Yay for chapter 4!! Sorry it took me a while to post

Everyone gets a formal introduction in this chapter! Enjoy!


"Alright, alright, alright." Cid agreed from his chair, puffing heavily on his faithful cigarette, "Now, let's go through the formal introductions. Okay, Vin-"

"-cent-" the man finished,

"-Meet my crew. C'mon guys! Introduction! Name, Job, and Weapons! Go!!" The man barked, leaning back in his chair and continually puffing at the cigarette for the nicotine rush.

"M-my names-Woah...!" Ryo fell out of his chair, apparently at a loss for balance from his dizziness, "H-hold on a second...someone else go first...ugh..." he pressed his face against the floor as his face turned green, he murmured, "Make...world...stop...spinning..." Kayru looked up from his book reluctantly.

"...Kayru." he sighed, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger, "...I am the pilot and navigator; I also keep track of supplies and the budget." From his man-of-few-words, I'd-rather-read-my-book-than-talk-with-you kind of attitude, Vincent knew he and Kayru would be fast friends. "I use throwing daggers and," He nodded to the book in his lap, "I am currently researching the art of Alchemy; changing one substance into another by changing its molecular structure."

"Name's Noel." the black-and-pink haired girl picked up, "I go get the needed supplies, and if you're hurt just see me. I do cleaning too; if you leave a big mess though, you're dead cause I don't like cleaning that much. I'm a chakram specialist, and if I don't have my chakram's then I throw my wrench and hammer!" Resourceful...I suppose. Vincent sighed mentally.

"Ugh..." Ryo sat up groggily, the green in his complexion almost gone, "Th' names Ryo the Dragon. Y'know, cause Ryo means 'dragon' and all... Plus, I breathe fire." he clanked his front teeth together, blowing his air between his teeth; a small stream of flames issued from his mouth, "Cool, huh?"

"..." the raven-haired man was curious as to how the boy did that, but wouldn't further add to the boy's ego by admitting to curiosity,

"Eh, I do maintenance on the ship. And problems that Cid hasn't gotten to yet, ask me and I'll take care of 'em. I make my own explosives and stuff too."

"...Vincent Valentine." the man agreed softly, "...I know some martial arts, and how to use a gun."

"Marii," the black-haired girl finished, "I know a little martial arts, in the form of Self Defense...Heh. That's really it.."

"Haha, Marii dosn't have much to say." Noel teased, poking her in the shoulder. The girl swatted her hand away,

"And I guess I could take care of Aldrick when Cid's busy." she added. The baby chocobo warked in agreement from her lap.

"Sounds good to me." Cid agreed, spitting the cigarette butt into a trashcan hidden under the console near him. He leaned back in his chair, putting his feet on the console, "Okay! Kayru, you're gonna stay in here tonight."

"Yes." he agreed, turning back to the steering console, and continued reading.

"Phew...I feel better...I think," Ryo said standing, "...Oh...?" his face turned green. He clamped his hand over his mouth; he jetted from the room, pushing by Vincent, screaming "Bathroom!" Vincent watched the boy run down the hall, turning the corner sharply and running into the bathroom.

"..." he began to wonder if he would be able to survive this flight to Yassune... Cid groaned hiding his eyes in his hand,

"Goddamn..." he sighed, "Gah...Noel! Just go show Marii and Mr. Goth to the fucking rooms already..." Vincent gave him a blank glare, "What th' hell are you glarin' at?" Cid barked, seeing nothing wrong with the nickname.

"..." Vincent said nothing, before shaking his head slowly.

"Right." the girl agreed, pulling herself up by using the arm of Kayru's chair. Marii scooped the sleeping chocobo from her lap before pushing herself up,

"What do I do with Aldrick?" she asked,

"Uh...Take him for the night," Cid told her, putting a new cigarette in his mouth, lighting it up with his faithful lighter. The girl wondered if Cid had a lot of lighter fluid in that same lighter, or if he had more than one in his sash. "I'm probably gonna stay in here for a little while." Following Noel and Vincent out of the bridge, Marii almost thought she heard Kayru sigh when he found out he would have company.

-------

Marii was content for the time being to just lie on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Everything she had, or would have had, was back in Aiera; she had grown up there, her parents died there... She closed her eyes with a quiet sigh, rolling on her side. Trying to release some of the anger and depression she felt welling inside of her, she began to blame Vincent for all of it. If he hadn't gotten attacked in front of her house... Hell, if he hadn't even shown up in the first place she'd still be living in Aiera.

"..." she sighed, deciding that blaming Vincent would get her nowhere. Besides, if it wasn't for him, she would still be living in Aiera...She would never get the chance to get over her fiancé...

Sighing once more, Marii snuggled down into the mattress and blankets, burying her face into the soft pillow. She kicked off her shoes, voting to sleep in her clothes for now, and crawled under the covers. In no time the girl was fast asleep, wondering what this journey had in store for her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

A cell phone rang, a familiar victory theme blaring as the ring tone. A man in his early thirties with tan skin and dark hair picked it up from its place on the table and flipped it open. He held the phone up to the side of his head.

"...Hello?" he asked.

"Reeve..." a voice growled from the other end of the phone, "Well? Is he there...? Is he coming?!"

"Yes, yes, yes..." he agreed, voice shaking slightly, "Yes. Mr. Valentine is coming to Yassune... He'll be here in a week."

"What about that girl that he was staying with...?" he looked up, expectantly. A boy in his late teens with shoulder length silver hair which covered his left eye was sitting across the table from him, feet propped up on the table casually. He was dressed in a tight black leather outfit; a katana with two blades attached to the same hilt was sheathed behind his waist. He smirked at Reeve,

"Mr. Valentine took her with him as they escaped in an airship." he explained, "It was piloted by some blonde man. With two other men and a girl crewing the ship."

"Well?!" the voice on the other end of the phone hissed.

"Yes. She's with them." Reeve pulled 500 gil out of his pocket, sliding it across the table tot he silver haired man. "They're traveling in an airship; they might get here faster than expected, actually..."

"..." the silver haired man turned the money over in his hands as Reeve finished his conversation and hung up the phone.

"Kadaj," he asked, addressing the man across the table from him, "I need you and your group to keep tracking Vincent and the girl."

"Well," the man named Kadaj mumbled knowingly, slipping the money into his pocket, "It will cost more..."

"Here." Reeve pulled a bag of 1,000 gil out of a drawer at his end of the desk, sliding it across the table.

"Hmm...A good down payment, I suppose." Kadaj agreed, taking the bag and standing. "Yazoo, Loz. Let's go." he ordered, standing. A man just slightly taller than him, with much longer hair, smirked, nodding. A tall ogre of a man with short silver hair opened the door. They were both clad in leather like Kadaj. Yazoo was the one with the longer silver hair; the tallest of the three was Loz.

-------

After getting outside, the three took their seats on three different motorcycles which were parked near one another.

"So...what now, Kadaj?" Yazoo asked as the leader divided up the 1,500 gil equally. "Aiera was rather interesting...Maybe we should have told him everything we knew about the group." they had left out the weapons that each member of the group used.

"No, why tell him everything?" Kadaj responded simply, smirking at his partner. He passed the five hundred gald to each of them,

"Yeah. Are we really gonna go after these people, or just take this guys money?" Loz agreed. The three Mercenaries weren't exactly trustworthy people,

"No...We'll do this job." Kadaj responded as his motorcycle engine began to purr, "Besides, he hasn't paid us in full yet. We'll disappear after we get our full money's worth." Yazoo and Loz chuckled evilly in agreement, before revving up their motorcycles and taking off into Yassune for the night.


Hehehe...Sorry, I just had to put Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz in here somewhere.
Wonder what'll happen. Hm, hm, hm...?

Review would be appreciated!