation.

Zack had fully intended to take Cloud and run for the hills the moment he was sure Genesis was no longer a threat. So, after there merry get together eating apples and reading letters(please don't forget me, Aerith!), Zack had intended to take Cloud and just leave. Genesis, however, had had other ideas.

"Come with? What do you mean you want to come with?"

"Simple, Fair. I owe a debt to you. For through you, I have gained the favor of the Goddess. Besides, can you really say no to one as glorious as I?" Genesis proclaimed, striking a dramatic pose as he extended his arms outwards.

"... Yes. Yes I can."

Zack, true to his word, had taken Cloud and gotten the hell out. There was just one tiny little problem with his marvelous escape plan.

Zack glared. The truck moved across the bumpy earth as the driver was none the wiser to what could potentially turn into a bloodbath right there in the open road. And Genesis, the bastard, smirked before saluting Zack, all while flying directly behind them on that blasted wing of his.

Which Zack totally did not want.

Nope.

There was no way Zack wanted a wing. He so did not want to fly. Okay, so maybe he did, but not if it came with a case of the crazies, which Genesis apparently had gained since attaining that dark red monstrosity.

"How's the weather down there!" Genesis called out.

The truck swerved slightly. Zack twitched. If he had to walk all the way to Midgard because Genesis had decided to be helpful, Ancients help him… Zack sighed before turning to Cloud.

"Any ideas on how to get rid of our stalker, Cloudy? He's getting pretty persistent," Zack asked the comatose boy.

"I think we have bigger problems than me, Fair!" Genesis called out. No sooner had the words left the former Shinra Lieutenant General's lips when the sounds of gunshots ripped through the air. Genesis and the car swerved.

Zack spun.

"Pops! Park as over by the rocks!"

The truck came to a grinding halt, hidden behind the boulders. Zack pulled Cloud off as the truck sped away as if the fires of hell were behind it. Zack hid Cloud amongst the rocks. Nestling in the teen, Zack couldn't help but ruffle Cloud's hair slightly. Then, Zack stood and turned, making his way towards his opposition.

He couldn't help the slight shiver that ran down his spine. However, he just smiled, even as a hundred guns cocked, all of them pointing directly at him.

"Boy oh boy," Zack began, shaking his head with a smile, "the price of freedom is steep," drawing the Buster Blade, Zack held it before him like a prayer, "Protect your dreams. And… Whatever happens… Protect your honor, as soldier!"

Then, Zack charged.

Or, this would have been the moment in which Zack would have dramatically charged in a battle that would ultimately lead to his demise. Instead, however, he was interrupted by a slash of burning fire ripping through the troops. Eyes gazing up, Zack saw as Genesis came down, his dark red wing extended and the runes on his rapier glowing with flame.

He looked like a fallen angel, like death himself, descending on the battlefield.

Their eyes met. Zack gave a nod. Together.

Hours.

They had been fighting for hours.

Not for the first time, Zack was relieved to have some back up. Genesis was a demon on the battlefield, slashing and destroying and attacking his opponents with devastating magical attacks.

Devastating attacks that were draining him.

Zack chugged another potion before tossing Genesis another ether. Genesis finished it record time before blasting another spell.

Zack ripped through another trooper, dodged another bullet, slashed and deflected what he could and charged.

There were so many of them.

Hundreds. Thousands. Shinra was really going all out. They really wanted to finish him off, here and now. Hojo was determined that Zack wouldn't live past today and had apparently spent absolutely no expense into making sure what he deemed a failed experiment didn't make it into the city.

Yes, the price of freedom was steep indeed.

Zack panted.

They'd been doing this for hours. His muscles screamed as he swung one more time.

Angeal was right. The Buster Sword was not a practical weapon by any means. Big and difficult to wield. This sword was more a momento than a blade, but Zack kept slashing away regardless. With a groan, he realized he could no longer carry it properly. One look at Genesis showed the other was just as broken as he was.

This was it.

This was the end.

"Gen'," Zack spoke. He got a grunt in response. "I… Know we've had our ups and downs. But, thank you. I-"

"Stop ranting as if we're about to die, Soldier First Class Zack! We are going to live! Now, stop bitching and start killing!" Genesis snapped before jumping back into the fray with a roar.

Zack smiled. Faith. Well. He supposed he could try that. Faith. They would live. They would survive.

He'd see her again.

See her smile.

Hold her against him one more time.

Zack roared and charged.

He failed to deflect the bullet that smashed directly into his head.

"FAIR!" the boy had gone down. The boy had gone down and, as Genesis fended off another trooper and blasted off another Firaga, he wasn't entirely sure he would survive this on his own.

He had followed to atone for his sins.

Genesis was perfectly willing to admit that he had become a monster. Worse, he had dragged Sephiroth and Angeal down with him. Not content to be destroyed alone, Genesis had destroyed them as well.

The least he could do, then, was to protect Zack. Protect Zack and protect Cloud.

Cloud…

He had many apologies for that boy as well.

But, it would be all useless if he died here! Genesis refused. He had survived for half a decade with his body literally rebelling against itself, he refused to fall here and now to lowly military police SOLDIER rejects.

Genesis channeled the pain.

Channeled the wounds.

Channeled the agony.

His eyes glowed briefly with the blue light of mako. Then, the world burned as Destruction ripped through the battlefield. This was a last resort. This was a last stand. This was a spell he wouldn't dare use against someone like Fair or someone like Sephiroth on the off chance they managed to survive it. Even worse, it was something he wouldn't have dared used while suffering from degradation.

It would have literally killed him.

As the Limit Break ripped through the area, Genesis felt his body scream as he fell to his knees. With a gasp, he began to cough violently, blood falling from his lips.

Destruction was a forbidden spell, one that did exactly what the name stated. It destroyed. Only thing was, it destroyed both the opponents, the caster, and allies. Fair was already down for the count so the spell wouldn't touch him, but Genesis himself was barely hanging in there.

As the caster, the spell wouldn't kill him but, at this point, if one of the MT's got up and decided to toss a rock at him, Genesis would most likely kneel over and die.

Pawing at his clothes, Genesis sighed in relief as he found a potion. Knocking the cap off, he prepared to down it when a groan sounded through the battlefield. Slowly, he turned his head back.

Fair was bleeding out. The skies above and had exploded, rain already washing away at the blood. Fair was, horrifyingly, in worse shape than Genesis was.

If he didn't get immediate attention now, he would die.

If Genesis didn't get immediate attention, he wasn't sure he'd survive either.

Suddenly, everything became so much more real. Genesis had done everything he could to survive. He had been so desperate to live he had destroyed everything he had ever loved and cherished.

He was a monster.

Then, Cloud of all people, popped his head out of the rocks. Slowly but surely, the blonde was crawling his way towards Fair. Cloud. Those blue eyes, more focused than they had been in months, were focused on Fair. There was desperation in those eyes. Suffering. Pain. Loss.

Genesis made his choice.

His muscles screamed their protest as he limped his way over. Those blue eyes turned to him for a second before a growl escaped Cloud's lips. Of course, Genesis was recognized as an enemy. He expected nothing less.

Somehow, Genesis made it first. Fair looked up at him, curious.

He was awake. Interesting.

Without hesitation, Genesis began to pour the contents of the potion directly over the wounds.

In another time, in another divergent reality, Zack Fair had faced off against the full military might of Shinra alone and had been wounded and torn apart to the point where all the healing items and all the healing magic in the world wouldn't have helped him. In this reality, Genesis had taken half that burden and Zack's wounds weren't anymore near as grievous as they had been in that reality.

As such, when the green of the potion hit, Zack gasped slightly as it began to hiss, the superficial wounds on the surface closing up.

"Gettaway!"

Genesis gasped as he was tackled. Then, the world went dark as his head hit the rock.