The day passed quickly in Edge, leaving Aria to rush from the bedroom to the front door in a strapless bra and back thigh-high panty hose.
"You're early," she groaned through the door.
"I guess I was just too excited for this little reunion," a playful voice shot back. "At least let me in."
The door audibly unlocked and Reno pushed it open. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of her slipping back into the bedroom.
"I see you've made some adjustments to the dress. I like it!" he called after her. Her hand reached out from behind the door to gesture rudely back at him. He laughed. "My excitement is nothing compared to the host's, though. I'm sure you can imagine what this week has been like." He leaned against the back of the couch, looking around the living room and kitchen for signs of life. "Where's Valentine?"
For this answer, she stepped back out into the doorway.
"I have no idea. I left him a note saying to take a walk or something today. He's been gone since I got back an hour ago, and..." she shrugged, shook her head, and waved her arm at the emptiness of the apartment simultaneously. "I could handle a less enigmatic disposition sometimes."
"Gaia, the guy slept in a coffin for thirty years. Enigma is likely his middle name. Who cares? I doubt he contributes much to a party. You'll be fine without him; it'll be like old times."
She rolled her eyes and disappeared again.
"You got any Cosmo Nectar? I have an awfully thirsty flask..." he called out, already opening her refrigerator. Only as he finished filling his stainless flask did she finally exit the bedroom, fully dressed. He set the bottle down and grinned.
"There she is."
"Your jacket is...pressed. And is that a...a tie?" she teased. "Does it hurt? Can you breathe?"
His own appearance had certainly changed for the occasion. They spent a long moment staring at each other in a silence that was half-mocking and half-genuine awe. His eyes narrowed on her neck.
"What happened here?" he asked, gesturing to his own neck, then taking a swig from the neon orange liqueur. She bit her bottom lip quickly, then sidestepped the question.
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later. We should get going."
He paused, unsatisfied with the answer, but followed her to the door, helping her with a black jacket. As she stepped out into the hallway, he quickly grabbed the bottle from the kitchen counter and tucked it into his jacket.
"I'm bringing this," he said unapologetically
"Of course you are."
As the construction of Shinra's new headquarters had yet to finish, the gala was held at a new hotel on the northern edge of the city. The front of building was lined with photographers, guests, and civilians hoping to catch a glimpse of the head of Shinra Inc, who had withdrawn from the public eye two years before. Limousines lined the street in front of the massive building, depositing streams of the wealthiest of Edge's businessmen and women. Tseng stood at the head of a line of Soldiers near the entrance, sending an overt message about the event's security. Aria leaned back in her seat upon laying her eyes on his impressive display.
"What?" Reno prodded, noticing the color drain from her face.
She shook her head. "I think I just realized what a stupid idea this is."
"Are you kidding? You were invited," he reminded her. She arched an eyebrow and reached for the orange bottle in his hand. "I mean, you weren't expected to come alone...but, that's alright."
She swallowed hard and lowered the bottle, looking out the tinted window again. "Vincent is so much smarter than me. It's official."
"Oh, please. If we held a grudge against everyone who has attacked us, we wouldn't be able to have these parties at all, would we?"
The truth in the question made her laugh.
Minutes later, they approached the entrance under the watchful eye of Tseng and his line of Soliders. While Reno talked effortlessly with the crowds of people near the door, Aria kept her head down, eyes glued to one unremarkable spot on her diamond bracelet. Vincent had given her the accessory weeks ago, for what seemed like no reason at all. She doubted he intended for her to wear it on this occasion, but she was glad to have it to stare at all the same.
Soon enough, Reno was talking into Tseng's ear, while Tseng's gaze cut Aria like knives. He nodded only once, and Reno pulled Aria into the building, out of the flash of photographers and the frenzy of enthused civilians. They walked past the traditional photographer's station, where guests stood against a navy backdrop and forced wide smiles for the press. Despite the new location of the Gala, she did not need Reno's guidance. Her years of working similar events left her to navigate the space with ease, checking her jacket quickly, and finding her assigned place at a white table. She stiffened only slightly at the name on her place card: Ms. Penelope Marx. She picked it up as she sat down, turning it toward Reno.
"I think I'm having an identity crisis."
He laughed, taking the card from her to examine it. "So you are. Maybe it was intentional. A reminder of where you come from."
"Nostalgic bullshit." She plucked the card from his hand and placed it back on the table. As she did so, her eyes caught the name on the card to her left. "You couldn't have thought he would actually come," she said, nodding toward the small white symbol of absence.
"I thought maybe working for the WRO, he would have some interest in this event."
She nodded in feigned illumination. With that, Reno bid a quick farewell and disappeared into the crowd to meet with his colleagues. Aria sat alone at her table, inspecting the ballroom for exits, balconies, rest rooms, and anterooms. As she formed a mental map of the space, dinner was announced, and guests made their way to the tables. Her own filled quickly with Shinra employees from the accounting department. She grinned inwardly at the message her placement sent, how far she had fallen. The grin fell when long arm reached into her field of vision and turned down the small card reading Mr. Vincent Valentine.
Tseng slid into the chair beside her and smiled slightly at the guests staring at him from the rest of the table. He addressed Aria lowly.
"You're alone."
"You're astute."
His eyes met hers in a warning she had seen him give Reno more than once, and briefly, she wondered if the redhead had rubbed off on her, or vice versa.
"Why are you here?" he asked, still feigning a smile.
"I was invited. A sign of solidarity, appreciation for my help."
"Help?"
Her eyes narrowed. "With your little Jenova crisis. Or have you forgotten your trip to the northern crater?" she asked sharply.
"What I have not forgotten is the loss of twenty Shinra employees, before you decided to 'help.'"
Through a strained smile, she shot back, "Then you must remember putting a bullet through each of my family members."
"I do." The bold admission stunned her into breaking eye contact. She watched her untouched glass of champagne as he continued. "I so vividly remember making an island of you. And if you have any plans for lashing out at the company again, do not fool yourself into believing I won't repeat the gesture."
She nodded in understanding, but raked his nerves with a genuine smile of her own.
"My new friends fight back."
With a single nod, he stood, delicately picking up the white name card and arching an eyebrow.
"Yes, I can see just how supportive they are." He dropped the card in her lap as he passed behind her, abandoning her to a table of strangers.
Aria ate little of her meal, and chose instead to watch her former colleagues work the room. The dinner lasted far too long for her impatient nerves as city planners gave eloquent speeches about the progress of Edge, thanking Shinra Inc. more times than she could count. Glasses raised in dramatic toasts, all to a man she could not seem to find within the room. Only after music began playing and bodies began to fill the open floorspace of the ballroom did she leave her seat, a frustrated scowl coloring her features. Ever so casually, she began to prowl the perimeter of the room, testing every doorknob she came to behind her back, hoping for an unlocked entrance into a stairwell. As she made her rounds, her eyes naturally scanned the room for Turks, of whom she found none. Their absence inspired tension in her neck.
Eventually, in the darkened, far back corner of the massive room, a door gave way to her testing hands. With a final quick glance over her shoulder, she slipped into the dark stairwell. Gripping the handrail for her bearings, she approached the second floor, slipping off her shoes midway for silence. She leaned against the second floor entrance, listening for voices or footsteps, and found none. After a brief pause, she slowly and silently pushed the door open just wide enough to slip through into the abandoned hallway.
A door at the front end of the hall caught her eye, its golden knob bouncing dim light down the corridor as it slowly swung open. Two men stepped into the hallway in dark suits. Aria's jaw clenched as she braced herself for confrontation. To her surprise, the men turned away from her, taking only a few steps up the hallway, and disappearing into an elevator.
"Lazy asses," she muttered, now safe to approach the door whence they came.
The room behind the door was quiet. As she pressed her ear against the heavy wood, only a quieter version of the music playing downstairs passed through. A single deep breath gave her the resolve to turn the knob.
"Hello, Guardian."
The conference room had been transformed into a luxurious box seat from which to watch the gala happening one floor below. A large, two-way mirror made up an entire wall, overlooking the grand ballroom. Red, plush furniture filled the floor. Gold, overhead fixtures covered the gray carpet in small pools of dim light. In the middle of the room, in a large leather chair, sat Rufus Shinra, an eyebrow cocked at his visitor.
They stared at one another for a long moment, each suppressing the wild arrays of emotion elicited by the other. Years of history flooded the room, and they knew they could not pretend to be strangers if they tried.
"It's been a while," she finally noted. He nodded once, then extended his hand toward the sofa opposite his chair. She crossed the room cautiously, scanning every corner once before finally taking a seat.
"Still not accustomed to heels?" he asked, noting the pair of shoes still hanging from her fingers. She grinned and dropped them to the floor, slipping her feet back in.
"I wasn't sure how easy it would be to get to you."
"You need only ask. No creeping around in the shadows required."
Aria raised her eyebrows in surprise; he smirked. The expression held her eyes on his face for another long moment, and she could not help but notice how he had grown. Gone was the entitled youth she had spent her early years protecting. In his place sat a confident man with fine lines on his face that came only with wisdom and experience. He had suffered, and it showed. Soft curves had been replaced with sharper angles, and Aria's few remaining feelings of condescension slipped away.
"You're here alone?" he asked, breaking the new silence. Her gaze broke away, retreating to the large window.
"This is not exactly his scene."
"Not enough coffins? It could have been arranged..."
Aria laughed. "Possibly. Or, it could be that he is not easily fooled by your 'goodwill gestures.'"
"Oh? And you are? Or is this the beginning of another great quest to bring down the company? At least you dressed up for the occasion."
"No, nothing like that. Yet."
He smiled. "You know, we still talk about you. The newer recruits know you as a traitor, naturally. Your name has a stigma similar to Sephiroth's. I've wondered how that would make you feel. Proud? Ashamed? I couldn't figure it out... I never knew where you placed your loyalty."
"Oh, I am a flurry of emotion," she said flatly. He grinned again.
"Either way, I'm glad you came. I hope I am correct in assuming this means you are leaving the past in the past."
Her eyes fell as she assessed the score. She had lost her family, and temporarily her reputation in Cosmo. She had been shot more than she could remember, resulting in Shinra scientists using her body for a prototype prosthetic. Her friends had hunted her across the globe, complicating her mission exponentially. In return, he had lost nearly thirty Shinra employees during the construction of Edge, and lost the last of his precious Jenova specimen in the Remnants' attack. She knew she was on the losing end of their mutually-damaging relationship. She also knew how much worse it could have been. A deep breath convinced her to agree: They had to move forward.
"Of course."
He nodded once, pleased with her decision. "So, is this a strictly-social visit, or...?"
"Do I want something?" she completed the thought.
"I am an exquisite conversationalist, but I doubted you would sneak all the way up here to hear my thoughts on ecologically sensitive energy or the political ramifications of Midgar's destruction."
"No and no. Although, since you bring up Midgar..."
His eyes hardened. The dead city had housed his entire former life, and he hardly seemed ready to revisit the pain of losing it. She pressed on.
"I was wondering what you knew about the happenings around HQ."
"The disappearances," he surmised. She nodded, and he sighed. "I know little, and care about as much."
"Forty people are missing. That doesn't alarm you?"
He tilted his head and locked eyes with her, trying to determine her angle.
"I'm in the middle of rebuilding an empire, Penelope."
She swallowed at the name. He tensed momentarily, then rolled his eyes and continued past it.
"I don't have time to personally investigate every fool that goes missing in a ruined city. Common sense should have kept them away. The world may be better off without idiots like that."
"What about the screams? The howls people are hearing from outside the city limits?"
"You've set foot outside the limits. You know what monsters prowl those fields. There is little to stop them from entering the condemned zone, wouldn't you agree?"
Aria leaned back on the sofa, growing frustrated with Rufus's ability to deflect her concerns.
"Okay. You've either thought about this already, or you're refusing to think about it at all. So, tell me, what if something is going on out there? At what point are you willing to get involved?"
"You mean at what point is my checkbook willing to get involved?"
Her canines shone in a wide smirk before she continued. "Maybe. I don't know what kind of training you've been doing."
He nodded in understanding and smoothly pushed himself from his seat. She watched him cross the space to the large window and noticed that he made no sound in his movement.
"I have a duty to protect my citizens," he explained, watching his guests dance and mingle below. "Which is why I allow the WRO to continue growing, despite the reputation they are developing..."
Aria leaned forward. "What reputation?"
"People seem to believe they could become a dominant government, that they will soon replace Shinra Inc. as the politico-economic leaders."
"Oh?" she pressed, intrigued, and wondering if Vincent knew of this rumor.
"They are a growing army, yes. As far as taking over for Shinra," he paused and turned back to face Aria, his eyebrow arched condescendingly. "That will never happen."
"Your new SOLDIER?"
He scoffed. "Hardly. Volunteers."
"Ah. Can't get away with all those Mako hijinks on Reeve's new friends," she surmised.
He narrowed his eyes at her disapprovingly. Then, in a rare flash of humor, he quipped, "Give me time."
Despite herself, she laughed, inexplicably happy to have felt the tension between them drain away. For a moment, she felt five years younger, but could not see herself protecting him from the harshness of his world. The service was no longer required.
"You're missing a hell of a party," he noted, glancing once more over his shoulder before returning to his chair.
"You're one to talk. Isn't this whole thing in your name? Your guests are salivating over the chance to kiss your shoes. It's disgusting."
"They gather in my name, but couldn't care less if I showed up. They just want to get together and talk about each other. They come here to buy their plots in heaven with a thousand-gil donation to 'Insert-Generic-Benevolent-Cause-Here.'"
Satisfied with her intel gathering, Aria smiled darkly and stood. As she turned toward the door, she looked back over her shoulder one last time. He had remained seated, allowing her to leave when she pleased.
"Jaded looks good on you, Rufus."
"Nice to see you, too."
As she approached the door, it opened before her. The guards she had eluded earlier entered and froze upon coming face-to-face with her.
"Is that...?" the taller man croaked under his breath. To Rufus's amusement, she leaned forward, coming inches from his face.
"Boo."
They simultaneously drew their guns, aiming for her temples.
"Cruz, Harper, knock it off," Rufus commanded.
As the two men lowered their weapons, Aria stepped through the door, raising her right hand in a departing wave.