A/N: I used Final Fantasy VII Remake setting for Shinra Headquarters and some tweak for building the universe here :)
It wasn't a dream. Lucka woke up in Gaia.
And it'd been a quiet journey. Since the General and she'd left the house, he hadn't spoken any single words to her. He'd dressed in his full armored 1st Class SOLDIER uniform. Meanwhile, she hadn't even finished washing her face when he dragged her out. Whether the actual prisoners aren't allowed to appear presentable?
She tailed behind him inside the secret passage. It connected the upper plate residence where the General private penthouse was located, with an entrance to the Shinra Headquarters building. Lucka had estimated it was around a ten-minute walk between them.
She was well aware once they'd stepped into the lobby, up to the elevator, and until in front of his office door on the 49th floor, they hadn't been spared a curious glance from every single person they'd crossed. Although it wasn't often since it was still relatively early in the morning. She didn't know what attracted them most; a girl in her sleeping attire looked out of place, walking inside the superb Shinra hallway, her very all-white physical features, or the sight of the great General walking with an unusual girl.
Lucka kept following after the General entered his office. She was instantly welcomed with a grand full-black granite wall similar to the rest of the building wall's interior. Her eyes caught a great sturdy bookshelf behind a large L-shaped black desk. Over the surface laid a silver-colored computer and a mountain of paperwork. She browsed around with the slightest interest and spotted every side of the bookshelf was occupied with a large window, complete with a pair of indoor plants beneath it.
The General took his seat on a dark leather executive chair and turned on his computer. After he settled comfortably there, he inclined his head to a pair of olive green armchairs before his desk. She caught the hint and sat down. Then, he busied himself with the paperwork on his left side. His hand glided smoothly on the paper surface once he started his work.
Lucka watched him silently as she put both of her hands on top of her lap. She interlaced them to prevent herself from playing with her t-shirt and acting well-mannered in front of him. But in fact, she was partly covering her nervousness. She could at least control her expression when she faced the General alone. But, standing inside the very Headquarters of Shinra was making her anxious.
The building was basically the devil's nest, a gang of Bloodthirst for money and power. What would they do if they noticed her presence?Especially Hojo. Would the mad scientist be interested in turning her into a lab rat? Lucka was lost in her mind. They sat there hardly in a five-minute silence when his office doors burst wide with a loud slam.
"Sephiroth. You intentionally extended your trip to dump all your damned paperwork on me—"
As fast as the sound came, it was stopped halfway when her eyes met with a furious pair of bright greenish-blue Mako eyes. The man who stood on the threshold wore a red leather coat with a black pauldron. His angry face was draining slowly when a black-haired man behind him punched his shoulder lightly.
"Genesis, don't start." The black-haired man walked past him and stood before her. Though he looked taken aback for a second, he finally gave her a polite nod. "Having an early guest, huh?" He addressed the General.
"An uninvited guest." General calmly replied. His eyes never left his paperwork.
She turned her head back and muttered, "Oh, let me be invisible."
Genesis sneered at her while sitting on the General's desk. The edge of his coat brushed on her shinbone. He leaned forward—but it was too close for her liking. He said, "Say, Sephiroth. This is why you've gone for too long." He gave her a smirk with an allover glance. "To pick up your Lil sis."
Her eyebrows twitched. "I believe I'm not the General's little sister, Commander Rhapsodos," she said and extended her hand, "Lucka."
"Oh, you know me. Sweet, Genesis." He held her hand in a firm grasp. He dramatically grazed off his auburn bangs and said, "There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the goddess."
Her lips pursed a straight line, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
The black-haired man shifted and was already standing beside her. He held out his hand to her. She returned the gesture and nodded. "Lucka."
"Angeal." He put on a warm and friendly smile. Then he turned to face the General with one hand on his waist, asking for his full attention. "Should we come back later, Seph?"
"No, she's fine." He leaned back in his seat and waved his hand dismissively. "She's my captive." Angeal and Genesis showed him a doubtful look, so he said, "Last night, she sneaked into my house."
"If you're not one of Silver Elite, then call it a suicide. If you're, then call it fanatic," Genesis retorted.
"The suicide itself is tempting. But not worth enough because the General can quickly finish me. And I'm far from what called themselves as Silver Elite," she said.
They gave her a look. Angeal cleared his throat to break the ice. His eyes told the curiosity he had was genuine. He asked, "So, why are you there?"
"I wish I knew myself," she said. Leaned back in her seat, trying to make herself at ease.
"She said she's from another world." The General gave her a critical look. Even though his eyes didn't really see her, as if his mind was wandering somewhere else. "And the future."
"What, seriously? Like a time-traveler?" Genesis raised his hand. His eyebrows quirked, and the corner of his lips curled into a sly smirk. She couldn't decide whether the motion was showing a fake interest or not.
"Uh-huh," she said with a half reluctant nod, "though I don't know if my body is split into two and dead or not on the other planet, or I'm just completely gone like a cloud of dust."
They gave her another granted, it wasn't taking an eternity when the General office door knocked two times. Then he said, "Come in."
Tseng had admitted himself into the room. He was striding halfway while she locked her eyes with him. In this timeline, his hair hadn't grown to his waist. He tied the mid-length hair in a ponytail. His face was clean-cut, and the Turk uniform perfectly fit his sturdy posture.
She didn't even realize she was already on her feet and offered him a bow from her waist seamlessly, which just looked like it was habitual.
All of the eyes in the room were on her. But she didn't budge.
Tseng seemed hesitant behind his rigid posture for a brief moment, yet he could cover it most perfectly and bowed back at her, then he said, "Miss Circe."
"Just call me Lucka. It's nice to meet you in person, Tseng of the Turks." She tilted her head a little and offered him a half-smirk.
Tseng blinked with a blank expression on his face, trying to hide the hint of fascination in his eyes. Perhaps since he became a Turk his whole life, he never met a stranger—or even someone he already knew—who was excited to see him. Not everyone was happy with his job.
Tseng nodded at her and stepped deeper into the room. He stopped two feet away, right in front of her. Then turned his head to the side when the General approached them.
"I'd appreciate it if you could report to me as soon as possible for any information." The General handed him her card wallet.
"Definitely, sir." Tseng gave him an assuring nod.
"I owe you one. You're dismissed."
Angeal and Genesis stayed there later after Tseng's dismissal. They talked about some reports, including summaries of the weekly meeting between the bigwigs in his absence. Sephiroth remained in his seat, keeping Lucka's presence in the corner of his eyes.
The girl appeared troubled at first, but after some minutes, she explored his office room with a tentative approach. She'd glance at him to ask permission, and he'd stared back only to say nothing. In another time, he'd watch her closely as she took out some books from the shelf, then sat back in her spot to start reading.
They were minding their own business for a whole hour when he heard a low growl coming from his front. He fixed his eyes on the girl after noticing, for the first time since they met she was fidgeting in her position with a pale flush on her cheeks. Despite her blank expression, she looked uncomfortable. Did she feel uneasy because of her unmanageable condition? She didn't react the same way when he coerced her yesterday. Perhaps, she only mastered her reaction under controlled circumstances.
"Pardon me. Last night's ice cream had dissolved," she said with a hint of defensiveness.
"You didn't give her any meal?" asked Angeal with an accusation tone, giving Sephiroth a questioning look.
"No," he said absently, still eyeing her, as he noted the sudden turn in her character. "Neither I had a meal."
"Let's go. We can have an early brunch." Angeal stood at his full height and tilted his head to the door.
Genesis also straightened up. He absently sorted out the hem of his coat and glimpsed at Sephiroth with an irritated look. He said, "No, I'm good. I still have a bunch of paperwork waiting for me."
Sephiroth only raised his eyebrow at him and then followed Angeal to the door after making sure Lucka was on his tail.
Lucka buried her head down and was so busy with her food. Or no, to be exact, she was busy ignoring the murmuring voice and blatant stares from almost a quarter of the SOLDIER battalion towards her in the cafeteria. She could feel the powerful testosterone in the air around her, although it was before the rush hour of lunchtime. She couldn't imagine when the chaos broke down in the room later.
"Sometimes, it's hard to be a woman," she said with a not-so-low voice, ignoring the possibility that all the SOLDIERS in the room could hear her clearly.
Angeal chuckled with a soft voice, his eyes glimmering with humor. "It doesn't happen every day. A female showed up on this cafeteria floor."
"True, it also doesn't happen every day to march out a captive into a male den." She glanced back and forth to both of the men across her seat.
"A male den." The General repeated in a dry tone before he swallowed a spoonful of vegetables with his right hand. She found it funny because the General was well known in the game for using Masamune with his left hand. Even when he did some writing on his paperwork earlier.
Lucka turned her full attention to the General, considering the words she wanted to say to him. "I honestly can't comprehend your intention, General. Even though I'm innocent, isn't it an unwise idea to bring me out of your house in the first place?"
The General was quiet at some moment, eying her with a cold gaze. "The decision is mine," he said.
She managed to cover her irritation from his imperious remark. "Right, do as you wish, General." Though she replied with a little more accentuation than necessary to the words. Carelessly, Lucka stole a pair of fries from his plate. She showed her little revenge on him and ate them with a deadpan face. But in contrast, she found his eyes flickering with slight amusement.
The girl was in Sephiroth's shadow after they parted with Angeal. Her fluffy slippers made a muffled sound wherever they went. Although he was conscious of all the stares from people when they crossed paths in the hallway, he simply overlooked it and made their way back to his office. No one would dare enough to ask him about her anyway.
Once they arrived, he resumed the work while Lucka entertained herself with some of his book collections. Most of his book's content was about war strategy, geography, weapon, and magic's Materia. He didn't think the girl was interested in such things. But by looking at how easily she was absorbed and how her eyes sparkled in fascination, she might found something enjoyable.
Sephiroth found himself also being occupied in his work. Once he engaged in the subject on his hand, it was almost hard to make him out of his chair. On the busiest days, people should put extra effort into persuading him even just to spare ten minutes of his time. But for him, being packed with a schedule wasn't something inadequate. Because it was a crucial thing to make his brain keep functioning.
On top of that, running this career and holding the position as the General had a consequence. Naturally, power would come with responsibilities. Although he wouldn't lie, sometimes he felt reluctant to do the paperwork because it was boring. The tedium should have forced him to picture another positive perspective, though. Considering it was actually included as the job requirement. Yet if he had the chance, he'd dump the overloaded paperwork partly on Genesis and Angeal.
But in times like this, he'd use the paperwork as an excuse to observe his captive silently without being engaged in unnecessary small talk. He didn't even try, though, and neither did she. Thus far, he didn't find her doing anything suspicious. But if her quietness and careless behavior were real and counted under these circumstances. In fact, it was strange. How could she make herself at ease and didn't feel any pressure under his authority? Was it just her mask?
Sephiroth could easily convict her death sentence anytime if he wanted to. He could frame it as a failed assassination attempt. But he didn't. He had a better thought of it because it'd be a waste. He'd noticed her valuable aspects. Her stealth ability to sneak into his house was remarkable, and her attitude to remain collected under pressure couldn't be left unnoticed. Perhaps if she proved to be innocent, the Turks would recruit her. At least Shinra would take the opportunity. Even though he disliked the idea that she'd become a Turk, it wasn't his business anymore.
"General? I won't dare to go anywhere," she said with her eyes plastered down at the book in her hands, "the building security is incomparably higher than your house, right?"
His lips twisted up into a faint smirk. In fact, the girl even knew she was being watched in silence.
After her remark, they didn't have any conversation for the rest of the day. Sephiroth finished all his works by dusk. Following to divide some packages he needed to deliver to various departments, including his Director, Lazard. Then he led the girl back to his house and called it a day.
Tseng was sitting behind a stupendous desk in the study room in his penthouse. He decided to extend his working hours past midnight. Because frankly, he couldn't find anything useful during the day. His hands were typing in incredible quick movement on his keyboard computer. He had successfully hacked the Shinra Civilian Center Database. People with albinism on Gaia were 1:10.000. It'd be easy finding her. But Nothing. Not even a single soul on Gaia matches her ID. In this case, both dead and alive.
He'd been better at controlling his emotion, but somehow his head started to hurt as he sighed for the hundredth time that day. Tseng had searched on almost all of the digital platforms. Although probably there were some old printed documents across the world that'd been buried in a secret place containing her identity. But of course, it'd become another mystery to be solved.
His right hand grabbed a glass of coffee. He emptied the last drop and exhaled the heaviness on his chest. Perhaps another one or two hours wouldn't hurt, as he hoped to find something useful, and his bed could wait a moment longer.