Author's Note: Okay, so it's been awhile hasn't it? Well... high school's a bitch and I'm getting used to being a Freshman and all that. I've been busy. So anyway, I'm determined to get this story done so I'm gonna try and come of my little 3 or 4 months hiatus thing and get some chapters up, but I can't make any promises. Anyway, I've been spending the past 3 hours-ish working on this to get it done for today which leads me to this...

Dedication: I am dedicating this fanfiction to BabyCapri.1990 You wouldn't let me do much for your birthday and since I know you said you liked this story of mine I decided I'd get a new chapter up on your birthday and dedicate the story to you. It's the least I can do. :) Right after we got off RE at like 4am I went on here and wrote this til now which is 6:30am. (Told ya I wouldn't get any sleep, but it's okay, totally worth it) So again... Happy Birthday! I love you! :D

So now here's chapter 4, Enjoy. :)

"It's another robbery." Lightning told the others of the dispatch that was 'conveniently' located less than a block from where they decided to spend their day off. She, Fang, and Ciel began throwing their work attire on over their bikinis, and gathering their weapons from the sand.

"Another?" Serah questioned.

"There have been quite a few in recent weeks. We're not sure what's up." Just like 4 years ago…

"Robbery," Fang shook her head, not bothering to hide her displeasure. "Sabotage is more like it." She practically spat the words.

Thirteen 'robberies' had occurred throughout Bodhum, Eden, and Palumpolum in the last week alone. Mostly on military and munitions stores with fires set in every one of them and the culprits escaping every time.

"Those bigwig bastards are keeping shit from us. Again." Fang scowled.

"That's how it works isn't it? Screwing the little guys." Light agreed. Fang made a mental note to bring this up to Amodar after they reported in.

"If we're all ready, let's go." Lightning instructed. They nodded and at the unmistakable sound of gunfire in the distance, lunged off into sprints.

In matter of minutes the trio reached the corner where Miglio's Munitions and Armaments stood. Three Guardian Corp officers were taking and returning fire from behind their patrol cars.

At a moment when the oncoming fire lessened Light, Fang, and Ciel rushed around the corner and to the cover of the nearest car. Lightning immediately recognized Privates Flynn and Conroy looking rather lost in their predicament, but it was to be expected considering they were new and not used to real-time firefights. Several feet away behind the second car was Sergeant Paulmer, clutching a wound to his right shoulder.

"Flynn, give me a rundown. Now!" Lightning shouted as she blind fired at their attackers. Fang and Ciel followed suit shooting blindly in the direction of the oncoming fire.

"Yes ma'am! Two assailants and no hostages. They're well armed. We were the first to arrive on scene and they immediately opened fire. What would you like us to-" Fang shushed the shell-shocked soldier with a hand over the mouth.

"Shhh! Light do you hear that?" It was more felt than heard, but Lightning nodded slowly. The trading of bullets had come to a halt and the air surrounding them cackled with electricity.

"What is that?" Ciel whispered, obviously feeling the sudden change of atmosphere as well. Fang risked a quick glimpse over the cover just in time to a see massive bolt of blinding light slam into Sergeant Paulmer's car. The radiant shower of sparks and fire that ensued could almost be described as beautiful if it weren't for the undeniable fact that no one and nothing could have survived its entrancing blaze.

Through a temporary haze of vision Fang spotted two figures exit the store. Both were clad in simple leather body suits. This minor detail sparked forgotten memories to rise in the warrior's mind… visions of the event four years prior began to flood in…

- His pitch black hair flowed well beyond his shoulders, and he had piercing eyes the color of gold. He was covered in a black leather body suit that would provide little protection from their weapons. -

- "I...I don't know. He...he wears a cloak, and the fire. He was shooting fire from his...his hands! And the screams! Oh God! There all dead! He killed them!" -

- Red energy began swirling around his hands. From it he sent a wall of fire towards Fang. She narrowly avoided it adding an excruciating burn on her calf. It also opened up a gapping hole in the tower's wall, revealing the street below. -

- No! Fang crawled towards them, unable to get to her feet."You want to know who I am?... I am the darkness... I am sovereign... and the world will see me again." He smirked, his tight grip was cutting off her air as she struggled to stay conscious. "Goodbye, Claire." He released her limp body to the world below. -

- The warrior woman rose unsteadily, the pain beginning to numb. The golden-eyed man simply watched as she, without hesitation, took a leap of faith after her fallen comrade. -

-She was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Light you need to keep your eyes open. You need to keep 'em open cause I love you Lightning. Do you hear me? I...I love you." Fang watched as her eyes went wide for a second. She opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped as her eyes fell shut again. -

The flood of memories abruptly ended when she felt two pairs of strong hands pulling her backwards. Lightning and Ciel tackled her back, knocking her from her vision, as they attempted to put as much space between them and their cover as possible. Mere milliseconds later the car they had just been ducked behind exploded skyward. A torrent of sparks and debris raining down on them. As they scampered to their feet the feel of falling sparks and metal fragments seared their exposed skin.

The now exposed trio turned back towards the store at the sound of an agonizing cry. Billows of smoke giving way to a severely burned Private Flynn and no sight of Conroy or their assailants.

"Flynn!" Ciel darted to the wounded soldier's aid.

"Where the hell'd they go?" Fang shouted, scanning the area warily.

"There!" Light was pointing a block off where two figures weaved out of an alley and into an open hover bike rental garage. "Flynn call in a medical evac! Ciel come on!"

The young soldier hesitated glancing passed Light to Fang who was already in pursuit and back to the wreckage scattered all around them. Lightning understood her hesitation. She could see it in her eyes. This is too much… "C, If you're not ready for this-"

"No. Let's go." She hid her fear with a mask of renewed determination. Lightning respected that, and with a brisk nod they were off.

Before Fang reached the garage the wall closest her burst outward in another flash of lightning. She dropped low scarcely avoiding flying debris. As she began to rise a hover bike zipped through the air just above her, the two leather clad attackers perched on top.

"Shit…" If they were going to catch these two they were going to have to 'borrow' a bike and take this fight to the sky. Fang rose and leaping through the busted down wall mounted a bike. Thank Etro rentals had the keys close at hand.

Pulling a quick 180 and shooting out the way she came in, Fang slowed the bike by Light and Ciel as they were approaching. "Light, get on! Ciel nab a bike and loop around. Only chance we have is to pincer attack them!"

Each immediately complied with the orders and Fang and Light pulled up high, spotting their foes just as they weaved in between a set of buildings three blocks down. Accelerating to dangerously high speeds Fang followed their path perfectly, gaining the lost ground. They pulled up high, above the structures. Fang followed now mere meters behind. Light aimed her blaze edge gun form at them trying to acquire a clear shot but finding no such luck.

The enemy on the back of the bike turned, straddling the bike but now facing Fang and Light. At the distance they could see it was a woman with piercing gold eyes and short hair of a vibrant steely hue. Her hands began to glow with more magical energy, the gust of wind it sent would have crashed their bike at such high speeds if Fang hadn't ducked back down, weaving precariously in and out of the stores and homes below.

"Light, switch spots," she shouted as she slung herself over the right side of the bike while they took a sharp right avoiding the structure ahead. Light shifted quickly to the driver's place and Fang flipped up to the back carefully as to not make the bike's weight too unbalanced, successfully completing the switch.

Light then pulled the bike back over the buildings, emerging on even level next to the mysterious woman and the driver, a clean shaven man with those same golden eyes. Their close emergence caught them off guard and as the woman unsteadily shifted her position on the bike, Fang had the time to balance herself on her and Light's bike in a low crouch, spear in hand. Before the male driver had time to react to the strategy, Light quickly accelerated just ahead of them and Fang flung herself in front of the opposing bike. As she crossed across the front she thrust her spearhead into the front grill, using her momentum to fling her feet around and kick the woman on the back over the edge.

The woman held on though, clinging to the side of the bike and using Fang's momentum against her to pull her over with her. The sudden shift in weight at the insanely high speed sent the bike spiraling out of control, a crash was imminent. Therefore Fang released her hold on the side and as she fell tugged at the steel haired woman who came tumbling down with her.

Seconds later the bike crashed through the side of the apartment building above them, a shower of sparks and glass raining down on Fang and the woman as they free fell straight towards the open alley below. Fang fished out her grav-con and slowed her fall slightly. However, she was still falling too fast. The impact could kill her anyway.

The leather clad woman was even less fortunate as she fell past Fang frantically flinging out aero spells in an attempt to slow her descent before hitting the alley with a sickening thud.

Just then, Ciel had made her loop around to pincer the enemy and maneuvered to come under the falling Fang. "Fang, I've got you!" As Fang fell past her she grabbed for her outstretched hand, catching her but bringing the bike in a downward spiral. It hit the alley's cold stone hard but it was just a slight jostle compared to the impact Ciel's timing saved them from.

As they regained their composure, Light dropped down from above, coming to a quick halt before ditching the bike and rushing over to her comrades. "Any injuries?"

"No, just jostled around a bit there," Fang replied after taking a quick look over herself and Ciel.

On the other side of the alley lay the bloody form of the mysterious woman, the man surely died in the crash above. "If she's alive we'll need her for questioning," Ciel said and jogged over to the seemingly unconscious woman. Fang and Light followed.

As they approached it became apparent that the woman was indeed alive but definitely in bad shape. Before taking any chances Lightning flipped her to her back pulling her hands back and binding them in braces. If she was strong enough to cast any magic she was still an active threat.

Upon turning her back over Lightning pulled her into a sitting position. "Tell us what happened here. Who are you people that have been doing this? Why?" Light held her by the collar of her leather suit. Her jaw clenched as the bloodied woman refused to respond. She just stared at her with an unsettling golden eyed stare.

"Talk!" Lightning resisted the urge to shake their dying hostage.

"Light, take it easy." Ciel put a hand on her shoulder and led her from the woman who slumped against the alley wall, keeping her eyes on Light with a hint of… amusement? She even flashed a wicked smirk. It was then that Fang noticed the brand on the woman's neck… it looked eerily familiar yet foreign. After a moment's thought it all fit together. The magic, the tower incident fours years ago, and now this brand…

"L'cie…?" Fang whispered, and with that the woman laughed. It was pained and guttural from the internal bleeding that was surely killing her but she laughed none the less.

"Amazing isn't it…" She said, "You piece it together just as our time expires… I don't fear death… I'm just a used tool in the grand scheme. There are more of me, we serve Fal'cie Gaignun, and soon he shall tear Cocoon from the sky…" She flashed a vicious grin and gave another guttural laugh before slumping forward… dead… a black device falling from an open satchel on her torso.

A single red light was flashing as the mini-bomb beeped away its last seconds.

Author's Note: Yes, it's a cliffhanger. I'm a bitch, I know XD. But review and I'll update faster, I swear it. Tell me, how was my action? Good? Great? Terrible? Am I any better of a writer now that I'm no longer 14, but 15? Gimme your thoughts :D Pleeeeaaasseeee?