Beta: Arlene :D

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Wonderland Fallout

Reno's POV

The flight to Coast Del Sol was boring and uneventful, though my mind was racing with possibilities both good and bad, mostly bad. What if Tseng had been badly hurt in the explosion? Was he in critical condition? Were we too late? I shook the negative thoughts from my head and glanced over at Rude. He kept his gaze straightforward and hadn't said a word the entire trip. We were close to where the explosion had taken place and as I could see the remnants of the ship even this far out. Burned pieces of metal settled above the water's surface, scattered about like a jigsaw puzzle. One piece there, another over there…would they match up?

Suddenly the damage was revealed to us without warning and a shocked sigh ensued. I was under the perception that the ship was completely destroyed, but remarkably the boat was still partially afloat. Huge parts had been blown off and it more so resembled Swiss cheese, rather than a cruise ship. But somehow it had not sunk…yet. It was definitely sinking, about half the mass of the ship was underwater. I inwardly cringed at the thought of the ship being full when it had exploded.

The rescue teams of Costa del Sol were already on the scene along with the SOLDIER's the mayor had requested; their red rescue boats surrounded the area. I had a mind to land, but I wasn't so sure the fallen ship would hold the helicopter's weight.

"Hey Rude?" I said to my partner and co-pilot. "You think we could land on the deck?"

"I don't think that would be wise." he advised. I scowled at my dilemma and adjusted my headsets.

"What should we do? Just head to Costa?" I asked.

"If Tseng had been on that boat, there's a possibility he could have been moved to the hospitals by the rescue team." He stated, obviously disregarding the other alternative; that he was either dead or hadn't been there in the first place. I wished for the latter.

"Fine." I said, before veering off in the direction of the city.

An hour later, we were greeted by the view of lavish beach houses lined up along the coast line. In the background, large hotels and tourist hotspots stood tall, symbols of the cities' wealth and purpose. But despite the city's reputation as a tourist hotspot, it was also very successful due to its close connection with Shinra. This city allowed for a reactor to be built and received compensation annually. The reactor had been built on the outskirts of town, lest it be an eyesore in the beautiful city.

I visited this city quite often, so I knew where just about everything was. The largest hospital was in the center of the city, but I had to find a place to land. Currently, the beaches were empty and sealed off with yellow police tape so I decided to land there. I knew it was risky to set on soft, uneven earth, but I really didn't have much of a choice. Most of the designated helicopter zones were taken. Plus, I had to be wary of the Turks already here. They were supposed to bring us in and I didn't want to get caught by landing in the obvious helicopter zones.

To my surprise, I landed without difficulty from the shifting sand. I was pretty sure no one would try to steal a helicopter with the Shinra logo on it, so I wasn't too worried about it. I exited and stretched my cramped arms and legs. We had made good time; it was only four o' clock when we arrived.

"Okay Rude, let's go to the hospital." I said, eager to continue my search, but Rude grabbed my suit jacket, halting me.

"Yo! What's up with you, man?" I snapped.

"Just…be cautious Reno and wary of your surroundings." He said, sounding like an old Buddhist monk chastising me. I ripped away from him and adjusted my suit.

"I ain't no rookie! I know what to do, shit!" I snapped.

He shook his head, but proceeded along with me. After we left the beach, we hailed a cab and were soon on our way to the hospital, but traffic was hectic and it would take a while to get there. I sighed in frustration but realized that there wasn't anything I could do about the delay. Bored and extremely disliking silence, I decided to chat it up with my partner.

"Eh Rude, you think Cissnei would really turn us in?" I asked slightly uneasy. He shrugged his shoulders, attention elsewhere as he glanced out the window.

"I think Gun would definitely turn us in, huh?" I said humorously. "Fuck that we've known each other since the Academy, she'd turn us in regardless." Of course I was just joking. Gun was a very strict on Turk principals, but she did have a heart. She'd probably just turn us in with only one broken arm instead of two.

Rude once again nodded in a robotic fashion and I groaned in annoyance. "Come on Rude, at least humor me."

"What Reno?" he responded.

"You seem out of it." I commented.

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Just a little tired I suppose."

Hell, I was probably just as tired, but my desire to see Tseng overcame my physical needs. I could feel the tension in my joints and I'm sure I looked like shit, but I couldn't rest just yet. For some unexplained reason, I felt that time was limited, like if we didn't keep on the move we'd somehow lose him. Call it Turk intuition, but I felt like time wasn't on our side.

"I'm sorry, Bro. Ya think ya can bare with it for a bit longer?" I asked concerned.

"Of course." He said matter-of- fact. I patted him on his shoulder before relaxing back into my seat.

We made it to St. Jermaine's hospital soon enough and paid the cabbie. I stretched out my arms and viewed the building with definite approval of the architecture. Even though it was a hospital, it more so resembled a resort instead of the typical hospital. We entered and headed right for the front desk. The receptionist immediately recognized us and a wide smile of familiarity grace her thin lips.

"Well hello again, Reno, Rude." She said politely. "It's nice to see you guys actually walk in here without injury to your person."

I leaned casually over her desk. "So…I heard ya'll holdin' a lot of ship explosion victims here, eh?"

"Indeed. We're just about booked full and our intensive care ward is packed solid." She said, slight grimace in her tone.

"I see. Um…"I trailed off in thought momentarily before speaking again. "Ya think we could have a look around. We're here to ask the victims some questions in light of our investigation."

A strange look crossed her soft features and her head cocked to the side, perplexed. "I know, aren't you here with the other Turks?"

I swore and tossed a glance at Rude over my shoulder. The corners of his mouth quirked up briefly, obviously this was news to him as well.

"They're here? Like, right the fuck now?" I asked, making a poor effort of keeping my concerns hidden.

"Yes. That's why you're here right?"

"Ah…yeah." I said, chewing my bottom lip. Damn Turks, I thought.

"You want me to call them down or…"

"No!" I snapped out, causing her to draw back. "Actually, we'll go up to meet them, yea."

"Alright then." She said wary, but buzzed us in anyway.

"Thanks Diana." I said, whilst Rude nodded to her. After we entered, I sighed and pressed my back to the wall. We were in quite the predicament now. If we were spotted by the other Turks, they could turn us in, which meant our search for Tseng would be on hold indefinitely. I wondered just how long the Turks had been here and how many people they'd spoken to. If they'd been here long enough, then surely they would have come across Tseng if he were in the hospital, right? I didn't have my phone so I couldn't call them and get updated.

A thought popped in my head and I stood up and started to run down the hall. Rude followed, but at a much slower pace. He was quite used to my spontaneous ways and my sudden outburst seemed like an everyday occurrence. After going down several halls, I finally found what I was looking for. A standard phone was mounted on the wall and I yanked it off the hook and placed it against my ear in anxiousness. Quickly, I rummaged through my pockets, hoping to find some loose change. I pulled out a few coins and slipped them into the slot until I heard the dial tone.

I dialed the number I had committed to memory and took a deep breath. It wasn't out of nervousness, only that I was moving so fast I need to take a breath. I could see Rude leaning against the wall further down the hall, most likely on the lookout for some other Turk. The phone began to ring and the other picked up on the third ring.

"Yes." The other said, slightly cautious of my unknown call.

"Hey yo, Rufus. It's me." I said, a grin crept onto my face though the other couldn't see it.

He released a relieved sigh, as if expecting me or someone else. "Reno…" he paused for a moment before speaking again. "Where are you?" he asked.

"Ain't you in prison or sumthin?" I teased. He laughed briefly in amusement.

"If you mean sitting on my couch in my nice spacious living room, then yes. I'm on house arrest."

"I see. Well I'm sure you know of our situation right?"

"Of course renegade." He said amused. "But why are you calling me? You need something?"

"Some info yea. Can ya tell me anything that's been happening with the Turks?"

"Sure. As you know my father divided the Turks on the account of two separate tasks. One group is in Costa, where Gun is leading the investigation of the ship explosion. The other, led by Cissnei, is investigating the bombing of the bridge and the case of the missing bomb. So far, Group one has discovered that the ship seemed to be doubling as an upscale brothel and stolen goods transport. They found bits and pieces of Shinra made explosives washed up on the beach."

I listened carefully, taking in all he said. "What about the investigation Cissnei's leading?"

"They've been able to trace the hacker to someone within Shinra compounds, but that's all." He said evenly.

"Mm…someone in the building huh? Well…"

The familiar sound of a female voice echoed down the hall and my eyes widened in alarm. Rude reached me just as Gun turned the corner, Two Guns right beside her. I hung up the phone unceremoniously and entered into the nearest bathroom, Rude close behind me. Quickly, I entered a stall and Rude the next one over. The bathroom door opened and I could hear the person's shoes echo across the tiled floor. I breathed low, lest they hear me. Peeking out of a slit on the side of the door, I saw a flicker of blond hair and knew we were in deep shit if we got caught. Now I really had to be cautious. Gun was very observant, noticing the slightest shift in the air.

She turned on the water and I let out a soft sigh, letting the noise drown it out. I bit my lip, waiting anxiously as she washed her hands; at least I assumed that's what she was doing. The water ran for more than a minute and I suddenly realized that something was off. No one washed their hands for over a minute of two, which was more than excessive. I peered out the slit again and noticed she was gone, but the water was running. Tricky bitch, I swore under my breath and tapped at the stall next to me.

He tapped back and I whispered as low as I could, "let's get the fuck out of here." He tapped in consensus and we both exited our stalls. The water was still running and I did a quick survey of my surroundings. No Gun in sight.

"She must have left to get the others." Rude said.

"We can't leave out the way we came." I added. "The window?" I pointed to the glass with my thumb and Rude nodded. We rushed over and pushed the window up. Rude slipped out first, and I got out just as the door to the bathroom slapped open.

"Go, Go!" I yelled at my partner.

"Stop Reno!" Gun ordered, as the Turks rushed in behind her.

I hopped down and broke out into an all out run. Rude was a few feet in front of me, and I followed him. Behind us, the Turks were jumping from the window and running after us, guns aimed. I sped up and caught up with Rude.

"Where we gonna go?" I yelled out through breaths.

He didn't respond and kept running. I assumed that meant he had someplace in mind and continued at his direction. The road was getting closer and it was then that Rude pulled out his weapon, a semi-automatic pistol. He shot at a car passing by, taking great care to aim high above the drivers head. The car came to a halt and we took action. He yanked the man from his care and I opened the passenger side.

"Sorry about this." My partner muttered apologetically to the frightened man before entering. The Turks had gained up on us and were firing at the car. I ducked low and Rude slammed on the gas. The vehicle went into motion and I looked back at the Turks dissipating in the back ground. Guns fierce blue eyes had been locked onto our stolen vehicle, no doubt memorizing the license plate number. Looks like we couldn't keep this one too long.

"Man that bitch is psycho. I love her though." I said through a sly grin. "Ya know she's the one helped refine my shot."

"We need to figure out what to do next." He said in a sharp tone, obviously not wanting to fuck around.

"Well, we can't go back to the hospital, but I doubt he's there anyway. They would have found him by now…and he's a pretty recognizable person, the staff would have known immediately it was him, right?" I said seeking reassurance.

Rude nodded his head. "We've dealt with the Mayor and people of this city for so long, I'm sure they would have recognized him."

"Damn it." I bit out. It seemed like we were back to square one again. Fuck! I hated this! I hated being so close yet again only to fall back even harder than before. I laced my finger through my red spikes and clenched tight. My heart felt heavy in my chest, like a weight slowly sinking into the pit of my gut. As we rode on heading to god knows where, I honestly felt like shedding a tear. Time. That's all I kept thinking about. I still couldn't shake the feeling that we didn't have much time but I had no idea where to start looking for him. He could be anywhere, and this time I had no leads.

I'm sorry Tseng…I'm so sorry. I kept repeating in my head over and over again until my whole being felt dull and tired. We were driving past the beach as the sun was setting. Hues of orange, purple, gold and pink meshed together to form Sunset, yet I could not even appreciate this. All colors looked bleak and gray, as well as the outcome of this mission.

"Let's go home, Rude." I finally said. He nodded his head and switched to the exit lane. I couldn't see his expression but his lips quirked down momentarily in disappointment.

I failed you…I'm sorry. It was taking everything in my power to hold back the tears that burned in the corner of my eyes threatening to fall. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Was this how it ended? Was our mission really over? I thought so, though I really didn't want to believe it. The thought of looking for Faire again was a thought, but that would take time and he could be halfway across the world for all we knew. We'd reached a dead end and it seemed like it was for real this time. I wouldn't know where to pick up or where to start.

I opened my eyes and saw we were close to where we had landed our helicopter. He parked in a nearby parking lot and we both exited in silence, failure looming over us like thunder clouds. We crossed the vast expanse of sand in the direction we landed. It was only until we reached the ocean that we realized that we'd past the spot where our damn ride should have been. I glanced at Rude and we both knew immediately that the Turks had confiscated our helicopter. I didn't see any of them around the beach and assumed that they had taken it earlier. Now we were stuck here, which was most likely their plan in the first place. Rude adjusted his shades and stared at the falling sun, as the last tidbits of light submerged. I sat on the soft sandy beach and looked up at the darkening sky.

I still love you. I mouthed soundlessly, hoping that wherever he was, he had somehow heard me. It was silent around us, save for the calming sounds of the ocean. I don't know how long we were there; it seemed like time stood still whilst I stared out into the watery distance. I rose up and started to walk along the coastline, the active water nicked at my shoes. Rude walked beside me, the light of the moon illuminated his shades, while shadowing the contours of his face.

We walked in silence for quite some time, nearly an hour. The landscape of the beach had changed drastically. Jagged rocks protruded from the ocean and the sand. It was very secluded, most of the rocks formed small cliffs that one would be inclined to jump off if there weren't dangerous points jutting out from the ocean. The dark waters seemed roughed over here as well, slamming into the rocks with mighty force.

As we walked, I noticed an odd black mass of something lying a distance away. Curiosity peaked; I walked over to examine what it was. It was dark, but the moon's bright glow aided my sight enough that I could make it out to be an inflatable boat turned upside down. I tossed a look Rude, wondering if I should mess with it. He shrugged his shoulders and I took it as he didn't care. I hit it and my hand bounced off it. Feeling as if I needed a little pick-me-up, I stepped on it and jumped up. I didn't go as high as I thought but it was still a good distance. I used it as a makeshift trampoline and jumped up and down on it. It brought back memories of my Shinra Academy days when Rude and I would sneak out after curfew to jump on the trampolines in the training room. In class, we used them to simulate the jumping ability of a mako enhanced SOLDIER and had to practice jumping and landing. Of course after Rude and I were scouted for Turks, we didn't use that Training room anymore, but every now and then we'd miss the activity and go fool around with it.

I jumped toward the center of the upturned boat and smiled at Rude as I did. "Come on Rude, its fun! Just like old times!" I yelled. He allowed a brief smile at the thought but shook his head in decline. I frowned but continued on without him. When I jumped directly onto the center, I was greatly surprised to feel my feet connect with something solid, followed by a pained wail. Immediately I halted and scurried off of it.

"Whoa." I said lowly. "Did ya heard that Rude?"

He nodded and moved closer to the inflatable lifeboat. He kicked it, prodding. I scratched my head and then crouched down. I gripped the side and very cautiously, lifted it up. It was then that I saw the limp form of a human body. Quickly, with the aid of Rude, we managed to lift the boat off and shove it to the side. The moonlight bathed light on the unknown person, their pale face gleamed. I move closer and knelt down next to them. I pressed my finger to the side of their neck and felt a normal pulse underneath my fingertips.

"I think they may have been a passenger on the ship." I concluded. Rude nodded and stood over the person's form. He peered down for a bit, and then cocked his head to the side...inquiring. Whipping off his shades, he placed them into his suit jacket before kneeling down. Seeming anxious, he carefully lifted up the person's head and pushed their hair to the side. He stared at the person, eyes scanning over their features.

"Um…Rude?" I asked…peering at him strangely. "What'ca doing, man?"

He ignored me and kept looking at the other's face. His eyes then lifted and he stared down, examining the rest of the body. After a few moments, he sighed and placed the stranger's head back on the sand.

"What's up?" I asked curiously.

He sighed once more and shook his head. "It's not him." He said lowly.

"Dude, what the hell you talkin' bout?" I snapped, annoyed by his vagueness.

"Look at his face." he said sharply, countering my own sharp tone. I rolled my eyes and we switched places so I could get a go look at his face. I nearly gasped when I thought it was Tseng, but then I looked more closely and realized he really didn't look like him at all. The face was young like Tseng's, but just a little bit too young. The boy, which I assumed he was, was very lengthy and gangly, in contrast to Tseng's smaller stature. His hair was shorter, but that really didn't matter, anyone could cut their hair. But another diminishing feature was that they boy seemed to be full Wutaiian, unlike Tseng who resembled both races of his parents.

"Well…it ain't him, but what'ca think we should…"

I was cut off by the sound of the boy groaning. We both stared down at him wary, hands on our weapons by instinct. With gritted teeth and a hiss, he slowly opened his eyes. He stared at us blankly, as if trying to figure out who we were.

"Armand?" the boy whispered out. I exchanged confused looks with Rude before addressing the young one.

"Um…I'm Reno…and this is Rude. You alright, kid?"

He sat up slowly, eyes peering around at his surroundings. I noticed his clothes consisted of very little, but not scandalously so. He was wearing a hospital gown that clung to his damn skin. His long pale fingers laced into his shoulder length dark locks and he took a deep breath. He then turned his attentions to us, his eyes cautious of our beings. When he didn't speak, I took it upon myself to entice him to talk.

"What's yer name?" I asked, taking off my suit jacket and draping it over his shivering form.

He nodded in thanks and pulled the jacket closer, seeking its warmth. "Jiao." He said so low I barely heard him.

"What?" I asked again.

"My name is Jiao." He repeated.

"Oh…okay, um…?" I glanced over at Rude hoping he'd know what to do. He shrugged his shoulders and cleared his throat.

"Are you hurt?" he asked evenly. "Do you feel any pain?"

"No." he said lowly, before he lowered his head. The boy didn't speak after that, just stared down at the sandy ground as if in a trance. I scratched my head and stood up, Rude following my actions. We walked a little bit a ways away from the boy so he couldn't hear us.

"What's up with that kid, man?" I asked, looking back over my shoulder at his slumped form.

"Well he might have just nearly lost his life not so long ago, and you and I both know the effect a near death experience can have on one." He said compassionately.

"Yeah I know, but I don't think that's the problem. I mean, I know when I have a close call, I'm just happy to be alive the next second, ya know. This kid ain't got no relief, and he seems almost sad." I looked back at Jiao, and saw his cheeks were glistening in the moonlight.

"Ya see?" I said to Rude, proving a point.

He sighed and scratched his chin thought. "Fine then, go talk to him. See what's wrong with him."

I nodded and made my way back over to the silently crying boy. I sat down next to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. My touch seemed to snap him out of his trance, though he didn't look at me. He drew up the borrowed jacket up on his shoulders, eyes down cast and full of grief. Had he lost someone? Suddenly he sneezed and used the sleeve of my jacket to wipe the excess. I bit my lip to stifle the urge to say "Just go ahead and keep the damn thing."

Instead, I went with, "Ya wanna tell me what happened?"

He wiped his tear stained cheek and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to stifle his tears, but all that did was clean the canvas for more paint. The silent tears still fell and he couldn't seem to stop, not that I wanted him to. Sometimes a good cry could help sate the soul…temporarily at least.

"I…lost my friends." He said as more tears fell across his wet cheeks.

"Your friends? Were they on the ship when it exploded?" I asked him.

He nodded and then shook his head. His contradictory answer threw me for a loop but then he look up at me to explain further.

"My friend and I were on the lifeboat when the ship went up in flames. Our other companion was still on board and the explosion had rocked us a bit. My friend in the life boat with me revved up the engine and then we were going at top speed away from the burning mass. But then he said, "I won't be gone for long" before he dived into the waters and headed back to the burning ship. I didn't know what to do. Part of me was glad he was going back to try and save the man who had saved me so many times before and I thought of going with him, but then the cowardice side of me held me at bay. I feel as if it's all may fault. And now I don't even know if they're alive or…"

He cut off and turned away from me. His accounts were very peculiar but believable. The boy had no reason to lie to me so I thought him truthful. I placed my arm around him in comfort and pulled him closer.

"Listen kid, Ima tell ya something I've learned from experience." I said with a grin. He looked up at me with curious eyes.

"A man like your friend is the type that doesn't die easily and he knows it. Unlucky guys wouldn't have even taken the risk to go back but your man knows his capabilities. He's alright."I said assuredly.

He smiled with his eyes before his lips formed into a joyous crescent. "You really think they're alive?" he asked.

I nodded my head and smiled at him. "Yup, I'm so sure. And if I'm lying, then let me be struck by Shiva's Ice!" I stood up boldly, crossing my arms and puffing out my chest. Rude shook his head at my actions, but otherwise grinned. The boy then let out a soft laugh and my job here was done. I sat back down and ruffled his hair, soft and silky.

"Ya see, Reno Alexander ain't never been so sure in his life!" I said, and he laughed again. He honestly did have a beautiful smile, even in the moonlight.

Even though I was doing this to cheer him up, I was actually building up confidence for myself as well. I had all but given up but now, I thought there was still a possibility he was alive, maybe not well, but alive yes. Tseng was one of the luckiest guy's I ever knew. He's had so many close calls in his life I thought he'd made a deal with the devil, hence the black dot on his forehead. If I could believe Jiao's friend was alive, then so was Tseng. Feeling better than I had all day, I smiled wide and gave Rude a thumbs up. He shook his head but smiled in silent consensus.

"So kid, where you live at?" I asked, hoping maybe we'd be able to pay for his fare home.

"Um…" I could barely see it, but I thought he was blushing. "I…lived on the ship, but my real home is in Wutaii."

I scratched my head at that, thinking. Lived on the ship? Oh! I just remember that it was a whorehouse. I looked at the furiously blushing kid and it all came together quite quickly.

"I see. So you wanna go home to Wutaii ? Rude and I could pay yer fare." I asked. Jiao looked up and shook his head furiously.

"NO!" he yelled loudly, startling me slightly. "I have to stay here in case my friends come back!"

"Okay, okay…easy man. I was just askin'."

His blush deepened out of embarrassment and he looked away. Rude, who had been and earshot away, walked over toward us and sat down next to me. The three of us then sat there on the beach, looking forward at the dark water.

"Um…Reno?" Jiao said.

"Yeah?" I answered, glancing over at his form in the dark, though the whites of his eyes shone through framing the dark iris, bright with intent. He chewed his bottom lip, and fidgeted with his hands in obvious anxiety.

"I...could you…um, well." Jiao mumbled out, fumbling for words. This went on for a few moments and I stared at him as he fumbled for what he wanted to say. The display was kind of cute for the first minute, but I lost patience soon enough. I knew some people were not divinely blessed with charisma like Tseng or Rufus, but everyone should know that no one likes a ring-a-round conversation and this kid was going nowhere fast.

"Kid…what the hell you tryin' to tell me?" I asked, using the last tidbits of my patience to keep my voice level. I wasn't angry with him; I just wish he'd get to the point already.

"Well…I was just wondering…I mean, I know we just met and all and…" he ranted on, fidgeting with his hands more excessively now.

"Damn it, man! Just say it!" I said, slightly annoyed but more humored at the moment. I turned to Rude sitting next to me and leaned over until I was uncomfortably close. He had this whole "Personal space bubble" thing he'd always go on about, but he should know that "personal space" didn't exist in my presence. He shifted uncomfortably and adjusted his shades out of habit whenever someone was in close proximity.

"Eh, Rude."I whispered lowly. "I think this kid's trying to tell me something, but SHIT!" I exclaimed in surprise as Jiao made like a cat and attached himself to my shirt without warning. His forehead pressed against my back as he held me in his grip.

"What in the hell?"

"Please Reno! You have to help me find them! I'm all alone and I can't do it by myself! Please help me!" He tightened his grip on my collared shirt and added pressure on my back with his forehead in his passion.

"They could be dead and…and…I'm just sitting here..."He trailed off into what I assumed was his native tongue. The kid was going onto hysterics so I stood up abruptly, Jiao going up as well due to his iron grip. I turned around rapidly, breaking his hold. He let out a startled yelp when I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. On a side thought, I thought about when my mother would let me hold the little un's when they were babies and she'd say, "Never shake a baby dear or you're shake its brain lose." I felt like I was shaking Jiao with that much force, though I'm sure he wasn't in any immediate danger, but it did silence him.

"Jiao calm down man, shit! I got you, alright. I'll help you find ya crew. Just...calm down alright?"

"Okay. But. Can. You. Stop. Shaking. Me. now?" he said as his head flung back and forth. I released him quickly, and adjusted my top that had become rumpled. He pulled my borrowed blazer up on his shoulders and looked down with embarrassment. I cleared my throat and stood up straight. Rude rose up slowly and stood crossed armed behind me.

"We-" I gestured to myself and Rude. "Will help ya find your buddies if you help us find ours...yeah? Deal?" I asked, my voice dropping an octave lower, surprised that I could sound this calm and well...professional. I was kinda creepin' myself out a little! It seemed to do the trick though, and Jiao visibly relaxed, giving me a nod.

"Yes." He said gratefully, and then added with a faint smile. "Thank you."

I looked out toward the dark ocean with the reflection of the moonlight painted on its dark canvas and nodded, quite pleased with myself. "Well, then, let's get to it yeah?"