AN - A super fucking huge chapter again! We're getting near the end folks, and it's ramping up to be... Explosive. Stay tuned on the hoorayimuseful dot for updates and announcements for a new story shortly!
Over the last couple of weeks, Fang had been withdrawn following the events at the slaughter house. It was as if she was constantly second-guessing herself, flinching at sudden movements and hesitating in crucial moments. It seemed like the Apex had yet to make its way completely out of her system. Lightning had caught her a couple of times swatting at the air or muttering about "Stupid floaty colours."
Any attempts to get through to her led to a dismissal, a declaration of "I'm fine don't even stress," and a quick retreat. The pinkette had just about had enough of her avoidance and sought out someone that would understand her better than she could.
"Hey, Sazh. You got a minute?" Lightning asked, approaching him as he worked on a car in the garage. He stood from the bonnet and placed the wrench down, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Phew. For you, soldier girl, I have plenty. What can I do for ya?" He asked warmly, eyeing off her mildly distracted gaze. When he realized she was looking at how many people were around them, he nodded and gestured for her to follow. "About Fang, I'm guessing?" he surmised a little gentler, eliciting a nod from the woman.
"She hasn't been all... There… Since the meat processing plant, with whatever Seymour did to her with that damn drug."
He hummed and watched the pinkette cautiously, thinking over his next words. "I doubt it's entirely that, though it's probably reminiscent of… Say, how much she tell you about the gang fallout that landed her in prison?" a shake of her head gave him enough of an answer. "I see..."
"I figure that you effectively stepped in as her father figure after you got her out of Oerba, you would know about whatever she's going through."
"That I do." He replied, stretching as he moved towards the back of the garage where it would be quiet and out of the way. "She always took the rites of the Hunter's Way seriously. A little too much if you ask me. When she came out of the woods after the trials, she was talking about how she was touched by Ragnarok, it gave her the strength to fight her enemies. She may not look it with her demeanour, but she is a devout of the old ways."
Lightning's eyebrows quirked in surprise. She had just assumed she enjoyed the aesthetic with the giant stylized image of the World Ender tattooed onto her back. "So the tattoo has a little more meaning than just looks, I gather."
Sazh nodded and scratched at his beard. "I remember when she got that. She said it would help imbue herself with the strength to bring Eden from the sky. I'll admit it helped, even if it was just something for her to focus on and give her that belief to push herself. I... I let it get out of hand. She became too engrossed in the fight. Enjoyed it too much. When the Fal'Cie reps showed up, at first it seemed like a perfect business transaction. Nothing changes, they get to manage the territories and take a cut, and I get to finally put my feet up. Go focus on raising my boy." His voice strained at the mentioning of his son and he cleared his throat to continue.
"Fang of course, saw right through it from a glance. I was too focused on getting out and retiring that I didn't care. It was stupid of me, considering how much Fang looked up to me, I didn't even realise until it was too late of the position I'd unwittingly taken in her life. She felt like I was abandoning her. She let the rage consume her, opened fire on anything that remotely looked like a Fal'Cie rep and suddenly sparked an all-out war. A lot of people got caught in the cross fire… We were no match for the resources they had at their disposal."
Sash sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "It wasn't what her parents wanted for her at all, and I let 'em down."
"You speak as if you knew them." Lightning said with narrowed eyes. The dark-haired man sighed and sat on a bench away from everyone.
"I did. It's why I came for her, to get her out. Took years to find her. I got a letter in the mail, one of those if you're reading this I'm dead kind of affairs from her father. Her parents, Vanille's parents... They didn't die in a house fire, they were murdered by the very gang she wound up working for."
The revelation was staggering. Lightning gasped and her hand shot to her mouth. "Does she know this?" she hissed between her fingers, her heart breaking for her partner all over again.
He shook his head, gritting his teeth. "Etro, Light. Where would I even begin with that, especially after everything that's happened?"
"How about the top, and work your way back from there?" she replied angrily, grabbing him by the collar of his coat. "She deserves to know!"
"I already did."
Both heads turned at the voice coming from the doorway, to find Fang standing there watching them, her expression deliberately blank. Sazh stood cautiously and reached for the Pulsian. "Fang..."
"Vanille works with Psicom with full access to databases all over the world, how did you think I wasn't going to find out, old man?"
"Fang... I'm sorry."
She shrugged, looking away to focus on a nearby vehicle that had been recently taken apart for scrap. "For what it's worth, I don't blame you. I wouldn't have known how to broach that subject either, if I'm being honest. I didn't say anything because I didn't know you knew my father."
Sazh sat back and observed her, thinking about how far she'd come. Her pink-haired partner may have become a little wilder with Fang, but his long-term friend and surrogate daughter seemed to have become a little calmer with Lightning. They balanced each other out, and the love they had for each other was obvious. "Soldier girl tells me you've been havin' a rough trot with that junk that's been in your system."
"Soldier girl needs to stop asking questions about my mental state." Fang seethed, turning to leave.
Lightning leant over and pulled the brunette down onto the seat next to her. "Don't shut me out, Fang." She said quietly, calling back to earlier words said to her before everything went to hell in a handbasket. "You've been rattled ever since the processing plant. And don't give me that shit about me asking questions when I know you've spoken to my sister about my own issues."
Fang's jaw clamped shut, unable to justify a response when the pinkette had a point. She remained tense, even as Lightning ran her hands along the back of her neck, a gesture that normally calmed the wild woman. "I could have killed you." She finally croaked, her voice suddenly strained with emotion. "I had no control, just lost to rage and instinct, just like the old tales of Ragnarok. It terrified me. I could have killed you."
"No, I wouldn't have let you get close." Lightning replied with a shrug, smiling softly and slid a hand over the Pulsian's knee. She squeezed it gently, stroking her with her thumb. Fang turned to her and ran her hand over the bandage across the pale arm.
"I got close enough." She replied sadly, struggling to keep her voice even. "It wouldn't be the first time I've lost it like that, I mean Sazh has likely filled you in. I didn't even need the drugs last time." Lightning pressed in close and ran her fingers through the dark, messy hair.
"People do stupid shit when they're overwhelmed with grief; when you were looking at a future without the only man that ever stuck around was about to leave. If I was being objective, looking at my own experiences with Auron? I probably would have done the same."
Fang took a ragged breath, moving her hand down to interlock her fingers with Lightning's. She used the feeling of holding onto the pinkette to ground her, bring her into the moment. Her attention was brought back to the brilliant blue eyes watching her closely. "It wasn't you, Fang. I will tell you that again and again until you believe it. It was your grief then, and Seymour's stupid concoction now. Stop second guessing yourself when you know who you are and you know you're not just the sum of your actions. All the Ragnarok jokes we've been making aside, you're not the mindless beast of the old tales. You're not a monster."
Tears stung at the Pulsian's eyes, causing her to blink rapidly in an attempt to clear them. "You can't say that knowing the things I've done, Light."
"Fine, if you want to feel that way… But you're my monster." Lightning huffed and pulled her closer by the collar of her shirt. She grinned and leant in for a kiss. "I don't fear you, sweetheart." She whispered against Fang's lips. "I'll keep you grounded. If you ever feel like you're losing it, just reach for me, ok?"
The brunette nodded with a pout, wrapping her arms around Lightning's neck and holding on tight. Sazh sighed at the display, feeling nostalgic towards his own past with his wife and he missed his boy terribly. He stood to take his leave and give them some privacy, but Fang held him by the wrist from her spot next to Lightning.
"We're going after Psicom next, old man. You know what that means."
He nodded with a wry smile and gave a shrug. "It means this old man better go get some sleep 'cos you're about to put me through my damn paces!" He left the garage to head back to his quarters, humming to himself and thinking about what to get his son as a present when he returned. Maybe some kind of pet, like a Chocobo chick or something.
"Faaaang!" Vanille's piercing voice cut through the tranquillity of lying in bed with Lightning in relative peace and quiet. The Pulsian groaned and buried her head under her pillow, attempting to ignore her sibling. Her burrowing was ineffective as the pillow was ripped away from her head and used as a weapon to beat her with.
"Come on Claire, it's time to get up! We have to go shopping." The younger Farron chided with a cheeky grin, Serah also joining in on the harassment. A bloodshot cerulean eye cracked open and glared at her sister. The last time she went "shopping" with her sister it meant three weeks of overtime to pay for the credit card bill. There was no way in hell she was letting the younger sibling anywhere near her account again.
"We don't have to do anything. Go away. We're sleeping." She grumbled, turning over and shifting so she was underneath Fang's arm. She placed her head in the crook of the brunette's neck and exhaled loudly. She attempted to ignore them both as she pressed against her partner's skin and inhaled the spicy scent. She felt Fang's throat vibrate with a hum as she kissed it gently and the tanned arms tightened around her.
"Claire…"
"Sssshh. Sleeping."
Vanille and Serah looked at each other, exasperated. The redhead grinned and motioned for the younger Farron to cover her eyes. Before Serah could even register why, the bedsheets were ripped from the top of them, rendering them incredibly exposed. Fang shot up with a squawk and Lightning flopped onto the bed, thrown from her comfortable position with a start.
"I'm going to bloody kill you 'Nille!" Fang growled, leaping off the bed and tackling her sister to the ground. Vanille laughed maniacally and prodded the Pulsian in her ribs.
"Well, you're awake now so you may as well stay up and come shopping with us. It's the festival of Etro next week! We have to be prepared for the Warrens!"
Fang rolled her eyes and puttered air through her lips. "Fine, but you're buying the damn coffee." She grumbled, standing and dusting herself off. She caught sight of Serah gawking at her with a hung jaw and glanced down to see what all the fuss was about. "Oh," She remarked, realising she was excruciatingly naked. "Sorry mini-Sunshine. You can blame Vanille for that though… Unless you like what you see…?" She finished with a mischievous grin.
"AHH! N-No I mean yes I MEAN I AM LEAVING VANILLE LET'S GO GET DRESSED AND WE'LL SEE YOU DOWNSTAIRS."
The younger Farron escaped, dragging a giggling redhead behind her. Fang quirked an eyebrow at their departure before crawling back into bed with a very grumpy Lightning. She bundled the pale woman up in her arms and kissed the top of her head, hearing a tiny grunt against her skin.
"You alright there?" She asked with a smile. All she got in response was incoherent grumbling. "Soooo... I think your sister's into me.." She continued, waiting for a reaction in an attempt to get a rise out of her. In a flash Lightning had gone from curled up against her shoulder to pinning her to the bed with both wrists above her head.
"You want to run that by me again?" She growled menacingly, baring her teeth in a possessive snarl. The sound went straight to Fang's core and she squirmed in delight at ruffling the pinkette's feathers.
"What? I'm just saying she was taking a pretty long hard look at all I've been blessed wii-IIITH OH." Her voice ended on a higher pitch as Lightning leant down and bit her throat.
"You. Are. Mine. And I'm going to make sure everyone knows it."
Fang internally cackled as she writhed beneath the pale form trapping her on the bed. Even after all this time, she could still find things to drive her partner mental for entertainment. Not to mention, this domineering streak was absolutely delicious. "But Light, don't we have to get up and go shopping with our sisters?" She asked innocently with a flutter of her eyelids.
"They can wait."
When the pair finally emerged an hour later, Lightning was taking the lead with Fang trailing behind looking dazed once more. Vanille rolled her eyes at the two older women and tutted at them with a wag of her finger.
"Took you long enough." She muttered as Sarah approached alongside them.
"Had to remind Fang about something important. Took some time." Lightning said bluntly, staring straight ahead. Serah tilted her head to the side while she tried to unravel the cryptic nature of her sister's comment when she spied the Pulsian behind her looking slightly lost and glazed in her jade eyes. That was when she saw the big mark on the right side of her throat and the younger Farron rolled her eyes.
"Really, Claire? What are you, sixteen? For Etro's sake…"
"What?" Lightning queried innocently, though there was a hard tone to her voice that made the brunette stand at attention. "Fang didn't mind, did you, sweetie?" She purred, turning to stare pointedly. Her partner barked out a quick laugh before clamping her hand over her mouth and shaking her head.
"Nope. Nope. Definitely didn't mind. At all."
Serah walked away to choose a car with Vanille, muttering to herself about being related to a maniac. The redhead picked Fang's favourite car, the orange muscle that was picked up in Bodhum so many months ago. The Pulsian liked it because it reminded her of her first kiss with Lightning, and she slid over the bonnet to the driver's side.
"Can I drive? Please?" she asked with the sweetest, softest voice she could muster, complete with wide eyes and a pout. Lightning's eye twitched at the demure nature, trying to figure out the Pulsian's angle. She hesitantly held the keys up and the jade eyes lit up with excitement. Fang surged forward and kissed the pinkette, pressing her back against the car.
"Come ON already!" Vanille complained from the back seat, causing both women to chuckle. Fang winked at Lightning and twirled the keys in her hand that she'd managed to relinquish from her partner.
"Thanks, beautiful."
They drove leisurely from the Warrens and down towards the docks where the festival was being set up. Vanille and Serah were chatting away in the back seat, Fang occasionally watching them in the rear-view mirror.
"Haven't yet figured out if it's a good thing or a bad thing that our siblings get along so well..." she muttered, barely audible over the roaring engine.
"Are you kidding me? Together they're more dangerous than the Fal'Cie and Psicom combined." Lightning replied with a laugh.
Fang took another look in the rear-view mirror and frowned. "Speak of the devil..." she growled in warning as she gripped the wheel tighter. Lightning raised an eyebrow and turned in her seat, seeing a black SUV weaving through traffic.
"Could smell them from a mile off, hey Fang?" she asked with a sigh, reaching into the glove compartment to retrieve weapons. Vanille stuck her hand out for one without hesitation.
"These arseholes cost me my job. It's time for a little payback."
The pinkette wasn't about to argue and passed one over. She looked at her sister and Serah nodded. "I'll aim for the tyres."
A motorcycle moved up alongside the vehicle and the rider brandished a small semi-automatic rifle. Fang winced and patted the dashboard gently. "I'm so sorry baby... Please forgive me..." she whispered, before yanking the steering wheel hard and swerving the car into the motorcyclist. The impact sent him careening into the concrete barrier on the highway, sparks flying from the scraping of metal.
All of a sudden the highways exploded into chaos, with numerous black, unmarked sedans accelerating from further back. A few more motorcycles starting zipping in between traffic to catch up to them.
"Shit… Looks like my credit card survives another day... Shopping trip's on hold Serah!" Lightning called out behind her, receiving a scowl from her sister in response. The elder Farron pulled out her phone as it rang, seeing Hope's number on the screen. "Little busy at the moment!" She answered, leaning out the window and firing at the cars behind them.
"I noticed. About you and everyone else. This isn't your run of the mill police chase, Light. They're Fal'Cie."
"I figured!"
Bullets whizzed by her head and she pulled herself back inside. Another motorcycle came up the driver's side and aimed the weapon at Fang. The rider was prepared for the swerve and moved clear, only to reapproach for another shot.
"Fuck this…" Fang growled through gritted teeth and pulled at Lightning's shoulder. "Looks like you get to drive after all, Sunshine!"
"What the hell are you… Dammit, Fang!" The pinkette snapped and leapt for the wheel while her partner threw herself from the car and onto the back of the motorcycle. It skidded dangerously as Fang belted the rider over the head repeatedly until she managed to get the gun free of his hand. In a carefully balanced movement, she threw her weight forward, causing the bike to wobble and distract the Fal'Cie subordinate. Gripping him by the neck she threw him off the bike and seized the handlebars before the motorcycle overbalanced.
Lightning had meanwhile been watching the display from the rear-view mirror with her heart in her throat, shuffling over to the driver's seat and swearing her head off. The bike caught up with the car with a very triumphant looking Fang riding it. "If we survive this, I'm going to kill you for that stunt!" Lightning yelled at her partner, only getting a wink in response.
"Stop worrying Sunshine, you'll live longer!"
Fang revved the throttle and took off, speeding ahead of the car. Several other motorcycles gave chase, opening fire as the Pulsian weaved in and out of traffic. Lightning growled and hit the accelerator, throwing her phone in the backseat for someone else to deal with. Serah caught it and handed it over to Vanille before climbing to the front and sliding into the passenger seat beside her sister. The elder Farron nodded and Serah leant out the window, firing at the wheels of the pursuing sedans.
"So, this isn't how I pictured my day going at all.." Vanille muttered into the phone. Hope laughed nervously and coughed away from the microphone.
"You're telling me. Seems like they've launched an operation against key members. Gadot is being pinned down in the Warrens with Lebreau at the bar, Paine and Rikku are downtown with Sazh… Lulu is with some of the… What do they call themselves now? Demons of Ragnarok? Down in the red-light district."
We took out all three gangs that were operating underneath them. Who the hell is left to help them? Where are they getting the manpower from?"
Lightning gripped the wheel and frowned, thinking back to Seifer's attack on the school in the Warrens. "There are more of us than you think…" She whispered, repeating his final words. "Etro… What if part of the Fal'Cie takeover is that they just assimilate most of the gangs and leave the token few as a front? Their numbers could dwarf the three gangs combined!"
Serah looked towards the front to see Fang narrowly avoid a truck in the distance, and fired at one of the motorcyclists chasing her. She struck him in the back and he fell, taking the bike with him. The young pinkette could just barely make out Fang raising her hand lazily in thanks before speeding ahead.
"We need to catch up with Fang," Vanille called out from the back seat, phone still glued to her ear. "Eden has just gone mental with Fal'Cie targeting anyone and everyone that's got our colours."
Lightning cursed to herself and sped up, dodging the gunfire and traffic in her haste to catch up with her partner. She laid on the horn as she got closer, with Fang briefly turning to eyeball her precious car. The Pulsian slowed down enough to come up the side of the vehicle and waved at the others.
"So, who ordered the battalion?" She asked with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. Vanille piped up from the back seat, leaning forward a little so that Fang could hear her.
"It's chaos on the streets, Hope's getting information coming in from all parts; there isn't anyone from NORA that isn't currently under attack."
Fang groaned and ducked as a stray bullet flew above her head. "Etro's fucking Gate… I am taking these arseholes down and then you and I are going somewhere tropical, Sunshine. I want a bloody holiday."
"Agreed." Lightning muttered from her spot on the driver's seat. The two locked eyes for a moment, before Vanille's screeching cut through the moment.
"Fang! Look out!"
The Pulsian's head whipped forward just in time to see a sedan barrelling towards her at ramming speed. She quickly leapt up onto the seat of the bike and jumped onto the roof of the car, the ramming vehicle taking out the motorcycle and just barely missing her. Lightning's heart was in her throat as she white-knuckled the steering wheel, holding her breath. Tanned fingers appeared in the edge of her vision, gripping the roof of the car through the open window. The pinkette exhaled through her teeth, equal parts relieved and infuriated.
"You alright, Fang?" She yelled out the window.
"Do me a favour, keep this car steady!" The brunette shouted back over the roar of the engine. The ex-GC officer spied another approaching sedan in the rear-view mirror and looked towards her sister for help.
Serah leant out the window and shot at the car behind them, trying to throw them off the highway. The car had bullet proofing so it was ineffective.
"Mini-Lightning!" Fang called out from the roof. "Hand me your gun and make sure your sister doesn't kill me by swerving or watching the dumb shit I'm about to do!"
"Fang... What are you doing..." Lightning yelled with a warning tone, trying to be heard. The roof buckled slightly as Fang moved around, kneeling on the metal while still hanging on for dear life.
"This is either going... To be amazing... Or hurt... Or both..." The Pulsian said to herself through gritted teeth. She waited until the sedan got close enough and launched herself into the air. She barely heard Lightning's swearing directed at her before she hit the bonnet of the car and rolled off.
Fang grabbed at the side of the car where the passenger side window was open and held on tight, every muscle screaming as she held herself up off the asphalt. The sedan cornered dangerously, and she leant in with her gun and fired into the gut of the driver. The car spun out and crashed into the concrete barrier, sending Fang flying. She managed to brace for the impact as best she could and rolled with the momentum, before finally coming to a stop somehow miraculously unscathed beyond a few scrapes and bruises. Patting herself down to check for any obvious injuries, she then let out a loud holler and laughed. "The adrenaline's flowing now! Haha! Gods I am amazing."
A gunshot whizzed by her head and she ducked, before realizing it was coming from the wrong direction. She spun around to find Lightning speeding towards her, hanging out the window with a murderous look on her face. In her hands she brandished the weapon that had been fired in the Pulsian's general direction.
"Are you bloody kidding me, Farron?" Fang exclaimed, hands on her hips. "Real mature."
The car screeched to a halt and the pinkette leapt out, tackling her to the ground. "Do you have ANY IDEA how fucking much you scared me? I'm going to kill you."
"Then who would you use as a pillow and a chew toy?" Fang replied with a grin and tapped at the bruise on her neck.
"Fuck." Lightning breathed, collapsing on top of her. "Please don't do that to me again."
"Um... Guys? We still have a rather large problem that needs addressing?" Serah called out from the car, impatient and worried for the others. Lightning stood and pulled Fang up, before startling the Pulsian by gripping her jaw tightly.
"I mean it, Fang. No more stunts. You hear me?"
She nodded as best she could in a pale vice grip.
"Then we're good then." Lightning quipped, releasing her partner and stalking back to the car.
"Good... Tell that to my jaw.." Fang muttered before chasing after her.
Lebreau hoisted a mini gun over the bar and opened fire, spraying molten death into any Fal'Cie that was in her establishment. "I hope Fang is aware I am sending her the bill for the cleaning costs!" She yelled over the rattling of the weapon. Gadot grinned from his spot over by a booth and held a thumb up in agreement.
"Baby if we survive this I'll get her to buy you a new bar!" he shouted back, his shotgun booming through the enclosed space. The Fal'Cie numbers seemed endless. They needed to attempt to clear a path to get out from the bar, to get somewhere with a little more breathing room and bulletproof doors like back at HQ. Gadot was still recovering from his near-fatal wounding and felt the adrenaline tapering out of his system well ahead of schedule.
"Gadot!" Lebreau's voice called out, drawing his attention just in time to knock a Fal'Cie back before the mercenary could get a shot off. The dark-haired woman shot him an excessive amount of times, bullets tearing through him as if he was paper. "Nobody touches my man but me, got it?" She roared, becoming fed up with the situation they were in.
"Ok, maybe Fang can buy you several bars." Gadot said, running an exhausted hand through his flame-coloured hair with a huff. They managed to score an opening, with a brief pause in the swarming Fal'Cie. Lebreau leapt over the counter and discarded the mini-gun, the weapon now completely spent. As they moved towards the entrance she spied a wayward phone and picked it up, scrolling through the messages.
"Hold up sweetie, there's something here." She said, holding onto his shoulder. He nodded and kept a lookout by the door. A single text message was on the phone that simply read two words in capitals.
CODE WHITE.
"The hell is that?" Lebreau queried, showing her partner the phone. Gadot gave a low hum and kicked a nearby Fal'Cie that was still somehow breathing in the ribs.
"What's code white, asshole?" He yelled, picking the man up by the neck. The Fal'Cie choked and struggled weakly before Gadot threw him onto a nearby table. "What's code white?"
"Shit…" The man coughed, his eyes widening in fear. "They've authorised… A code… White…? I've gotta get.. Out of here…"
Lebreau pressed a pistol to his head and got close in his face. "What the hell is code white you son of a bitch!"
He shook his head with a whimper, relenting only when Gadot began to squeeze harder on his throat. "It's… Dysley's end game… Plan… If it looked like… The Fal'Cie were compromised he'd… take out Eden."
"Take out as in…."
"As in blow it to hell. There are bombs all over the city… They'll… Take out most of the infrastructure."
Gadot stared hard. He cursed under his breath and punched the Fal'Cie in the head in a fit of rage. A commotion in the doorway drew his attention to find another suited merc bursting through the entrance with an angry scream. He flinched and was flung forward suddenly, falling to the ground before he could even do any damage. Fang stood in the entry and spat on the dead Fal'Cie.
"Fucking scum. You guys alright?" She asked as she entered, followed closely by Lightning and their respective siblings.
"Thanks for the assist, boss." Gadot said, clasping at Fang's wrist in a relieved greeting. "We've got a problem. A big one."
"I'm bloody aware of that Tzu, tell me something new!"
Lebreau was reloading her weapon in the back of the bar and on the phone herself. Gadot winced at the carnage in the bar and stuck his head out the door checking for any other approaching Fal'Cie. "Well, we found a text on one of their phones that said the words code white. It apparently means that Dysley is going to basically destroy the city. There are bombs rigged all over the city infrastructure and in the Warrens. They go off and it'll kill thousands."
"You've GOT. To be. FUCKING. KIDDING ME." Fang roared and punched the back of the booth repeatedly. Lightning was glaring at her, imploring her to calm down. "Etro's Gate… After everything we've worked for…"
Gadot looked around the streets to see everyone helping where they could, ferrying citizens out of the line of fire, providing medical attention, helping fight off the Fal'Cie. Their community had become the sight of a war zone, for too many times now.
"How we gonna shake this one, boss?" He asked, pulling Lebreau close to him to feel her presence. Fang fiddled with the gun on her belt for a moment before Lightning took her hand and squeezed.
"If we can locate the bombs and can't diffuse them, we can flush them into the waterway and they'll wind up in a place far enough away for the explosions to be contained." She said, weariness edging around her voice.
"But the waterways end up in…. Light, no… We can't…"
Gadot was confused at whatever significance the pinkette had described with her plan. "She means to have the bombs land in the caverns. It'll destroy the HQ but the blast shields should contain most of the explosions and save the city." Lebreau explained quietly. That would likely mean her bar was about to go up in flames too.
Silence descended in the room as the reality sunk in. "Sound the evacuation orders." Fang finally stated firmly, her voice only betraying the slightest hint of emotion. "Get anyone in the Warrens away from the HQ, get them to ground away from any landmarks or main infrastructure. Make sure everyone is out of the HQ, get them to take what they can, stuff it in the cars and make a break for it. Get anyone you can that isn't helping with evac to head to Lulu and help her and the girls. We'll go see what we can do about saving the city."
A car pulled up outside the bar and the resident mechanics jumped out, handing Gadot a new gun, followed by a beer once he'd holstered it. He chuckled and cracked it, taking a long drink and sharing the can with his old friend. "Hey Fang," he said quietly, watching her down the rest of the beverage and hand the can back. "Be careful will ya? We are gonna need to get royally hammered after this."
"Tch... Yeah, we do... Don't die on me Gadot, we're not going to be there to pull your arse out a second time, got it?" She quipped, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Fang then turned and left the bar, the others following suit. Gadot watched them leave with a resigned sigh and threw the beer can behind him. Lebreau slid her hand into his and squeezed.
"Let's go play hero babe."
Lightning took a detour, heading down towards the business district while she had Vanille in the back seat scouring for ways to locate the bombs and her sister keeping a watchful eye out for any other pursuers. By now they had contacted all they could to help and Lightning had one more idea up her sleeve and pulled into the channel13 news building.
"Light… What are you doing?" Fang queried as her partner killed the engine. The pinkette ignored the question and slid out of the driver's seat, stalking quickly towards the entrance. She entered the building and strode to the front desk, placing a USB drive and her gun gently on the counter.
"Uh... C-can I help you?" the receptionist asked with a gulp.
"I need to speak with your program director. It's… Urgent." Lightning said calmly, though glancing pointedly at her gun.
"I… I'm the director.." A nervous voice called out, a red-haired woman peeking her head out from a door behind the receptionist. Lightning picked up the USB drive and tossed it to her, the program director juggling it awkwardly before finally catching it.
"I need to use the studio to record a message. In exchange, you're about to get the story of a lifetime that will make sure everyone remembers this network."
The woman glanced at the drive, then back to the group before her. "I know you… You're that gang… NORA right?" she asked, leading them into the studio.
Lightning breezed past the woman, pointing to Vanille to go set up the channels to make sure this would be broadcast across Eden. She looked back at the director as she made her way in front of the camera. "Not anymore."
Serah had gotten behind the camera to focus, and Fang watched from the side in case they had any unwanted visitors. The director came over and stood by the Pulsian, feeling nervous but excited all the same. "Why do I feel like I'm about to watch history in the making?" She asked the brunette, eliciting a chuckle from the taller woman.
"Because darlin', that's exactly what she does."
The light on the top of the camera flashed red, and Vanille gave a thumbs up from her place at the desk. Lightning took a deep breath and looked into the camera.
"My name is Claire Farron. I was once a lieutenant in the Guardian Corps from the Bodhum division. I was devoted to my job, and to this city. I still am. But my loyalty no longer lies with corrupt city officials and every chain of authority in this city that seeks to undermine civilians to line their own pockets. My loyalty lies with the group that have been protecting the citizens of The Warrens that you all know as NORA. By the time this broadcast is finished we will have uploaded all the intel we have gathered that shows corruption at every level of government, every public service. The very gangs that tear apart this city have one of our highest officials at its helm. Galenth Dysley, head of Psicom."
There were a few gasps around the studio, and Lightning took a moment to allow that to register before continuing. Fang nodded in encouragement with a determined smile on her face.
"I am a part of a bigger picture now. I am drawing the battle lines and saying enough is enough. We are no longer NORA, Dysley. We are the World Enders the Fal'Cie fears us to be. We are your world enders. We are Ragnarok. Come, day of wrath. We're coming for you."
She stared icily into the camera before pulling her gun out and giving Serah enough time to scramble away from it before shooting straight down the barrel of the lens.
Fang nudged the program director in the ribs with the biggest grin on her face. "You can uh… You can give me a copy of this right... Uh…"
"Shelinda. And you just dumped the biggest story of the century on my doorstep. I'll send it to you with a bottle of champagne. Anytime you feel like giving me bombshell scoops like this, you give me a call alright?"
Lightning approached them with a calm and professional demeanour, the one that always drove Fang crazy with lust when they weren't in the midst of potentially life-threatening scenarios. "Why didn't you warn them about the bombs?" she asked her partner while giving her a very obvious once-over
"BOMBS?" Shelinda interjected, and the pinkette held up her hand to silence the director.
"If I revealed that we knew about his code white plan he could set them off prematurely." Lightning replied, turning to the director and handing her a card with her number on it. "I need you to call me before you broadcast everything you find on the drive. Dysley has planted bombs all over the city. I need you to wait one hour and then play that recording along with whatever else you want to run about the data. We need time to try to get the bombs either diffused or away from the populated areas. If it looks like we're running out of time I will contact you and get you to run an evacuation broadcast."
Shelinda nodded with a hard swallow and scribbled down her own number for the pinkette before racing off to the programming room.
"Vanille, are you able to overload the water plant's controls to flood the waterways from here? It'll make it easier and faster for the bombs to travel down to the caverns." Lightning asked, the sadness visible on her face. She didn't want to lose the HQ or their spot either and reached for Fang's hand for support. She felt it squeezed in solidarity and smiled gently.
"Yep. I've already been making preparations for it anyway as soon as you mentioned the plan earlier. I've been in contact with Amodar and Rygdea as well, they're mobilising anyone they can trust to start getting civilians out of the populated areas. Low-key at the moment so as not to cause a panic or draw attention."
Lightning nodded in acknowledgement, impressed at the redhead's tactical ability. They hadn't heard anything from Paine or Rikku, let alone the girls with Lulu. Gadot was headed to her last they parted and she hoped he'd gotten there in time. That left them to head back in the direction of the wharf where they were originally going before their morning went to hell.
"Come on Fang," Lightning said with a tug of the Pulsian's hand. "Time to go save the city."
"So, here's a question," Rikku ground out between her teeth as they took shelter behind an upturned vehicle, "How much hazard pay do you think I can strangle out of Fang when all this is done?"
Sazh crouched beside them and let off a volley of gunfire to scatter the Fal'Cie aiming for them. He shook his head with a laugh. "Pretty sure after this you can get an entire district named after you."
Rikku beamed and lobbed a grenade over the car, waiting for the familiar, welcoming explosion. "Good. I'm going to make her give me the boutique shopping ward. All those uppity assholes won't know what hit 'em when I roll through." She turned to Paine to check on her partner, who was busy shouting into the phone.
"We're fine, Fang. Just a little automatic weapon fire, nothing to concern yourself over. Oh, the city is also falling apart, that could be a thing though… Wait what. WHAT. You're kidding… Fuck. Send the coordinates and get Vanille to trace my phone so you can catch up to us…. Ok. Yeah. You too."
Paine hung up the phone with a growl and ran her fingers through her hair. "Like this day could get any worse…" she sighed. Rikku shuffled over to her and nudged her in an attempt to comfort her. "Looks like the Fal'Cie are playing their end game, old man." The silver-haired woman said to Sazh. He raised an eyebrow in a sardonic expression and looked around them.
"You think?"
"They've planted bombs all over the city, and they're going to destroy Eden. They'll take over whatever is left and remove any opposition in a blaze of fire and rubble."
Sazh stared at her in disbelief, before sagging his shoulders. "I am getting too old for this shit."
"Fang's got the gang on the possible locations for them, and Lightning is liaising with her contacts to see what they can uncover… If the bombs can't be easily diffused…" Paine paused, sucking in a breath, "They're going to have to be thrown into the waterways, where they will end up in those caverns and detonate safely."
"But that'll…. Shit, left my favourite book there this morning." Rikku sighed. Paine wrapped a supportive arm around her and held her tight.
"We'll get you a new one. The prospects are emptying out the place as we speak, hopefully they'll get everything in time."
Rikku smiled and went to reply but then noticed Sazh's expression drop suddenly. "You ok there?" She asked him, and he bared his teeth.
"Nabaat." He hissed, leaping over the car and giving chase. The blonde Psicom commander saw him and immediately took off, not wanting to face the man's wrath for taking his son.
"Shit… Paine get on the phone to Fang, we're going to have to take over on bomb patrol."
Sazh pursued the commander across the wharf, breath heaving in his lungs. When she rounded a corner he pulled his weapon out, careful not to go in blind. Slowing up, he pressed himself against the side of the building adjacent to the alleyway she ran down and carefully peered around it. He found Jihl standing in the middle of the alleyway looking furious. "Nabaat! Where is my boy!" He shouted, cocking back the hammer on his pistol.
"If I die you'll never find him! Let me leave this city before Dysley blows it to hell and I'll tell you where he is. Kill me and he'll die along with everyone else in this city."
"After what you did to Lightning do you honestly think you're going to get out of here even if I were stupid enough to let you go?"
She screamed in rage and unclipped a grenade from her belt. Once she'd pulled the pin she lobbed it at the exit before making a break for it further down the alleyway. It hit the ground near Sazh's feet and he had barely enough time to swear and fall back before it exploded, sending him shunting forward into a parked car. He groaned and stretched his neck, trying to ease the throbbing from the impact. "Definitely getting too old for this shit.." He muttered to himself.
The screeching of tyres filled his ears and a sports car came sliding into view as it drifted around the corner. It came to a halt near him and to his relief, familiar faces were in the seats.
"Sazh!" Fang yelled out as she leapt from the car, racing over to him. "You alright?"
"I'll live. It's Nabaat. She's down the alley, she knows where Dajh is!"
A low threatening growl rumbled through Fang's throat. The Psicom commander was as good as dead if she had anything to do with it. But still, balance was balance and she would give Lightning the opportunity for the first shot if she was willing to take it.
"Don't… Don't let her die without finding out where my boy is, Fang. I know you're itching for revenge but please…"
She patted him on the arm for good measure. "I won't Sazh. Did she say anything about him when you confronted her?"
He groaned and tried to sit up, Serah appeared by his side to push him gently back down as she began to patch him up. "She said that if she died, Dajh would too with the rest of the city."
Lightning frowned at the words as she stood back, looking down the alley. Suddenly she snapped her fingers and pointed at the car. "Serah, go back and tell Vanille to get on the wire to anyone currently collecting those bombs. Upload Dajh Katzroy's photo from the database and send it to them. She'll have kept him somewhere near one of the bombs as collateral."
Serah nodded and helped Sazh up, taking him to the car. Fang placed a hand on her partner's shoulder, and looked at her firmly. "You gonna be alright with this, Light?"
The expression she received in return was cold determination. "Let's go get the bitch."