"Fair enough.. Who's going with who?" Fang asked.
"You and Vanille can go with Vincent." She told the huntress who nodded without hesitation.
"Me and Sazh will take the airship and scout above. No car will out run the Highwind." Cid boasted.
"Thank You Cid.. Snow, you go with Barret and Yuffie." Claire said.
"Got ya!" Snow said with enthusiasm.
"I'm coming with you, Lightning." Tifa spoke silencing the room.
"You have the kids to look after.." Claire replied coldly, not wanting her company.
"I'll look after them for you Tifa." Serah offered, earning her a soul piercing look from her sister.
"Looks like you're stuck with me." Tifa fired back.
There was another awkward silence that seemed to last for an eerily long time until Nanaki offered his services and said what everyone in the room was thinking.
"I will accompany you both. I'm convinced it would end badly otherwise.." Nanaki said, making them both feel uncomfortable.
"Fine.. let's go. If they get him out of the country it's game over.." Claire said, trying not to get upset. "Move!"
Everyone scarpered out of the house in great haste to avoid Claire's wrath. Barret climbed into his pickup truck with Snow and Yuffie before heading off into the night as Claire opened her garage doors to reveal her Bowler 4x4 and Camaro. Fang chose the 4x4 and threw herself between the roll cage and into the drivers seat as Vanille took the passenger seat. Vincent, who was not in the mood for talking, opened the boot and jumped into the back, making himself comfortable as he waited for their departure.
"Lets go." Claire said to Nanaki as she watched Cid and Sazh ascend the ropes that dangled from the airship.
Tifa pulled the seat of the Camaro forward and to let Nanaki gracefully leap into the back and lay across the back seats before folding it back and climbing in herself. She has barely put her seat belt on when Clare roared out of her garage, filling it with tire smoke as her house quickly became a dot in the rear view mirror.
"How do you know you're going the right way?" Tifa asked as she glanced nervously at the speedo. 131Mph.. Is that really necessary?
"The tracks lead east out of town. That's all we have to go on." Claire answered.
"Hmmm.. Does Cloud carry a cell phone still?" The brunette asked.
"Yeah, why?"
Tifa did not answer Claire but instead pulled out her own phone and flicked through the contacts until she found Reno's number. After a brief explanation of the nights events, Reno attempted to track Cloud's phone, eventually locating it 30 miles east of their position, traveling down the highway. Claire mentally scalded herself for not thinking of the idea first and begrudgingly thanked Tifa for their new lead.
"I'll tell Sazh."
"You don't talk much do you, mister?" Vanille said to the dark and mysterious man in the back of their car.
"When I have something to say.." Vincent replied in his deep but whispered voice.
"How boring!" The bubbly young woman shouted. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"
"Vincent Valentine..." The crimson eyed man answered, hoping this would be the end of their conversation.
"I'm Vanille! And this is Fang." Vanille beamed.
"Vanille, leave the poor man alone and keep your eyes out for a van." Fang said, relieving the cloaked man from her rambling. The wild haired huntress examined their quiet passenger in the rear view mirror with great interest, trying to figure out his secrets just by looking at him. Feeling he was being watched, Vincent glanced at the mirror to find Fang's eyes before they instantly turned away.
"Cid! That was Lightning on the phone. They got Reno to ping Cloud's cell phone and it give us a location. He's four clicks east of our location traveling on the main highway." Sazh said, bracing himself for the hot headed pilot to alter the Highwind's course.
"Roger! We'll be on their ass in less than a minute! Keep a lookout!" Cid barked, reveling in the excitement.
Sure enough red tail lights came into view in the distance after a minute on their altered course. As they homed in on the red blur in the distance it instantly became apparent that there was far more than one vehicle on the highway.
"It's a whole damn convoy.." Sazh sighed as he counted the 5 identical vans and two motorcycles that sailed across the road in a tight formation. "Lightning, It's Sazh.. We have a problem.."
"How many!? Right, I'm a few minutes away. Fang is on my tail." Claire said as she watched her speedo climb to 140mph. "Slow them down Sazh... I don't care how, just do it.."
Claire looked to the sky to see the flashing strobe lights of the airship a few miles in the distance. With one hand still on the wheel, she reached over to the glove box and opened it, pulling out a pair of H&K USP pistols and throwing them on the dashboard before returning her hand back for spare magazines.
"You know how to shoot, right?" Claire asked in a condescending tone.
"Barret taught me the basics." Tifa replied, taking a pistol from the dashboard and pulling the slide back and releasing it, putting a round in the chamber.
"Let's hope you can shoot straight.."
Nanaki sighed in the back of the car, becoming increasingly annoyed at the pair's bickering. He had spent a month talking to and watching Claire and began to build up an accurate opinion on the rose haired beauty. Much like the man she loves, Claire is courageous and utterly loyal to all she holds dear but puts up walls to hide her emotions behind and portray herself as the tough and confident warrior who doesn't get phased by anything. How very similar you both are..
"This isn't helping.." The fiery furred beast said calmly.
"Sazh! I'm gonna get in front of them. Hold on to ya drawers!" The captain shouted as he plunged the mighty airship over the small convoy and flew in front of them.
Seconds later, two of the vans opened their rear doors as men leaned out and shot at the Highwind with assault rifles, peppering the aircraft in bullet holes.
"We're taking damage!" Sazh shouted, narrowly missing the bullets that burst through the skin of the craft.
"Forget the weapons he said... Install the navigation system first he said.." Cid mumbled angrily, wishing he had the ability to fire back.
"We survive this and you can put as many guns as you like on it- Hey! Where you goin!" The afro haired pilot asked as Cid left the controls and disappeared briefly, returning with a spear.
"The hell you gonna do with that!?" Sazh shouted as he ran to regain control of the ship.
"No one shoots at my baby, besides.. I gotta go rescue the numbskull! Get the outer deck over those vans!" Cid shouted as he disappeared again.
Sazh gripped the controls and took evasive maneuvers to dodge the barrage of bullets being shot at them as he positioned the airship directly over the convoy of vans.
"Okay Light, divide and conquer?" Fang said into the car's hands free phone.
"Cloud will likely be in one of the middle vans. We need to get rid of those two motorcycles fir- What he hell is he doing!?" Claire's voice shouted in surprise through Fang's car speakers, causing her to look up at the Highwind to find Cid stood on the railing of the open rear deck.
"Hmm.. It's time.. Get me closer.." Vincent said in a frighteningly calm voice as he opened the sunroof and climbed out.
"What are you doing?!" Vanille asked as she watched the last of his torn crimson cape disappear from view.
"You guy's are nuts!" Fang shouted through the sunroof. "I like it."
Vincent gave a nod of readiness to Cid who nodded back before leaping from the airship and burying his spear through the engine block of the far left van, disabling it immediately. Vincent ran down the bonnet of the 4x4 and used Claire's Camaro as a stepping stone to mount the far right van, shooting the nearest motorcycle rider as he regained his balance. Fang watched as the caped man jumped from van to van, shooting the driver of each with surgical precision until only two vans and a motorcycle remained.
"Hey! Sharin's carin! Leave some for me!" Cid barked as he swung his spear behind him, knocking the motorcycle rider off of his bike.
The van Cid was stood on swerved violently, throwing the foul mouthed pilot off the roof. Acting on instinct, he jammed his spear into the side of the other van and held on tight as it began to accelerate away. Vincent offered his clawed gauntlet to the dangling pilot who took it gratefully as he pulled him onto the roof of the second van.
Claire watched the back doors of the van that Vincent and Cid were stood on open to reveal two Disciple soldiers armed with assault rifles. Tifa ducked behind the dashboard, blind firing out of the side window as bullets pierced the windshield. She glanced up at Claire who's steely composure never broke once; not blinking even when bullets grazed her arms.
"Get ready to jump.." Vincent said to Cid, as calm as ever.
"Jump where?!" He asked in panic.
Vincent walked to the front of the van's roof and aimed at the driver through the windshield, looking at his terrified expression as he squeezed the trigger, releasing the bullet that would end the man's life from the barrel. The former turk turned on his heels and ran towards the back of the van as it began to loose control and jumped at Fang's 4x4 that was fast approaching with Cid right behind him. As the duo landed on the bonnet, Vincent paused for a moment as he lifted his head to find Fang's warm green eyes staring back at him before he climbed through the sunroof to find Cid had already made himself comfortable.
"That was amazing! You guys are nuts!" Vanille shouted, causing Cid to wince. "There's only one van left. Cloud must be in that one, right?"
"One would think.." Vincent said.
"Okay light, I see Snow and the others have finally caught up." The huntress said as she glanced in her rear view mirror. "If Cloud is in that van we can't shoot at it. Box formation and bring them to a stop?"
"You take the right, I'll get in front and Barret will figure out what we're doing and go left." Claire's voice said through the speakers.
Claire put her foot to the floor and overtook the van before cutting back in front of it. Barret and Fang boxed the van in on either side as they all began to slow down together to try and bring the van to a halt. The driver of the van reached over to the passenger seat to pick up the handgun that lay there and began firing wildly through his window and Claire's Camaro, shattering the rear glass. She watched as the Disciple through the empty pistol away and slammed on, stopping the van in its tracks.
"Hands up!" Tifa shouted as she leaped out of the car and trained her pistol on the man as she waited for Barret to drag the man from the drivers seat and pin him down.
Everyone else ran round the back of the van and waited behind Claire and Vincent who both gripped a handle of the double doors each. The rose haired beauty watched Vincent's fingers count down silently to zero before they both pulled their doors open, finding a lone Disciple soldier who opened fire on them, shooting Claire in the shoulder before eventually falling victim to the former turk's deadly aim.
"I don't understand..." Claire said as her mind tried to process the fact that Cloud was not in the van.
"You're bleeding, Light.." Vanille said as she noticed blood pour from her shoulder.
Claire ignored her concerned words as she stared into the van, convinced she had saved the man that she loves more than life itself. After a brief moment anger took over and she marched over to the van driver who lay on the ground with Barret's heavy boot pressed firmly on his back. Claire rolled the man over as she pushed her pistol down the back of her jeans, nearly knocking Barret over in the process and punched him in the face, bursting the man's lip.
"Where's Cloud!?" She shouted.
The Disciple remained silent and smiled smugly, earning himself another punch from Claire.
"Where's Cloud!?" She repeated.
Again the man stayed silent and again received Claire's anger fueled fist.
"It's... too late.." The man coughed. "Their probably dissecting.. his body.. for their research as... we speak.. Hallowed are the Disciples, followers of the divine." He said as he spat in Claire's face, braking any remaining composure the former savior had and she punched him repeatedly in an uncontrollable rage until she was dragged off by Fang.
"Hey! Get a grip of yourself." Fang warned making Claire stop struggling against her.
The rose haired warrior searched the van, tearing it apart to find any clue as to where Cloud could be. Soon enough, Claire found the blonde's cell phone tucked underneath the passenger seat. She couldn't stop her hand shaking as she looked down at the phone. Holding back the tears as her distraught anger took hold she pocketed the phone and pulled the pistol from the back of her skinny jeans.
"Where's Cloud?" She said in a whisper to the badly beaten Disciple.
One... two... three...
BANG!
The man screamed in pain and clutched his knee tightly as he looked at Claire who stood over him like Death, ready to take his life. Tifa has seen enough end snatched the pistol from her hand, directing Claire's anger at herself. Claire lunged at the brunette but Tifa blocked her strike.
"Enough!" Nanaki roared, turning everyone's attention to him. "How are we going to fight the people who took Cloud if you're fighting each other?"
"We don't even know if he's still alive.." Claire said, dropping to the floor as she spoke.
"Of course he is.. They drugged him to transport him. If they wanted to kill him they'd have left him in the street. It would have made more of a statement." Nanaki explained. "Whatever the reason for them taking him.. They need him alive.."
"Sorry.." Claire murmured to Tifa who turned away.
"Right.. So where do we start looking?" Snow asked.
"In the Disciple's capitol city.. Asgard.." Fang said.
"You can't be serious?! We'd never make it into the country, never mind the city!" Snow shouted.
"I'm not asking for your permission.. Or company.. I'll go on my own.." Claire said coldly as she began to walk to the Highwind.
"Like hell anyone but me is flying my baby! Lets go get the numbskull!" Cid shouted, following her.
Everyone else followed behind, all without any hesitation to embark on a mission to rescue Cloud.
Inside the airship Fang instructed Cid to fly to their military base to resupply and rearm for their mission before phoning Hope to fill him in on the situation. Barret stood, looking at the horizon through the windows of the Highwind feeling the nostalgia wash over him.
"Aren't we missing someone?" Sazh asked, looking around at the group.
"I think Lightning's in the crew quarters feeling sorry for herself. No idea where Yuffie is." Snow said.
"Probably throwin' up.." Barret laughed.
Claire sat on a bed in the crew quarters with her head in her hands. In the space of a few hours she had gone from being at the happiest point in her life to distraught over Cloud's capture. She though about her actions moments ago and was disgusted with herself for torturing the disciple but knew she'd do it over again. Whatever it takes to bring you back to me..
Dizziness began to set in, reminding the rose haired beauty of her shoulder that was still pouring with blood. She pulled out the survival knife her little sister bought her and flicked it open. Taking a deep breath, Claire pushed the tip of the blade into the bullet hole and dug out the bullet, bringing tears to her eyes as she flicked the mangled copper jacketed projectile out of her. I wish I still had my powers...
"That's gonna get infected." Fang spoke from the open door, startling Claire.
"I'll be fine.."
"You won't be if you end up with your arm being amputated.. Let me.." The huntress said, pulling out a first aid kit.
Fang took a seat next to Claire and opened the first aid kit, pulling out a curved needle and thread. She sterilized the needle and cleaned the pink haired woman's wound before beginning to sew the wound closed. Just as she expected, Claire never flinched once, keeping up appearances as the tough girl. After being smothering her patient in antiseptic and bandaging her up, the brunette packed up the first aid kit and put it away.
"Thanks.."
"Your boyfriend is a tough one.. We'll get him back." The bronze skinned beauty said before leaving her to her thoughts.
Claire watched the brunette disappear through the door and mulled over her words..Boyfriend.. Although they were living with each other, at no point had they discussed their relationship in detail. Blushing at the word, she promised herself that when she found Cloud that they would talk about it. Composing herself, Claire marched out of the room and made her way to the bridge of the Highwind where the rest of the group waited.
"So, how we gettin' into the center of all evil without getting our ass's kicked?" Cid asked, noticing Claire make an appearance.
"Cid, whats the maximum altitude of the airship?" Claire asked.
"The Highwind can hit 75,000 feet but we'd all die of oxygen deprivation at that height." The pilot answered.
"Perfect." Claire smiled.
"I don't think you understand missy.. There is no oxygen that high, we'd all die." Cid said in a condescending tone.
"You leave breathing to me.." Claire said. "We're gonna use HALO suites."
"HALO?" Vincent asked, peaking his curiosity.
"High altitude, low opening. It's a prototype parachute system with breathing apparatus and a small oxygen tank. It was your wife, Shera who helped develop the concept." Fang interrupted, using his question as an excuse to survey him once again.
Back at the military base Cid and fang organized the refuel and resupply of the Highwind before gathering the group in the briefing room. Claire dismissed everyone but the group from the room and clocked the door. She turned to face the small team of people that would risk certain death to save the man that she loves so dearly and addressed them.
"This is your last chance to back out.. I won't think any less of you.." She started before pointing to a screen on the wall. "This is continent is under Disciple control.. We want to get in here." Claire explained pointing to the small dot on the continent, enlarging it to show a city map. "This is Asgard. The Disciple capitol city.. We're going to split into three groups and land here, here and here... The central building will most likely be where they are taking Cloud. Hope tells me that the building is impenetrable.. Lets hope that he's wrong.."
"Sound's like fun." Fang grinned.
"Any questions?" Claire asked.
She scanned the faces in the room who all had a look of determination. Her eyes met Tifa, who's piercing gaze mirrored her own feelings about their mission. Regardless of the risk, they were going to get Cloud back or die trying.
"Okay lets go."
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter and the long delay. Been away from home most of the week so this was written an a couple of hours this morning. I'll pull my finger out for the next chapter which will be action packed I promise. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.
