A low groan echoed with a hollow sound in the enclosed shipping crate that Fang found herself back in. They had returned to the camp in the early hours of the morning, Fang collapsing to her knees in the sand. Balthier had rushed over and helped Lightning carry her back to their new makeshift lodgings, and worked on first aid for them both.
"How are you feeling?" Balthier called out from his seat on the opposite end of the container. Fang opened her eyes and slowly sat up, wincing in pain at the protest from her suspected broken ribs.
"Like a patchwork quilt that's been run through a grinder." She replied, her voice hoarse from exhaustion and smoke inhalation. Balthier hummed and stood, walking over to the two women and handing Fang a bottle of water. Fang took it gratefully as Lightning stirred.
"I apologise for my vigil, if you consider it intruding. Your injuries were already significant from your cage fight last night, let alone the explosion. I was concerned."
Lightning sat up and slowly pushed herself back to lean against the crate wall. "Well we certainly thank you and owe you once again for your hospitality. You're quite good with a field kit, you've had experience?"
With a nervous cough, Balthier looked away. "My father was a doctor." He offered simply, stepping away and gesturing to a pile of clothing folded by their makeshift bed. "I made some calls to a friend with the Viera. They have obtained some clothes for you, as thanks for the... generous contribution you gave yesterday." Walking to the ladder, he paused with a sigh, staring at his shoes. "Penelo told me you'd obtained a phone and were able to call home. Why are you still here?"
Lightning stared and gave him a small but determined smile that appeared to cut through her otherwise exhausted expression. "Because we've got work to be done. We freed Eden from the Fal'Cie reign, if we walked away from this place we would just condemn both ourselves for their inevitable move on Eden, and the people of Yusnaan to the fate we suffered for too long. That you have suffered for too long."
With a decisive nod, Balthier began to climb the ladder to the hatch. "Rest here for now, I'll have Vaan and Penelo bring you some food a little later. Focus on getting better. We will talk more tomorrow." He assured them, disappearing out the hatch and leaving them in the dim light of the crate.
Fang settled back down into the furs, feeling defeated and pained. "Fuck. This is ridiculous. Light, how are we meant to take on this Triad mob with no resources, two guns with two clips each and clothes stolen from a group of pickpockets?"
"I don't know." Came the tired response. There were no answers to give, not yet. No tactical tricks that Lightning could think of that would get them out of this mess. "Sounds like we need to make some new friends." She finally replied, scooting closer and running her fingers through the dark locks. "We'll figure it out after some sleep. Whatever we end up doing, you're going to have to take it easy for a moment."
In the end, both were too restless to sleep, too wired from far too many events to rest properly. They climbed out of the hatch a few hours later, Lightning gingerly helping Fang out with her injuries.
Finding Balthier over in his usual spot by the fire, he appeared to be having an intense conversation with an exceedingly tall woman. They stood on the duo's approach, Balthier bowing in acknowledgment.
"Nice to see you ignoring doctor's orders," he quipped with a twitch of his brow. Fang rubbed the back of her neck and sighed.
"Sorry. Hard to sleep when all this is going on. Are we interrupting?"
"No, I'd actually say you're right on time." Balthier replied, gesturing for them to sit down. The tall woman observed Lightning and Fang as they carefully took a seat by the fire, avoiding further pain to their wounds. Her white hair was braided on one side in a similar fashion to Fang's, and the brunette found herself staring at it with curiousity. The mystery woman's red hued eyes met her own and Fang found her gaze torn away to the fire. The stranger had the same piercing, ethereal-looking eyes that reminded her of the elders back in Oerba, and it made her nervous.
"This is Fran, of the Viera. You were looking for friends, and she is a good place to start."
Lightning extended her hand in greeting and suppressed the eye twitch at the long, slender hand that took hers in acknowledgment. Fang also shook her hand, recognising the braids as Pulsian and felt a pit in her stomach at the reminder.
"You're looking well, for a dead woman." Fran replied, her voice kept deliberately low. "The Triads report you both killed in the plane crash. There would be many Oerbans here in this city that would take great pleasure in the Triads removing you from this world, to throw your soul into the mist."
"Would you be one of those, I take it?" Fang retorted, struggling to keep the bitter tone from her voice. Fran huffed and looked bored.
"I would not have answered Balthier's summons if I did."
The man in question cleared his throat and sighed at the fire before them. "Fact is, we're all stuck under the thumb of the Triads. If you two are willing to stick around to try to bring them down, it means you need people. Friends. Resources. Footholds that won't get a rocket launcher through the shop window. If I give you the names of people you can trust to share your... vested interest in removing the Triads and where to find them, will you help remove them from our city?"
Lightning and Fang gave each other a look, the former lieutenant knowing that slowly appearing grin on her wife's face anywhere. "So where do we start?"
"You need contacts," Fran replied bluntly, standing and using her full height to survey the camp. "I know of a garage you'll be able to acquire one. It will, as anything in this city does, come at a cost. But if what I hear of your exploits in Eden, it shouldn't be too much of a problem for a skilled driver."
This time it was Lightning's turn for her eyes to light up, and she stood up with a small bow of thanks. "Anything that can get us any kind of foothold in this city that will stick will help us greatly."
Fran moved towards the exit, giving the other two a chance to follow. "Balthier, I will be in touch. Let us go then."
Lightning was deep in thought as they walked along the street downtown. Fran's imposing height was causing all eyes to be on her as they passed other people, which suited the former lieutenant just fine. She nudged Fang to get her attention.
"If the Triads are reporting us dead that means both good and bad things for us." She said quietly. Fang's eyebrow twitched in curiousity but said nothing, giving Lightning the space to continue. "Good, because they're less likely to be actively looking for us, well, yet anyway. Bad, because they could be stepping up their plans to move on Eden."
The clearing of Fran's throat paused Lightning and Fang in their steps. "This is as far as I go. Stay hidden amongst the city until you have numbers to support any further threat."
"Appreciate the advice," Fang replied with sincerity, but received a stern glare in response.
"I have seen many of your people amongst this city, in the aftermath of Oerba's demise. Time will tell if you are here to continue that chaos, or restore the balance. May The Wood watch over you." Fran left them with those words, Fang scratching the back of her neck nervously.
"Ouch. Well, I suppose I had that coming. Let's see what this is all about hm?"
A clatter from inside the workshop followed by the sounds of a struggle answered the question, and Lightning and Fang cast an exasperated glance at each other. The Pulsian clutched at her ribs and shook her head. "Might have to sit this one out. What's the sit?"
Lightning peered her head around the corner to find three suited thugs restraining a small blonde woman, gagging her so she couldn't cry out for help. The ex-lieutenant turned to Fang with a lazy shrug. "Three on one, just like old times. Do you think you're up for catching any stragglers?"
With a salute of acknowledgement Fang got into position by the door as Lightning crept around the other side. The brunette waited until her partner was in view again and gave a shrill whistle with her fingers stuck in her mouth. The trio of gang members turned towards her threateningly, which was enough for Lightning to get in and go to work.
She rushed in, taking one thug's feet out from under him and swung around hard with a wrench the pinkette had grabbed on the way in. It connected with a sickening crunch of bone and the man went down hard. The other two whirled on Lightning, drawing knives and advancing.
The blonde woman kicked out at the shin of one of the remaining attackers, not content to remain an idle spectator in this scuffle. He yelped and stumbled, putting his weight too far forward. Lightning spun and kicked her heel into the back of his neck, sending him crashing into a car door face first.
"Don't move!" The last thug standing roared, pointing a gun at Lightning's head. An entire tool box came into view, smashing him in the head and sending wrenches, pipes and bolts scattering all over the garage floor. Fang walked over, clutching at her side with a grimace of pain.
"Fuckin' arseholes... Light, can we go at least one day without having a gun pointed at our heads?"
Lightning scoffed and moved over to the mechanic to untie her. "With our lives? Not likely." She helped the woman up who bounced to her feet with an exasperated huff.
"Well thanks for that darlins'! Thought I was gonna be in a right mess if you hadn't shown up when you did. Those Lucavi are always trouble on my doorstep."
Her accented drawl was harsh yet endearing, Lightning putting her origins somewhere from the western continents. Fang stepped forward and held out her hand in greeting, charming smile engaged as always. "Happy to assist, just glad we were in the right place at the right time. I'm Fang, and this is my other, much better half, Lightning."
"Ohhhh, you're the dames that Franny told me about. Ragnarok gang, right? Well it sure ain't ideal for you to be stranded here, but y'all can at least make the most of it and cause a little mayhem while you're here I suppose. I'm Cindy, and it's a real pleasure to meet you both!"
"I like her already if she's encouraging mayhem." Fang whispered, receiving a nudge to her ribs from a sharp elbow. Lightning then realised her error and fussed over the injury as an apology. Cindy watched them with an amused smile.
"Well you two are just cute as a bug to boot! So Franny's already given me the run down of why y'all are here, but I'm stumped as to how I can help! The Lucavi have me over a barrel with their debt."
Cindy led them through to her office, kicking at a vending machine until a couple of cans rolled out. She handed them over before sagging onto a faded leather couch, staring at the ceiling.
"How much do you need, and how can we obtain it?" Lightning asked, leaning up against the door frame while cradling the soda in her hand. Cindy hummed and shrugged.
"About twenty thousand, give or take some gil. Every time I'm nearly clear of their debt they add some new tax on which just triples the owings all over again. How you'd get clear is beyond me. The racing syndicate is a good start, but those races are whole handbasket of trouble. Local police turn a blind eye for the night and it stretches from one end of the main drag to the other."
Fang smiled at Lightning's knowing grin and nodded towards her wife. "Well, if you can obtain us a car, I reckon Light here can obtain you a win."
"For real? Well and truly? I do have a set of wheels, it's an older model but done up well. It was my father's pride and joy. If you can handle it, I'll give you a lend for the race. If you can do what you say and win, bring it back in one piece you can keep the darn car."
The mechanic leapt from the couch and moved back into the garage, leading the women to the back where a car was hidden by a fabric cover. With little fanfare Cindy whipped it off to reveal a beautiful older sports car, metallic silver with deep green and gold trims along the hood and sides.
For all the years that Lightning liked to think she had moved past her hot-headed days running around jacking cars for the Valefor gang, all those years in law enforcement went out the window the instant her eyes landed on the car. An appreciative groan tore from her throat at the sight of it, and she felt her hands twitch in anticipation.
"Goddess, that is one beautiful car." She whispered, Fang nudging her with her hip.
"Careful now, Light. You're drooling. I might start to get jealous."
Lightning ignored her with a playful hiss and walked over to the car and ran a careful hand along the hood before stopping at the driver's side door. "May I?"
Cindy threw the keys at her and she wasted no time unlocking the vehicle and sitting in the driver's seat. Lightning ran her hands along the wheel and bit her lip at how immaculate the car looked. Every ounce of care went into this beautiful example of perfect machinery, and at the first roar of the engine she felt lucky she was sitting down to avoid a very unflattering weakness of the knees.
"I think it's safe to say that Light's gonna be guarding this beautiful beast with her life, and I could be now playing second fiddle to a damn car." Fang drawled, leaning in and getting a good look at the vehicle's interior. "This fine piece of work got a name?"
"Sure does!" Cindy beamed, pleased with their appraisal of her family's hard work. "The car's name is Odin."
"Damn Light, do I actually need to give you a minute alone with the car?"
"Shut up, Fang. I can enjoy and appreciate good workmanship when I see it." Lightning quipped with a roll of her eyes. They were pulled up at a set of lights near the rendezvous point and Fang was amused with every aggressive rev of the engine.
It was nice to see Lightning getting so enthusiastic about something again. Aside from everything going to hell from the moment they set foot on the plane back in Eden, her partner had been falling into a bit of a funk lately, ever since her fallout with her sister. At least this could afford them a little distraction, and Fang got to indulge in that determined smile that spread across Lightning's face whenever she was in the driver's seat.
A giggle from the back seat drew her attention, reminding her they had company. "You two are just darn adorable. Fang darlin', we're gonna have to get out and leave your lovely wife to winnin' this race. I'll handle the entry fees and such, you just focus on what you do best, sugar." Cindy smiled as she spoke, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, a nervousness apparent in her demeanour.
They pulled up to the car park and waited to be let in. Cindy leant out the car window, pushing her chest up to the security guard and tucking a hundred gil note into his jacket pocket. "Wouldn't mind enterin' my ride in tonight's affairs hun, whaddya say?" She purred with the sweetest, most endearing look she could force to the surface. The guard gave her a once over, not subtle about the way his eyes paused at her cleavage.
"Your funeral, go ahead." He gruffed with a shrug before waving them in.
"I'd like to kick that pig in the britches when we're done this evenin', ladies." Cindy muttered as Lightning drove the car in and pulled up to the side. The mechanic got out with Fang, but not before Lightning pulled her wife back in for a kiss.
"Be careful, Light. But not too careful. Show these bastards what it is to come up against a goddamn storm." Fang whispered against her lips, pulling back to enjoy that look of determination. Lightning nodded once and sped off, leaving the other two amongst the crowd. Cindy observed the various people and pulled up the race details on her phone.
"Hm, there might be a few people in this race that could cause some trouble. But also some that could be worth introducin' y'all to when we're done here. One of the drivers is well known for her hatred of the Triads, and races here out of spite to take their winnings. I'm honestly surprised they haven't just bumped her off."
Fang hummed and narrowed her eyes, staring after her partner. "Well let's hope that Light puts on a show then, hey?"
Lightning caught the Pulsian's eyes in her rear mirror and gave a lazy salute. This was what put food on her table, after all. She spied the other drivers at the starting line, leaning against their hoods. Of all the drivers nobody caught her eye as familiar, though she did notice at least a few other Lucavi and other colours flown from some of the car designs and jackets. Cautiously getting out of the car, she watched the other racers with casual disinterest, going through the track layout on her phone.
"Haven't seen you about before, new face?" A gravelly voice called out from beside her, causing her to flinch. It was rare for anyone to sneak up on her, and Lightning was annoyed with herself that she had her guard down in such a dangerous place. Eyeing the tall man next to her, she noted a few tattoos on his neck and a heavily scarred face down one side, rendering him blind in one eye. He wore a bandana that reminded her of Snow, her thoughts turning sour at any reminder of her sister.
"What of it?" She replied flippantly, ignoring the way his one good eye gave her a once over, his eye stopping at her own facial scar. He grinned and tapped his marred face with his finger.
"Just looking out for a fellow scar club member... And if I were a betting man, someone who likely doesn't want to draw any further ire of the Triads than they already have hm?"
Lightning's head jerked up and she narrowed her eyes at him. "And are you a betting man with your life?" she growled, straightening up and getting in his face. He chuckled and took a step back, holding his hands up in surrender.
"Ain't mean anything by it malok'su, just... be careful on third corner of the race, there's a Lucavi taking pot shots on the east side of the track. If he blows out a tire you're done for."
The accented drawl, coupled with the somewhat familiar word she'd heard Fang use in a few arguments with her in the past, there was only one conclusion Lightning could come to.
"You're Pulsian."
"Aye. Call me 'Naki. Or friend, if you'd prefer."
Lightning gave him a sardonic glance, his red scruff beard and tribal marked face crinkling in amusement. "I think I'll stick with 'Naki. How long you been out of Oerba?" Lightning asked. The man didn't answer, lightning a cigarette and taking a long drag instead. "Are we going to have problems because of my companion's past history with your town?" Lightning pressed, refusing to give ground. He scoffed and shoved his hands in his pockets, letting the cigarette hang from his mouth.
"Nah, kid. I got no beef with the Yun. You won't have any dramas from me. Can't say the same for the others, but you know. I'll put in a good word."
"Right." Lightning clipped with a roll of her eyes. She stared pointedly at him until he got the point and moved off the car, giving her a nod and disappearing into the crowd. She didn't have time to deal with possibly vengeful Pulsians, but filed it away to ask Fang later. Lightning got back into the car and kicked over the engine, pulling up to the starting position with six other cars.
"All right rev heads, this is the dead heat for the thirty G prize pool. If you survive the track and cross the line first, the money's yours." An announcer yelled into a megaphone in the front of the cars. The drivers all started revving their engines aggressively, with the exception of Lightning and whoever was the driver next to her. The side windows of the matte black carbon sedan were heavily tinted, lined with a deep red trimming.
The side window cracked a little, revealing a glint of amused green eyes lit by the reflection in the driver's rear view mirror. The driver was wearing a cloth across the lower half of their face, but Lightning knew there's be a shit-eating grin beneath the fabric. The window shut abruptly and Lightning shook off the stare, focusing on the track ahead. A gunshot rang out and for a moment she flinched, not realising that the sound was the starter pistol and not someone trying to kill her.
"Fuck," she cursed, the other drivers already off and racing. She hit the pedal hard and shot forward, having mere seconds to appreciate the impressive acceleration of the vehicle before speeding through the streets to catch up to the other racers.
Fang was back on the sidelines, watching with nervousness on a screen that showed the racers from a drone camera in the air. Cindy was chewing on her nails as she watched alongside her, worrying about the trust she'd placed in the pinkette after such a shocking start.
Lightning had managed to gain a lot of ground, and had even started on her approach for the sixth position. The car in front swerved dangerously, trying to deter her from making a pass. If she wasn't as experienced as she was, she may have been rattled.
If.
"Not today." She growled, the adrenaline making her grin like a maniac. Fang would be proud. Lightning waited until the driver in front was focused on the upcoming turn and shot around on the inside of the corner, overtaking him and two other cars in the process. The back slid out as she put the car into a drift, causing one of the cars behind her to swerve to avoid her.
Gripping the wheel tighter, Lightning caught up to third position and weaved either side of the driver on the straight, looking for any opportunities to pass. Taking a chance, she shot forward with the assistance of a burst of nitrous into the tank, swearing as the yellow sports car tried to side swipe her as she passed. The metal screeched as the vehicles scraped each other, Lightning wincing as sparks flew from the friction.
"Sorry Odin, I'll get that fixed..." she muttered, pulling on the wheel to shove back into the other car, sending it spinning out into a guard rail. "Asshole..." Focusing on the last two positions to take out, Lightning continued on and approached the third and final bend of the race. She prepared to pass on the right side before she hesitated, remembering the Pulsian's earlier words of warning. "East side, third bend. Got it."
Coming up on the corner, Lightning instead moved up on the left, inching in front slightly and goading the other driver to speed up. As they both hit the corner, she slowed down, allowing the second place to slip from her grasp. The driver wound down the window and laughed at her while flipping her off. "Guess today isn't your lucky day, bitch!"
"You'd think that." She yelled back with a wink, pulling off the accelerator long enough to use his car as a shield as they hit the bend. Lightning heard a shot ring out as it struck the other driver's arm, the man screaming in pain and losing control of the car. She shook her head and sped out of the corner, narrowly avoiding a few other shots in her direction. There'd be time to feel guilty about the other man later.
The matte black sedan was not too far off, and Lightning closed the distance quickly. Her phone beeped that the finish line was in range, and she gritted her teeth and thought out her options. She didn't want to play dirty, she wanted to win fair and square. Checking the levels of the nitrous tank, Lightning formed a plan and inched up closer to the other vehicle. As the finish line approached, she tapped the boost button and let the car surge forward, the other driver suddenly panicking and hitting their own, emptying their tanks. It was enough to get the carbon racer just slightly ahead, allowing Lightning to empty her tanks at the last second.
Odin's front end crossed the finish line a hair's breadth before the other vehicle, winning the race. Lightning laughed and punched the roof of the car in victory as she eased off the accelerator and let the car slow down. The carbon sedan pulled up along side her, matching her speed. The smile dropped from her face when the tinted window lowered again and the driver pulled her face mask down onto her neck.
"Nice race sweetie. See you later."
The car sped off, back in the direction of the East side of Yusnaan. Lightning swallowed hard and tightened her fingers on the steering wheel. Feeling like that had just soured her victory a little, she scowled and bit her lip, driving back to the starting position to collect her prize, her new friend and her partner. Lightning was met with Fang dragging her from the car, wrapping her arms around her and spinning her around with a passionate kiss.
"You are fucking amazing, you know that?" Fang growled against the pinkette's lips, giddy with excitement that her wife didn't seem to share. She put Lightning down and held her back to get a look at her. "You ok? Anything happen out there?"
Lightning chewed on her lip and shook her head. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Can we get out of here? I don't feel safe the longer we're here."
The sudden skittishness unsettled the Pulsian, but she nodded and whistled out for Cindy. The blonde mechanic came rushing over stuffing an envelope into her jacket. "This'll more than cover a fond farewell to the Lucavi from my life, and a nice meal for y'all too!" She cheered. She clambered into the back seat with a displeased hiss at the driver's side panels covered in scratch marks.
"Sorry. I'll help you get it fixed." Lightning mumbled in apology, quickly getting into the car and driving away from the race scene once Fang was in the vehicle, the brunette barely having time to fasten her seatbelt. With a curious gaze, Fang reached over and felt the tension in her partner's arm.
"Hey," she whispered quietly, frowning in concern, "what happened out there that's got you so spooked?"
Lightning's eyes darted to her before going back to the road ahead. "Sorry. Nothing. It's nothing just… There was a Lucavi taking shots at the cars on the third bend of the race, I used the second position driver as a shield because I was warned about it before the race." She paused, dancing her fingers along the top of the steering wheel. "Fang, you ever remember a man from your village with one eye? Right eye scarred to hell and back?"
"Hmmmmm. Not that I can recall no. One of the elders, maybe? Anything else you can remember about him?"
"Other than the scar, no. I was trying to focus on the race. He gave good advice though. Hopefully he is a friend and not someone looking for an opportunity to stab you in the back."
Fang huffed and stared out the window. "Wouldn't be the first time." She muttered to herself, watching the passing street lamps while the nagging thoughts that there was something else she was missing dogged her all the way back to the Cindy's shop. When they saw the lights on inside she immediately tensed, but Cindy showed no signs of concern when she swung her legs out of the car and bounced off through the open garage door. The Pulsian got out a little more gently, her injuries slowing her down. It could still be any number of weeks before she was back to her usual chaos-causing self.
"Etro I am sick of being a hobbling useless wreck. Sleeping on that pile of rags back at the camp isn't helping my ribs heal any either." She complained, Lightning hearing her and shaking herself from her distracted fog. She walked around the other side of the car and held onto her partner, careful not to exacerbate the injuries.
"Let's see if we can secure some better accommodation tonight, at least give you the chance to heal with some decent rest." Lightning assured, drawing small circles on her back as she heard the Pulsian hum with delight at the attentions. Fang smiled and grabbed Lightning's hand, walking together through the mechanic's workspace, to find Cindy meandering back out to meet them with a broad smile.
"I was hoping she'd swing by afterwards! Come on, sugar. I'll introduce you to the driver of the Highwind."
Lightning's expression dropped and she let go of Fang's hand, stopping in her tracks.
"Shit."
"Hm? What's wrong?" Fang asked, seeing the wince of her partner. Lightning sighed and shook her head, not wanting to answer. Cindy led them through the garage and out the back to where a silver haired woman was working on her vehicle, bent over the hood.
"Hey darlin'! Got some new friends to meet ya. They're from that Ragnarok gang back Eden way." Cindy cheered, the woman sighing and straightening from under the hood of her car, wiping her hands on a dirty rag.
"Ah, so this is the infamous Ragnarok leader and the woman that not only handed me my ass this evening, but who has been doing my ego a great service over the last year. At least, while you were running around using my name, that is."
Lightning sucked air through her teeth and looked away, coughing nervously. Fang's eyes narrowed and darted between the two women as the silver-haired driver extended an oil-covered hand in greeting. "My name is Aranea, and it's lovely to put a face to my name."
Fang stared in disbelief and gawked at her partner. "Wait, she is fucking real?"