AN- OMG it's been too long since I've updated this life has been complete nonsense. But now that it is slowing down from the constant train of unmitigated disasters and illness, LOOK AT ALL THIS PRODUCTIVE FUCKING WRITING AND ALL THESE UPDATES I'VE BEEN DOING.
Naki was staring up at the ceiling for a few seconds before he realised that he was on his back. His jaw throbbed and he rubbed it gingerly as he sat up. "Can't say I didn't have that coming, all things considered." He said quietly, eyes downcast. Fang was a maelstrom of fury, standing over her father as her chest heaved. The ghosts of her past very much alive and well, lying on the floor at her feet.
"All things considered. All. Things. Considered. That's literally all you're going to say? Are you kidding me? After sixteen years of thinking you're dead, that's it? You're going to have to do a lot better than that, old man." Fang growled threateningly, fists balled and ready for another round. Lightning was holding her back, trying to keep her from killing the man before they got any answers. Naki rolled over and spat blood from his mouth, trying to get his bearings before another assault.
"I didn't… I didn't have a choice." he finally answered in a strained voice, pushing himself up on his elbows. "I had already lost your mother, my best friend and his wife... I couldn't bear to see you taken from me as well, or the Dia's little girl as well!"
The air burnt Fang's lungs as she attempted to breathe. It was too much. That she spend so long grieving her losses to find out her father was alive the entire time. That he was alive and made no attempt to find her, to contact her, to help her, to be with her… She felt Lightning's grip relax on her and the pinkette strode over to the man, picking him up by the collar. After propping him back in his seat she pointed at him and glared.
"Start explaining before she kills you."
"Damn, Mal'am, you sure know how to pick 'em..." Naki muttered, scratching at his head. Lightning's expression didn't falter.
"Start explaining before I kill you."
His shoulders slumped as he leant forward on the table, clasping his hands together until his knuckles turned white.
"We were being surveyed by some big shot developer who wanted to come in and build on the reservation. Clan law was considered in a higher regard so they couldn't touch the lands while we were still living on it. So they sent along a little... Incentive as they called it. Some arsehole with a black void where his heart should have been. Jenova, a small time contractor with a small time gang. He came in the night while you and little Vanille were off camping."
Fang's hand slammed on the table, startling them both. "That story has long been told old man, get to the last where you're somehow still breathing!" She snarled, looking at him with violent intent. She didn't fancy being forced to relive that night all over again, and wanted to know how her father had managed to survive when all records had put him as deceased. No wonder they weren't able to find his identity when he was running around as Naki, slipping them breadcrumbs of intel. They weren't looking for someone who was by all counts, already dead.
"... Jenova murdered Vanille's parents, and your mother. Almost did me in as well. Leapt off a cliff to escape. By the time I'd managed to climb my way back and crawl back to the homestead, authorities were all over the place, and you two had been taken into custody."
He paused, taking a shaking breath and wiped at his face to clear the tears that had fallen from his eye. Fang did the same and Lightning had to pause. The striking resemblance in their eyes, the jaw line, even their mannerisms were similar when they moved or scowled, were excruciatingly obvious. She couldn't even begin to understand what Fang was going through, and her heart ached for her partner, and for her own losses. She'd give anything to be in this position again. Lightning hung her head and placed a supportive hand at Fang's back. Naki saw the gesture and smiled sadly.
"If they thought I was dead along with the rest of our family, you and Vanille would be left alone. So I went hunting for the bastards that took your mother from us. I left Oerba, hoping that the orphanage would at least give you a shot at stability."
"Fat lot of good that did, all things considered." Fang retorted savagely, absolutely seething. The wood creaked where she gripped the table, as if it would splinter in her hands. "Why didn't you come back? I ended up with the Port Runners for years doing their dirty work until I landed in Eden taking on the Fal'Cie. My face is all over those bloody ridiculous clothing stores for Etro's sake... Surely you knew? Why didn't you come find me?"
Her father looked away, tears stinging at his eye. "I lost myself in my grief, my rage... By the time I'd come up for air you were a grown woman. You'd unwittingly wound up in the very world that ended your mother and my friends. I didn't know how to approach you, didn't know how to reconcile that knowledge. But I've... Seen what you did in Eden. How you saved the city. What you've grown up to be. I'm proud of the woman you've become, Mal'am."
Fang stood abruptly at his words, knocking the chair over on the floor. Her fists shook with rage and she could barely contain the fury. "You and your accumulated pride can go to hell." She snarled, stalking out of the kitchen and practically tearing the curtain from the rod it hung from in her departure.
"Fang, wait!"
Lightning chased after her partner, who had already made considerable ground through the market place. Having to sprint to catch up, she weaved through the waning crowds until she managed to find the Pulsian still storming along the streets. Fang had tunnel vision in her overwhelming anger. She wasn't going to hear her.
"Would you just… Stop… For the love of… Fang!" Lightning reached for her and grabbed her, the Pulsian already whirling around ready to strike while clearly on autopilot. Lightning caught her fist and held onto it, waiting for the awareness to come back. "Take a breath, please. Let's talk this out."
Fang's eyes fluttered for a moment and she relaxed her arms, allowing Lightning to let her go. "There's nothing to talk about, Light. Apparently my entire life is a lie, everything I ever fought for was a lie, and my father is a coward that has decided to hide instead of fight for his family." She growled, squaring her shoulders and moving to walk away again. Lightning held onto her waist and pulled her back in, cupping her face with her hands.
"You have every right to be angry, Fang. You do. But you have to take a breath, calm yourself. You know how you get when your anger gets out of control. I need a break from blowing up the city for five minutes." Lightning sighed, resting her forehead against the Pulsian's. "Let's go back to the hotel."
"I don't want to go back to the hotel. I just… I need to get rid of this excess energy."
Lightning sighed, giving her partner a disparaging look. "Sweetie please. The last time you needed to get rid of excess energy half the port warehouses caught fire in a raid. Just… Take the time that you need but… You should find a way to talk to him."
Fang stopped dead in her tracks, turning to face the pinkette. "What did you just say?"
"I think you should talk to him. You need to process what happened, but you've got a chance here to get your family back." Lightning pressed, trying to take Fang by the hands again. "Vanille needs to know someone survived too. I acknowledge my perspective might be… Coloured somewhat. You have a chance many would kill for here, Fang. A chance I would kill for."
Fang growled and folded her arms, keeping her hands away from Lightning. She didn't want comfort. She didn't want reconciliation. She wanted to burn the city to the ground for hiding him from her for so long. Something. Anything to direct her rage towards. Fang curled her lip with a disparaging glare, shaking her head at her partner. "Why are you being so fucking insistent on this, Light?" She demanded, frustrated at the pinkette's repeated attempts to play diplomat. Lightning's expression darkened and she looked away with a hard swallow.
"Because your father just came back from the dead, Fang. I will never have that privilege. My father's blood is on my hands, I know he's not coming back." Lightning seethed, her lip curling into a snarl.
Shaking her head, Fang balled her fists with a growl. "Just because I have the opportunity doesn't mean I should take it. Why would I want to reunite with a coward that didn't have the guts to tell me he was even alive? I'm sorry for what happened to your father way back when, but stop projecting your own fractured family dynamic onto the situation because it's not fucking helping." The words were out of her mouth before she could even stop them, and she saw the hurt across her partner's face.
"Right. So that's how you want to play it then." Lightning said quietly, her voice strained and eyes lined with tears. It had felt like someone had dropped an anvil on her chest. Fang winced and held out her hand, reaching for her.
"I… Light, I… I didn't mean it like that I-"
"Any time anyone has ever said that they didn't mean it like that is a liar, Fang." Lightning interjected, staring at the dirty pavement beneath her feet. "You meant it exactly how you said it. Go do whatever it is you need to do. I don't care."
Before Fang could stop her, Lightning turned and walked away, shoving her hands in her pockets and ignoring the repeated cries for her to stop. The only thing that made her look back was the screech of tires that barrelled towards them, Lightning cursing under her breath as she saw a van aiming straight for Fang. "God dammit, look out!"
Fang threw a glance over her shoulder and yelped, diving out of the way before she was struck down by the vehicle. It skidded to a halt and Lightning ran back over to help her up, checking her for injuries. "I'm alright, I'm alright." Fang assured her.
"Good. I'm still mad at you." Lightning growled, pulling a gun at the finely dressed Turks' members that got out of the vehicle. She opened fire and hit one in the shoulder, forcing them to duck behind the van for cover. "Come on!" Lightning dragged Fang by the collar and hid in an alleyway, looking down at her belt in exasperation.
"What? I kinda left in a hurry this morning I didn't exactly have time to be prepared."
"You should always be prepared, we're on a god damned hit list!" Lightning snapped, shielding Fang and rounding the corner briefly to check the location of the Turks. There were only three, which means this was either a poorly executed plan, or a moment of opportunity. It meant that outside the safety of the hotel, they were fair game. Not that this came as a surprise to Lightning, by any means. But it once again made her miss the easy streets of Eden and she idly wondered just how long she'd be willing to keep up this fight.
A bullet struck her in the chest and sent her crashing backward, Fang crying out in a panic. "Light!" She yelled, crouching over the prone form as she coughed and wheezed. There was very clearly an impact shot, but where was the blood? Opening her shirt, instead of a Fang found her wearing a bulletproof vest. "You're kidding me."
"Always… Be… Prepared… Fang… Fuck that hurts…" Lightning rasped, fighting to get the air back in her lungs after having the wind knocked out of her. "Still.. Mad… At you…"
Fang sighed and cupped her face briefly, before taking the gun from her hand. "I know, darlin'. I know. Backhand me later for it. Catch your breath a second." She said quietly, swinging back out of the alley and drawing the attention away with a burst of cover fire. Lightning crawled to her feet and took slow, deep breaths, wary of how bruised her ribs felt. Good thing she didn't leave the hotel without it. The moment's hesitation would have cost them everything.
Lightning caught up with Fang as the Pulsian hid behind a car, taking shots at the Turks when she could. She snatched the gun out of her hand to reload it, shaking her head. "You always were a terrible shot." She muttered, leaning over the bonnet and putting two bullets into the chest of the one that had shot her. "Payback, asshole. Bet you're not wearing a vest either."
There was an odd sound of metal scraping along the asphalt and Fang turned to see a small canister rolling towards them. "Shit! Grenade!" She yelled, scrambling back to get away from it.
"No, it's a flashbang! Cover your ey-" Lightning's words were cut off by the shockwave, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Her ears rung and her eyes burned, the world smokey and spinning from the impact. Lightning vaguely registered the sound of the van's tires screeching away as she rolled over and got on her hands and knees, coughing in the dissipating smoke. "Ugh. Remind me to have an argument with you inside the safety of the hotel next time, Fang." She muttered, sticking a finger in her ear and massaging it to try to alleviate the high-pitched noise. The smoke cleared and Lightning glanced around, finding the streets empty and herself completely alone.
"… Fang?"
Lightning paced the floor of the hotel, looking more murderous than anyone had ever seen her. Vanille was sitting quietly at her laptop, typing furiously away, her expression grim. She glanced up at Lightning as she walked past for the fifteenth time and sighed.
"It seems like that attack was a distraction. The security footage in the area shows another van waiting just out of sight for the right moment. Whether they were looking to nab her or you is anyone's guess."
Lightning punched the table in anger, snarling in frustration. "I need to find where she's been taken. We have too many enemies in this city so it's near impossible to figure out who took her."
"I'm working on it, Light. Go for a walk." Vanille warned sternly, keeping her head down and her eyes glued to the laptop. Lightning knew when to take a hint and held her breath to stop the sigh.
"Let me know the minute you... Sorry. I know you will." Lightning apologised, before heading to the door. She paused and looked back, giving her a soft nod. "We'll get her back, Van." When there was no response beyond a grunt, Lightning left the room and wandered out to the lobby. She gave Paine a strained smile which very quickly faded at the sight of Naki at the foot of the stairs. "What are you doing here?" She snapped, tired of intrusions in her life. Fang's father rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, in a gesture that her partner often mirrored.
"I think I might know where Fang's been taken." He said quietly, looking around at the busy hotel. Lightning pulled him aside, her expression dark.
"Speak. Now."
Naki glanced around and scratched the scar on his face. "I tend to be forgotten a lot. Keep to myself. Means that when people are talking in hushed whispers. I… Uh…" He trailed off as Vanille stood in the doorway, looking like she'd seen a ghost. "Gods… Is that… Little Dia?" He hissed at Lightning, who took a few steps back to get out of the way. Vanille approached him slowly, her jaw dropped in shock.
"U..Uncle Neekee?" She called out, her voice already cracking. He nodded, hanging his head in anguish. Vanille reached up to touch his face, running her thumb over his scar that drew a savage line down one half of his face. "Did anyone else…"
"No," he rasped, a tear in his good eye. "I'm sorry, e'ya wefi."
Vanille remained quiet for a moment with a thoughtful nod, before she struck out with a hard slap across his face. It echoed across the hotel lobby and everyone stopped what they were doing to stare. "How. Dare you. How dare you show up now, after all this time. How dare you be alive after we were left alone. After everything that happened to Fang. Now she's been taken and this is the convenient time you decide to raise from the dead?"
When she moved to strike him again her wrist was caught by Lightning's strong grip, the pinkette pulling her back gently. "He has information on Fang's whereabouts, Vanille. You have every right to hate him, every right to be angry as Fang is. But now isn't the time. Find her first. Be mad later." Lightning urged her gently, rubbing small, comforting circles on her back.
"Fine. But you better help us bring her back, and have a damn good reason to have been gone from our lives for so long when this is all done." Vanille snapped, wrenching her hand free and storming off into the back rooms to go back to work. Naki rubbed his face and straightened up, watching her leave.
"You alright? Two hits in one day.." Lightning observed, checking him over. He waved her off dismissively and gave a soft laugh.
"I'm proud of them, more than anything. They've both grown into fine, strong women without me. There isn't a day when I haven't thought about our little family on the reserve at Oerba. But… There'll be time for that later. I had been coming after you both, I wasn't… Wasn't willing to leave things the way they were. Not after everything." Naki sighed and sat down on a nearby lounge, Lightning motioning towards Aranea for a drink.
"So what did you see?" She asked, keeping the bustle of the hotel in her peripherals. When the silver-haired woman approached and handed over a double shot of whiskey, it was very quickly consumed. Aranea gave him a pat on the shoulder and sat down with a look of concern at his bruised face.
"Naki, have you been getting yourself into trouble with the Wharf Rats again?" She asked, Lightning's eyes snapping towards her before rolling in disdain.
"Of course you know him. Why am I not surprised?"
"I'm a social butterfly, sweetie. What can I say? Now. Tell us what happened to that tall drink of gorgeous that's been taken." Aranea asked, ignoring the wince and the arch of Naki's eyebrow.
"Careful, darlin'. That's my daughter you're talking about there."
Aranea was stunned into silence, and she slowly got up and retreated from the table, muttering about crazy clearly running in the family. Lightning sighed and moved into his line of sight. "Enough interruptions. Tell me where Fang is."
Naki gave a slow nod and cradled the empty glass. "Aranea was right about trouble with the Wharf Rats. They're a group, not a gang or have anything to do with the Triads or the like… But displaced Pulsians who rejected Balthier's accommodation. They live in the sewers and beneath the broken pier just off the warehouse district. I had overheard some of them earlier in the marketplace, talking about their latest prize to win favour with Bhunivelze and his ilk."
Lightning's lips thinned and she ground her teeth in her head. "Their latest prize being Fang, I presume." She growled, her fists balling in anger. "Why would anyone want to try to score points with someone so untrustworthy?"
"People here aren't left with much of a choice, Lightning. But luckily, I have traded with them in the past, so I should be able to get in with minimal questioning."
Lightning scoffed at the notion. "You're not going in alone, are you crazy?"
"Absolutely," Naki replied. "I'm Fang's father, after all." He reached across and took Lightning's hand, looking sincerely at her with his good eye. "Please. I just found her again. I won't lose her twice."
The honesty was the first true thing she had seen of him since she had first met him. Lightning stared over at the door to find her sister comforting Vanille, who looked distraught. "Alright. But you figure out how the hell to get me in there. I won't leave Fang alone. Or you for that matter."
"Deal." Naki said, holding out his hand in acknowledgement. Lightning gave him a small smile and bumped his wrist with her own, familiar with Pulsian gestures. "Full of surprises, viper."
"Ruhn heb fe id'aal, Naki." Lightning quipped, her Cocoonian accent wrapping around the Pulsian words as best she could. She stood slowly and leant against the nearby pillar, watching her sister try her best to cheer Vanille up. "Neekee?"
Naki gave a sad smile and folded his arms, looking wistfully over at what was effectively his step-daughter. "She couldn't say my name probably as a wee bab. So she took to calling me Neekee. Kinda stuck. e'ya wefi. My little songbird. Her… Parents would be so proud. I'm so proud."
Lightning pushed off from the pillar and made her way to the armoury. "Let's make sure you get home with Fang so you can tell them yourself."