Hi all! And Happy Halloween!! ^^

I recovered from whatever illness had a hold on me and got the chapter done! Unfortunately, I may not be able to update in the usual week next time. You see, Halloween signals the coming of November and, with it, NaNoWriMo (google it). I've been participating for the last five years and even with all the craziness going on in my life right now I'm refusing to give it up. It's a stupid decision that I will probably regret very soon, but whatever. I apologize in advance for whatever effect this will have on my ability to update in such a timely manner, and I will try my best to keep the time between updates as short as possible! Thank you for putting up with my nonsense! ^^;

And thank you to Arid Tundra, flammula, Blah..., Clockwork Phoenix, Velvet Chaos, DeNiSaY60, Shukakku the adorable raccoon, A-chan, b4k4 ch4n, Aindel S. Druida, Kikurukina Bal Des'cagel, Shinimegami7, Dragi, , CloudedMirror89, Anonymous, MadeInHolland, ooXloveXoo582, Bane-Dane, FireHawk038, Nekotsubasa, krad, The Hollow Fairy Wolf, LoneBoy7, and RealityInABottle! I can't describe how awesome it is to hear from all of you! ^^

O

Chapter 11

A small frown made its way onto Squall's face as he pressed against his pillow, his consciousness on the edge of dream and reality as he slowly woke. Something was off…not necessarily in a bad way, but still. The feel, the smell of the bed. Familiar and yet he felt like that's not where he was supposed to be waking up.

Stormy eyes finally flickered open and he stared blankly for a second or two until he was able to get his bearings. He was in his parents' room. Last night—Memories starting to click in to place and he sat up, eyes immediately searching for any signs of the detective. The other side of the bed had been abandoned, the sheets already cold, and the only articles of clothes on the floor were his.

Squall let out a soft grunt as he pushed the covers off of himself and shivered as the cool morning air hit his bare skin. Realizing that he was naked, he leapt out of the bed, his parents' bed, as if it had caught fire, his eyes widening as he looked around the room again. Last night, he hadn't been thinking, it had just been another bed, but this morning it was his parents' bed, his dead parents' bed. He had had sex with another man, the man who was trying to put him in prison, in his dead parents' bed.

Letting out a muffled curse, Squall quickly began to gather up his clothes and, as soon as he had pulled on his boxers he began to strip the bed of its linens. Everything was getting dry cleaned. Even if they hadn't actually touched it, it was going to get washed. Folding up all the sheets and piling them up near the door, Squall only felt ready to leave when he double checked the rest of the room twice for any stray articles of clothing.

Squall walked over to the door and, after opening it a crack to make sure Sora wasn't right outside, he slipped out, a scowl finding its way onto his lips as he noticed his shirt sitting randomly in the hall. Picking it up, he followed the hallway out towards the entryway and something on the ground by the door caught his eye. His house key was on the floor. His brows knit together as he bent down to pick it up. He never took it off of his key ring so why would it be on the fl—ah. Cloud.

Glancing up, Squall's eyes found the mail slot and his suspicions were confirmed. He must've left already then…Squall couldn't say he blamed the guy, although he was surprised he hadn't woken up when the other had left. Usually he was such a light sleeper but apparently good, rough sex knocked him out like a light. And yes, he would be the first to admit to himself that last night had been good, but Cloud would find that out only over his cold, dead body. He couldn't imagine what the detective must've thought when he had woken up next to him…Squall couldn't help the small pang of regret that went through him. Detective Strife was a demanding, stubborn ass but he must've looked beautiful when he was sleeping. If he had woken up earlier, maybe he would've been able to find out. Now he doubted that the detective would touch him with a fifty-foot pole, much less sleep in the same room with him again.

It made him wonder. If he hadn't been a criminal, would he and Cloud be able to think about having a relationship? Then again, would they even want one? The sex the night before had definitely been fueled by their mutual dislike for the other, Squall could feel it in the rough way that they had handled each other. If they didn't have that antagonism, that competition between them, would they even be interested in each other? Sure, Cloud would still be attractive, but it was the frustration Squall felt towards him that made him irresistible. It definitely wouldn't be so exciting if the circumstances were different.

As his thoughts began to settle, a long sigh escaped him. What the hell had happened to his life? He was a mercenary, then a thief, now a wanted criminal sleeping with the detective who was working his case…surely there was some sort of psychological disorder that could be associated with this…Self-destruction? Masochism maybe.

Either way, today things would have to change. Under suspicion from the law, pressure from the Organization, and by Zexion's orders, he would no longer be able to bring money in through his night job. Squall wasn't sure how long all of this was going to last but he and Sora were still going to have to eat and pay bills so he was back to square one. He needed a new job. And it was going to be legitimate this time. Something Cloud had said last night had got to him, how he knew people in worse situations finding better answers or whatever. There were hundreds of other people out there who had lost their jobs and needed to provide for their families, just like he did, and yet they managed to get by legally. If there was a way that he could do the same, Squall was determined to find it.

Walking back into his own bedroom, Squall grabbed a new change of clothes before walking across the hall to the bathroom to clean himself up. The shower was very much appreciated; some of the tension that had started to build back up in his muscles since he woke up beginning to melt away a little.

The noise of the shower running apparently roused Sora, the teen appearing in the bathroom doorway as Squall stepped out, "Morning…"

"I'm surprised you're awake so early."

Letting out a wide yawn, Sora tried to hide it behind his hand, "Yeah. School's today and stuff…"

"Hm, maybe you're not completely awake yet after all." Squall couldn't help but grin as Sora gave him a long, sleepy blink. "Are you going to take a shower?" Receiving a rod this time, Squall rested his hands on his sides, "I'll go get something started for breakfast then so we can get you out the door on time today."

Sora nodded again, although this time with a little more enthusiasm, and Squall relinquished the bathroom to his younger brother. Before he made it to the kitchen though, he made a bee-line for the front door to pick up the newspaper that was waiting on the doorstep. Squall moved back inside the house and unfolded the morning paper so that it was covering nearly the entire kitchen table, the wanted ads staring back up at him. And Squall remembered how much he hated job searching.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Squall shook his head and focused instead on making breakfast, a task that rewarded him with a much more instant gratification. Sora reappeared a few minutes later, the boy's brunette spikes still damp from his shower although he looked otherwise ready to go. Sora was immediately attracted by the paper and wandered over to the table, taking a seat as he scanned the upside-down print, "What's this for?"

"I'm switching vocations, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Sora's whole face seemed to brighten as he was reminded of the news, "So did you see anything good?"

"I haven't really looked yet."

Frowning at Squall's apparent lack of proper enthusiasm, Sora turned the paper so it was facing towards him. His blue eyes narrowed as he skimmed through the lettering, "There's not much in here…"

"I wasn't expecting there to be a lot. But it's a start. Here," Putting a plate down in front of Sora, Squall spun the page back around so that he could look at it from his seat on the other side of the table, "Eat and let me look, alright?"

"Fine." After a few minutes of inhaling his pancakes, Sora swallowed a particularly large bite. Reaching across the table, he pointed to a smaller ad near the center of the page, "How about this?"

Squall raised a brow, "'Florist'?"

"Yeah…"

"Really. You could imagine me working as a florist?"

"Yeah…okay, no, no, I definitely can't. But it has the best hours!"

"I don't need the best hours, or the best pay. I just want a job." Looking up to find Sora giving him an odd sort of look, Squall frowned, "What?"

"It's just that, it seems like you should have a better job. It just, doesn't seem fair, is all."

"Unfortunately my credentials aren't exactly great."

Pouting down at his plate, Sora another large bite of pancake, "Still, you work too hard."

"Maybe I like to work hard."

Squall smirked at the exasperated look Sora sent him, the teen managing the expression so well that even Zexion would've been proud. "Well you still shouldn't have to!"

Wishing that Sora was right, Squall let out a small chuckle, glancing off-handedly up at the clock in order to change the topic, "Will you be ready to go in ten minutes?"

Sora's pout returned, knowing that his concerns had been brushed off. Spending a few moments to clean his plate of any remaining pancake debris, he finally he let out a small sigh, "Yeah, I just need to grab my homework from the family room."

"Good. Go grab it and I'll give you a ride again today. Afterwards, I'll go into town and ask around about some of these jobs." This time, he would have to seriously try to get someone downtown to hire him. Before, he had had the thief job as a fallback but now that safety net had been pulled out from underneath him. Even if it meant working at a damn florists'.

Unable to complain since he was getting a ride, Sora bounced to his feet and went into the family room, Squall taking the opportunity to slip back into his own room. All that talk about working had remind him that he should probably prepare himself for the worst. Making sure that Sora hadn't followed him in, Squall opened his bedside drawer and pulled out his SeeD handgun. Holding it for a few moments, he couldn't help but admire the way the weight felt so familiar in his palm. As soon as he wrapped his fingers around the grip it became like an extension of his hand, albeit with some additional deadly force. Squall carefully tucked it under his belt, pulling out his shirt so that the fabric would do a little to hide the weapon from Sora.

His timing was nearly perfect; as he walked back into the kitchen, Sora walked out of the family room with a confused look, "Hey Squall?"

Squall reminded himself to stay calm; Sora's eyes hadn't even gone down to his belt, he wouldn't be asking about it. "Yeah?"

"Why is the TV still on?"

"What?" Standing up, Squall followed Sora back into the family room to see that the TV was still indeed on, the flashing pictures silent as they ran on mute. Oh. Last night he had been watching TV when Cloud had knocked on his door. After everything that happened, he had just forgotten about it. "I just forgot to turn it off, that's all."

Squall grabbed the remote, the TV flickering off as Sora's eyes narrowed just a bit. He was suspicious. "You forgot to turn the TV off last night?"

"It happens."

"But you were always so strict about turning electronics and things off before…Did something happen last night while I was sleeping?"

"No Sora, nothing important happened."

"Nothing important happened? So something happened?!"

"Hey, do you want that ride to school or not?"

This shut Sora's mouth, but that suspicious edge to Sora's eyes was still there. "Fine. But I'll figure it out eventually!"

Rolling his eyes, Squall grabbed his leather jacket as he herded Sora back into the kitchen to get his things, "Not if I can help it…"

Sora perked up at the grumbled mutter, "What's that?"

"Nothing. Grab your backpack."

"Alright, alright! You don't need to push!"

Successfully managing to get out of the house and onto his bike, Squall dropped Sora off with a quick wave then sped back towards the center of Traverse Town. The city was already bustling about, despite the early hour and the crisp autumn air, Squall's hopes raised a little by the flourish of activity. With so many people running around doing business there had to be someone with an odd job available.

Parking his bike near a restaurant and bar close to the city's main gate, he started his search. He was going to go throughout the entire downtown if he had to, and go from shop to shop, even if it took all day. Taking a breath, he walked into his first stop, a restaurant. It wasn't even open for business yet but Squall wasn't discouraged, knocking sharply on the door to catch a woman's attention inside. She glanced up, annoyed, but put down her broom and went to the door, "What can I do for you?"

"Sorry for bothering you, ma'm. I just wanted to ask if you're hiring."

The woman frowned a bit, "Sorry love, we don't have any openings. Do you have experience in the food business?"

"No ma'm."

She shook her head, "I don't think we'll have an entry position opening for a while."

Squall nodded in understanding. It's not like he could really hold it against the woman, "Alright. Thank you very much for your time."

"Not a problem, love. Good luck!"

"Thanks."

Taking a step back onto the street, Squall glanced at the next shop over. It was a small convenience store that Squall himself had gone into a few times. They specialized in health supplies and specialty items that were hard to find at a regular supermarket. Stepping inside, the sharp tinkle of a bell gave away his presence and almost instantly three figures appeared at the counter. Squall blinked in surprise. They all looked to be fairly young, probably just out of high school, with light blond hair hidden under three baseball caps. The fact that they would've been identical if not for their clothing hinted at the fact that they were probably triplets. One of the boys leaned forward onto the counter, "Good morning! Anything you're looking for in particular?"

"Actually, I was here to see if you were hiring."

The boy's faces fell a bit at the thought of not making a sale and the one on the left answered back, "Unfortunately I don't think our Uncle's hiring. I'm pretty sure he already wishes he could fire one of us to he wouldn't have to pay us as much."

The boy on the right nodded in confirmation, "Luckily, we're family so he can't bring himself to do it!"

"I see." Squall had to wonder how much easier everything would be if he had some relatives left in town who he could guilt trip into giving him a job. "Thanks anyway." Glancing behind the counter, Squall motioned to an energy drink, "Actually, I'll get one of those." He had a long day ahead of him. A little extra caffeine would do him some good.

The three nephews were only too happy to oblige, one getting the drink while one went to the cash register, the last one going back to get another drink to restock the shelf. It was clear they had a good system going.

Leaving with his purchase, Squall quickly downed the drink out on the sidewalk. He was about to throw it into the recycling until he looked down at it and was reminded off that coffee cup incident earlier. Glancing around, suddenly aware that it wouldn't be too surprising if he were under surveillance right now, Squall heaved a sigh. Putting the drink can on the ground, Squall crushed the aluminum down with his boot and made sure that all the liquid was drained out before sticking it in his jacket pocket. Later he was going to have to do some research about how to remove DNA from things so that he could actually throw trash out in public again.

His next few stops were equally unprofitable. There was the toy store and the library and then the post office. Squall had had his hopes raised at the post office when he had been told there was an opening only to have his hopes dashed again as the man he was talking to continued by saying that they also ran obligatory checks on everyone's criminal record. Politely excusing himself, Squall left.

Looking up at the next store front, Squall frowned. Either that energy drink was already wearing off or he was already starting to get fed-up with looking. Neither bode well for the rest of his day. The next place looked similar to any other in Traverse Town, green and orange neon signs decorating the front and advertising the products sold inside. Jewelry, accessories…great. Well, he was getting desperate.

Pushing his way inside through a pair of wooden double doors, Squall's eyes narrowed as he looked around. He had been expecting some sort of feminine jewelry store but inside it looked more like a pawn shop. There were a few rows of counters with a multitude of things inside, ranging from the advertized jewelry to small handguns, the walls littered with random knickknacks for sale. Squall straightened up as he heard footsteps, his beliefs only confirmed when he saw a man come around from a back room. This was definitely a pawn shop. The scruffy-looking blond man appeared to be middle-aged, a pair of goggles on his forehead and the stub of a cigarette sticking out from the corner of his lips. The white t-shirt, jeans, and the orange jacket the man had tied around his waist were all stained with what Squall guessed was motor oil, and he smelled slightly like gasoline. "Whaddya want?"

"Oh, ah, I'm looking for a job."

"A job?" The man scoffed and rested his hands on his hips, "What'd, ya see a 'Help Wanted' sign on the door?"

"No, but—"

"What can ya even do anyway?"

"Anything you need me to do."

The man narrowed his dark blue eyes before smirking, "Good answer kid. Hm, let's take a look at ya." Squall stayed where he was as the man came out to inspect him, "Can you handle heavy work? Lift stuff up to a hundred pounds?"

"Yes sir."

"Hmph, 'sir'? What, were you in the military boy?"

"Yes sir."

"What branch?"

"SeeD."

"SeeD! All that fancy shit—" the man interrupted his grumble by sticking out his hand, "Captain Cid Highwind, kid."

Squall raised his brows in surprise, re-evaluating the man in front of him as he reached out and shook the man's hand. Underneath the gruffness, the influence of a military career was still evident if you looked hard. "Squall Leonhart. Army?"

"Air Force. I can fly darn near anything they make, even helped to build 'em back in the day. Looks like you've seen some action yourself. "

Squall nodded as Cid indicated to the scar across his face, "I've been in a fight or two. What are you doing here?"

"Earnin' a living, that's what. I just sell stuff no body wants anymore, run a parts shop outta the back. Man's gotta pay the bills, you know?" Squall heaved a sigh and nodded. Oh, he knew. Cid seemed to catch the sigh however and frowned, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth to knock off some of the ash, "So you're lookin' for a job then?"

"Yes sir. I'm pretty much willing to do anything for any pay."

"That desperate, huh? Well, it's just me here so it can get a little nuts here sometimes. I suppose having someone else around wouldn't be a bad thing." Squall perked up. Was Cid actually saying what he hoped he was saying? "Do ya like tea kid?"

"Tea?" What the hell? "I guess. I'll drink it sometimes."

"Hmph. Well, it wouldn't kill me to hire on some help…I suppose I could give you a chance, see how ya do."

Relief surged through Squall's body, feeling like a weight had just been lifted off of his shoulders, "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Now, the hours won't get great, and the pay'll suck, but at least it's somethin' right?"

"No, it's, no matter what it is, it'll be better than my last job."

"Sounds like a whole can a' worms I don't need to nose into. When can ya start?"

Squall looked up, trying to think everything through. The sooner he could get an income again, the better. But with everything going on, it might be better to stay home a little longer, just to see how everything was playing out. "Would it be fine if I come back in a week?" A week should definitely give him enough time to get a better idea of what his life was going to be like. Plus hopefully, everything would have a little time to settle down.

"Sure. That's fine. I don't really have any employee applications or nothing, so write down your information so I can get yer name in the books. When you come back, we'll work out yer hours and pay, alright?"

"That will work." Quickly writing down his name, address, and cell number on a scrap of paper Cid slid to his across the counter, Squall straightened up, "Thanks again."

"Happy ta help out, soldier. See you back in a week."

Squall nodded, "Yes sir, see you then."

This was it; he had a job again. But this time it was a real job, a legitimate job, something that he would eventually be able to write down on a resume. He wouldn't have to worry about where his income was coming from, or whether or not he would be able to deposit it into a bank without someone coming to arrest him. Even if both the shop and its owner seemed to be a little rough around the edges, Squall had no complaints. Heavy labor was one thing he knew he could do and Cid seemed like he wouldn't be too bad of a guy to work for. He seemed down to earth at least, and honest, two character attributes that would be refreshing after dealing with his old co-workers.

Cid let out a grumbled dismissal and picked up the paper with Squall's information scrawled across it, meandering into the back to file it away. Just as the man disappeared from view, Squall felt something vibrating in his pocket and started, his eyes narrowing as he pulled out his cell phone. Someone had sent him a text.

Waiting until he was back outside the shop, Squall flipped his phone open. He never got texts, no one he knew sent them. Pulling the message up only served to confuse Squall more. It was from Zexion. He could imagine Sora sending him one, but Zexion? Scrolling down, Squall began to read. Org hit at office. Went to Dem music store, they were waiting. Watch your back.

A bit of the color drained out of Squall's face. The Organization had found Zexion all the way in Traverse Town. Since they hit him at the office, which Squall could only assume meant the city office where he and Zexion had first met, they must have known that Zexion was really Ienzo Corazza and tracked him down. What worried him the most was that the Organization seemed to know where Demyx was, if he guessed right about what Dem meant. Did that mean that they would go after Sora too?

It was hard for him to imagine how the Organization had found them so quickly until he remembered what Riku and Zexion had said the afternoon before. The Organization probably had an informant buried within the Twilight Town Police Department. That meant that the Organization knew everything about them that the police department did, which would include his and Zexion's home addresses since the detectives made it clear that they knew Zexion's real name and identity. The detectives had most likely done some research on him and Zexion, so it wasn't too far of a stretch to imagine that they had Demyx, and Sora's, names on file. All of this information was probably gathered by the police yesterday meaning that the Organization had probably had had the same information for around twenty-four hours now. It wasn't surprising that they would be able to make their move against Zexion so quickly.

Rounding the corner, Squall was about to step out into the main downtown plaza when he spotted them. On edge from Zexion's text, the men loitering around where his motorcycle was parked seemed like too much of a coincidence. Slipping back behind a storefront, his fears were confirmed as he saw one of the men shift, the fabric of his jacket pulling away for just long enough for Squall to see the glint of a handgun sitting in a concealed holster. It was clear he wasn't getting to his bike any time soon. He could draw his own gun and force his way through but starting a fire-fight in the middle of downtown seemed like it would be a very bad idea. If nothing else, he would definitely be even higher up on the Twilight Town detectives' list of criminals to put in jail. He didn't want to see Cloud again that badly. Pulling his cellphone back out, Squall flipped it back open, his fingers clumsily typing out his reply. Theyre here too. Armed. What do I do?

Squall checked back around the corner as he waited for a response, only turning his eyes away from the men when the phone vibrated in his hand. Get out. Don't go home for a few days.

But what about Sora? I need to get my brother.

He'll be fine. They'll probably locate him soon, use him to find you.

Was that supposed to make him feel better? Without his motorcycle, it would take him about an hour to run across town to where Sora was, and he would have probably gotten out of school already making him an easier target for the Organization. Still, he was willing to run that far to make sure that Sora stayed safe. He only hoped that he would be able to make it in time before anything happened. Im going to get him.

You'll get caught. Riku just pulled up, we're leaving town for a while.

Riku was with him? Wait, "pulled up"? Did that mean Riku had a car? That meant that they might be able to get to Sora before the Organization did. Tell Riku to pick Sora up. Traverse High on 6th st.

Squall held his breath as the seconds ticked by, without a response. Finally, his phone buzzed: This is ridiculous. What are you going to do?

Letting out a huge sigh, Squall shook his head. I'll think of something. Call if theres trouble.

Zexion let out a noise of irritation and snapped his cell phone shut, Demyx looking on anxiously as Riku threw a small bag into the trunk of the car he had "borrowed" from one of his neighbors. "This is getting out of hand. We should not be placing ourselves responsible for a third party under these circumstances!"

"Shut up Zex, and get in the car. Demyx, you gonna to be alright?"

The musician nodded uncertainly, his sea-blue eyes on his boyfriend, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Xigbar said it's cool if I stay as long as I need to." They were currently standing in the driveway of Demyx's friend and fellow band-mate Xigbar. As soon as Zexion had ran to Demyx's store and spotted an Organization member "browsing" through aisle seven, he had whisked the blonde out through the back door. Thinking that it would be a bad idea for them to go back to their apartment, Zexion had taken them to a place that he thought Demyx would be safe for a while and called Riku to come get him. "But I still don't get what's going on, Ienzo. My boss is gonna be pissed that I skipped!"

"Look just, tell him that you started vomited and are violently ill, or that your brother died. Anything to keep you out of work for a few days. Those men that came after me will not hesitate to use you against me, so try to stay out of sight. I will call to let you know when it is alright for things to return to normal for you. I am sorry that you had to be brought into this."

Demyx let out a worried sigh, "Xigbar will take care of any weirdoes who come around, it's you I'm worried about. You're being chased around by armed psychos! And your leg's still broken!"

"I will take care of myself." Zexion jumped a little as Riku suddenly slammed his fist down on the car's horn, demanding that he get in. "We have to leave before we attract any of the wrong sort of attention. Be careful."

Standing on his tip toes, Zexion pressed a quick kiss to Demyx's lips, the taller blond looking momentarily shocked at the public display of affection before returning the gesture. Zexion fondly rolled his eyes at Demyx's surprised expression as he pulled away, "Remember, try to stay indoors and with someone until I call."

"Ah, okay." Hobbling over to the car, Zexion dropped down into the passenger seat. Following, Demyx tapped on the window as Riku started up the engine, "Come back soon, alright? And don't mess up your leg too much more!"

Zexion waved a goodbye and Riku took this as his cue and pulled away from the curb, smirking as Zexion's murmured, "I am not sure that there is any more damage that can be done to it…"

"Sure there is. Don't jinx yourself."

Glaring at him, Zexion adjusted his crutches that were laying awkwardly across his lap, "Shut up. I am not in a good mood."

"Can't imagine why. Getting jumped at your work, running to your boyfriend only to find him in danger too, and having to escape the city without being able to return to your apartment to get so much as a spare change of clothes…sounds like a great time."

"And you had to go and make it better by agreeing to pick up Leon's relative."

"Hey, it's my car. If you don't like the way I do things you're free to leave."

"Firstly, it is not your car. You do not own a car and I am fairly certain you do not even own a license. Secondly, I would but given the fact that I cannot reach my own car due to the fact that my apartment is undoubtedly surrounded by Organization members. Though I would not even be able to drive it with my right leg in a cast."

"My point still stands. Besides, I owe Leon, and you know how much I hate that…"

"Indeed."

With urgency and Riku's rather unorthodox driving choices, such as not following traffic signals or speed limits, they arrived at Traverse High in record time. Pulling up to the curb just as the bell rang, Riku shifted into park, "You see any Organization members around?"

Turning around in his seat, Zexion scanned the area, his eye narrowed, "I do not see anything immediately suspicious although they usually try not to stand out. Make this fast, we should have been out of town half an hour ago."

"Right." Slipping on a pair of sunglasses, Riku stepped out of the car, leaving the engine to idle as he walked up to the front gate of the school. If they needed to make a fast getaway, he knew that Zexion would find a way to work the pedals, broken leg or not, so it was better not to turn off the car and take the keys with him.

A shrill bell resounded through the air just as Riku made it to the front gate, hordes of teenagers appearing nearly instantaneously to flood out of the building. As they rushed by, Riku kept his eyes sharp. Since Sora wasn't expecting him or looking for him, it would be up to him to spot the teen coming out. Just as Riku thought that he had missed him he sighted a head of oddly spiked brunette hair, a flash of sky-blue confirming his identity as Riku called out, "Hey Sora!"

Even with the distance between them, Riku could see Sora's confused expression, the younger Leonhart saying goodbye to the small group he was walking with before pushing his way over to the hitman. Riku watched as Sora's blue eyes danced around as the teen pulled his backpack further up onto his shoulder, undoubtedly searching for his brother, "Riku! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pick you up kid."

"Really?" He now had Sora's full attention, although the kid didn't look any less confused, "Are you going to give me a ride home or something?"

"Sort of."

"Does Squall, er, Leon know about this?"

"Your brother was the one who asked me to get you. Now come on, I'll explain more in the car."

"You have a car?"

"Sort of."

Ignoring the student's questioning stare, Riku quickly herded him towards the street. He was growing more and more aware of the pressing crowds and the way that a man could easily sneak up on you with all the distractions. Although it was a crowded area in full daylight, it would be a prime location for a professional to take someone out. Riku would know. He'd been there before.

Sora seemed even more uncertain when he caught sight of Zexion sitting in the passenger side, taking a seat in the back at Riku's silent insistence. The silver-haired man only let himself relax as he climbed in himself and shut the car door, Zexion only sparing Sora a glance before motioning out towards the schoolyard. "You returned just in time."

"What's that?"

Zexion pointed outside and to a black SUV, eerily similar to the one that had been in the drive-by shooting the day before, "They just pulled up."

"Are you sure it's them?"

"Yes. They are probably looking for Sora here, perhaps they are aware that he would usually walk home."

Hearing the whole conversation, Sora leaned forward as Riku started the car, "What are you guys talking about? Who's looking for me?"

Riku replied first as he turned to drive in the direction that would take them out of the city, "Listen, we, meaning the two of us and your brother, kind of got ourselves into a bit of a situation. Long story short, those were bad guys who want to get you in order to kill Leon. This is Zexion by the way, he works with us."

"Wait, kill him? What do you mean?"

Zexion spoke up this time, his voice clipped and tense, "He means to say that those men and the people they work for want the three of us dead. I assume Leon has explained the nature of our work to you?"

Sora blinked, worry for his brother welling up in his face, "I mean, I knew that he was doing bad things but I didn't think anyone would want to kill him for it! Where's Squall? Is he alright?"

"He will be fine."

"Where is he?"

"I am not sure."

Frustrated by the shorter man's answers, or lack thereof, Sora turned back to Riku, straining against his seatbelt to lean forward enough to see the man's face, "Did Squall really send you?"

"Yes, he really sent me. Don't worry," Riku glanced up into the rearview mirror just long enough to catch Sora's gaze, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, alright?"

"But what about my brother?"

"Once we get to a safer place we'll give him a call, but for now you're just going to have to trust that he's okay. He's a tough guy, he'll take care of himself."

Checking around the corners as he moved at a fast pace through the busy streets of Traverse Town, Squall kept his guard up as he wound his way through groups of shoppers flitting from shop to shop. He knew that Riku would take fairly good care of Sora since he had promised to pick him up from school. As much as he hated to admit it, the silver-haired man seemed to have developed an interest in his little brother for whatever reason. As disturbing as that thought was, it seemed to be working to Squall's advantage at the moment.

Without the worry of protecting Sora, Squall was able to devote his focus solely on trying to find a way out of his current situation. Being cut off from his bike, he was left with traveling by foot. The problem was that he had no idea if the Organization knew of his location, or if they were even actively following him. All he could do was to keep moving in the hopes that he would lose any would-be pursuer. He had thought about returning to Cid's shop but didn't want to get the man into any kind of trouble, especially when he had just hired him. He couldn't think of coming up with a better way to get fired before he even worked an hour.

As Squall rounded the corner he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he just barely missed barreling straight into solid figure. Stumbling back, Squall's first impression was that this man was huge. He was making Squall feel scrawny, a sensation he had not felt for a few long time, since he was in high school. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attent—"

"Are you Squall Leonhart?"

Squall's blood ran cold at the thug's question and he stumbled back, his hand flying to his belt, "Are you with the police?"

"Not exactly."

That was all Squall needed to know. In the blink of an eye, his handgun was out but the man had been prepared and Squall found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol. Clenching his teeth, he automatically dropped down into a roll, keeping his body moving as he saw the thug lunge forward out of his peripheral vision. A shot rang out and Squall heard somebody scream as he found momentary cover behind a wooden bench, returning fire as soon as he got himself upright. The thug, the Organization member, Squall's mind corrected, clearly was no amateur and managed to evade Squall's shots, kicking over a trashcan to serve as a shield.

The sight triggered something within Squall and he narrowed his eyes as he tried to keep his head straight. He hated close-combat situations in cities when there were civilians around. They never ended well, even if they could be considered a victory. Wincing, Squall watched as a stray round ricocheted off of the edge of the wooden bench, sending out a spray of wooden shrapnel. Like the fountains of sand that flew up in his face as he hunkered desperately behind the ruined remains of an adobe wall. A pained grimace worked its way onto Squall's face as he instinctually ducked down, laying down on his stomach as he tried to get in a good shot beneath the bench, beneath the edge of a broken clay wall.

His helmet was doing nothing for him except obscuring his view, sweat pooling down from underneath his matted hair to drip down into his eyes. His unit had been chased into a small outpost in the desert that they hadn't known existed, women and children running screaming as the enemy began to open fire with their automatic rifle, desperate to hunt down the SeeD. Gasping for air and having only scorching dust fly down his throat, Squall fought to keep his composure. They were running low on ammo and trapped in an old, dilapidated structure. He was sure it was going to collapse down on them at any second as its wooden beams were riddled with gunfire.

Jumping as he felt a hand land on his back, Squall looked back to see Zell kneeling down beside him, the man's usually jovial face unusually serious. "Leon, we need to get out of here!"

"I know!"

The blond soldier looked back up and Squall realized that the tattoo on his face was nearly obscured by the sand that was streaking across his face and mixing with sweat to form a thin layer of mud. Suddenly his eyes lit up, "I got a plan! Cover me, alright?"

Squall didn't even have time to question or argue before Zell leapt out from behind the barrier. "Damn it, Dincht!" The only thing he could do was push himself up onto his knees and blindly open fired, at least serving as a distraction. Either way, Zell managed to make it across a large expanse of open area, ducking his head down with a tense grin on his face. Squall saw him flash a quick thumbs up and his walkie-talkie flared to life as Zell brought his radio to his lips. "--Good job Leon! Nothing even brushed me!--"

"—You'd better have a really good reason for pulling that kinda stunt!—"

"—Sure do! I can see them from here. There's only two of 'em!—"

"—What's your point? They still have guns!—"

"—They're standing close together! And there's only two of them!—"

"Oh." Seeing that Squall understood, Zell gave him another thumbs up and Squall pulled a flash grenade off of his belt. It wouldn't kill them but it would be one hell of a distraction. And since they were standing next to each other, it would affect them both and give them the opportunity they needed to escape.

Holding his breath, Squall pulled the pin and pulled back his arm, hurling it as hard as he could in the direction of the enemy soldiers. He heard a hoarse shout as they saw the grenade flying towards them, Squall shielding his eyes before a blinding white light exploded.

Squall blinked and shook his head, his vision fading from white to once again be filled with downtown Traverse Town, swearing as he heard the sharp "ping" of a bullet flying into the metal leg of the bench. Their fight was drawing attention, the wrong sort of kind for Squall as he again heard shouts, the Organization answering back a second later. Taking the risk, Squall averted his eyes from the action to see what was happening behind him, his grip on his own pistol growing tighter as he saw two of the men who had been hovering around his bike running towards them.

Knowing he wouldn't be receiving any reinforcements of his own, Squall made a break for it before the other hitmen could draw their guns. Squall kept his head low as he sprinting over to a nearby alley, wincing as he heard the first man fire his weapon again, the bullet missing him by inches as he threw himself down into a dive-roll. Grunting as he hit the cobblestone street, he forced himself up and vaulted over a pile of crates blocking the small side-street. The sounds of footsteps reverberated off of the stone walls of the surrounding buildings as the Organization members met up at the head of the alley, the three men running inside together to chase after him. The crates only slowed them down so much, giving Squall merely a few seconds of a head-start. Luckily, this time he had the home advantage.

Leading them down through a small area sandwiched between a large stone wall and the back of a local hotel, Squall ran for a back door of the hotel, releasing a small breath of relief when he found it to be unlocked. Slipping inside, he found himself in what looked like the hotel's supply room. He didn't take the time to look around, continuing straight through another door across the room and out into what he recognized as a back corner of the hotel lobby. He had been in the hotel only a few times as a kid, after all, he didn't often find himself needing to come into hotels when he lived in town. Keeping his gun hidden and his gaze down, Squall hurried passed the concierge and out through the main doors.

It seemed as if his detour had bought him a few moments to catch his breath but it probably wouldn't take the would-be assassins too long to figure it out. He needed help, there was no way around it. But Zexion and Riku were probably out of town by now and he wouldn't be able to call them back. He wouldn't want to call them back either, not since they had Sora with them. But he didn't know anyone else in tow—

Squall froze before shoving his hand into his back pocket. Fingertips finding what they were searching for, he drew his hands up to reveal two scraps of paper. A torn business card. Looking around, Squall ducked down behind a planter box, tucking his handgun back into his belt in order to pull his cell phone back out. Quickly dialing the number written across the ripped card, his eyes continued to scan the area, his ears listening desperately for the sounds of hurried footsteps as the phone rang.

Just as he heard voices talking loudly from inside of the hotel, someone picked up on the other line. "Detective Cloud Strife here."

"Cloud. I need a favor."