That fateful battle in the wastes dealt Zack Fair a cruel hand: He barely survives, albeit with permanent injury. Taking advantage of Zack's K.I.A status, Tseng secretly enlists his aid to help free Aerith and Cloud from Shinra's all-encompassing shadow. Zack must use his new identity to protect his friends, all the while they remain ignorant of his survival. AU

Armin escapes from the Titans' last siege with Annie's slowly crackling crystal, but he's met with the dilemma regarding both her awakening and his dead-end situation. A prisoner of their wager, he needs to find a way to survive both Annie and their environment if he ever hopes to see his friends again. A divergent what-if scenario in the canon-verse. Aruannie later on.