8 PM, WRO Head Quarters, Airship hanger...
Reeve greeted Cid and Vincent from their long trip, along with him was Shelke who held a clipboard of papers of Deepground's network activity that she wanted to share with her boss. But for now, hearing Vincent's reports on the Mako lake might shed some light to some of it. The first thing that greeted them though was Cid's loud cursing as the old man descended the airship.
"Careful with those tanks! I better not hear one whistle from them!"
Mechanics swarmed their blond leader, some going to work immediately as soon as they heard their section orders as he shouted them left and right. Vincent, who was exhausted, seemingly slipped away from the big group blocking the Shera's exit hatch. The goth dressed man quietly made his way to Reeve and Shelke. It was apparent to them just by looking at him that the trip wasn't as calm as he liked. Reeve greeted his old friend first with Shelke quietly following behind.
"So how was your stay at Mideel? Relaxing I hope?"
"I guess you can say that." Vincent calmly responded though he was barely audible in part to Cid's continued shouting. The three did their best to ignore the mechanics at this point. Shelke cleared her throat to continue their conversation.
"So What was it you found at the Mideel Mako Lake?"
"No secret bases, no Deepground soldiers, nothing. Except for this materia. But by Zack's assumption, it's not new magic nor summons. He calls it a booster materia."
"A booster for what?"
"He couldn't tell. It boosts limit breaks, but not any of ours he said." the purple colored materia was passed on to The redhead, its cold surface entranced her, but it barely reacted to her.
"Interesting, I'll hand it over to the lab as soon as possible."
With Shelke now satisfied with the report, she said her goodnights and left the hanger with the materia in tow. After she was out of their sight, Vincent turned his sights to his boss.
"Anything on Yuffie and Cait's mission?" He questioned, she was a capable agent and unique ninja, yet that didn't stop him from having a hint of worry. The young Wutai woman has grown responsible in turns of duty, but her personality is still as reckless and bratty as she was when they first met.
"Not yet, we should get some news soon. You know how Yuffie is."
"She does forget to report from time to time. Need me to go back her up?"
"She already has Cait and Kunsel. I didn't take you as a worry body, old friend."
"I have some stamina to burn that's all."
"Riiiight." Reeve teased, but he knew Vincent wouldn't expose his relationship with Yuffie, though almost everyone already came to that conclusion. "For tonight, just relax and have a good night's sleep."
With nothing else to report or do, the two men left the chaotic hanger behind them, making their way to the apartment complex where each resided.
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Meanwhile, Midgar Ruins...
Hell Houses, Devil Rides, Even Prowlers were running amuck in the run down city. Whenever Yuffie encountered one, she had to dispose of it immediately, she was handicapped after all. Cait would assist with his weak little punches and distractions, yet she was still the hard hitter of the two.
"Lass, we'll need to pick up the pace. Deepground might be on to us now."
"I know furball." She hissed, her shuriken just then returned back from her attacking a Prowler. Her little friend was hiding behind her with her little feathery doll in her deadlock grip. She was petrified, and both Cait and Yuffie knew that.
"Don't worry kiddo, we're almost home free."
"'Home'?"
"Yep! You'll see." The ninja patted the frightened girl behind her as they started moving again, well shuffled along in Yuffie's case. Her leg was still slowing their escape down, it has gotten worse thanks to all the forced encounters.
Cait led the way to the meetup point since he had the map in that robotic brain of his. Through the damaged buildings, around the mako puddles, and collapsed roads. It was very unlike how they come in before. Still, if it keeps Deepground confused for a bit longer then she wasn't going to complain. Though she really did need to report to Reeve about their progress.
"Cait, keep moving. I'm reporting to Reeve."]
"Umm, you might want to hold that thought."
"How come? I already dialed his-" She immediately stopped talking while her finger had just left the call button. In front of them in the distance was a group of Deepground agents, that did not boat well for their escape now. And to her luck, Reeve just answered her call too.
"Yuffie? Hello?"
Yuffie panicked and tried placing her hand on the phone receiver to shut him up, forgetting entirely that she could have quickly muted the call. Her action still failed to not alert the enemies. Thankfully, they couldn't exactly tell where they were.
"Shit, umm I'll call you later Reeve." She hung up immediately, not even giving him a chance to ask. "Cait can we get out of this mess?"
"Its a very slim chance at this point."
"How slim?"
"No amount of fortune telling can alter it, lass."
"It never worked you stupid cat. But I get it, it's horrible."
The little girl's shivering grabbed Yuffie's attention. The poor thing is was hiding behind her own small frame, holding her little plushie like her own little lifeline. They scared her, she saw for her self how much torture they put her through. All she could do is pat her small head to calm her down.
"Cait, you can continue to lead the kid to Kunsel. I'll distract Deepground."
"Are you nuts, lass?! there's about 20 of them out there, and you're injured to boot! I can't leave you alone out here."
"I'm not letting them take this kid back. Besides, I'll slow you down with my bad leg. This is the only chance you'll have to get away from here."
"But lass..."
"No Buts. You're talking to the White Rose of Wutai, I'm not gonna get caught that easily. I'll catch up with you and Kunsel soon enough."
"I... guess you're right, just don't be reckless."
"Just go furball."
She finally turned her full attention to her little friend, getting down painfully to her eye level. Giving her a big warm smile.
"Hey kiddo, I need you to follow kitty from now on. I'll be right behind you." the ninja patted her head before slowly getting off the ground.
"Goodbye?" the girl tearfully asked.
"It's not a 'goodbye' kid, I'll be seeing you very soon."
~.~.~
With that, Yuffie finally left the two behind as she jumped up some structures, aiming to appear away from their hiding spot. As she dropped down by the opposite side, she threw her shuriken at the nearest target to her.
"And one falls to the great ninja of all Wutai!" she proclaimed, landing on the rubble-filled road. "Ready to go back to the brink boys?"
Her arrival got the attention of all the agents, swarming her and leaving a big opening for Cait to forcefully drag the kid away. With them out of harm's way, she let the Deepground agents have it, throwing her shuriken, Kunai, and grenades at them left and right. While she was still evading their attacks easily, her dexterity was still low in comparison to her usual.
"Come on! where's the challenge?!" Her taunt agitated the agents furiously, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't lay a single hit on the young ninja. Suddenly, they felt a chill in the air, accompanying it was a chill tone of her superior.
"What's taking you lot so long to kill this little brat?"
Yuffie froze on her perch on a beam she presently landed on. Her new challenger was none other than Weiss the immaculate. Her chances of escaping this mess dropped from slim to zero in a second.
Mentally, she was in shock, Vincent shot him down, he told her that much. So she was confused as to how he was still around. She held her shuriken tight and ready, even if she had no chance against him, she wasn't going to show him her weakness.
"Wow, you're... here."
"WRO's little ninja snitch, then I'm sure your usual partner should be around."
"If you mean Vincent then I'll have to disappoint you there. I am all on my lonesome."
"A waste of time then..."
"HEY, YOU SHOULD BE HONORED TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE GREAT NINJA YUFFIE." She huffed in frustration, inside though, she was scared. There was no telling what will happen next. But she needed to keep going.
"I don't need the vampire's help to defeat you."
"You don't, do you? Even with your handicap? Then let's put you through the test then." He grinned with ill intent, the look in his eyes was just murderously aimed squarely at her which caused her to gulp.
She just had to open her big mouth.
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9 PM, 7th Heaven Bar, Zack and Aerith's room...
Zack sat at his small desk with papers scattered in the tiny surface with him tapping his pen on one that he used to calculate the Gil he was saving up. His head resting on his free hand while he lazily looked over what he wrote. It was getting late, but he didn't want to get to bed before he did the math.
"Looks good, but I need to hunt some big game if I want to get the surgery done as soon as possible. Maybe I can ask Reeve for help on that? Not like some millionaire wants to hire me."
Now that he thought of it, Rufus would hire him if he got wind of him being around. But that would mean working for Shinra again, Which was an idea that he was not into at all. His hand instinctively grabbed his chest as it began to ache slightly in memory of his death with the sweating and panting following closely after. An anxiety attack? He wouldn't be surprised if he had it.
A sudden cool touch rested on his clenched hand, followed by a small frame resting on his back. The presence calmed him almost immediately. Aerith was always around when he gets into a panic. It baffles him how she knows, but he was very grateful to her for calming him, as always.
"Weren't you up in the roof with Tifa?" He asks her as his anxiety attack reduced drastically. His other hand grasping hers gently.
"We finished the gardening early. You ok though? You've been having though panic attacks a lot lately."
"You make it sound like I have It all the time. But yeah, I'm fine now."
"That's good." he heard her sigh in relief, her other hand wrap around him into a hug. "So what are you up to?"
"Just doing the math."
"For the surgery?"
"That and for the other stuff. By the way, You didn't tell me how you fell about it."
"Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about it, it is a surgery after all. But at the same time, I can't wait to finally walk on my own two feet again."
Zack could tell from her shaky voice that she was anxious about the surgery, who wouldn't? The doctor did mention that it was a very complicated procedure. But if there were even a slight chance that she would walk again, then he would do anything just to see her smile whole heartily again.
"Though I'm getting tired of all the math I had to do. Ready to call it a night?"
"Sure." She loosened her grip a he turned around to face her. He scooped her off her chair, and bridal carried her all the way to the bed.
Just before placing her on the bed, he had a mischief idea. "Say Aerith, you're not dressed for bed yet are you?"
"Well no, but I'm going to..."
"Then how about we sneak in a little fun?"
He noticed her face turn blushing pink with her gaze lowing shyly. A golden opportunity to tease her, he couldn't just let it go after seeing her like that "Oh? Don't tell me I got you off guard? where's the usual Sass?"
"Oh Hush! Are you going to kiss me or not?" She fired back with her mumbly voice.
