A/N: (poking Niki) Are you still alive?
Niki: ...
Me: ...uh oh. I think I left her out too long.
Disclaimer: I am currently in the process of buying Nomura's soul off of ebay. When I do that, I will own everything and this fic will become the coolest RPG in the history of the world! Complete with Organization XIII Sitar Hero Edition! You can be Demyx! Until then, I just molest the characters.
The wasn't happening. This just wasn't happening. It seemed like it was just a few days ago that Reno was waiting outside of the ER as Akalara was operated on, praying to every god he was still on speaking terms with that she would be okay. Now, the same thing was happening with Niki.
Axys was curled up beside him, her head in his lap as she slept. Christine had brought her to him when they found out about Niki's accident, the little girl wanting to be with her father. Reno had agreed, needing her with him. It was going on 11 p.m. and the doctors still hadn't made it out of surgery. He ran his fingers through his daughter's red hair, the soft tresses falling in silken strands onto his thighs. The action comforted him somewhat, but the gnawing in his gut wouldn't go away.
He glanced over at his partner who had his arm around Kandi, Andria leaning up against her mother, sound asleep as well. The red-streaked woman was trying to keep her tears in check but failing miserably. It seemed the last time he'd seen her cry was when they were in this same situation with Akalara. Rude's sunglasses were off, his lips pressed into the hair of his girlfriend, his fingers running soothing patterns on her arm as he held her.
Feather was sobbing quietly as Black tried his best to console her. Niki was her partner and this was hitting her particularly hard.
Tseng stood patiently, sipping a cup of coffee as Elena leaned against the wall, Paulo's head in her lap as he slept. She, like Reno, was running her fingers through the child's hair for lack of anything better to do.
Kandi shifted, her eyes going to the entrance of the waiting room. Reno turned his gaze to see what had caught her eye, the knot is his stomach tightening at the sight of silver hair. Kandi lifted Andria's head up gently and rose to her feet, allowing Rude to scoot over so he could act as a pillow for the black haired, red-streaked little girl. She went to the entrance and bent down, taking Azrael into her arms.
The little boy broke down and started crying. "It's okay," she whispered to him, sitting down on the ground and pulling him into her lap as she rocked him. "It's okay, Az."
"I'm not supposed to cry," he sobbed into her neck. "I have to be strong for Mom."
Kandi's heart broke at that, pulling him closer to her. "Then I'll be strong for you," she told him. "Just let it out, Baby. I've got you."
Stroking his hair, she felt more tears falling from her own eyes as Azrael's soft sobs left his throat. This little boy, this little man she held in her arms, was not only the physical mirror of his father, but the emotional one as well. Wanting to do all he could, all that was in his power and all that was not, to help his mother, the woman he loved first and above all others; and it was breaking him. She couldn't help but think that during Sephiroth's possession by Jenova, that his mind, his spirit, was as fragile as his eight year old son's was right now. And that tore her up inside.
Continuing with her rocking, Kandi noticed that Azrael, exhausted both physically and mentally, was sound asleep in her lap. Smiling, she kissed the boy's head and hugged him closer against her. She turned and looked at Tseng. The Wutain quickly came over and took the sleeping child from her arms and laid him down on one of the couches before pulling her back up to her feet, her legs having fallen asleep staying that position for so long.
"Any word from Akalara?" she asked her boss.
Tseng shook his head. "No," he said heavily. "But her absense does not bode well for her."
Kandi rubbed her legs and stared down at her friend's son. "I know."
Akalara stared into her office, the room now taped off and considered a crime scene. She hadn't meant for this to happen. She didn't want Niki hurt. She'd been on the receiving end of a prank gone bad before. Sure, at the time, she had wanted to do the same to Niki, but she had allowed herself to cool down. And after she had thought Revan was cheating on her with the clinically insane rookie, she had made the bomb to blow off steam. It was more of a theraputic thing, making the music box and wrapping it up, addressing it to Niki. And in that, her revenge had been sated. Especially since she knew the truth. Smiling, she realized that her hot temper was beginning to cool...somewhat.
But that hadn't stopped the bomb from falling into Niki's hands anyway. Akalara had no one to blame but herself for the accident. She should have known that Niki would try something to get her back for the Razor incident. She should have taken the bomb home, or dismantled it before she left for the day. Or sent it to one of the targets listed in the wanted database. Anything but leaving it on her desk. Foolishly, she had thought it would have been safe.
How wrong she had been.
"Ak."
The green-haired woman turned, looking into the cool blue eyes of her lover. "Revan," she began. "I swear, I didn't-"
"You made a bomb for Niki," he said calmly.
"With no intention of giving it to her," she explained with equal calm. "It's like looking at someone through the crosshairs of a sniper rifle and easing the trigger back, saying 'bang' before you actually fire. It's a theraputic way to ease rage."
"And your therapy could very well have killed another Turk," he told her.
Akalara shook her head. "Revan, you have to believe me," she whispered. "I didn't want to hurt Niki."
"And yet you did," he said stepping away from her. "I'm...disappointed in you, Ak."
Akalara's heart shattered at that. "Revan, please," she said desperately, grabbing onto his arm. "Please, don't leave me."
Revan removed her from his arm and shook his head. "I can't," he said through clenched teeth. "Ak, I just...can't."
He turned on his heel and walked away from her, each step he took a knife wound to her already broken heart. Now, she truly had nothing. Revan didn't believe her. She knew Reno wouldn't and he would hate her if Niki did die.
Akalara took a deep breath. Who was she kidding? It was just a matter of time before Niki died. Her bombs did what they were made to do; kill. Once Niki was dead, she would be taken into custody by her co-workers and eliminated. Turks who kill other Turks can't be trusted. Azrael would have to watch as his mother was taken and executed for her crimes. Azrael. Her son who, in his short life, had suffered so much. She wouldn't do it to him. He deserved better. Resolving herself, Akalara nodded, switching the light off in her taped off office and turning to go.
"I'm sorry, Seph," she whispered, heels clicking as she walked down the dark halls of Turk HQ.
Tseng rested his head against Elena's, nearly dozing off himself as they continued to wait for any news on Niki. He jumped slightly as his cellphone vibrated in his jacket pocket. Shifting slightly, he answered the call quietly. "Tseng here."
An eyebrow arched up in question as he eased away from Elena, her eyes blinking in confusion. "Where?" he asked. "Are you sure? Right. I'll get a team together immediately."
He closed his cellphone and turned to his Turks. It seemed the entire force was there, all huddled together in the waiting room. The only one's missing besides Niki were Akalara and Revan.
"What is it?" Vincent asked gruffly.
"It appears we have a jumper on the top of our building," Tseng told them. "We need to get our net teams in position around the entire perimeter of the building. The W.R.O. and local police have been called and are bringing in padded catches and emergency response vehicles. Sage, I need you and Reno in the choppers..."
"I ain't leaving," Reno spat out. "I don't give a damn about no suicidal freak. I ain't leaving til I find out 'bout Niki."
"I'll do it," Joel offered, nodding at Reno. "His mind is elsewhere."
Tseng nodded as well. "Fine," he conceded. "Reno, you, Elena, and Nilto can stay with the children and wait for any word from Niki. The rest of us are needed on the ground. Except you three. Amazons, you're going up."
Kandi, Ram and Katrina smirked at each other. "Got it, Bossman," they said in unison.
The Amazons took the elevator to the top floor and then quickly exited, splitting up to try to surround the jumper before he or she decided to take the plunge so to speak. Kandi opened the window that lead out to the fire escape and slowly made her way up the metal climbing structure. She flipped down her nightvision shades to give her an advantage over the darkness and peeked her head over the ledge of the building.
"I have a visual on the jumper," she said softly into her ear piece. "Female, roughly 5'1", 108 pounds," she said, activating a control on the shades and scanning the biological makeup of the woman. "Administering scan now." She gasped when the name flashed across her line of vision.
Akalara Forrest.
"Report," Tseng ordered.
"It's Akalara, Sir," Kandi told him. "Permission to approach, Sir."
"Denied," Tseng hasitly replied. "Continue observation for now. I'll get the net team ready. At my signal, you may advance to begin talk down procedures."
"Understood," she said, chewing her lip as she studied her friend. "Standing by, Sir."
Akalara, what are you thinking? Kandi pleaded in her mind, wishing with all her might she was a closeted telepath and her powers would magically materialize now. Now. Now. Damn it! Not working.
So far, Akalara was simply standing on the ledge looking down, then out, then up and repeating the process again. What are you looking for, Green Girl? Kandi thought. The answers to your questions ain't at the bottom of this building, I can guaran-damn-tee that.
The red-streaked woman breathed a sigh of relief as her longtime friend stepped away from the ledge, wiping the tears falling from her eyes. "She's stepped back from the ledge, Sir," Kandi informed her boss. "She is approaching the center of the roof and is approximately 15' from the ledge on the closest side."
"Make contact," Tseng ordered. "Net teams have surrounded the building and spotters have her scoped. Be careful."
"Affirmative," Kandi replied, easing herself onto the roof. Fucking suicide jumpers were in the Turk training regime. She just didn't think her first shot at it would be one of her best fucking friends!
Flipping her nightvision shades up on her head, she took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Tenatively, she stood up and made her way over to the pacing woman. "Ak?"
Akalara jumped and spun around, staring with relief at her friend. She broke into sobs and rushed to Kandi whose arms were already opened wide. The slightly older woman held her green-haired friend as she sobbed, pulling them both to the ground so she could just hold her. "It's okay," Kandi whispered. "I've got you, Babe. Talk to me. Why are you up here?"
Akalara was not a ladylike weeper. Oh hell no. For that matter, neither was Kandi. Both women refused to cry, so when they did it was a mad rush of tears, snot, saliva and other various degrees of yuck, covering the person who was unfortunate enough (in this case, Kandi) to be their source of comfort with various nasal fluids. So, it was in this particular manner that Akalara was dripping and sobbing on Kandi's jacket whilst her friend kindly held her close.
"I didn't want her dead," Akalara croaked out. "I didn't mean for her to get that bomb. I made it to vent, that's all; I swear to Shiva, Kandi."
"I know," she said, stroking her hair. "No one blames you, Ak."
"Reno will. Gods, he'll hate me," she hissed. "And then Revan...I've lost him. I thought she slept with him! Everyone will think it was intentional. I have nothing to live for!"
"You've got Azrael," Kandi interjected. "That sweet little silver haired boy. Your pride and joy. The inspiration to my impromptu poem just now."
She was trying to lighten the mood, but Akalara was immune to her joking. "He's better off without me," Akalara snapped, pulling away from her friend. Kandi cursed as the green-haired woman slipped out of her grasp and went back to the ledge. "He was fine without me for eight years, he'll do even better without me for the rest of his life."
Kandi scrambled to her feet and eased closer to Akalara. "That's fuckin' bull shit and you know it!" Kandi snarled at her. "That little boy idolizes you almost as much as he does Sephiroth. You owe it to him and to Seph to not do this."
Akalara turned her demonic colored eyes on Kandi. "Don't you fucking stand there and tell me I owe them anything!" she screamed. "Sephiroth left me! I was pregnant with his child and he left me!"
"He died!" Kandi screamed back. "It's not like he had a choice in the matter! Are you so fucking selfish you can't see that?"
"So what if I'm selfish? I don't give a fuck anymore!" she hissed. "Not about you, not about Seph, and not about Azrael. I don't care! I just want to die!"
Kandi whipped out her 9mm and cocked it, pointing it at Akalara's head, moving faster than she ever had before and placing the cold barrel to her friend's head. "You want it that bad, I'll give it to you, Bitch," Kandi snarled, her teeth bared. "Helluva lot easier clean-up than scraping your blood and guts off the ground 70 stories down."
Akalara glared at her. "Do it," she seethed. "You just better not fucking miss."
Kandi's eyes narrowed to slits. "See ya in hell, Ak," she said.
The report of a 9mm echoed through the city. Akalara flinched and screamed, falling to the ground and shaking. Cracking her eyes opened, she saw her friend holding a second smoking pistol in her other hand. Akalara shook violently. She was still alive.
"Report!" Tseng yelled into her ear piece.
"Under control, Sir," she heard Katrina say. "Stand-by."
Good girl, Kandi thought to herself, praising her Amazon Sista mentally.
She smirked at her friend as she put both guns away. "You don't want to die," she said smuggly.
Akalara leapt to her feet. She swallowed hard, determination filling her. "I do," she said softly. "I have for a while. Please, take care of Azrael for me."
Kandi stared at her in disbelief as she approached the ledge again. "You can't be serious?!" she shrieked at her. "And what the hell am I supposed to tell him? Huh? 'Sorry, Az, but your father died nine monthes before you were born, his clones tried to destroy the world...twice, and your mother was a chicken shit BITCH who couldn't stand to be alive anymore so we had to scrape her guts off the ground outside of work. But she bounced a couple of times, so hey!'"
Akalara stepped up on the ledge, casting her friend a final grin. "You'll think of something," she said. She smiled sadly. "See you in hell, Kandi."
Kandi cursed as the green-haired woman fell over the edge of the building. "JUMP!" she screamed into her headset. "North side, deploy nets!"
Two net guns, the same kind that saved Rufus' life after he leapt from Kadaj, shot out, crossing and catching the green-haired woman at around the twentieth floor. Kandi leaned over the edge, breathing a sigh of relief to see that her friend had landed in them safely. "Make sure that catch is directly under her," she ordered into her head set. "She's unstable enough to try to wiggle out of those nets and fall the remaining twenty stories."
"Got it," Rude's voice came over her head set. She relaxed hearing the unspoken words of comfort coming from him.
Seventy stories were taken in no time and she arrived on the ground floor just as they were removing an irrate Akalara from the nets. Kandi pushed her way through her fellow Turks and emergency personnel, seeing red and fuming. Tseng tried to stop her, but she simply kneed him in the groin and kept going toward her 'friend'. Akalara was screaming at the EMT's trying to restrain her. When she saw Kandi coming toward her, she glared. "You-"
The sentence was never completed as Kandi's right fist connected hard with her face. Kandi sucked on her bleeding knuckles as the EMT's put the now unconscious Turk on a gurney and prepared to get her into the building to the Medical Facility. "Can I have an ice pack?" she asked one of them, catching the item as it was tossed to her. She made her way back to Tseng, who was gingerly trying to sit, his left hand holding his now swollen manhood. Kandi grinned apologetically and offered him the ice pack. "Sorry, Bossman."
Tseng took the ice pack with a glare, hissing as he placed the cold to his genitilia. "You're getting a month on the night shift for that," he growled.
Kandi winced and continued licking the blood off her knuckles. "Yes, Sir," she said.
Tseng grabbed her injured hand and rummaged in a nearby First-Aid kit and began bandaging up her knuckles. "Good work," he said with a small smile.
The red-streaked woman grinned. "Thank you, Sir," she said, eyeing the stretcher that held Akalara as it rushed by. "But this still isn't over."
"I'm afraid you're right," Tseng said darkly, eyes furrowed in determination. "But I'm about to end it."
A/N: Uh oh...Tseng's mad now. That...can't be good. Review please! Make me want to write more! XD