Rufus Shinra woke with a start, his eyes snapping open to only darkness. He looked to the clock at his side. Four A.M. Not an uncommon time for him these days. He slid his bare feet out from under the covers and let his hand guide him along the wall towards the bathroom, feeling the fine roughness of a rectangular plastic switch. The blast of light made his eyes want to shrink back into themselves as they adjusted to the halogen lights above. Splashing water on his face and dragging his hands through his hair, he let the cold sink bare his weight.

It had been a year since the remnants and Sephiroth met their end, and Geostigma had had its way with the world, and with him. Though the rain had cured the affliction, it did not cure the damage already done to those unfortunate enough to have had it at its longest. Rufus stared at himself through the mirror. His once brilliant blue eyes were now two tone in appearance; one of sapphire that his mother had given him, the other, the color of a white out in the dead of winter. One was a token and a reminder, of who he used to be, the other of who he was now. Two in the same, and yet two very different men. Or so he thought.

Shinra had been ruined. That was an undeniable reality up until a year ago, but he had never been one to lie over and die. He had survived Diamond Weapon. Had survived Geostigma. The world had taken its due that it was owed in his mind, and soon he would take his. It was as simple as that.


"Sir-You're up early." Tseng said, making his entrance into the kitchen area, noting the time. Rufus sat on a high stool, hunched over a cascade of paperwork. His hair was neatly put together and he was fully dressed in a pressed and fitted suit, which contrasted strongly with his haggard features. Every morning that Tseng would rise to relieve Reno from the nightshift, he would find Rufus up and about. "Still not sleeping, Sir? If you'd like we could get you something to hel-"

"I've had enough drugs for a lifetime, thank you very much, Tseng."

The Turk quickly nodded, "Apologies, of course, Sir." and moved towards the stove to make tea. He had been right, Tseng thought to himself, filling the pot with water and setting it onto the open flame. After Diamond, Rufus had been heavily medicated for quite some time, the accident leaving him with a limp and several scars he wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon. They were lucky to have found him alive, or even at all. The Turk's stomach still sank down inside of him at the thought of that night. When Shinra had collapsed, when Rufus' body was bloody and broken, the man's tenacity had been the only thing to pull him through. It had been remarkable then to witness, but watching him now run himself ragged every morning made the head Turk think that perhaps it wouldn't hurt his boss to learn how to relax once in a while. He smiled to himself, beginning to hear the water hiss to life. No, that was not the Shinra way and it never would be. So instead, Tseng would continue to listen, and to wait, for the hissing to climb to its highest pitch.

"Tseng, would you look at something for me? Here."

Tseng turned and grabbed the stack of papers Rufus handed to him. There was a slight tremor in the man's hand that had never quite gone away. The Turk made sure to grab the thick folder quickly. Years ago, Rufus's words would have been a command. Lately, they had been a request. Tseng popped the folder open between his smooth, open palms. "What am I looking at, Sir?"

"The lower district in Edge. It's the perfect distance from the new prototype. I think it would be a strategic location for the soft launch of the new transmitter."

Tseng frowned. "Sir, I'm not a scientist, but this specific location will bring several problems to the surface that we may not be well-equipped to solve."

"Such as?"

"Such as, Sir, that the lower district of Edge is filled with families that were present during the disc drop, as well as avid past supporters of Avalanche. A move to support them with services may be seen as encroachment,Sir."

"Shinra's reputation is our largest liability at this point and we can't reach the upper districts without going through lower ones first. It has to be here. Do we have anyone in the area to act as a liaison? Someone who has favor on the inside and knows the underground?"

The kettle began to howl behind Tseng, forcing his attention away from the conversation in order to remove it nimbly from the heat. He leaned his back against the metal stove, focusing once again on the papers in his hand, his expression taught with consideration.

The Turk's eyes flicked up from the pages, meeting Rufus's stare. The blonde had been watching him diligently the entire time. Rufus had been working with the Turk for years now; every twitch of that indiscernible face could be read as easily as a book.

"You're thinking it, too." Rufus said in finality, satisfaction creeping over his features. Tseng shook his head in hesitant denial. "Sir, I don't recommend it. "

"It's already settled."

"Sir-I urge you to not take this lightly."

"Tseng, have I ever taken anything lightly?"

Tseng paused, almost afraid to say the thoughts running through his head. But as much as Rufus had grown over the years, Tseng had been surprised to see that he had somehow grown as well.

"Sir, please excuse my candor, but I don't think I need to remind you that you're lucky to be alive. Reengaging with that lot, moving forward with company revival, Sir," he paused and his words lowered into something far softer, "Are you sure this is still what you want?"

Rufus stared at him in silence, his eyes losing what warmth they had.

"Be careful Tseng."


Tifa Lockhart stood dumbfounded in front of her own bar. The blonde sitting on the bench outside the entrance wore a blue wool jacket and was currently biding his time reading an open folder he held with one hand. Her business was healthy but she never had someone wait till opening. She contemplated the only other reasonable explanation with dread; a debt collector.

"I'm sorry, but we don't open for another couple hours…"

The man's face rose to look up at her, causing her heart to jolt, the hair raising on the back of her neck. A wry smile crossed his lips. "Miss Lockhart." he said, closing the folder onto his lap and sitting up straight.

Tifa hadn't seen Rufus in years. Cloud had mentioned that the ex-president was alive but never said much beyond that. The ex-soldier had preferred to keep the past where it belonged, even when it did occasionally rise from the dead. She took in the man sitting in front of her, stuck between wishing she could seep into the ground and remaining stuck in morbid fascination with the dead man walking. His shoulders had turned broad in the years he'd been gone; his willowy boyish frame had grown into that of a man. Two tone eyes stared up at her with the same slyness that guaranteed her that the same Rufus Shinra was still too alive and too well for her own comfort.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her feet plastered to the ground. Her voice was a tremulous mix of anger and what she now recognized, an almost overwhelming sadness. The face in front of her, however marred and matured, brought a flood of memories back with it. Sector 7, Hojo's lab, her near execution. So many good people lost because of one family in particular. And the last of its kind had shown up at her doorstep.

"I hope I'm not intruding. But I came to talk business."

"You and I know that your business is never something I've ever found agreeable."

"Despite our past conflicts, I would appreciate it if you could make the time to hear what I have to say."

"You can say whatever you need to out here. You have 30 seconds before I kick you off my property." She said, gaining control over herself the best she could.

" I'm working on a new power source and I would like to establish it in the lower district as a token of good faith. But I don't have enough data on the area, nor does Shinra have a palpable reputation in this specific bracket. I'd like your opinion on how we can become more attractive to the lower district while supplying everyone here with free, renewable, non-mako energy. I can provide you with full transparency on the project, plus compensation."

It was obvious he had anticipated the frigid reception. His words were careful and to the point, leaving the silence to settle back down between them.

"You want to use us as guinea pigs, is that it?"

"It's perfectly safe, " he said, holding the folder out to her, his forearm resting casually on his crossed knee. "Far safer than Mako. The most that would happen are a few popped fuses. As I mentioned, I am willing to provide total transparency. If you don't like what you see, at any point, we take our separate ways. No harm, no foul."

"You expect me to believe that."

"What I expect and what I want are two different things, Miss Lockhart. In our current situation, all I ask is that you to come to your own conclusion, once given all the information." he said.

She took the folder, grasping it in her hand as lightly as her fingers would allow, as if carrying something she found distasteful. The lower district had been struggling with development and the lack of available and affordable power had been at the forefront of their difficulties. If she had it her way, Rufus would be thrown down the steps of her bar by now, but he had come here knowing full well that the offer would be too tempting for her to outright deny. After all, this was so much bigger than herself. Much bigger. Did she have the right to refuse when so many lives were involved? Her face fell in disappointment, realizing that she would have to at least hear him out.

"Can't it be someone else? She asked.

He gave her no reply as if the answer were self-evident, and after a few seconds of self-realization, she had to agree with him. Barrett would never listen, and Cloud was terrible at forging connections with the people around him. Rufus was first and foremost a business man and no doubt grew up entirely around his father's empire. She had been a calculated choice, and one that had been correct in his eyes, based solely on the fact that he was still sitting on her bar's front porch.

She gave a disgusted and resounding sigh, looking at him. Bracing herself for the words about to come out of her mouth, she shook her head and went for her keys. "Alright, Rufus."

Rufus made a gesture to Elena and Tseng who immediately began to move, Tseng beginning to climb the stairs.

"They stay out back."

The head Turk gave Rufus a disapproving look but the blond raised a hand in protest, making the man stand down. "Of course, Miss Lockhart. As you wish. We will be waiting for you at either exit once you are through, Sir."

Tifa unlocked the bar as Rufus got to his feet. He wasn't nearly as tall as Tseng but she could feel him towering behind her as she pushed the door open. "This never ends does it." She said out loud, stepping through. "Shut the door behind you."

Shinra may have been at the top of the world at one point and the man following her in had been afforded every luxury life could offer, but he was in her bar now, her home, and here she was Queen.

"It would appear we must continue co-existing on the same rock." He said, shutting the door behind him so quietly that she had to check to see he'd actually done it at all. He took in the interior as Tifa took in her new visitor from behind her own bar.

"It's early, but what's your poison?" She asked, leaning on the countertop, a rag already tossed casually over her shoulder.

His eyes darted from the garish pinball machines to the dusty wooden beams, finally settling on the sunset eyed bartender from across the room.

"Gin and tonic, if you would." He said.

She shook her head to herself while reaching for a glass, a second wave of realization hitting her. It was the logical thing to do, her brain told her. Serving Rufus Shinra a drink in her second bar, after his company dropped the plate on the first one. She moved, and as if her body were on autopilot, she poured up his drink.

"Well?" Tifa slid the concoction onto the bar as a signal for him to get to business. It did spur his attention more fully, but not to the extent that she had hoped. Rufus had a lazy way about him that social niceties would never overcome. He seemed more fully absorbed in the décor of the bar; running his hands over the worn wooden tables.

"Reno speaks well of this place."

"He should, considering he dropped an entire plate on the last one."

That got his attention. Rufus finally made his way up to the bar and slung his coat over the neighboring stool. Tifa could see his walk was still proud and erect but it had a hitch when he stepped from under his right leg. A momento of their time together, to be sure. 'Good.' She thought.

Straddling the stool, he grabbed the drink in front of him, "Thank you."

She watched him as he seemed to be considering something.

"For what it's worth, which probably isn't much, I'm sorry." he said. Tifa had to take a moment to bring herself back to reality. Then anger flared inside of her.

"Rufus, I let you in because I am crazy enough to believe that you might have a way of improving some lives, and I'm hoping, really hoping," she leant over the counter, her fist clenching into the rag it held, " that I'm not still as stupid as I used to be. But if I for a moment, get a whiff of anything underhanded, I swear to you, I will send you and your company packing so hard, your head will spin. Do you understand?"

He looked at her with eyes that dared, his jawline tightening like steel trap. 'There it is,' she thought. That's the Shinra she knew. And then the look had disappeared as fast as it appeared, replaced by a tamed and even expression.

"You're right. I can't undo what's been done. So instead, I'd like to look forward and keep this meeting productive, for the sake of us both. Fair?"

"Alright."

Rufus flipped open the folder that she'd thrown onto the bar and arranged out the paperwork.

For the next hour, Rufus walked her through his plans for installing several transmitters and wiring through the underground of Edge, creating a new, unobtrusive network of energy to be passed through the city. She found herself quite surprised at how much care and patience he was putting into breaking the information down for her. He spoke in a way that never called her intelligence into question and gave her just enough laymen clarification to make the information digestible. When she asked questions, he answered them without reproach, and on occasion, she could see how excited he was when he spoke about how the prototype was so different from his father's Mako Reactors. He became animated in a way that Tifa could only marvel at, watching one of those two tone eyes brighten as he spoke.

"What do you think?" he asked, pushing back from the countertop and examining her.

"You're asking me?"

"Yes. Do you think people will accept it?"

She couldn't keep the reflexive cringe from her face.

"Well that doesn't look promising." He said, reaching for his second gin and tonic.

"No- it's not- As skeptical as I was, this could really help a lot of people, Rufus. But…I don't think I need to tell you that Shinra has hurt a lot of people. It's going to be difficult persuading them to trust you again."

"I already know that. But that's where you come in. You know these people better than anyone in my company. I'd like for you to be an advocate- an independent one at that."

"Rufus- I'm flattered that you think I could make a difference, but-"

"You've always made a difference, Miss Lockhart." He said, his words flat. Tifa froze.

'Who was she even looking at,' she thought to herself, stuck in a complete stupor for the second time in the day. Her body told her to mistrust, to find deceit in his words, but his words rang honest. She wasn't sure which was more terrifying to her, that she couldn't find the man behind the mask, or that there was a Rufus Shinra who wasn't completely beyond likability.

As if reading her thoughts, he turned his gaze down to the papers and began shuffling them neatly into a pile. "I've licked my wounds long ago, Miss Lockhart." He said, quietly.