There was no real indication morning had arrived, but Fang's eyes opened regardless. She stretched tentatively, checking her aching muscles for field of movement and found a noticeable absence next to her. Looking around sleepily, Fang discovered that Lightning was not with her and sat up quickly. Throwing back the furs, she scrambled from the bed and hurriedly put her shoes on before climbing the ladder to the hatch. It opened just as she reached it, and to her relief she saw her partner staring down at her.

"About time you got up, was beginning to think you were going to sleep through the entire day." Lightning said, helping Fang up from the underground container with an amused smirk. The brunette hissed at the bright sun and scowled.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Not as late as you think. I'm just messing with you." Lightning answered with a cheeky grin. She laughed as Fang swatted her on the rear and pulled her in close. The two shared a kiss, ignoring the varied whistles and hollering from their surroundings. The pinkette led her partner by the hand over to a shaded area where Vaan was helping Penelo dish out breakfast. The boy waved them over and handed them some food and a coffee served in a tin.

"Just watch your lips, sometimes we miss spots when we're working down the edges so we can use them for drinking."

The pair nodded and gave their thanks before sitting down near a small fire where Balthier was calmly waiting. Fang winced at the first sip of coffee, the taste closer to rust than the bean she'd grown to love since moving to Eden. But she took it in stride, turning to the leader of the camp and raising her makeshift mug to the man. "Gotta thank you for your hospitality mate, didn't think we'd find a friend in this foreign city."

"There are friends everywhere, if you know where to look." Balthier replied with a casual shrug, motioning for Vaan to come over with the food. "Your partner has been filling me in with what has transpired over the last night. It would seem you've caused enough trouble with ending the Fal'Cie in Eden to draw the ire of The Maker. It will be difficult for you to get out of here unscathed, let alone contact your friends back home. The Triads own everything here."

Fang frowned at her plate of food, a modest serving of scrambled eggs and a bread roll. She stabbed at it with a fork in an attempt to restrain her anger. "Difficult, but not impossible, right? Sounds like we have some new friends to make."

Balthier leant back and beckoned Penelo over. "You already have a few. There is a bar downtown that will be friendly for you. The owner can be a bit... Difficult to handle. But don't piss him off and you should be fine. This little one will take you there to make sure you get there in one piece."

After their morning meal and their thanks, they left the camp and headed off with the young girl, skipping away in front of them. Lightning was more than a little self-conscious at their appearance, they both still looked dishevelled and filthy. "We really need to duck into a clothing store and pick up something that doesn't make us look like street urchins. Find a shower somewhere." She muttered, sliding her hand into Fang's. The brunette chuckled and gave her wife a once-over as they walked downtown.

"With what money sweetheart? The Triads have us over a barrel here. It isn't like Rikku would have been insane enough to stick a Style Ragnarok... Here... Oh." She trailed off, staring up at her face on the front of a Style Ragnarok storefront. "I guess she is insane." Fang mused, whistling to Penelo to get her to stop. She nodded towards the door and gave a grin. "Just gonna duck in here for a sec, darlin'. We need to get a little bit more... Respectable, you know?"

The trio entered the store to a couple of gasps of recognition and approached the front counter. The girl behind the counter gave a broad smile and waved. "Welcome to Style Ragnarok and how can I he-ohhhhly shit you're them. You're Oerba Yun Fang and Lightning Farron! Holy. Um. I mean. How may I help you ma'am? Uh, ma'am's?" She squeaked, looking thoroughly overwhelmed.

"You are just too cute for words little missy." Fang drawled, putting on the charm heavily. "Listen, as you can see we're a little... In need of some new threads. Thought you could help us out."

The store clerk nodded enthusiastically and clapped her hands. "Of course! Gosh they always told us about the Ragnarok discount code in training but I never thought I'd actually get to use it! Out the back with me please, ladies." She cheered, leading them through a curtain towards the storage area. Penelo hung around the shop mindlessly perusing the items while the other two entered a small room lined with clothes.

"The hell is this?" Lightning queried, confused by the somewhat less outlandish attire on the coat hangers. The clerk raised an eyebrow and looked them both over.

"The boss has these put in every store just in case you two, Gadot, Paine and herself ever needed anything. There's a shower through that door, weapons in that closet and an encrypted burn phone in that case there. I'll leave you to it, just let me know when you're done." The clerk skipped out of the room, leaving the two women alone looking dumbfounded.

"Rikku's a clever little minx isn't she?" Fang said aloud, perusing the racks. Everything from three-piece business suits to dresses to leather jackets and jeans graced the coat hangers, and everything was in her size. "Etro, she's really thought of everything."

Lightning was staring at the cabinet of guns and picked up the burn phone from the case on the dresser. "Nice to know we're predictable enough that they know we're going to get in trouble no matter where we go-" She said, suddenly cut off by the phone in her hand ringing. "...Hello?" She answered hesitantly.

"Oh thank the gods it's you," Vanille's welcomed voice replied, sounding both strained and relieved. "Are you ok? Where's Fang, is she ok?"

Lightning could have cried. She put the phone on speaker and moved close to her partner. "We're here Vanille, we're fine." She said, seeing Fang's eyes snap towards the phone.

"'Nille? Is that you? How the fuck did you get this number?"

Another familiar voice laughed in the background on the other end of the phone. "You can thank me for that, Fangy. You both got into so much trouble when we were taking on the Fal'Cie that when I started building these stores that it would be a handy way to track you should anything happen. Give you backup when outside of Eden." Rikku explained, her voice sounding similarly relieved.

Lightning looked dumbfounded. "... You mean these stores are fronts?"

"Duh. What, do you think we'd just open up a bunch of these stores so we could peddle T-shirts? Fang, Lightning, we love you but you really need to pay more attention in our meetings instead of constantly eye-fucking each other across the table."

"We do not-" the pinkette was cut off from her angry retort, Fang placing her hand on her arm gently with a shake of her head. There would be time for their usual banter later.

"For what it's worth, thanks Rikku. You always do have the best ideas." The Pulsian said quietly, just relieved to hear a familiar voice. She quickly filled the two in over what happened, and paused while the appropriate amount of cursing from Vanille.

"Psicom has no jurisdiction in Yusnaan. And the Triads control the airports and the docks. I'm not sure how we're going to get you out of there."

Lightning peeked out the curtain to see Penelo sitting on a chair behind the counter, smiling as the clerk gave her a drink and some cookies. "I'm not sure we're ready to go just yet." She said quietly, meaning to only keep it to herself. Fang heard her and raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"You're kidding me, right? Why stay when we've got our ticket out of here?"

The pinkette shook her head and took the tanned hand in her own. "But we don't. The Triads came after us, Fang. You heard this Maker before he ended that little conference in the sky. The orders were to take us out and then move on the city. Eden isn't safe anymore and neither are we. If we go back we're just putting targets on our backs and waiting for the inevitable bullet. For everyone. We are all at risk now while the Triad still operates."

Fang groaned and shoved her free hand against her head, pressing the heel of her palm into her temple. "So, you're saying we need to attempt to take out the Triads, aren't you?"

"At least disable them, give them a reason to leave us the hell alone. If they get taken out in the process, well then bonus for us. You were looking for something to do, weren't you? Vanille, how safe is this phone?"

She heard a scoff in response. "This is me you're talking to, Light. It's safe."

"I need you to gather whatever intel you can and put it on a secure server. Keep working on a way for us to get home. It will help if we need an extraction. Put the word out to Bartholomew, see if he has any building contracts he has in place or can get in down here. We're going to do some ground work here and see what we can uncover." She ended the call after a final goodbye and turned just in time for Fang to press her up against the dresser. The brunette ran her tongue along her neck and suckled at the pulse point.

"Gods, I love it when you get all... Tactical." Fang growled with a sultry tone, helping Lightning out of her ruined clothes. She was obviously happy with their turn in luck for the better. The pinkette chuckled and returned the favour and helped Fang out of her own buttons. Before the Pulsian could get any further though, a fresh shirt was shoved against her chest with a raised eyebrow from her partner.

"Fang, there's places we have to be. There'll be time enough for that later." Lightning replied, ignoring the pout that threatened to undo her resolve. They quickly showered and returned to get changed. "Think we can use some of this money in the stash to help out the people over at the Strahl?" she asked.

Fang nodded in agreement, shrugging the clean black button up shirt over her shoulders. She left it open over the white tank top she'd put on earlier, and adjusted her laces on her boots. Her mood was vastly improved from the night previous, now that they had direction and a foothold. They loaded up with gear and she stared wistfully at a replica of her favourite lance she'd left back in Eden. "Hmmmm maybe next time." She muttered, pocketing the last of the cash and heading back out the front. Penelo gave the two women a once over and whistled.

"Sure do clean up well, Fang, Lightning. You ready to keep going?"

The pinkette nodded and gave her thanks to the cashier. "Listen, we may be back here from time to time..."

The cashier waved dismissively. "Code for the back entrance is 171-209. That'll get you into the storeroom any time you need ok? Was a pleasure helping you today and feel free to come back any time!"

They left the store feeling renewed and relieved at Rikku's uncanny foresight. Following Penelo through the streets, they found themselves in a district that looked like it would glow neon in the evening with all the signs littering the buildings. It was gritty and filthy, and Fang felt right at home.

Approaching a black walled building, the young blonde stuck a thumb in the direction of the door. "This is as far as I go, I've gotta go check in with the Viera over on the east side."

"Viera?" Lightning queried, eyeing the entrance to the bar.

"They're uh... A group that helps fund a few things over at the Strahl. Though... Um..."

Fang chuckled and put her arm around the pinkette's waist. "They're pickpockets, right? Here," She said, fishing around in her wallet and pulling out a handful of notes. "Keep some for yourself and get something nice. We'll swing by a little later on yeah?"

Penelo beamed and her eyes widened at the bundle of currency. "Thanks! See you guys later, try not to get yourselves killed, ok?" She cheered, running off down the street. The two women watched her leave before turning back to the bar. Lightning pressed in closer to the brunette and sighed.

"Doesn't this feel like déjà vu? At least you're not carrying me this time," she said, amused as Fang kissed her on the top of the head. They headed into the establishment and immediately ducked for cover when a shotgun blast splintered the doorway beside their heads.

"Fuck... I don't recall Lebreau trying to shoot us!" Fang growled, grabbing her own gun and taking the safety off. A large man loomed behind the bar, enormous shotgun in his hand.

"Haven't you bastards taken enough? What else do you motherfuckers want?" He roared, opening fire and blowing apart his establishment.

"Etro's fucking Gate man, we haven't taken shit! We were told to come here by Balthier!" Fang shouted from her spot, hidden in a booth. The shots stopped, and loud, heavy footsteps clunked around the bar. A metal hand closed around the Pulsian's shirt and lifted her clear off the ground. The tall, imposing man had leant over the back of the Booth and grabbed her before she could even register his presence.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't snap your tiny little neck." He said with a snarl, spittle flying from his lips. Lightning came into view, hands up in surrender.

"We don't mean any harm, Balthier from the Strahl gave us your place as somewhere we could go to find help. Please."

His eyes narrowed at Lightning's words and his eyes darted back and forth between them. "Wait. I know you. You're the broads on the posters. Ragnarok." He slowly let the brunette go, lowering her to the ground. "Tooth or something?"

"It's Fang."

Lightning stifled a laugh at the outraged expression on her partner's face. "My name is Lightning Yun-Farron. This is Oerba Yun-Farron Fang."

"Barret." The bartender replied gruffly, walking back to the bench and pouring a trio of shots. He immediately downed one and gestured to the other two. "Friend of Balthier's? Sorry about the shotgun welcome. Been a rough week. The Triads wanted to buy the place and offered me chicken feed for it. I told them where they could stick their alleged generous offer. Now they're tryin' to drive me under with bad business and tryin' to take my little Marlene to boot. My business partner got taken a few days ago. God, I hope she's alright."

The two women shared a knowing glance at each other, and the brunette nodded. "So, where would we find her?" Fang asked, downing her shot and allowing the slow burn of the alcohol to fire along her nerves for a few seconds. Barret raised an eyebrow at the gang leader and scoffed.

"What's it to you?"

"Simple," Lightning supplied, holding the shot glass up at eye level. "We need help, and you need to know we can be trusted. What better way than to get your business partner back?"

The bartender's eyes narrowed as he considered her words. It made sense, and he could test the mettle of the two women before him. He sighed and scribbled down an address on a piece of paper. "Here. Dockside warehouse. 11pm tonight. I appreciate what you're tryin' to do but don't get yourselves killed in the process."

"Aye aye," Fang drawled with a lazy salute and snatched up the paper. She eyed the address and handed it over to her partner. "When we come back, can ya at least check that it's us first before you try to blow our bloody heads off?"

The street light flickered outside of the warehouse, barely illuminating the entrance. If it weren't for the heavy security out the front, they likely wouldn't have found the right one.

"Etro, it's like they don't even bother with the art of subtlety." Fang complained. Lightning frowned and checked out the people milling about the parking lot.

"It's an illegal fight ring." She concluded as they moved into the crowd. People were placing bets left right and centre. "How will we know who is Barrett's business partner?"

The Pulsian shrugged and eyeballed the various genres of scum surrounding the ring as they entered. "Said they called her The Caged Heart or something."

Caged Heart... The name had to be a pseudonym, Lightning surmised. Her concerns amplified at the roar of the crowd and a familiar face stepping into the ring. Fang's face lit up in recognition, her expression falling once she realised the implications.

"Shit. It's Tifa... They're forcing her to fight." Fang growled, hackles up and rage rising. She spied someone over by the back door and headed towards them. "Oi buddy, what's a girl gotta do to get in on this action?"

The guard loomed over her, giving her a disdainful gaze. He jerked his thumb towards the back where a wiry man was counting cash for an even larger man behind him. They made eye contact and beckoned the women over.

"A celebrity in our midst, I see. Come to partake in our festivities or are you just seeking a quick death?" he bellowed, eyeing them over with a predatory gaze. Lightning didn't bother to hide her look of disgust, Fang giving a pointed sneer.

"Just lookin' to get my kicks, and help out an old mate at the same time. What's Lockhart worth to you?"

The fat man chuckled and gave Fang a leering once-over, leaning forward in his seat. "If it means I get to watch your ass get beat, Oerba Yun Fang, you are welcome to enter the ring. But Lockhart is not up for release at this time."

"You're a business man. Ba'Gamnan, right?" Lightning intervened with a hand on her partner's shoulder. She recognised his weather-worn face from old reports back at the precinct. A criminal from the Bangaa family out in the western deserts, he had attempted to build a ring out Bodhum way when she was hitting her stride in the GC.

"Let's talk simple numbers. Announce your prize fighter that will be going up against Fang. She loses, you get to witness some entertainment for the evening. She wins, you keep the winnings from everyone betting against her, and Lockhart goes free. Surely you don't enjoy being under the thumb of the triads here?"

The man considered her with a stern gaze. It was calculated, and with every second that passed they could practically see the wheels turning in his head. "Very well," He answered finally. "Put on a show before your inevitable beat down, Yun Fang…" Ba'Gamnan drawled with a malicious grin that was all teeth. There was a reason he was called "The Reptile of The Ring" back at the precinct.

The duo were led down the back to the locker rooms and Tifa was sitting on a bench with head bowed, leaning on her hands. "So what's a fine looking lady like yourself doing in a shithole like this?" Fang quipped, amusing herself with the disgusted expression that faded into recognition as the long-haired woman looked up.

"Sweet Etro! Fang! Light!" Tifa cried, launching herself at the Pulsian and wrapped her arms tight around her neck. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

Lightning sighed with a tired laugh and shook her head. "A long and convoluted story that involves the triads and us jumping out of a plane." The long-haired brunette gave them a blank stare.

"Honestly? If it were anyone else other than you two I'd call bullshit on that story. I take it you met Barrett? That'd be the only way you'd have known where to find me..." she replied with a slump of her shoulders. Fang nodded and ran her hand through her own dark locks.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to get the splinters out of my hair from him trying to blow my head off. We're here to bust you out. If I win the next fight, the money he makes from nobody betting on me will more than cover any applicable exit fees..."

Neither missed the immediate shrinking from their friend as she paled. "Shit. Shit shit shit... He's planned this... He has to have..." Tifa muttered, beginning to pace the length of the locker room. "Fang, you have to take Lightning and get out of here. I'll be ok."

The pinkette placed her hand on Tifa's shoulder to steady the woman. "What's he planned? Who is she up against?"

"I don't know his real identity, the other fighters just call him Exdeath."

"Sounds like a charmer." Fang commented, looking at her wife with an uncertain gaze. Lightning wasn't paying attention, her focus already on her phone. Her eyes darted across the screen as she furiously typed away.

"I just sent a message to Vanille. She's going to look up whatever she can and... Hang on." She answered her phone and walked away from the other two, speaking in hushed whispers while Fang kept her hand on Tifa's back in support. The Pulsian watched the tension in her wife's shoulders as she spoke on the phone and her stomach lurched. Maybe this wasn't the smartest of plans. Maybe they were gluttons for punishment after all.

"Shit," Lightning breathed, hanging up the phone. "He's ex-military. Death squad from the civil unrest over east in Orience. Belongs high up in a gang by the name of the Fiends of Chaos. Fang..."

The brunette stepped forward and took her by the chin, kissing her chastely on the lips. "Don't worry about it, love. When has death ever stopped me?" She said with a wink, before unbuttoning her shirt and shrugging it off her shoulders. Lightning's gaze immediately tracked down to the tattoos over her abdomen and she felt her left eye twitch. "Tifa, help strap me up yeah?" Fang called out to the other brunette, watching her grab the tape and begin to wrap it around her hands. "Any tips for me in the ring?"

"Sure," Tifa replied, her voice tight. "Don't die."

"Helpful."

Fang tested her grip once the tape was done and then rolled her neck around to loosen the muscles. "Be just like old times, Light. This is how I used to put food on the table for Vanille and me, after all."

Lightning simply grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss that was all promise and a desperate attempt to mask her fear. "Listen to Tifa's advice. I'm counting in you to make it out of that ring in one piece."

The Pulsian nodded and walked out of the locker room, making her way to the ring entrance. In nothing but her jeans and black sports bra, she was sure she cut an interesting figure to the other fighters in the hallway as she passed. The announcer called her name and she took a breath, before exiting the door and stepping into the cage.

There was a few hollers and cheers from the audience but for the most part the crowd was a collective dull murmur. Their noise turned into an aggressive roar when the announcer called for Exdeath to enter the ring. Fang gaped at the sheer size of the man, who at that moment she felt was as tall as a behemoth on his hind legs.

"It'll just be like old times, I said. How I used to put food on the table, I said. Famous last words, never better spoken. Fuck."

The bald man was all muscle, and he revelled in the queasy look on Fang's face as he cracked his knuckles. He wore army pants and thick boots, his torso a smattering of gang tattoos that rivalled her own.

"I know you," He observed, sneering at her far smaller frame. "Boss has a tag out on you. You're a long way from Eden, little girl. Shame you've come all this way to be destroyed."

With a sniff of distaste Fang ignored the jab and put herself into the ready position, and the announcer stepped out of the ring. "It's how I put food on the table, I was a goddamn cage fighter in Oerba. I got this." She assured herself, before all confidence went out the window once Exdeath made his move.

The bell hadn't even rung yet and he was already moving forward, his speed belying his massive size. The first impact of his fist against Fang's ribs had her skidding back against the cage, back slamming against the chain links. Her heartrate increased tenfold at the reality of the situation, and she shook herself out of her shock and went on the offensive.

"Ha ha ha… Amusing…" Exdeath chortled as she tried to land hits on him. Anything she was connecting with was like punching a bag of formed concrete. It didn't even look like he felt it.

Lightning watched on from the sidelines with fear on her face. Tifa was next to her, chewing at her thumbnail as she watched Fang get the lights beaten out of her. "Etro, Lightning, what are we going to do?"

There was no response, Lightning staring intensely at the cage as if willing Fang to pick herself up and fight back. The brunette was bruised and bleeding, breathing heavily. Even though she looked like she'd been put through a gauntlet, she was still on her feet and refused to fall.

"I admire your dedication to life. But it's time to prepare for the afterlife." Exdeath growled, throwing a few more punches that Fang somehow managed to dodge despite her exhaustion.

"You first, ugly."

"Yun Fang!"

Her name rang out over the din of the crowd but she couldn't focus on it. Probably some prick trying to distract her. She blocked a few more punches and only just managed to slide out of the way of a brutal kick aimed at her neck.

"Mal'am!"

Fang's neck nearly jarred with how fast she turned, eyes scanning the crowd while trying to stay away from the massive fists that kept trying to take her head from her shoulders. Perhaps it was a figment of her imagination. Was she getting a concussion? Maybe. Her opponent hit like a tonne of bricks so it was entirely likely she was hallucinating.

"Ghutane kee hadataal! Baen! Yah kamajor hai!"

The voice cut through the crowd. This time she knew it wasn't in her head and spun around, slamming her foot into the side of his knee cap. Exdeath bellowed in agony and dropped to the ground. With all the force she could muster, Fang planted a brutal kick to his face. The sound of it practically reverberated through the warehouse as he fell to the deck, out cold. Fang stood there, fists balled and panting while covered in a thin sheen of sweat and blood splatter. She painted a terrifying picture as she maintained the deadly expression on her face.

"Yun Fang Yun Fang YUN FANG YUN FANG!"

The crowd began to erupt in a chant, even if they all just lost their money it was an incredible fight. She wasn't focused on the praise though. Her eyes skimmed the crowd, searching for the source of the warning. Lightning pushed her way into the ring and pulled her face around, checking the injuries and shining a flashlight in her eyes to check for a concussion. Fang battered her away, still looking around.

"What are you trying to find in this sea of people?" Lightning asked, leading her out of the cage and through to the locker room. Fang fought the movement initially, until a wave of exhaustion overthrew her and she relented.

"Dunno. Must have been imagining what I heard."

The pinkette arched an eyebrow and hummed. "You mean whoever was shouting at you in Pulsian? What did he say?"

Right. Fang hadn't imagined it at all. Wouldn't have figured that anyone from Oerba would be this far south, let alone still willing to use the old tongue. "He.. Told me to strike Exdeath's left knee. I guess whoever the bloke was knew he had a weakness there. Would have likely not survived that if I hadn't got that hot tip."

The door to the locker room burst open and Ba'gamman sauntered in, flanked by two armed guards. "A deeply fascinating evening, I will say. You were very confident that she would win. Only two people bet on Exdeath to lose." He mused, staring pointedly at Lightning. The pinkette shrugged and folded her arms.

"I always have faith that my partner will pull through. We did take on the Fal'Cie in Eden and won."

The large man chuckled with a smile that looked malicious and reptilian. "That you did. And now I wonder if your presence here invites the same disaster that befell Barthandelus and his ilk."

The women in the room tensed as they watched the guards straighten up at their boss' words. The man simply waved dismissively with a laugh. "I have no intention of getting in the way. I am merely making an observation. Just leave me to continue my little games here and I will seek no harm."

"Not if you insist on taking people against their will." Lightning growled, stepping in front of Tifa to protect her. Ba'gamman looked impressed and bowed.

"She was an exception to the rule, a demand from the Fiends of Chaos. You'll learn quickly that many of us are not in a position to decline the Triads in Yusnaan. Take her and your winnings. I know you bet on the Yun to win." He sighed, throwing and envelope filled with cash at her chest before turning to leave.

"So... That's it? I'm free?" Tifa asked hesitantly when they were alone. Fang slung an exhausted arm around her and led her towards the exit. They all remained silent while leaving the building, on alert in case anyone decided to try anything. They'd hate for them to have gone through all that for it to be an elaborate setup.

They took a cab back to the bar downtown and let Tifa enter first, just in case Barrett was still feeling trigger-happy. His giant arms enveloped the brunette and spun her with a rich laugh, and the duo knew it was safe to enter.

They shared a few victory drinks while Tifa regaled Barrett with exploits of their time in Eden together.

"Hey, Barrett," Fang began while trailing her finger through the condensation on the glass of beer, "How many Pulsians are there in this city? Wouldn't have thought there'd be many this far south."

He gave a short gruff sound and a shrug. "A few that I've seen. One in the marketplace, a few at the Strahl with Balthier, and a few in the alienage in the desert. Since the town went broke almost a decade ago, Oerba is a ghost town and its residents scattered far and wide."

Fang looked away with a nervous cough. It was her doing, with her time in the Port Runners that sent the town into ruin in the first place. She supposed that there would likely be problems with some of her former townspeople that may seek retribution while they were here. Pushing the thought from her mind, she took Lightning's hand gingerly in her own and kissed her knuckles.

"I dunno about you, but I could really go a real bed for once. What's say we take the winnings and book into a hotel for the night?" Fang murmured, exhaustion starting to take hold. Lightning smiled sadly and shook her head, standing up and moving out of the booth.

"No, it's not a good idea. We're safest back at the Strahl, Fang. Nobody would think to look for us there. Let's stop by a pharmacy and pick up some supplies with the cash we have and get you patched up. I suspect there's a few broken ribs."

While conceding the point, it didn't stop Fang from sighing heavily from it. "Yeah, yeah. Tifa, we're gonna book. Keep yourselves on the down low for a few days, and we'll be in touch yeah?"

The duo retraced their steps back towards the homeless camp on the outskirts of the industrial district, stopping in front of the Style Ragnarok store still lit up with stylised caricatures and promotional billboards of themselves. Fang nodded towards her own proud posture in the advertisement and grinned. "At least we've managed to get ourselves a nice foothold in Yusnaan without even trying, right Sunshine?"

Lightning glared at her in outrage, not even able to warn her about her incessant need to jinx them when screeching tyres caught their attention as a black sedan slid around the corner. A burly man leant out the window with a rocket launcher in hand. Without hesitating he fired towards the store, sending the two women scrambling to get out of the way. The sedan didn't even slow down, speeding off into the night as the store exploded, sending Lightning and Fang flying amidst a sea of shattered glass. They landed hard on the street, clothing singed and covered in lacerations.

"For fucks SAKE, FANG." Lightning yelled, throwing a piece of lumber in frustration at the burning storefront. Fang groaned and crawled her way to her feet, helping her wife up with a wince.

"I know, I know. Don't tempt the gods yadda yadda. God fucking dammit."

AN - What, you thought I was going to make it easy within five minutes of them landing in a foreign city, cut off from all resources like they fucking did in Saints Row the Third? Uh, no.