Crisis Core: The Female SOLDIER

34

"Hmm..." Aerith hummed as she looked at what was in front of her. "Not quite... what I expected."

She was looking at the newly constructed flower wagon, built out of wood and metal parts that Zack had scavenged from the Slums and brought back to the church, and the three of them had used them to make the wagon that was now filled with Aerith's flowers, flowers that she had planted in the church.

"I think it's nice though," Sera stated, feeling a jab to her pride at Aerith criticizing the result of their hard work. "It holds all the flowers you need and you can cart it around everywhere you go. It's the flowers that are supposed to attract attention anyway, not the wagon." She reasoned with the younger girl.

"I want a nicer one," Aerith pouted and Sera sighed, exasperated with the girl and she shot a look at Zack, urging him to say something.

"Stop being so picky," Zack shrugged. Really, he didn't see what was wrong with it either. It looked nice enough, like a cute little pram, and the flowers looked nice in it too.

"A tiny little wish, that's all." Aerith retorted as she turned away.

"They're tiny, but you have lots, right?"

Aerith moved closer to Zack in response. "That's right. Wanna hear?"

Sera stifled a laugh as she saw Zack asked how many, and got a surprising number of twenty three and he gaped in response, before asking her to write on paper lest he forget.

She shook her head at the two, before she heard her phone go off. She picked it up.

"Yes?"

"There are new developments," Sephiroth's voice spoke from the other end.

"What?" She turned away.

"Headquarters. Now. Both of you."

"Yes, sir," The call ended at that and she turned to see Aerith writing on a piece of paper and Zack who was looking at her with a smile on his face. She hated to ruin the atmosphere but it was an order from her mentor. She turned to Zack. "Hate to break this up you two, but headquarters is calling us back in. They want us there, now."

Zack sighed at the news and Aerith turned to look at Zack sadly. "Work stuff?"

"Sadly," Zack replied.

Sera saw her passed a folded piece of paper to Zack and they both said goodbye to her as they headed back towards Shinra headquarters.

____________________

"Legions of monsters have spawned near a regional Mako reactor. The workers have gone missing," Sephiroth announced once they were back at headquarters, the three SOLDIER 1st Class at Lazard's office. "Local SOLDIER operatives have also vanished. The company is dispatching additional operatives to investigate the matter."

"You mean the three of us, that is?" Sera commented and he nodded.

"Roger that..." Sera shot a sharp look at Zack for his attitude and Sephiroth noticed. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you found something out about... the other matter," Zack replied.

"The missing operatives were the ones tracking Lazard," Sephiroth stated, getting their attention. "Also, they had reported a strange podlike device in the area."

"Is it Hollander's...?" Sera questioned, moving towards her mentor.

"Probably the same device that was stolen in Modeoheim," Sephiroth answered, pacing by her.

"Meaning...?" Zack pressed on.

"Lazard, Hollander..." Sephiroth fell silent.

"...and Genesis?"