Days of Exile
Chapter 14 – Confession
17 December 0007
Meia twirled the curls of her brown wig nervously. She knew that it made her look incredibly inexperienced and dumb, but twirling her hair, or tugging her pigtails, had always kept her calm. Looking professional currently didn't matter because her bigger worry was wondering what she had gotten herself into again.
"ID 31612, 31633," a man beside her spoke. "Into the simulation room, please."
He was a tall man with stylish short blond hair, despite the lab coat around his shoulders. He now wore spectacles over his almond-shaped eyes which gave him an even more intelligent look. The months of working overtime were showing on the scientist's haggard face. No doubt there was an urgent need to train SOLDIER cadets to replace the missing many SOLDIER First Class. Meia glanced at the man with complete recognition.
"Professor Timothy..." She murmured under her breath.
Upon hearing his name, the scientist, once in charge of Meia's psychological developments long ago, turned to speak. "Ah, you're Professor Hojo's new assistant, Miss Ederfeld?"
Meia tensed, surprised that he heard her. She nodded and added a smile. "Call me Matilda." She said.
"Alright." Timothy smiled back. "Thank you for helping me with the test runs for the SOLDIER training. I apologise for making you my scribe when you're much more qualified, no?" Meia almost choked on her own saliva when she heard that. "Doing okay in your new job so far?"
Meia stammered a reply that was something like a 'yes'. Professor Timothy paid no attention to her reply and began a series of commands at the SOLDIERs waiting for him in the simulation room. At his command, the two metal-clad men began tackling each other. Meia's eyes darted back and forth the two men, observing the series of actions between the two men, and concluded that they were rookie men, for their battle techniques were rogue and unrefined.
Initially Meia was interested to learn new moves, but her enthusiasm waned when she realised that these rookie cadets were not any better. Batch by batch, even though the cadets seemed stronger (they were tested starting with the least experienced fighters) with each test, none of them caught her attention anymore.
"Series of actions before the uppercut blow…" Professor Timothy murmured. "Dodge, dodge, bend down, stomach punch and uppercut..."
"With all due respect, Professor," Meia interrupted. "I think it was not a stomach punch but an elbow nudge."
Professor Timothy stared at her blankly. Then, he halted the battle and clarified Meia's correction. To his surprise, the soldier answered that indeed, it was an elbow nudge. Timothy must have overlooked it but still…
He turned to the brunette. "Do you have experience in fighting, Miss Ederfeld?"
Meia hesitated slightly. "Kind of." She answered. There was no way she could lie that she was inexperienced when she had just spotted a difference in two fighting moves.
"You seem kind of young to be a fighter. Are you a good fighter, then?"
Meia shook her head quickly, alarmed that Professor Timothy sounded suspicious. "I grew up in the slums so any child must learn how to fight." She said. "Besides, you don't really need fine skills to observe that elbow nudge."
Her half-lies apparently appeased him. "But even if it's only observing skills, your observance will make you a fine scientist." Timothy beckoned the two SOLDIERs inside. "Professor Hojo is definitely under-using your talent. Maybe I should request for a department transfer." Meia blushed at his compliment. "Next!"
The two SOLDIERs quickly left the tank and two more went in. Finally, some standard. She mused to herself as she gazed at the two soldiers fighting.
At first glance, the fight didn't look well-matched. One of the men was tall and burly with bulging biceps. He was tanner than the other man, who looked younger even with the helmet on. The fairer man was not well-built, but his body was not scrawny either, but had a mass of lean muscle. He walked with confidence and did not seem afraid of his rivalling partner.
The fight began and two sides clashed against each other in melee skills and tricks. At some point, Meia began to take sides and hoped that the fairer and slimmer SOLDIER would win. Although the bigger SOLDIER was strong, the fairer man had both the balance of agility and strength.
Finally, the younger man dodged his opponents' attack by sliding by the side of the bigger man. Flipping himself up, he posed for his next attack. The bigger man turned and the younger man – Meia gasped – anchored his left foot to deliver a flawless roundhouse kick across the helmet of the bigger man. The force of the kick was enough to make the big man sway and finally stumble.
"Beautiful kick, as always." Professor Timothy observed. "He's one of the best in the team." He remarked.
Meia recognised the kick. She would recognise that beautifully-executed roundhouse kick anywhere in the Planet.
In the woods near Gongaga, Reno and Rude stopped running and panted. "I must confess… They… They are…" panted Reno between breaths.
"… Very strong." Rude finished the sentence for him.
"No point in tarrying with them further, they will hinder our job." Reno grumbled. "But it sucks to know that I've lost to a bunch of kids, one of them being a SOLDIER impostor too... Damn, where's that rod?" Reno wondered aloud, feeling his pockets and around him. "I remember that I brought it to Gongaga…"
Rude glanced at him. "You mean the Fairy Tale that you've found in Junon?"
"That's what it's called?" Reno looked surprised. "I've always called it 'a girly rod'. The name does fit the look – girly."
"…"
"To think I thought that it might be an alternative in a pinch, yo? In case my EMR broke." Reno looked at his EMR, completely broken into two thanks to Cloud's special attack. Reno had never seen that before… a flurry of slashes, and suddenly his EMR broke. "Now the EMR's broken AND I lost that rod."
"… I lost my X-Potion too." Rude commented, looking up from his bag. "We must've dropped them in our retreat."
"That sneaky, conniving people!" Reno growled. "They must be enjoying the loot now! Garghhhh!" He roared, slapping tree branches in anger. "First they broke my ribs, now this?" He continued railing, now at the shrubs.
Rude observed Reno quietly, understanding why Reno was frustrated. There weren't many people who could defeat the combined forces of Reno and Rude. In his memory, only the SOLDIER First Class could win them easily, plus some outstanding Second Class being able to stand on their ground. Losing to a group of youngsters who definitely did not spend their whole lives fighting and killing, was a huge ego damage to not only Reno, but Rude too.
What a powerful group of people. He thought. I actually hope that they will not succeed in thwarting our plans.
Reno stopped thrashing and spun around to face him with a suspicious look. "Rude, you didn't go soft on them just because Tifa was there, right?"
"No," Rude fibbed, adjusting his sunglasses.
Reno stared at him, narrowing his blue eyes. "When Tifa attacked you, you did not counter-attack!" He retorted angrily.
"Reno, will YOU attack Meia with all that you've got, if she was the enemy?"
Reno's tirade reduced to a simmer of irritation. "That's different." He mumbled.
"I'm sure it is," replied Rude with dripping sarcasm.
It was by the SOLDIER's lounge, right beside Training Room 49, that Meia met the SOLDIER who won the bout. The SOLDIER Second Class was standing by the window, gazing out into the endless dark Midgar sky. Even though they were above the Plate, right under the open sky, Midgar was always shrouded in darkness. It was pretty symbolic to Meia even as a child. Now, nothing has changed in her mind.
A stray thought in Meia's mind wondered if there were any SOLDIER First Class left. The man was still wearing his helmet, though Meia did not mind at all. In fact, she was amused.
"That was a pretty good roundhouse kick just now." She smiled at him. The man, who wasn't expecting her to speak to him, was surprised by her sudden comment. "Oh gosh, I'm very sorry if I startled you." She said apologetically. Weren't those the same words that he said to me then? She almost giggled to herself. At least he didn't fall off the treadmill.
"No, no!" He quickly amended. "It's just that…"
"Hey, Kunsel," the burly man who was defeated earlier on came to give him a friendly nudge. His helmet was taken off, so that Meia could see his face. She was surprised to see that the man had Gongagan features and wondered if he knew Zack Fair or Haato. "Good fight just now. Looks like the lady likes it." He gave Meia a roguish wink.
"Go away, Fred!" He laughed as his comrade waved and walked away. "I'm sorry, Miss…"
"I'm Matilda Ederfeld." Meia smiled.
"Miss Ederfeld." Kunsel repeated. "Sorry about that. He's just being silly. I mean, it's rare to see girls in SOLDIER. Any presence of a female is bound to create unnecessary trouble." Meia wondered if that was the case when she often visited Floor 49. "By the way, I'm Kunsel."
Finally, Kunsel took off his own helmet and Meia smiled into his familiar chocolate brown hair and signature blue eyes. He really looks like Tihan. She said to herself, thinking of her deceased childhood friend.
"So I've figured." Meia said smiling, glad that her guess in the training room was not wrong. No one could mistake his kick. Although Kunsel had his helmet on, Meia already felt the same warmth emanating from him. Nothing has changed with him ever since I left. If only I could drop my pretenses and talk to him as Meia again. But now is not the time to reveal anything yet. "I'm Matilda, just came here to help Professor Timothy run some tests. Kinda new around here so I'm still learning."
"Ah, you're new." Kunsel nodded. "Well, if you need help, you can always come to find me. The company isn't a luxurious place of sorts, but it is home to many of us. I'll help you if you need it."
Meia nodded happily. She'll have to wait a while more before slowly admitting that she is Meia. For now, Meia was more than happy to spend her days as a newly employed lab scientist.
They chatted a bit more and then Kunsel left. Meia smiled to herself. Kunsel's company would be the one thing that she would enjoy. Anyone else's, even Reno's, would be too risky for her. Professor Timothy then walked out of Training Room 49, looking for her. Meia picked up her things and returned to another run of tests.
18 December 0007
Cissnei was, by no means, a weak fighter. She was naturally the strongest fighter when it comes to the shruiken, though her melee moves were not lacking either. Many a times in her Turk career did she defeat (easily) men who were twice her petite size and twice the arrogance. She was a strong fighter, and she never considered herself otherwise.
However, defeating the Jade WEAPON was possibly the hardest thing Cissnei had ever done. She had waylaid the large creature while it was still on its course to Cosmo Canyon. So miles away from the ancient village, Cissnei battled the Jade WEAPON. No doubt some people in Cosmo Canyon would've sensed its presence, but they wouldn't need to take action, since the WEAPON was only looking for Cissnei.
In short, it was near impossible. Soon, all her resources depleted and all she had was burning muscles in her arms and thighs and a bloody Rekka in her blistered hand. Yet she fought on, knowing that if she were to fail there was no knowing who this WEAPON could harm next. Fortunately (though a bigger irony), a group of natives from Cosmo Canyon spotted the battle while they were in their observation tower. Their village elder, Bugenhagen, sent forces to help Cissnei. In hindsight, she was more than grateful for the unexpected help. It was near impossible to take the WEAPON down alone.
Eventually, they only managed to wear it down to slight exhaustion. The gigantic creature shrieked and fled before Cissnei could do more harm. She never fully destroyed the ancient being and feared that in the future, this would lead to more harm to her comrades. She then spent two more hours in Cosmo Canyon convincing its residents that the WEAPON meant them no harm. After accepting their quality medical services, Cissnei traveled the way back to Gongaga wearily, but deep in thought. She reflected on her near brush with death and how she could help the others, should they ever meet the Jade WEAPON.
"Hey Annie." Cissnei greeted when she walked into the house. She had never greeted Zack's parents by their last name. They preferred it that way.
"Where have you been?" Annie asked. It was neither of reproach or suspicion. Cissnei often went on trips that spanned days, much less for a whole day.
"Cosmo Canyon." Cissnei answered truthfully. "I met a… friend there." Her gaze shifted to the dining chair and was surprised to find Daniel Fair seated in it. Usually he wouldn't be back till nightfall. "Hey, Daniel." She greeted. "Not fishing for treasure today?"
"No."
Both the looks on their faces were odd, as if they had something to ask, or say. Cissnei was never one to beat around the bush of politically correct conversations. "Okay, what's wrong?" She asked. "The two of you are acting strange. Is everything alright?"
The couple exchanged glances. Daniel coughed and cleared his throat. "Um, well… some things happened while you were away so I thought… Well…"
Annie sighed. "Cissnei, you've always been a good company to us old people, and I'm so happy to have you with us. But some things need to be sorted out and mentioned."
Cissnei stiffened. "If this is about me being a Turk then I've said before, I'm no longer one." She looked at them sharply. "Has Shinra been harassing you?"
"Not really," answered Dannie. "I met some Turks in the morning at the junkyard though. Although they did no harm, they stayed for some time. And they asked about you."
"Oh?" Cissnei asked, amused. "Let me guess, one is an arrogant redhead who wouldn't shut up, another is a calm bald man who wouldn't say a single word."
Dannie chuckled and said that she had rightly guessed the men. He also said that there was a female Turk with them, but Cissnei could not identify who she was. "But the Turks were a small issue." Dannie's face turned serious again. He ran his tanned fingers through his hair, silver with age. "Just a few hours ago, some travelers came into our house. One of them had a glow in his eyes that was unmistakably from SOLDIER."
Intrigued, Cissnei nodded. Annie continued from her husband. "Dannie asked if the man knew Zack Fair. He didn't… but a girl knew. We suspect that she could be the girlfriend that Zack wrote back years ago."
Cissnei felt goosebumps all over her arms and she rubbed them. Then, a sinking feeling settled in her heart as she realized what Zack had written. Girlfriend? Cissnei demanded in her mind, as if talking to a non-existent Zack Fair. You really consider her your girlfriend? "Brown chocolate hair in curls, pink dress, carries a staff?" Cissnei asked, just to be sure.
Dannie was surprised at Cissnei's reply. "You know her?"
"Kind of…" Cissnei mumbled, more to herself than to Dannie and Annie. "So… She has left Midgar."
"So it is true." Annie retorted, her voice bitter. "When I first met you, I held on to the hope that you knew Zack's whereabouts, and now it looks like I'm not wrong." Her gaze never left Cissnei and Cissnei resisted the urge to look away. "Cissnei, we've never brought it up to you, but it doesn't mean that we don't know." Annie said gently. "We were hoping that someday you will be able to open up and tell us." She placed a hand over the redhead's. "Tell us what happened to our son. Please."
Finally letting her defenses down, Cissnei began her story. "It is true as you said. I knew of Zack's whereabouts." She said bitterly. "But he's…" Annie covered her mouth in fearful anticipation. Dannie held Annie close, but Cissnei knew that she could not sugar-coat her words anymore. "He's dead."
Annie closed her eyes and buried her head in Dannie's neck. The couple did not speak, but Cissnei was not done. "I'm sorry, Annie. Shinra was responsible for his demise. We could have helped him but we didn't… couldn't."
Dannie narrowed his eyes at Annie. "What do you mean?"
"He passed away just a few months ago. And… While I was under your care… Zack was in town too."
Annie's head shot up. "Zack died recently only? And you said that he was in Gongaga?" Annie ran and grabbed Cissnei's shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you stop him from visiting his old parents!?"
"I couldn't!" Cissnei shouted back. "Not when Shinra military was stalking at every single house and waiting in ambush for his arrival. I sent him away before he stepped into the village. Had he visited the both of you, the entire army will ensure that no one lives."
"I rather die with him than to live in this wretched existence!" Annie moaned. All her gracefulness and poise that she had carried all these years melted into a single point of immeasurable anguish and sorrow.
Cissnei watched Annie thrash in her pain. "Annie…" She muttered. "The Turks did everything we could to find him in the wilderness and save him, but the army was much faster…" Finally, Cissnei paused because Dannie and Annie were too grieved to listen anymore. She stood there stoically, not knowing if she should stay or leave.
Dannie looked up. "Please continue. I… I want to hear your story."
Cissnei did so. "I met him just a while after I started staying here. Zack wanted to visit the both of you, but I advised against him, for his safety and yours. He told me to take care of you, and so I remained here. Initially I was in your house for just the sake of fulfilling his promise. My trip back this time is to tell you of his death and then leave once the two of you are well taken care of. But…" Cissnei trailed off, shocked to find the surge of emotion that welled in her heart.
"But?" Dannie pressed.
"But you have been really good to me." Cissnei said, unwillingly allowing her voice to crack under her emotions. "You took care of me, as if I was your daughter, and you were the family that I never had." Her eyes stung and her vision blurred, so Cissnei quickly looked down. "I got greedy. Eventually I was… I became too selfish. I wanted all of this. I'm envious that Zack had parents who loved him. So I… delayed the news a bit longer." Cissnei sniffled. "I apologise for withholding this information from you for such a long time. For betraying your care and your trust towards me. I'll go right now."
"Wait." Annie spoke finally and walked towards Cissnei.
Annie had always thought that Cissnei was looked like a stray cat, with her feline features and solitary behaviour. Indeed, Cissnei could be better off as a stray cat than a human sometimes, for her actions and words never betrayed her feelings. But as Annie saw tears in the young girl's eyes – genuine tears. Cissnei stopped wiping her tears and then her eyes were dried as quickly as they had come.
"Annie…" Cissnei said.
"Why didn't you tell Dannie and I about Zack?" Annie questioned in a motherly tone. "Even if we could do nothing about it, it would've calmed us to know that he's back into the Lifestream, rather than suffering in this world without friend or ally. Tell me, girl," Annie lifted Cissnei's chin gently. "Why did you promise Zack to take care of us? More importantly, you were a Turk. You could've captured Zack when he was in Gongaga…"
Cissnei flushed, knowing that she had to betray the biggest secret in her heart. "I…" She shook her head gently. "Zack was someone special to me."
"I thought so," said Annie, smiling. "That would explain it all."
"No it doesn't."
"But you liked him, do you?" Annie asked gently. "You liked my son."
"…" Cissnei's silence was answer enough for the elderly lady. "Still, my feelings had nothing to do with all these." Cissnei insisted. "It did, in the beginning, but now I wanted to do as much as I can for him, at least as a friend."
"That's all I need to know, my child." Annie smiled. To Cissnei's surpise, Annie cupped her face with her hands. "Thank you for being such a good friend to my son, in a land that he was not familiar with. And thank you for being such a good friend to my son, to come to the land that you are not familiar with, to fulfill your promise to him." Annie then held the redhead's hands with her own. "Please stay with us, as we grieve for our son. Dannie and I would love to have you with us, even if it's just a bit longer."
Dannie coughed to show his agreement. "Annie and I are always in lack of company. We could always do with some long-term, if not permanent, company… You know…" He stammered with an embarrassed air, very uncharacteristic of his usual cajoling nature.
The pressing thought of abandoning two months of joy ebbed in her mind as she considered Dannie and Annie's offer. "… Are you serious?" She asked cautiously. "You don't mind… You don't mind me here even after all this?" The look that the couple gave her was clear and one-minded. For once, Cissnei broke into a wide, genuine smile. She gave the slightest of nods and as Annie went forward to encircle her into a tight embrace, Cissnei stiffened… but soon relaxed and returned the hug with equal warmth.
Perhaps she has finally found a place that she can call her own.
Rod's garage, albeit being a little small, was the perfect location for a hideout. Three small bedrooms, living room, toilet, kitchenette. It was built with the purpose of being a residential building, but decades back the owners have abandoned it in search of a better house up the Plates. Nobody else inhabited it until Rod and his biker gang came.
Now, it looked nothing like a warm cozy house or a den for thugs. The porch of the house has been transformed into a mechanic's workshop. That was exactly what Rod had decided to do, partly for a living and partly as a façade. He always had a passion for motorcycles. Fixing and modifying them was no problem for him. Being a part of a biker gang was merely an avenue for him to do what he liked, just that he quickly rose the ranks and became the leader of the gang. Becoming a leader meant that he barely had enough time to do what he liked, but shortly after, he was caught for stealing a Shinra motorcycle and was offered a place as a Turk. That gave him no time to even look at a motorcycle, much less fix one. Now that Rod was not a Turk and his gang was long disbanded, he was relieved that he could still do what he liked.
Cassie, on the other hand, could not find much to do while Rod was reveling in his plans. She had often complained to Meia that she was bored and that she had nothing meaningful to do. So when Kido and KK moved in, Cassie was more than happy to join them. Of course, it wasn't as if they had something to do either but at least she had company.
"Thank goodness you guys are here!" She complained. "Rod is too happy with his motorcycles and Alana is too happy to mind her own business!"
Of course, at night Rod gave Cassie all the attention she needed. Rod and Cassie shared a room; Meia dared not imagine what went on at night. Despite being of age and having the knowledge of the more sensitive issues, Meia felt a little embarrassed to talk about these things with her friends. I guess if I really gotta know, I'll just have to wait-
She flushed as she realized what her thoughts were leading to. Oh great, Meia. Think of Reno and make yourself awkward with unhealthy thoughts…
But who could blame her? Although no one else in the Turks would agree, Meia always thought that Reno was incredibly sexy. Well, as soon as Meia learnt the definition of sexy, that is. The hairstyle… that defined, titillating collarbone peeking from beneath his collar and his cocky swagger… Everything about him looked aloof… intentionally aloof.
And damn that uniform! She thought. Who would've thought that messy uniforms could make someone so... desirable. For lack of a better word.
Meia shook her head, abruptly ending thoughts of lean bodies and turquoise eyes. And thank goodness for that too, for Kido and KK decided to walk in at that moment. "Hey!" She greeted, a little too chirpily. "What's up?" She beamed.
Katherine narrowed her eyes at Meia suspiciously, while Kido spoke, "I am thinking of going to Wutai."
Meia blinked at the double-gun user. "Really?" She asked. "Why?"
"It has been pretty pointless for me to stay here," he answered. "I have been in Midgar too long."
"You just came back," pointed out Meia.
"What he meant was that Midgar is too boring!" KK grinned. "Besides, Legend is in Wutai, they can buddy-buddy there."
Kido frowned at the knife-thrower. "I am not-"
"It's alright, Kido!" KK patted the back of her comrade sympathetically. "I know your deepest desire of traveling the big, wide world! You can definitely dump us girls here (Rod included) and go on your wild adventure!"
Meia stared at Kido, then at KK. "Whoa, KK." She raised her hands. "You alright? You're even more… hyper than usual."
"Katherine," Kido said quietly. "I would like to speak to Meia for awhile."
"Tch, fine! Excuse ME for being so nosy!" With that, she stormed out of the room.
The door swung shut and Kido placed a palm on his head. Meia stared at Kido incredulously. "What was that all about?" She asked.
"She's just angry that I'm leaving her here and going to Wutai myself."
Meia frowned. "Why would she- Oh my gosh!" She stared at Kido. "She likes you?" When Kido uncharacteristically rolled his eyes, Meia gasped. "No! Legend!"
Kido frowned back at her with disapproval. "I expected this sort of behaviour from Cassie, not you, Meia." Meia giggled in response. "No, no romantic feelings involved. Cassie, Rod, Leia and Haato gave us enough drama for the team." Kido found a chair in the room to sit on. "She, like I… and many of us in fact, just feels restless."
Meia couldn't say that she blamed them. After the expulsion of the large group of Turks, the former few months were filled with anxiety and anticipation of being pursued and killed. Now with the death of former Shinra President Leon Shinra, their fates were, at the very least, safer than when he was still alive. That didn't mean that they could run around and do whatever that they liked. Back then, it was being kept in a cage. Now, it's only that they've moved to a bigger cage.
"I know what you mean." Meia said. "Cassie hadn't stopped complaining ever since I came here. I guess… I guess I'm lucky to have something to do. But it's not like we're twiddling our thumbs doing absolutely nothing, we still have that Jade WEAPON to worry about."
Kido regarded her words seriously. "I agree. Still, there's nothing we can do about something that we know almost nothing of."
Meia frowned as she thought about Cissnei's message. She had barely managed to hold off the WEAPON, only possible with the aid of some warriors from Cosmo Canyon. She remembered how concerned Cissnei was about the WEAPON's strength. The Jade WEAPON is not completely defeated yet. She thought solemnly.
"That's why I'm leaving." Kido said. "I intend to travel around the Planet to seek the WEAPON."
"What?!"
"I will not idle here when I know that the WEAPON holds such potential to destroy us so easily."
"Then… why didn't you tell KK and Cassie?" Meia pressed on. "They'll love to join you."
"Then what will happen to Midgar?" Kido questioned back. "If you hadn't noticed, Cissnei's message stated that the WEAPON retreated. Who is to say that the WEAPON might return to Cosmo Canyon? For all we know, it could appear in different parts of the world, finding each and all of us. I'm going to Wutai, because it's only Legend there and the odds to fighting this monster alone is near impossible. I'll go to Costa del Sol and Gongaga, where Mason and Cissnei are, to help if necessary."
"I still don't get it."
"If Cassie and KK followed me, then it'll just be you and Rod in Midgar, isn't it?"
Meia raised her eyebrows, now knowing what he was worried about. "You don't think Rod and I can handle the Jade WEAPON."
"You and Rod are among the youngest Turks to join, and possibly the least experienced in combat."
"I beg your pardon, Kido." Meia glowered. "I have been fighting since I was 12."
"But you were just a child." Kido answered. "You've barely gotten out of your puberty. With your new growth, you need time and practice to get used to. There is much more for you to improve."
Harsh as they were, Kido never spoke anything less than the truth. With a sigh, Meia leaned against the head of her bed. "I admit," said she sadly. "I am the weakest fighter among all of us."
"But you are not useless. You have to stay in Midgar to finish the things that Veld had entrusted you. Veld still needs a channel of communication into Midgar. Also, the four of you will be able to help him, should Shinra gain knowledge of Veld's existence and storm into Kalm." Kido paused slightly. "Shouldn't that be help enough?"
Meia nodded. "Okay. I won't whine about it. Neither will I tell this to Cassie and KK… not till you're long gone."
"Fair enough." Kido stood up from his chair. "I'm leaving in the evening, shall we practice our guns before I go?"
Meia grinned, bouncing out of her bed excitedly like a child. "You bet!"
In case you are not aware, I've posted Chapter 13 just on Wednesday. So if you are still thinking that the previous chapter was Aerith in Costa del Sol, well my friend, you need to read Chapter 13.
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Thank you once again for your mighty support, you guys never fail to make my day!