REVENGE SERVED COLD

I followed Hope around the crates, keeping low so that the patrolling soldiers wouldn't spot us. Silently, we worked our way through the maze of crates and boxes towards the tunnel that would be our salvation.

The tunnel was in sight now, a large pipe with a wide crack big enough for a man to enter.

As Hope disappeared into the tunnel, footsteps, louder, heavier, caused me to turn. Behind me, Lightning had her back to a stack of crates, and there was a sizable gap between us. It was in this gap that a soldier began to approach.

I acted without hesitation. If this soldier raised the alarm, then we would be swarmed with soldiers in a matter of seconds.

I dashed forward, a hand snaking around his helmet, my blade impaled in his back.

There was no sound; no hint of a struggle. I gently lowered the body to the ground, cradling it carefully.

Across from me, Lightning exhaled, and I smiled at her as she scurried over to me.

No words were exchanged, instead, Lightning and I entered the tunnel, where we found Hope waiting for us.

"That was close." I whispered as we headed down the long pipe.

Lightning only nodded.

"What happened?" Hope asked, interested.

I shrugged. "Soldier." I said simply.

"Anything to worry about?"

I shook my head.

Hope nodded and continued down the tunnel, following its twists and turns.

"Do you know where this comes out?" Lightning asked the boy.

"I've never actually been this far." Hope said thoughtfully.

"Guess we'll find out soon, then." I said.

My thoughts strayed to Aiden, and his untimely death. He was going to do the right thing, and that thought gave a small amount of comfort. He had begun to question his duty, and if he could do that... maybe there was hope left after all.

"James?"

My head jerked up as Lightning said my name.

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Just thinking." I said quietly.

She seemed to read my mind.

"About Aiden?"

I nodded again.

Lightning paused. She seemed to be at a loss for words.

"I'm sorry." She said after a moment.

I gave her a small smile.

"You don't need to try and cheer me up, Light." I said, understanding her intentions. "I'm a soldier, remember? My entire life has been surrounded by death."

"I know, I just thought that..." She trailed off.

"That I might need some emotional comfort?" I said sarcastically. "There'll be time for mourning later."

Lightning nodded.

"Does anyone else know about these tunnels, Hope?" I asked.

Hope shook his head.

"Nobody uses them anymore. Not even the army knows about it." He said.

"Good."

We followed the tunnel even further, our footsteps echoing off the slime-covered walls of the pipe. I could hear the sounds of people above me, but it sounded farther away, and I assumed that the tunnel was leading us further underneath the city.

"How much farther, Hope?" I asked as we rounded yet another bend.

Hope shrugged.

"I don't actually know, I've never been this far in before." He said.

I sighed.

"I guess we'll find out." Lightning said.

It was another ten minutes before the tunnel abruptly ended.

The round pipe opened into a wide square that led to a pathway, and we stepped on it.

I gasped, my eyes growing wide.

"Whoa."

The tunnel had taken us to a massive, sprawling area filled with floating platforms and machinery. Below us was a lake that filled half the space. In the center was a floating, glowing being: a fal'Cie.

I had heard about this place, but had never actually seen it, and I knew that the description didn't really do it justice.

It was Cocoon's Nutri-culture Complex. The fal'Cie in the center was in charge of providing the humans above with food and water.

Lightning peered behinds us warily.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine." Hope reassured her. "Only kids like me know about that entrance."

"PSICOM'll find it eventually, Hope." I said. "And when they do..."

"They'll canvass the whole tunnel system." Lightning finished for me.

"Then we'd better hurry." Hope said, leading the way onto a platform that acted as an elevator.

Lightning and I stepped on, exchanging a worried glance. Hope's optimism was all well and good, but we knew that it was only a matter of time before PSICOM found this entrance, and us.

"I learned about this place in school." Hope said, pushing a button on the elevator that sent us up to one of the other walkways.

"Come on!" Lightning said, pulling me along.

I had stopped at the railing of the walkway to stare up at the glowing, magnificent fal'Cie.

"That's the city's food production fal'Cie." Hope said.

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember. It's called Carbuncle."

Hope hesitated.

"That's one of our enemies, being Sanctum and all."

"So... kill him and cut off the food supply." Lightning said thoughtfully. "That'll make us popular."

"We're not here to destroy Cocoon, remember?" I reminded her. "It's Eden that we need to get to. An besides, we still need to eat, and killing the guy in charge of giving us food isn't exactly going to help us survive."

"You're probably right." She conceded.

I grinned at her.

"we can use it as a landmark, at least."

We ran down another platform, urgency speeding our steps. The platforms and walkways seemed to have no pattern to them, no real destination.

"Where do you think this leads?" I asked Hope.

"I... have no idea." He said sheepishly.

"Great." I sighed. "If this turns out to be a shortcut to some bakery or something, and not the station, then I'm gonna have to smack you."

"Hey!" He said defensively. "It was either this or be trapped by the soldiers. Besides, if we do end up in a bakery, at least you can grab something to eat."

A smile crossed my face.

"Always looking on the bright side, aren't you?" I said.

We moved on, following the path higher, until we were above the fal'Cie.

"Look at us: Pulse l'Cie using a Sanctum fal'Cie to tell where we're going. Sort of strange." Hope said.

"Not really." Lightning said. "We've relied on them our whole lives. The food we eat, the light and water. It's all from the fal'Cie."

She stopped and looked down at the fal'Cie. "You know, I think Cocoon was really built for them. The rest of us, we're just leeches. Parasites."

"I don't know. They provide us with the essentials of life, even though we look to them to rule us." I said. "In a way, they serve us."

"They protect us, nurture us." Hope supplied. "They take care of, well, normal people." He looked at us. "They treat us like we're special, almost like..."

Hope paused for a moment, then he clapped his hands together.

"Like we're pets!" He said finally.

Lightning's eyes grew round.

"Like pets." She murmured, walking forward.

"Light?" I asked.

"To them, we are just pets. That's it. Now it makes sense."

Her hands balled into fists.

"I've... been so blind." She said, as if on the verge of an epiphany.

"Lightning, what are you talking about?" I urged.

"I was born into a fal'Cie world, raised on a fal'Cie leash. It was the only life I knew how to live." She said.

"We all were, Light!" I said. "We've relied on the fal'Cie our entire lives, and they threw it away with the Purge."

"You don't understand!" She cried, rounding on me. "When it was taken from me, I was completely lost. Without a master to follow, my life had no purpose."

I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again, my hand drifting to my left shoulder, where my hidden brand was.

"Listen to me!" She said urgently. "This l'Cie curse, it took everything from me. My future, my dreams."

"It destroyed all of us, Light!" I said loudly. "What do we have if not vengeance?"

"I didn't want to think!" She said. "So I fought instead. We fought! As long as I was fighting, nothing else was real."

"No! This is real!" I yelled, infuriated by her. She was trying to abandon the mission, a mission that had driven us all this way. "This is worth fighting for!"

"I was running away!" She retorted. "And you, both of you, got dragged along with me."

"What about Operation Nora?" I said, for Hope had a clueless look on his face. "Was that running away?"

"Operation Nora is over." She said.

"What?" Hope said, finally beginning to understand. "No! You told me to fight!"

Hope advanced on her, suddenly furious.

"Hope..." I cautioned.

"I made a mistake!" Lightning cried, looking away.

"You can't do this." He said, his voice lowering. "You can't just build something up like that, then abandon me."

Lightning stepped in front of Hope and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"I won't abandon you." She said, and there was no doubting her.

"So you're just going to throw it all way?" I said. I wasn't going to let go of our goal as easily as she had.

Lightning didn't reply, instead heading back down the walkway.

"Come on, Hope." I said, dragging the boy after her.

"What do we do now, then?" I asked, turning her around to face me.

"We're l'Cie!" Hope said, holding up his brand. "Ticking time bombs. Enemies of Cocoon."

"Hope's right." I said. "We can't throw in the towel."

"If we can't follow the plan, do we just lay down and die?" Hope asked.

"I didn't mean we should give up." Lightning said.

"Then what battles do we fight? And against who?" Hope yelled, facing her.

"I don't know yet." Lighting replied helplessly.

"You don't know yet?" I cried.

"That's right, I don't know yet. But I do know that we can't lose hope." Lightning said.

"Hope?" The boy looked down and walked away from her, sitting down on a set of stairs ahead of us. "There is no hope, not for l'Cie."

"There's you." Lightning said, her expression softening.

"It's my name, not who I am." Hope said, his eyes downcast.

"We're not giving up just yet, Hope." I said, sitting down next to him. "Even if the mission is over, we're not just gonna let this," I held up his wrist, "rule our lives."

Hope snorted.

"I was just like you." Lightning said. "My parents died. I had to be strong for Serah, so I thought I needed to forget my past, and I became Lightning." She looked at us. "I thought that by changing my name, I could change who I was. I was just a kid."

"Imagine that." I said under my breath.

"Lightning." She continued. "It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect, it only destroys."

She came to sit down next to us, with Hope in the middle.

"Serah tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen." She suddenly stood, her arm outstretched towards someone that I couldn't see.

"I threatened her." She said. "The only one who believed her was Snow."

"Don't say it!" Hope yelled suddenly. "Don't say his name. It brings everything back."

"Your mother?" I asked, and he nodded.

"I keep playing it in my head, what happened to her. And then I see his stupid face and... and he's smiling." Hope hung his head. "How can she smile when she's dead?" He asked.

Lightning reached out to him, but Hope stood.

"I know!" He said. "There's nothing I can do about it. I hate knowing that. No matter what happens, she's not coming back!"

He clutched at his wrist again.

"When I was fighting, there was no time to think about it. It felt good just to give in. But now you start talking about hope..."

"Hope," I said, standing. "I know how you feel. When my dad died, I was a mess... for weeks." I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't know anything!" He retorted.

"Don't I?" I said, anger shining through. "The only family I've ever known was taken from me. I'm alone now, and I have been for a long time! How do I not know anything?"

Hope took a ragged breath.

"Sorry." He said.

"Listen to me," I said urgently, crouching down in front of him. "Losing yourself in the fight is fine for a while, but sooner or later you're going to have to face the truth."

"Which is?"

"That's something only you can answer, Hope. Just know that you're not alone... not like I am."

I was trying to comfort him, because I knew how unhealthy it was to dwell on the past.

"You're not alone, James." Lightning said quietly, and Hope nodded.

I sighed and smiled up at the two of them.

"I guess not." I said, and I looked at Hope, peering into his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm messed up." Hope said finally.

"You won't always be like that." I said reassuringly. "Now let's keep going."

I stood and let Lightning take the lead again, and followed her through the maze of platforms.

Finally, we came to an elevator at the end of one of the walkways.

"Finally!" I said, leading the way towards the elevator.

"That wasn't so terrible, was it?" Lightning asked.

"Speak for yourself, that place was a maze. I hope they shot the architect."

Lightning laughed.

Hope, meanwhile, had been silent, his eyes glued to his feet.

"Talk to your dad." Lightning said when she noticed his disposition.

"What? Why?" He asked, stepping into the elevator after us.

"Fighting without hope is no way to live." Lightning said, pushing a few buttons which resulted in the elevator surging with power. "It's just a way to die."

I rolled my eyes. She could be so dramatic sometimes, no matter how true her words were.

"I want you to find the hope you were named for." Lightning said slowly. "Staying alive, we can help you with. But we cant-" She paused, trying to find the words. "I can't give you hope. If you go to see your father..."

Hope interrupted her.

"You think meeting my dad will make anything better?" He said. "He's never listened to a word I've said. He's just – he'll never believe all this l'Cie stuff."

"He's your father, Hope." I told him. "He'll believe you."

The elevator shuddered and began to ascend.

"Snow believed Serah, didn't he?" Hope asked.

Lightning sighed. "Yeah."

"You believed her." I said.

She looked at me, her eyes filled with regret.

"Not when she told me."

"But you went looking for her, didn't you?" I asked. "You tried to save her."

"But I couldn't. I couldn't save her."

"You tried, and that's all we can ever do." I said quietly.

The elevator jolted to a stop, and we emerged in the town square.

Lightning drew her gunblade, leaving it in its rifle form, and I followed suit.

"So much for the station." I grumbled.

Above us was a tall tower with a screen at the top. A spokesperson was speaking loudly and authoritatively.

"In a recently convened emergency conference, the Sanctum announced that the fugitive l'Cie have been located. The military plans to apprehend the l'Cie and carry out a public execution."

"That can't be good." I said, hoisting my rifle over my shoulder.

"These images coming to you live from the scene in Palumpolum."

The screen cut to an image of the square, and us in the center.

A loud whirring sounded, and several PSICOM ships and shock troops began to surround the area.

"Damn." I growled, ejecting the clip and tapping it against the handle, then sliding it back in.

The soldiers swarmed in the hundreds, man and machine alike, all responding to the l'Cie threat. I tried not to think where I would be if I hadn't become a l'Cie.

"These are l'Cie. Show no mercy." Said a familiar voice. "They aren't people, they're targets."

"It's Rosch!" I said, recognizing the voice of the man who had once been my idol.

I stepped in front of Lightning in an attempt to shield her, but with soldiers surrounding on all sides, the gesture was useless.

"Start running. I'll keep 'em busy." She said to Hope, who had a look of terror on his face.

"But-!"

"You survive." She said.

"Go, Hope." I encouraged him. "Stay alive."

It seemed hopeless, we could never defeat such a numerically superior force.

"Go with him, Light." I urged her, but she stood her ground.

"James Hudson!"

Rosch had spotted me, and was now speaking to me directly.

I glared at him.

"You showed such promise, it's a shame to see such talent wasted."

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the ground, and smoke billowed from a point on the raised dais of the stands.

I could only catch glimpses of what was going on, but whatever was happening, it distracted the soldiers.

I saw a soldier fly through the air to land at my feet, unconscious, and then I saw him.

Snow.

Impressive as always, he disarmed the soldiers on the dais, and was joined by a familiar woman wearing a blue, primal outfit.

Snow launched a blue crystal into the air, and shot it with one of the soldiers guns.

The crystal exploded in a shower of ice.

The ice cascaded all around the square, flowing into ice tracks that bowled down soldiers.

From the crystal emerged two women, or at least, that's what they looked like.

Snow leaped from the dais as the women intertwined to become a motorcycle. Snow landed cleanly on the seat, and began to ride towards us.

I realized that the two women must have been Snow's Eidolon.

The woman landed just behind Snow and held on, firing at the soldiers as the motorcycle followed the ice tracks.

"It's him!" Hope yelled, stepping forward, but Lightning pulled him back, dragging him through the wave of soldiers, firing rapidly.

I followed her example.

Soldier's Edge extended and retracted as I adapted to the positions of the soldiers around us, cutting them down if they were close, and spewing bullets at them if they were at range.

Lightning forced her way through, her own gunblade firing incessantly, and any that she missed were left for me.

The motorcycle was doing its work, and soldiers were quickly knocked off the dais and into walls as it roared around the Agora.

Suddenly, pain bit into my shoulder as a bullet pierced my right arm. The bullets momentum spun me around, and instead of fighting against it, I used the momentum to turn in a three-sixty degree circle and come around with my rifle raised and firing. A row of soldiers succumbed to my rapid fire as the bullets raked the dais, leaving a spurt of blood.

I winced against the stinging pain, but ran on, following Lightning and Hope towards the center of the Agora.

The soldiers were fewer now, several having fled the scene once Snow had appeared with the mysterious woman, and scores more falling to our attacks. It was much easier. The soldiers were being careful not to hit their own men, and their shots well carefully placed, giving us time to be one step ahead of any bullet that was aimed at us.

Above me, Rosch's ship ascended, leaving the Agora as his plan turned into a disaster.

The soldiers were retreating in our wake, and Snow piloted the motorcycle towards us, giving a cry of jubilation as the motorcycle roared to a stop.

"Hey!" He said, winking at us.

They both stepped down from the vehicle and approached us. The woman was tall, and a burnt l'Cie brand decorated her right arm. She looked so familiar, but I shrugged away the feeling.

Lightning shoved Hope towards Snow.

"Take care of him." She ordered, turning.

But Snow wasn't ready to say goodbye.

"Lightning, listen to me." He said.

"Get moving!" She commanded.

"No, you don't understand! Serah's all right! She'll turn back!" He yelled.

Lightning paused.

"Take care of Hope." She repeated, then she headed towards the exit.

I was torn momentarily. I wanted to follow Lightning, but would Hope be safe with Snow? Lightning seemed to think so.

I made a decision, and ran after Lightning, Snow's shout of "wait!" echoing behind me.

SNOW

I watched Lightning depart, James and Fang on her tail, but I had no time to ponder their leaving. A squad of soldiers and bioweapons surrounded us, and I pulled Hope onto the back of the Shiva Cycle.

"Hold on!" I said, and revved the cycle, expertly piloting it towards the group of soldiers.

I turned the handlebars, and the cycle spun around so that its side was facing the soldiers, and it collided with the mass of bodies with a satisfying crash, sending the soldiers flying.

I punched the air, then sped towards the bioweapons, pulling the cycle into a wheelie as I closed in.

The cycle roared up the bioweapons long frame, leaving a trail of ice that flowed up its four legs to its large torso, encasing it in ice.

I whipped the cycle around, shattering the ice, and the bioweapon fell in pieces.

Hope had his arms wrapped around my stomach as we raced around the square, taking out soldiers and machines in a matter of minutes.

"I think that's the last of 'em." I said as we smashed into the final remaining soldier.

I dismounted, and Shiva disappeared as Hope clambered off the bike.

"What's up?" I asked the boy as he approached me.

"Where have you been?" He asked, his voice controlled.

"I got taken in." I said, placing my hands on my hips.

"Wait – What?" Hope asked.

"Not by enemies." I explained quickly. "It was the Cavalry, not PSICOM."

I started to pace. "Leader's name is Raines. He said he'd lend us l'Cie a hand. So now, your hero is back!"

"Why would the army help us? That doesn't make sense."

"Military's got all kinds. Not all of 'em like the Sanctum." I said, grinning at him. "Don't worry, I'll handle the bad guys." I placed a hand on his shoulder briefly, then led him away from the square. "Come on."

The ice tracks that Shiva left behind covered the entire area, and we followed them upwards, heading for the rooftops.

"Ice tracks, huh?" Hope said, gazing up at the ice.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" I said.

Hope nodded. "That was your Eidolon, wasn't it?" Hope asked.

"Yeah, the Shiva Sisters." I explained, giving him a wide smile.

"Lightning and James both defeated their Eidolons." Hope said.

That gave me pause. I remembered what I had felt when Shiva had appeared to me.

"What happened?" I asked.

Hope sighed, but began to tell me what had occurred since I had left.

"So James and Light?" I asked once he had finished. Hope explained about Amra, and James' own feelings for Lightning.

"Sort of." Hope said. "I know he likes her."

That piqued my interest.

"What about her?" I asked. I hadn't given much thought to Lightning's emotions, she always seemed so distant, it was like she didn't have any.

Hope shrugged. "I think so." He said. "The way they talk to each other, and how they... react to each other... It's nice."

"Hmm." I mused.

We met several groups of soldiers in our path, but they were dispatched easily. I was surprised at how well Hope handled himself, and watched him closely as we came to a tunnel that would take us back to street level.

"I think we're almost there." Hope said, jogging behind me.

"You've changed, haven't you?" I asked the boy. "Seems like you've toughened up."

"I'm a l'Cie. I had to."

I chuckled. His time with Lightning and James had paid off.

"The only ones that ought to be fighting the army are us dumb grown-ups." I said.

"You think it's stupid to fight?" Hope asked. I didn't notice the change in his tone.

"It is if you get killed." I said. "Anyway, just lay low. Let the dummies duke it out." I winked at him reassuringly. "The army's no match for NORA, right?"

I led the way down the tunnel, Hope close behind me when my communicator beeped.

JAMES

I caught up to Lighting, and was soon joined by the woman that had accompanied Snow.

"Hey!" I said. "Where are we going?"

"Away from here." Lightning replied, slowing to a jog.

She turned into a back alley and I followed, the exotic woman close behind.

Lightning stopped, and began to pace back and forth, analyzing the situation.

"We need a plan." I said.

"Snow should have called in by now." The woman said, stepping forward and holding up a communication device. She pressed a button that caused it to flash green.

"It's me, what's up?" Came Snow's voice from the communicator.

"You damn well know what's up!" The woman shouted. "Why haven't you called in?"

"Sorry, slipped my mind."

Lightning and I exchanged a glance. Typical Snow.

"Right... What's your status?" The woman asked.

"Great, great! Hope's great too!" Snow said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm great, you're great, everybody's great." The woman said impatiently, then she turned to us.

"Reunion time. Figure out a rendezvous point." She said, holding out the communicator.

I held my hand out to take it, but the woman handed it to Lightning.

I tried to mask my look of indignation.

Lightning gave me a quizzical look.

"Hey, Sis. Is that you?"

"I'm not your sister." Lightning reminded him. "We'll meet at Hope's place. Felix Heights 35-A."

"Right. See ya there." Snow acknowledged. "Tell Fang 'hey'."

I assumed he meant the woman.

"Take care of Hope." Lightning said.

"All over it. And I'll tell you more about Serah when we meet up." Snow said.

I didn't miss the look of skepticism and longing that flashed on Lightning's face.

"I found out she can turn back. There's still hope."

It was when he mentioned Hope's name that I remembered the danger he was in.

I gave Lightning a meaningful look and mouthed 'Operation Nora'.

She nodded.

"Snow." She said, her voice slightly lower. "Listen to me. It's about Hope. His mother was-"

"Lightning, it's me."

I swallowed when I heard Hope's voice on the other end of the communicator. How far would he go to exact his revenge?

"I decided – I have to – Operation-" The communicator was consumed by static, and Hope's voice cut out.

"Hope? Hope!" Lightning said, giving the earpiece a shake. "Answer me!"

Fang stepped forward.

"Yelling doesn't fix it." She said. "It's called interference." She took the communicator. "You can chitchat when we get there."

Fang tucked it into her robe.

"I've got point." She said. "You two fall in behind." She turned to me. "See if you can calm her down." She said, grinning.

I made a face, but followed her down the alley.

When we came to the corner, Lightning stopped.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking at Fang's brand.

Fang sighed and took a few steps forward.

"Where do I start?" She said, then she chuckled and rubbed her brand. "I've got a few screws loose, but I'm a l'Cie, same as you."

I gave peered at Fang's burnt brand.

"Difference being," she continued, "I wasn't born on Cocoon."

Lightning gasped, and I sank into a half-crouch, my mind piecing it together.

"I'm from Gran Pulse." She said proudly. "The 'world below' you all hate so much."

"What are doing here, then?" I asked, and Fang turned to me.

"My partner and I'd turned to crystal there and gone to sleep." She explained. "But when we came around, here we were."

"The reason Cocoon's in such an uproar," she said, taking a step towards us, "is the same reason you're here now. Vanille and I woke up."

SNOW

Hope and I emerged from the tunnel and back into the streets of the city. PSICOM and Guardian Corps soldiers were everywhere.

The soldiers were escorting civilians into cells, probably to keep them out of the way while the military conducted their operation.

"The Sanctum follows fal'Cie orders. It's not just after l'Cie." I told Hope, disgusted by the way the civilians were being treated. "They'll target civilians, and Purge everyone who's a threat."

"And more innocents get killed." Hope said.

I sighed.

"You can't take the blame for that." I told him.

"Someone has to." Hope replied.

I narrowed my eyes at the scene before me.

"We can still save them. We let loose, and bring the army to us."

It was the only thing I could think of, otherwise the civilians would be harmed.

"Draw their fire." Hope said, peering around me to look at the soldiers.

"I'm supposed to protect you." I said. "But I can't let this happen. It's a tough call, that's for sure."

I turned to Hope.

"Only one choice, I guess. I said, smiling at him. "I try to save everyone."

Hope thought for a moment, and I turned back to the line of soldiers.

"So, Hope... are you with me on this?" I asked him, standing. "You just need to look out for yourself."

Hope nodded.

"Here goes nothing." I said, then I leaped forward, rushing into the nearest soldier and bowling him over.

Hope threw his weapon at another, and the civilians ducked, running from the commotion.

I spun around as another soldier lifted his rifle, and ran forward, sliding under the gunfire and delivering a powerful punch that launched him into the air.

Palumpolum's streets were arranged with stairs and bridges, and we proceeded up a flight of stairs to the next street.

I dived out of the way as gunfire raked the wall above me, then it abruptly stopped as Hope launched his boomerang, knocking the soldier to the ground.

"Nice!" I shouted, quickly punching the next soldier in the stomach, then spinning around with an elbow that connected to his head.

"Come on!" Hope yelled, already heading for the next street, and I quickly followed, mowing down several soldiers with a quick flurry of punches and kicks.

The area was all but cleared of civilians now, and Hope and I sped down a spiral staircase, emerging into an area that was filled with a crowd of civilians and soldiers alike.

"Not good." I said, hurrying forward.

One of the soldiers turned at our approach.

"Is there a problem?" He asked. He was obviously unaware that we were l'Cie. "Now why don't you just calm dow-"

I pulled my fist back and punched him square in the head, knocking him down.

The crowd stepped away from me, and I turned and faced them, trying to look as menacing as possible.

I picked up the downed soldiers rifle, and raised it above my head, emptying the clip into the air.

"I am a Pulse l'Cie!" I shouted, trying not to think about the scared looks I was getting. "I'm here to kill you all!"

The crowd ran, scurrying like mice towards the street's exits.

Hope ran up to me.

"What are you doing?" He cried.

I threw the rifle to the ground where it lay, smoking.

"Clearing the area." I said, watching the civilians flee.

At that moment, bullets rained into the ground, and we launched ourselves out of the way as PSICOM troops flew in with jet packs.

"They'll open fire on a crowd!" I informed Hope, shielding him with my large frame. "Doesn't matter who dies. Just wipe 'em all out!" I yelled disgustedly.

The soldiers swarmed us, and I jumped up, hammering one downwards where he crashed to the ground.

Hope sent a fire ball at another, where it collided with the soldiers jet pack and exploded.

The last one had no chance. I rushed him, diving forward and taking hold of the jet pack, swinging myself around midair, and using the momentum to hurl the soldier into the wall.

We ran, through the streets and into an alleyway as more soldiers flew in.

The alley was narrow, and the soldiers didn't pursue us. Above us was a large blue sign. I spotted a single jet pack smoking on the ground and approached it when a small cry caught my attention.

A little girl was cowering in the corner of the alley, gripping a small rabbit-like toy. She was whimpering, and Hope was approaching her, obviously trying to comfort her.

"You okay?" He asked, but the girl just retreated further into the corner, away from Hope, then she threw the toy at him and Hope recoiled.

"Leave her alone!"

A shout echoed around the alley, joined by many others as a crowd full of angry civilians surged towards us, all gripping crude weapons.

The little took the opportunity to push Hope out of the way and join the crowd, where she was embraced by a woman who could only be her mother.

I shook my head. "Oh, great." I muttered, stepping forward.

I raised my arm, and the crowd backed away at the sudden movement, but they didn't run. They were too angry.

I looked up at the sign above me, and launched a ball of magic at he bolts holding it up.

With a shudder, and a loud grating sound, the sign fell, crashing to the ground between me and the crowd, effectively barring their path.

Hope knelt down and retrieved the little girls toy, and placed it on the top of the sign. Although the crowd could have easily climbed over it, the display of magic had sent them into a terror.

"I'm sorry." Hope said.

The sound of running footsteps warned us of the mass of soldiers approaching us, and I quickly took hold of the jet pack, punching it into flight.

"Time to go!" I said, grabbing Hope as I soared upwards, bullets spraying inches beneath our flailing feet.

We flew up, and I could only barely pilot the jet pack as it roared above the rooftops.

I let go as we cleared the building, and dropped lightly onto the roof.

Hope sank to all fours, panting, and the jet pack hit ground where it lay sputtering.

"We've got to stay ahead of 'em." I told Hope, lifting him to his feet. "We walk from here."

Ahead of us was a sprawling array of rooftops, and we started walking, following the path towards the next rooftop.

On the horizon was an expanse of trees, and floating advertisement balloons littered the sky.

I paused to get my bearings.

"Felix Heights is that way, right?" I asked Hope, but he had collapsed, breathing heavily. He didn't answer.

"Still pretty far." I said, trying to keep my tone light. I stared up at one of the adverts.

"'A great place for family living.'" I read it aloud. "So they say."

Hope just stared at the ground.

"Looks like it actually might be, huh?" I said.

Finally, he spoke.

"Yeah, well, l'Cie don't have family."

I turned. "Listen to me, kid." I said. "I'm an orphan – I barely got to know my family." I recalled the Sanctum's orphanage. "But someday, I'm gonna have my own. Once I save Serah, and protect Cocoon."

Hope looked up at me.

"How exactly?" He asked, and I grinned.

"That's a good question." I said. "I want to do what's right, but everyone hates l'Cie." I turned away from Hope and looked out at the rooftops. "Kind of hard to help someone that's trying to kill you."

I looked back at him.

"It'll be tough. But everything will work out in the end." I said. "As long as we stay together and hold on to hope-"

"We don't have any!" Hope said, suddenly standing.

I opened my mouth to retort, but an explosion rent the air, and I spun around to see one of the balloons explode as a velocycle fired at it.

"A l'Cie's only hope is a quick death!" Hope said bitterly.

I sighed, but decided not to argue with him. He was clearly upset.

"Come on." I said, leading the way across the rooftop.

We ran, crossing rooftops using ventilation shafts and beams. That same velocycle reached us, but Hope froze its engines with ice magic, and it fell to the ground far below.

We emerged on another rooftop, much closer to Felix Heights now.

"I wanted to ask you something." Hope said suddenly.

I turned. "What's that?"

He hesitated.

"You say you want a family. What if – what if they were taken from you?"

My brow furrowed.

"Well then," I thought for a moment. "I'd take them back."

"And what if you couldn't?" Hope asked. "What if you knew who was to blame?"

I shrugged unsure of where he was going with this.

"Well, then there'd be trouble." I said. "Hey, are you okay?"

Hope looked down at his feet.

I cocked my head to the side.

"Did you get hit in the head, or something, or-?"

I stopped as loud, mechanical whirring interrupted me, and I spun around.

A flying bioweapon appeared above the rooftop, it's wings flapping powerfully.

I sighed. "Guess we'll have to talk about this later!"

"Don't just stand there!" Hope said, shoving past me and throwing a huge fireball at the bioweapon.

"Hope, wait!" I yelled, running to join him before he got hurt.

I dodged as bullets slammed into the ground, and noticed writing emblazoned on the side of the bioweapon reading: 'Ushumgal Subjugator.'

I assumed that's what it was called.

The Subjugator launched fiery missiles at us, and I pushed Hope out of the way, summoning a magical shield just as the missiles collided with me.

"Get him, Hope!" I cried. "I'll hold him off!"

I used magic to get the Subjugator's attention, then used the shield to protect myself from the imminent blast.

Hope launched magic after magic at the Subjugator, battering its metal exterior, denting it and leaving black marks.

"Aw, yeah!" I yelled, punching the air as the Subjugator turned and flew away, a final ball of magic colliding with its back.

"You did good, Hope." I said, noticing how out of breath he was. "If you need to take a break, why don't we do it over there?" I pointed at the building next to ours. We were too exposed here.

Hope nodded, and we made our way to the building, stopping at the top floor.

The floor contained a couple of vending machines, and I bought a can of drink for Hope.

"Here." I said, holding it out to him.

Hope sighed.

"I'm not thirsty." He said.

"Okay." I said slowly. Didn't kids like drinks? I shrugged. "Well, don't want to waste it."

I approached the balcony and downed the can in several huge gulps.

"Snow?" Hope asked just as I finished the drink, letting a loud belch escape my lips.

"What do you plan to do? I need to know." Hope said.

I smiled at him.

"I told you. Save Serah, protect Cocoon, and have myself a big, happy family." I chuckled. "Still, it's a long road ahead."

I looked at the brand on my arm. More arrows had appeared, and the eye at the center was beginning to open.

"Or, maybe not so long." I added. "Whatever happens, things will work themselves out."

I took a step forward from the balcony, towards Hope. "Even if you're l'Cie, you've got to keep fighting." I threw the empty can at one of the bins, where it landed with a satisfying clunk as it flew into the bin.

"And what if that gets people around you involved?" Hope asked, and I stopped.

Serah.

"What happens when your actions end up ruining someone's life?" Hope asked, advancing on me.

Gadot. Lebreau. NORA.

"What if someone dies? What then, Snow?"

"I..."

A woman, falling to her death because I couldn't save her.

I staggered backwards, my back hitting the rail of the balcony.

"How do you pay for what you've done?" Hope asked, his voice rising.

I spun around, my hands slamming down on the rail.

"I can't, all right?" I said loudly. "There is nothing that can make something like that right again."

All my fears, all my regrets, all the lives that were ruined because of me had found me.

"When someone's dead, when someone's gone, words are useless." I said bitterly.

"So that's it? People die and you just run away?" Hope said, yelling now.

I slammed my fist on the rail.

"I know! It's all my fault!" I said. "But I don't know how to fix it!" I couldn't. "Where do you start? What do you say?"

I had no idea what to do.

"All I can do is go forward." I said. "Keep fighting and surviving, until I find the answers I need."

"There are no answers!" Hope shouted. "You're running from what you deserve!"

I stood upright.

"Well, why don't you tell me what I deserve?" I yelled.

"The same fate!" Hope shouted.

I turned as he gave a cry, and Hope exploded in a wave of magical energy, ripping through the railing and knocking me over the edge.

I managed to hold on to the edge of the building with one hand, my feet dangling. What was going on?

Hope approached me, a knife in his hand. A knife I recognized.

"Nora Estheim." He said, his voice shaking in anger. "She was my mother. And she died because of you!"

Then it finally made sense.

"You!" I gasped. A woman, falling to her death because I couldn't save her. Hope, her son, the one I was supposed to protect all along.

"You're the one she meant!"

Hope raised the knife above his head, but the blade never came down.

I heard the distinct sound of missiles flying towards us, then they exploded.

Hope was thrown over the edge, propelled by the force of the blast.

"Hope!"

I saw him fall, and I reacted instinctively. I pulled my feet up, and launched myself off the building, grabbing onto Hope's falling body, and shielding him with my own.

We fell, several stories, crashing through panes of glass and parts of the building that jutted from the wall.

Then nothing.