"Cloud, due to your recent injury, I'm afraid that you will only be given low-risk assignments until you are fully recovered." Tseng explained.

"Makes sense."

"So, in the meantime, you are to perform reconnaissance. The target is one Miss Aerith Gainsborough." Tseng explained, as he handed over a picture.

"Pretty cute. What she do to piss Shinra off?"

"Classified. You are not to apprehend, injure or kill her. In fact, you are to provide protection should it be necessary."

"She isn't a criminal or Wutaian sympathizer, is she? Judging from the nature of the orders, she's under our protection. Is she the lover of a higher-up?"

"No, she is not. And I just said it was classified. I would not ask any further questions on the matter if I were you, nor would I speak with anyone outside of the Turks about this." Tseng said, with a little heat.

Cloud gave an assessing glance.

"This wasn't ordered by the higher-ups, was it? Nor do you want them finding out about this… you're protecting her from them."

"...What gave you that impression." Tseng asked, stonily.

"Simple. I have never seen you get worked up over a mission. That means that this is personal for you. Second, the way you emphasised anyone. Not anyone without clearance, you said anyone."

"...You are too perceptive for your own good, Strife."

"Relax, I'm not going to sell you out. In fact, I'd say this… makes me trust you more. After all, you can tell a lot about a man by where he draws the line. And this shows me you won't throw people important to you under the bus just because you were ordered to. That...humanizes you in my eyes. And as such, I'll make damn sure no one touches your girlfriend."

"...She's not my girlfriend."

"...I thought she seemed a bit young for you."

"I prefer my women...legal."

"...Illegitimate daughter?"

"...I'm less than a decade older than her, Cloud."

"Yeah, that one was a bit of a stretch… Political prisoner whom you developed reverse-Stockholm syndrome for, helped escape covertly, and have been covering for ever since?"

"...That's pretty close, actually. You are way too good at this."

"That's what you pay me for."

No, what I pay you for is to do that to people who aren't me. And Cloud? If you screw me on this, the last thing I will ever do as leader of the Turks is to make sure no one EVER finds your body. That is not hyperbole."

"Understood. Well, Miss Gainsborough isn't going to ogle herself, so I'd best be going."

"...Don't make me shoot you, Cloud. I'm tempted enough as it is."

"I was kidding, Boss."

"You better be."

As soon as Cloud left, Tseng reached into his desk and pulled out an unopened bottle of whiskey. brushing some of the dust off, he opened it and took a swig.

"Hey boss, how is Clou...Is that the bottle Reno got you as a gag gift a couple of years ago?" Cissnei asked, as she walked in.

"Yes."

"...You're drinking...while on the clock."

"People being observant is starting to be a trend today."

"What happened? Is everything okay?"

"...Cloud cracked the Gainsborough mission."

"The one that even Rude doesn't know why we do it?"

"The same."

"How did he do that?"

"By cold-reading me."

"...Cold-reading you."

"I'm as amazed as you are."

"I swear, that boy is part machine. He got shot yesterday, and was back in the office within the hour, and now this. Before today, I was convinced a polygraph couldn't cold-read you."

"...They can't."

"...So, what, you're drinking to help dull the shame by being outwitted by the rookie?"

"No. I'm trying to decide whether or not to let him live with that knowledge."

Cissnei instantly sobered.

"How about...instead of doing something...irrevocable, I watch him for you, and if he looks like he's trying to sell us out...then we...prevent that."

"...That is...acceptable."

On his way to the Slums, Cloud pulled out his PHS, and stuck a familiar drive into it.

"Kinzoku, I need some help with target observation." He spoke into the PHS.

"There is a section on that in the All-Father Archive. Would you like me to read it to you?" A tinny voice responded.

"That would be excellent."

"Step one: Ensure you do not startle or threaten the target. Step two: Ensure you know the area. Step three: If the target knows they are being watched, either engage or disengage immediately. If you continue to try to be inconspicuous, you will open yourself to being lured into a trap or being shaken off, losing them as a potential asset."

"Thank you."

"It was no trouble, Cloud."

The second Cloud laid eyes on Aerith, he knew one, undeniable fact.

He was made.

She obviously recognized the suit, and made it a point of walking briskly in the opposite direction of him.

Step three: Engage or disengage immediately if the...watchee knows you're there, and watching them.

He couldn't go back to Tseng with immediate failure, especially not after he pushed his boundaries to the breaking point.

He was also under orders to not touch her.

...Engage it was.

He jogged after her, quickly catching up, and he managed to corral her into a corner.

Realizing she was trapped, she raised her walking stick in defense, pure terror in her eyes.

Cloud smiled, and extended his hand for a shake.

"Hi, my name's Cloud. Tseng assigned me to be your bodyguard today. You know him, underneath that icy exterior lies the biggest worrywart you've ever met. Say, I'm new to the area, so would you mind showing me around a bit?"

Aerith lowered her guard, bemused.

"Turks normally aren't so...blatant." she accused.

Cloud shrugged.

"Well, you knew I was here anyway. And so, I could watch you from the nonexistent bushes like a sex offender, or I could walk over and say hi. I assumed you would be more comfortable with the latter, and as I'm going to be assigned to you for the foreseeable future, I'd rather we got along, rather than you being worried I'm going to break into your house and steal your underwear or something."

"You have a point. Say, what happened to your arm?"

"Wutaian insurgent. I'm technically not supposed to be out of the hospital, but Shinra doctors creep me out."

Aerith shuddered. "You have no idea."

Aerith's fears allayed, at least for the moment, she began to show him around the Sector, until they reached the gate to Sector Six.

"This is Sector Six. It's a really scary place...especially if you're a girl."

"You got that right, sweetheart." a voice rang out, and a large man, around seven feet and over three hundred pounds of muscle stepped out from hiding, along with a posse of a half a dozen men.

"You look like a guy with some cash. Hand it over...along with the girl." The man continued.

"And why would I do that, because you're bigger than me?" Cloud asked nonchalantly, a red gem in his armlet glowing subtly.

"As a matter of fact, yeah, pretty boy."

"Well, I hate to break it to you but… my friend's bigger." Cloud said, gesturing behind them.

The head thug looked behind him… and was eye-level with a red ankle. He looked up...into the snarling face of Titan.

The thugs screamed.

Cissnei was getting worried. The flower girl, and Cloud by proxy, were nowhere to be found. Not at Aerith's house, not at the church… and then she saw Titan in the distance, looming over the hovels of the slums.

Cissnei facepalmed.