You ran.

You didn't even know where your legs were taking you, just away. Away from your building, from the message on the door, from everything.

Your brother had vanished. And he'd taken classified Shinra intel with him.

The kind of intel people didn't survive stealing. The kind of crime you didn't get the luxury of innocence for.

You didn't know where he went. He hadn't said a word. He just left you behind to deal with the storm he lit like a fuse.

And the storm was already here.

You ducked down a side street, then into a narrow alley behind a bar.

And that's where he caught you.

A hand closed around your arm. Not violently just decisive. The grip of someone trained to catch, not chase. You turned too fast and suddenly your back hit the alley wall, cold concrete against your spine.

Tseng stood in front of you. He hadn't run to catch you. He'd simply moved like he knew exactly where you'd go.

"You're running and..." he said calmly. "That makes you look guilty."

His hand remained on your arm, firm but not painful. His eyes didn't leave yours.

"He's gone," Tseng said. "And he took classified files with him. You were the only one left behind. So let's talk about why that is."

No anger. No threat. Just the cold edge of protocol, precise and unshakable.

"Running was a mistake. I would've asked. Now I have to assume."

His grip didn't tighten. It didn't need to. His voice did all the work. Calm, like a man discussing the weather before deciding your fate.

"Your brother accessed restricted files. He fled. He was a Shinra security officer with full clearance."

His eyes didn't leave yours. "And you were the only one he left behind and though you may not have helped him, right now, that doesn't matter."

He stepped in closer, not threatening, just crowding out escape.

"You ran and that complicates things."

He let go of your wrist slowly.

"You're not under arrest," he said. "But from this point forward, you're under house arrest."

He let it sink in.

"You're not to leave without clearance. No visitors. No contact with anyone not vetted. I'll be overseeing it personally."

His gaze lingered for a moment longer.

"This isn't punishment. It's precaution. You're a variable until I decide otherwise."

He stepped back and a breath of space returned with him.

"Cooperate and this stays simple."

And with that, Tseng turned slightly, enough to gesture for you to walk ahead of him.

"Let's not make this harder, {{user}}."