Okay, so the Muse is trying to motivate herself and is currently experimenting with shorter, more action-packed chapters at the moment. With any luck that will motivate me to actually update the fic on a semi-regular basis and allow for you readers to be at least somewhat entertained in a timely manner. Give the poor Muse some slack, she's been horribly busy lately and that combined with being unmotivated, well you know the drill. Hopefully this little experimental length thing doesn't take away from the fic. Enjoy this rather short chapter none-the-less folks.

Chapter Twenty Six - Battle of Wills

It is one thing to say you intend on using a five year old child to blackmail a terrorist organization into doing what you want. It is a complete other thing to actually go through with it in a successful manner.

Such is the problem Tseng encountered the moment he and Reeve stepped through the door minutes ago.

Like a good watchdog, I choose to watch from my vantage point by the table as he regards Elmyra with a subtle look caught somewhere between confusion and utter loathing. I can only imagine the sort of relationship those two have had over the years, as she is regarding him with equal distaste, if not outright fear. No doubt she knows what he is capable of when he comes to retrieve a piece of property for the higher ups.

"Mrs. Gainsborough," he acknowledges her presence in a forced hint of politeness. Yeah. Even the most temperate watchdogs pretend to be nice before they strike.

"Tseng." She steps in front of the semi-awake child who regards him through sleepy eyes, no doubt puzzled by his presence. "What do you want with her."

"It is a business matter that is none of your concern."

Elmyra backs away, still keeping that motherly protectiveness about her as she guides Marlene off of the couch and farther away from the man. "What have you done to Aerith."

"Again, I cannot tell you that. Now. The child is needed at Shinra Headquarters."

Marlene, somewhat more awake by the raised voices, cowers behind Elmyra, regarding Tseng with the timidness of a small mouse caught by a tom cat.

"You're a bad man. You took the Flower Lady!" she squeaks in a small whisper of uncertainty. Elmyra trembles in fear as Tseng takes a step closer.

"Do not make me have to do this the hard way." There is the brief motion of him reaching for his weapon. Shinra Headquarters…The watchdog and mutt in me both reach a joint conclusion.

I grab the pistol off of the table and raise it level with his chest, placing myself between the pair of hostages and the man who will no doubt kill one to get the other. "I can't let you do that."

Reeve stares in horror at the turn of events, neither of us budging from our spot. Elmyra grabs Marlene and draws her out of firing range. It's not as though she has a lot of room to work with. In less than two seconds, Tseng could shoot both her and the girl.

I hold the pistol level with my former boss, finger on the trigger. "You hurt her and I swear to god I'll shoot."

He allows a hint of a smirk at the words, slightly more intimidating than I recall him ever being. "Your confidence far outweighs your common sense."

"Yeah, maybe so, but I'm not exactly on your side anymore, remember?" The terrorist in me bids me to fire that fatal shot and end this stalemate for good. The Turk in me prevents me from pulling the trigger. It's become a battle of wills, with both sides locked in their own stalemate. If I fire this weapon, he'll take me down with him. It is a losing battle no matter which side fires first.

"You're interfering with an important operation."

"I don't see it that way." And I don't. The only operation I'm interfering with is this madness of a wild goose chase that has caught Shinra at the most inconvenient of times. Tseng knows it. I know it. Hell, even though they have no clue what is going on, Elmyra and Marlene have to have some semblance of an idea that something is amiss.

I have a bad feeling about this keystone Shinra seeks.

"You're too stubborn for your own good." A slight flinch of his wrist makes something deep inside me snap. Covering the space between us in less time than it takes for the echo of the pistol being discharged to register in my mind, I drive my elbow against his sternum harder than I anticipate and catch his dominate firing arm against mine. The bullet buries into the wall in a shower of splinters. Elmyra screams as Tseng collapses to the ground as I swing my leg around and catch him behind the knee.

Pistol trained upon him, I kick his weapon out of range, adrenaline taking over at the realization of what I have done. More importantly, I'm not terribly certain just how I managed it without getting shot.

Reeve rushes to Marlene and Elmyra's sides, taking up a protective stance with his own pistol drawn upon the two of us. With his aim he won't fire. I know that for a fact. His hands are shaking too much.

Tseng regards me with a look I've rarely, if ever, seen him use. It is a look of subtle respect, no doubt the fact that he's at a clear disadvantage now in my favor. I managed to merely wind him, but that's nothing compared to the wound I've inflicted to his pride. Neither Jessie nor Cissnei are in the mood to put up with this today and he knows that I am not above pulling this trigger, no matter how much respect I have for the man.

"You've improved."

"I didn't live this long by not adapting to the situation." Against my better judgment, I step out of range, allowing him to retrieve his weapon. "You'll get your damn keystone."

He places the pistol back in its holster, a tense, albeit terrifying reality of how close I came to being killed written on the faces of the three who witnessed the exchange.

"Very well. I'll hold you to your word. But Cissnei-" He gestures to Reeve and the door, a silent beckon of retreat and almost casually regards me with that sense of irritated malice that reminds me of where I rank in this whole operation. "If by chance that keystone is not in my hands before tomorrow evening, you can expect a friendly visit from Scarlet and her men. You already know your odds against them."

I lower the weapon as the door closes, not even daring to meet the eyes of the pair of hostages who have seen what I really am. It is my job to protect them. I intend to do so no matter how much my own life is placed on the line. Shinra will get their keystone. I'll see to it.