Author's Note: Woot! Another Chapter! Boo! It's short! :( Sorry for the delay and the length, but I just wanted to set the scene for the type of world that will be seen in the sequel! Also, just wanted to let you know, you can see profiles for my OC's on my DeviantArt page yay! Right now I'm just posting the OC's who are the core characters' peers and love interests. BUT! I will soon begin posting information about the main families soon. If you want a peek at who you'll see in the sequel, head over to DeviantArt. My info for DA is listed in my profile! If you have a DA account, please feel free to friend me/watch me there. I also want to say that I've decided to finish this story without any beta work (and that is with my beta's blessing) so be prepared for me in all my imperfect glory! I hope to have my future stories beta'd from beginning to end. So all mistakes are mine! And thank you for the continuous faves, follows, and reviews! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this update! :)

Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII and all its characters (damn). I just play with them every now and then! :D

Chapter 55: Shaping the Future

Sephiroth hated press conferences. He hated the flashes of cameras, he hated the constant scrutiny of people looking for a headline…he hated feeling like an attraction at a zoo. The only thing he could be happy for was the fact he probably wouldn't have to do much talking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attendance of this press conference." Rufus sounded confident while he spoke, but with his newfound ability to hear the inner thoughts of those around him, Sephiroth knew he was worried. "I will start off by saying my father is dead."

"Is it true Sephiroth and three of his clones killed the President and his Directors?"

How did the press always know things like that?

Rufus looked at Sephiroth before looking at the reporter. "Yes, it's true."

Another reporter got his feet. "And is it also true that like General Rhapsodos and General Hewley, General Sephiroth was losing his mind to degradation?"

Asshole.

Sephiroth arched a brow and looked at Genesis. He reached out with his mind and said: "You and I are going to have to come up with a way to block your more "colorful" thoughts, Genesis."

Genesis narrowed his eyes; a very loud thought came across Sephiroth's thoughts. "Why don't you fuck off, nosey?"

Sephiroth had to fight the smile threatening to form on his lips and force his face to remain neutral in spite of Genesis' tart question.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Rufus looked out at the reporters and cameras. "In the past rumors have swirled around Gaia about ShinRa, its policies, the Science Division and the SOLDIER program, as well as our irresponsible use of Mako. I will confirm today that those rumors are all true."

The room erupted in questions. It was almost impossible to hear any one specific question.

"So, SOLDIERs are nothing more than monsters?"

Rufus was visible taken aback by the question. "They're men, not monsters and they are still humans, deserving of compassion like anyone else on this planet. My father allowed Professor Hojo free reign over the men who became SOLDIERs and he treated them like nothing more than lab rats. That ends today."

"What will become of SOLDIER now that you're in charge?"

"To answer that, I will pass things over to the returning Director of SOLDIER, Lazard Deusericus." Rufus stepped aside while Lazard approached the podium.

"The SOLDIER program as we know it will come to an end." He raised his hand to quell the questions. "The new SOLDIER program will still have the enhancements as before, however we will no longer use Mako and expose them to such dangers as Mako poisoning and Mako rage. How we will accomplish this will take time."

"Will General Sephiroth be returning as the SOLDIER General?"

Lazard shook his head. "General Sephiroth will not be returning to SOLDIER. General Angeal Hewley will take his place."

"Where will General Sephiroth go? Does he have any plans for the future?"

Damn it. He'd have to talk.

When Lazard looked at him, Sephiroth nodded and approached the podium.

"In the interest of facilitating peace between ShinRa and Wutai, I will not be returning to SOLDIER, however I will be creating a new military division that is there solely to protect this planet." Sephiroth looked out into the crowd. "ShinRa has caused much damage to Gaia…I've caused Gaia damage as part of SOLDIER and with my recent actions."

"What are you going to call this new division? Is it part of ShinRa or Wutai?"

"It will be called The Gaia Special Forces and it will be part of neither. I intend to make it a neutral body that acts in the best interest of the planet, not one specific group."

A female reporter got to her feet. "How are you going to accomplish such a thing? Clearly you side with Wutai…or are you loyal to Rufus Shinra?"

Sephiroth knew this would be difficult to explain. "This special forces unit will be a combination of people I choose, but will include Wutai Imperial Army forces, ShinRa Infantry, SOLDIERs, Turks, Crescent Unit members from Wutai, and various military forces and police officers around the world. Our focus will be protecting the planet from people like Hojo, the previous President ShinRa, Heidegger, Scarlett, Palmer, and Hollander."

"You speak of fixing the damage to this planet, but who will actually oversee all the reclamation projects to bring the world back on its feet?"

Sephiroth was relieved to be able to step back from the microphone. He wasn't much for public speaking.

Reeve took his place. "Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Reeve Tuesti and I am the Director of Urban Planning and Development. I want to say that the revitalization of Gaia is my top priority. As such, I am resigning my position as Director of Urban Planning and Development. I want to focus on repairing the damage to this planet that I was a silent prescience to over the year. I will instead be the Director of the World Regenesis Organization. We will be an independent body that works in the best interest of the planet, repairing all the damage done over the years."

"Who will replace you?"

Sephiroth again had to fight a small smile when he noticed Angeal's proud smile.

Reeve turned to his right. "Miss Gail Storm will now be the Director of Urban Planning and Development. I have worked with her for the last couple of years and she brings a fresh pair of eyes and a true passion for making life beneath the plates just as good as it is above them."

Rufus stepped forward once again. "Thank you for attending this press conference. As you can see we have many great things in place for the future. In you press packages you will find dates of future press conferences, a tentative timeline for repairs around Gaia, and information regarding the search for alternative energy resources with our plan to phase out Mako use all together. Thank you."


Luxiere turned off the television. What a fucking joke. He flexed his hand and looked at the machine pumping the Deepground Mako Protocols into his vein. Every drop that entered his blood stream made him stronger.

It would take time for Hollander to build Deepground up to a level ready to take on all of ShinRa's and Wutai's defenses, more so with the added forces Sephiroth would be using for his new Special Forces team. But they could wait. They would wait in silence for as long as it took…and then they destroy their enemies.