AN - PLEASE DON'T MURDER ME. I am in the process of some tidying of this story and split up the first chapter. It was over 11k words for one, which was a bit much. BUT, if you haven't been on for a while, your visit is not for nothing, as there is a one-shot series that runs in between this AND the sequel, both of which are published/being published! Go check the profile if you're ready to dive back into the AU!
*Deep cleansing breaths* OK. Let's do this. I'm actually posting this a year to the day that I lost my job, which was what started this whole madness. It's been one wild ride and your support has just been amazing. This is far from the end of my writing schtick, in fact, I've been posting tantalising images of things to come over on my tumblr all this week! ( .com). Anyway, You're amazing, this ride has been amazing, I'm going to go take a fucking nap.
"Come on probey, surely you want the extra marks…"
Claire moved back until her back hit a wall. She felt claustrophobic with the trainer in her face and her old instincts flared up, the fight or flight mechanisms firing in her brain. Jillian had been relentless in her pursuit of her over the last six months, subtlety wasn't her finest suit. The other probationals had been talking about it, spreading rumours that made Claire sick to her stomach. The issue wasn't that it was another woman, it was that it was that woman. The trainer who wouldn't take no for an answer and had no respect for boundaries. She just took what she wanted, when she wanted. The pinkette got into the academy to get away from people like that, not to find out it was no different on this side of the line.
She looked away, unable to move anywhere else without putting herself closer to Jillian. "Ma'am. For the last time, I am not. Interested. I'd rather fail your class and have to spend another year in this hole than give you anything."
"I can arrange that, Farron." The trainer sneered, trailing her nails across the front of Claire's coat. "Then you'll have to spend another year with me in the same class. Again and again. I can do this all day, I have endless patience."
A growl escaped Claire's throat before she could suppress it, and felt the old familiar anger taking hold again. "Last warning Suriya. I will break you if you touch me again."
"Oh, I do love it when a girl plays rough." She purred in response, surging forward and pushing herself against the pinkette. Her lips crushed against Claire's mouth, an aggressive move that made the pinkette sick. This wasn't supposed to be how first kisses went. Not like the movies at all. No internal fire, no fireworks, just teeth smashing against teeth and a foul tongue messily demanding compliance.
The gates opened and the last of Claire's suppression of her rage faltered. She shoved herself back from the wall, pushing Jillian off her with as much force as she could muster. While the trainer was off balance she lurched forward and cracked her square in the nose with a fast jab. The crunch of bones and Jillian's pained wails bounced off the walls of the locker room, and the woman crumpled to the floor with blood spurting everywhere. The pinkette wiped her mouth and spat on the floor, trying to get rid of the taste and smell of the trainer.
"You broke my nose!"
"You're lucky that's all I broke, Suriya." Claire growled in response, picking up her bag and walking out of the locker room.
"I'll see to it you're expelled by the end of the day, Farron! You're finished!"
The hand that appeared on Lightning's waist made her flinch, but she relaxed as soon as she looked down and saw the familiar tattooed fingers. "Sorry, just… Remembering." She muttered, moving ahead once she'd shaken herself from her memories.
"Oh… Of… The compound?" Fang asked hesitantly, running her hand down the pinkette's back.
"No, of the time Nabaat kissed me and I broke her nose."
Lightning felt the hand retract for a moment before returning. "I hope you were thinking of the second half of that rather than the first…" Fang grumbled, sliding up to a dumpster in the alley for cover. She peered over the top of it carefully, spying the blonde commander further down the alley, closer to the edge of one of the waterways. "You runnin' out of places to hide Nabaat?" She called out aggressively, watching the woman spin around in a rage.
"Why don't you come and get me, Yun Fang? Or are you afraid I'm going to do more damage to the other half of your girlfriend's face?"
Lightning shook her head at the Pulsian and grabbed at her arm, pre-empting the reaction. "She's baiting you Fang, don't. She's up to something, and I can guarantee you that alley is booby-trapped to Valhalla and back." In truth, she wanted to tear down the alley and beat the commander within an inch of her life herself, but she knew enough from her dealings with the trainer that she was calculated, devious and a dangerous woman when backed into a corner.
"Is that you, Lieutenant Farron? Back for another round sweetheart? I always knew you liked to play it rough."
The pinkette ground her teeth in her head and tensed every muscle in her body for a few seconds, then released. "She's just trying to bait us. She's just trying to bait us." She repeated through gritted teeth. Fang reached over and massaged the back of her neck, trying her best to push the tension out.
"What are your thoughts, love? The ones that don't involve hanging Nabaat from a street lamp."
Lightning took out her phone and turned on the camera, moving it slowly out from behind the dumpster. The alleyway was filled with pockets and too many vantage points for traps, and Jihl had a clear shot of anyone coming down it. She put the device back in her pocket and sighed.
"She's got us in a bind here. Way too many opportunities for us to get caught out. She won't negotiate because we don't hold any balance of power, but neither does she. We're at a complete stalemate."
Fang frowned and drummed her fingers against her knee. She felt like a trapped animal, unable to move to get the upper hand. Unless… She peered around the dumpster again, listening for the roaring in the distance behind Jihl. "I've got it!" she hissed, smacking her own leg in triumph. "I need you to distract her. Give me time to get to her."
"How? There's nowhere you can move where she can't see you." Lightning asked, disbelieving. Fang leant forward and kissed the pinkette passionately, smiling into the affection when she felt the intensity returned. "What was that for?"
"Just wanted to give you something else to think about than that gross bird." The Pulsian replied with a wink. "She can't see me if I'm approaching from behind. I'll duck into one of the other alleys and climb along the waterway."
Lightning's eyes widened as she considered Fang's plan. "If you fall... You'll-"
"Be fine. You would be amazed at the shit I used to climb as a kid. This'll be no different. She's an ego-maniac, Light. Use that against her. If I'm with you any traps in that alley will be set off. She won't kill you until she can see the whites of your eyes. Move slow, don't bait her too much and for fuck's sake be careful." Fang said firmly, turning to creep back down the alley. She was halted by the pinkette, who had pulled her back for one final kiss.
"You be careful yourself. Remember, we have a secluded island getaway to plan."
Fang smiled her brilliant smile and ran a quick hand across her partner's cheek before disappearing down the alley. Lightning watched her leave with a sigh then leant back against the dumpster. She steeled herself against the stand-off she was about to have, trying to ignore how the scars on her shoulder and her face were burning with the memory of being tortured at the hands of the commander.
"Are you still there, lieutenant?" Jihl's voice called out down the alleyway, the sound making Lightning's blood boil. "I hope I'm not being ignored."
The air around Lightning seemed to grow denser and she had a hard time keeping her breath steady. "I'm going to give you all the attention you deserve, Nabaat. All of it and then some." She yelled out from her spot behind the dumpster. She closed her eyes and inhaled, before releasing the breath and stepped out from her hiding place. Initially bracing for the impact of bullets, she was relieved when they didn't come. Fang's assessment was right on the money after all.
"There you are." Jihl breathed, sounding oddly relieved all things considered. "I was hoping I could run into you one last time, maybe get one last kiss before we're all blown to hell… After all, I didn't get to finish what I started with your… Makeover…"
The alley was silent beyond the roaring of the water behind the commander, the noise helping Lightning keep her breathing steady. Fang should hopefully not take too long, and then she can stop this game. "Jihl Nabaat. You're under arrest for kidnapping, assault of an officer, murder and countless other charges I don't want to be here all day rattling off. You have the right to remain silent, not that you will, and-"
"You're kidding me, right?" Jihl sneered, looking dumbfounded. She raised her pistol towards the pinkette and Lightning responded in turn. "Officer Farron, thinking she's going to take on the kingpins of the seedy underworld of Eden. Please. Give yourself some credit. I've always known what you were. Nothing more than a rabid animal that needs to be leashed. You thrived with Auron. You're thriving with your precious Pulsian. You were wasted in the GC, wearing their skin while constantly denying your true self. Why keep up the pretence that you are anything more than you are? There is no such thing as the line, Farron. Only that which we seek to take, and refuse to give."
Her words were like a punch to the gut. Lightning held her breath, trying desperately to maintain composure. Why keep up the pretence that you are anything more than you are… The words kept echoing in her skull, completed with Jihl's sneering face. Her eyes flicked down for a moment when she saw Fang's head slowly appear from behind the commander, raising herself from the waterway quietly.
Jihl saw the falter, and casually holstered her gun. She toyed with the cuffs of her jacket sleeve and hummed with a smug expression. In a flash Fang had leapt up from behind her, moving to tackle her to the ground. But Nabaat was faster, in fact faster than Lightning ever remembered her being. She whipped around out of the way, causing Fang to miss her target. Jihl pulled a garrotte wire from her sleeves and wrapped it around the Pulsian's throat, Fang only having seconds to get her hands in the way to stop her airway from being completely cut off.
"Not one move, Farron!" Jihl snapped, pulling on the wire tightly. The brunette's eyes widened and she took short, shallow breaths as she struggled. The line cut into her fingers, causing them to bleed. "You think that what I did to your face was bad, you have no idea what I want to do to your girlfriend here."
"No… Thanks… You're… Not… My type… Nabaat…" Fang choked, somehow still keeping her humour despite being mere inches from being strangled to death.
"Stupid move, Jillian." Lightning snarled, cocking the hammer back on her pistol. "I was going to arrest you. Lock you up without a mattress and a thug with grabby hands. Now I'm going to destroy you."
The commander moved backwards, realising her error. She couldn't let go of Fang to get her gun, and she couldn't properly defend herself against the furious pinkette. She shuffled back to the edge of the waterway, dragging Fang with her. "If I go, so does she. Fancy a dip, Yun Fang?"
"My name's… Not… Fucking… YUN…" The Pulsian gagged, gathering her strength and yanked her hands forward, crying out as the wire cut deeper into her fingers. It threw Jihl off balance and she fell forward into Fang's waiting fist. The crack to her face shattered her nose and she staggered back, clutching at her face and forgoing the wire around the Pulsian's neck. Nabaat slipped and stumbled on the edge, arms flailing. She grabbed at Fang's shirt collar as she fell backwards, dragging the brunette with her.
"No!" Lightning cried out, rushing forward to catch her. Fang elbowed Jihl in the face and grappled with the edge of the waterway, hanging on with every ounce of strength she had. She cried out in pain as the concrete bit into the cuts on her fingers. Nabaat managed to grab at a foothold further down, managing to keep herself from hitting the water. The pinkette scrambled, grasping Fang's wrist firmly and pulled her up slowly. With a groan, her muscles strained with the effort. Her partner managed to get some traction and scrabble the rest of the way up, collapsing on top of her. Before Lightning could draw breath Fang was onto her, kissing her repeatedly and threading her fingers through the pale hair.
"We… Have to stop… Meeting like this…" The Pulsian said breathlessly, clutching onto Lightning's collar tightly.
"Fang… Composure… Please…" Lightning ground out, pushing her off gently. She sat up and eyed the edge of the waterway, as Jihl's hand appeared. The roaring water was below, and she could hear the commander's panicked breaths. The pinkette stood and walked over, ensuring to keep her distance from Nabaat's hands.
"I will survive a swim, Farron. And then I'm coming for you and everyone you love."
Lightning pulled her gun and aimed it near her hand and fired. The bullet ricocheted off the concrete with a ping, scattering dust and stone into Jihl's face. Still, the woman held on. "I'm going to give you your wish, Nabaat. You're finally going to see HQ." She watched the commander's eyes narrow and she smiled. "Unfortunately for you, it's a one-way trip."
Jihl's eyebrows raised and her attention was drawn to the growing sound of beeping coming from below her. She looked down to see a handful of the bombs the Fal'Cie had planted throughout the city racing down the waterway towards the Warrens. She looked back up at Lightning, the panic evident across her features.
"I told you I'd break you if you touched me again, Suriya." Lightning growled, her eyes cold and menacing. The commander reached for her weapon, but she never got close. The pinkette fired at her hand holding her on the ledge and walked away as Jihl's scream faded into the thundering noise of the water.
As soon as they got far enough away from even the sounds of rushing water, Lightning fell to her knees with a sob. Fang knelt and wrapped her arms around her, kissing the side of her head. "You're alright, Sunshine. You did good, love. You did good."
The ghosts of her past, one by one were falling away. Auron, Cid, Jihl… Who else was left at this point? Lightning thought she'd feel freer, instead, she felt more burdened than ever. "Nothing more than a rabid animal that needs to be leashed… Is that all I really am? Is that all I ever really was?" she whispered to herself. The Pulsian withdrew from her and she immediately felt the absence.
The slap came unexpectedly, though there wasn't enough force in it to hurt, just to startle. She looked up in shock at her partner, who was holding a calm expression. "You back?" Fang asked simply and Lightning rubbed her cheek with a frown. "Good. You are so much more than that. You're Lightning fucking Farron. The Fal'Cie are a greedy pack of arseholes that wouldn't know what it is to be human. They see us as tools and nothing more. Well, we are more. You're more. You're the city's saviour. You're the Fal'Cie's destruction. So what's say you finally let go of all these hang-ups about the line, we go end this and then go for drinks?"
Lightning simply pulled the brunette back against her and buried her head in the crook of the tanned neck. "Yuna tells me Besaid is good this time of year, and has islands with private beaches..." Fang said, hearing a chuckle against her throat. Her partner finally leant back and ran a hand down the side of her face with a smile. Lightning looked up at the Pulsian with adoration in her gaze.
"I love you, Fang."
"Damn right you do."
It was raining bullets by the time they hit up the Fal'Cie building, the focal point of the city and according to Fang, Eden's biggest eye sore. It towered over the central business district, the jewel atop a corrupt crown.
"Gods, I hope we can dismantle this fucking thing once we take out Dysley."
Lightning craned her neck to the top of the tower from their vantage point behind a huge concrete fountain and sighed. "If this code white crap is anything to go by, that tower is likely to be wired to go with the rest of the city. You may well get your wish." She fired her weapon from her spot, taking out a few more Fal'Cie. They didn't have time for this ongoing skirmish, the delays making the pinkette more aggravated as the shootout progressed.
"Hey hey, looks like the calvary's here," Fang said with a grin, pointing over behind them as a familiar van came screeching around the corner. A number of their crew leapt from the door as it came to a stop, opening fire on the corrupt police that was siding with the Fal'Cie. Gadot gave them a wave as Paine let out a volley of shots to push the cartel back.
Vanille slid in by Fang's side and gave her a quick hug. "This place is rigged to blow." The redhead stated bluntly, bringing up the blueprints on a small tablet, completely unfazed by the chaos around her. She reached over and took Lightning's hand gently and gave it a squeeze. "Serah's fine, we met up with Snow on the way here, he's got Fang's car and is taking her to a rendezvous point just outside the city limits where we've been evacuating everyone. Amodar and Rygdea are organizing evacs for everyone in the surrounds because if that building goes it'll take out the entire financial district in its collapse. The Warrens are clear, the HQ has been gutted as best we could given the time constraints. Anything left is replaceable. Oh and Dysley's still in the building."
Lightning nodded, thankful for Vanille's strategy and precision. "Thanks, Vanille," She said warmly, returning the squeeze of her hand. "I imagine that Serah would have protested like there was no tomorrow…"
"She did, but she shut up when I told her that it was putting you at risk if she stayed because you'd be too worried about her to focus on the task at hand."
The pinkette's jaw clamped shut at that. Couldn't argue with the truth after all. She took a breath and looked over towards the door. "We don't have a lot of time, Shelinda down at the news station has likely just broadcast that message, so we're on the clock and need to get into that building." Lightning clipped, reloading her guns for good measure. Fang whistled to get Gadot's attention and was making a few hand gestures at him. He nodded with a thumb in the air and moved up towards the tower.
"Get ready to run Sunshine, Tank over there is about to sort some interference. 'Nille, see if there's anything you can find that's a little faster than that van in case we need to get out of here in a hurry."
An explosion ripped through the courtyard, sending Fal'Cie thugs flying everywhere. Gadot had just thrown an entire grenade belt into the fray, taking the most efficient path of destruction. Fang gave him a salute and sprung from her position behind the fountain. "Time to go, Light!" The two raced through the courtyard and into the building where there was still no shortage of Fal'Cie, however, they weren't paying the pair any mind. Instead, they were rushing about, seemingly in full evacuation mode.
Lightning grabbed a nearby woman moving quickly through the hall. "We're here for Dysley. Where is he?" She asked bluntly, watching the worker's eyes widen in fear. "Not here for you, just him. Tell us where he is and you can then get as far away from the blast radius as you see fit."
"T-top… Top floor. He's on the top floor."
The woman was released and she scrambled away. Fang looked over the schematics of the building Vanille had sent to her phone and hummed. "We don't have a lot of time here… We'll be sitting ducks if we take the elevator. But I also have no interest in a cardio workout climbing fifty flights of stairs that will likely be covered."
Lightning leant over her shoulder and looked at the image. She pointed to a particular place on the screen and smiled. "Service elevator for deliveries. We can access it from here, ride it as far as it will go. Looks like it stops at floor forty-five. So then there's only five flights of stairs for a warm-up."
They raced to the elevator and took out any cameras in the vicinity, including the one inside the lift. Punching in the highest floor on the dial, the duo pressed themselves against either side of the elevator, just in case of any surprise gunfire. They both were breathing heavy, staring at each other as the lift ascended, ticking off the floors at a rapid pace.
"Hey, Fang?"
"Hm?"
Lightning took a breath and let it out slowly. "No matter what happens… I want you to know that I-"
"Nope." She was cut off by her partner raising her hand.
"But what if we…" The pinkette trailed off, fearful to voice it out loud. Fang shrugged and gave her a lop-sided grin.
"I'm not gonna die, I've got Lightning."
The doors to the lift opened and three Fal'Cie suddenly ran into the lift, one of them yelping in surprise. "Sir! Get back to the office!" Another yelled out, and Lightning could see Dysley retreating over the man's shoulder. It would appear that they intended to use the service lift to escape. Fang tried to draw her weapon but in close quarters it was impossible. She couldn't get enough distance between herself and the Fal'Cie to be able to get to it. On the upside though, that meant the same for him as well.
They traded punches and blows, the elevator shifting and groaning from being thrown off balance all the time. The lurching of the lift was making Fang feel a little nauseous, so she tackled the goon out of the lift so she could get to some more stable ground. Finally, in an open space, she was able to move a little more freely and swung both her hands clasped together straight into the Fal'Cie bodyguard's face. The blow was hard enough to stun, and he crumpled back on the floor with a groan. Fang leant forward and grabbed him by the collar, pushing her gun underneath his chin. "Is this Dysley prick worth your life, mate? This whole building is going to blow and the city with it if we don't stop him. Either call your friends off and leave, or you die here, right now."
The silence stretched out between them, and for a moment Fang thought he was ready to lay down his life for the corruption that bled into every corner of the city. Funny thing about having a gun to your head though is that everyone gives up their scruples when faced with the reality of the end. He slowly raised his hands and barked out an order at the other two, who had Lightning bailed up in the corner of the lift trying to get a shot in. They paused and turned, tensing at seeing their superior held at gunpoint.
"Stand down boys, we don't get paid nearly enough for this bullshit. Ladies. Control panel's on his desk."
The other two men hesitated, unsure of whether they should be following his orders. They looked back towards the pinkette, who had taken the opportunity while they were distracted and had drawn her own weapon. "You don't get paid enough and we don't have time. Be gone." She growled, and they stepped back to allow her to pass. Fang reluctantly let the other Fal'Cie up, gun trained on him the entire time. He walked slowly towards the elevator and joined his men. He hit the ground floor button and nodded as the doors began to close. The leader suddenly whipped his hand out, gun in tow and blew out the call button on that floor, then waved as the doors shut.
"Fuck!" The brunette cried out as she raced to the door. The circuits were fried, and there was no way that elevator was coming back up. She sagged her shoulders in annoyance and turned back to her partner. "I guess we're getting that cardio workout after all once we're done here," Fang muttered, an uneasy feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. Lightning took her by the hand and led her towards the fire escape. They climbed the stairs quickly, surprised that there was no resistance from the Fal'Cie.
"Must have thought Dysley was getting out with the last of them so there's nobody else here." Lightning muttered to herself, feeling tenser by the second. They reached the final door and quietly swung it open. There was only a short, narrow hallway before a large black door. They approached it slowly and stood before it for a few moments, holding each other's hands.
"You ready?" Fang asked, feeling a little uncertain herself. The pinkette nodded and took the safety off her pistol.
"Let's finish this."
They kicked open the door together and rolled for the nearest cover they could find. Dysley was seated calmly behind his desk, a turret sitting off just to the side scanning the room.
"I was wondering how long I could hold off this inevitable meeting. Really now, Lieutenant Farron, you overreach yourself." Galenth drawled from his comfortable place in his chair. Lightning growled and tightened her grip on her gun.
"Dysley." She hissed, grinding her teeth in anger. "How could you do this? You're the head of Psicom for Etro's sake. You're supposed to bring order, protect the people."
"Oh but I do, child." He replied, standing and pressing a button at his desk to arm the turret. It sprung to life and aimed towards the two hiding behind the pillar. It let off a burst of fire, exploding concrete and marble all around them. They dove out of the way, splitting up and moving to opposite sides of the room.
"I do bring order. The Fal'Cie give the people what they want. They don't want to worry about the threats from baser society, we bring order through our unique… Methods. The citizens of Eden want for nothing."
Fang tried to take a few pot shots at the turret, grunting in frustration at the ineffectiveness of the action. "Aren't you forgetting about the Warrens, Dysley?" She yelled out, moving in a zig-zag pattern to escape the gunfire.
"Scurrying around like rats in the sewers? They aren't citizens. Merely ants in the way of progress. An algae-ridden stagnation atop a pristine lake. A stain on our society. Come now, World Ender, surely you see the futility in trying to protect the weak? Eden's salvation is my great legacy, and I will be damned if I see you end it."
Lightning took aim at the turret's targeting monitor and blew it out with deadly precision. Sparks flew everywhere, sending Dysley ducking for cover.
"I'll show you a bloody world ender, Dysley!" Fang yelled, leaping over the ledge where she was hiding and raced towards his desk. He leant back up and opened fire with a rifle, catching the Pulsian in the arm and grazing her leg. She scrambled back against the low wall and hissed. Lightning slid in next to her to check the wound and Fang shook her head. "Go, sort him out. I'll be fine, I just need a second."
Lightning counted the shots until she heard the useless clicking. She shook her head in disgust and leant around the corner, firing at his hand. Clearly, someone that sent others to do the violence while he sat back and did nothing. The bullet hit him in the wrist and he dropped his weapon with a pained scream. Dysley fell backwards onto the floor and tried to crawl away, an effort that was wasted due to his arm rendered immobile.
The pinkette moved back to Fang and clutched at her neck softly. "You ok?" She asked, receiving a small nod in response. Both of them smiled at each other and stood, Lightning helping Fang over to Galenth's desk.
"You think this is the end, Farron?"
"For you maybe." Lightning replied with a shrug.
Fang leant in close and picked him up by the collar. Blood ran down her arm, dripping onto his white suit. She tightened her grip and growled, ignoring the pain flaring from the wound. "Come day of wrath. Embrace thy fate, thine home to burn. Make of this day a brave epoch. Deliver the Divine, Ragnarok." She recited the lines from the old mythos of the World Ender, and stood slowly as she watched his eyes widen in fear. She drew her pistol and shot him in both legs, rendering him unable to escape. "Now, tell us how to disarm the bombs in the building and the rest of the city and I might let you live."
"It's already been set in motion, there is no off-switch you fools." He yelled, agony making his voice strain as he bled out.
"Well if this building goes, I guess you can be entombed with your great legacy, Dysley." Lightning snapped, kicking him in the ribs before running over to the console at his desk.
Fang followed, pulling out her phone and put Vanille on thru speed dial. "Talk to me 'Nille, I'm looking at a console that has rigged this whole building to blow."
"Shit. Ok, pry the panel off and tell me what you see."
Lightning was already onto it, pulling away the panelling with her survival knife. She ripped the metal from the desk as it groaned under the pressure, throwing it aside.
"... 'Nille, there are shitloads of wires. Shitloads."
The flash of a camera went off over her shoulder, as Lightning took a photo of the console. "Sending you an image now Vanille." The pinkette said abruptly, voice cold and professional given the current life-threatening situation.
"Ok... Ok... Shit, that's a lot of wiring..." the redhead muttered down the phone as she looked over the image.
"Needing a solution Bahan, clock is ticking..." Fang said nervously, glancing at the timer that had a few minutes remaining.
"Shut up! I'm thinking! Ok, ok. There's a primer attached to the left of the console, disabling that should stop the countdown. Cut the grey looking wire coming out the side of it. Do you see it?"
"Yeah I see it, cutting it now.." Lightning called out, hovering the blade near the wire and trying desperately to steady her hand. Fang squeezed her shoulder gently, holding her breath and refusing to make a sound. In one solid, quick movement Lightning cut the wire, both sets of eyes glancing over to the timer that had clicked over to the last minutes of the countdown. Nothing had happened. The timer still continued.
"Shit. 'Nille that didn't work!" Fang hissed, glaring at Dysley who was laughing from his place on the floor.
"Foolish children. There is an off-site fail-safe. If the self-destruct is triggered nothing is going to turn it off other than the master key, held by someone far higher than I. He would rather watch me burn."
Lightning stared incredulously at the broken man, still holding onto his arrogance despite the life bleeding out of him. "Higher than you? You're the head of the Fal'Cie, what could possibly be higher?"
Dysley laughed again, coughing up blood. "We are all just lowly servants..."
"Fuck this..." Lightning muttered to herself and shot him in the chest a few times, taking her helpless anger out on him.
"Fang... Lightning... He wasn't kidding..." Vanille's shaking voice called down the phone. The two women spared a glance at each other as the countdown timer didn't cease. Fang let out a shuddering breath and pressed her forehead against the pinkette. The elevator was out, and it was too late to run down fifty flights of stairs. They'd never make it out in time.
"Tell the others to get clear of the building. Hey, 'Nille, whatever happens, I'm proud of ya. Always have been. Love you kiddo. Make sure you tell Serah that Lightning feels the same way."
"DON'T YOU EVEN FUCKING DARE-" Fang hung up the phone on the redhead before she could finish her sentence. She threw the phone over her shoulder and looked out the window to the skyline with a slow sigh.
"It isn't right to let her hear it... When it ends. We had a good run though, right Sunshine?"
Lightning couldn't respond, the lump in her throat too large to speak. Fang reached for the pinkette as the final minute started its doom-ridden countdown to the finish. She brushed the pale hair out of the beautiful face she'd grown to love so deeply, the cerulean gaze looking back at her filled with volumes of emotion.
"I love you, Light. In this life and the next." She croaked, pulling close and feeling her partner for the last time. She wiped a tear away from the scar on Lightning's face and gently kissed her forehead. "I'm really, really glad you beat the shit out of that Paddra bitch."
"Fang... I..." Lightning trailed off as both their heads turned to the timer as it hit zero. The first of the explosions could be heard from the ground floor, making the whole building shudder. The pinkette bit back a sob and pressed in close. "I love you too."
At least the last thing she would feel would be Fang's embrace.
The window closest to them suddenly blew out, glass tinkering across the office floor. A helicopter came into view with the door swung wide open. Paine was hanging out the side, strapped onto the railing as she lowered the shotgun she used to blow out the window.
"Come on!" Gadot yelled from inside, waving at them to get a move on. Adrenaline suddenly filled their veins and the two took off like a shot, bolting for the opening. Fang and Lightning leapt, just as the explosions reached their floor, blowing them into the air from the force. The helicopter wavered, with Vanille struggling to keep it steady at the helm.
Gadot and Paine both reached out and caught the pair's outstretched arms, holding on for dear life. They were strapped into the safety harnesses that kept them balanced but that didn't stop either of them from feeling uneasy from the height of hanging out of a helicopter. Once Vanille could be certain they had a firm grip she moved quickly away from the fireball barrelling from the elevator shaft in the building.
Fang's grip was loosening from her arm injury, and Rikku came over to help pull them up before she slipped, grunting at the strain. All of them collapsed onto the deck, Lightning landing on top of Paine and Fang on Gadot respectfully. The pinkette ducked her head in apology and rolled off onto the floor. She barely had time to catch her breath before Fang was on top of her once again, pulling her up by the shirt collar and kissing her roughly. "Fuck composure..." Fang growled, ignoring the coughs from the others around her. The pinkette's arms immediately swung around her neck and she returned the intensity, needing her more than she needed air at that moment.
"You want to at least wait until we land?" Vanille called out from the cockpit, shaking her head as the others laughed. The two finally broke away, breathing heavily and smiling.
"If you even mention Lady Luck I'm going to punch you, Fang." Lightning warned, her tone however jovial despite the threat.
"Lady Luck?" Fang asked with a hitch of an eyebrow, "Hell no, that was all on Lady 'Nille and her superb rescue. And the rest of these jokers too, I guess."
"Up yours, boss. Next time you're flying from a building I'll make sure I miss." Paine drawled with a roll of her eyes as she climbed back up into the seat. Lightning stood once Fang had gotten off her, and held onto the railing by the door as she watched the building fall.
"Nobody in the vicinity, Amodar and Rygdea evaced the whole area, if anyone was left it was the Fal'Cie who were attempting to make a last stand. We managed to grab Dysley's escape plan here with the helicopter and came and got you." Gadot offered, assuming her line of thought.
Lightning hummed in acknowledgement, shielding her eyes from further explosions as the structure collapsed. Vanille left it a few more minutes before finally steering the helicopter away from the scene and back towards the Warrens. Explosions sounded in the distance where the other bombs were detonating deep inside the HQ. Rikku pressed close to Paine with a sad expression, watching the smoke start to rise from their home in the distance.
"Hey, Fang? Come here a sec." Vanille yelled over the sound of the blades. The brunette popped her head into the cockpit, to find a flight manual hurled at her face. "Don't you EVER. EVER. Do that to me. AGAIN. You hear me Bahan? Main aapaka naash kar doonga!"
Lightning's eyebrows rose at the foreign words while Fang rubbed at her head where the book had struck. "Alright alright, you made your point... Fuck's sake..."
"Didn't even know there was a traditional language in Oerba..." Lightning said quietly as she strapped herself into the seat. The brunette shrugged and sat next to her with a mischievous smirk.
"Everyone speaks Nova Chrysalian these days, but the old tongue still holds its uses. Want me to teach you all the dirty words?" she purred, holding onto Lightning's slightly shaking hand.
The pinkette rolled her eyes and leant against her partner, resting her head on her shoulder. "So, Rival gangs taken out, Psicom dismantled, Fal'Cie destroyed, the city partially blown up. What's next for us?"
Fang huffed in amusement and fiddled with Lightning's fingers. "Sunshine, the sky is the limit." She said with a chuckle, planting a kiss against the pale head resting on her shoulder. "Any thoughts?"
Lightning was silent for a moment, before prefacing her words with a dismissive shrug. "Dunno, maybe a holiday, road trip, thought we could get married..."
"Ha, yeah sounds good."
The others stared at Fang with raised eyebrows, Paine wearing a smirk on her face, clearly enjoying the show. Vanille squealed from the pilot's seat, drawing her older sister's attention. Fang frowned and thought back over the words. She suddenly sat bolt upright, knocking Lightning off her shoulder in the process.
"Wait. Did you just propose to me? On a helicopter. Escaping a building. That literally blew up?" she asked, not believing she'd heard correctly at all.
"Pretty much."