A/N: Thanks for all of your support and reviews. I may not be able to respond much, but I do read your reviews. I truly appreciate them and they keep me going. Really, thanks. Enjoy the new chapter and review please :)
Revised: February 2015
Lightning took a deep cleansing breath. It had been an hour since they'd been given the news and they were now at the hospital on their way to see Maqui. It was just her, Rygdea and Sazh. Amodar and Nivien had left, to the lieutenant's immense displeasure and disapproval, to deal with their remaining soldiers until they could figure out their next move.
The hospital was the last place Lightning wanted to be. She hadn't been inside one since the passing of her mother. The familiarity of the luminescent lighting, the unpleasant fragrance of ammonia and bodily fluids, and the air of the sick and dying all hit her, strangling her with the repressed memories of the countless days and nights of lying beside her ailing parent. For months the young Farron sisters had spent every bit of their spare time in the hospital. On most days, they would just be a presence in their mother's quiet room. Lightning would usually sit in a chair doing her homework while listening to the machines helping their mother live and the muffled crying of Serah. It was a rare occasion when their mother would be awake and an even rarer occasion for her to be lucid enough to recognize her daughters.
One night, while Serah slept in a corner of the dark room, their mom awoke to find her hand held tightly by the elder Farron sister. For a moment, Lightning smiled, thinking that maybe her mother would be herself again and give her that long awaited hug. Only to have that thought shattered as her mother quickly drew her hand back in fear of the young girl beside her, the woman completely unaware of who she was. Within the last few months before her death, the teenager grew to despise and revile her mother. She'd even gone so far as to wish for her mom's death, wanting to end all of the pain and sorrow of that terrible year. Almost immediately she'd taken it back, completely shocked at her own horrible thoughts.
She never forgot that wish. As her sister was clutching desperately onto her side, their mother drawing her last breath and the doctors failing to revive her, it was at the forefront of her thoughts. As she stood in front of the grave, the mahogany casket slowly sinking into the ground, it was the only thing she could think about. And as she sat outside of child services, holding her sister's hand tightly in hers, the wish consumed her.
For Lightning, the hospital was not only a reminder of the fragility of life, but a place that reverted her back into her fifteen-year-old self that so selfishly wanted her mother's demise. It brought back the guilt that she shut off long ago when she chose to become a soldier and forget her past. In fact, it was that guilt that had led the young Claire Farron to become Lightning.
The hurricane of emotions about her mother swirled with those of Hope and threatened to drown the soldier. The grief, guilt, fear and anger all bombarded her, leaving a heavy weight on her heart. She couldn't let it continue. If she wished to go forward, she needed to steel away those thoughts and feelings. It took a few minutes, but by the time they neared the young mechanic's room, she was her usual stoic soldier self.
As they approached the hospital room, they saw Yuj and Lebreau sitting on the ground beside the door. Yuj's face was covered by his hands as he sat with his knees to his chest. Lebreau sat beside him, cross legged with a grim and sympathetic look on her face as her hand rubbed Yuj's shoulder. At the sight of the three approaching, Lebreau stood, hope filling her eyes.
"Have you guys-", Lebreau and Rygdea started simultaneously. Looking away for a brief moment with tears filling the brims of her eyelids, Lebreau continued. "Have you guys found anything?"
Yuj's head popped up at the question, his hands sliding off of his face. There was a serious dullness to the man's expression that didn't belong there. Sazh and Lightning stood with their eyes to the ground as Rygdea stepped forward.
The calvary leader shook his head slowly. "Not yet." Lebreau whimpered as she bit her lip. She tried to calm herself while Rygdea put a hand on her shoulder. "How's Maqui?"
"It's..." The brunet sighed before clearing her throat and giving him a look of determination. "He'll be alright. He's... unconscious right now. He has some nasty bruises and cuts and his shoulder was dislocated. The worst is a few of his ribs are bruised, but-"
"Other than that he's just peachy", yelled Yuj. He stood and looked to those in front of him. He couldn't take it anymore. He didn't know what was happening. He didn't know why it was happening and why it had to involve his friends. He was tired of losing people. The NORA gang had always been his only family. He couldn't stand it if he lost any more of them. "So, Lightning gets attacked and Hope goes missing. Then Olly, Gadot and some soldiers get taken. And now Maqui gets beaten to-to... What next? What do these people want?"
Lightning's eyebrows rose. She had known that Olly had been on Maqui's search team, but Gadot as well? Now she understood the serious gloom that had overtaken the usually peppy two.
Lebreau walked over to Yuj. She tried to pull on his arm, but he shrugged her off. "I mean is this all really just about Hope? They already have him. What does this have to do with-" Yuj stopped short, slamming his back into the wall as he slid down into a squat.
Rygdea stepped toward Yuj, but Lebreau held up a hand, signaling him to stop. He put his hands on his hips instead. "I know this isn't easy, but we need to stay calm and rational." He gave a subtle glance in Lightning's direction. Over the course of the past hour, Rygdea had been briefed on a summary of their mission, along with Lightning's actions and outburst. It thoroughly stunned him. He had been ready to send her home, but decided it was better to keep her close. Who knew what she could do when left on her own? "Yes, this is about Hope. I guess we mighta spooked 'em on our search because the purpose of their attack was to get us to stop looking for him."
Lebreau leaned against the wall on the other side of Yuj, closest to Maqui's door. "Why did they have to take them? And w-why beat up Maqui?"
"They took them as leverage against us and beat up Maqui to show us they mean business." Rygdea sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "If we don't stop the search... Gadot and Olly... as well as the rest of the soldiers... will be killed."
Lebreau gasped, her hand instantly covering her mouth as her light brown eyes widened in horror.
Yuj tensed as his hands turned into fists. "But why all this for Hope? Why do they want him anyway? And why are they willing to go through all this trouble to keep him?"
Just hearing his name was making Lightning's heart hurt. She backed away a few steps until Sazh rested his hand on her shoulder. Steeling her expression before turning back to the group, she nodded to the pilot that she was alright.
Rygdea was about to speak when a nurse came out of Maqui's room. "He's awake." That was all she said before leaving and walking down the hall.
Yuj jumped up and ran inside, quickly followed by Lebreau. The rest of them followed soon after. Maqui laid in the hospital bed, many wires and tubes stuck into his arms, looking like he'd been dragged out of hell. The young man's eyes widened with joy and a hint of guilt at the sight of his friends. Lebreau and Yuj jumped on him, hugging him the first chance they got, both on opposite sides of the bed.
"Okay, guys", spoke Maqui, muffled by Lebreau's shoulder. "I'm okay. Jeez, it's not like I died or anything." He laughed a bit before wincing. The two quickly let him go in fear that they may have harmed their best friend.
"We're just glad you're okay, Maq." Lebreau smiled as she hugged him again and Yuj punched him ever-so-gently on the arm.
"Yeah, don't worry us like that, dude." The blue-haired man's smile was strained, but gentle. He wasn't going to take his frustration out on Maqui.
"Alright", the mechanic replied, chuckling. Glancing up at the others in the room, Maqui's face turned serious. "Are they really gone? I didn't just imagine it, right? If I could only be so lucky."
Sazh sat down in a nearby chair, knowing that he had nothing to really contribute in this conversation. He was just glad that the kid was alright. These attacks were getting messy enough.
Lightning smiled inwardly at the sight before her. She didn't want anyone else getting caught up in this mess. She knew this was about Hope. She knew that the moment the man had called her Guardian and asked her if she had what she needed. If this was all truly about Hope, then Maqui, Gadot, Olly and those soldiers all didn't need to be hurt as well. She was glad that the young mechanic was alright, but she was anxious to get answers from him. Wanting nothing more than to find Hope, she listened intently to the conversation while leaning on a wall beside Sazh.
"No, sorry to say ya didn't imagine it. What do you remember", Rygdea calmly asked.
Lebreau stepped forward hesitantly before the blond could speak. "Can't this wait? I mean, Maqui just woke up."
"Unfortunately, no. We need all the information we can get. If we can't find all of the search team soon... we'll have no choice but to stop the search all together and give in to their demands."
Those words cut into Lightning like a knife. She put her whole being into the search for Hope, and it only just started. Her only goal now in life was to save him. They couldn't give up. I'll die first. Despite the storm inside of her, she kept quiet, praying to the goddess that it wouldn't be the case.
Sazh noticed the slight shift in the soldier's stance. Knowing he was going to have to keep an eye on her until they found Hope, he let his head fall back to the wall behind him.
"It's okay, guys, really." Maqui sat up some as he tried to reassure his friends. "I want to do what I can to help find everyone."
Lebreau and Yuj reluctantly backed off and took the seats beside Sazh as Rygdea came over to Maqui's side. The elder man sat on the edge of the bed by his feet. "Okay, why don't you just tell us what you remember."
The young man brought his hand up to his head, digging his nails into his scalp as he focused. "Everything was going fine. We'd just finished searching the abandoned village of Nalquif when there was a large charge of electricity that seemed to surge throughout the ship. It fried all of the circuits and we could no longer control anything. We started to fall and fall and fall. I swear my stomach found a new home in my throat." Maqui's eyes widened at the memory and he felt queasy just thinking about it. He had trouble with normal turbulence when flying. That had been god awful. "Just as we were about to hit the ground, it was like an invisible hand caught us. The sudden stop jerked us all forward and most of us tumbled to the front."
"A few moments passed and just as we all thought it was safe to stand again, the ship smashed down into the ground. I fell forward against the wall and ended up getting knocked out. I came to not long after, though. Next thing I knew there was some gunshots and yelling before everyone seemed to freeze. My vision was incredibly blurry, mind you, so I rubbed my eyes, but... I was correct. Everyone was frozen like-like time had stopped."
Sazh furrowed his brow and sat forward. "Were you?"
He shook his head quickly before carrying on. "No, and I thought it was weird too. But I had fallen half into the weapon storage closet, so whoever... did it couldn't see me, I guess. Anyway, I heard the ship open up while everyone was frozen in place. It was like those guys were controlling the ship from the outside. Buttons and controls were moving by themselves." Maqui stopped to catch his breath, his words having been rushed out in his haste to explain. "Three big, and I mean big, guys came on the ship in these black cloaks. I didn't know what to do so I..." He drew in a deep breath. He didn't want to say it. "...I'm not proud of myself, guys. Not at all." Glancing at all of the eyes in the room, he clasped his hands together and rested them back on the bed. "I pushed myself back in the closet."
Hanging his head in shame, Maqui didn't wish to see all of their expressions. They now knew how he survived. He was a coward. "I couldn't see anything else from there, but I heard a man giving orders. Then there were a few loud thumps and grunts. Another guy called him something like Master Hidden or Hi... Hi... something. I couldn't get all of it. Then there was silence. It went on for minutes that felt like centuries. I thought it was over, but then a shadow came over the light on me and... there was a hooded man. He picked me up by my collar and dragged me out." Maqui was visibly shaking now and his eyes were shut.
Lebreau came up beside him and put an arm around his shoulders, gently so as to not touch any of his injuries. She hated having Maqui recall the events, but she understood the importance of his information and his determination to get it all out.
The blond took a shuddering breath before continuing. "He threw me onto the floor in the middle of the ship. Then a man came up before me. He had black hair tied up in a bun. There was... a scar on his face, under his left eye. I figured he was the leader since his cloak or hooded robe or whatever-it-was had been different. It was white. One of the giants went to... do something to me, but the guy stopped him. He said I could be of use. He knelt in front of me and smirked... he smirked!" Maqui was yelling furiously now. "He was the guy that had probably orchestrated everything... this whole mess and he was smirking. I was quaking in fear then, but..." He calmed a bit with another shaky exhalation. "Now I just wish I'd fought back. But that's not important", he spat. "He told me to remember what he was going to say to me. He said that he was taking my friends, but he swore he wouldn't harm them unless it came to it. That he just wanted us to stop looking because Hope was fine."
Lightning came off the wall and stood, tense as ever. Her ears perked as she impatiently waited for further information.
"...And everyone else will be as well, as long as we stop the search. If we don't, they'll deliver a body a day to us. If we continue even after they've... gone through what they have..." Maqui swallowed. "...Then they'll just get more. And he said that after that, he wouldn't be able to ensure H-Hope's safe return. That they... Maker, they..." Sniffing, he was unable to finish.
Lightning's eyes narrowed. She wanted to smack the little runt holding information, but she held herself back, unsure of how many more incidents she could get away with. So, she calmly, well, as calmly as she could manage, asked him, "They'll what?" All eyes went to her, but she didn't care. She wanted answers. Rygdea, in response, gave her a warning look.
Maqui, looking straight into her cerulean stare, responded. "They may have to keep a few pieces." He then squeezed his eyes shut and covered them. "Maker, how could this happen?"
Lightning felt her stomach plummet inside her. She then felt bile rise in her throat, but she tried to remain calm and hold it back. No. They can't do that to him. They can't. I'll kill them. I'll kill them all.
Sazh bent forward in his chair, his head in his hands. "That kid... Maker knows what they want with him if their willing to..."
Lebreau and Yuj exchanged worried glances, both having parallel thoughts. They couldn't believe it. In order to save Olly and Gadot, they'd have to give up looking for Hope, leaving him to be subjected to whatever horrors his captors were going to put him through.
Rygdea was shocked. He was speechless for one of the first times in his life. He was now completely unsure if this whole thing could have a good outcome or not. Please, Etro, let him be safe. Truly, Hope had become like a son in the man's eyes. Which to Rygdea was quite shocking considering he had sworn off having kids his whole life. But Hope had filled a void that he hadn't known even existed. A void that longed for a family. Even before the kid's father had passed, they had been close. Hope would always come to him or Sazh with the questions or concerns he was too embarrassed to talk about with his father. They would also talk and spar when his dad was too busy with all of the jobs his position bestowed upon him. Hell, he was the person who taught Hope how to use a gunblade. And after Bartholomew's death, they'd only gotten closer. He'd never want to replace Hope's father, not by any means, but it meant the world to him that he could be there for Hope when the kid needed it.
Maqui dropped his hands to his lap. "Then the man signaled the guys around me and they started hitting me. After the first couple of blows... I was out." He turned his head away from everyone, ashamed.
Rygdea stood. "You did the right thing, Maqui." The young mechanic's eyes shot toward him. "You survived. If you'd tried to fight... you probably wouldn't be with us now." The man squeezed Maqui's shoulder gently before thanking him and leaving the room. Lightning and Sazh followed while Lebreau and Yuj stayed with their injured companion.
Shutting the door behind him, Sazh turned to Rygdea. "What now?"
Before Rygdea could speak, Lightning cut him off. "Don't you dare say it." She glared at him, fists balled at her sides. She knew what he was going to say for she knew how they had to handle the situation. Really, they had no choice. They couldn't risk the lives of more soldiers and people for the life of one man. Even if said man was their leader. Lightning just couldn't and wouldn't accept it.
Rygdea heaved a heavy sigh, not wanting to hash it out with her, but finding it unavoidable. She wasn't going to like what he had to say. "We have to end-"
Lightning punched him square in the jaw. "I said don't", she practically pleaded.
Holding his jaw, he turned back toward her, glancing at Sazh, who just put his hands up, resigning himself from this battle. Having had little interaction with the woman, Rygdea hadn't expected her reaction. From the small time he'd known her as l'Cie, what he'd heard about her from Hope, Sazh and Amodar, and from what he'd been told about the mission, he really should have. But he hadn't, so it had taken him by surprise. "Lightning, please. I can't believe it either, but we have to."
Her shoulders tensed and she bit her lip. The man did seem to care a lot about Hope and his words were laden with regret. She could tell he wanted to find him almost as much as she did.
Before anymore words could be uttered, Lebreau quietly came out. "Maqui said he forgot something. He said... that the main leader guy, was definitely a l'Cie." She waited for a reaction to register on their faces before going on. "He said... his brand was on his neck, under his ear." She placed her hand on the spot of her neck that Maqui had shown her when explaining the brand. "He said it wasn't like the one Snow had shown us though. It was like... all white... he said." She quickly turned back into the room.
They stood silent for a moment before Rygdea cautiously spoke. "Wasn't Fang's-"
"Yeah", Sazh replied.
It was now around midnight as Sazh and Lightning walked back to their rooms. They had been told to go home and rest up. They were due at G.C. Headquarters in the morning to discuss the future of the search.
Lightning walked to her door and stopped, resting her forehead on the door frame for a moment, steadying her emotions.
Sazh looked toward her from halfway inside his own room. He knew the woman wasn't handling everything well. He wasn't even handling it well. His mind just kept thinking about Hope and whether or not the l'Cie group had been lying. Hope could already be dead for all they knew. And so could the missing group of soldiers. "You okay?"
She didn't answer and instead quickly unlocked her door. She froze just as she entered. The first thing to hit her line of sight was the couch. Almost immediately she turned, leaving the room and slamming the door shut behind her. She leaned her back against the door and closed her eyes.
Sazh was now quite confused. What is going on with this girl?
As soon as her eyes had locked onto the couch, her breathing stopped as her heart began beating rapidly. It was as if it had been the other night again when Hope had slept over. She saw him laying blissfully asleep on her couch. His breathing was slow and steady. His left hand rested just under his face, gloved fingers lost in his messy hair. His face was so peaceful. All of it played over in her vision in the span of a few seconds, before she couldn't bear to see it any longer. She had no choice but to leave her room.
Sazh waited for her to say something, to move, to breathe, anything. When he realized she actually wasn't breathing, he went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Jolting at the touch, she grabbed his hand and bent it painfully backwards. Just before he was about to cry out, she let go, realizing what happened. "Damn, Lightning. What the hell?"
Lightning turned away from him, arms crossed. "Sorry... reflex."
She said nothing more, causing the old man to sigh. "Alright, look, somethin' is obviously going on with you and..." He stopped, receiving a dangerous glare from the soldier. "... and I'm not going to make you tell me nothin' or anythin', but I think you should stay in my place. I'll take the couch and you can have the bed. I just don't think you should be-"
"I'll take the couch", the roseate replied as she turned and went into his room. She knew she couldn't face that memory again, so going back into her room wasn't an option. Although she didn't want to impose on Sazh, she figured it would just be one night. She'd get over it by tomorrow. Or she would force herself to.
Quickly following behind, he shut the door and locked it before getting out an extra pillow and blanket from the closet. He knew better than to argue with the woman. His old bones wouldn't have enjoyed the couch much anyhow.
Accepting the pillow and blanket while thanking Sazh, she set up the couch. She knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep, but she had to try. If she was going to be of any use for finding Hope, she needed to rest. Sazh went into his room after they exchanged their good nights. Lightning laid on the couch, body begging for sleep, but her mind wouldn't have it. All she wanted was to find Hope, bring him home and kill whoever these people were that had taken him away.
A few long drawn out hours later and Lightning was still awake. She now sat up on the edge of the couch, a cup of coffee nursed in her hands. All she could think about now was what the past day would have been like if Hope had been there. She wondered if they would have continued to get along. If they would have gotten through the stack of papers on his desk with the same amount of ease as before. If they would have gotten lunch from Jun and eaten it on the stone steps again. If they would have continued to learn more about each other.
She put her palm to her eye, rubbing it and stopping the never ending questions. It didn't matter what could have happened. All that mattered was what had happened. The fact was that Hope hadn't been there. All the 'what if's' in the world couldn't change that. She dropped her hand back to her lap as Sazh came out of his room.
"It's three o'clock in the mornin' girl. What are you doin' up?" His words were a tad slurred, having just awoken. He rubbed his hand on his cheek as he made his way to the small kitchen.
"I could ask you the same thing. I made some coffee. Hope you don't mind."
"Nah, that's great actually. I need it. Haven't slept a wink, really. I suppose same goes for you?" He grabbed a mug and poured the coffee in before dumping about a cup of sugar in it and making his way over to the couch.
Lightning moved her legs out of the way, giving him room to sit. After he made himself comfortable, she replied. "Yeah. I guess sleep's just going to have to wait." A few minutes passed as they let the quiet settle over them. "Can I ask you... a personal question, Sazh?"
The man furrowed his brow. The soldier wasn't usually the get-to-know-you type, but then again, without the constant battles and fighting for their lives, what else was there. Her presence was still completely new to him after two years of it just being him and Hope. "Not at all. Shoot... but I don't mean that literally, soldier", he added with a chuckle.
She gave him a half smile in return. "What was your wife like?"
Sazh's face turned serious. He set his cup down on the table beside him and shifted his body so that he was facing her. "Why do ya wanna know?"
Why indeed. There was really no point in knowing. Sazh's past was his past. But there was a small part of her that wanted to know a bit more of what made him the man he was. The same part that had sought out more information about Hope. He was a good friend. At least, that's what she thought. They'd been through enough together. "I guess... since we're already up and... I don't know much about you, Sazh. I guess I was just curious." She mimicked his actions and now sat straight up against the arm rest of the couch, looking into his eyes with a considerate gaze.
Unsure of how to continue the conversation, he put a hand to his chin. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about his wife. Quite the contrary, he loved talking about her. It brought him joy to share all of his fond memories of her with others. He'd told Hope many things about his wife. It was what happened after that gave him pause. When the fond, happy memories turned grim. "How about I tell you about her and then you answer a few questions of mine, a'ight? Sound good?"
Lightning's gaze darkened as she crossed her arms. She nodded her head after considering his proposal and waited for him to talk.
"Well, her name was Wilda. She had this gorgeous chocolate colored hair that cascaded in waves down her back. She had these stunning hazel eyes that were just... and her voice was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard. When she'd sing, all my troubles just weren't so troublin' anymore." Sazh's eyes glazed over with happiness as he stared off past Lightning. He was no longer in the room with her. He was far off, enjoying the remembrance of his wife. "She was one of the most kind and caring people you'd ever met. She taught tenth grade and you could just tell that she loved her job. I'd get up in the mornin' and be greeted with the most delicious smellin' food on the table accompanied by her smile. She was a terrible cook when I met her..." He laughed, still in his own world. "... but she got better as time passed. She even took cookin' classes because she wanted to make little ole me happy. And when we had Dajh... Goddess, she was such a wonderful mother." A small tear fell down his cheek as he came back into reality.
Lightning felt very uncomfortable and terrible for asking the question. She hadn't meant to make him upset. "I'm sorry, Sazh, I didn't mean to-"
"No, Lightning. It's quite alright. I love getting to share her memory with others. Especially with my new family."
Lightning looked up from her hands, shocked. It was true that she considered all of her l'Cie friends as family, but she didn't know that Sazh had felt the same way. She smiled slightly. The darkness and stillness of the room hung over their heads for a minute.
Sazh rubbed his cheek before smirking. "Alright, now it's my turn."
Lightning sat up straight turning her expression stoic, readying herself for whatever questions he was going to throw at her. She didn't like it in the least. Sharing things about herself wasn't something she did with many, or anyone at all. But it was only fair.
"What's with you and Hope? And I want honesty." He waved a finger at her as she frowned.
"What do you mean?" With Sazh's expression, she knew he wanted more. "I told him I'd protect him. I'm keeping my promise. Besides, he of all people doesn't deserve this, Sazh. You know that." Hoping that, that was enough, she brought her legs up onto the couch and sat cross legged, waiting for another question.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "I said honest."
She glanced in his direction before turning her head away, rolling her eyes. "I don't-"
"Enough bullshit, Lightning." Her attention snapped back toward him at his harsh tone. "I've never seen you so torn up, ever... except maybe about your sister. You lost it when you couldn't find him until you had to be sedated. And you took on an Adamantoise. An Adamantoise, Lightning! You were going after that thing by yourself. Not to mention your little tiffs with Nivien and Rygdea." She looked away until he grabbed her knee and shook it to get her to look at him. "It's obvious that the kid means somethin' to ya. This is about more than just a promise... Don't ya think?"
Unwilling to explore what Sazh was getting at, she stood. "I'm going to visit Serah. And then I... I'm gonna go for a run. I need to clear my head." Sazh didn't say another word as she left the small apartment.
She practically ran to the stasis room, not slowing down for a moment. She ended up brushing against and bumping into many late workers, but she didn't care. When she finally reached it, she rushed in, wasting no time to get to her sister's side. Falling to her knees, she placed her hand on its usual spot over Serah's hands.
Panting as she tried to regain control over the storm brewing within, the elder Farron shook her head. "I'm sorry I haven't been to see you in a while. It's been a hectic couple of days." Lightning stopped and sucked in a deep breath, trying to make up for those that she'd lost in her mad rush to get there. She didn't know why she thought seeing her sister would help. Maybe it was because her sister usually calmed her. Or maybe it was because Serah reminded her that she wasn't a complete failure.
'You did protect her. Serah is safe, crystallized but safe. Thanks to you, she will wake up to a new world that will welcome her, instead of threaten her.' Hope's words played in her mind. He'd had no idea how much those words had soothed her worry for her sister. But now, all those words did, was remind her of her failure with him. "I lost him, Serah. I can't believe-" Stopping, she let out a slow, hollow laugh. "You don't even know him, huh", asked Lightning, chuckling as she spoke. "You'd like him, though. He's just like you. Smart, kind, caring... gentle... a real pain in the ass when he wants to be... His name's Hope, by the way." She smiled. "You can tell that he hates his name, but it and he himself brought us hope throughout our journey. I don't think... I have to find him, Serah. I just have to."
She got up and lightly caressed Serah's crystallized cheek with her hand. She then left, continuing with her plan to go for a run. Her body was exhausted and pleading for rest, but she didn't listen to it. Her mind was a jumbled mess. The only way she knew to really clear it, was by running.
She stepped outside the Academy building, shivering at the cold early morning air. She reached behind her, looking for the comfort of her gunblade, but it wasn't there. She'd left it in Sazh's apartment in her haste to leave the conversation. She felt a tad weak and naked without it, but she shook those feelings away. She didn't need her gunblade to take on an enemy. Nothing would dare mess with her in her current state.
She ran for what felt like hours, over sidewalks, through parks, through construction sites, through open fields, but she stayed in Academia. She wasn't afraid to take on a monster, but she wasn't suicidal. Without her weapon, she could fare, but she wouldn't do half as well. The rush of the cool breeze flying over her skin did wonders for her rampaging thoughts. The air numbed her body and her mind. There was no telling how long she had been running for, but since the sky was becoming brighter and brighter, she figured it been at least a couple hours.
After she thought it had been long enough and her mind had been sufficiently cleared, she ran back for the Academy building. She kept up her pace, but as her eyes locked on the building, exhaustion crept back into her. Her legs felt like lead and her stomach muscles began to ache. As she hit the small forest behind the building, her body began to give. No, you're almost there. You can do this. You won't fail. Even as she gave herself those words of encouragement, she began to stumble. Her legs stopped pumping beneath her and she almost collapsed, only slightly catching herself by holding onto a tree. Catching her breath, she felt like her lungs had shriveled up.
Then she felt her stomach churn. She bent forward and puked at the base of the tree. The vomit burned her throat and she tried to hold it back, but she couldn't. When she thought she was done, she stood back up only to hunch over and vomit again.
Wiping her mouth, she walked forward, slowly and shakily. She made it about six steps before she fell on all fours. Her body screamed at her, mad for being overexerted. She couldn't blame it, she had pushed it incredibly hard. She'd only wanted to get out of her head for a while. It worked too. It worked so well that she hadn't wanted to stop, so she'd kept going.
As she waited for the world to quit spinning, her mind fell back into its worries. All that she'd put her poor, tired body through, now being for nothing. Her anger at Hope and herself came back - along with every other emotion she'd previously staved off. Her mind started over with it's list of what if's and all of the different ways she'd mucked everything up.
Memories began to swirl in her mind. All of Hope. From their first meeting back when they'd gotten their brands, to him sticking with her even after being left, to her protecting him from Odin, to his growing strength and determination in the Gapra Whitewood, to their hug and promise in Palumpolum, to his summoning of Alexander, to holding his hand as they floated from Cocoon. And to even her newest memories of Hope. Seeing him all grown, him saving her from the Gargonopsid, them holding hands, their hug in his house, his heartbeat... they wouldn't stop. It all tortured and tormented her until she could no longer stand it. Tears now fell freely down her face. She couldn't hold her grief back any longer. She could only be so strong. Fisting her right hand, she beat it against the ground as she rested her forehead in the cool dirt. Hope's name fell from her lips in a pained whisper before she cried out and yelled into the air.
She stayed like that for who knows how long. It was as if time had stopped for her. All of her sorrow just flew out of her. She let it all out. Her mind and body were spent. She hadn't slept, she'd run herself into the ground, and now her emotions were killing her inside. It wasn't until someone placed a hand on her back that she came back from her agony.
"Lightning?"
She faintly heard the voice. She knew she recognized it, but her mind just couldn't process it.
"C'mon, girl. Get up. This ain't no time to be lyin' around." Sazh tried to stay upbeat, but he was now extremely concerned about Lightning. He cautiously put his hands around her waist, attempting to get her up. She made no effort to resist and ended up on her knees. He looked into her face. Her expression seemed dead and lost. "Lightning?" Putting his hands on her upper arms, he gently shook her.
Snapping out of her slump, she blinked rapidly. "Sazh?"
He smiled nervously in return. "Hey, let's get ya outta here, huh?" She nodded and attempted to stand, but almost collapsed back down. Putting her arm over his shoulder, and his around her waist, he walked with her a few steps before she quit walking. Finally, he just picked her up and grew even further worried when she didn't protest.
Making it back to her apartment, he stopped, setting Lightning down against the wall. She'd fallen asleep on their way there, but he needed her card. "Lightning? Wake up." Her face scrunched up as she woke, but her eyes remained closed. He smirked. "I guess I'll just have to go to the meetin' without ya."
Her eyes shot open and her hazy azure orbs met his concerned gaze. "Wait, what?" She attempted to sit up, but the movement was too fast and she fell back, Sazh catching her.
"Hey, glad to have ya back. We need to get you back into your room, though."
Mindlessly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her key. She attempted to stand, but Sazh took her key-card from her light grasp and unlocked the door. Helping her up, he got her inside. He tried to lead her to her bedroom, but she stopped. "No." She let go of Sazh and gained her balance on her feet. "I'm gonna take a shower." She took a step forward before stopping for a split second and continuing on.
"Alright, well, I'm gonna wait here. Jus' to make sure you're... ya know." Her bathroom door shut behind her. He took a seat on the couch and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Man, kids these days. He laid down for a minute, trying to rest for a small nap.
Lightning hazily looked at herself in the mirror. Dirt and sweat covered her face. She was shivering cold. Her clothes stuck to her uncomfortably. She began to undress, but winced as her body cried out in pain with every small movement. After the trying time of getting her filthy outfit off, she got in the shower. After a few minutes of the hot water on her skin, she felt herself coming back. The aches lessened and her mind focused on the calming feeling of the water. She would think of her shame and embarrassment later, but for now, she lost herself in the soothing warmth of the shower.
She walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around her body, and searched the room for Sazh. She was about to come to the conclusion that he'd left when she heard someone in her room.
Sazh set her gunblade down on her bed and as he was about to leave, Lightning walked in. "Oh, hey. Sorry to intrude... I just." She glanced at her gunblade before giving him a small nod of gratitude. "You look much better." He rubbed the back of his neck. As he went to leave to allow her to dress, he spotted a small blue-green bandana folded neatly on her desk. He picked it up and held it. It's Hope's, but... Sazh looked up at the young woman, wondering why she had it. He knew how important it was to Hope.
Lightning's eyes widened as Sazh picked up Hope's bandana. She had meant to give it to Hope the day he had disappeared. She'd washed it and everything, but she'd simply forgotten. Sazh questioned her about it with his eyes. "He lent it to me for something." She crossed her arms as she looked away, entirely uncomfortable with the reemerging torrent of emotions threatening to breach her newly constructed wall.
Sazh rubbed the fabric between his fingers, nostalgia wearing at his psyche. "It was from his mother." Lightning's eyes went to the bandana as her lips parted. "She gave it to him for his fourteenth birthday, not long before..." He sighed and shook his head. "If he let you hold onto it, then..." He looked over at her, seeing that her eyes held slight shock.
"I had no idea."
"Who knew that kid, the youngest of us, could have ended up bein' so strong. He helped us in more ways than he knows, that's for sure." He set the cloth back down on the desk, giving it a final brush with his fingertips. "Look, Lightning, you gotta stop this. You aren't gonna find him if you're dead. What happened out there, anyway?"
She was still gazing at Hope's bandana. Her hands trembled slightly before she closed her eyes. "How'd you find me?" She opened her eyes to see Sazh's look of annoyance at her avoidance of his question.
He crossed his arms and shook his head at her stubborn evasiveness. "You had been gone for a while. It was six o'clock when I decided to hunt for you. I called Alyssa and asked her to locate ya for me. I figured with you bein' so close, I woulda met ya on the way there. But I found ya where she said you were. It was a good thing I came for ya too cuz-"
"Thank you, Sazh."
Sazh calmed his stance. She was at least listening to him now.
"I'm going to try and get my act together, but if we-" Her voice caught and her eyes watered just a tad before she cleared her throat. "If the search gets canceled, I don't know what I'm going to do."
Sazh drew her into a hug he didn't expect her to accept. In truth, he didn't know what he was going to do either. With Dajh in stasis, he'd become very dependent on Hope's presence. Even if he didn't get to see him much with his hectic schedule as director, knowing where he was and that he was safe, was all Sazh had needed.
Three and a half hours had passed by since her last talk with Sazh. It was ten in the morning and they sat in a conference room in G.C. headquarters. She had only gotten a catnap in before coming, so she was still thoroughly exhausted, but too anxious to mind. She, Sazh, Rygdea, Hildough, Nivien and Amodar sat around the table awaiting their last member before starting their meeting.
A loud, forceful knock sounded from the door. "Come in", Amodar bellowed.
A young soldier stepped in looking quite annoyed. "Mr. Harleen, sir."
A slender middle aged man walked in behind him. He had short brown hair that reminded Lightning of Bartholomew's. Actually, he looked a lot like Hope's father. The man even had similar wire-framed glasses. He was dressed in an expensive suit and was impeccably clean-cut, although the scowl on his face made him look fairly unfriendly. "Well, I'm glad to see you haven't started yet. The traffic is horrendous."
Amodar just smiled courteously and nodded. "It's nice of you to join us, Harleen. Now, as Rygdea and I have discussed. We..." he paused, warily looking at those around the table. "... will not be continuing the search."
Lightning closed her eyes in disdain. The meeting had only just started and she felt her insides begin to crumble. They couldn't stop. Could they really just stop and forget about Hope? Could they really just move on with their lives as if he meant nothing? As she felt herself begin to crack, there was a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see that Sazh was trying to help her keep it together. His hand lingered there for a while.
She looked around the table to see how everyone else took it. Rygdea had a dark look in his eyes, speaking volumes of how much he loathed the decision. Nivien's head was in her hands as her elbows rested on the table, visibly distressed. Hildough's eyes were drawn down, staring sullenly at his open notebook in front of him where he was making a small lethargic note. Amodar looked sympathetic with a veiled hurt only visible in the strained creases near his eyes. Harleen looked... simply impatient.
The general continued. "As much as I dislike giving in to these people, we have no choice. That team is out there somewhere and if our compliance means they return home safely, then I don't see another option. From what I've heard, these... l'Cie are extremely powerful and we aren't sure how to take them on. One of our best fighters..." He gave a small glance to Lightning. "... was able to take on six of them and survive, but not without getting her share of injuries. Now we aren't giving up on our director, not by any means. He is an exceptional young man who is detrimental to the operation of this city. He is a great leader and friend. We'll have to hope and pray that he is returned to us safely."
"This isn't fair", spoke Nivien through her hands.
Amodar looked toward his lieutenant. "La Salle?"
She dropped her hands to reveal her grief stricken face. Tears threatened to fall, her will being the only thing holding them back. "To what end? What keeps them from giving us more demands? We're just supposed to trust their word? And fine, we end the search and they don't... kill them, but then what?" She stood, slamming her hands on the table. "How long will they keep them? Until they're finished doing all of their unmakerly things with Hope? When will that be? And what happens when they're done with him? Do they just let him and my brother go and leave? To what end, huh?" Tears finally began to fall as she stepped away from the table. "Excuse me." She left the room as the door slammed behind her.
"And that's why women just shouldn't be involved in these matters", said Harleen, smirking. He looked up to see Lightning's dangerously dark gaze resting on him. "No offense, love."
Lightning was ready to pounce on the man, but Hildough spoke up. "As much as we appreciate your presence, Mr. Harleen, those comments are not appreciated." He leaned back in his chair before crossing his left leg over his right, giving him a warning stare.
"Right", joined Amodar. "We are also going to limit our trips out into Pulse, so they don't mistake us for continuing our search. The only travels any of our ships will be making will be to Sanctum City for necessary meetings and trading. As well as to our current cities under construction."
Rygdea sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. "So that means most of our missions are being shut down?"
"Temporarily." Amodar folded his arms and rested them on the table. "Since your current main objective was..." He gave Harleen a sidelong glance. "...Director Estheim's project, all future plans and discussions for that shall also be put on hold, so that took out much of your current work anyhow. Now, how is Mr. DeWald, the twenty-three year old mechanic? I know he worked very closely with the director, but why was he on the mission in the first place?"
Sazh sat up, finally being of some use in the conversation. "Hope or... uh, Director Estheim did work very closely with... Mr. DeWald, but Maqui... uh" He sighed, giving up the professionalism he just wasn't built for. "Maqui also works with the Academy on multiple projects. He went because he wanted to help search for Hope, but not just that. His other purpose was to be there in case the ship needed any repairs. He is one of the best damn mechanics I know. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else for the job. Knowing the ship they were on, I'd say it was a good thing he was there. That thing has been in sore need of a fix or two."
Rygdea smirked. "Mr. DeWald is fine. He's recovering quickly and has given us some useful information as you've seen from the report."
Harleen sighed as he began playing with his cufflinks. "Yes, yes, this is all good and dandy. Now can we get on with more pressing matters? Hmmm? Like why you want my son to be the new director?
New director? Certainly she hadn't heard him right. It had been two days and they were already going to replace Hope? Lightning felt her already flimsy calm start to fade away.
Hildough turned toward the irritating man. "It was Director Estheim's choice. As director, he gets to pick his successor."
"So we're replacing one child with another? And an even younger one to boot. I stood by and let this place be ruled by the young Estheim in respect to Bartholomew's wishes, but this is too much." The man gritted his teeth while rubbing his cheek harshly. "I won't allow it. He's my son and I say-"
"If I am correct..." Hildough cut him off. "...and I do believe that I am, the boy is emancipated. He gets to make any decision he wants. He already signed off on his consent when the director chose him."
Harleen huffed. "He's seventeen. My Maker, at least Estheim was legally an adult when he took over. I mean... this is insane."
A knock sounded from the door before a young man stepped through. "Ya talkin' about me?" Dark violet eyes peered at everyone from beneath shaggy brown locks. He looked every bit the teenager he was, from his rumpled black and red striped, long sleeve shirt, to his faded, ripped jeans, to the clunky boots that made his already heavy footfalls heavier, to the casual slump of his shoulders. The very air of nonchalance.
Harleen drove his palm into his face. "I told you to wait at your apartment."
The kid shrugged. "And I told you I wanted to go to the meeting. If I'm going to be the new director-"
"You're not", Harleen snapped. "Cassidy, you're too young and that's final."
"It's Cass. And it's not up to you." Cass gave his father a smirk before sitting at the table. "Where were we?"
Hope chose him to take over his position. I've never even spoken with the kid and I already want to slap that smug smile off his face.
"It's nice to see you out and about, Cass", greeted Sazh. "It's not often we see you in the light of day."
"Yeah, daylight isn't my most favorite thing in the world, but I'll do what I have to for Hope. Since my friend is being selfish and taking an unwarranted vacation, I guess I gotta fill in for him." He sat back and put his feet on the table, folding his arms behind his head.
Now Lightning really wanted to smack him.
Harleen shoved his son's feet to the floor in a huff. "Do you really want this..." He gestured to Cass with a horrified look, "... running your city."
Amodar only chuckled. "From what I know of Cassidy, he's an intelligent young man, second only to the director himself. He seems, from his record anyway, to be a perfect candidate for the job. He has been chosen by Estheim and seems more than willing to step up to the plate. I see no problem with it. He shall be our director until Estheim is back in our midst and ready to reclaim his position. As long as the now Director Harleen-"
"It's Leonald." Cass gave a disgusted glance towards his father. "I took my mother's name."
"Right. As long as Director Leonald doesn't fall behind on his duties, he should be fine in the position. Director Estheim proved to be a very worthy leader despite his age, I have no doubt you will too."
Harleen growled as he shook his head and stood. "And who will protect him?" He turned toward his son beside him. "Did you think about how dangerous this could be? They could have taken Estheim because of his position."
Cass rolled his eyes before closing them, uncaring towards his father's displeasure. "Don't worry so much. You already have a bazillion worry lines on your forehead. Haven't you been listening to sis?" Cass opened his eye just enough to see the pissed look on his father's face. "I'll have bodyguards, right, General? I know Hope had them, although he hated it... thoroughly."
"Yes and look what good that did." Harleen took off his glasses and threw them onto the table.
The action only caused Cass to sigh. "I don't think you need to break another pair."
Amodar cleared his throat, hoping to cut in. "I shall..." He thought to himself for a moment until his eyes landed on Lightning. "...Sergeant Farron shall be your personal guard... you'll still have the others of course, but she won't leave your side unless necessary."
Lightning's eyes darted toward Amodar, but before she could speak, the General tilted his head and gave her a stern eye.
Harleen laughed bitterly. "Her? I'm sorry, but I don't think-"
"Alright", yelled Cass. He sat up, folding his arms on the table before looking over Lightning.
She couldn't believe it. Not only was she not going to be able to look for Hope, which was killing her inside, she was going to have to babysit some ass hole kid who seemed to have zero respect for his father. Yes, Harleen seemed to be quite an irritating dick as well, but he appeared to generally care about his son and his safety. Lightning could only hope to get out of it somehow. Maybe the kid wouldn't want her to? Yeah, because my luck has been so great lately.
Cass smirked as he finished eying her. "She seems perfect." Harleen started to speak, but Cass held up a hand. "End of discussion. I'll be protected. Just be happy with that."
Harleen slammed his hand down on the table in front of his son. When Cass didn't move or even look in his direction, he grabbed the collar of Cass' shirt. He pulled the kid out of his chair and threw him to the ground, forcing his gaze to meet him.
Lightning's eyes widened and she could now see why Cass had such an oppositional attitude towards his father. Sazh, Hildough and Amodar tensed, looking ready to jump into the affair.
Rygdea stood. "Hey, now, Burien... why don't ya just... go take a breather?"
Hildough shut his notebook and put it inside his briefcase before standing as well. "Yes, it is getting a little hot in here. I think some fresh air would be very beneficial. Please, do join me, Harleen." He walked over to the two, carefully stepping around a stunned Cass, and put his hand on Harleen's shoulder. Grumbling, the man nodded and left the room, followed by a sighing Hildough.
Cass wiped his brow before getting up and retaking his seat. "Well, that was fun."
Amodar gave Cass a sympathetic look, to which he paid no mind. "You will be starting your position tomorrow, but right now we need to do some more paperwork, alright? If you could wait for me outside the room I'd appreciate it, Director Leonald." The general grinned at the young man as he lazily got up.
"Yeah, sure. No problem." Lightning heard him mumble something inaudible as he left the room.
Rolling her eyes, the sergeant turned to Amodar. "Sir, why am I being tasked with guarding the kid?"
The general scratched his chin as he got up from his chair, having expected the question. "Well, you are one of my finest soldiers and if they do go after Cassidy, you're the only one with experience fighting them." He then glanced at her with a serious look in his eyes, one he hadn't used with her since he'd found out about her sister in the Bodhum incident. "I know this isn't easy for you, Farron."
Great, he knows. Of course he knows. Nivien probably told him everything.
"You and the director were-are... very close, but as we've said, the search has been canceled. Looking for him isn't an option. I figured you'd wish to stay on duty until he has returned."
What else am I supposed to do? Really, Lightning hadn't given it much thought. The minute she'd lost Hope, her only objective was to find him and bring him home. Never in a million years would she have guessed that she would have to give up on him - which in her mind - that was exactly what they were doing. But how would she continue? She knew going back to work probably wasn't the best option with her current emotional state. The past two days had held enough proof of that. But what other options were there? Stay at home and destroy everything in her small apartment until there was nothing left to damage but herself? I have no choice, really. She looked up and noticed Amodar was waiting for her to speak. Sitting up, she nodded her head toward him. "Of course, sir."
The man gave her a proud smile before leaving the room.
"That all went incredibly well", commented Rygdea sarcastically. He stood up and stretched.
Sazh put a hand on Lightning's shoulder "You okay?"
Lightning rolled her eyes. What the hell is wrong with me? I guess I should have expected this kind of reaction. After all of my outbursts, crying, whining and stupid antics, it's only natural to get pitiful gazes and sympathetic questions. Maker, I hate this. They're going to treat me like just another fragile girl that can't handle shit. How could she expect anything different though? Truthfully she was a mess of emotions. There was so much rage and sorrow inside her that it threatened to split open the shell she'd managed to build back up. But she wouldn't let herself fall back into the chaos she'd pulled herself out of only hours ago.
Not wanting to have any more conversations about Hope, she sidestepped the question. "Who is Harleen anyway? Why does he get any say in Academy matters?"
The pilot gave her a crooked grin as he shook his head slightly. "He's a real piece of work is what he is."
Rygdea sat on the edge of the table and leaned toward her. "He's an adviser of the Academy. I've never liked the guy much, but he and Bartholomew were old friends from before the fall." Lightning's eyebrows rose. He hesitated with his next sentence, unsure of how the soldier would take hearing Hope's name. "Hope and Cass were best friends before it all too."
"So that's why he'd pick such a brat to take over his position." Lightning sat back and crossed her arms. She couldn't bear to think what her days with the young man were going to be like. He's going to need protection from me.
Chuckling, Rygdea continued. "Yeah, he's got quite an attitude, but he is seventeen." The two men laughed briefly and this even earned a small quirk of the mouth from Lightning. "No, he's been through some tough times. And the General wasn't kidding when he said Cass was qualified. Besides the work ethic, the kid's a lot like Hope. There's an incredible mind inside that ball of hormones."
"Good luck with him. He can be a bit much in large doses", started Sazh. "He should be pretty used to having a gunblade pulled on him by the time this is all over though, huh?" He nudged Lightning, who wasn't amused in the least.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maker, Hope, I'm going to kill this kid. I just know it. Please come back soon. You're strong Hope. You can fight them. I just wish I could be by your side fighting with you. All the reassurances in the world couldn't stop her from imagining the worst, but she would pray, every day, for his safe return.
Lightning stared at Hope's office door. She stood outside his office, her eyes burning a hole into the wood as she dreaded going inside. Not only would she have to deal with that obnoxious kid, but she would also have to face more memories of Hope. It was only the third day since his disappearance so her mind was still constantly bombarded by Hope, but she knew it would be much worse in the room before her. Dammit, what are you doing? You should be finding Hope and freeing him. You shouldn't be babysitting. Where's the soldier that took on the world for her sister? Hope needs you!
Lightning shook those thoughts away. She would give anything to be out searching for Hope, but she knew she couldn't. It wasn't because she knew she'd face serious consequences for disobedience. Although she most certainly would, she'd do anything to get Hope back, even risk her job. But it was his safety, and that of the missing search team, that kept her back. If those villainous l'Cie caught her looking for him, who knew what kind of pain she could cause them.
Finally sucking up her anxiety, she stepped inside. Cass was sitting at Hope's desk, reading a paper from the large stack at his side. He glanced up towards her and gave her a smug smile. It took serious control for Lightning to not march up to the young man and smack that grin off of his face.
"I figured you for the knocking type", he stated simply, eyes not leaving his work.
Growling, she sat on the couch across from him, still in its same place she and Hope had moved it. "Why aren't you in uniform?" The boy was clad in almost the exact same clothing as the day previously, causing Lightning to question his hygiene.
Cass lazily sat back as he let go of the paper and watched it float back down to the desk. "I'm the director, so I call the shots. I get to decide if I should be in uniform or not." He stopped and shuddered dramatically. "And I most certainly am not. That uniform may work for Hope, and all of his girly friends may have cooed at the sight of him, but no thanks. I'm not the uniform type."
Lightning's eye twitched involuntarily. "I knew you weren't going to take this seriously."
He chuckled. "What, just 'cause I'm not wearing some dorky outfit? Or 'cause I don't have a stick up my ass like some snobby soldier?"
She glared at the little twerp who dared to say such things to her. The only people she would ever take teasing from were currently in stasis and captive. Usually her incinerating glare would have its receiver quivering and ready to flee, but not him. He just sat there, seemingly satisfied with himself for causing such a look. He has a death wish. "You're a real brat, you know that?"
The young man rolled his eyes as he rested his chin on his hand. "Oh, c'mon, Claire. I'm sure you want to use a more colorful name than that."
Lightning couldn't help the shocked and questioning expression that came over her. How did he...
"Simple." He shrugged as he eyed her, enjoying every tiny irritation he sparked in her. "I'm the director. I have access to everything. One of the first things I did was look into my personal guard's past. By the way, your sister is almost as hot as you are... almost", he added with a wink.
Pulling out her gunblade, she trudged toward the punk. Lifting it up and under his chin, she snarled at him. "Don't you ever talk about my sister, you little prick."
He didn't even flinch. He'd allowed her to walk right up to him and threaten him with death without as much as a twitch in self-defense. It's what he wanted. It really wasn't hard to get under her skin. They stayed there for a few moments before she lowered her weapon. "Man, so far everything Hope has ever said about you is true." Her stance shifted slightly. Cass reached into his baggy side pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
"Don't you dare. This is Hope's office, not yours. You can't just do whatever you want in here."
"Hope never minded." He took out a cigarette and lit it. After taking a drag, he continued. "The room's got ventilation. And like I said..." He stood and walked around the desk until he was three feet from the still furious soldier. "Hope doesn't care."
The soldier gritted her teeth before she snatched it out of his hand. "I do." She walked over to the desk and shoved it into his can of soda. "And I don't believe you."
Cass' lips curled into his constant Cheshire grin as he shook his head. "You know he used to smoke too?"
Now Lightning really didn't believe him. Hope most definitely didn't seem like the smoking type. Of course, she could never picture him hanging out with someone as ornery as Cass. Crossing her arms, she gave him a look, unconvinced.
He stared at her eyes, ready to gauge her reaction to his next comment. "It was how he and Nivien met, actually. She bummed a cigarette off of him and... it was like love at first sight." Cass' eyebrows rose when the subtlest hint of jealousy passed over her expression, telling him everything he wanted to know. She stood there, still giving him a look of disbelief and Cass decided to move on. "So, you're the great Lightning Farron. You certainly live up to your terrifying reputation. I'm just not easily scared off." She scowled at him and sat back down on the couch. "I've heard a lot about you. You left quite an impression on our friend, though I'm not surprised in the least. You are every man's wet dream-"
"Enough", Lightning barked. "You're a creep. I don't know what Hope sees in you." Scrunching up her nose at him, she sat herself farther back into the cushions of the couch, took out her gunblade and began polishing it. "I certainly don't know how you've stayed friends for so long."
"Oh, well, that's easy. Your little saint and I actually have... well, had a lot in common."
Lightning snorted. "Right." She glanced at him before turning her attention back to her gunblade. "Don't you have paperwork to get through?"
"All done." Cass sat back in his chair and put his feet up.
"Yeah right. It took Hope and I hours to get through a stack that thick."
"Hope's brilliant and awesome and all, but he thinks too much. A little signature here, a small scribble there, and we're done and ready for a nap."
"Did you even look at them or did you just sign off on whatever you felt like?" She glared at Cass' careless expression. He's telling me how much they're alike, yet all I'm seeing is a heaping pile of differences.
"Please, Claire", he spoke, putting a hand to his chest in a show of faux sincerity. "I'm a professional. I gave them all a good once-over before signing. I'm not an idiot." He closed his eyes and chuckled. He stopped as he heard a gunblade switch into gun mode.
"Call me that one more time, and you'll have the shortest term as a leader on record." How she wished she could pull the trigger - to give in to her desire and follow through with her threat. But she couldn't, and his cocky grin showed her that he knew it too.
"I've always loved breaking records."
Dropping the weapon back to her lap, she looked away from Cass. "You really like pissing people off, don't you? Look, I'll guard you... protect you, but only if you shut your trap. I can be reassigned and leave you with a different guard if that's too much trouble." She smirked at the thought.
Cass frowned, thinking hard about her proposal. "Fine", he said simply before looking back over his papers. "And you're right. I should probably look back over these with a more thorough eye." He winked at her as he began writing on a notepad beside him and continuing his work.
Of course he was just trying to rile me up. Cocky brat.
He was choking on his own blood. His constant cries were now muffled by coughs and gags as his body attempted to dispel the blood like it was poison. The warm, iron-tasting liquid gushed into Hope's throat yet again. Rolling his head over to one side, he opened his mouth as he tried to let it all out, but it wouldn't stop. His blood seemed to flow from his mouth with no end. Just as it would begin to dissipate and he'd be allowed air, it would only take mere seconds before another round of the struggle to breathe would continue.
As he fought to clear his airway, the rest of his body writhed in pain. The continuous struggle to free himself had left his ankles and wrists raw – causing layers of his skin to peel off as his binds ripped into him. His chest had a copious amount of slashes, there were a few second and third degree burns on his arms and neck, and his teeth were still chattering from the four rounds of shocks he'd suffered through earlier.
He couldn't handle anymore. The torture seemed to last forever. It felt like a week had passed by since this last round had started. Realistically, he knew it had only been a day, maybe two, since the first time had begun. But time slowed agonizingly while he was being tormented by Sebastian.
Even though it appeared to be impossible to keep track of time, Hope knew they kept some sort of routine. He would suffer through countless stabs, burns, shocks, hits, until he'd eventually pass out from the pain. Then he would wake up in his cell with some food. A few calming and cherished hours would pass until they would retrieve him again to continue the cycle. Of course, now he fought back against the big man that would come for him, but the effort was fruitless. He still ended up strapped back to that table, ready for more excruciating pain. Only difference would be, he'd have some new bruises and usually a nasty head injury.
Zalera, he now assumed, was locked away in her cell. He hadn't seen her since he'd passed out after the first round. This made him somewhat relieved. At least she wasn't being tortured anymore. He'd taken her place and had stolen their tormentors' attention. Although he would give almost anything to be out of the l'Cie's grasp, he was glad to give her time to rest. Maker only knew how long she'd had to put up with the sadistic man. How she managed to remain sane through it all, he couldn't fathom.
Attempting to escape his anguish, he would retreat into his mind. Many times the pain would rip him out of any peace he would try to grasp, but when he'd succeed in finding even only a minute of happy thoughts, it was always about his family and his friends. His mind would go from something as simple as his recent days working with Lightning or Maqui to being back in his fourteen-year-old self with his mom and dad. Most of the time though, his thoughts were dominated by Lightning. He wanted most of all to be back with her - talking and working with her. He'd waited for so long for her to come out of stasis. It didn't seem fair that she'd come out just for him to get snatched away.
Currently, Hope's mind was enjoying his Gapra Whitewood memories while his body dealt with the pain. He was thinking about the speech Lightning had given him about controlling his emotions when a shocking stab jolted him out of his reverie. Sebastian smirked as he slid his knife into Hope's chest slowly. Gritting his teeth, Hope felt vomit rise as the knife struck his spine. Sebastian held the knife there for a few more moments until he let electricity shoot from him, to the blade, and into Hope. The shock shot through the young man so quickly that it made his heart skip a few beats. The burly man then twisted the knife inside Hope before finally taking it out. Hope struggled yet again to breathe. This time it was because the knife had nicked his lung. As he gasped for air, he felt his limbs go numb and the warm blood ooze out over his stomach. It wasn't long until black spots formed in his vision, followed by complete darkness as he slipped into unconsciousness.