Author's Note: Some amorous activities ahead. Readers beware.

"Genesis understood we were meeting tonight, didn't he?"

Sephiroth glanced up from the latest report from Costa del Sol, but didn't reply. Nothing but bad news there. The coastal town's tourism industry was suffering, given the rash of unexplained disappearances in the vicinity. Just like Banora and the others. Someone or something was preying on any vessel caught alone.

And as of yet, no one had been able to provide a description. Encounters never left any survivors to bear witness to the mysterious terror. Which was all the more frustrating to Sephiroth. He was accustomed to a straight-forward opponent in battle. The sort of enemy that attacked openly and left a clear path to follow. Planning an offensive against so many unknowns was a labyrinth of dead ends.

All the more reason to hope Lilith returns with useful intelligence from Junon.

"Sephiroth?"

"Apologies- was your question not rhetorical?" When Angeal glared at him reprovingly, Sephiroth sighed. "I think it's safe to assume that our friend will not be joining us."

The fierce expression faded, leaving behind uneasy frustration. And for some time, he did not reply. Instead, the man reached for a manila folder peeking from beneath a stack of duty rosters and training schedules that had been sitting atop his filing cabinet. The mission dossier that Lilith had wisely left behind. Cautiously, Angeal pulled the folder and flipped it open.

Sephiroth continued to read the report from Costa del Sol, making annotations on the legal pad beside it as he found something worth looking into. Anything that might suggest a pattern he could work with. Very little of that. He was just finishing when Angeal voiced a concern.

"You don't think he'll expose what we've been doing to Lazard, do you?"

"No," Sephiroth answered after a short pause. "It'll mean just as much trouble for him in the end. Annoying us is one thing; risking his career is quite another."

"So where is he, then?"

"Presumably back at his apartment by now, indulging himself with that woman from Junon."

"Danita," Angeal supplied flatly, obviously in no better mood about the news since he received it this morning. "She's going to be trouble, I just know it."

"And just like I asked earlier- just what do you expect to do about her?"

"If she could be convinced to return to Junon…"

"You're welcome to try, but I doubt you'll get very far. The woman will stay until Genesis tires of her. I highly doubt our friend intends to make anything serious of it."

Angeal was less than convinced. He crossed his arms and stared hard at the darkening skies outside the office window.

"The way I see it, that may not be up to Genesis."

"What," Sephiroth scoffed. "You think the woman will force him to stay with her?"

"Force isn't the word I had in mind, exactly, but I can see her manipulating him into a situation where he's stuck with her."

"If you're talking about a pregnancy, I don't see Danita as the type to spoil her looks. Nor do I see Genesis being stupid enough to give her the chance to try."

After a long silence, his friend muttered, "I still don't like it."

"Nor I, but if we could, I'd like to focus on a more pressing topic." Sephiroth gestured to the reports. "Namely, what we're going to do about all this."

Angeal turned away from the window, an apologetic grimace tightening at the corners of his mouth. He stashed the mission dossier in one of the cabinet drawers and nodded.

"Right- sorry. Find anything useful?"

"Wish I could say I did- but it's all the same as before. Boats disappear, crew and all. All sizes. No witnesses and no survivors."

"It's a pattern, if nothing else."

"Emphasis on the 'nothing else' of that statement."

With disgust, Sephiroth threw down the pen and rose to his feet. An uncharacteristic show of temper, to be sure. Something he'd never do outside of this office- or when anyone but his two friends was present. Even then, he usually managed to maintain command of himself. But everything to do with this Leviathan business just got under his skin. Angeal made no comment, merely watching as Sephiroth paced the perimeter of the cramped room.

"Three days cannot pass quickly enough," Sephiroth declared vehemently. "Then we'll finally have something to make sense of all this."

At that, is friend raised an eyebrow before observing quietly, "You seem confident that Lilith will bring back useful information about the matter. She may come up empty- handed."

He could not discount the possibility, however unlikely it might be. But his instincts told him that dwelling on that would be a pointless waste of his time. Junon was the missing piece- and Lilith would find it as she'd sworn to do. The drive he'd observed in the days following the Leviathan mission would compel her to take any action necessary to complete this assignment. No, she would never accept failure. That's where Sephiroth placed his confidence.

"She won't."

Angeal did not argue.

"And suppose she does succeed…just what are you expecting her to find, Sephiroth?"

"Expecting? That I don't know. What I'm hoping is that she won't tell us what I've suspected these past few weeks."

"Which is?"

He debated at length whether to utter the words aloud or not. No one remained on this floor at this hour, except for a few 3rd Classes on watch. None of them would be close enough to overhear the conversation. But that didn't mean no one was listening. Shinra could have ears anywhere- anytime. And just because their previous meetings hadn't been under surveillance, that didn't guarantee this one wasn't.

Discussing reports from abroad is one thing; suggesting that Shinra might be behind the attacks is quite another.

In the end, he opted in favor of discretion.

"That knowing the face of our enemy will not bring us any closer to defeating it."

The indigo dress shirt lie rumpled on the hardwood floor, entirely forgotten. Scattered nearby were rumpled piles of discarded clothes. The bed was a picture of disarray- burgundy counterpane trailing over the side, displaced by the couple's amorous activities. Outside the window the twilight of dusk deepened into night, unnoticed; inside, the two lovers were intent on one another. An hour- perhaps two- passed, until their passions had been thoroughly sated.

In the silence after, recriminations awakened.

Genesis turned onto his back to stare up at the ceiling, wondering how he'd let this happen. He'd been so determined to send Danita away only a few short hours ago. And yet here he was, in bed with her. Unable to get enough. Even as exhausted as he was right now…he wanted her. Would willingly lose himself in her again if she asked it of him.

Danita stroked a hand over his shoulder and down his chest, giving him the impression that she just might. Genesis' breath hitched in his throat as desire throbbed through him. The hand moved lower; he tensed in anticipation. And then just as she grazed the crease his hip her fingertips stilled, though they didn't withdraw. It took Genesis several seconds to surface from the sensual haze of her caress to realize she'd asked him a question.

"What was that?"

"You said earlier that Lilith was sent away on a mission- I was just wondering where she went."

An odd subject to bring up while in bed. Most women tended not to discuss their competition- real or imagined. But for Danita's part, she didn't seem at all threatened by Lilith as competition for his attention. He supposed she thought his rancor for the woman meant he had no interest in sleeping with her. In his experience, the two ideas were not mutually exclusive. Genesis hadn't quite given up on his quest to finish what he started in the nightclub. Even if it took him years.

One day. She won't hold out forever. One day she'll give in.

"Genesis?"

Her tone conveyed worry, and a hint of irritation. He flashed a grin at her.

"Forgive me, darling. I had quite forgotten about her," he lied. "Why would I want to think of another woman when I have you here?"

The compliment pleased her, as he knew it would. She trailed her fingertips along his inner thigh and purred, "Well, when you put it that way…" Genesis' eyes drifted closed. In his ear he heard her whisper against his ear, "Is there anything I can do to help you remember?"

He sucked in a breath, unable to answer. Or think. For a few moments, his words were more than clever flattery. Only when she drew her hand up to his chest could Genesis recall- with difficulty- the question she'd asked. The effort of forming a reply left him with concentration enough for just one word.

"Junon."

"What about it?"

"That's where she went. Junon."

Danita froze, her whole body tensed beside him. If he'd been more alert, he might have wondered what about that would distress her. But then the moment passed and she relaxed against him again. Over so quickly that Genesis thought he might have imagined it.

"Why Junon," she queried in soft tones that bespoke mild curiosity.

Genesis knew he shouldn't tell her; it was Shinra business, after all. But his own annoyance with his friends for dumping this unpleasant situation on him got the better of wisdom. Besides, she's just a fangirl- who cares if she knows who gave those orders? Not like it'll jeopardize the mission.

"Sephiroth and Angeal sent her and the other 2nd Classes- probably to dig around about the Leviathan."

"But- but it's dead."

"Maybe."

"But it is. You yourself helped destroy the monster."

"And somewhere out there are the people responsible for creating it. They could try again- maybe already have, actually." He wrapped a hand around hers and squeezed it lightly. "I don't know what you've heard, but people have been disappearing. My own hometown has been hit hard. We're sure it's the work of the same group."

"How awful," Danita murmured. "You must be so worried for your family."

"I am, actually."

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Genesis brushed his thumb across her knuckles absently, trying not to think about the dire situation in Banora. And then suddenly, Danita pulled away from him. She rolled away and rose from the bed without a word of explanation. He swept a hand over the empty space beside him and shifted to his side. Propped up on an elbow, he watched her hurry across the bedroom.

"Danita, where are you going?"

A moment of panic struck him as he pictured her leaving. Not now. I don't want to be alone with myself. All the reasons why he wanted to cast her out paled in comparison to the thought of spending the night alone with thoughts of how he was failing his family. She offered a convenient distraction from all of it; Genesis needed that distraction more than he wanted to admit.

She turned back, a teasing smile on her lips. But then she must have caught his stricken expression, and grew serious again.

"I would never think of leaving you, my love," Danita assured him earnestly.

Relief washed over him. Genesis extended an arm and motioned for her to come to him, "Then come back to bed."

"In a moment, "Danita promised. "I wanted to surprise you with a gift earlier, but I think now might be the perfect time. It's in the other room, though, so I have to go fetch it."

"A gift? For me?"

She blew him a kiss. "All for you. I'll be right back."

With that, Danita breezed through the door to the hall, leaving him with a bemused expression and the sight of the enticing sway of her hips. Genesis leaned back against the pillows and waited for her return, wondering what she might have gotten for him.

Minutes passed. Many more than he would have expected, and alarm pressed at the edges of his mind. But just when he'd resolved to get up to look for her, Danita appeared in the doorway. She held one hand behind her back. Presumably, the one holding his present.

"Did you miss me," she asked coyly.

Genesis did not answer, but he did beckon her to his side. Danita lingered just inside the room, seemingly in no hurry to join him at first. The idea to keep him in suspense was not strong enough to overpower her desire, however, and she approached the bed. When she drew close enough, Genesis reached out to wrap an arm around her waist so he could draw her next to him. And yet somehow she managed to keep his gift hidden. He leaned over, trapping her beneath his body.

"You owe me a present," he reminded her in a silken whisper. "I think it's time you let me see it."

A hand appeared before his eyes. In it, not the sentimental trinket he'd been expecting. An apple balanced in the cradle of her palm. Even in the dim light of the bedside lamp, its skin retained a deep cobalt hue. A Banora apple.

"How…where…?"

"I have friends with ties to Banora. They were happy to do me a favor and sent me a few of these from the most recent harvest."

He still couldn't believe it. How long had it been since he last saw one? Such a small thing, but it was home- a symbol of the days of his youth and happier memories. Almost reverently, Genesis took the fruit in his own hand, staring at it so intently that he nearly forgot Danita was still there.

"Do you like it, my love," she prompted eagerly.

He tore his gaze away from the apple, and very carefully set it aside on the nightstand.

"It's wonderful."

"I'm so happy to hear that. I just thought with everything going on lately that you might like a reminder of home."

It was a thoughtful gift- far more perceptive than he'd believed her of being. The gift of someone who truly cared about him. Genesis felt a twinge of guilt that he'd behaved so coldly to her earlier. At the time, he'd told himself that he was justified. She was interfering with his career and causing issues. In reality, it wasn't her fault. Angeal and Sephiroth were the ones determined to make things difficult for him. But since he couldn't do anything about them, he'd just shifted the blame onto a target that he could hurt. It hadn't been right.

"I'm so sorry, Danita," he murmured in apology. "For earlier. I never meant…"

"Shhh," she quieted him. "I forgive you, my love. You weren't yourself. I know that." After a pause, she queried, "What made you so angry- something at Shinra?"

"You could say that."

"A difficult mission?"

"No. This is…personal. A disagreement between me and the other 1st Classes that they just won't let go."

"But they're supposed to be your friends."

"So I thought, too."

The words slipped out before Genesis could keep them in. They hung it the air between them, and sounded bitter even to his own ears. Danita must have noticed as well, studying him in the uncomfortable silence that followed. Her expression softened to something akin to sympathy.

"I should have known something was wrong when you weren't answering my texts earlier. And then to throw a fit as soon as you came in- how thoughtless of me." She cocked her head slightly to the side and prodded cautiously, "Why were they being so difficult?"

"It's nothing. Not important."

Danita sifted her fingers through his hair as she glanced up at him through her lashes.

"Not important to who? Maybe to your friends, but they're not me, my love. Everything about you is important to me. I want to know everything about your life- especially if it's upset you. I want to help."

The words were a balm to Genesis' frayed temper. Here was someone who wanted to hear his side. Hell, who was on his side at all. Sephiroth and Angeal weren't given this morning's meeting, and the rest of SOLDIER was even more set against him.

So why am I so eager to dispose of someone who agrees with me? All of the reasons he'd given himself earlier seemed shallow and trivial. Danita wasn't aggravating- just a bit high-strung at times. Genesis could appreciate passion when something mattered. And when that something included himself…

"You really do, don't you?"

She nodded sincerely and moved even closer. "Of course."

"Well then…what say we order in a late dinner and I'll tell you all about it."

"Whatever you want, sweetie. And after…" she smiled wickedly. "Well, I'll be more than happy to make you forget all about them."

Kunsel dogged Lilith's steps, always maintaining a fair distance between them. Far enough that if she changed direction or looked behind she wouldn't see him, and yet not so far that she might lose him in the crowd. The latter became less and less of a concern the longer he followed her; they'd traded the lively streets of the entertainment district for the relatively deserted business quarter. Kunsel hugged the shadows painted onto the building facades and kept his footsteps as silent as possible.

Just what are you doing, Lilith, he asked himself for the hundredth time. This isn't exactly where I'd have pictured the Mayor to want to meet you, so what are you up to?

A vibration at his hip startled him enough that Kunsel slammed to a stop and ducked behind a steel column. As his hand reached into his pocket to silence the phone, his ears strained for signs that Lilith had heard anything. At first, the blood pounding in tandem with his heart made it difficult to hear anything. In the precious seconds it took to relax, he expected to be caught. Lucky for him, though, Lilith hadn't slowed or turned around. Her footsteps still echoed in the distance, growing fainter.

With a furtive motion, Kunsel slipped his phone from his pocket and woke the display screen. Even from the relative safety of his hiding place, he was careful not to let its glow escape beyond the protective shield of his jacket. Or look for too long. Just enough to see that Zack had sent him a text asking about Lilith. Kunsel put the device away without answering.

Until I've got more answers, little point in giving an update.

He peered around the column to get his bearings. Lilith had gone a ways up the street and looked to be making a left around the next block. Kunsel hurried along the frontage of a few offices, doorsteps blanketed in almost total blackness beneath ornate porticos. The sparsely placed streetlights struggled to keep even the sidewalk completely illuminated; here and there, stretches of pavement disappeared into the darkness of night. Kunsel watched as Lilith passed through one of them, alert for any signs that she might suffer a relapse of the panic he'd seen earlier.

If she was bothered by them, she didn't show it. She never hesitated or altered course. How much willpower did it take, Kunsel wondered, given what she'd told him. Growing up in the slums of Midgar. Knowing that now gave him a better understanding about why she acted the way she did. Not to mention how she reacted. He wished he'd known from the beginning, but could understand why Lilith wouldn't have wanted to discuss it. Surviving in the slums was an ugly business; he might want to forget that life, too, if it had been him.

Those thoughts left him distracted, and he nearly tripped over an oversized urn as a result. It wobbled precariously but didn't tip over. Kunsel bit back a virulent curse or two; sound would echo off the walls and give him away easily.

Despite the mishap, Kunsel caught up in time to see Lilith standing motionless outside the town hall. She looked neither right nor left, and after a minute or two, leaned forward to press the lighted buzzer beside the door. He was too far away to hear whether or not it rang. Unlike the rest of the street this section was well-lit, leaving no hiding places for him to exploit. Kunsel made do with a low-lying decorative banister courtesy of its neighbor. Still, that put him almost a half-block away. Not great for eavesdropping- especially with the wind not in his favor.

The door opened and the Mayor stepped out to meet Lilith on the sidewalk. Kunsel stiffened as the portly man laid a hand on her bared shoulder and let it glide down to her elbow. She didn't insist he remove it, or move away. In fact, Kunsel heard her encouraging laugh as she trailed her own fingertips along the lapel of the man's jacket.

The message was clear, even at this distance. The Mayor lost no time in acting upon the unspoken invitation. His arm snaked around Lilith to place a hand against her lower back and he leaned over to make a suggestion Kunsel was grateful to be spared hearing. But even without words he could tell that the old goat was eager to escort Lilith someplace private. A long, black car pulled up to the curb. And while he took a half-step towards it, she didn't budge. Instead, she gestured to the building behind them. Kunsel couldn't make out her reply; her head was turned away.

The Mayor looked as though he might argue, but abruptly stopped when Lilith's hand drifted…lower. And although at his angle he couldn't see anything, Kunsel turned his gaze aside, unable to watch. Anger and disappointment rose as bile in the back of his throat, bitter and acidic.

You won't explore the tiniest chance we may have something together- you turn down Genesis' offer and make all of our lives hell for weeks- and yet you'll throw yourself at him!?

By the time he'd returned his focus to Lilith, the Mayor was waving off the car. Which presented Kunsel with a difficult choice to make as the tail lights faded in the distance. He could leave right now. Just turn around and go back to the pub to join his friends- or back to their hotel. And if Lilith had gotten into that car, he would have had no alternative. But she hadn't. He could keep going. Follow her inside and keep to his mission to discover what she intended to do.

It's more than obvious what she intends to do- so why torture myself by watching, he told himself. She obviously knows what she's doing.

But suppose she doesn't? Suppose things turn ugly- can you live with knowing you abandoned her here?

She didn't ask for my help. Did everything she could to avoid it, in point of fact.

Does that really change your answer to the question?

No, it didn't. Couldn't. Never would.

With a reluctant sigh, Kunsel eased around the banister and crept along the building front, feeling extremely exposed. The grey stone did little to camouflage him from any potential onlooker. In his head, he prayed that the Mayor and Lilith would be too focused on one another to notice his approach.

His luck held. The Mayor held open the door to allow her entry to the warren of offices inside. Neither paid attention to the fact that a third person had slipped through the door before it snicked closed behind them. The darkness shrouding the formal lobby further concealed his presence- the only light emanating from two lamps flanking the door on the opposite end of the room. Even those had been turned down to the lowest setting. Kunsel melded with the shadows, watching the scene before him. Watching and waiting.

Well, so far so good. I'd convinced the Mayor to return to his office over his suggestion to spend the evening at his private residence. I thanked the use of the Manipulate Materia for that. Perhaps I could have done it alone, but I hadn't wanted to take the chance. This could be my only shot. I couldn't afford to waste it.

So let's get on with this, shall we?

I feigned an air of giddy excitement and whispered, "It's so quiet in here. Like sneaking into a school after it's closed."

The Mayor smiled indulgently at me, as I expected he would. Like I was some naïve ingénue and he was the sophisticated man who would have the pleasure in teaching me the ways of the world. As I was sure he'd done with many other young women. How many of them regretted that introduction, I wondered absently.

"I wouldn't have thought you the type, my dear," he replied with a chuckle. "What a delightful surprise you've turned out to be."

I wasn't. Not at all. But I had a mission to complete, and it was time to put to use skills I'd never thought I'd have to use again. Skills that were a little rusty from disuse, but I still knew how to play this game. Knew the words that would pique his interest, although the very thought of saying them made me nauseous. I swallowed it back and did it, anyway.

"I think you'll find I'm a woman of many surprises, sir."

"Gerald," the Mayor insisted warmly. "I would prefer it if you called me Gerald."

"Of course," I demurred, letting my eyelashes flutter down in a show of deference; the blush was harder to fake. "Gerald."

"Much better, my dear. Now, I think I know the perfect place to amuse ourselves with these surprises you mentioned. Shall we adjourn to my office?"

"By all means." Though I highly doubt you're going to find them all that amusing once we get there, I finished silently.

The Mayor- Gerald, my thoughts interjected- gestured to the doors leading deeper in to the administrative building. I let him usher us towards the corridor beyond, trying not to cringe at the feel of his sweaty palm pressing against my lower back. Or at the fingers slipping beneath the edge of my dress. For the good of the mission, I told myself.

To distract myself from the overwhelming desire to break every bone in the man's arm, I cast my gaze around the lobby one final time. And maybe it was just shades of paranoia, but I swore I saw movement off to my left. Just out of the corner of my eye. A dark shape that seemed at odds with the furnishings of the room. Didn't belong there. And then it was gone again.

Keep it together, Lilith. This isn't the time to be jumping at shadows.

The hallway was even darker than the lobby, the only light anemic patches of moonlight spilling in from the open doors of empty offices on our right. The walk felt much longer than it had when I'd come here this afternoon with the guys. A tiny part of me almost wished that I could have told at least one of them where I was going tonight. But who could I have told? Certainly not Luxiere and not Zack. Maybe if things weren't…complicated…with Kunsel, I might have told him. No doubt none of them would approve of this.

We arrived at the outer office of the Mayor's suite. Gerald, unaware that he was playing right into my plans, strode across the parquet floor to unlock the doors leading to the private rooms that had been off-limits in my previous visit. The urge to abandon my subterfuge and get what I came for pulled at me. But it wasn't quite the right moment yet. Not if I wanted to leave without him being the wiser. So I remained where I stood near the hall, giving him the impression that I was obediently waiting for his invitation to join him. Let him think he was in control as long as it suited my purpose.

The approach worked. Gerald hastened back to my side as quickly as his ungainly bulk allowed, barely concealing an eager leer. I pretended not to notice, letting him snake a possessive arm around my waist. Well, not quite around; Gerald's stockiness prevented him from reaching more than halfway. Still repulsive.

We entered his private domain. A large desk of antique hardwood dominated one end of the room. The long wall featured an impressive bookshelf- books and objet d'art from floor to ceiling. Along the other, an expensive sofa of chocolate-colored leather with a matching armchair. From beneath an intricately designed stained glass lampshade, a single bulb bathed the room in a soft multi-hued glow.

All this I took in with a quick sweep of my eyes. Once I used the Materia I brought, I'd only have a few hours to search for whatever the Mayor might know about the Leviathan before it wore off. Best to get my bearings first so I didn't waste any time later. Gerald came up beside me just as I finished my assessment. To my surprise, he left the doors to the outer office open. He must have caught the direction of my gaze and chuckled patronizingly.

"Have no fear, my dear. The building is deserted at this hour. We shan't be interrupted by anyone."

Meaning there's no one to help me if I've changed my mind. I wasn't thinking of myself, but of the other women who had been lured here before me. I wonder if he ever intended to leave the building at all.

I said none of that aloud. Rather, I returned the Mayor's smile with one of my own and forced myself to croon invitingly, "What a shame. An audience can add an element of excitement, don't you agree?"

He most certainly did, judging by the lecherous light that burned in his eyes.

"Had I known…well, what's done is done." After a thoughtful pause, Gerald suggested, "I could make arrangements for tomorrow evening."

I had no desire to repeat this charade, even though it would make my mission easier to have two nights to investigate in here instead of just one. The whole sordid affair drained me in ways no battle ever could. For the mission, the words echoed in my mind. You can do this for the sake of the mission. Prove to Sephiroth and Angeal that you can handle an important assignment. Ruthlessly, I shoved aside the unpleasant feelings trying to claw their way out and did what I had to do.

"I suppose I could find an excuse to slip away from my colleagues tomorrow evening…"

At the mention of Zack and the others, a peculiar expression stole across his face. One that raised the hairs on the back of my neck and filled me with dread.

"Why not kill two birds with one stone? Invite them along."

"I beg your pardon?"

"No doubt they've all had a fine time with you. Even that silver-haired martinet, Sephiroth." His grin widened and he leaned close. I wanted to back away, but held my ground as he elaborated further. "Bet he has them all watch when he takes you, doesn't he? And I wager you love every minute of it."

I was going to be sick. My stomach cramped and burned, threatening to revolt any moment. But as I'd eaten nothing since breakfast, it had no fuel to make good on that threat. That didn't mean I didn't feel the intense need to dry heave at the picture painted by the Mayor's crude words. And he wasn't finished yet.

"So I'm sure your colleagues-" the world came out as a belligerent slur- "won't begrudge me an hour or two if they still get their turns when I'm finished."

This had been a mistake. I'd thought I could do this- pretend that I was willing to whore myself to advance my career. Just long enough to get the Mayor to drop his guard. I'd told myself I could handle this, since I didn't have to go through with it.

I'd been wrong. Very wrong. I'd forgotten just how debauched and disgusting men like him could be. I thought I remembered- thought that dealing with Genesis had been good training for what I'd find here. Again, I'd been wrong. Gerald was far, far worse. By comparison, Genesis' suggestive come-ons almost made for polite conversation. A callow youth playing at a game for adults.

You're in league with the grown-ups, Lilith. It's too late to back out now. So play the game or be found out for the fraud you are.

I held onto my smile, but must have hesitated longer than I should have. Gerald had taken advantage of my distracted state, stubby fingers prying at the zipper at the back of my dress. I edged away in what I hoped appeared to be a seductive tease. He was not amused.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"It's early yet," I cajoled with a sly wink. "I thought you said you were interested in what surprises I had in store for you."

His expression visibly hardened. Gone was the indulgent benefactor he'd been pretending to be. Gone was the oblivious buffoon who couldn't tell a compliment from insult and made obtuse comments because he didn't know what he was saying. The change was as swift as it was alarming. Gerald squeezed my right bicep in a punishing grip and sneered at me.

"Oh I'm sure tonight will hold many surprises- for you, you little bitch. You and that high and mighty superior of yours who sent you here."

I had a feeling he didn't mean the Director, but tried to play it off as I didn't know who he meant.

"I…I don't understand. Lazard-"

"Has nothing to do with why you're in Junon," the Mayor finished, obviously unconvinced. "Sephiroth is behind this- sent you here as his little spy."

He knows. Oh merciful heavens, how did he find out?

It didn't matter how. At least not at this moment. Knowing how I'd been betrayed wouldn't do me any good if I couldn't get myself out of my immediate predicament. Which all things considered, was looking to be far more dangerous than I anticipated.

Don't panic. Think. Think about the tools you have to deal with this.

The Mayor took my silence as an admission of guilt, and a particularly malicious smirk turned up the corners of his mouth.

"And since I know how eagerly Sephiroth is awaiting a full report of your activities, I have no intentions of disappointing him. Do you see that?" He wrenched my jaw at an angle so I could see the unmistakable blink of a small, red light. "You can be sure it'll record every second while I teach you what comes of sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. I'll keep a copy for myself and send one to your precious commander so he'll get the same message."

While he'd been talking, I'd quietly slipped one of the cool spheres of crystalized Mako energy out of the special compartment in my purse. The whole time I kept my eyes trained on the camera, letting nothing betray what I was about to do or break my concentration. I was just about to cast Freeze when a flash of movement from the door caught my eye.

In the next instant, the Mayor collapsed to the floor at my feet as I stood gaping at the man responsible. Several seconds of incredulous silence passed before my brain found a coherent thought.

"Kunsel!?" I flicked a panicked glance to the unconscious politician at my feet. "Kunsel…what have you done?"

5