Vincent Valentine stopped in front of Lucrecia’s cave. The last time he was here, he couldn’t speak with Lucrecia freely. Cloud
and the others stopped him from expressing his true emotions.

So, you are capable of emotions?

That voice in his head again. He wondered if it was his conscience, his guilt, or something Hojo had done to him, or a mixture of
the three. At any rate, Vincent had to see if she was all right. She hadn’t been here when he’d discovered the Death Penalty.

Now, the Death Penalty hung at his side. A marvelous piece of machinery, really, he hoped that it didn’t mean what he thought
it did.

That was the last thing on his mind, though. He had many questions for Lucrecia, not all of them as nice as the origin of the gun.

                    _______________________________________________________

Reno was suspicious of the activities going on in Gold Saucer. It had mysteriously closed not long after Meteor struck. That in
itself was not strange, many businesses had temporarily closed after Meteor’s descent. The strange part was that it was still
closed nearly two months after Meteor’s strike.

He looked over his head and saw Rude and Elena; they were being a bit too loud.

“Hey,” he hissed a warning, “be quiet you two, if Dio’s guards hear us, we’re in deep shit.”

They said nothing back, merely nodded. That was more like it.

Reno sighed, he hated stake out work, but ever since the Shinra was destroyed, the Turks had to work as mercenaries, doing
odd jobs for the highest bidder.

As if hearing his thoughts, Elena piped up, “Tell me again why we took this job?”

Reno was agitated, “Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”

Elena looked like she was about to put her fist through something. Then she calmed down and leaned up against a wall, “This
sucks,” she said.

Rude just said nothing; Reno hadn’t expected any trouble from him.

Elena started speaking again, “I don’t care HOW much gil Godo is paying us. It can’t be worth this. I don’t like watching Dio’s
hired muscle parade about not doing much of anything.”

“Elena, you talk too much,” Reno said, that phrase was becoming quite common among the Turks. “And…” he continued,
“Haven’t I told you to shut your damn mouth!”

“Listen,” Elena began, she was fuming, “I am so SICK of this sh-“

“Quiet! Both of you!” it was Rude, the silent one was silent no longer. “Something’s happening.”

The Turks leered out the window and watched the events unfold below.

                    _______________________________________________________

Reeve was busily sorting through his paperwork. The newly appointed mayor of Kalm was a busy man. Now that Midgar was
a veritable ghost town, Kalm was home to almost all of the refugees.

Those that had survived, that is. Nearly three thousand dead and another ten thousand injured. It was without a doubt the
biggest disaster in Midgar, no, the world’s history.

It could have been worse, he thought to himself, A LOT worse.

That was true, had Aeris not summoned Holy, the planet would have died, all life ceasing to exist. A global killer, they called it.

Aeris was dead now, one life paling in comparison to the lives of billions. Still, Holy was only a buyer of time, stalling Meteor so
that the LifeStream could work it’s magic.

Reeve only wished that he could have done something about it. He felt trapped inside of his virtual reality world from which he
controlled Cait Sith.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice the man in the dark uniform walk into the room. It seemed like the uniform
of a Turk, so Reeve assumed that it was Vincent.

Be with you in one moment,” he said holding a finger in the air, signifying the ‘one.’

The man placed his hand on the desk in front of him. The hand was covered in a dark leather glove. It was Turks uniform.

Reeve finally looked up and was shocked by what he saw. His face turned a deathly pale white and he gasped for air.

“It can’t be…” he began.

“Oh, but it can,” said the shadowy man in a raspy voice, “Long time, no see, Reeve.”

“I, I thought you were dead!”

The man laughed, his voice seething with hatred, “No, but by the time I’m finished you’ll wish that you were.”

Reeve stood and tried to back away from the man, but the other was too quick. He quickly grabbed Reeve in a chokehold,
and applied pressure until he was unconscious.

The man grabbed the still body of Reeve and supported him with his right shoulder. With his other arm, the Turk brushed back
his shoulder-length hair out of his eyes. He then turned and carried the man out of his office.

To Chapter 2