AN - And we're back with forward momentum! wayhoooooooohhh shit.
The gentle breeze crossed Fang's face as she propped herself against a tree and let the day trail by. Lightning was running through formations with some of the other students and the shifter had elected to helpfully keep out of it. She heard a shuffle of grass as Vanille came and sat down next to her with a contented sigh.
"You guys seem a little... calmer? Is calmer the right word?"
Cracking a single eye open, Fang laughed quietly and brought her sibling in for a hug. "I suppose it is a good choice of words, considering everythin' over the last while. What about you 'Nille? You and Serah been getting reacquainted?"
Vanille shrugged and toyed with a blade of grass, passing it between several of her hands. "It wasn't the same for us as it was for you two. We were really young when everything... Happened." She paused, waiting for the inevitable wince from the Fang and was surprised when it never came. The shifter watched Lightning and Serah out on the field working through a defensive set and smiled.
"I've... I'm tryin' to make peace with it, 'Nille. It still tears me up inside every time I see your face but… I've still got you. And you've still got me. I've been… Workin' with Light to figure out ways to keep me in check so I don't go crazy again. She was right. Caius never taught me how to control myself, only how to hurt other people. I think… I think with Lightning, I can learn how to care."
A crackle of electricity sparked next to them as Lightning appeared with her arms folded, leaning against the tree. "Speaking of learning to care," she drawled, eyeing off Fang pointedly, "this is meant to be a joint class. So would you mind getting off your ass at some point today, Oerba?"
Fang laughed and slowly stood with a long arch of her spine, Lightning's eyes darting down at the slip of scarred abdomen that appeared as her shirt raised. "Alright, Farron. What are we working on today?" She said through a yawn while continuing to stretch.
"How to fend off an attack when using powers."
The feral grin that spread across Fang's face never ceased to make Lightning nervous, even after their shared revelation. She was already pre-emptively counting the bruises she'd later be nursing in her mind. The shifter shed her jacket and jogged out to the field, giving Serah a wink as she passed. "Now kids, listen up because old Fang here is going to teach you a thing or two about how to give yourself the upper hand."
"You wish!" Lightning retorted from a few paces away, bumping Fang with her hip as she caught up and passed her.
"Just because this one here is a speedy little shit doesn't mean shit. With fast or strong L'cie, it's about timing. Time your shots right and it won't matter how fast or how strong they are. You use that against them. Alright Sparky, let's see what you've got." Fang beckoned with her finger that rapidly shifted into a claw, the blue skin racing up her arm and covering her body.
Lightning narrowed her eyes and let a small grin cross her face before she darted forward, ready to go on the attack. This time she went in for the left side, to try to get Fang off balance but the shifter was prepared for it. The blow was blocked by a large claw and Fang brought her arms forward as the elemental bounced back, jumping from foot to foot like a boxer. "See, you gotta make yourself less of a target. Protect your face, protect your chest, try not to let them get behind you."
Fang hunched down, bringing her elbows up to cover her face. Lightning got a few shots in at the back and the shifter turned, the two entering into a dangerous dance. None of Lightning's blows had any strength behind them, and Fang was annoyed by her holding back. She held up a hand to pause the sparring to address the small class.
"You gotta wait, don't react, don't be a hero. Time your shot. Just be patient."
Vanille giggled in the background. "Not exactly one of your strong suits, Fang."
"Agreed." Serah added, the two nudging each other and whispering about the two on the field. Fang gave the two younger women a scowl and then turned back to Lightning.
"Well come on then, Sunshine, I ain't got all day."
As Lightning surged forward, Fang fell back. It threw the elemental off balance and Fang managed to whip her hands around to capture her opponent. Lightning found herself pinned with her arms caught behind her from Fang's massive claws. She struggled in the grip but couldn't get free without hurting her friend. The others sat on the sidelines applauding the move, some cheering Fang on, others cheering for Lightning. A handful of them were exchanging money.
"Come on, Light. Clock's tickin' sweetheart. I've seen you get out of worse binds than this." Fang purred in her ear, the deliberate sultry tone sending shivers up Lightning's neck.
"I... I don't want to hurt you."
There was a slight pressure in Lightning's shoulders as Fang pulled her wrists back a little, not enough to hurt but just enough to feel uncomfortable. "What if you aren't left with a choice? You've been hesitating with me all morning. Knock it off. The likes of Caius, or the Sanctum won't give you the opportunity to hesitate." Fang continued to talk in a low tone, her lips just grazing against the elemental's ear. "I can take everything you've got to give me, Light. So quit holdin' out on me."
A bolt of electricity surged through them both and Fang found herself blown clear across the field. Her jacket smoked where it had been singed and she patted herself down as she laid sprawled in the grass.
"Fang!" Lightning's worried voice called out from the other side of the training grounds. The others were all running over to check on her as Fang let out a cough and got to her feet on shaky legs. It had been quite a bit of time since she had felt the full force of the elemental's powers, and it took more than a few seconds for the ringing in her ears to fade.
She held up a lazy hand to show she was alright, and brushed herself off. "What a rush," Fang breathed as the elemental zipped across the field just ahead of the others. "Didn't know you had that in you, taser."
Lightning blushed and looked away with a stern expression, finding something in the distance to focus her attention on. "I was... I... I'm sorry, I lost control." She muttered, feeling embarrassed about the outburst of electricity. She felt Fang's fingers guide her gaze back with a careful tilt of her jaw.
"Don't even stress about it, Light. You did good. We need that strength. You should never be afraid to hold back, especially with me."
Lightning swallowed hard and fidgeted under the warmth from Fang being so close. What a stupid, stupid time for her childhood crush to rear its distracting head again. But then, she couldn't really figure out if it was the past she was holding onto, or if it was this Fang, this present woman her friend had grown into that she was finding herself attracted to.
"Come on, let's go again. I'm not gonna let you zap me twice you cheeky thing."
That smile. That gods be damned knowing smile. There was a certain depth to it, not only did it hold the memories of the countless times Lightning had seen it before being conned into doing something incredibly reckless... It also held the promise of future reckless things with a friend by her side. She couldn't help but return the grin, seeing Fang's eyes lighting up at the mirrored expression.
"You're on, Sharptooth."
A rich laughter barked across the grounds as Fang got back into position. She held up her hand and gave her fingers a crooked motion, signalling Lightning to begin. The others settled back on the side lines to observe.
Lightning shot forward at a slightly slower pace and leapt into the air, using her electricity to boost her height. Fang prepared herself for the attack but hesitated as she caught a familiar scent on the wind. Dark tendrils wisped from the ground in between them and Fang sprinted forward to tackle Lightning out of the way. They both hit the ground hard and skidded across the grass, Fang twisting with the elemental in her arms to protect her from the fall.
A figure staggered out from the darkness and Lightning was already pushing herself off of Fang to defend against the intruder. She moved to strike when she was yanked back by a clawed hand.
"Wait, Light. Just wait."
The shifter pushed past her and ran to the man who fell to his knees. She picked him up and carried him over to the side, motioning for Vanille to get a bottle of water. Fang shifted her hands back to human form and gently took him by the face, checking the wounds. "Shadow Hunter, what the hell have you gotten yourself into you bloody idiot?"
"S-sorry, Fang. I... I know it was wrong of me to come here... But... I didn't have a choice."
"You know him, Fang?" Lightning asked, hesitant and wary of the sudden appearance of the stranger. Serah ran over and gasped as she caught sight of their surprise visitor.
"Noel, what happened?" She asked, startling her older sibling.
Lightning had forgotten that Serah would have likely had a friendship with more than just Fang. It made her pause in her own movements. She had spent so much time trying to sway Fang to the Haven's line of thinking that she had completely forgotten about her own sister. On the surface level, Serah didn't seem to hold Caius in high esteem. But that meant nothing when it came to some of the more liberal policies.
The rogue L'cie coughed and gratefully took the water from Vanille, giving her a weary smile. "Thank you... Vanille, yeah? Fang's told me a lot about you." He leant on his shifter friend for support and closed his eyes. "We were on a routine mission, you know the... Usual... But we were ambushed by the Sanctum. Fang they... They took Ifrit."
The guttural growl was out of Fang's throat before she could even stop it. The sound made the others shrink back nervously, with the exception of Lightning who stood her ground. "What exactly were you doing to warrant the attention of the Sanctum in the first place?" She asked hesitantly, wincing at the immediate defensive reaction from the shifter.
"The fuck does it matter, Light? He's my brother. I grew up with him. I ain't leavin' him to rot in a Sanctum cell."
The flare of jealousy that spiked in Lightning's mind was instantaneous, and electricity unconsciously flickered across her skin. She found her reaction unflattering, and had to suppress her feelings on the matter to remain focused. They helped Noel inside and Vanille took him down to the med bay with Serah in tow.
Fang moved to follow but a gentle tug on her wrist made her hesitate. She turned, preparing for the inevitable argument, but found Lightning looking away with a tight jaw. "Look, Light... If you wanna get your piece out about telling me not to go after Gadot..."
The elemental placed a hand on Fang's shoulder to silence her and felt how tense the muscles were. "I'm not saying not to go. But if you rush in while angry... You don't know if they're prepared for a retaliation or rescue attempt. You don't know if you're walking into a trap."
There was a visible deflation in Fang's demeanour, and she rubbed her face with her hands in frustration. "You can't ask me to leave him, Light. Regardless of whatever you lot have going on with Raines, or how you feel towards Caius and Valhalla. I will not leave my family to die." She growled, tensing as Lightning cupped her face with her hands.
"I'm not. Asking you to. I am asking you, to not go in blind. Please, Fang... I only just got you back. I don't want to lose you again. Let's... Gather intel; let me call Raines, see what he knows."
Fang immediately paled, and she tried to back away from her friend. "You can't be serious, I don't trust him."
"Do you trust me?"
The question was striking in its blunt delivery, and Fang's heart skipped at the intensity of Lightning's stare. "You know I do." She whispered quietly. Fang inhaled sharply when she was pulled into a tight embrace, the elemental sliding her arms around her neck.
"Then trust me to do the right thing. And we will go together."
"The whole thing stinks of a trap." Snow muttered, crawling through the brush towards the facility. Fang couldn't disagree. But then, who was laying the trap? Raines? The others they'd tangled with when rescuing Yuj? Either way the Sanctum would be prepared, and not willing to allow any further L'cie to be taken so easily.
"I don't care." Fang growled, flexing her claws and putting on her mask. Gadot was her brother, her family. Even if she had found her true family once again, she wasn't going to walk away and abandon him. She tensed as she felt a hand squeeze her wrist, and Lightning pressed close to her so nobody else heard them.
"Keep your head about you, Yun. Please. I don't want to lose anyone tonight rescuing your friend, especially you."
This Sanctum facility wasn't the holding base in the forest with a handful of guards. The location tucked into the mountains was heavily fortified, guards everywhere and the entire place lit up like Christmas. There was nowhere they could sneak in this time. Fang growled and tried to keep her cool. It wasn't just her life on the line. The others were with her, Sazh included. He knew more than any of them that when it came to Gadot, Fang was leaving regardless of whether anyone was with her. At least this way they could have the best chance of success of getting everyone home alive with as little collateral damage as possible.
Yuj walked up to Fang and gave her a pat on the back with a determined smile. "We'll get your friend back, just like you guys did for me. And I think I know a way in. Vanille and Serah have been helping me practice."
He walked quietly along the perimeter, until they came across a river that led into the facility by the docks. When the others followed him and caught up, Lightning tilted her head curiously. "What have you got in mind?" She asked, her eyes lighting up as he parted the water and started to walk onto the riverbed. "Wow. Ok. What do you need?"
"A small group, no more than three of you. I can't make this any bigger and we're going to need to go… Under."
Fang was of course going, as was Lightning. That left one more space for the others and Snow raised his hand as it turned to ice. "Someone needs to watch your backs and keep you three out of trouble…" He drawled, earning a kiss on the cheek from Serah when her sister wasn't looking.
Sazh stayed with Vanille, Serah and Hope, the young redhead passing a small device to Fang before they parted. "Get this into their network so we can have eyes on the schematics. If Hope knows where he's going he can teleport in and get your friend out. Then you just need to focus on getting out. Be safe."
"You too, 'Nille." Fang replied quietly, giving Vanille a quick kiss on the top of the head. She gave Serah's shoulder a firm squeeze as well and leant in close. "You keep them safe, little one. And if there's trouble, give them hell."
In reality, Fang would have much preferred Serah with them than Snow. She knew more about the small elemental's powers than the icy oaf Serah had been seeing behind Lightning's back. Still, if there was anyone Fang trusted to keep her sister safe, it was her. Sighing, she followed Lightning down to the banks, stepping in behind Yuj. The water elemental glanced behind him with a brief nod before pressing forward.
"Be a bunch of darlings and huddle up will you? The less space I gotta make here the easier it'll be."
Snow stood close to Yuj while Lightning huddled in close, waiting for the water to close behind them before slipping and arm around Fang's waist. There was an uneasy, claustrophobic feeling to the water closing over their heads but not touching them as they moved closer into the river towards the facility. Lightning felt relieved when Fang swung a protective arm over her shoulder, and she took a moment while walking slowly beneath the surface of the river to revel in the warmth of the shifter while being surrounded by cold, dark water.
"We going to be ok, Fang?"
"You keep asking that, and I keep telling you it's fine. I got your back. And I know you got mine. Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for that arsehole Raines. I know he's risking a lot with giving us the intel to find Gadot."
Yuj came to a halt by the docks, watching as a searchlight listed lazily over the surface. After it had darkened once again, he moved closer towards the wharf and found a ladder. Focusing his energy he shunted the space upwards, parting the water carefully to allow everyone to get through and climb. They hid behind a set of storage crates, trying to figure out their next move.
Fang had closed her eyes and taken a deep breath, hiding the smile on her face in present company. She knew the scent all too well. A hand snuck out of the shadows and tapped Fang on the shoulder, handing her an access card before disappearing again. "Thanks, gorgeous," she whispered and silently leapt over the crates, knocking out two of the guards nearby.
"I see your friend Noel followed us," Lightning sighed, shaking her head at the lack of secrecy in this mission when Raines was putting himself at risk of being discovered. They dragged the guards away and crept to the door, Fang using the card she'd been given to get into the building.
Glancing at a set of shadows, the shifter hissed at the darkness, hoping that Noel was around. "Hey, Hunter. Do you think you could find the network room and get this device into it? We need eyes on the place so we know what we're walking into."
"On it," Noel replied, stepping out of the inky shadows and snatching the device. He disappeared back into the wall and left them alone. Lightning was uneasy about him helping. He was an unknown.
"Are you sure it's safe trusting that with him?"
The glare she received in response made her shrink back away from the Pulsian. "You kidding me, Light? Common goals and all that? Gadot is Noel's family too. He came to us for help. Don't start this now."
"Hey, It's Hex. I'm in."
Thankfully Vanille chimed in before an ill-timed argument broke out in the middle of a rescue mission. Lightning frowned and filed it away for later, conceding that for now, the Valhalla zealot was helping them.
"Gadot is down in the interrogation cells from the looks of things. Sub level five, east sector."
Lightning tapped the communicator in her ear and looked up at Fang. She knew she'd crossed the line but there was no time for an apology. "Let's go get your friend." She said quietly, bowing her head as she moved on.
There was a bit of resistance along the way, but Lightning and Fang worked in tandem to take them out without serious injury. The elemental was pleased to see no brutal violence that Fang was so notorious for, the shifter heeding her many lessons and determined to listen to the teachings of the Haven for once.
"Uh, guys?" Yuj called out as they approached a corner, carefully peeking around it. "We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?" Fang asked, her voice biting and on the edges of anger. She was tired of the slow approach, she could have mowed through all these wretched Sanctum scum by now, but couldn't bear to bring herself to do it. She didn't want to disappoint Lightning.
"The turret kind of problem. I count at least six guards, a turret, and a very big door to the interrogation wing."
"Fuck. That kind of problem." Fang sighed, pressing the heel of her palm into her face to rub her eye. Snow stepped forward and extended his hand to make a small sheet of crystal clear ice to use as a mirror. A smile crept across his face and he gave a thumbs up.
"Got an idea. I paid attention to your lessons, Fang. Light, Yuj, gonna need some help." Snow whispered and turned back to the corridor. He threw an ice shard at a nearby firehose and loosened the tap. The dripping water was all Yuj needed to draw the rest of his element out. The hose saturated the hall, covering it in a thin layer of liquid. Lightning had already concluded where this was going and with a knowing smile, shot out a flurry of low voltage electricity that travelled quickly atop the surface of the water. The guards were too busy complaining about being ankle deep in water to notice anything further to worsen their day.
The electricity shot through the guards and disabled the turret, leaving them all unconscious in the hallway. Yuj drew the water back into the fire hose and Snow froze it, stemming the flow and removing any danger for them. Fang watched in awe and held a hand to her chest.
"God, remind me to shed a happy tear for this moment later. Couldn't be prouder of you kids for actually listening and applying what I taught."
"You're a good teacher, Fang. We're lucky to have you." Snow replied with an easy grin. They raced down the hallway and stood before the massive doors to the interrogation sector. The ice elemental froze the steel, making it brittle. Fang kicked it hard, shattering it from its hinges.
"Hex, you got enough to get Diabolos in here?" Lightning asked through her comms piece, moving up closer to inspect the cells in the darkened hallway.
"Negative. I think the guards you knocked out earlier have been spotted because comms traffic is lighting up like crazy. Sazh doesn't want to risk him."
Fang snarled, so close yet so far. How would they get to Gadot and get him out now? A decision would be made for them as an explosion suddenly went off on the other side of the compound, sending the guards across the facility into a panic.
"What the hell was that?" Lightning hissed, looking around for the source of the disruption. "Noel's going for the less subtle approach and trying to get us all killed?"
The L'cie in question appeared from a shadow and gave her a lazy salute. "Wasn't going to leave this place without giving them a mess to clean up, otherwise what good is the party? Gadot's in cell twenty-three."
Fang took off at a sprint, racing down the cell block and ripping the door from its hinges in an almost panicked fury. Alarms began to blare through the complex but at this point she was beyond caring. "Ifrit!"
The fire elemental was bound with a power dampener fixed around his neck, chained to a wall. "Still... All that time away from us and you're still goin' with the formalities, Fang."
"Shut up, you big idiot." The shifter sniffed, trying to keep her emotions in check after such a violent reunion with someone she considered a brother. She ripped the chains from the wall and broke the shackles apart with a roar. He leant away from her when she went to do the same with the dampener.
"Hang on there, I like my head being attached to my shoulders thank you very much."
"Allow me." Lightning stepped into the cell and quickly moved over to them, pointing her index finger at the control panel on the collar. It short circuited the device and allowed it to be pried from around his throat. A sudden flare of fire allowed Gadot to melt the rest of his restraints, and he sighed with relief.
Helping him to his feet, Fang and Lightning walked over to the doorway to find a very nervous Snow. "Guys there are a... Lot of guys with guns headed in this direction." He immediately started to make an ice wall barrier and they opened fire.
Fang grabbed Lightning by the wrist and pulled her around the corner to shield her. "We need to split up. Get Yuj and Snow back to the docks, we'll follow."
"No I'm not leaving you behi-"
Lightning was silenced when Fang gripped her by the back of the neck and ran a more human-looking thumb along her jawline. "I'm not dyin' here today or disappearing. I reckon I got a fair few reasons to come home now."
Swallowing hard, Lightning nodded with a quick hug around Fang's neck. "I'll hold you to that, Oerba."
"Kick my arse for all this later, Farron." The shifter quipped with a slight raise of her eyebrow. Lightning grabbed Yuj and Snow and retreated down another corridor with one last glance back at Fang as they disappeared from sight. Gadot considered them and looked up at Fang.
"I'm sure there's... A fascinating story behind all that, old friend."
"Yeah later, and over several drinks if we survive this."
Now forcibly split up from the others by the gun fire, Fang ran and half carried Gadot through the hallways, before coming to a halt when she came face to face with commander Rosch.
"L'cie scum."
He cocked the pistol and aimed it square at her head and fired without hesitation. Fang dropped Gadot to the ground and braced for the impact. A dark shadow loomed in front of her, Noel's abilities consuming the bullet for her.
"Sorry I'm late!" He joked, stepping from the darkness with a frown. Noel watched as Fang darted forward and knocked the weapon from Rosch's hand. She punched the commander in the jaw hard, sending him to the ground.
"There will be justice for the crimes you've done against humanity, Yaag. You will pay. Just not tonight."
As she walked away Noel and Gadot both stared in disbelief. She approached with a shrug and helped her fiery friend up from the ground. "Fang... You ain't gonna... But everything he and his kind have done... What about Maqui?"
Fang shook her head with a resigned expression. "No, Ifrit. If I kill him it makes them right. It makes every terrible thing they use to justify their hatred of our kind correct. I won't prove them right."
Gadot straightened, unable to believe what he was hearing. His eyes narrowed and he reached over to touch the inside of Fang's wrist gently to get her attention. "Not even when winter is setting in?" He watched as Fang's face went slack and her pupils dilated at his question. She turned to Yaag slowly, baring her canines in a rage.
Blinking slowly, Fang found herself back outside on the docks, catching up with the others. Lightning waved her over to the pier and she walked over, taking a little more time than she should have.
"Come on, Fang!" Lightning called out, taking her by the wrist and dragging her over to the ladder.
"You... You first..." The shifter said quietly, looking back towards the building. She remembered that Gadot had asked her something, but then after that everything was blank. She didn't know how much time had passed or what had transpired, and it made her nervous.
Lightning raised an eyebrow at her and slid down the ladder, waiting for Fang while Yuj strained to keep the water away from them. She was worried about Fang, how despondent the shifter looked. She ran a tentative hand along Fang's arm when her friend finally got down the ladder and smiled gently. "Hey, we did it. Noel got Gadot and got to safety. Noel said he'd find a safe way to catch up with you soon, and keep his end of the deal to keep Caius away from the Haven."
"Oh, ok. Good. That's... that's good."
"... Fang?"
The shifter shook herself and nodded to Yuj to proceed, walking with the group to get away from the pier. "Sorry. Just... Pretty overwhelming evening."
Lightning seemed to understand and didn't press the issue, knowing it would have been hard coming to the rescue of her former family. She kept Fang in the corner of her peripherals while she talked quietly with Snow, watching Fang trail her fingers through the wall of water that surrounded them. She didn't notice the blood being cleaned from the claws by the passing river.
High above them, Gadot stood on a rocky outcropping further up from the base, clutching at his rib as Caius approached. "Well, Ifrit?" The looming shifter asked, waiting impatiently.
"Seems this whole farce of me getting captured by the Sanctum paid off, boss. It was as you suspected. Fang's been hanging with Katzroy and the Haven propaganda, and they got in deep. She almost wouldn't kill that bastard Sanctum commander."
"Almost...?"
Gadot gave a shrug and lit a fire on his fingertips to warm himself. "Lebreau's conditioning is still intact, probably needs a tune up though. Didn't see the other kid, Serah."
Caius gave a cruel grin and straightened his jacket. "We don't need an explosive L'cie to make an explosion, Ifrit. We only need someone willing to make a sacrifice for the greater good."
A grimace appeared on Gadot's face and he extinguished his fingers, folding his arms in displeasure. "Caius, I don't like where this is going. I really ain't comfortable about the fact that you had me dragged in and beaten by the Sanctum to try to draw Fang out of hiding. And I especially am not comfortable about the fact that you've been basically brainwashing her with Yeul and Lebreau."
The shifter darted forward and wrapped his enormous fingers around Gadot's throat, lifting him from the ground. "It is not your place to question, Ifrit. Only to follow. Or do I need to remind you of some of your own phrases?"
Shaking his head in fear, Gadot was released and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Caius sneered at him and began to walk away from the outcropping, back towards the forest.
"Head back to the compound and get some rest. Now that we have finally found Fang... We're going to bring our little sister home."