Erick's 'two weeks' deployment to Fort Condor had already turned into a month-and-a-half venture. Snooping reports from his partner's desks, Dante had managed to discover that multiple Wutaian forces were found in coalition with the Fort Condor rebels, and that the SOLDIER and military units sent had not been nearly enough. PHS reception was terrible around the area, and communications were severely restricted, so Dante received only a few text messages a week. Things like 'everything's OK', ´'unharmed, take care' and 'food sucks, love U' were basically all that Erick managed to write, as longer texts would never leave his own device.
So far, there had not been reports of SOLDIER casualties. It was, however, a different story for infantrymen: several dozen men had been reported KIA and frequently, injured members were sent back to Midgar for medical treatment more complex than it was possible to administer at the front. Although infantry platoons had been on rotation, SOLDIER operatives had remained stationed there. Since Heidegger was holding back all direct information, still sore that the soap affair had been solved, it was the Turks duty to compile any new information for Veld whenever a fresh group of troopers was sent to Midgar. On one such occasion, Dante spotted a 3rd Class SOLDIER at the back of the infirmary. He made an inconspicuous gesture to the Turk to approach.
"Heard you have problems with Avalanche," the SOLDIER said nonchalantly.
"More or less," Dante said. It was not entirely false. Random radio signal hijackings and occasional pamphlets dropping from buildings in commercial plazas had put the Turks on high alert over the terrorist group's recent increase in activity.
"That sucks," the SOLDIER said with a sigh. "Hope you can deal with them." That said, the SOLDIER turned his head away from Dante, not before pointing to a folded piece of paper left on the border of the mattress. Erick's handwriting could be seen on the side. Dante pocketed it quickly and regrouped with Alvis, who was done interviewing one of the infantrymen sent back.
Later, Dante had locked himself in a toilet and frantically opened the tiny paper:
Hi
Sorry I've been out of touch. Genesis insist we remain here until every last Wutaian force is eliminated. Since I'm one of the few 2nd Class SOLDIERs I have no choice but to remain here. He has even rejected having Sephiroth or Angeal take over him!
Every day is a struggle here. The Fort is a complete, well, fortress, and every night they rebuild whatever damage is done over the day. It may be a while before we break through. Wutaian soldiers are something else. They are vicious attackers!
Sorry I couldn't be with you. I hope we can return soon.
Love
Erick
Dante sighed. It was more than he had received in the past weeks and still, not enough. He couldn't complain, either, as it was far more than any other infantrymen's families were getting. After scanning the contents for any other information and finding none, the Turk ripped the letter to shreds and flushed it immediately. Better not hold to any evidence of off-channel communications of military information. Alvis and Dante walked back to the office to report Tseng any relevant updates.
"No! No! NO!" Freyra chastised someone as soon as they entered. "You have to double-check the handgun's chamber is empty!" She yelled while pointing at her partners' hands systematically with a thick metal ruler.
"But there are no bullets in this thing!" Chuck said.
"They aren't even real guns!" Elena went on, pointing to the orange tip of the training handguns.
"I don't care! The reason you train with a training gun is to make sure you don't screw up when you are using the real thing!" Freyra said before promptly slapping Chuck's hand with her ruler.
"Ouch! What was that for!?"
"Never put your hand on the trigger unless you intend to shoot! Now, disassemble and reassemble the handgun again!" Freyra ordered as she clicked a stopwatch on.
Dante was walking past the lesson to meet the chief when Tseng walked out of the frosted glass door and scanned the office.
"Where's Cissnei?"
"Probably out there invading someone's privacy," Elena said, trying to take the slider out of her partially disassembled handgun.
"Well, when she gets here, tell her this mission has been approved and that she's in charge," Tseng said, waving a folder and leaving it on Cissnei's desk.
"Chief! Wait! When can I get another mission?" Chuck asked enthusiastically. A few days outside the military academy had brought his bubbly personality up again, and now that he was in his suit (and that his eyebrow was growing back) he had effectively made himself at home.
"Again. When you finish basic training," Tseng said after a long breath at the recurring question.
"Chuck! Pay attention! You are leaving a pin out!" Freyra scolded.
"Done!" Elena said, leaving her training gun on the desk.
"Wrong again!" Freyra said, pointing at an unassembled spring left on the table.
Dante and Alvis went on to report the recent findings. As they walked out, they found Cissnei reading her mission dossier.
"Good! You are here!" She said as soon as they walked out. "We have a mission, Dante." Cissnei announced unceremoniously.
"We do?" Dante asked.
"Yup! Well, I have a mission, but also get to choose who comes along, and I think you and Chuck will do perfectly!"
"Hell no! Lip-gloss here has not completed basic training!" Freyra interfered.
"It was only once! And they made me do it!" Chuck groaned.
"Potato, potato. You are to stay here until you do this right; or at least better than Elena," Freyra pointed at her partner just as the magazine slid out of her misassembled gun.
"I guess we can't take Elena either," Dante said.
"No you can't!" Tseng yelled from within his office, no doubt overhearing them.
"Say, Freyra. Are you free tomorrow ni-?"
"Count me out! That's my night off!" Freyra said.
"Ugh! Fine, we need a couple more people to do this right!" Cissnei told Dante, putting the dossier on the desk behind her.
"…and I'm telling ya: if it weren't 'cuz of the hacksaw I keep under the sink, she would've stayed handcuffed to the bed 'till next morning, yo!" Reno finished as he walked in with Ruluf.
"Damn! That would've'een an'awkward locksmith call! Hey, Al! Be a good rookie 'n' bring'us some coffee!" Ruluf said while seating and leaning back on his chair.
"'lena, you're up-uh-oh never mind, I'll go…" Alvis said before dashing out, as Freyra pointed her scholarly punishment ruler at the interruption.
"How about Ruluf?" Dante asked Cissnei.
"Hmm. I don't think he'll do."
"Balto?" Dante said, pointing at their partner.
"No can do," he answered mechanically, without even looking up from his report.
"OK. What about Reno?"
"Too sarcastic. You need people that can play crazy convincingly!" Tseng yelled again from his office.
"True that," Cissnei commented.
"Did someone asked for crazy?" Emma said, her unnoticed head popping from behind the monitors of Rufu's surveillance station.
"Shit! How long have you been there?" Dante exclaimed, startled.
"Just long enough! And count me in! This mission looks fun!" Emma said, reading the dossier unknowingly left in front of her. "But you know what would be funnier? Taking Judet along!"
"Wha-are you crazy!? She would never agree to a mission like that!"
"Speaking of, just what is the mission?" Dante asked.
"Spying on the Silver Elite fan club," Cissnei said.
"The crazy Sephiroth fans? What for?"
"Apparently the leader is gathering too much of a following."
"Is that bad? I mean, they basically do more propaganda for SOLDIER than PR."
"Oh no. She means a cult-like following," Emma said, passing a page of the dossier. "Huh. Charging sign-up money, selling unlicensed items, purchases of biotechnical equipment? Just what is this woman doing? This is definitely fishy."
"I've been trying to get close to her, but she only meets members in high standing within the innermost circle of the club. After weeks of working on her, she agreed to meet under the condition I bring new members that pay their sign-up fee. I need two of you to pose as new members and Dante, you have a special role in this!"
"Oh no." Dante said, knowing that this was bound to be another overly complicated scheme.
"So you have to convincingly pose as Sephiroth fans in front of crazy people that know everything there is to know about the man?" Balto scoffed. "Again, what part of sucking up to those nutcases while pretending you are as derailed as them will not end up in hilarity should you take Judet along with you?"
"I know, right!" Emma said.
"Cissnei's right guys. Judet would never be able to infiltrate like-No! No! NO! You're doing it wrong again!" Freyra said. "Just! Ugh! Let's take a break!" She walked out of the office, leaving Elena and Chuck to sulk in their gun-neophyte ways.
Just as Freyra walked out, Judet and Rude walked in, each carrying a metal briefcase. Maybe because she was unusually perceptive that day, or because someone looked at her too long, Judet immediately began scanning everyone's faces before finally asking: "what are you up to?"
"What? Nothing!" Emma said nervously, avoiding eye contact by watching Rude take both briefcases to Tseng's office.
"We were discussing if you'd be able to perform properly in a mission," Balto said smugly.
"What!? Of course I would!"
"Told you she'd say that, but anyways," Emma said with an all-too-practiced shrug.
Through the corner of his eye, Dante noticed Cissnei's dismayed expression at the trap being lay in front of Judet.
"What makes you think I would not be able to do my job!?" Judet practically yelled, her pride hurt.
"What we meant," Cissnei began, "is that maybe you don't have an important skillset required to-"
"I have all necessary skillsets, thank you very much! I'll be in that mission! Even if I have to ask Tseng for it!"
"She's in, Cissnei!" Tseng yelled from within his office.
Dante could notice the very subtle changes of expression occurring in Balto's face, who was obviously suppressing laughter.
Needless to say, Judet was clearly not happy about the mission, but the woman was not about to admit it or that she would have a hard time pulling that act.
Cissnei gave them an extensive file on information publicly available about Sephiroth, and an even larger file on information gathered via illicit means by the fanclub. If they were to pose as fans, they needed to be able to tell everything. And by everything Cissnei meant…
"Just what is this rubbish!?" Judet asked. "How many times does he brush his hair at night? Favorite shampoo brand? Shoe size? Some of this is wrong, Cissnei. Look: weapon size…" She said, pointing at a line in one page, "…they recorded it in inches instead of feet!"
"Oh Judet… They don't mean the sword."
"Then what do they-oooh!" Emma said, catching on the fact that the measurement was listed between his hip and thigh circumferences.
"I need you two to memorize this by heart. This is what we'll do: Judet, Emma and I will meet at the club house, meet the leader and convince her to let me into the inner circle by giving a special item as offering."
"And what is that special item?" Judet asked.
From within a drawer of her desk, Cissnei pulled a sealed plastic bag with a towel inside. "This was taken from the simulation room showers," she began.
"Ew! Gross… What about it?" Emma asked.
"It was used by Sephiroth. As evidence of that, look here…"
Cissnei put a magnifying glass in front of the white towel, revealing that tangled in the towel's plush fabric there was a single, long silver filament.
"A… Hair?" Judet asked.
"Indeed it is! An item so far unheard of!"
"OK. I get it," Emma began, "but how are you gonna convince them it is legit?"
"I'm not. He is."
"Wait, what?" Dante said.
"You are gonna pose as a SOLDIER member with enough clearance as to have entered the simulation room showers and walked away with the towel. So far, I've reported I have a contact that brings me the stuff I sell at the fan club store. In addition to the towel, the final leverage I'll have is that my contact is real and that he will continue to provide good items for everyone to lust onto."
"Sounds complicated enough to work!" Emma said.
"That does not…" Judet began.
"To the disguise closet!" The blond interrupted.
After picking a pair of home-wifely attires for Cissnei and Emma (Judet refused to wear a skirt) and a SOLDIER 2nd uniform, Cissnei recalled a crucial detail:
"Shoot, I forgot! Dante, you do know how to ride a motorbike, right?"
"Um. Nope."
"Huh. Well, today is your lucky day! My plan is to take the leader to a nearby park, for you to meet us there and deliver the item so that she sees you in SOLDIER gear."
"Yeah, I understand that part. But how do you suppose I'll learn how to ride a bike in one day!?
"Again, twist the throttle slightly while simultaneously letting go of the clutch handle-"
The bike stuttered and shut down.
"-slowly!" Alvis said.
In a sudden reversal of roles, the rookie was instructing Dante on how to ride. Much to everyone's dismay, it turned out Dante was notoriously fidgety when it came to vehicles, and the finesse he had developed for weapon handling seemed to have gone overboard as soon as he sat himself on the oversized SOLDIER-issue bike. Fortunately, Alvis' past as a car parts thief turned to be really helpful.
"Crap!" Dante exclaimed. As if following a flowchart, he meticulously engaged the clutch, moved to neutral and pressed the Start switch.
"Again. You don't need to be on neutral to turn the bike on. Just remember to hold down the clutch while doing so."
The lesson continued for hours. At some point they stopped for lunch and a cup of coffee before returning to the underground parking lot and continue practicing under the mocking eyes of the infantrymen manning the area. Finally, and with only a couple hours of practice driving on actual traffic, Alvis decide that Dante had mastered the basics.
They met with the rest of the team in the office for gear-up and a last minute rundown on the plan. As Dante changed his clothes in the disguise closet, Cissnei began checking boxes through the door.
"...you need to be at the park after ASAP after I confirm the leader and I will be there. By then, we should've convinced the leader to let me in the inner circle so that I can continue the infiltration. All you have to do is play your part convincingly."
"Wasn't it much easier to have an actual SOLDIER deliver the… Thing?" Judet asked.
"Heidegger would never allow that. And we would risk Sephiroth finding out we've been swiping his stuff."
"We?" Dante said from inside the closet.
"I recall you helping me once," Cissnei said smugly. "Are you done?"
Dante opened the door.
"Wow, look at you!" Emma said, "if it were not 'cuz your ass faints when exposed to mako, you would've probably made a decent SOLDIER."
Dante felt his ears burn again. He had long moved past his rejection, but after all the time he had spent at Shinra, and after interacting for so long with Erick, he couldn't help feeling odd at wearing the uniform.
Later that night, Dante awaited at a deserted street not too far from the rendezvous point. Although he was waiting for official confirmation of Cissnei to move, he could hear everything his partners were speaking, thanks to an elaborate setup of radio signals designed for Shinra communication and concealed earpieces not unlike the ones used during his first field assignment.
"Everyone ready? Let's begin!" Cissnei's voice said through the earpiece.
"Judet, walk with more grace! You look too tomboyish to be a Sephiroth fan!" Emma said.
"Pfft. She's too tomboyish to be fan of any man at all!"
"Wha-? Who said that!?" Judet asked.
"Balto? Is that you?" Dante said to the microphone concealed in the SOLDIER helmet.
"Who else? Someone has to operate the recording devices and provide support."
"Just what we needed! Stupid voices to-" static flooded Dante's earpiece.
"Hello? Do you copy?"
Static… "… … …fternoon! Now, let's listen to our new top single: The 'Midgar Blues', only at Midgar Radio, 77.7 FM…"
"Wha-?" Dante said, clicking on his earpiece's reset button.
"Oh Midgar, Midgar, city that's always on my..." static. "...te? Dante! Do you copy?" Balto's voice returned.
"Yeah, I copy. My radio picked up another frequency for a moment."
"Huh, strange."
"Dante's back? Good, now shut up everyone. We are almost at the club house." Judet said.
Through the earpiece, Dante could make out they were climbing stairs. Then, a code-knock at a door.
"Please, identify yourselves." An unknown woman said in a soft voice.
"I go by the name of 'CakeLover35' in the forums. We are here to meet forum member 'If_Thou', our beloved leader." Cissnei said.
"Beloved leader?" Dante said to himself. That sounded a bit too cultsy.
"Your reputation as provider of relics precedes you, sister of the silver. But your friends must answer a question to prove they truly know all there is to know about the Silver General (praise unto him)"
"Most naturally," Emma said with absolute conviction, "false followers and posers may endanger the integrity of this most wholesome group." Nobody could deny Emma could play crazy fan perfectly.
"Dude, what the hell?" Balto said
"Um. Yes! I-I'll prove my vast knowledge of the one and only. Sephiroth. And his… Pectorals." Judet said in a voice that attempted to sound lustful.
Balto began laughing out loud in the microphone. "Oh, man! This is gold!"
"Tell me sisters. What is our General's favorite flavor?"
"Vanilla. In ice cream, if possible," Emma said.
"And you, sister. What is his current push-up record?"
"Oh! That is easy! For his… Vitality and resistance are legendary among mortals! His current record is…" While Judet stalled, everyone could hear Balto shuffling papers.
"269," he said.
"…269!" Judet finally said.
"Truly, women of culture. Please enter, so that we can discuss his exploits further," the woman at the entrance said.
Dante heard them walk into some building and walk through at least two rooms, until finally…
"Madam Hitomi, your guests have arrived," the usher-turned guard said.
"Oh good! You are here! My heart is filled with joy that I may finally meet you in person, CakeLover35," Hitomi, the leader, said. Her voice had an annoying, high-pitched ring to it, to the point it almost sounded like a man in falsetto.
"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. And please, you may call me Claire. These are the newest members I bring, Serah and Oerba," Cissnei said.
They spent the following half an hour speaking of Sephiroth's many exploits. Dante and Balto listened how Cissnei masterfully directed the conversation away from Emma and Judet, who could not be expected to know all the things the average member knew by heart. Finally, after much dilly dallying, Hitomi spoke:
"How wondrous it is to have a cultured talk about my beloved Silver General (praise be unto him). Now, to other matters, it is my understanding that you have come into possession of a new relic. Something you said would shake the foundations of the club to its very core."
"That is correct. My source should deliver it promptly. This is why I insisted we met today," Cissnei said.
"Oh please, Claire. Do tell what it is! The suspense is killing me!" Emma said with a perfect shade of urgency in her voice.
"A towel… With a hair of the Silver General himself (praise be unto him)."
While Emma and Judet made surprised noises, Hitomi gasped dramatically. "Such a bold claim! If it is indeed true, we may finally have a biological sample of the General Himself!"
"Dude, biological sample?" Balto said.
"Will you join us to collect such a relic?" Cissnei said alluringly.
"Y-you mean it will be brought here?"
"All I need to do is confirm and my contact will drop it at the park."
"Do so. My newest friend," she said.
"That's your cue, Dante," Balto said.
"Roger that."
Dante ignited the bike and began to drive to the rendezvous point while listening to the still ongoing conversation. Suddenly, as Dante approached the park, a new moment of static interrupted:
"…the lady has left the premises with the guests… llow from a safe dis… …tect… at all costs…"
"..py that… If they try an… … … I'll elim… em…"
"What the fuck!" Dante exclaimed.
Static, then, another music radio station:
"…met, we laughed, we held on fast
And then we said goodbye…"
"No!" Lowering his speed, the Turk let go of the clutch to click the reset button again.
Static "…may know the answers,
Though one question I still…"
"Damnit! Stupid Shinra radio!" Click again.
"素敵だね
二人手をとり歩けたなら…"
"What the hell is even that!?" Dante turned off his earpiece.
Now they were in a bind. Whoever was speaking before all those cheesy songs interrupted had the drop on his partners, and now he had no way of warning them.
Dante approached the rendezvous looking around the park, there were at least six tall buildings, the perfect spot for a sniper to camp on. Near one corner, he could see his partners and who could only be assumed to be Hitomi. As he slowed to a stop he could take a better look at the woman: she seemed to have walked out of a dollhouse, her sepia-colored eye-shadow was almost invisible behind a pair of thick, cat-eyed glasses. Most notable was her choice of wardrobe: a frill-overloaded dress with puffy shoulders with a lace-decorated corset that ended in a loose turtleneck. Dante stopped staring and cleared his throat.
"'s up?" He told Cissnei. After all, they were supposed to be in regular contact.
"You tell me, I thought you wouldn't contact me again," she said with a sly smile. One that said 'coded talk'.
"Well, you know me, always getting my numbers mixed up. But as usual, I come back with something to drop. No matter from how far away."
For less than a second, Dante saw Judet and Emma's reaction change subtly, catching onto the warning. The blonde crossed her arms, no doubt reaching for a handgun concealed under her jacket. "Hurry up, you two! It's chilly out here!" She said.
"Was it dangerous? Getting this one?" Cissnei asked.
"Only if you get caught!" Dante chuckled. "As long as nobody sees me doing something fishy, I should be fine!"
"I can always count on you."
Dante popped open a small compartment under the seat of the bike and pulled the plastic bag from there. Hitomi walked eagerly towards them.
"So, it is true!" she said, looking longingly at the item. "You do a most beautiful service to us all young man."
"Well, SOLDIER pay is not what they make it out to be. Speaking of 'pay'…" Dante looked at Cissnei.
"Of course," Cissnei said and slowly produced a thick wad of Gil from her pocket. "Remember. Some things pay better than others."
"I'll be on the lookout," Dante said after toying with the money for a bit, as if to count it by simply feeling it.
"Oh, do so, please!" Hitomi said, and reached for Dante's face: She caressed the nape of his neck and whispered: "promise you'll help us! I'm sure many of us are more than willing to do anything for more relics to collect."
"Like sniping people? You wacko…" Dante thought. Something pulled at the hair on his back.
"Opps! Sorry! My ring got tangled! Tehehe," Hitomi said coyly, showing each of her fingers had a clunky, baroque ring that very well looked that it could snag onto air.
"Well, gotta run before the brass wonders where I'm at. Pleasure doing business with y'all." Dante clicked the engine on and rode away. He stopped three blocks away, removed the helmet and began fumbling with his earpiece, trying to get it to reconnect. When that failed, he reached for his pocket, finding it empty save for the money.
"Great! Just my luck!" He had left his PHS in the pocket of his pants back at the office.
"Hey. Who the fuck are you!?" Someone said behind Dante.
Two SOLDIER seconds were looking at him. Then and there Dante realized the precarious situation: and unknown man in SOLDIER uniform, with a SOLDIER-issue bike, with a large sum of cash, trying to contact an unknown party through a hi-tech radio.
"At ease. I'm with the Department of Administrative Research," Dante said, showing his hands in a surrendering gesture.
"The what?" One SOLDIER asked.
"The Turks, dammit!"
"Yeah, like we gonna believe that shit!"
"Hey, this bike was marked as stolen earlier today!" The other SOLDIER said, checking the license plate on his PHS. "That's it! You are coming back with us for some questioning!"
"No! Look, here's my-!" His ID holder was on his suit jacket. "Fuck…"
It was way past midnight when the SOLDIERs interrogating him finally decided to ask Veld if Dante was indeed who he claimed to be. By then, Cissnei and the others had returned and were looking in city security cameras for any possible route he may had taken on his way back.
"Where the hell have you been!" Judet yelled as soon as he entered with Veld and Tseng.
"Got arrested for riding around in stolen Shinra property with a bunch of counterfeit Gil."
"Wha-? Stolen?" Freyra asked.
"Um… Heidegger wouldn't allow us to take the bike, so…" Cissnei said apologetically.
"Never mind that!" Dante began sharing the weird conversation he had overheard in the radio. It was the proof they needed to mark the fan club and their leader as a threat. Cissnei was placed in full surveillance of the group, to fully infiltrate and finding what on Gaia was Hitomi planning.
It was almost three in the morning when everyone was dismissed. Unfortunately, the list of items Dante left inside the disguise closet extended further: it now included the key to his apartment and the key card of the disguise closet itself.
Effectively left out until he could ask for a spare, and half-asleep, Dante resorted to lock-picking his way into his own apartment. Just when the lock clicked open, it dawned on Dante that Cissnei, just a few doors down his, had a copy of his key. Groaning at the wasted minutes, he pushed the door open before being tackled from behind and pinned down.
"Who the hell are you!? What are you doing here!?"
"Wha-? I live here-Erick!?"
"Dante!? Oh shit! I'm sorry!" He got off his back and helped him stand up. "Sorry! Sorry! I saw a SOLDIER sneaking in here and-what are you wearing?"
"Um… It was for a mission," Dante said, blushing.
"Huh… It really suits you. But enough chitchat!" He crushed Dante in one of his trademarked mako-enhanced hugs. "I missed you so much."
"Me too… Huh... I can feel you are quite happy to see me," Dante said with a sly smile.
"What? Oh no. This is a present I brought you!" Erick put his hand into his pants and fumbled on the hardness there… And pulled out a combat knife.
"Huh…"
"Dissapointed?"
"Not quite what I had in mind…" Dante said truthfully. It was a Wutaian combat knife, made of a beautiful back steel, with an artistically leather-wrapped handle. The sheath came with a curious clip to help carry it concealed at one's back. It even had a materia slot in it.
"It was from a Wutaian commander," Erick said. Figured you may find more use for it. "Being stealthy and all that Turk stuff."
Dante smiled. "Thank you." He hugged his boyfriend back. They both stood there for a minute or two, enjoying the first moment they had for themselves in a long time.
"Hey… When do you have to return that uniform?" Erick asked slovenly.
"Ngg…"
Dante awoke later that morning.
"…No…"
Dante turned to see Erick talking in his sleep. Through the faint morning light entering his window, he could see the SOLDIER was covered in sweat.
"…Get out of there…" He shook violently on the bed.
"Erick, wake up…" Dante started shaking his shoulder slightly.
"NO!"
"Erick!"
He opened his eyes: his iris glowing violently of mako, pupils small as pinpricks. Erick jumped onto Dante and pushed him onto the bed.
"Calm down! Calm down!" He yelled.
"What? Erick! Wake up!" Dante began fumbling.
"Don't move! Hold the pressure while the healer comes!" He was pressing a fumble of sheets on a non-existent wound on Dante's chest.
"Hey! Hey! Snap out of it!"
"Don't you give up on me dammit!" His voice cracked and slowly, came to himself. He looked around Dante's room, piecing together where he was. Finally, while taking slow breaths, he looked at his boyfriend.
"… S-sorry… I think I had a nightmare," he said with a pained chuckle.
"Hey, hey. Easy. You are with me now," Dante said. He slowly caressed Erick's cold cheek, seeing the mako glow of his eyes dim to its usual level.
Ending a chapter on a dark note, huh?
Sorry I've been absent!
So yeah… This chapter is here to set-up things that will happen further down the line… But fear not! Soon we'll have another crazy-ass mission! Soon… I hope xD
Thanks to all the readers that made it this far into this story and to those that have been PM me and commenting!
Your reviews, opinions and comments are important, so let me know!
See ya!