There were benefits to having Turks escort the executives back to headquarters, of course. Not the least of which was the fact that once the board meeting began, the Turk presence was almost tangible.

Veld was the only one not seated, and moved to the conspicuously empty head of the table. "My team has finished processing the scene. Obviously, it has to be compared to what we found in Nibelheim. We're hopeful to find more clues here, with the heavier security, and I'll be updating you all as soon as I've found out more."

"You intend to interrogate my troopers, I assume," Heidegger said flatly.

"I intend to question everyone in the building last night," Veld said. "So it's going to be a long process, unless we have a break early on."

"Hopefully you will. Who knows who else is on their list," Scarlet said.

"That depends entirely on motivation," Veld said. "If it's about something Hojo did, taking out Hojo and the President would likely be the end of people, leaving them with just wanting to destroy relevant locations. If this is about the war and they're going after the root of SOLDIER…"

"Then I would be next," Heidegger said.

Veld nodded. "Of course, if it's taking out ShinRa, period, then it could be any of us. It remains to be seen what the precise motivation here is, and I'm not making assumptions."

"Wonderful." Scarlet scowled. "So we're all going to be under guard everywhere we go. How are we expected to work like this?"

"Better than if you were dead," Veld said.

"The Turks are hardly obtrusive," Reeve said. "I'm sure we can learn to adjust, for our own safety."

"I have my own people who can step up my guard," Heidegger said.

"Like they guarded the president?" Scarlet said.

"Don't start," Rufus said. He was playing the part of the withdrawn, rather shell shocked son perfectly - he looked like he hadn't slept, stressed and exhausted and not at all in the mood for Scarlet and Heidegger's shenanigans. "We need to discuss how this affects the company. Do what you want with your own lives, I couldn't care less."

"Obviously, someone's going to have to make a statement, and PR is going to have to be brought in on making sure this is handled to our best… angle," Scarlet said, realizing perhaps that best advantage was not the term to use in front of a dead man's son.

Rufus arched a brow at her, unimpressed. "Yes, obviously. I was talking about me taking control of the company at twenty. There will be talk."

"And you care about talk?" She asked skeptically.

"I care about the reputation of my company," Rufus snapped. "I'm not going to leave us looking vulnerable. If that means I have to wait a year or two, for ShinRa's sake, then I'll suck it up and work from the background."

There was some disbelieving silence, even from Veld; he hadn't expected him to suggest it himself.

"I assume you have someone in mind," Scarlet said.

"Reeve," Rufus said simply.

"You've got to be kidding me," Heidegger said immediately. "He's barely older than you are!"

"He's ten years older than I am, and he'll give it back," Rufus said flatly. "If I give you the presidency, I'd get pushed out of my own company."

Heidegger flushed. "I'd never -"

"You still haven't even given SOLDIER a proper, dedicated director, don't lie to my face," Rufus said. "You're not fooling anyone here, let's at least be honest."

"Did you two even talk about this?" Scarlet asked. "He's never shown the slightest interest in politics beyond handling City Planning."

"He's handled everything that's ever been asked of him," Rufus said. "I have no doubt he can at least pretend to be in charge, and people like him. Which is more than I can say for the rest of the board."

Reeve coughed, straightening his tie. "If you really think this is the best way to go forward, then… I suppose we'll have to work something out."

"Do you really think I'd suggest someone take over in my place if I thought there was literally any other way?" Rufus said, the frustration in his voice very much genuine.

"Of course," Reeve said softly, holding up a hand. "I'd be honored to work with you."

"Then it's decided. Reeve and I will be partners, up until a point when I can take over without a public fuss," Rufus said. "He'll be the face of things. And you'll all deal with it, because I own over half the shares of this company and no one is irreplaceable."

"You've made your point," Reeve said, almost gentle in comparison. He could see them sizing him up, already plotting how to make this work in their favor, and the mere idea of it all was exhausting.

But he'd committed to it. And Reeve had never backed down from a challenge just because he didn't like it.

"Is that all, then?" Scarlet asked.

"While we're on the note of promotions and changing things up, I'm going to address our two other empty chairs," Rufus said. "Science and SOLDIER."

"Now see here -" Heidegger started.

"They don't trust you, for good reason, and they resent you almost as much as you resent them," Rufus said. "There is no point in having a department head who is not an advocate for the well being and success of their own department, that's ridiculous. Father may have been fine with letting you have your little power fantasy, but I'm done with it."

"And what does our President think?" Heidegger asked, eyeing Reeve.

Reeve arched a brow. "Do you know why Veld was in Nibelheim, Heidegger?"

That was not the angle anyone had been expecting.

Heidegger narrowed his eyes, fully expecting he was being set up. "…why?"

"Because Zack Fair's soulmate felt the immense pain he was in, at Hojo's tender mercies," Reeve said mildly. He didn't smile at the way the other executives blanched. "I'm familiar with Zack. We all are, of course, one of SOLDIER's prodigies. But I've worked with him. I've worked with SOLDIER, for that matter. And I know he is highly regarded. So if I had to take a wild guess about how SOLDIER is feeling about ShinRa right this moment, I would say they're not feeling very charitable. So, do I think maybe it's time we put someone they like in charge of their department before, say, we have another defection? Yes. Yes I do."

"Hojo had Fair?" Scarlet said. "Are we sure SOLDIER isn't behind the assassinations?"

"They were both shot, and Hojo was dead before the SOLDIERs could do anything," Veld said. "So while I wouldn't say it's impossible for them to have been behind the President's assassination, they didn't have the time or opportunity to kill Hojo."

"If it was SOLDIER, you'd know. They can't do anything subtly," Heidegger said.

"And it is precisely that attitude that needs addressed," Rufus said.

"Kyaa haa, who would you put in his place, then?" Scarlet asked, clearly amused.

Rufus tapped his fingers on his coffee cup, thoughtful. "Torvik."

"A Turk?" Heidegger said. "SOLDIER doesn't get on with the Turks either!"

"They work with her," Rufus said. "They've worked with her in Junon since before Lazard defected. They wouldn't like her, no, but they respect her. Which is more than I can say for you. Besides, she was a part of Public Safety, back in the day."

"You can't be serious," Heidegger protested. He looked at Veld. "Can you even afford to spare her? She's your eyes on the academy."

"She's trained up a solid team," Veld said. "If necessary, one of them could take over."

"If necessary? She can't manage both!"

"Why not, because she's a woman?" Scarlet asked, narrowing her eyes. "You managed two whole departments just fine."

"We're not having another argument," Rufus said. "The only alternative is promoting someone from within their ranks."

"We could have them interviewed for it," Reeve suggested. "That's not a bad idea, if there's any of them that could handle that much paperwork."

"And that's something she could do, it doesn't have to be a permanent appointment," Rufus said. "In fact, it might be best that it's not. But for now, it'll work. I trust you can win her over, Veld."

"I'll manage," he said dryly.

"What about the Science Department, then?" Scarlet asked.

"Who's running it now?" Rufus glanced at Veld. "Hojo's dead, Hollander is probably dead by now, and you had to arrest Warren. Where does that leave us?"

"Currently, Amber Rayleigh is handling SOLDIER," Veld said. "She's experienced with the program, though she'll need to be signed into Hojo's accounts to read up further on the parts he classified."

"Wouldn't we all," he muttered. "Can she do it?"

"I think she's certainly our best bet for managing SOLDIER," Veld said.

"Which is more or less the point of Science, at this point," Rufus said. "Fine. Do that. But keep an eye on her, I don't want any more of the shenanigans that went on under my father."

"I can do that," Veld said.

"See that you do. I don't want to see anyone getting on the kind of power trip Hojo was," Rufus said. "And I'll talk with SOLDIER myself. What's happened is inexcusable and I don't want them thinking I was in favor."

"If we're done here, then, I think I'll let Torvik and Rayleigh know," Reeve said. "And then we can work on a PR statement."

"Do that." Rufus sighed, looking around the table with a small, hard smile. "I'm glad we were all able to come to an agreement."