HEy guys, here is the next update in ths story.

Enjoy

Chapter Eight

Lightning POV

I reached my room and closed the door behind me and locking it so that I don`t get disturbed. It was an interesting experience to meet Fang. Pulsian accents have always drawn my attention in the past, and I even knew a guy that was from Pulse back when I worked in G.C. back on Cocoon.

Fang sounded exactly like him, thought Fang`s accent was thicker considering she lived in her native land. I took a seat down on my bed before taking a deep breath. Now it was time to review the video tape.

"Accessing CPU," I said.

ACCESSING CPU the green words appeared in front of my eyes. Then the area in front of my eyes was filled with floating files as a blue logo of the Perfect Cyborn in my body floated in the middle. It was a pretty amazing sight.

"Alright," I murmured, "Time to go to work."

I took the small USB out of my pocket and pressed the back of my neck feeling it open. Then I pressed it inside the back of my head and then right in front of my vision a new file popped up.

Then I raised my hand and touched it.

The file opened up and a video file popped with everything on pause. I saw that the date was on today.

"Rewind," I said.

On my command, the video started to play backward on a fast rate as the images danced in a backward dance, passing toward the morning and into the day before…until I put a stop to it. I noticed the servant I was speaking to just earlier today, Sylvia opening the door and the man stepped in.

He was dressed all in black with sunglasses upon his eyes and he looked entirely relaxed, in complete control of the situation around him.

"Zoom," I said.

The image zoomed in and with my hands I placed it upon the man`s face. It was too blurry to make out his face. I put my hand on the side of the video and a circle appeared there. I turned the circle slowly as the image came into focus, showing the man`s face. I was surprised that he had showed his face so easily on the cameras.

He probably didn't think that anyone could link him toward the kidnapping that Vanille had gone through today. The man was probably in his midthirties from what I can see on the picture. He had blond hair which landed on his shoulder, but a spike of them was falling on the side of his face, with a mine of its own.

I had a face now, all that matters is matching a name with that face and then we might finally be getting somewhere. I raised my hand toward the menu that had appeared beside the video and quickly sends a copy to Raines, for I am sure that he will be working upon it, and getting a name to go with it.

"CPU offline," I said.

At my command, all of the floating holograms in front of me disappeared. Sighing I stood up and decided to go take a shower and get a chance of clothes in the process. When I was done, I heard someone knocking at my door and I headed toward it and unlocked it.

"Ms. Farron," Sylvia said standing on the other side of my door, "Dinner is served."

"Sylvia," I told her, "It`s Claire."

The servant looked at the ground suddenly finding it really interesting, and I can see the blush working on her cheeks.

"Forgive me," she said, "It`s a force of habit. I didn`t mean to sound impolite."

I gave her a soft pat on the shoulder.

"Don`t worry about it," I told her, "If`s that how you`re comfortable at calling me, the go ahead, I am not mad."

The woman gave me a relieved look, causing me to feel a little odd. I didn`t think calling me by my first name will have make her feel so uncomfortable.

"Well your food is ready," she said.

I didn`t feel all that hungry considering the little breakfast I had this morning with before I took the flight here. Considering how late it was, since the sun was already setting I gave her a soft nod.

"Alright then, lead the way," I told her.

I followed her down at the dining room. Once again, I marveled at the distinctive Pulsian feel that the room had. Unlike Cocoon, the house felt more natural since it was made of woods and stone.

"Where is Vanille?" I asked her.

"Mrs. Dia is in her room," Sylvia answered, "She was up there ever since Mrs. Yun left."

I gave her nod and decided to eat my food quietly. The house felt quiet considering how early it is in the night. It also had a cold feeling to it, the feeling of a distinct emotion that resides within its walls.

I could feel it pressing upon my skin as I walked back up toward the stairs, aiming toward my room and came to a stop in front of a door which read VANILLE upon it. I stood there, reflecting on if I should knock or not.

But I decided to knock on anyway. It didn`t take long before the door opened and Vanille stood at the entrance.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you wanted to talk?" I asked, her softly.

Vanille gave me a nod before opening the door.

"C`mon in," she said.

I walked inside the room, glancing around.

It was a really well decorated room. There were many pictures on the walls and gold stars that were attached to the ceiling. A laptop was seating upon a desk on the corner which had magazines and books beside it along with a cup filled with pencils.

On the bed table, there were two pictures thought I was too far away to see of who they were, but I can probably guess that they are of her and Fang and of her parents.

"Nice room," I commented.

"Thanks," Vanille answered me, in a cheerful voice, "You know…you are not like the other bodyguards I have gotten in the past."

I turned my attention toward the girl. She had taken refuge on her bed which was covered with a brown cover. She was dressed in her pajamas.

"Really?"

She nodded.

"None of the others were as relaxed as you are," Vanille continued, "Thought there was one of them I liked…his name was Crane. He told me some of his war stories to past the time when he is with me. I was quite saddened when he died protecting me."

"It`s what a bodyguard does Vanille," I told her, "It was his job."

She looked up toward me. I can see the emotions on her face. The bright green eyes of hers that tells so much and I was once again reminded of Serah. It`s amazing how this girl could resemble my sister so much…

"I just…I just wished that it would stop," Vanille told me, "I didn`t want all of those people to die because of me."

I quickly approached toward Vanille and put both of my hands upon her shoulder, forcing her to look at me straight in the eyes.

"No Vanille," I told her firmly, "None of these people's deaths are your fault. You are not the person who pulled the trigger on neither them…nor the people who hides in the shadows and take a strike at you. Don`t takes the blame over things that you can`t control."

She continued to stare at me straight into the eyes, and I can see her emotions changing from sad to surprise then to shock and then to…awe.

"You…You`re eyes," she whispered, "They…they are glowing."

I blinked in confusion.

"They are?"

"You have artificial eyes," Vanille said.

I quickly stepped away from her.

"Sorry," I said, "You weren`t suppose to know that."

The young girl quickly run off the bed and took hold of my hand, drawing my attention back toward her.

"No…No, please I am not prejudicing with people who have...well, cybernetics," she said, her tone almost pleading, "I just…I never met someone with them before."

I glanced at her.

"Well, I wouldn`t expect those who had it to talk about it in public. Your country is against Augmentation on people…and is discriminated against those who have them."

Vanille continued to stare at me as if I was fascinating.

"You don't have to keep staring at me you know," I reminded her, "It`s…kind of rude…and slightly creepy."

The young girl suddenly blushed.

"I`m so sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to…It's just I never…I am sorry."

I gave her a smile. This girl reminds me so much of Serah, so I did something I used to do to Serah when we were kids. I raised my hand and flicked her forehead.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"For being obvious," I told her.

Vanille stared at me, a miffed look in her eyes for a few seconds before she frowned to herself as if trying to remember something.

"So that`s how you survived getting shot in the head," she said.

I blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Earlier today, back in the van, I saw that guy shoot at you…I thought I was seeing things. I thought to myself that he missed but I knew that he couldn't have missed from such a close range."

She glanced back up toward me.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," I said.

"How does it feel like…well, to have augmentations?"

She sounded so curious about it. So I stepped closer toward her and said, "Let me see your hand."

Vanille frowned in confusion before raising her hand which I took hold of.

"Your hand has the sense of touch which is something we all are familiar with," I started, "but the augmentation…it`s still feel like your real hand. You still feel the same sensations but it`s different…altered. It`s like a parallel to your real hands but different, that knowledge you have that your real hand...is not there anymore, and that`s a mere imitation of it."

Vanille stared down at my hands.

"I can see what you mean," she murmured softly, "your hands…feels..."

"Robotic?" I suggested.

Vanille chuckled a little.

"I was going to say stiff but that works to," she said then she looked up at me, "What was the cause?"

I stayed silent for a few seconds. Her green eyes were so innocent and I didn't want to burden her down with my gruesome past.

"An accident," I answered her, "A very tragic accident. Let`s leave it at that."

Oerba Security Regiment

The Next day

Fang POV

I was just stepping inside the building when Scotch intercepted me.

"Hey Fang," he said.

He was a slight overweight man with short dark hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in civilians' clothes considering he spends most of his time in front of a computer screen. He pulled up his glasses up upon his nose.

"Scotch," I greeted the man with a smile, "What do you got for me?"

We started to walk together down the hallway.

"I did that research upon Claire Farron as you asked me to do," he said.

I smiled.

"Knew you wouldn`t let me down, so what can you tell me?"

"She doesn`t exist," Scotch said simply.

I glanced at him, confusion spreading through me.

"What do you mean she doesn't exist?"

"She doesn't exist," Scotch said, "I searched every corner of the network but there is nothing about a Claire Farron in any databases, matching the description that you have given me."

"What about foreign database?"

"Not even those," Scotch told me shaking his head, "I was feeling as confused as you are feeling right now."

He was right. I was pretty well damn confused. That pink haired woman who is now working as Vanille`s bodyguard. I am finding myself liking her less and less.

"But as for the Farron name," Scotch said, "I managed to pull out this."

He handed me a folder which I quickly opened, finding myself looking straight at the woman that I met yesterday at Vanille`s house. I frowned a little, realizing a moment later that it wasn`t the woman at all, thought they sure looked alike.

"Serah Farron," I read, "Augmentation Science, died three years ago?"

"Yes, you remember that big attack upon Caelum Industries on Cocoon," Scotch said.

"Of course I did," I told him, "It was all over the news. So that Serah girl was a big shot in that Augmentation Science thing, and she lost her life in that disaster."

Something struck me as odd thought. Serah Farron looked a lot like that woman Claire down to the same shade of pink hair which makes me wonder if they are related somehow?

But even if there is a resemblance, Claire had something to hide and I intend to find out exactly what it is.

"Thanks for that Scotch," I told him, with a nod.

"Hey, just giving you a helping hand," he said, giving me a pat on the shoulder before going down the hallway opposite where I was going.

I hardly took three steps when a hand fell upon my shoulder drawing my attention.

"We`ve got a situation,"

"A situation?" I repeated shocked, "where?"

"Maian`s Café," the officer said.

I quickly made my way toward the courtyard where I had parked my hover bike. I started it up and made my way down the road. I just stopped at the Café just a half an hour ago. So what could have happen during that short period of time?

Yeah, another POV for Fang. She is going to be a main character in this fic... and sorry for the long wait to update.

Jacques0 out.

R&R.