This story belongs to me and my creative mind. However, many of the characters, names, and places all belong to their respective companies, so don't yell at me for copyright infringements! Remember, italics represent a person's thoughts or the telling of past events.

Enjoy...

: : The Past RE-Concluded : :

These fucking Soldiers.

Goddamn them to hell. They kill and rape and steal and never once think that there's anything fucking wrong with it. You lock them up and they scream and spit at you like some monster stuck in a cage, clawing for freedom they don't deserve. Sometimes I just watch them and think how much money we'd save if we just shot them as soon as they showed up. No wasted space or food, no legal bullshit to observe, and lots of quiet. But fucking Domino! 'Hold them. Determine which of them can be rehabilitated and put to use, the rest can be dealt with by the courts.' Fuck, as if any of these psychos can be unwound and taught to be nice. Domino's got screws loose to even think about using them for anything but target practice!

I'll just have to assign more 'psychologists' to the unit and prove their beyond saving quicker, then I can bury them and be done with it.

-Varik

Turks' Apartment

"Y-Yo?" Elena sputtered. "You've been gone for days and...yo?! That's all you've got to say?!"

Reno shrugged his shoulders. "Seems like it's good enough."

The blonde stood still for seconds, conflicted between emotions. When it seemed that she would speak she instead strode purposefully to Reno's side, the pistol tossed onto the table, and dragged the dirty redhead to his feet by the scruff of his collar. She inspected him with the discerning stare of a mother at her misbehaving child. His clothing was covered in scuffs and stains, loose hair hanging in lank strands. It looked like he was on the tail end of a week long bender, which might not have been an exaggeration. "God, you look terrible." She then wrapped her arms around him and knelt her head by his, squeezing him tightly.

"What's all this for?" he slurred, arms loose by his side.

"Because I want to kill you for running away like that, but you already look like shit, so it wouldn't matter."

Reno chuckled. "Well, if you throw yourself on anyone who leaves for a couple'a days, I oughta do it more often."

Elena immediately removed herself from his person and glared. "You miserable bastard!"

"I call it like I see it," he jested.

She growled in frustration, throwing her hands up. She walked back to the door to take off her other shoe. "Forget it. You probably don't even care that we've been worried about you."

"What, think I can't take care of myself?"

"That's obvious."

"I'm doin' fine, girlie. Just a little drunk, but hey, no big deal."

"Don't call me that."

"Why? You still think I'm makin' fun of you?" A silent pause. "Well I ain't. It's called a 'term of affection'. Now if I called you blondie, then I am making fun of you."

She looked back with a snarl. "Reno!"

"Easy, easy! I didn't mean it that time, I'm just makin' a point." He laughed throatily. "You freak out every time I call you that."

Elena shook her head. "Well, at least you're still the same."

"Girlie, I was only gone two fuckin' days. It ain't like you haven't seen me in years, so why you puttin' up all this fuss?"

She frowned. "Because you were missing for three whole months, and when we finally find you, you run off less than a day later! What was I supposed to think?"

He shrugged again, and Elena sighed. Having put her things by the rack close to the door, she walked to the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge for something to drink. Rude, having been silent, sat at the table and removed his sunglasses. Reno, catching the older man's expression, sat back down and folded his hands on the surface. They stared at one another as Elena sat bottled beers for them and took a seat for herself. She passed the bottle opener around and they cracked them open, taking large gulps of the black ale. The three sat in that silence for what felt like a minute, sorting themselves out.

"What is it about the job that scares you?" Rude finally asked.

"That I could end up dead 'cause of it," he said plainly. "That you or Elena could die playin' the hero for a bunch of cowards who don't give a shit about us."

"You're...scared?" Elena prodded, surprised at the blunt honesty of the statement.

"Yeah," he muttered, taking up his bottle and taking a swig. "Come on, you know what I mean. We don't have to do this. We can let someone else handle it. Don't either of you want a life where you don't run the chance of getting killed every day?"

"But who else would do it?" Elena asked. "Reeve said that we're the only ones that want to help and have the talent to stand a chance at succeeding. The sector police are useless, and there aren't any elite units to call on. We are literally the only people who can do this."

"And just 'cause we can means we should?"

"Yes!" she shouted.

"It stands like this," Rude continued. "Currently the sector police are unable to effectively pursue the killer because their chief loses sight of their objective the moment he finds any Soldier to torture for their crimes. Mayor Domino is against our involvement, forcing Reeve to use his personal money to pay for our home and employment, thus limiting our resources. With Soldier disbanded and partly our enemy, and the reserve members of the Turks out of contact, we're the only party capable of hunting the serial killer, and more importantly, willing to do so."

Reno snorted a laugh. "Us three, huh?"

"Five," Elena corrected. "Domino did assign a Soldier to work with Reeve, some woman named Atma. Reeve also plans on using Cait Sith so he can help us fight."

Reno laughed again. "Cait? That stupid spy robot?!"

She grinned at the ludicrous nature of the fact. "I know it sounds stupid, but he's convinced it can help. I think it'll only help as a decoy, but if it works, why not?"

"So that's it, then. We're the heroes and gotta save the world from evil, even if it means we get killed, like it or not."

"Reeve wants us to try and find other people to help, too, but so far we haven't had any luck."

"Well that's just fuckin' dandy."

"I know it's a long shot, but did you run into any of the others after Meteor?" she asked.

Reno considered the question for a few seconds, pursing his lips. "No, but I remember that bright kid lived in sector eight. Y'know, the pretty girl."

"Sector eight was wrecked though. You think she's still be there after that?"

"Hey, I just said what came to mind, girlie."

Elena muttered disappointment. "She could be anywhere, then."

"Well shit, girlie, I'm tryin' to be helpful, here."

"I know, I know..."

"Rude, you know anythin'?"

He shook his head. "Nothing more than what we've considered. The sheer volume of the inhabited sectors has hampered our plans since the start. There's no guarantee that we will have any chance of locating old colleagues. The only logical place to find information on survivors would be at the city hall."

"'Cept Domino's written us off." Reno scratched his head, idly running fingers through his greasy hair. A sudden grin lit his features. "We could just sneak in an' have a look around, though."

"Sneak in?" Elena repeated the words, eyes wide. "Break into the new city hall? Why?"

Reno looked at her like she just asked why the sky was blue. "City records, girlie. If I was mayor, I'd wanna keep track of where people're livin'. Maybe we can see if he's got some addresses for some of our buddies."

"But how would we do it? We don't even know if there are records!"

Again Reno chastised her with his eyes. "Hello blondie, we're Turks, remember? We break in an' look for 'em. It ain't like we have anywhere else to go."

She blushed lightly, forgetting that detail. She looked at Rude for support. "What do you think?"

Rude gave her a sympathetic look. "We don't have many other options."

"When would we go?" Elena asked the redhead.

"Not tonight, fer sure," Reno muttered.

"Tomorrow, then?"

A shrug. "Might as well. You both cool with it?"

"Yeah," Elena said, Rude nodding his reply.

"Then it's settled!" Reno finished the remainder of his beer. "Alrighty now, two questions: where are you hidin' the liquor and whose bed am I getting?"

Somewhere in Sector Three

Consciousness returned slowly, filtering through the emptiness of sleep and pain. Bruises sang out across his face, his back, his legs. It took a minute, but he ushered forth the strength to lean up from his prone position on the ground. Opening his eyes, he saw that it was dark. A dim white light shone in through a window, telling that it had to be nighttime. He looked around to see where he was, taking in muted white walls and an empty wood floor in an otherwise nondescript room. He lifted a hand to his face, gingerly touching his injury. The flesh felt raw, tendrils of pain radiating along his jaw and into his skull, a reminder of the beating he suffered at the hands of the Soldier. Recalling that his leg was hurt badly, he looked down and saw it was no longer crooked. Experimentally, he lifted the leg up and wiggled his toes, feeling pain but nothing that otherwise hindered the bones from moving. He swore he broke it when he took that fall. His hand, too, was bruised, but otherwise still intact despite knowing the fingers had been stomped on and mangled.

A movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention in an instant, but there was only a skinny white cat taking it's time to walk across the room and bound out the open window. He sighed, relieved it wasn't a monster or worse. Had the Soldier abandoned him somewhere to make a clean escape?

"Awake, hm?" someone commented.

Again his eyes darted to the source of the voice, and he saw a darker shadow in the frame of a door and eyes that seemed to glow like fireflies. His expression changed when it dawned on him who it was. Hands nervously padded at his waist, but his belt was gone and so were the pockets full of tools. He has no protection at all, meaning all he had was his bruised body. Against that Soldier he was completely outmatched, at the complete mercy of a madman.

"Who're you?" Piper demanded, struggling to get on his feet.

The shadow didn't reply.

He was nearly forced to lean against the wall for support, unable to put much weight on his hurt leg. He tried to put the pain away and straightened himself out to prove he wasn't so badly injured. It felt like he had to prove it to himself as well. "What do you want with me? Are you holding me hostage? It won't work, Varik doesn't deal with criminals."

"Let's play a game," the shadow suggested innocently.

"A g-game?"

"Yes," it hissed. "It's easy."

"What the hell-"

"You get a head start," the voice cut through Piper's argument, "and I try to catch you."

"Catch me? What the fuck is this?!"

"You get one minute, Piper."

Piper hesitated in his reaction, wondering if this psycho was being legitimate. A sudden chill raced down his spine when he wondered what would happen if he was caught. Considering this situation he was struck by an epiphany, the reason for the kidnappings and the murder and the time between. Being caught meant being beaten to a pulp, brought back here, and released again for this murderer's enjoyment; from the time of their kidnapping to their discovery they were running for their life from this madman, killed once they were completely exhausted from the chase. To this man, the whole event was nothing but a game! Piper felt disgust rise in his gut, a raw sense of revolt at such brutal and sadistic entertainment. He looked at the shadow of the man, glaring for all it was worth. There was nothing to show that the man was concerned about the outcome.

"You won't get away with this."

"Maybe. Maybe not," the killer said. "Now you've got fifty seconds."

Piper stood still, conflicted between taking his chance to find someone and alert the sector police or to duke it out here and now and pray for a lucky victory. His bum leg would hinder him running, but it was proven that this man was much stronger than he was. Neither choice presented much of a chance at success. Besides, was the man even going to honor his word?

"Forty five...forty four..."

Piper bolted.

With a burst of adrenaline, he cleared the windowsill as if it were a bump in the street, landing harshly in the alleyway in unfamiliar territory. Looking up he saw the ruined Shin-Ra tower and immediately determined which way was north. The alley jutted to the southwest and northeast, and Piper ran south knowing it would lead to people and to rescue the soonest. He prayed, harder than his lackluster faith thought possible, that whatever god was out there would let him get to a phone and alert the sector police in time. If this was where the serial killer took all his victims, then he could find out what block it was in and corner the madman once and for all. He could become a hero for all of Midgar! But first he had to survive.

The alley ended, dumping Piper into an abandoned street with no lights or sign of human activity down either boulevard; broken homes and shattered buildings were his only company, except a lunatic counting away in an otherwise hidden nest. He panicked, wondering which way was fastest, and turned right to head to the outer rim of the sector in blind hope that he would run into the budding shelters being constructed in the open lands outside of Midgar proper. He looked into the sky, hoping to see some light bleeding out from the active neighborhoods, but there was nothing out there except the half hidden glow from the heavens.

A sudden crash and clatter of metal nearly made him fall on his face, the shock so much that it froze him in motion. He recovered roughly, looking back and knowing that the serial killer was finally in pursuit. The killer probably made such a racket for the very reason of scaring the shit out of him, using psychological trauma to keep him unsettled. Piper tried to concentrate, knowing that if he was reduced to panic and terror, then he stood no chance of getting out alive. This was his only chance, when he was in the best shape possible to run and not hindered by further bruises or exhaustion. His breathing was sharp and shallow, muscles flexing despite pain and weariness, urged on by frantic mental commands. Body on adrenaline fumes, spirit raging wildly, he continued onward knowing there was no other hope to believe in. Subterfuge was only possible in familiar grounds, random patterns only successful if given time and energy, neither of which were in his court. A straight run was his only gamble, a simple competition of endurance and willpower. Whomever could outlast the other would win the day.

Suddenly a terrible crackle erupted from behind him, and Piper felt a warm torrent of wind lash at his backside with more ferocity than any wind he felt before. It burned hotter, stronger, cut through his clothes and clawed into his skin and nerves, sent unparalleled agony through his entire body. The wind became so furious it lifted him up from the ground, legs churning in midair, and threw him like a rag doll into the asphalt of the street. He collapsed into a heap, too numb with shock to consider what had attacked him. Each heartbeat felt like a hammer in his head, transmitting the pain throughout his limbs. But he stood despite it, tapped into some pitiful reserve of strength and turned to face his oppressor, knowing the game was up. The killer was casually walking to meet him, smiling wide, eyes like windows into hell.

"Your turn's over," the killer announced, almost giddy.

Piper began to despair.

Reeve's Apartment, Sector Two

The electronic alarm went off, a shrill buzzing piercing the silence of the bedroom that woke Reeve quickly from his sleep; but his limbs felt like iron and his muscles like taffy. Rolling over, he focused his sleep encrusted eyes enough to see where the snooze button was and pressed it with his thumb. Silence returned, and he turned over and slid back into rest. He repeated the process two more times then, finally unable to fall back into blissful dreams, stood up and turned the alarm off for good. It was a quarter to seven in the morning, the sky dark with gray cumulus clouds that rolled across the city. Rain was probably a certainty today, or at least a good chill wind from the ocean that would dictate a heavy coat.

He walked out of the bedroom and into his bathroom to shower, brush his teeth, shave and trim his goatee. Done, he trotted into the kitchen, pressing a button to start the percolator for his coffee. From the refrigerator he took out a block of cheese and deftly cut off two slices, then buttered up some bread and began grilling that on an electric stovetop pan. With the sort of pattern formed by habitual bachelorhood he finished two grilled cheese sandwiches just as the percolator began gurgling and issuing out the tonic into the pot. Washing the whole affair of cookingware while eating one sandwich, he poured the coffee into a thermos and left the rest for the evening. Casual slacks and shirt, a tie loosely done around the neck, a worn out greatcoat and hat, and Reeve stepped outside to face the day. Munching on his second sandwich, he mentally prepared himself for what was to come. Today would be his struggle on behalf of the people who suffered under the shadow of the serial killer.

Weather feeling attune to his feelings, the wind slowly grew from a lazy stirring of dust to a breeze that whipped spent scraps and leaves across the avenues and alleys. Business teetered on the border between going at full throttle or holding back on the account of the inclement setting. People hurried between doors and held their jackets closed. Reeve had to keep a free hand ready to leap on his hat in case a zephyr tried to snatch it away. By the time he finished the walk to the doors of the city government offices droplets began pattering the ground regularly.

Inside, the silence was deafening. The woman at the front desk waved a brief hello, turning her attention to paperwork scattered across the surface of her workspace. Reeve never expected much out of her, so he offered his own brief greetings and proceeded down a hallway and walked up to the second floor. He made a right and walked to the end of the hallway and opened the door to his small private office. Inside he hung his coat and hat to dry, placed his thermos on the desk and had a nip to wake him further. Rather than deal with the paperwork necessary to the order of his investigation into the serial murderer, he picked up the already marked binder on his desk. Securing his tie properly, tugging his cuffs, Reeve walked out of his office and took his time to reach the mayor's suite. Estrella waved him in, Domino expecting his visit. Inside, the mayor sat with his fingers steepled and his expression bordering between calm and annoyed, eyes lost on the surface of his oak desk.

"Mister Domino," Reeve spoke.

"Mister Tuesti," the mayor replied.

"I trust you know why I'm here."

"I do." He shifted in his chair, folding his hands together. He nodded. "Sit."

Reeve did so, sliding the binder onto the desk. "You've also read these reports, I take it?"

"Yes."

"Then you know what I'm going to say."

"I do, and I don't agree with it."

"Then can we be frank, sir?" Reeve waited for Domino to reply. The older man nodded after several moments. "You're being a fool. We need more experienced men to take on this kind of task. As much as you hate to admit it, Shin-Ra had the best of everything and everyone. If you would just try to offer them some sort of compromise, we could stop this and any future crisis without this much trouble."

"You'd make a deal with the devil we just freed ourselves of? You're asking too much of me."

"I'm not asking enough as is! We need the Turks on this, and Soldiers. The sector police are spineless cowards who follow any order that Varik gives. He just wants to carry out his revenge fantasies against Shin-Ra and anyone else he doesn't like. They aren't going to catch this killer, so someone has to take up the slack."

"I won't change my mind about those damn Turks, Reeve! Soldiers I would agree with, but they are so few to be found."

Reeve growled, frustrated. This was already falling apart. "Did Varik at least get a portable generator for the tower?"

"I haven't heard any word of that yet."

"Dammit." It wasn't a surprise. Reeve expected that the police chief would ignore that request merely to spite him, even if it cost them days in the hunt. He was proving to be as hypocritical as the mayor. At least he wasn't so ambiguous about his feelings.

"Reeve, we're doing the best we can with what we have. We can't-"

"We aren't doing the best we can!" he belted out, surprised at his flat accusation. But his anger was on the rise and there wasn't much of a reason to hold back. The mayor had to hear this. "That's the whole problem, Domino, you just impose these useless fucking rules because of your personal grudge against Shin-Ra and still expect miracles! We can't win this fight without those people!"

If Domino was surprised by his outburst, it didn't show in his own angry expression. "I won't beg for their mercy when those bastards held us by the throat just months ago!"

"Then we lose!" Reeve barked. "We let murderers take control of the streets and this city dies! Do you want your last hurrah to be remembered as a complete failure?"

"We will make due with the men at hand!"

"And I say we can't!"

"We will!" Domino shrieked. "I will! This murderer will be caught, be executed, and once we finish Shin-Ra for good, we can start on the road to prosperity!"

"Then prove it! Here and now, what possible ace in the hole do you think we have?"

"We don't need an 'ace' to succeed. What we need are people willing to help us fight this tide of evil plaguing Midgar!"

"Shin-Ra employees are willing. God knows there are lots of them willing to work for you!"

"And so far not a single one of them I've interviewed has been worth my time! They all think they can just go back to their former positions as if nothing's changed. None of them are worthy enough to have a place in my city!"

That took Reeve back for a moment. "Your city?"

Domino frowned. "I've been the mayor of multiple cities longer than you've been alive, Reeve. I know what it takes to be a leader, and how a leader must act in hard times. If the public sees us looking to the remnants of Shin-Ra for assistance, it will undermine their trust in us. We must be the ones giving mercy, not the recipient. They'll think we've sold out to them and revolt otherwise."

"Revolt?" Reeve laughed suddenly, too outraged to restrain himself. "You think they'd revolt? Right now they have trouble enough surviving each day! They need a strong organization to help them get their lives back together. They're desperate for leadership, even if it means working alongside people they once hated. Shin-Ra's employees are in this, too. We're all in this together, regardless of what we once were. They're working together already, but you need to make it official for it to get anywhere."

"They'll take over if we let them, Reeve! We have to keep them down and break them entirely before they can be trusted with power."

"You make them sound like animals."

"They might as well be!"

The two men remained silent at the parallel, both glaring at one another and daring him to try and disprove their beliefs. Their acquaintance had never been on good terms, and each debate had widened the gap between them until it seemed they were polar opposites to one another. Now, with all the cards on the table, the contest of wills had come to a climax. It felt for a moment that the axis of Midgar's fate spun on their shoulders. When Reeve moved to stand, the world for that moment remained still in anticipation.

"Very well, mayor," Reeve spoke with all the courtesy he could muster. He reached into his shirt pocket and tossed his government ID onto his desk. "You have my resignation."

"Don't be a fool," Domino spat, "you need me."

"Actually, it's you who needs me. I'll capture this murderer without your idiocy hobbling my every step."

"H-Hobbling?" Domino stood as Reeve turned for the door. "Reeve, I won't accept your resignation! You have an obligation to work for me!"

Reeve stopped and looked back "Obligation? Like hell I do."

"You traitor! You can't walk out on me!" His hand plunged down to his desk phone and mashed a button. "Estrella! Call security up here immediately!"

"Mister-"

Domino didn't bother to explain, releasing the line and resuming his glare at Reeve. "I'll have you arrested if you leave this office."

Reeve looked at him in shock once again. This wasn't how he imagined their meeting would turn out to be at all, and now this? The mayor was resting his hands on the table, fingers gripping the surface as if holding onto it for sheer life. The fevered glint in his eyes was a familiar sight, one he saw in too many men filled with pride in their infallible logic. It was a glare that predated even Shinra himself, and likely was it's mold from which is grew. A sudden thought came to mind: how much of Domino did Shinra take from in his rise to the presidency?

"You were part of Shinra's inner circle, Reeve. You forced their laws onto this city with no legal right. You created the damn plates that shattered the equality between the rich and poor! You're a monster, just as bad as Shinra was!" The mayor took a deep breath and pointed a finger at him accusingly. "Reeve Tuesti, you must repay your debt to society. If you leave, I'll brand you with your crimes and hang you to rot!"

"Try it, then," Reeve dared, ignoring the mayor and finally leaving his office.

Domino's voice rose up again in anger, but the closing door cut it off to a muted roar. Reeve took in a shaky breath, his face suddenly coated in sweat.

"What's going on, Reeve?"

He looked to see Estrella standing by her desk, her eyes darting to her phone buzzing with Domino's call and back to his.

"Reeve?"

He didn't know how to answer. So much had just happened he didn't know what to even think. "I don't know. The mayor, he's-"

"Why did he want me to call security? What happened?"

"I resigned," he said, the shock of that hitting him again like a punch to the gut. "He wouldn't listen so I-"

"You quit? Why would-"

"I can't stay any longer-"

"Reeve, what happened-"

"I gotta go!" he said emphatically, shocking himself into motion.

He ignored Estrella as she shouted more questions at him, ignored other people who heard the argument and stared. He took in a shaky breath, then headed back to his office. Feeling the adrenaline of the moment drop, he hastily gathered up the documents and reports of the case and slid them into his inter-office briefcase. Sliding on his jacket and hat, he headed for the lobby only minutes after arriving, feeling incredibly weary after the argument. He shook his head in shock. Domino had lost his mind! Clinging to his feeble truths, his false view of the world, it came as little surprise that reality would shake him so badly. Of course his own abrupt decision to quit and be done with the government came just as surprising. Without the mayor's office, he wouldn't be able to ask them or the sector police for any assistance, or have the legal right to arrest the serial killer once he found him. Knowing the chief, he might even be arrested for murder if they got to him first. It would be a predictable outcome from a man like him, but he had no other choice if he wanted to stop the killings.

He entered the lobby and was about to leave when another thought struck him.

'If I leave, I'll never get another chance to do this.'

Reeve turned around and went down a different hallway that reached to the far left wing. At the end of the hall was a door locked by a keypad. He typed in the six number code and the door unlocked itself with a notable buzz. Closing the door and flicking the lights on, he saw several rows of shelving units laden with boxes of documents and old equipment. He looked down those aisles until he saw a familiar white shape sitting in an alcove halfway down. Just as he left it was Cait Sith and the plushy mog, the animated figures still and lightly dusted. Reeve smiled a little at the toysaurus, recalling his times operating the machine and how challenging it was. Memories of his time with Avalanche were there, the good and the bad. Hopefully he would be able to make a positive difference this time.

'I shouldn't take too much time. If one of Domino's men sees me here, they might think the worst.' He reached down and opened the box that held the remote gloves and headset, blowing dust from them. He slid the headset on and adjusted the mike, then pushed a small button to turn it on. At the same time, a louder than he wished beep issued from Cait's head, declaring it was ready for input. "Unit online. Controller Reeve Tuesti, serial ID four-six-nine eight-three-one seven-seven-two."

"Code accepted. Unit currently in standby mode," the sexless voice detailed.

"Perform level one diagnostic."

"Diagnostic beginning," the voice spoke. "Estimated time to completion, thirteen minutes."

Reeve shook his head. Too long. "Cancel diagnostic. Unit offline."

"Diagnostic canceled. Unit powering down."

Reeve removed the headset and slid it along with the gloves into his briefcase, having to compress them tightly so the locks clicked shut. He would have to run the diagnostic remotely and hope that everything was in working order so it could run on autonomous mode. Departing the storage room quietly, he went back down the hallway to the lobby, mindful of anyone looking out for him. As he reached the double doors and pushed them open, the sound of hurried footsteps on the tile behind him drew his attention. He looked back to the hall and saw a middle aged man jogging to meet him, dressed in business finery that not many others invested in these days. The man didn't look like he had seen where he just was, so Reeve waited until he arrived to see what he had to say.

"Mister Tuesti! Glad I caught you," the man breathed sharply.

"You are...?"

"Hart Adagio, Deputy Mayor." He offered a hand, and Reeve accepted it warily. Hart was Domino's man, a lackey he had met only a handful of times.

"If this is about what Domino said-"

"No!" Hart denied. "It's about the mayor, yes, but not what he accused you of. My office is next to his, so I overheard most of what you two talked about. Estrella also called me and said you'd quit?"

Reeve wondered if their argument had been that loud, or if the walls were that thin. "I did."

Hart's eyes got wide. "Why?"

"Domino won't listen to me any longer. He thinks we can stop the serial killer-"

"Whoa whoa, I heard all that," Hart said, "so let me say a few things. First off, I agree with you. We need to work together to get through this crisis, even if it is with Shin-Ra. I hate them, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the reality we face. Right now we need to concentrate on rebuilding the city instead of reforming the whole system. We're just figureheads until things settle down, just voices of reason and leaders, not upholders of the law. Domino doesn't really understand this."

"Uh-huh."

"What I mean is..." He grimaced and leaned in closer. "Look, Domino is a dying breed. No one here really likes him, and his intrusive nature has been slowing progress everywhere. Even his family doctor tells me that he needs rest, that the tension is making him physically ill."

Reeve held up a hand. "I don't mean to rush you, but I need to go."

Hart nodded. "Yes, of course. You resigned under duress, but it was your choice. If things were different, would you consider coming back to help?"

"Different how?"

The man tapped his ear knowingly. "I can't say yet, but your resignation already has people talking. I'm going to confront him and say my piece too."

"Uh-huh."

"Keep your phone on. I'll call you shortly, hopefully with good news."

"Alright."

"See you soon."

Hart turned and hurried back into the innards of the building. Reeve opened the door and stepped outside into a wind driven rain. He buttoned his coat closed and ensured that his briefcase was shut completely, then strode onto the sidewalk and began a quick pace for sector three and Delikatessen to meet with the others. Again, there was much to discuss and many things to explain. Nearly three weeks since the start of the investigation and he went from the full support of the city to alienating both the mayor and chief of police and paying for his team out of his own money. Nothing was going as he planned, and he didn't see it getting any easier.

Domino slammed his phone down, then pounded his desk with a gnarled fist. Not a single person he called was taking him seriously at all! Reeve was just going to walk away a free man when this whole office should be taking him into custody as a traitor and murderer! Even his own deputy had just blown him off with a promise to 'talk it over'. He tried to calm down, but his heart was pounding in his chest and his muscles were chafing to move. He stood up and clenched his hands so tight it hurt. If no one was going to listen to him, he'd do this himself!

He shoved the doors of his office open and saw Estrella there along with a few other members of the city council. Illea and Oberon, department heads for electrical and water services, were chatting quickly to each other. Trent, his own public relations manager, was there and on the phone nodding to someone on the other end. All four of them looked up at him once he emerged, all of them still and faces guarded.

"What are you all doing!?" he shouted at them. "Where's security? Why isn't Reeve under arrest!?"

They all started talking at him, but Trent stepped forward and actually took Domino by the arm to speak closer in privacy. "Mayor, they say that Reeve quit? Is that true?"

"I haven't accepted his resignation, so he's still under my control!" he hissed.

"Domino, listen, everyone here is talking about what happened, but I've heard a dozen different stories and don't know what to believe. You need to make an announcement, get ahead of this before-"

Domino snatched his arm out of Trent's grip. "That's what I've been doing, you idiot! Reeve Tuesti is a traitor to Midgar! He's to be arrested and tried for his crimes against this city!"

"But what did he do?" Trent asked again, exasperation seeping into his voice.

"Domino, Reeve would never-" Oberon spoke up.

"He's done nothing to warranty these-"

"He's guilty by his own admission!" Domino shouted at them. "He wants to give Midgar back to Shinra! He's been-"

"Shin-Ra!?"

"He's never said anything-"

"Everyone, everyone!" a voice called out from down the hall. "Everyone calm down! Everyone!"

The group's arguments fell aside as they looked to the speaker, seeing the deputy mayor along with a group of others. Two security guards were with them as well. Domino glared at his assistant and then the others, realizing who they were: the rest of the city council, all the voting members. The whole board was present now. He glared at his deputy as the man approached, wondering what his game was.

"Domino, we need to talk," Hart said plainly.

"Now you want to talk? You've been ignoring my orders for the past hour!"

"For a good reason, mayor." He gestured to one of the others at his side. "This is Judge Fenris, currently the city's chief of justice. You know him, correct?"

Domino locked eyes with the man, familiar with his reputation as one of Shin-Ra's rubber stamps in the court. "It's been a while, Jerico."

"So it has, Albert."

He looked back to Hart. "Why is he here?"

Hart looked at the judge and nodded. The judge returned the gesture, then took out a letter from his coats inside pocket. Opening it, he took a breath and began to read. "Mayor Albert Domino, in accordance with regulation three hundred and sixteen, article seven, I hereby declare that you are mentally unsuited to the task of leading this community, and hereby revoke your title and executive powers. This decision is hereby noted by both verbal contract and written authorization by the standing members of the executive board along with myself, Judge Jerico Fenris, as avatar of the law. Until a suitable replacement is voted into office by the electoral committee, deputy mayor Hart Adagio will receive full powers as proxy per the summation of these actions and taking the oath of office."

Domino's eyes were wide as he listened to the words being spoken, hands curled into skinny fists. When the judge lowered the paper, he jabbed his finger in rage at the people around him. "You fools! You're all betraying me?! Do you want to lead this city into ruin?!"

"Domino," Hart said kindly, yet just as gripping, "you've been leading us downwards since the beginning. Your arrogance has blinded you. You are casting the shadow that you fear will destroy Midgar, but you won't admit it for fear of losing your power."

"I fear nothing! My only concern is that we don't allow Shinra to poison this city again!"

"Shinra is dead, Domino. The company is ruined, it has no more power."

"They aren't! They're only waiting for a weakness, then they'll stab us in the back as soon as they find it! Am I the only one who sees it?" A shadow passed his features, making them curl into a scowl. "No...are you all traitors, too? Did Shinra buy you out? Is this how he'll do it?"

"Domino, we aren't-"

"Don't deny it!" He pointed a gnarled finger at him, teeth bared in a grimace. "Yes. Yes, I see you now, Hart. You've all been plotting against me to get Shinra back in power! You'll twist the laws to your own gain, just like before! Use the law to throw the wool over the people's eyes and get away with it!"

"Sir-"

"I won't have it! I'm still mayor, and I refuse to acknowledge your accusations!"

Everyone was grim-faced at the older man's rantings, listening to his delusion spin farther and farther as to justify his fears. As he bellowed out denials and repercussions, it was evident that the strings holding him together were finally unraveling. Decades of anger, frustration, and fear, spilling out in his words. It was almost poetic, but ultimately sad. Hart looked at the two officers and nodded towards him.

"Be gentle with him," Hart said quietly.

"We will," one of them said. They ignored Domino's swings as they took him by the shoulders and upper arms, telling him to stay calm, trying to make sure he didn't hurt himself.

"I've already called his doctor and his son, they should be at the lobby," Hart said. "They'll take care of the rest."

"Very good."

The two officers led the unwieldy man out of the suite, having to push him along as the man struggled and screamed treason. The voice carried along for a while, but slowly drifted away until it was a ghost on the air, then silent. The men and women all looked to Hart, expecting from him their next tasks. Hart looked at the double doors leading to Domino's office, then decided to walk inside. Everyone followed behind him as he stopped and stared at the desk he served by for so long. How many times had he wondered what it would take to be a proper successor to that man? He never suspected that this was how he could come to the position. Slowly, like an actor in a dream, he walked around the desk and sat down in the chair. From this perspective, the power and responsibility he sought felt heavier than anything he knew.

"Mister Adagio," the judge spoke. "We should call in the remainder of the staff and begin the swearing. We have a full itinerary to consider."

He nodded. "Of course..."