There was something that Rufus found appealing about the Shinra Building late at night, after most of the Company's employees had gone home. It became a quieter, darker world, occupied only by the steady hum of mainframe computers, security mecha, and one or two of the treadmills in the gym. It was a more relaxed sort of Shinra Building, where what few employees milling about took advantage of the amenities afforded to them, clearing their minds before the following day's work.
         However, such was not the case on the main floor of the Urban Development division this particular night, as they had been charged with the daunting task of installing and routing power to the mako cannon, which had arrived from Junon earlier that day. As Rufus stepped out onto that floor, he passed a baggy-eyed team of engineers in the hallway who were busy discussing the scaffolding they were preparing to support the cannon's weight. Another team brushed past Rufus as he continued on; a brief word with one member revealed that they were headed to Midgar's Reactor No. 4 to do a test of the mako transport pipes before the cannon was connected.
         Soon, after a couple additional such encounters, he arrived at Reeve's office. His secretary was gone, and the door to the Urban Development Chair's inner sanctum was wide open. Without waiting for any sort of invitation, Rufus strolled inside.
         Gathered before Reeve's desk were three more engineers. Reeve himself was behind his desk, a large, complex schematic spread out across it. He pointed to something on the schematic and told the engineers, "Keep in mind that these measurements must be followed as closely as possible."
         One of the engineers peered down at the diagram and replied, "Are you sure that's the correct angle? It seems a little off to me."
         "No, it's right," another one countered. "Keep in mind that we have to account for the curvature of the Planet, not to mention the weight of the missile itself. Firing a cannon's nothing like building a sector. Reeve, will we be given any sort of leeway in aiming this thing?"
         Reeve shook his head. "We have neither the time nor the resources to install a pneumatic aiming system similar to Junon's. Any additional factors we'll leave to Weapons Dev. to worry about."
         "Who's going to be firing the cannon?" the third engineer asked.
         "Peace Preservation. And I will be issuing the order," Rufus answered, walking closer to the group. Reeve greeted him with a nod. "Welcome, sir. I didn't hear you come in."
         "I just wanted to see how things were going here," Rufus replied, brushing a lock of hair from the front of his face. "Your entire division seems to be rather busy tonight."
         Reeve nodded, then excused himself to answer any final questions his engineers had. Once their meeting was adjourned, and the engineers had left, Reeve closed his office door and turned to the President.
         "What really brings you here, Rufus?" he asked, a small smile on his face. "I get the impression you didn't make this visit just to 'see how things are going'."
         "An apt observation," Rufus replied, returning the smile before settling down in one of the armchairs before Reeve's desk. Reeve in turn came away from the door and walked back behind his desk, where he rolled up the schematic and set it to one side before sitting down.
         "Well then, sir, why do you wish to see me?"
         Rufus casually crossed his legs and started, "You may have heard the rumors going around lately, that provided we survive this Meteor crisis, I'll make you my Vice President."
         "I try not to follow office gossip too closely, but yes, I have heard some mention of this."
         "What do you think of it?"
         "I'd be flattered if it was true, but there's so much going on right now…"
         With a sly smile, Rufus continued, "What if I told you that there is indeed some truth behind this rumor?"
         "Well then, I'm… very flattered. As well as honored."
         "You would accept the position, then."
         "I would be delighted to be your Vice President, Rufus." There was a seductive edge to Reeve's reply, but Rufus knew better than to let this underling of his get the better of him. Reeve would be his, but on his terms.
         "Then, provided we survive this crisis, and I wish to make you the new Vice President of the Shinra Electric Power Company, would you be willing to do something about your outside investments beforehand?"
         The smile on Reeve's face flattened. "I don't know what you're talking about," he answered in an equally flat tone.
         Rufus laughed. "You can't deny it. I've been well aware of these activities of yours for quite some time. Coal mines, oil fields, wind turbines, even a hydroelectric research facility—quite an impressive portfolio you have."
         "Who told you? How did you find out?"
         "I have my sources," Rufus said, folding his hands across his lap. "Don't forget, I'm a very well-connected man, even outside of Shinra."
         "I see…" Reeve replied.
         For a moment, Rufus wondered if there was something else going on that he wasn't aware of. "At any rate, returning to my original question: What do you plan to do about these investments should you wish to become Vice President?"
         Reeve sighed. "What do you have in mind?"
         "I could buy out these companies, perhaps… or simply crush them. Whatever is necessary so that Shinra maintains its dominant position in the energy business. Don't worry, I'll be willing to overlook these and any other past indiscretions of yours, and you'll still stand to increase your personal fortune. However, I'll also make sure to eliminate whatever influence you may have over these companies, or at the very least, lessen it. Does that suit you?"
         "Just fine, Rufus," Reeve replied, starting to smile again. "The money aside, I only wish to serve this city and be by your side, so we can craft our legacy."
         Yes, Rufus thought; Reeve's reply was a welcome one, an affirmation that although he did love his wealth, he wasn't merely some power-hungry mongrel out to take advantage of him. No, Reeve was the real deal, in search of a partnership, their legacy. Or rather, our legacy however I dictate it.
         "So you think we'll be able to get through this thing?" Reeve asked, interrupting Rufus' train of thought.
         "If you mean Meteor and Sephiroth, I believe there's a chance. We've come too far to give up now."
         "True," Reeve replied, standing up from his chair. He came before Rufus and gently drew his bangs back from his face, staring into his eyes. "It's just that…"
         "Yes?"
         "What if we don't survive?" Reeve's hand moved lower down Rufus' face, caressing his cheek. "I don't want to die with any regrets left."
         Rufus kissed Reeve's palm and licked at his fingers as they brushed past his mouth, drawing a small sigh from the latter. "I know what you mean. What do you intend to do about it?"
         Reeve responded by cupping Rufus' chin in his hand and pulling it upward, coaxing him to stand. The President did so, and Reeve moved his hand again, lightly pressing his thumb against Rufus' lips. As he did so, Reeve's dark eyes couldn't remain still, instead darting around in tiny little increments, examining Rufus' face. Rufus watched all this, slightly amused.
         "You know, you still haven't answered my question," he said in a subdued tone. Reeve smiled and nodded once before leaning forward to replace his thumb with his lips. Rufus moved into the gesture, and soon found his own hand against Reeve's bearded jaw, easing him closer as he opened his mouth a little wider.
         "Mmm," was all that Reeve would say as he accepted the deepening kiss, his hands having moved to Rufus' waist, then one of them to his thigh; now it was his turn to draw the other closer. A quiver of sheer pleasure shot up Rufus' spine as he felt Reeve's body pressed against his. He lost himself in the moment, drawing Reeve in, thinking about what was to come, silently gloating to himself about how his conquest would soon draw to a climax.
         Unfortunately, from that moment on, everything around him went black.

*****

         Reno stood before the apartment building in Sector Two, cursing under his breath. Earlier that evening, he had just awoken from a very deep nap when he got a phone call from Elena. As it turned out, she had narrowed the suspect list in the Cait Sith treason case down to one: Forrest Reeves, the Chairman of Urban Development, one of the most powerful people at the Shinra Electric Power Company, and…
         Staring down at his feet, he bit his bottom lip. What did Reeve mean to him these days? He recalled their conversation shortly after Reeve's one night stand with Elena. Was this whole Cait Sith business the real reason why he told Reno to forget about him? Was he merely hoping to provide a little bit of insurance for himself before his bold betrayal of Shinra?
         Reno took a deep breath; he didn't feel like doing this, but had no other choice. He had to search Reeve's apartment for additional evidence that would tie him to Cait Sith, and once he found it, his onetime friend would be found guilty of treason and executed. Considering the huge rock hanging over the Planet, he shouldn't have cared; they would all be dead soon, anyway. However, there was always a chance of survival. What if that came to pass?
         "Fuck," he swore out loud, shaking his head. A traitor was a traitor, and Reeve's alleged acts of sedition were particularly heinous. He couldn't believe that for a moment, his thoughts had turned contrary to his own personal beliefs. At that moment, he decided that whatever the cost, he had to carry out his duty, and thus he pulled on a pair of black leather gloves, walked inside the building, and pressed the button for the elevator.

         The eighth floor was fairly quiet. Down at the end of the hall, Elena's door sat in a dark corner; Elena herself had decided to crash in the nap room in the Shinra Building's employee gym for the night, not bothering to come home. A little ways closer up the hall was the door to Reeve's apartment; the thin crack under the door was completely dark, indicating that no one was home, or at the very least, awake.
         Good.
         Unlike the last time he had to break into Reeve's apartment, Reno was prepared; he had his lockpicking tools on him, with which he was able to open the front door in only a couple of minutes. As quietly as he could, he slipped in and took off his shoes. He then cautiously walked across the living room carpet until he reached the bedroom door, which was left ajar. Peering inside, he could see an unmade bed with no one in it; off to the left, the bathroom was dark. Reno smiled grimly; he had the entire place to himself.
         He walked back into the living room, where he locked the front door and flicked on the lights. Looking around, Reno could see that the apartment was a little messy, but not so much that he couldn't successfully cover his tracks. He started with the hall closet, sifting through its contents with his fully-gloved hands. After turning up nothing, he hung his jacket up on the coatrack, rolled up his sleeves, and moved on the living room.
         As with the hall closet, he didn't have much success there. However, during his check of the kitchen, Reno came across something he didn't expect, tucked away in a cabinet full of cans. It was a contact lens case. As far as Reno knew, Reeve didn't wear corrective lenses, but aside from this fact, not to mention its odd location, there was something else unusual about this case. Only one side of it held any sort of fluid; the other was completely dry, as though it had never been used. From what Reno knew about how Cait Sith was controlled, this was definitely an indicator that Reeve was indeed the guilty party. Nevertheless, he continued his search for evidence, working his way to the bedroom.
         Having left the suspect contact lens case on the kitchen counter, Reno pushed back all thoughts of Reeve's night with Elena as he stepped into the bedroom once again. His eyes roamed the room as he wondered where he should start. They landed upon the window ledge that held the framed picture of him and Reeve, and that maroon lacquer box; just what did he keep in there, anyway? He picked up the framed photograph and looked it over. It really was a nice frame; brushed mythrill, cast in a very simple, yet tasteful design. The photograph hadn't changed from the last time he saw it; he and Reeve were both still dressed in tuxes, grinning at each other, with the bright lights and fireworks of the Gold Saucer behind them. Reno sighed and shook his head as he set the framed picture to one side and opened the box. He was surprised, but not entirely shocked, by the few small bags of white powder and dried, crushed leaves inside. Reno took these out and found nothing else. As he picked up the box to examine it further, he felt something roll around from within it. Apparently, the box contained a hidden compartment.
         It didn't take Reno long to figure out where this compartment was and how to access it, which he was able to do without damaging the box. Once he had removed the box's false bottom, he found only two items—a piece of red materia and a folded, yellowed sheet of paper. For some reason, he felt drawn to them, even though they probably had nothing to do with Cait Sith. As curiosity overwhelmed him, he set down the box and unfolded the piece of paper, finding that it was a letter; it seemed to have been dated from around the time of Reeve's wedding. In the dim light of the bedroom, he read the following:

My dear Reeve,

         You know it pains me to see you go through with this marriage, one which you never had any say over, but chose not to object to nonetheless. I don't need to tell you that you have other options, or rather "had", at least for a time. But as is typical for you, your stubborn adherence to what you believe is "right" has, in my opinion, damned you to a potential lifetime without love. I understand that marriage is not necessarily about love—it's about stability, and security, and—for your family—strategic alliances, and perhaps I am not the best person to tell you how you should run your family life, as mine isn't exactly all chicobos and roses.
         However, I do know one thing: I know that you will suffer if you don't grow to love Scarlet, as you're hoping. You're not the type of person who could be happy without that, to use a clichéd expression, "special someone". A someone who could make you happy, and is happy because you're happy, and vice-versa. Although I've only met her once, I have my doubts that Scarlet could fill that role, to be the one who you could look upon the way I once looked at you. Perhaps I'll be proven wrong in the future, and if so, then all the best to you.
         I have a separate wedding gift for you and your bride, but this box and frame is intended for you alone. The box you surely recognize. Yes, it is a heirloom that has been with me for a long time, but it would mean a tremendous amount to me if you were to have it. As for the frame, it's nothing special on its own, but what I want you to do with it is an entirely different matter. Promise me that you will place in this frame a picture of you with the person you love most. It might be Scarlet, it might not. However, I don't want you to put anything into this frame before you realize just who your someone is.
         I'm sure you will come to realize what I've seen in you, but what you don't yet see in yourself, and I'm looking forward to the day that you thank me. Then I will know that I was right, and you will have the happiness you deserve.
         For other than my own fiancée, I can't think of anyone more deserving of happiness than you. That is what I hope to accomplish with my gift, what I hope it will, in time, lead you to. What I wanted, at one time, to give you myself, although you wouldn't let me.
         My dear friend, as you're moving to Midgar soon, I doubt we'll be seeing much of each other, if at all. Therefore, I bid you a fond farewell, and the best of luck, though I know you won't need it!

Yours sincerely,
Edgar Kramler

         Reno lowered the letter, stunned by what he had just read. Still holding the yellowed piece of paper with one hand, he picked up the summon materia with his other and examined it closely. Even in this poor lighting, he could see that it housed one of the lost gods; in fact, this was one stone whose whereabouts he had long wondered about himself. It was Maduin materia.
         "So now you know the truth, about many things."
         He didn't need to turn around to see who the voice belonged to, as it was one that was as familiar to him as his own. "Reeve."
         "Yes. But these days, some of my friends call me Cait Sith." The room fell silent for a moment before Reeve continued; "I saw your coat hung up and the contact lens case on the kitchen counter, and guessed that you were in here searching the place."
         "So it's true, then. You're the traitor."
         "Yes I am."
         "How long have you been standing there?"
         "I came in while you were still reading Kramler's letter."
         "Oh."
         "He gave it to me along with the box and the frame, the night before my wedding. By that time I had realized how I really felt about him, but it was too late for me to do anything about it."
         "So Kramler was not just your college buddy, he was your—"
         "No," Reeve interrupted. "I… I never let him get close to me."
         Reno's eyes wandered to the frame, lying face up on the window ledge. "And what am I to you?"
         "The person who makes me happy when he's happy. The person I want as my 'someone'."
         "How long have you known about… these feelings of yours?"
         "Two years, if you can believe it, which is perhaps longer than you've known about your own. That party on its own was wonderful, but when you suggested that name for my new red chocobo, after that of a summon materia that's been a heirloom in my family for generations, a materia which you never even knew I had, that's when I knew."
         Reno darted his eyes away from the picture again. "That was just a coincidence."
         "I know, but… somehow, it made me realize…"
         "Two years…" Reno muttered, more than a little bit baffled by how long this has been going on; like Reeve indicated, much longer than he could've ever suspected. "So for the past two years, you've been in… in…" He couldn't bring himself to say it.
         "Yes," Reeve quietly acknowledged. "But I let myself forget those feelings after that party, filed them away. I came to think it was a fluke after awhile, a one-time occurrence, no different than your naming my chocobo Maduin. I didn't feel as strongly for you again until a year later, again at the Gold Saucer."
         Silence. Eventually, Reno broke it, saying, "Go on."
         "You were coming on to me, and I didn't know what to do. I suppose I should've been elated, but actually, I was in shock, and frustrated. My personal mores got the better of me, and I threw you off of me, into that glass table. When I found out later just how badly I had hurt you… that's when my feelings for you rushed back, but in a bad way this time. From then on, I never really denied to myself what you meant to me, but I worked damned hard to avoid confronting it. I didn't want to ever again do what I did to you that night. I thought… we'd been better off the way things were before, and that we should strive to live our lives as though it never happened."
         "Reeve, that's still denial."
         "Damn. I was hoping you wouldn't say that."
         "How long have you had this photo in this frame?"
         "Some time after we returned from that trip. I can't remember exactly when that was."
         Reno nodded, then decided to change the subject, as there were still certain things he needed to know. "So, about Cait Sith…"
         "Yes?"
         "Why did you decide to help them out?"
         "I've thought long and hard about that myself. They… the group's so full of life, and they all believe that what they're working towards is right, even though there are many people who hate them, or don't even know they exist. They each have their own goal, something they're striving toward. Right now, their purposes have intersected into one: saving this world from Sephiroth."
         "Sounds idealistic, though I get the impression you're not telling me everything. What is your goal, Reeve?"
         "I'm pretty sure I know what that is now, but it's nothing you need to worry about. What I can tell you is that since I've joined Cloud's group, I've learned things about the Shinra Company that I never could've imagined. Disturbing and terrible things."
         "Doesn't make you any less of a traitor."
         Reno thought he heard Reeve chuckle at this statement. He whirled around to face Reeve for the first time since the latter came home; the older man's pained, tired eyes bore into his in a way they never had before. The Turk quickly averted from his gaze.
         "Tell me about the Huge Materia," Reno continued. "There was a damned good chance that the rocket plan would've worked."
         "As a former materiologist, could you honestly say that?"
         Reno didn't reply. Reeve continued; "Part of the reason I let them know about the Huge Materia was because of Heidegger—that fat bastard's too damned power-hungry for his own good. I also knew that the crystals' powers could be of some use to us. Yet there was a third factor at play, the one thing which finalized my decision to let everyone else listen in on that meeting when Scarlet and Heidegger unveiled their plan."
         "Which was?"
         Reeve gave him an odd look, then closed his eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't felt it for yourself. Look out the window. You should see him in a minute or two."
         Now it was Reno's turn to look at Reeve strangely. He couldn't possibly be talking about—
         He paused in his thoughts once he'd turned his attention to what lay beyond the plate glass window. A huge dark grey mass began to emerge from beyond the smoke of one of the reactor towers at the edge of the city. As it drew a little closer, Reno could make out the form of an enormous dragon with three sets of wings, hovering high in the sky.
         "ZERO…" he murmured. From far above, he swore he heard the dragon's low, guttural growl, as if acknowledging his former host's identity. As the dragon returned to the higher skies and faded away, Reno turned back to Reeve, who was reopening his eyes; as he did so, a pale green light reflected off his left one, which Reno guessed was due to the special contact lens.
         "I learned of your impromptu experiment in Cosmo Canyon from Tseng, who I had a nice, long conversation with shortly before he went to the Temple of the Ancients. When we left the Huge Materia in the care of your former teacher Bugenhagen earlier today, the Bahamut and Neo-Bahamut materia we had on us began to glow, and Cloud heard a dragon's roar above his head. That's when the Bahamut-ZERO materia emerged. I—or Cait, rather—asked Cloud if I could equip it. And there you have it."
         "So, essentially, you ended up stealing the Huge Materia for my sake?"
         Reeve nodded. "I knew that if I ever wanted you to forgive me for my past indiscretions—no, for me to forgive myself—nothing ordinary would do. Having distanced myself from you only further verified to me that I needed to see an end to this, and to stop running away from the truth. I didn't want either of us to be in pain any more."
         "But… what do you all plan to do about Meteor now? I've been ordered to fight Sephiroth alongside Shinra's finest, but with ZERO gone…"
         "Don't worry about it. We're talking to Bugenhagen about our options, see if he knows anything that could be useful."
         Reno placed the Maduin materia back in its place in Reeve's box, then did the same with the letter. He wasn't sure what to make of this conversation they were having. Reeve had committed selfish and treasonous acts punishable by death, hiding his doings from everyone at the Company, and yet Reno was not mad at him. The Company had been betrayed, but Reno himself had not, and he wasn't sure how to deal with this. "You're a right piece of work, you know that?"
         "What are you going to do now?"
         "Go home. Think about whether or not I should report you. Just… think about what you've said in general."
         "Can you do me a favor, then? Will you take me with you?"
         Reno froze, startled at what he was hearing. Sure, Reeve had finally, shockingly, admitted his true feelings, but wasn't this a little fast? "Why?"
         Reeve let out a slight laugh. "Not for the reasons I suspect you're thinking. The truth is, I fear I might have gotten into a bit of trouble with Rufus and need to hide out from him for the rest of the night."
         "Rufus? C'mon, it's not like he gonna hunt you down and murder you in your sleep."
         "Unfortunately, that's a very real possibility."
         Reno shook his head. "Rufus is an asshole—no offense, because I know you two are friends—but he isn't like that."
         "He's long seen me as more of a romantic conquest than a friend," Reeve muttered, a hint of disgust in his voice, as he walked across the bedroom toward his bureau. "That was another thing Tseng pointed out to me back then."
         Reno smirked, silently thanking his dearly departed friend from helping Reeve see the light. Meanwhile, Reeve placed some clothes into a bag, along with an oblong wooden box that he had pulled out of one of the bureau's drawers.
         "You don't pick up on it too well when someone likes you, huh," Reno replied. "But anyway, I can't see Rufus as the murdering type. He's too much of a pretty boy."
         "You'd think so, but such is not the case."
         The Turk raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Is this something else Tseng has told you?"
         "And willed to me, yes: the evidence to incriminate yet another traitor in the Company's midst. I'll tell you everything once we get to your place."