AN - Hellooo, not dead. Close though, man I did not anticipate entering 2019 with the worst illness I've had in a couple of decades. But I'm on the mend, which means to celebrate I'm posting a chapter! I've got a bit further into this fic beyond this chapter so I'll attempt to not make you wait like half a fucking year before updating again.

Fang looked around at the cargo as the train rattled along, pulling out her phone to get better light into the cramped space. There were crates upon crates of weaponry, automatic rifles, bombs and more. The sheer sum of it made her nervous, as they had accidentally just walked into an arms deal, or the size of the Triads were bigger than they originally thought.

The phone buzzed in her hands and she answered it, keeping her voice low. "Where are you guys? Safe?"

"Safe enough, where the hell are you three?" Rikku answered in a hushed tone. Fang looked back towards Lightning and Paine, who were by the door, trying to pry it open.

"Somewhere... Complicated."

"… Of course you are."

Taking a long exhale through her nose, Fang took a moment before responding. "We got into a cargo train to hide and it unfortunately appears to have been scheduled to leave the station. We don't know where we're headed. Get out of the station yard and head back to base. We'll figure out where the hell we are and get in touch once we've figured out how to get out of here."

"Keep my woman safe, Fang."

The phone disconnected in the brunette's ear and she walked over to the others with a sigh. The doors were sealed shut and locked from the outside, so they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Paine checked the GPS on her phone and watched the dot move towards the industrial district. "Hey, I think there's a train maintenance yard nearby from the looks of the map here. It seems to be where we're headed. Whatever is happening, there's a good chance it's happening there."

Lightning nodded, pulling up a network map on her own phone. The rail network was a closed system, so they could at least feel safe knowing they weren't being taken out of the city altogether. The train lurched to a stop and the trio looked at each other in a panic.

"Up the back, behind the crates." Lightning hissed, leaping over the storage boxes with the others close behind her.

The doors slid open again and a few men dressed in overalls were smoking nearby, laughing and joking about the cargo. Paine, Fang and Lightning remained hidden until the men were called away. Fang crept out of her hiding place and slinked to the opening. She stuck her head out carefully, she observed the warehouse they were now in and paled. Gesturing for the others to come over, Lightning snuck up to her side, pressing against her for comfort.

Paine hid a smile as she watched Fang instinctively wrap an arm around the pinkette, pleased with how far they had come and how close with each other they were. They'd been through a lot, and admittedly while she still had some doubts given Lightning's background, the ex-GC officer had shown nothing but loyalty, comradery and determination. Paine would take that over her police record any day of the week. She opened a crate and pulled out a bunch of grenades hanging off a belt and wrapped it around her. She gave a shrug at the pointed stares and held her hands up defensively.

"What? May as well use what we've got access to."

"Once we confirm these workers here are all Tria-" Lightning's sardonic warning cut off by another bark from a nearby man in a suit.

"Get these crates unloaded on the double! Half are to head to the airport bound for the other continents, the rest are to be distributed amongst the Triads to fuck those Ragnarok assholes up." The suited man bellowed, ordering the warehouse workers around in a harsh tone.

Fang snarled at the man from the shadows and turned to her partner. "Confirmation enough for you?" Lightning merely pulled a knife from her belt, her eyes sharp and cold.

"Indeed."

They slid out from the carriage silently, moving amongst the storage crates and other carts within the warehouse. The space was enormous, and had enough vehicles, weaponry and tactical gear to overthrow a major government. Lightning pulled out her phone and took photos of the equipment, serial numbers and gang movement to save for Vanille and Cloud later. The size of the force was highly concerning.

"This isn't all for us." She concluded, glancing around. "I don't think this was what Naki had in mind when he gave us the intel for the train station, but this is... Something else."

"Well remind me to bake him a cake when I finally meet him. Or punch him. It could go either way at this point." Fang growled, trying to figure out how to escape. "We can't let any of this leave the city. Hell, we can't let it leave the warehouse."

Lightning turned with a mildly devious grin that unsettled her partner. She leant forward and kissed Fang's ear, the Pulsian feeling the smile against her skin.

"I have a plan... And it involves you getting what you want..."

Fang leant back and gave Lightning a salacious once over, before following the pinkette's gaze back to the train. She gasped with joy and grabbed Lightning by the shoulders. "I get my wish?"

"Yes, Fang. You get to steal the damn train. We're going to need it to get out of here once we light this place up."

Paine chuckled and picked up a grenade from her belt, throwing it in the air playfully. "That's my kind of plan, Light. Lemme draw their attention for a moment." She called out, pulling the pin and throwing it as far as she could. It was an impressive shot, landing over by the back wall quite far from where they were hidden.

"Nice shot, Paine. That'll give us a few moments head start while they try to figure out where we're at." Lightning quipped, throwing her knife into the throat of a man who had had the misfortune to walk around the corner just moments before the grenade went off.

The explosion tore through the warehouse, the heat warming their skin even from their hiding spot. Chaos erupted with the fire that broke out and the trio knew it was their time to move. Lightning whirled around and pointed at the train. "Fang, unhook the cargo from the main engine, we need to get that free so we can make our escape."

A few gun shots rang out, ricocheting off the steel carriages and sending the women ducking for cover. A tall, sinister looking man stood on a walkway above them, aiming with a sniper's rifle. His incredibly long white hair was flicked up by the explosion, and gave him a deadly and ethereal appearance. He took aim and fired, Lightning rolling into a stack of crates and knocking them over in an attempt to escape. She caught the familiar glint from underneath an upturned crates and shrugged. "I'll take what I can get at this point." Lightning muttered, reaching into the case.

She withdrew an ornate and deadly-looking gunblade, the steel curved in a more wicked design than the Psicom-issued blade Fang had acquired for her. It was clearly designed to make an impression, and Lightning was certainly impressed. She immediately located the switch to convert it and fired off a volley of shots at the walkway above her. The man was sent running back, allowing her to get clear from his line of sight.

A roar of anger behind her had her spinning just in time to barely block a fist swinging violently at her face. The well-dressed Turks lackey was highly skilled in hand to hand combat, and Lightning suddenly found herself being pushed back into one of the walkways. They locked arms and pushed against one another in the open space until Lightning felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise. The barest hint of a red dot appeared on the edges of her peripherals, and she let her weight fall backwards. The momentum from the other thug pushed her quickly out of the way as he took the bullet meant for her.

"Light! We got the engine uncoupled, let's get the fuck out of here!" Fang yelled out, drawing the sniper's attention. She ducked as the bullets pinged off the driver's cabin, snarling at the man on the walkways above them.

Racing over to the train, Lightning noticed that it was loaded with a significant amount of explosives. She glanced nervously at the daunting sight of them, concerned that it would only take accurate shot from the sniper and send them all to hell.

Fang sensed her hesitation and pulled her close. "Don't sweat it, gorgeous. We aren't using this as a ticket out of here. We're merely using it as a... distraction." She purred, yanking the brakes off and pushing a lever forward to send the train lurching forward. It immediately became a target for the other thugs in the warehouse, opening fire on the driver's cabin. But Fang had already dragged Lightning off the train and was running off in the opposite direction.

"That's headed straight for the fucking station! Someone get onto the track controls!" They heard a lackey bellow in a mixture of fear and anger, as he ran towards the control room. Debris from the grenade explosion blocked access to it and they all started desperately trying to clear the rubble.

A nearby armoured truck flickered its lights at Fang and she led Lightning towards it. It was a huge six-wheeled tactical vehicle, and it was loaded up with many crates of weapons and equipment in the back.

"Souvenirs?"

"Well that Naki bloke did say the information was a gift, so I'm treating myself." Fang quipped with a raise of an eyebrow. She opened the door to the truck and climbed inside, motioning to Paine to get a launcher from the crates. The silver-haired woman complied and hefted one up to hand to Fang. "Start driving, babe. Need to get some clearance from the warehouse." Lightning nodded and slid into the driver's seat, gunning the engine and roaring from the warehouse.

Fang kicked the back door open, holding onto the railing while aiming the launcher with her other hand. "Hey arseholes! This is for fucking up my clothing shop! Come day of wrath, fuckers!"

Waiting until Lightning had driven them far enough out of the way, Fang fired the launcher before throwing the weapon clear and quickly shutting the doors on the back of the van. The rocket hit a crate of ammunition and explosives and sent the entire building up in flames, smoke and flying debris. The truck bounced forward from the shockwave, Lightning barely able to outrun the blast. There was a simultaneous explosion in the distance, back in the direction of the train station. The air burned around them, Lightning wiping dripping sweat from her brow as she continued to focus on the road ahead, not the devastation unfolding behind them. Fang and Paine kept an eye out the back for anyone pursuing, and Lightning kept the headlights low to avoid drawing too much attention. The explosion had caused a blackout stretching across several city blocks surrounding the station, giving them the perfect cover to escape in the dark van.

When they were in the clear and Lightning was able to slow down, Fang pulled out her phone and dialled her sister. When the call connected the first thing she heard was Vanille sighing.

"Was that explosion your doing?"

"Both of them"

"... So much for that low profile. Should we just follow the fire?"

Fang rolled her eyes and sighed. "Get Yuna's place ready for us, we're going to drop off some toys. We'll be there soon and I'll fill you in." Fang hung up on her sister, and they continued to drive back to the warehouse that Yuna's family owned. It was far too risky to bring the giant conspicuous truck through the main streets to the hotel. "Hey, Lightning," She called out quietly, staring out at the dark streets passing by the truck. "This Pulsian informant that keeps harassing you. You think this was planned? He working with us, or against us?"

Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, Lightning frowned and shook her head. "Honestly, it's hard to say. Half of downtown is on fire based on his intel, whether that was a fluke on our part or by design? It's too early to tell. He's known to the locals and yet he's a ghost. No known records of him in the Psicom systems, or even here in Yusnaan. I wouldn't say he's an enemy, but I can't call him a friend."

Fang kicked the front of her teeth in annoyance and slouched in her seat. "Next time this bastard shows up, I wanna be there." She said firmly, tired of waiting for the proverbial knife in her back from these former villagers. One way or another, she was going to see this Pulsian's true intentions with her and her wife.

Yawning and bleary eyed, Fang staggered into the dining hall in the mid hours of the morning and was immediately assaulted by scent of heavy spices, coffee and baking bread. Lightning followed suit, still half asleep and grumpy. They didn't get in until late the night before after stashing and securing the truck filled with weapons. Once they'd finished debriefing, Fang barely remembered even making it to bed, let alone the hotel. She was just thankful she'd remembered to take her shoes off before crashing out.

While she felt marginally more human after a shower, the aches and pains from a night of fighting were definitely making themselves known. Fang trudged over to the nearest table and slid into the chair with a complaining groan.

"I am getting too old for this shit."

Lightning slowly walked over with coffee and kissed her on the top of the head. "Well lucky I have a thing for you even if you are an old hag."

"Oi!" Fang exclaimed in outrage, giving the pinkette a light swat on the rear for her mischief.

Balthier appeared from the kitchen with a broad grin on his face, waving to them as came over to them for breakfast. "So I hear some congratulations are in order! Between the explosion in the maintenance yard and the other at the station you have crippled about two thirds of the Turks in one... Well more like two hits! Glad we've got this place fortified now and are prepared for any retaliation after your weapons haul. But very well done ladies, for such an achievement I thought I could offer a purchased breakfast for once."

"Aw, Balthy, you didn't have to do that." Fang replied with a wave of her hand. She watched as Vaan brought plates of food out from the kitchen, and Balthier shrugged.

"Two thirds, you say? That's not a bad effort, is it?" Fang mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Lightning smiled and kissed her on the cheek before resting her head on her shoulder.

"I'd say it's a decisive victory, and a crippling blow to the Fal'cie and whatever they had planned with that weapons cache." Lightning answered, taking a sip of her beloved coffee.

Balthier gave a nod with a hum and allowed Vaan to start dishing out the food. "Indeed it was. Many of our people will be sleeping much more soundly without the Turks breathing down their necks. At any rate, I thought you could do with a taste of the home given what you've been through."

"Thanks, I never thought I'd miss a home cooked meal back in Eden but you know how it goes." Fang said with a smile as Vaan placed a plate with a spiced potato mix in front of her and Lightning. The scent hit her nostrils and she gasped, her throat suddenly dry. Balthier gave her a knowing glance and bowed his head.

"That wasn't the home I was talking about, but I'm sure you've already figured that out."

Lightning quirked an eyebrow at his comments and looked over to her partner to find her staring at the food in front of her with a strained expression on her face. "Fang? Are you ok?" She asked quietly, presuming that the traditional food was stirring up bad memories for her partner.

"Where… Did you get this?" She asked Vaan, voice quiet. The boy tilted his head and pointed behind him with a lop-sided grin.

"There's a guy down in the food district that owns a stall. Makes traditional Pulsian food. Man, has it been that long since you've had any?"

Fang felt a gentle hand slide over her leg and rest on her knee. Lightning ducked her head down to try to meet her lost-looking gaze, but Fang turned away. She took a small spoonful of the breakfast and hesitantly tasted it, as if fearful of the flavour. A balanced mix of sweet and spiced seasoning hit her tongue and she inhaled sharply. "It's a dish called Alo'Ka Bhatih. Oerban traditional recipe… Each clan makes it in different ways and… we all have our different variants on how to make it… The… The ingredients are very specific. Vaan. The stall holder. Insanely red hair, likely wears traditional feathers?" She asked, Lightning's head snapping up at the description. Fang was describing Naki perfectly.

"I mean yeah but I wouldn't say insanely, he is an old dude. Maybe when he was younger? Have you met him before?"

She swallowed hard and pushed the plate away. "Yeah. Yeah I have. Balthier, I thank you and the others for your hospitality but... I need to go."

Lightning warily placed her own fork down and stood, wondering what exactly was in that breakfast that had affected her partner so. She watched as Fang took a gun and loaded it, leaving the hotel lobby and heading out to the streets.

Chasing after her partner, Lightning raced down the path, ducking in amongst the other pedestrians to catch up. If she wasn't so worried, she'd be impressed at just how much ground Fang had managed to cover before she had finally gotten within a few paces of the briskly stalking Pulsian.

"Fang! Slow up will you? What's going on?" Lightning called out, grabbing for her partner's wrist. "Hey, sweetie, talk to me. Please? You're scaring me a little." The last of her words seemed to finally reach the brunette and Fang slowed her steps, coming to a halt at the edge of the market.

"I... I need to be sure, Light." She replied with a wavering voice. Lightning reluctantly accepted that was about all she was getting out of her wife at that point, so nudged her forward with a supportive hand at her back. They made their way through the crowded markets until Fang suddenly stopped in her tracks. She was staring directly at the traditional food stall where Vaan had visited earlier this morning. Gripping Lightning's hand tightly, she led her along the path until she came to the counter where the vendor stood.

He was a tall man with deep red hair, tied back with a few plaited sections falling over his shoulder. Lightning had seen him too many times before to not recognise him. He was the informant. Whether he had been helping them or secretly subverting them, with the way some of the intel had panned out it remained to be seen. However, a feeling of dread began to overcome her as she began to realise that the reason Naki had never shown his face around Fang was because the two had history. Judging by the dark expression on her wife's face, Lightning knew that revelation yielded no clearer answer as to whether or not Naki was a threat.

His back was turned to them as they approached, and Fang's hand reached for the bell on the counter, barely able to stop her hand from shaking to ring it.

"Good morning, what can I get you?" He asked the women casually as he turned, the colour draining from his face as soon as he laid eyes on Fang. He wore traditional facial tattoos along with a few of the more modern, artistic variety on either side of his neck. One side of his face was scarred, with his right eye fused shut. His one good eye, a sea green gazed at them in what Lightning could only deduce was fear. Lightning looked between the two of them and knew they recognised each other.

"It's… you." Fang whispered with a voice tight from emotion. His gaze dropped and he switched off his stoves. Drawing back a curtain behind him, he gestured for them to enter. Lightning frowned and followed close to Fang, concerned as to who this stranger was that had rattled her partner so much.

"You look like you've had a rough night." He said gruffly, offering a chair for them both at the table while he fixed them a coffee. The man brought a couple of mugs over and sat at the table, and placed his hands on the surface. "I suppose an explanation is in order at this point."

Fang laughed bitterly, startling Lightning with the barking sound. "I think that would be a fucking start." The Pulsian growled, clenching her fists. Her partner ran her hands over them, trying to placate her. The man glanced at the gesture and smiled wistfully.

"So. We meet again, malok'su. The ex-GC officer that's won the heart of my baby girl."

Lightning's blood ran cold and her head snapped towards the one-eyed man. "Come again?"

Fang looked at the pinkette with a strained gaze. "His name is Oerba Yun Nanaki. He's my father, Light."