Was going to wait a liiil while longer before uploading this, but thought 'hey...what the heck'! Seems a few people were looking forward to it, so I uploaded early :) Thank you soooo much to my regular readers ^,^ I'm so happy to receive the feedback =D
Thank you Gismo1, Aryiaa, Savage & Deathgeoneus for your continued support :)
I do not own any original characters or canon content. They are all property of Square Enix & this is a work of fandom, not for profit. All I own is Meia.
Chapter 18
"Hello little lady…do you live in that town there?"
"Yea, I do…why?"
"We're not from around here; could you tell us its name?"
"Kalm. The town is called Kalm…."
"…wonderful. Thank you so much"
"My…..pleasure…."
Sephiroth had noticed the sudden change in demeanor with Meia. He sat opposite her. She was practically a different person. He frowned; she usually wasn't so fierce and this worried him.
"Our goal…" Lazard began, pushing his glasses up his nose, "is to rescue the hostages and contain the terrorists. By whatever means are necessary…"
"So…that means we can use deadly force right?" Zack blurted out suddenly, his hand half in the air. Lazard shook off his momentary shock at Zack's outburst and nodded at the young third class,
"The four First classes will be split into teams of two; one team's focus will be the hostages. The other team will concentrate on the terrorists. Sephiroth, you will lead your team. Angeal, you will lead the other" He turned to Sephiroth, "Unit S, your goal is the terrorists, unit A the hostages. I want this incident contained and wrapped up quickly and efficiently. The security department has been falling short of the mark recently. I want you to seize this opportunity and show the company your worth"
Lazard's rallying statement was met with murmurs of support and approval.
"Angeal, select your fellow First class and then the rest of your men, from second and third equally"
Angeal nodded and selected Callo, the fourth First class SOLDIER in the room, along with his quota of remaining officers. One of them being Zack.
"And Sephiroth, your members please"
Sephiroth actually thought twice about selecting Meia. He looked at her long and hard, noting she wasn't breaking his gaze. It was if she was trying to force him to pick her. Whatever was bothering her…it had hit a nerve. Still, even after consideration he chose her as part of his team. A few SOLDIERs were left out and sat looking depressed.
"Very good. Thirds and seconds, give nothing else other than your very best. I will be assessing your performances" Lazard stated, before carrying on with the briefing.
Little less than an hour later, the two units were being flown out via helicopters to the outskirts of Kalm, and were to make the rest of the way on foot. It was now close to ten at night; all of the SOLDIER's were swallowing fizzing energy tablets and stuffing protein bars in their mouths. They needed to be alert and awake for the mission ahead. Plus they had a fair amount of terrain to cover before they reached the town. They would need all the extra energy they could get. Sephiroth was concerned that Meia might still be suffering from her fatigue and had asked for her materia to be left behind. She silently obliged, storing it away in a secure locker on the 49th floor.
Meia now sat in silence, her head bowed and staring at her feet. She was glad Sephiroth had chosen her, and not Angeal. There was nothing wrong with saving hostages, but every fibre in her body was grateful she would be allowed to take out the terrorists. She only hoped Sephiroth wouldn't get every last one before she had her chance. She glanced at him and found him watching her from the shadows behind the pilot. He knew something was wrong with her. She closed her eyes and focused.
………
"This just in. It appears a group of terrorists have attacked Kalm. Details are sketchy, but we do know that there has been a large explosion and several properties are engulfed in flames. Eyewitnesses at the scene have told us that a group of men presumed to be Wutaian were seen in the town shortly before the first explosion shook the quiet township…."
"No…oh no…"
"What's wrong, dear?"
"I…I spoke to those men…before I came here to collect this order…I should have told someone!"
………
"Ok everyone, wake up and listen…"
The sound of Genesis's voice brought Meia out of her thoughts. She sat up and rubbed her legs while he spoke,
"When we get set down we have to make the rest of the way on foot. The terrorists have stated if any troops are sent in, they'll kill a hostage. We have to get in without being detected. You must be silent, you must not be seen"
Meia had never seen Genesis so serious. It was quite unsettling.
"Once we are in, Unit A will locate and free the hostages while we take out the terrorists. We must wait until they have the hostages' safe before we make a move. We can't risk any being killed, understood?"
A chorus of 'Sir, yes sir!' Sounded through the helicopter. Meia noticed some tension between Sephiroth and Genesis; the latter was barely looking at his commander. Sephiroth stood up,
"Prepare for insertion" He stated firmly. Everyone stood up, donned their helmets and stood ready to file out of the doors. The chopper slowed slightly and descended, before Genesis opened the doors and began motioning people out. Sephiroth went first without hesitation, the seconds took a quick glance before jumping and the thirds noticeably hesitated. Meia pushed passed them and leapt out. She'd jumped from many a helicopter before in the Turks, though given they were lower to the ground. She landed firmly and stood up. For the first time, she was thrilled with her enhanced body. That jump had been nothing to her. She looked around for Sephiroth. She knew the only way she'd get any chance at the Wutai on her own was to keep up with him. She found him some way in front, crouched low and probably looking over the terrain through the thin night vision glasses he had on. She moved silently beside him,
"LeSait…" He began quietly under his breath "Something is bothering you, I can tell. I don't have time to ask you about it but let me tell you this; don't allow whatever it is cloud your judgment. Concentrate. Don't let yourself down"
"Yes sir, I understand" She said calmly.
Thirty minutes later and the two teams had reached the outer perimeter of the town. The group blended into the landscape silently while the firsts surveyed the terrain. Sephiroth discovered that, as predicted, there were guards protecting the town. The concept was simple; eliminate them before they get a chance to give them away.
The senior SOLDIER's moved quickly and were upon the perimeter guards before they knew what was happening to them. They were all taken care of fast, including one who tried to run but Sephiroth had seen him and the hapless guard didn't get very far at all. All the lower rank SOLDIER's watched in awe. Angeal posted three of his team to act as their own perimeter guard while the rest went on ahead.
As she approached the dark outer walls of the town, Meia had to fight to hold back her emotions, her memories. Keep up with Sephiroth she told herself over and over in an effort to focus herself. She couldn't afford to lose concentration.
Sephiroth and Genesis brought them all to a halt several hundred meters away from the towering outer wall of Kalm,
"There are guards on the walls too. It will be very difficult to kill them all without giving ourselves away…" Sephiroth breathed quietly. Genesis frowned,
"If we rush up the access tunnels in the walls, we can kill them quickly…" He stated. Sephiroth shook his head,
"It's too risky. If we try to approach the wall, from where they are there is a chance we'll be spotted…Plus there is the danger that someone will hear us" He murmured quietly.
Luckily, the Firsts had thought this through. Even though it was rare for them, SOLDIER's could if needed resort to firearms…
"LeSait," Angeal said firmly, "Come here and lend us a hand. We could do with a keen eye on this one"
Meia nodded and approached, taking a large heavy case from him and setting it down. It was a sniper rifle of course and she quickly and skilfully assembled it, noting Sephiroth was doing the same. She'd never seen him use a gun before. His face in the dull moonlight was borderline loathing. It was as if the weapon was coated in some disgusting substance that he didn't want on his gloves. Meia removed her helmet and donned a pair of night vision glasses and crouched ready with her rifle, awaiting instructions.
"Meia, take out the two on the left. I will take care of the rest" Sephiroth instructed her after a moment. She nodded and came up beside him. As she drew her rifle up, she was astonished to feel it now weighed nothing at all. As if it was made of plastic. Before, although she could handle them, she would have struggled without a rest or taken the shot lying down. Now she stood tall next to her friend, taking aim and awaiting his order. It was given in a barely there whisper and she made both shots cleanly, as did Sephiroth, who immediately placed his rifle on the ground when he was finished. A second hurried to dis-assemble the weapons while the two groups moved ahead.
Once on the wall, the carnage in the town was apparent. Vehicles and market stalls lay overturned; produce was strewn all over the streets. Signs of struggle and resistance were everywhere. There were several enemy patrols in the main square with more visible in back alleys and side streets. It was decided that the thirds, led by the seconds, would be dispatched to eliminate the patrols in the side streets while the firsts attempted to locate the hostages and the enemy commander.
Meia had to bite her tongue when the order was given. If they found the commanders before the patrols had been taken care of, it was highly likely that she wouldn't get her chance. She cast a sideways glance at her friend but he was too focused to notice. Reluctantly she followed her temporary second class leader and disappeared into the shadows.
Sephiroth and Angeal, meanwhile, had a mini revolt on their hands…
"That's absurd Genesis. Our orders are clear; you can't act until the hostages are safe!" Angeal hissed under his breath. Genesis fixed his old friend with a glare,
"I'm telling you if you let me go off alone I can locate and kill the commander quickly and the hostages won't be IN danger!"
"And what if the enemy has half a brain? What if they panic? Are you willing to risk their lives just to satisfy your own ego?"
"How dare yo-"
"Silence, both of you!" Sephiroth said in a low growl, "We will stick to orders Genesis, that's final. Angeal, take Callo and look for the civilians. Genesis and I will look for the commander" He finished, giving Genesis a look that was plain; Argue with me and you'll regret it. Both men nodded and Angeal took of silently, Callo in tow.
"You need to get past this Genesis…" Sephiroth said quietly, "We have an objective to complete"
"Whatever you say, Hero…" The sarcasm was dripping from Genesis's statement as he slipped into the shadows. Sephiroth clenched his jaw and silently followed.
Meia wiped her blood soaked blade on the uniform of the man she'd just killed. In the moonlight, his face was etched with a look of shock, a dribble of blood oozing from his mouth. She looked at him in disgust. The Imperial Blades. She would kill all of them. Quickly she took off in the shadows of the alley, she was certain she caught movement further ahead. The small tanto held in her hand glinted as it caught the light. She shouldn't be using it; by all rights she should be using the clumsy SOLDIER issue sword. But she found it hindered her. Meia had discovered in the months since her promotion that she was much faster and more nimble than the bulky swords allowed. Her skills were hindered by such cumbersome weapons. So she had taken to carrying a small simple blade with her. It was proving a worthwhile decision so far.
Sephiroth cursed under his breath. Genesis had managed to slip off somewhere without him. He would have to find him again before he continued and that would be difficult. He wasn't answering his phone either…The tall man strode down a side street, noticing the bodies strewn everywhere. The seconds and thirds were doing their jobs at least. Though he noticed the killing wounds were small and discrete on some of the bodies which indicated they weren't killed with a standard SOLDEIR blade…A series of vibrations interrupted his train of thought and he pulled his phone from the inside of his coat,
"Hey, we've located the hostages. They have the whole town in here…were securing now"
"Let me know how it goes" Sephiroth replied and hung up.
Footsteps behind him made him sink into the shadows. A moment later the form of Meia appeared, tanto in hand. Apparently she had spotted him because she was heading right for his position,
"Sir, units report that all ground patrols have been neutralised" She spoke quietly, saluting. Sephiroth nodded, noticing the amount of blood on her uniform,
"Why aren't you with your commander, SOLDIER?"
"We were separated Sir" She concealed the fact that the separation was intentional on her part. Sephiroth was too worked up to notice her deception.
He nodded and began walking again; Meia quickly fell into place behind him. After a few steps she cleared her throat gently,
"Sir…I realise this is asking a lot but I would like to accompany you"
"Why?"
"You're looking for the commander, aren't you?"
"Yes. I ask again, why…"
"I…have a personal reason Sir" She said firmly. Sephiroth stopped and rounded on Meia, surveying her in the moonlight,
"I told you earlier, I don't have the time for this. But since you are here with me I have no choice. At least I know you'll follow orders though…" He added in an undertone and spun round, heading up the street. Meia took note of the foul mood her friend and superior appeared to be in. A short while later Angeal called again. The hostages were safe and as far as he knew, no one was alerted to their presence. So all that was left was the Wutaian commander. Sephiroth told him about Genesis to which he only sighed. Angeal didn't know where he was either. Sephiroth snapped his phone shut and jammed it back in his coat with a huff. Meia watched him; he was really agitated. She didn't know what exactly was going on but she knew whatever Genesis was doing, it wasn't helping the situation…
"Come Meia. Now we know the towns' people are safe we can move out. Let your leader know and instruct him to stand by" Sephiroth instructed her. She nodded and obeyed him.
……
"From Kalm? I sympathise. That must have been very difficult for you…very well; your application has been approved. You are hereby assigned the rank of Junior at the Department of Administrative research. Welcome aboard Miss LeSait"
"Thank you Sir"
…..
Meia blinked. She was staring at the tail of Sephiroth's coat in front of her. She chastised herself. She couldn't afford to zone out, not here. Not now. Suddenly he stopped and she followed suit, listening. She couldn't hear anything but without a word Sephiroth took off at a run, down a dark side street towards the outer wall. Meia rushed to keep up. He was fast, but so was she now and she kept the tall man in her sights…
"Meia, look out…" He called back to her. She instinctively dropped to the floor and rolled as a large shurinken grazed the top of her head. Meia ripped her helmet off in frustration. She didn't see the thing until the last minute. The bucket limited her vision, she was better off without it. She got to her feet and saw a shadowy bulk lifting itself up the stairs leading to the top of the outer wall. She caught up with Sephiroth, who was watching it,
"I think that's our boss…but…" He trailed off, lost in his own thoughts, "Come on. We need to end this" He addressed Meia, before sprinting off again.
Their target noticed it was still being chased. By Shinra's best no less. And a small figure, who seemed familiar…The Wutaian man cursed and disappeared down a tunnel that led outside the wall. Maybe he could outrun them.
Meia leapt into the tunnel after Sephiroth, who was moving so effortlessly and gracefully he seemed to be flying. She certainly couldn't hear any hint of exhaustion from him. No sound left his lips at all. They descended the stairwell fast and soon were out in the open again outside the town. Meia could see their quarry up ahead in the dim light, but something wasn't quite right with them. It was moving fast, a little too fast for a human. The first thing that came to mind was another defector, but as they got closer they realised that this creature wasn't quite human. It stopped suddenly and turned to face them, its chest heaving with excursion,
"So…it would seem I'm not as fast…as I thought I was" He panted, for it did seem male at least. Both SOLDIER's drew to a halt some way in front of him. Meia could see now the man was once human, but for some reason his legs and right arm were grossly enlarged. As if he was the result of some experiment. Veins were popping all over his afflicted limbs and his eyes bulged with the exertion of running. He was hideous.
Those bulging eyes fixed on Meia's face and a click of recognition seemed to go off in the man's head,
"Ohh…if it isn't you…I remember you" He heaved, "Yes..yes! Tell me girl, how is your mother?" He spat. Meia clenched her teeth in fury and drew her Tanto,
"You scumbag…" She hissed. Her knuckles were white from gripping her weapon so tightly. She recognized him now. Of course she did…this is why she'd kept up with Sephiroth. Why she'd separated from her commander and deceived him. She hoped that this man would be in charge of the terrorists. She wanted her revenge, and this time he wouldn't get away.
"That didn't answer my question. How is she? I'm sure she's missing her beloved little girl" The venom and sarcasm that coated his last sentence was almost tangible.
"Oh…that's right..." He carried on, "She'll never see anyone ever again, thanks to you…will she Meia…The silly bitch should have just given you to us. How does it feel? To be responsible for all their deaths?"
"Shut up!" Meia roared. Sephiroth, alarmed at this revelation and her sudden change in personality, summoned his sword and made ready to kill the target. But before he could do anything, Meia lunged at him, deftly sidestepping an attack and burying her small blade in the man's side, right up to the guard at the base of the handle. He howled in pain and swiped at her with his over sized arm, seemingly unaffected by the blade buried in his body. Meia was too surprised to react and she was thrown up into the air, before being swatted away like a rag doll. Sephiroth glared at the leering man and brought his sword up,
"Any last words?" He stated. The monster broke out into laughter,
"Cutting down your own kind? You monster…ahahahaha! You SOLDIER's, you're all like me. All of you are freaks, especially you!" He bellowed at Meia, who had staggered to her feet and re-joined her companion, "You…it's quite befitting actually. Now you have become the monster you always were, woman!"
Meia watched as the mad man was silenced by Sephiroth, his head neatly severed from his body. It bounced on the ground with a dull thud, still wearing a maddened expression. The rest of his body followed and crumpled, blood gushing from the now open neck. Sephiroth looked at Meia. Her expression was dark and she was trembling. She looked at the remains in disgust and loathing and clutched her side. She noticed Sephiroth was watching her and she met his gaze. It was as if a fire was burning in her eyes. She coughed slightly and a mouthful of blood bubbled through her lips. Sephiroth caught her before she dropped to the floor and wiped the blood from her chin,
"You'll be alright. Probably just a few broken ribs. And a punctured lung…" He added as an afterthought. She looked at him, and he noticed her eyes were fading again. Mako fatigue still…meaning her body would be slow to mend itself. She'd pushed herself too hard again. She opened her mouth to try and speak but Sephiroth held a finger to her lips and shook his head,
"Whatever it is, whatever happened tonight, you can tell me later" He said gently, "Talking through a perforated lung isn't something I expect you to do…"
Meia couldn't help but crack a small smile before she shut her eyes and tried to ignore the pain.
2 days later…
51st floor – Director Lazard's office
"Ah, thank you for coming. Zack, isn't it?"
"Yes Sir!" Zack replied happily, snapping to a perfect salute.
"Zack, I've called you here to talk with you. A member of your training group has gone missing" Lazard noticed Zack swallow, his eyes focused on the wall behind him, "I would like you to retrieve them for me"
Zack nodded and looked now at his boss. Lazard tapped a few commands into his terminal and then rotated the screen to show the young SOLDIER in front of him,
"Meia LeSait went missing sometime last night. The nurses attending to her claim that she broke out of her hospital room and disappeared. Has she done anything to indicate any…unstable behavior before, Zack?"
"Absolutely not, Sir. I have noticed in the past month or so her abilities have improved but nothing to show she's gone funny in the head…"
Lazard smiled slightly at Zacks last comment, before lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them,
"I was planning on sending Sephiroth, but he refused…something about 'special treatment'. So, I'm sending you instead. Hopefully the sight of a friend will be less jarring that a team of infantrymen"
Zack nodded and was sent off a while later, file in hand. He took the lift down to the 49th floor and headed for the lounge area, where he began pouring through the thin document in front of him.
Apparently, a girl fitting Meia's description had been seen hiring a chocobo from a breeder who operated on the outskirts of Midgar. So he would start there. Zack scratched his head roughly; what would cause Meia to run away like this? She always seemed so level headed and composed. Then again, even Zack had noticed a slight…hesitation in her over the last few training sessions. It was as if she was astonished at her own progress and couldn't quite believe it when she was the one beating every singly combatant in her class. Even her materia use was better, rivalling that of Clee's, the only other SOLDIER who could use the stuff properly. Then again, she was receiving private lessons on the subject…
Zack sprang up and headed for the lifts again. He would start with the chocobo dealer.
"A woman? Yea, course I remember 'er. Was a fright mind you, all… pale and tired looking y'know…?"
Zack nodded, "Cool, so uh…any idea where she went?" The middle aged dealer shrugged,
"Said summink abou' headin' north east I think, towards Kalm. She weren't very chatty though…"
"How long ago was this?"
"Ohh, early. Real early…six in't morning I recon. You're wonderin' where she could've got too eh?" Zack nodded again, "Well, by my reconin' judging by the time an' the speed of the bird, she could have easily made it to Kalm…possibly the meadows an' grassland to the east"
Zack thanked the man and ran off again. He planned to take a chopper out and find her. It was getting on for late afternoon now though…he wondered if he'd be allowed too.
"Hand her over and they will leave us alone, don't you see?!"
"Of course I see!"
A small girl, no older than ten, clung to the leg of her older brother. He reached down and placed a hand on her head protectively,
"Don't worry little one, we'll keep you safe…" He said to her, "Mom, you can't do this. Meia is just a child…we never should have come here anyway. We should have stayed in Mideel!"
"Shut up…shut up!! All of you!" Screamed Meia's mother. She clapped her hands to her ears and shook her head. Meia started to cry. Ever since her grandfather died, things were all wrong.
"Why does…mommy hate me…?" She sniffed. Her brother looked down at her with worry lined eyes. This time, he didn't answer.
This time, Meia didn't blink the tears from her eyes. Didn't stop them from rolling down her cheeks. Didn't wipe them away... She sat on the cliff face, gazing out to sea, her hired chocobo napping beside her. She huddled down against the high winds, shivering despite the warmth of the evening. Her body felt awful. It felt tired and used and she clutched her shoulder as a lancing pain shot from it. Her stomach growled in protest, but the thought of food was too sickening to think about. She'd already been ill once, bringing up nothing but bile and water. She pursed her lips and swallowed.
She remembered what happened to her. She'd been injured during the night operation a few days ago and flown back to Midgar, where she'd been admitted to hospital with, as Sephiroth accurately diagnosed, broken ribs and a punctured lung. But for some reason, she was told, she was put into an induced coma to recover. When she woke during the night, she felt awful and realized with a jolt, her mako injection had been administered while she was unconscious. The pain she expected in her side wasn't there. Only a dull ache and bruising. By all rights, she shouldn't have been able to breathe properly but she could. Then the memories hit her and she just had to get out, having no desire to be overcome surrounded by people.
Not even Sephiroth.
She wiped at her nose with her hand and thought what a hypocrite she was. She, who would preach to him that they should be open with each other, had run away. But her past, her memories…she understood now it wasn't as simple as chatting over a drink. How could she impose this pain on anyone else? It wasn't fair. She began to cry again, which disturbed her chocobo,
"I'm sorry boy, did I wake you up" She choked, stroking its neck gently. It coo'd at her with a tilted head, blinking its gigantic eyes. Then its head snapped round and the bird got up with a 'wark' and a ruffle of feathers. Meia heard the chopper in the distance; indeed she had heard it before the chocobo. Was that even possible? Her body was starting to surprise her on a daily basis now. She heard it finally set down behind her, the sound of the engine slowing to idle, but she didn't turn.
"Meia? Hey! It is you, we almost gave up for the day! …Are you even listening?"
So, they sent Zack, she thought to herself. She expected Sephiroth, but maybe it was a good thing he hadn't come. Her heart ached though, betraying her true feelings. Zack bounded up behind her, but slowed when he saw her unmoving,
"Hey…I have orders to bring you home, from Lazard. He's worried about you, we all are" Zack said quietly,
"Is that so?"
"Yea…of course it is! Why…would you say that?"
"It's complicated, Zack. I'm not going back. Not yet…"
This alarmed the energetic teen, "But…you have too…I can't go back empty handed, that would count as a fail"
"Then tell them I resisted" She said dryly.
"But-"
"I mean it Zack. I'm not coming. I'm sorry"
"I bet if Sephiroth were here you'd come back…" Zack muttered scratching his head. Meia turned slightly,
"If he were here, I'd have no choice. He would force me if I resisted. Can you force me, Zack? Can you make me come back with you…?" She challenged. Zack backed off a bit,
"I…couldn't. Even if I tried I couldn't. You're too strong now…"
"I'm sorry Zack…"
"Hey. No worries, something is up with you, I can tell. But if you don't wanna come…That's your decision. Just know that they will probably send out more people to come get you…"
"I know…"
"You gonna be ok? It's getting dark…"
"I'll be fine, thank you for asking"
Zack turned to walk away, "Come home soon, Meia…we miss you" He said quietly, before jogging back to the chopper.
Meia closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees while she listened to the helicopter lift off.
Miss me…huh…
....
Shinra building, 49th floor 21:13
Genesis paced up and down the briefing room, his arms crossed and wearing a stony expression. Sephiroth sat at the polished table, his elbow propped on its surface and his face resting in his hand. Angeal was currently giving the former a lecture, again, standing with his arms also crossed,
"You could have ruined the entire operation. People could have died, Genesis!"
"I am well aware of that, Angeal. Please, I've already had this from Lazard! Can't you just drop it?"
Angeal shook his head and massaged his temples, "How many times does it take to get it through to you though?"
Genesis stopped his pacing and looked his friend in the eye. Clearly he was adamant he wasn't saying anymore on the subject. Sephiroth sighed. He had decided to leave it as well, being disinterested in bearing a grudge. He had other things to worry about. Let Lazard deal with him, seeing as he was actually capable of handing out punishment. Genesis currently was suspended from operations until Lazard saw fit to re-instate him.
Sephiroth looked up as their director entered the briefing room, followed by Zack, who was looking less than his usual enthusiastic self.
"Good evening gentlemen" Lazard said, still standing, "I'm glad you're all still here…"
Sephiroth looked past him at Zack. He hoped he would have Meia as well, having known where Lazard sent him earlier in the day. But it seems he was unsuccessful…
"Earlier, I sent Zack here to retrieve his classmate. I'm sure you all know who I am talking about..." Lazard continued, "However, he didn't manage it…"
Zack gave a slight, sheepish smile and scratched his head, "I uh…I tried but she didn't want to come. I'm worried about her; she didn't look well at all…" He said soberly.
"I need her back here. If word gets out a SOLDIER member is awol, Heidegger will send a small army of infantry to bring her back. By any means necessary…" Lazard took in everyone's expressions, they all knew exactly what he meant, "I'm talking to the four of you because I know you, more than anyone in SOLDIER, are close to her. Someone needs to bring Miss LeSait back…"
Zack chewed his lip. He knew it wouldn't be him, she'd made that clear. Genesis was scuffing his boot on the floor and Angeal was looking at Sephiroth,
"I'll bring her back…" He said after a moment. The whole room seemed to exhale as the tall man stood up. Lazard took a step towards him,
"Good luck. I'll keep this quiet as much as I can, but please hurry. I don't need to remind you what will happen if anyone other than you finds her first…"
Sephiroth nodded, his expression stoic.
"I'll make sure people think you're out clearing your head, as you've been known to do. Oh, and the prototype Fenrir is ready if you want to take that instead of a chocobo…" Lazard said to him as he passed by. Sephiroth acknowledged him and disappeared out the door.
Hurr, Sephiroth on a big motorbike....Will he be able to bring her back? We shall see....
Thank you for reading, please Reveiw if you have time. I would really appreciate it :)