{Three major things you need to know about Reeves Tuesti.}

{By all accounts, the Head of Urban Developments is a fairly reasonable man… well, as reasonable as someone who climbed to the top of Shinra's corporate ladder can get. And though our sources say that he's not particularly fond of the political games, he's more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the other Board members… and in fact excels at it. Would have to be, since he's the only one without any military personnel to back him up if shit hits the fan.}

{So take this warning to heart and never forget, as polite and amiable as he is on the surface, this is still a man who had to step over bodies to get to where he's at. Don't mistake passivity for cowardice or hesitation… and hopefully you won't end up another corpse in his path, heh.}

{…sorry.}

{He's also famous for his structural designs and humanitarian projects, both above and below the plate. Orphanages, hospitals, water tank filters, air ventilators… the works. But don;t let that fool you… he's a practical, and very efficient, businessman. Each and every one of these projects aren't just handouts, trying to earn goodwill for Shinra. No, as far as we can tell, they all manage to turn a sizable profit for the Company or can be repurposed to serve multiple functions.}

{And… if I'm tracking it right, this tells us he's willing to do good, may even prefer it to a degree, but isn't above getting ahead and earning a few extra gils to line his pockets.}

{So unless he's the luckiest son of a bitch to put pen to paper – and I'm not gonna bet my coins on that – then he's exceedingly clever, and you need to stay on your toes.}

{Finally, and most importantly, the man has a very good spy network… but not an expansive one. Tuesti seems to have eyes and ears in practically every corner of the Shinra building providing him real time information about the other Directors. How and where? HQ has no idea how he does it. But it's what makes him such a good politician, being able to thwart the other Heads' plots and schemes against him… especially since it happens before anyone is even aware something is by the time half that info reaches Avalanche, he's already buried most of it six feet under… typically a week ago. }

{Thankfully, it looks like it's only a small team and mainly restricts them to the building… otherwise he'd have Avalanche up shit's creek a long time ago.}

{All in all, what does this mean for us?}

{Well for one, you're not gonna be able to out maneuver this guy… by any stretch of the imagination. That's not a diss, I'm just saying. And things like threats, coercion, and bribes are going to do more harm than good. So instead, set a friendly tone, that you are someone who despises politics and speaks louder with their actions. Hopefully not too difficult since that's basically just you! Which I love by the way, so don't pout. Just be blunt about your "purpose" and offer a fair partnership… and an overthinker like Tuesti should be able to fill in the blanks, consider the advantages, and fall for it hook, line, and sinker.}

{Simple right?}

000

Rowan's daughter was having first day jitters –a foreman's position was no joke, after all– and while he was confident she would rise to the task, a little helping hand could go a long way… and it'd give him a reasonable excuse to vet her.

"Thank you for humouring me Reeves." Jessie said politely, bumping coffee cups with him as they finished up their tour of mako reactor 0. "And I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day… but are you sure you don't have better things to do?"

"Oh… a million things." He confirmed with a smile, only half joking about how busy he was, because he was genuinely pushing his luck. There was already a pile of paperwork on his desk a foot high when he dropped off his briefcase earlier. So… there was no telling what monstrosity was waiting for him in his office after his little stroll with Jessie. Honestly, at this point, he was looking for any excuse not to go back up there. "But if I don't take the time to get out and stretch my legs, talk to real people… it won't be long before I'm just a very efficient corpse who can sign his name on documents."

"Ah, the ultimate final form of all pencil pushers." Rowan's daughter joked, giving him a punch in the arm that he tried not to wince from. She graciously ignored him rolling his shoulder as she took another sip of her drink, seemingly in deep thought as they kept on walking along the guard bridges, before cracking a smile his way and saying. "Just so you know… I'm not hating on your success –I like having a friend in high places!– but it's hard to imagine the infamous "Tuesti boy" rolling down his sleeves and putting on a monkey suit."

Reeves couldn't help but chuckle at the old nickname.

The easy camaraderie between the two of them almost made him feel bad for being so suspicious of the redhead… and for subtly testing her all morning.

Almost.

But you do rise to the height's the Inspire had, and not learn to follow your instincts.

The past couple of weeks had been a nightmare of logistics and budgeting to accommodate the new Infantry regiments, with each new battalion feeding the pit of dread in his stomach, and not helped by his imagination running wild at the potential destruction such numbers could do to the slums. The Director tried to consider every scenario possible in order to mitigate the loss – subterfuge, sabotage, military might – and came up short in every way imaginable. Every plan, every countermeasure he could think of… pitifully inadequate in the face of the President's orders and the other Director's eagerness.

There was simply not enough time, not enough resources… not enough people he trusted.

In every way imaginable, he was lacking… and there was nothing he could do about it.

However, in the midst of his depression from that sobering fact, an unexpected bright spot appeared in the form of Jessie Rasberry. The daughter of his – and many others – former mentor, appearing out of the blue… and applying for a job in the engineer corp.

The friendly face of an old acquaintance all grown up, unexpected but welcomed nonetheless…

And the paranoia set in.

Because why now of all times?

Adjusting his tie a little around his now dry throat, Reeves had to wonder, what did truly he know about Jessie beyond a few fond memories and a sterling resume that she handed him?

Not much.

A red flag.

"I wasn't that bad." He said, jokingly defending himself, knowing how terrible he was the moment he discovered his Inspire ability.

And to be fair, could anyone blame him for wanting to explore his new powers and test their limits? What else was a boy to do when he learned he could breathe life into inanimate objects and speak to them? It certainly wasn't to spend the rest of his life farming in the countryside of Midgar, scrapping for pennies.

"And I quote "that Tuesti boy might be half-machine! It's like he can hear the engines speaking to him" ... unquote." Jessie finished teasingly as they made their way to the employee lounge and locker room. It was thankfully empty – the later shifters were still working and the morning crew on their way – giving them some privacy. It was a pitifully small area, with only one kitchen, a couple of tables and two beaten up couches. They laughed at the redhead's – very spot on – impression of her father, back when Reeves was just a country boy interning for his first job. "Half the story's my dad had about you, oh boy … it was like the second coming of Hephaestus! I thought he was trying to pull my chain or something."

Rowan's daughter was a spirited young woman he, embarrassingly, hadn't spoken to in years – the unfortunate consequence of people getting older and living their lives – but still remembered with fondness as a little girl, who would run around underfoot with her friends, causing mischief and mayhem even when her father had guests over. A hellion with dreams of becoming an actress, and made no bones that she wasn't going to follow in her father's footsteps.

But then… to suddenly appear after all this time looking for a job? With a reasonable excuse she needed money?

It was sensible… but the timing, the opportunity… a situation where there was a killer on the loose…

Too perfect.

Two red flags.

After all, if Reeves could consider using Hojo's death to potentially move against the other Directors, then it was a certainty that the other Heads had as well.

An itch in the back of his head, not enough to be concerned… but warranted a second look nonetheless.

Maybe he was just being paranoid but there was just too much off about the girl… too many events that line up in just the right way.

Especially her application.

The documents were well made, her digital footprints solid, even had "references" to back them up… once again, too perfect. And the timing...

Timing, timing! It was just too suspicious.

"And why would he do that?" Reeves asked, feigning amusement as they sat down to catch up a little more. He could squeeze out maybe a few more minutes of procrastination before getting back to work… and still hopeful that the girl in front of him wasn't an enemy. He wanted to give her the benefit of doubt… that the timing was coincidental, and that all her lies and strangeness was simply her trying to cut corners.

"I don't know, some… backwards attempt to get me to study harder?" She asked rhetorically with a smile, giving him a shoulder shrug as she lobbed her empty cup in a bin. "You know, the kinda stories parents tell their kids to instill life lessons and values? Like, if you don't take care of your teeth the Trainyard ghosts will take them! Or… if you're not in bed by midnight, your mother gets one new grey hair! Oh, oh! My favorite one… if you masterbate too much, you'll grow chocobo feathers and we'll sell you to a farm! Stuff like that." She finished casually, looking off to the side, even as her grin morphed into a shit-eating one.

Reeves, on the other hand, damn near choked on his air!

"Okay…" cough "I think that's enough social time for me." He said, only half jokingly, but ready to escape the situation… stupidly having forgotten how crass the whole Rasberry clan could be when the mood struck them. This was one family that liked making people uncomfortable. Hell, Jessica's joke about the naive hamster and the lonely Tonberry still gave him nightmares. And… he was done with his "interrogation", unfortunately having found his answer. "I… should get back to work, especially before you say something and I'm forced to file a workplace harassment case against you."

That caused the redhead to crack up as they both stood, giving each other a quick hug.

"Jokes aside, I do appreciate the job opportunity." Jessie said sincerely, once they had broken apart. Twirling a finger around to encompass the room, or maybe the whole Shinra building, she added. "To be honest, It's not where I wanted to end up – and I can't promise I won't book it at the first opportunity! – but a girl's gotta make ends meet somehow… and why not do it on the Company's pretty dime?"

"I'm not sure you should be telling me that… but you're welcome." The Inspire said simply, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze, already keenly aware that the actress's heart wasn't really meant for corporate life... it had been apparent even as a little girl, which she had not been shy about letting everyone know. Unfortunately, it was a fact that had unexpectedly come back to bite her… another detail that damned her and whoever she was working for. "If anything, I should be thanking you for actually coming in qualified and able… because I swear, if I had to hire another overly connected ingrate due to office politics, I'm going to… ugh."

"That bad huh?" The redhead asked with a smirk.

"Worse." Reeves confirmed dramatically with a sad shake of his head, once again, only half joking. Out of the last ten hires, at least four of them had only gotten in due to familial connections, or from people whose support the Director needed to push certain projects through. "They're not incompetent, per se – otherwise I could justify not hiring them – and it wouldn't be so bad if I could put them in experience appropriate areas… but oh well, let me not color your perception on the first day."

"And… are you sure you should be telling me all this?"

"Ah, nothing I haven't complained about a thousand times before." He said easily enough, waving the concern away with a flap of his hand before giving her a grin. "And nothing you won't figure out in due time, especially when you have to keep reminding… certain someones to put on their safety gear. Trust me, the ones who skipped the interning process, will stick out like a sore thumb … team leader Rasberry."

The teasing did not land well with her.

"Thanks." Jessie said flatly, her brows furrowed deep as she gave him a stink eye, looking like she hated whatever force of nature pushed her into getting a job at Shinra. "I don't know what my dad did to you, but punishing the child for the crimes of their parent is cruel and unusual." She said with dramatic bitterness, crossing her arms before asking in mock grumpiness. "Are these idiots at least potty trained? Cause if not… you Reeve Tuesti, are banned from the Rasberry home indefinitely." At his noncommittal shrug, she scoffed lightly before saying with faux innocence, as if she just remembered something. "You know, I just want to remind you – especially if you're just handing out jobs left and right – technically I'm a nepo-baby… so where's my cushy office job and pension plan? How come I don't get my palms greased?"

"Hmm?" Reeves asked distractedly, feigning ignorance in order to side step her question and made a show of glancing at his watch, clapping his hands. "Goodness, 7am already! Where has the time gone by? I should get to my office ASAP! And you need to get ready for your first day." Already backing out of the break room door, he half turned, he stopped for a moment to tap the clock on his wrist before saying. "And don't forget to punch in your time card! Shinra doesn't believe in paying for unregistered hours."

Truthfully, he was emotionally worn out, and needed a minute – preferably an hour – of isolation to clear his head.

"Yeah, yeah you moop, runaway." Jessie said, a convincingly disgruntled look on her face that was ruined by the light curve of her lips. One hip popped out with a hand resting on it, she was waving him away with the other in a mock shooing motion, before motioning between them with two fingers. "But to be continued… by which, I mean lunch at some expensive ass restaurant where everything is overpriced, and where the portions are so small I'll still be starving even after we're done!"

A friendly meal with a "friend"? In another life, that would have been nice.

"We'll pencil something in at the end of the week." He agreed easily as he turned away fully, rebuttoning his suit as he checked to see if all his affects were in place, before calling over his shoulder. "And bring Biggs and Wedge… it's been too long since I've seen the other members of the Terrible Trio."

With one last wave of his shoulder, Reeves made his way out the door and down the long hallway to find the nearest elevator

"Those two are allergic to Corporate greed, so I make no promises!" She called after him, her head sticking out of the break room entrance, a wide grin on her face as she got the last word.

Chuckling to himself, the Director gave her a "stern" look and tapped his watch once again, letting the elevator doors close.

Finally alone, Reeves let his shoulders sag a little, exhaling a breath he didn't even realise he had been holding. But there wasn't time for rest, because now came the hard part… figuring out Jessie's intentions, and determining if a simple firing was enough. He really hoped it would be, because if she was just a spy, he could engineer some workplace "accident" and have her take the blame. A quick dismissal, but a reassurance to her that he'd "investigate" the incident… and he could put the whole mess out of his mind.

But if she was a part of something more sinister…

Reeves quickly pushed the thought out of his mind, punching in his Executive access into the elevator – to ensure it went directly to his private office floor and wouldn't stop for anyone – before closing his eyes, head leaning slightly on the metal walls, and connecting his thoughts to the bug he planted on Jessie.

This particular device was special and very elaborate, mainly because it was coded with a miniature AI, designed specifically to maximize his Inspire abilities.

While he could technically breathe life into all inanimate objects he touched and Speak to them… what they manage to say back to him tended to be less than comprehensive. Unsurprisingly, a piece of paper, rock, or dry wall could only really give him vague impressions at most… and weren't very good at much else. Machines were better, able to have "conversations" with him, being more… intelligent objects, yet still limited. But the best he discovered in recent years were Artificial Intelligence that could mimic the human mind and even perform tasks for him.

To a certain point, Reeves could meld his consciousness with the program, manipulating it to perform complex tasks. Such as, in this moment, becoming his ears in real time.

{Heads up, he's on his way.} Jessie said, supposedly to whoever was her contact or handler. {You got maybe a few minutes to get set up.}

Ah, the third and final red flag… and the one that put the final mail in the coffin.

So a trap then? But when and where? And more importantly… who?

Reeves tried listening in on Jessie a little longer, trying to gain more details but—

Ding!

The connection was cut as the elevator doors opened wide, directly into his corner office lobby of the 60th floor… he met the cold eyes of a Soldier, and it was unfortunately not one he had on the payroll, let alone even recognized.

That was bad .

The blonde man lounged casually at the empty assistant desk, right in front of his office door, arms crossed with a neutral expression… evidently waiting for the Director.

And his secretary, nowhere in sight…

Reeves' heart instantly dropped to his stomach.

'Shit! This fast!?' He had been played — caught off guard in a location without any of his weapons or tools — and he didn't even know by whom.

But a beat, a moment, a second that crawled into a 10, 20, 30… and still nothing happened.

"Director Tuesti?" The man asked, crossing the short distance in a few strides – faster than Reeves could blink – arm already blocking the elevator doors from closing when it tried to shut.

Well… that was one escape gone.

"Yes?" Reeves confirmed inquiringly with a weak smile, his mind slow to reboot as he tried to keep his wits about him. He had to think, think! "Do we have an appointment?"

Stupid question, but at least his… maybe killer didn't look offended.

"No… but I was hoping for a few minutes of your time anyway. In private, preferably." The Soldier said easily, like it was no big deal to meet unexpectedly with a Director of Shinra. But seeing Reeves' hesitation, the blond added belatedly. "Trust me, what I have to say it'll be worth your while."

At least he was polite about it.

And credit where credit was due, the man hadn't chopped him in half yet. So maybe it wasn't an execution orchestrated by one of the other Directors? Perhaps it really was just a Soldier simply coming over to tell him something… and the Inspire was just letting years of Shinra politics cloud his judgement?

But realistically, did he have much of a choice either way?

Not really…

"Of course, let's go to my office and… we can speak." He said cautiously, indicating the door behind the blonde man, somewhat hopeful now that this didn't seem to be an assassination attempt. Despite Reeves' initial panic and assumptions, the Soldier hadn't made any aggressive moves towards the Head of Urban Development. The man simply stood there nonplussed before stepping to the side and waving him out.

This was good, at the very least, he wasn't a… swing first, ask questions never, kind of Soldier.

Reeves could work with that.

A little less hesitant now, the Inspire slowly stepped out of the lift, motioning for the man to follow him.

It was stupid to show his back to such an unknown factor in most situations… but truly, what difference did it make against a Soldier?

Back or front, one swing of that sword would cleave him in two.

In short order, both were in Reeves' corner office — all high glass windows, artistic paintings, and faux wood furniture, with some mechanical dolls and plastic plants scattered about — settling into their seats across from each other, the Soldier's sword leaning on the edge of the desk.

Now that the former country boy had a chance to sit and breathe — psionically connecting with his Cait Sith dolls just in case — he studied the Soldier in front of him curiously.

The blonde was… below average in height, at least half a head shorter than the Director himself. Surprisingly slim but sturdily built like most of Shinra's Elite. The hard plains of his muscles and their definition spoke of an almost fanatic dedication to a training regime… so an active Soldier then. But almost by contrast, and most out of place, was that the blonde was oddly very pretty… downright feminine if Reeves had to describe it.

Quite the heartthrob.

And it made him stick out like a particularly sore thumb.

All the above were innocuous details on their own, but combined… it begged the question, where had the blonde come from? And how come Reeves, despite his trying to keep tabs on any active threat to his person — especially the Soldiers — didn't know anything about the man in front of him?

Where did he come from? He simply stood out too much to be hiding in plain sight. He couldn't be new… he didn't have the awkward gait of a newbie still trying to get used to their mutation.

And more damning, an active and good looking Soldier that didn't have a fan club in Midgar… well, that was practically unheard of.

Even some of the plainer Third-Classes had fanatic fangirls.

And speaking of girls… was this the person that Jessie was speaking to?

Question upon questions, just from his existence alone… but why speculate when he could suss out the answer from the mutant in front of him?

"What would you like to talk about, Soldier…?"

He let the question hang, innocent but gauging nonetheless.

"Cloud Strife." He supplied readily, leaning forward in his chair to look Reeves in the eyes. "Look, I'm not great with mincing my words, so I'm just gonna lay all my cards on the table. I… have something of a crazy story to tell you… kind of insane really. But later at the end, if you haven't freaked out, maybe even an offer."

A straight shooter, is it?

That… was both relieving and intriguing.

"A curious start." The Director said neutrally, trying not to let his shoulders sag as the tension bled out of them. So this Soldier wanted to… what? To potentially offer Reeves a business opportunity or idea? A partnership of some kind maybe? Unorthodox, but not unheard of from some of the more ambitious members of the Company. Though, never from one of the Elites as far as he knew. Then again, now that Hojo was dead... "But you've certainly got my attention. And please, call me Reeves… if I can call you Cloud?"

For a long moment Cloud simply stared at him, head titled as if considering his options, before nodding amicably.

"Of course." He said simply, leaning back now as he seemed to be collecting his thoughts. "So Reeves… rhetorically question, but do you know what Professor Hojo is most famous for?"

000

{The Head of Advanced Weapon Development is… smart, beautiful, rich, successful.}

(About half the current weapons in Shinra's arsenal, and in Avalanche's to boot, are based on her designs and ingenuity. This is a woman who pioneered functional fighting mechs and energy weapons. The Sister Ray in Junon was one of her first major projects in collaboration with Professor Hojo. In fact, it was so successful, her sub branch of Research spun off into a whole division, created solely to provide her with all the toys she can tinker with.}

{She is both an inspiration for most girls in Midgar… as well as the source of many of their body issues. Most men want her… the rest want to be her. And no, I did not mix my analogies up because this lady's got real power and clout, both the implied and militaristic. She's got the whole city envious of her, and she makes it a point to let everyone know how hilarious she finds the situation. Because petty be thy her name…}

{Which makes sense if those rumors about her being the secret love child of Rigel Shinra and his secretary are true. It's not something that has ever been confirmed or outright acknowledged, yet there's enough hints that definitely implies it's true. Like the fact that she doesn't have a last name… pretty unusual for a topsider who's reached her level of fame, but many choose to take it as a statement of intent.}

{And finally, but most importantly, Scarlet… does not play nice with others.}

{An obvious statement if you know anything about her, but an important one nonetheless. Because this is not a woman who understands the concept of "equal partnership" or mutually beneficial arrangements. She's a woman who does not suffer competition, if she can help it. In fact, I got a list a mile long of people who she used to work with… and who then suddenly "disappeared" once she got what she needed. Obviously I don't want that for you, so if you're gonna work with her, you gotta establish who's in charge.}

{So either your on top and she's too scared to fuck with you… or you on the bottom and won't see you as a threat until it's too late. Personally, I'd prefer you try to be on top and take charge… and no, that wasn't a sex joke Biggs, I'm trying to be sincere. Sorta.}

{Overall, Scarlet's a wonderful package … all wrapped up under a personality as prickly as a porcupine with an acorn stuck up its butt.}

{And I know, I know… my descriptions are basic as fuck and not really much use as a psych eval for your mission. Even worse, much of what we know about her is public knowledge or hearsay – most of her personal life is a surprisingly well kept secret – so you're gonna have to play it fast and loose with this one. We're gonna tease her with information, give her just enough that she'll let her curiosity drive her nuts… and then we'll spring the trap!}

{Or at least, once I figure out what the trap is gonna be.}

{That being said, she's a hardcore manipulator, so we're going to need something to throw her off balance so you don;t get caught up in her web.}

{Riddle me this Cloud… have you ever heard of a thing called honeypotting?}

000

"Oh… it's you." Scarlet said succinctly, trying to hide her panic as one of Hojo's freaky experiments walked into her office, uncontested. Her corner office was one of the larger spaces… mainly because it was two rooms who's divider wall she had knocked down to expand. In the original room the walls were painted gun-metal blue, the furniture was black leather – couches and coffee table in the middle – that was more for aesthetic than comfort… not that she'd let anybody sit on them. In the new space a few work tables scattered about, covered in her various weapon blueprints, with miniature working models for proof of concept. "One of our missing country boys, returning home after his "mysterious" escape."

But her quick scan of her room was less to admire, but had to wonder why none of its hidden features had activated yet.

What the fuck happened to her security drones? Alarms? The simple fucking guards!?

Dread filled her, because that could mean sabotage… but how?

She doubted it was through intranet interference… if it was, at best it would delay her signals, not stop them. Software virus or backdoors were unlikely, she ran her office through multiple dummy triggers that should activate at the slightest hint of foul play. Hardware was a maybe… but nobody less than a foreman's clearance should be anywhere near there, not if they didn't want to get cut to pieces by the security droids. And there just wouldn't be enough time for them, not after she had just checked the servers an hour ago…

Still, not a question she could answer right now with the rogue experiment getting closer with every step.

The beautiful scientist straightened her spine — raising her chin a little to project cool indifference — but the bastard only raised an eyebrow, an amused quirk on the corner of his lips as he walked past all her office traps…

And still not triggering a single one.

Goddammit.

"It's me." He confirmed casually with a nod of his head, strolling up to her desk – ignoring the… almost slight hitch of her breath when he got within striking range – and kept walking till he stood in front of her high-rise window, hands clasped behind his back just under the sword, staring out at the wonderful view with an impassive expression. Without even bothering to look at her, he asked over his shoulder. "And I know that, but the question is… how do you know that?"

This arrogant fuck… what game was he playing at?

"Please, do you really think you're that much of a secret?" Scarlett scoffed to keep him distracted, one hand casually twirling the pen she had just been writing with, the other frantically pressing every security button she discreetly could under her desk. She turned her chair slightly in order to keep him in view, and her left hand hidden from sight. "And you little disappearing act in the wasteland? A whole dead unit, but that madman declares you and Fair dead without any bodies as proof? Like Hojo hadn't played that card before." Giving up on calling for help, she reached towards the secret compartment of her desk for the custom pistol. "And how the hell did you get in here!?"

Silence, as the man contemplated her words with a tilt of his head.

"Ah, sticking your nose in places you shouldn't… I wonder how the President feels about that?." The country boy joked after a long moment, turning his head to look at her with the slightest smirk on his face. Now facing her fully, Scarlet could see the unfiltered amusement in his eyes, like an adult pleasantly surprised by the actions of a child. "As for how… well, that's an answer a bit above my head." He finished, pointing at her ceiling, the implication that it was above her head as well.

It was a lame game he was playing, and she wouldn't fall for it.

"If you're implying that our Leader sent you in here…"

"Of course not. Unless you did something wrong… you didn't, did you?" Strife joked with a faux sternness, before giving her another overly confident smile – one that just barely touched on the edges of arrogance and condescension – before circling a single finger to encompass the room. "Teasing aside, the fact that I'm standing here now, should tell you that… certain protocols are in place for you." He let that sink, before shrugging his shoulders and adding lightly. "For all the Directors, really."

Ah, another scheme of the President… a boogie man to deal with insubordinate Directors, the Old Man was an endless array of plots and manipulations.

Still, no need to give away how much she knew.

"But why are you here?" Scarlet "seethed", pretending to not like the casual attitude of the former infantryman… although, it really did irritate her slightly.

It was out of practicality, she found over the years if people believed she was ready to blow her top at any moment… it tended to distract them from what she actually wanted to do.

Such as shoot this stupid fuck in the face.

"I can't make a house call?" Hojo's pet said with almost convincing confusion, glancing around the room as if there was an answer hidden somewhere along the walls. "Maybe I just want to ask you out on a date?" Ignoring her unimpressed look, he continued. "But honestly, I'm glad you know who I am already… it saves me a lot of time and effort having to introduce myself again." At that, he began to confidently walk towards her, arrogantly adding. "It just makes things so much easier."

'Yes it does...' She thought, watching him get closer and making himself an easier target.

In one smooth motion Scarlet whipped out her hidden weapon – an experimental handgun, with a theoretical stopping power of a cannon, more than enough to kill even a Soldier – only for Strife to dodge the first bullet with a casual sway of his head, the slug punching harmlessly out her window and into the morning sky. And before she could blink, his hand snapped out to meet hers halfway, prying the weapon out of her fingers before she could even squeeze the trigger a second time, gently shoving her back into her chair.

It all happened in a fraction of a second… and now her situation was worse than before, disarmed and at the mercy of a potentially vengeful super soldier.

Fucking Hojo! Failed experiment her ass!

A little stunned stiff, Scarlet tried to outwardly regain composure – slowly crossing her arms and legs in faux nonchalance – as if she hadn't just tried to kill the infantryman in front of her, but in her mind, she was frantically trying to figure out her next move.

"I'm not gonna say that was stupid… because you had to at least try, right?" Cloud asked her rhetorically, casually leaning on her desk and half sitting on the surface, dangling leg almost touching hers. Also acting as if she hadn't just tried to shoot him in the face. But the majority of his attention was glued to the gun he was inspecting, keenly interested in its unique design. "Although, I hope you got that out of your system now, because – and not to sound like a clique – but if I wanted you dead… well, you'd know how'd go." He emphasized that statement with an idle tap of a finger to his sword handle, before holding her gun up, hand around the barrel. "Beautiful design by the way… experimental or just custom?"

She blinked stupidly at the sudden change of topic, a little surprised he hadn't just caved in her skull for that stunt… but no matter, if he wasn't taking any offense and was in fact offering her an olive branch, she'd take it gladly… for now.

"Both." She said slowly, playing along as she cautiously took the offered weapon and placed it gently on her table – leaning back in her chair to subtly put some distance between them – knowing better than to make another attempt at shooting the blonde… not after that little show of speed. And she'd humor his stupid curiosity for now, at least till she figured out some way to escape the killing machine in front of her. "The barrel is a new nano/carbonite mixture meant to reduce drag and overheating. While the bullets are hyper-compress mithril dusting and duranium, which… should punch through a dozen tank armors before stopping."

As she talked, Scarlet couldn't help but mentally scoff at the typical Hojo behavior, creating superhumans left and right, and then letting them run around without a lease. Whoever thought it was a good idea to make a weapon that could think for itself? That was karma just waiting to happen! Truly, it was as if Deepground and its endless graveyards of floating bodies wasn't enough… the scientist had to take on personal pet projects too!

Cloud blinked at her in surprise at her words, before giving her another arrogant smile.

"Mithril per bullet? Now that's a very fancy way of killing someone."

It was, but the reminder of its design flaw still irritated her.

"Which is why there's only the one… so far." Scarlet said casually, giving a shoulder shrug as she wondered how long they were going to play this "small-talk" game. The Director wasn't against it per say, fingers sneakily typing in the code to restart her office – it'll hopefully give her security system a chance to reboot itself, with her drones ready to tear this little shit to pieces soon – but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little curious at where this conversation was going. "But you shouldn't put a price on good equipment… because your enemies certainly won't." She said with ease, a practice line she used with the other Board members whenever they felt she was eating up the budget. After a moment, the scientist let her head tilt side to side as if "considering" something, before adding. "Although… I'll admit the materials are rare–"

"And expensive."

"-and not very cost-prohibitive, but you can't put a price on quality work." She finished snootily, ignoring his interruption as she mentally counted down the seconds till her office diagnostics was over, and she could troubleshoot the problem. "That over-sized sword on your back is probably worth more than most houses on the plate… but I'm sure you don't ever stop think of the price it took to make it, only that it gets the job done."

Scarlet didn't mean to get on her soap box at the end there, but the scientist had been having a terrible day already, even before this smug-smiling pretty boy walked into her office. She had just gotten back from another endless budget meeting, that of course, ended with her being told that things were too costly. What was the point of all that money she brought in, if she still had to beg for nickels and dimes!?

Then there was the logistical nightmare of maneuvering Ginger's Infantry Unit in the right spots… without making it seem like she was doing anything suspicious.

Plus, the Turks poking their grubby nose into her Division's secret projects, gathering information for that little shit Rufus under the guise of "investigating" Hojo's death.

Not that her day started particularly well, with that lackwit who called himself her butler burning the eggs again.

And of course, the sprinkle to go with her shitty day, her office gave her an error message, the system unable to complete its self scan.

Well now, her fake temper was starting to become real.

Unaware of her internal short fuse lighting, Strife just stared at her for a long moment, a finger rubbing his lips – and doing that stupid head tilt of his again – before giving her a somewhat apologetic smile. "I'm sensing that I hit a sore spot, sorry if I steered the conversation into–"

"What the fuck do you want?" Scarlet blurted out, her already prickly anger at its peak because of all the previously stated reasons… and truthfully? She was absolutely fed up with the awkward small talk the fake Soldier seemed insistent on having with her. Polite talk with anyone always got on her nerves. But even worse… she just tried to shoot him! His placidness was just creepy. He could at least act like a normal person and get mad or something! And that half condescending smile he gave he was driving her up the wall! "And stop deflecting. You come into my office unannounced, threaten my person… and now you just want to chat? Unlike some people, my time is actually worth something. "

Her attempt at being scathing only got a chuckle.

"To be fair, it was an ice breaker, that's all… and in my defense I never threatened you." The infantryman said in mock rebuke, giving her a one shoulder shrug and staring at her like she was the crazy person. "Maybe I was a little rude just barging in here – could have made an appointment, I suppose – but it's not everyday you get to meet with the Head of Advance Weapons. I was a little excited." He admitted disingenuously, with a look of almost sincere innocence on his face. But the facade didn't hold for long, because before she could seriously consider just getting up and headbutting him, that infuriating smirk back on his lips. "Would you believe me… if I said I saw how gorgeous you were, and got a bit tongue tied?"

A tick, a beat… and she rolled her eyes, scoffing in his face, her anger instantly deflating at his lame attempt at humor.

"So your excuse for being a weirdo and harassing me… is that you were trying to flirt?" Scarlet asked flatly, irritably giving up on her security protocols and confronting the Experiment directly – resolving to tear her motherboard apart nut by nut when she had a chance – and feeling a little more brave as the minutes crawled by and he seemed disinclined to do anything violent. "Lucky for you, I'm feeling generous… so how about you shuffle the deck and try again?"

Maybe she had overreacted when she had first seen him?

After all, without her office security system, she might as well have been a duck waiting for slaughter… yet here she was, healthy and whole.

And truthfully, now that she was thinking a little more clearly, if he wanted revenge for his village and subsequent captivity… why would he go after her first? She was only marginally responsible for the clean up operation after Sephiroth's rampage… so, wouldn't it make more sense to go after the President or Hojo, the main perpetrators?

'Oh shit, Hojo…'

If half of what Strife implied was true, and she was inclined to believe it considering how relaxed he looked in the chair… she may be staring down the Professor's killer. Even scarier, if him casually strolling around the Shinra building was any indication, the infantryman may have done it under the President's order and blessing.

But once again, she wasn't a headless corpse… so it couldn't be that.

Thankfully, Scarlet didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"Because I want what's owed to me." Strife said eventually, pushing off her desk to walk around it – unclipping his sword and leaninging it on the edge of the table – before sitting in the chair opposite of her, ankle crossed over one knee. Noticing her disbelieving look, he only smiled, and waved a flippant hand towards her in what the country bumpkin must have thought was a gracious manner. "I'm sure you know what I mean… after all, I'm not the only one who's talents have been used for the Company's benefit, but then treated like someone's ugly cousin once the job was done."

She tried to hold back her snort… the little brat did all this, because of what? He felt wronged by the world? And was now throwing a temper tantrum? Maybe he even wanted her help in planning a revolt? Hilarious . Either the blonde was a madman… or just stupid. After all, who challenges the most powerful entity in the world over a few hurt feelings? While the beautiful scientist felt like she did deserve more recognition and accolades for her hard work over the decades… she wasn't crazy enough to start some half-baked revolution over it!

Still, she kept her silence, waiting for the stupid boy to continue… keenly aware of the oversized sword within his reach.

"Ever since Hojo died…" The Experiment began, slowly going over his words as if trying to find the right ones. "I, surprisingly, inherited quite a bit more of his more… let's say, secretive resources." He looked back at her, giving her another warm smile. "With the little bits and pieces of information he squirreled away, being the most valuable."

Well now, that caught her interest.

Say what you will about the man, but the old scientist had been a genius of almost unmatched ability, with his scientific theories alone being a treasure trove… well, once you got past his gross breeding experiments. But more importantly, as one of the longest running Executives – having even been there at the start of Rigel Shinra's Presidency – he would have been privy to Company secrets long before they had been whitewashed out of the Archives.

It was a pipe dream, but the idea of being able to blackmail the Old Man made her giddy.

"Oh? And what kind of information?" Scarlet asked casually, trying to dig for more… but didn't want to come off too eager. In her experience, it never did her any favors to show her hand in such a way. Making a show of feign disinterest, even twirling her pen again to let him know he only had half of her attention, she flippantly shot out. "And I'll be the judge of what's important… so just tell me everything."

Okay… that hadn't quite come off as cool and indifferent as she had been hoping.

Thankfully, Strife took it in good humor as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on her desk – right hand covering his left –with his chin on his knuckles, and asked her with a smirk. "Okay… but what will you do for it?"

000

{Not much to say about Reginald Palmer… other than he's the President's cousin, the Head of Space and Aeronutic's Division, and he really likes his sweets. Personality wise, we're struggling a little bit on how to classify him, or even define it. It is a nightmare and a half trying to follow him around, making sense of his day to day activities. Like, did you know when he's not in his office or apartment, he spends his evening stargazing? Or that he likes to go to chocobo races… not to gamble, but to their complementary ice cream? I honestly can't make heads or tails of this man's intentions.}

{And that's just the stuff we can confirm, because the other stories about him are so wild… I was 90% convinced my spy-ring had turned traitor on me!}

{Ehem... which unfortunately means, he's a bit of a wild card for us.}

{I know, I know… if he's such an unknown, why even bother? And usually I'd agree, but he's currently the easiest to reach, and convince, Head right now – Heideger's intransigent in the best of times, Rufus is negotiating in Junon, Tseng's just too dangerous to be playing mind games with, and I'm not gonna toss you into the lion's pit that is Rigel Shinra – so we gotta make due with what we have.}

{But if I was a gambling woman – and I kind of am, but it's a quirky vice, so don't sweat it – then Palmer shows all the signs of a nepo-baby all grown up… which means, if your willing to play caretaker, we might be able to snag this one in the bag.}

000

Reginald was late… late, late, late!

Sitting in his office — a refreshing light blue painted room, with the night sky painted above, and a scattering of cushions and brown furniture – the portly man was feeling more stressed as the clock ticked on by. It had been nearly an hour since he first sat down, but his paperwork hadn't gone down one bit since the week began! It was a veritable jungle of spreadsheets and numbers, all mixed up in a jumbled mess that left him feeling nauseous. And he was drowning in it, sinking deeper and deeper ever since his dear Maribel decided to retire for good this year.

Selfish bitch… just when he needed her most, she decided now to spend her golden years with her great-grandchildren!?

No, no… that was cruel of him.

His old nanny deserved the long rest after years of dedication and hard work, the many holidays and family time she sacrificed to take care of him… but she couldn't have waited till after he had gotten a new assistant!?

She had waited 60 years… so what was two more weeks?

Truly, what had he done to deserve such misery?

Even worse, Rigel was taking his sweet time finding him help! And everything Reginald asked, the man would just say he was still looking or that he was too busy doing this and that for the Company! Endless excuses! It was just like his little cousin to drag his feet on the important stuff. Why… when they were boys–

Swoosh!

Palmer's head snapped up from his desk, ink staining his cheek somehow during his furious writing.

And standing at the entrance was a blonde Soldier, looking impressively impassive as he took a few cautious steps into the room.

"Director Palmer?" The man asked.

The Director nodded in confirmation, but a little confused by the Elite appearance… especially since Reginald never got visitors on his side of the pond. It was a shame really, since most people seemed less than interested in space and all its wonders. All of them we're too invested in worldly concerns like mako and money.

Palmer missed having someone to talk to about outer space.

"Nice to meet you, sir." The blonde said politely, strolling towards the Director's desk, hand out in greeting. "I'm Cloud Strife–"

"Wait! Are you my new assistant?" Reginald asked, the reason for the Soldier's appearance finally clicking in his mind. It made sense! It truly would take a superhuman to pick up Maribel's slack… and they had a building teeming with them! Oh, he knew Rigel would come through eventually. His cousin would be a layabout at times but he was reliable when it really counted!

For a moment the Elite stood frozen, looking at Palmer with wide eyes, his hand still out and hovering…

And for a split second, the Director had to wonder if his guess was wrong… but the Soldier's head seemed to title, before fully regaining his composure and giving the older man a nod and a smile. "Very good deduction sir."

"Oh good, good!" Palmer said happily, jumping out of his chair and striding towards his new assistant Cloud Strife, grabbing the young man's hand to shake it vigorously. "And not a moment too soon my boy! But no time for a proper introduction, because I am late!" Digging into his vest pocket, he pulled out the notebook full of his passwords and access codes, before shoving it into the other blonde's hands. "My little cheat sheet… read it through and memorize everything. And then…" He motioned to the stacks of paperwork on his desk. "Take care of that as soon as possible. If I have to keep looking at that monstrosity, I might cry in frustration!"

With that said, Palmer went to grab his coat and hat off the rack.

"Of course, sir." He heard Strife agree affably behind him as he tugged one sleeve on… only for the boy kindly coming to help him with the other sleeve. Ah, already getting into the groove of being a good assistant. Very nice… Rigel picked a good one. Turning him around, the Soldier helped straighten his lapels and smooth down the wrinkles. "Do you have your wallet, keys, PHS?" Reginald patted his pockets down, and confirmed that he did. "Good, I'll take care off the paperwork and have it ready for you to sign–"

"No, no! Just… sign my name for me. You have my permission to do whatever you need to do" Palmer ordered quickly, absolutely dreading the idea of having to come back to the office. "In fact, take care of the backlog and anything else that needs doing. And only contact me in case of an absolute emergency! Because truly, I've had my fill of spreadsheets and their nonsense for one day!" Putting his hat on, he was ready to get the hell out of this building. But before he took a step, he made sure to grab the Soldier's arm and asked imploringly. "But… keep that between us… I don't want the President knowing I'm cutting corners again."

"Mums the word." Cloud said reassuringly, raising one finger over his lips.

"That's what I love to hear, my boy." He said happily, striding towards his door, moving as fast as he could in case another stranger came and caught him playing hooky. Stepping into his private lift, he once again faced the Soldier at the door – who had been idly reading through the notebook – and raised one pointed finger in the air, before saying. "Keep up that good attitude and you'll have a bright future with Shinra!"

"Oh, how exciting. I'm looking forward to it." The Elite said politely, giving the Director a slight head bow.

Smiling wide as the metal doors cut him off from view, Palmer finally felt like he could relax.

He was going to make it… he was on time!

The chocobo racing ring's two-for-one mint ice cream deal was his!

000000

Hopefully with the introductions part out of the way, we can just right into the juicy bits of Cloud's infitration... which will include his POV. And trust me, he's nowhere near as cool, calm, and collected as he seems lol.

Orignally, I was going to include Heideger, but I was so burnt out by the time I wrote Palmer Imcouldn;t find the motivation... so, I'm gonna rework how Cloud encounters the rest of the Shinra personale.

Fun Fact: Scarlet and Heideger are aware that Deepground exist, which is why she's not "super" surpised that Hojo was going around transfroming random Infantrymen into Soldiers. It's kind of his bread and butter lol.

A/N Thank LevinMenace for the long review! I love harem stories, but usually try to give them a plausible explaination for why it's happending. I like it when the MC has to earn the harem... it adds spice to the smut scenes for me lol.