Vagaries of Fate

Next Steps

Chapter 40 

Despite how late it was when he finally got to sleep, Genesis was up not long after dawn. He had still been clutching the pillow when he woke. He placed it gently on the couch before he turned to get ready for the day. Once he was finished, he gave it one last look before he frowned and headed back to headquarters

He was gratified to see that Sephiroth was already in the office when he arrived. He ignored the slight frown the man wore when he came in without knocking and got straight to the point. "Has anyone contacted Godo yet?"

Sephiroth's frown fell into confusion. "I don't believe so. Why would we?"

Genesis growled in frustration as he started pacing. "It hasn't even been forty-eight hours since they left the city. It is doubtful that they have managed to leave this continent yet. Still, on the off chance that they slip through our search net, then it would be best to warn the Emperor before they can try to get into Wutai. Even if they aren't headed there, Godo will close the borders, which will make our jobs easier."

He paused long enough to turn another scowl at Sephiroth, even if it was easy for the General to see that it was little more than a veneer over the pain the man refused to show. Genesis's voice barely covered the rage he had leashed when he continued. "I have no doubt that Godo would even be willing to help with the search if he could spare any resources. Even if he doesn't, I can guarantee that if we let him know what happened, then he will ensure Wutai will not be a safe haven for them."

Sephiroth gave his friend a nod. "Let me call the President. From what I understand, he and Godo formed a mutual understanding. Rufus has made it clear that he will do what he can to help get her back. If he has not already thought of this, then he will make it happen before the hour is out."

Genesis then stopped to stare at Sephiroth. After several moments of silence, the General realized the man was waiting to see it done. He swallowed a sigh as he picked up the phone and dialed. He wasn't shocked to hear Tseng on the other end and didn't let it faze him as he got straight to the point. "Genesis brought up an excellent suggestion. Has Rufus considered reaching out to Godo yet?"

There was a moment of silence before a new voice was on the other end. Rufus was quick to answer. "No, I have not, but I can see how it would be beneficial. I will call now, as he should still be awake." Nothing else was said before he hung up.

As soon as the phone was down, Sephiroth turned to see Genesis already walking out. He frowned at the retreating man, but not out of censure. He knew his friend had to be going crazy and doubted he could have forced him to stand still for long. He wasn't prone to prayer, but after having met Minerva, he knew this was just the situation for it. He hoped she caught his thoughts and helped to keep Clarissa safe. Too many people would be devastated if anything happened to her. Himself included.

When he looked back to see the three boys reading in the corner, he knew they would be as well. Despite having only known her a month, those three had gotten close to her. It most likely had to do with the fact that she had been the first person to treat them like humans, like children even, and continued to do so until she disappeared.

After Genesis left Sephiroth's office, he went to his own to try and drown himself in work. He had been gone long enough that there was plenty for him to do. Still, it was less than an hour before he was up and pacing once more.

That morning, when he had thought of Godo, it had given him drive and purpose. Unfortunately, that had not taken long to implement, and he was once again at a dead end. It drove him insane that there was nothing else he could do.

He started to storm out of his office to see if there was anything he could find to blow up but stopped when his computer dinged. He almost ignored it, but finally growled as he went to see what the message was. He sat immediately when he saw it was from Sephiroth with the subject line about Clarissa.

He skimmed through it to see there were two new pieces of information. First, Godo had not only agreed to close his borders, but he also promised to scour Wutai to ensure there was no place they could possibly have left to hide. Once that was finished, he would send any troops he could spare to make a coordinated effort with Shinra to do the same for the Western Continent.

Genesis hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he had a feeling his desire was less than wishful thinking. Especially when he read the last part of the message. Two unmarked helicopters had been spotted by the residents of a tiny village that edged the swamp by the mythril mines. They had already been long gone by the time the Turks had arrived to investigate, and there was no further trail. Though they did get the direction. It seemed as though they were going to try to go over the mountains. A risky maneuver in a helo, but not impossible.

At that point, Genesis almost got up to leave. If they knew they were headed toward the southern part of the continent, then they could be going to Wutai. He froze when he realized it could also mean they were traveling to Junon. It was unconventional in a helicopter to go that way, but not impossible.

He sat back down with a growl. They needed a pattern—anything to give them a heading. He buried his face in his hands as he tried to pull himself together. This was the hardest thing he had ever had to endure, but he knew if he did not, then it was his wife that would likely suffer. For once in his life, he could not let his temper make his decisions. Not if he was to have any chance of getting back the one person that meant the most to him.

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Clarissa had been missing for nearly a week, and the only thing that was keeping Genesis sane was the fact that much to everyone's shock, at least one of the boys had taken to following him around. Yazoo never spoke much to anyone, but he seemed to be the most comfortable around the temperamental Commander. None of them could explain it, but Genesis did not try to run him off.

That was a fact that Sephiroth was thankful for. Those boys did not need any of the stress they had to deal with on top of their previous lives. If there was anything they could do to help, then he was happy to try. Plus, he knew it was helping Genesis as much as it was Yazoo. He had a feeling that if the boys weren't there, then the Commander would have been gone already, despite their insistence that they need information first.

As for Genesis, he did not admit it to anyone, but he was glad for the boy's presence. It gave him something to focus on that did not immediately have him wanting to go kill something. He was also thankful that Yazoo did not need the coddling that Loz did. Not that he would not have tried, but he felt he was no good at that sort of thing. He was often surprised that Sephiroth was able to handle the other two. Though, after watching the other man several times, it didn't take long to figure out that it was mostly because he was emulating every interaction they had seen Clarissa have with children.

That thought sent a pang through him, but he once again pushed it aside as Yazoo approached him with a book in hand. This was the one thing that the boy did go out of his way to ask for—someone to read to him. Not that he was incapable of it, but he still liked to hear it aloud. Genesis took it without comment as he eyed which one it would be that day. It was another adventure.

Genesis wasn't shocked that those seemed to be the favorite for all the boys. They were stories that explored many vast worlds. That was something none of them had yet to experience. Despite his worry, Genesis vowed to himself that their adventures would not only come from books. When they got Clarissa back, they could all travel.

He relished the idea of traveling with his wife and the three boys for only a moment. It was too painful to think of for long. Instead, he gestured to the other chair and waited until Yazoo was comfortable before he started reading.