SHERA (IV)
1.
Yuffie was standing in silence in the cafeteria.
Honestly, it wasn't a cafeteria properly: Cid had exploited a small space in the common area of the crew quarters of the ship by setting up some drywall panels. He had also managed to carve a door in one of them. And a fully functional one, with a full set hinges and a knob.
Certainly Cid, if something was missing, he made it himself, without clearly waiting for someone to drop it from the sky, just as Yuffie thought, as she leant against a desk where a coffee heather stood, next to a tin flask containing what was probably tea. Yuffie did not care to check. She poured herself some reheated coffee in a tiny plastic cup taken from a pile on the impressively clean table, sweetening it with one of the countless sticks of sugar grabbed from a bowl.
She was gently making the dark broth in her cup swirl, as she could not find anything to stir it and she was still too squeamish to dip her fingers in it.
She found an unexpected source of solace and relaxation by concentrating on the small bubbles that were surfacing on the black coffee. And in an instant, eyes closed, she was lining up in her mind everything that had happened so far.
Reeve calling her out to a new adventure to save Gaia.
Her first encounter with Cade.
Her first encounter with Kayla.
The mission in the Northern Crater.
The awakening in the hospital.
The news that Reeve had been framed and that the WRO was at the moment run by the same imposters that had framed Reeve, Cade and herself.
The chase down the sewers of Kalm and Kayla that, God bless her, had decided to help them out even if she was dead.
She slowly shook her head upon that last thought. So many things had happened in such a short amount of time. And they had taken away so much as well, or at least they almost did: Kayla had been treacherously killed and Yuffie had nearly lost her life as well, if it wasn't for Cade…
Cade. Yuffie paused as she suddenly realized she needed to go and check on him.
She gulped down the entire cup of coffee, without minding the fact that it was still hot, yet tasteless. She threw the paper cup in the bin on the corner and made it for the door, when she bumped into Corporal Elena Biggs.
"Whops! I'm sorry Miss Kissaragi" the corporal apologized, as she froze inches from the ninja. She then stood aside, making a gesture with her arm "There you go" she gently said "I beg you pardon again!"
"You are… Laura, right?" Yuffie enquired as she firmly stood on the threshold, slightly pointing her finger at the girl before her, squinting her eyes as she tried to recall the corporal's first name,
Corporal Biggs blushed. As far as she was concerned, and as far as the dossiers they had all read, Yuffie Kissaragi was still a Warrant Officer of the WRO, a pay-grade a bit higher than hers. Not to mention the fact she was a princess too. So the warm and outreaching reaction the ninja had showed her in response to her own blunder put the corporal off the map for a while
"Hey" Yuffie bent over to see if Biggs was showing signs of life, snapping her fingers "are you with us, Laura?"
"I'm sorry, m'am…" Biggs shook her head "I was in the way and… I swear I'll be gone in a second" she was stiffening and blushing even more, just like a child who had just pled guilty to a mischief and was waiting for punishment to come. Or to come up with an explanation
"Calm down" Yuffie laughed "Do you really think someone like me would blast someone just because we crossed paths?"
Biggs sighed, with a great display of relief "That was close…" she puffed "I'm sorry, M'am…"
"That's Yuffie for you!" Yuffie instructed her, with a smile on his face and her index sternly pointing towards Biggs again
"Oh… well in that case, m'am… I mean, Yuffie! Name is Elena, by the way" she nodded while correcting both Yuffie and herself once more
"Oh, right. Elena. Were you heading for some coffee?" Yuffie smiled
"Right that" Biggs nodded, embarrassment gone form her face "We have checked and re-checked our gear countless times. It was the first time we had used it into an actual… battle, so we had to make sure they were still operational. It's pretty cold in the gulley so…"
"You did good back there" the ninja observed, as she passed her the coffee heather "I've never really heard about the SISF but surely you are though as hell, guys!" she complimented
"Oh, thank you!" Biggs smiled "We are all pretty new in the trade to be honest. The formation process of the SISF began just after the end of the Deepground conflict. I took part in the assault at the Midgar Ruins along with Sergeant Perkins…"
"I was there too!" Yuffie remembered "Look at you: we have already been comrades and we did not even knew that"
"And then-Warrant Officer Farron was leading our squad" Biggs added enthusiastically "It was a hell of a battle that one. Perkins nearly bite the dust that time…" she nervously chuckled.
"Something wrong?" Yuffie questioned, as she immediately noticed the shift in Biggs mood, as the corporal's face was briefly shadowed by a cloud of sadness
"Sorry" Biggs shook her head "something pretty… scary came back to my mind"
"Is it because of Perkins?" Yuffie asked, coyly
A heavy breath came from Biggs. She raised her head "I guess Lieutenant Farron already told you?" she nervously chuckled again
"Yep" Yuffie nodded "She did!"
Biggs scratched the back of his neck
"How did it happen?" Yuffie pressed "I mean, sorry that is not really my business, but… you know, I'm just curious!"
"No worries at all" Laura joyfully shook her head, her loose, long hazelnut hair trailing behind "I would be the same. I like to gossip too. They say it makes you live longer…"
"We surely need some gossiping then!" Yuffie caustically remarked, with a nervous smile
"I think you're right" Elena smiled back, just as tensely
"Anyway" she began "We were on the same platoon the day the WRO launched the attack on Midgar. Our squad was separated from the others as we landed though, and we could not link up with the main contingent"
She coughed, as she resumed with the narration "Perkins was my squad leader. We were the only survivors after an ambush had wiped out our entire platoon. We managed to reach a safe location and fend off most of the assault from the Deepground forces. I had broken a leg in the process, because of a grenade and Perkins was badly wounded. Yet he did not give up for an instant" she paused "He literally saved my life. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him"
Yuffie carefully listened to Elena's account.
"Don't take it as an offense" the ninja tentatively enquired, picking up from where Elena had just paused "but when the lieutenant dropped the news I was pretty surprised that you two were… together"
Elena laughed out loud "Yes, it happens all the time" she said "You should have seen my parent's face when I first invited Tom at my place. Anyway no offences taken, don't worry!"
"Well, I'm just curious" Yuffie reiterated
"Look, Yuffie" Elena calmly resumed, as she chased away the last bits of laughter "Tom, that is Sergeant Perkins, may seem the stereotypical macho guy, the jock who acts in defiance to everything and everyone, but this is just a put-on for when others people are around him. He is the most caring and dearest guy in the world, at least to me. It took me nearly losing him out there in Midgar to realize that… Beside there are still some things that would make him crap in his pants, believe me!"
Yuffie slightly tilted her head "You were together even before joining the WRO, weren't you?"
"More or less" Elena replied "We were two kids who were too afraid to disclose to each other despite having grown pretty much together. It's pretty cliché, nothing really special…"
"I see…" Yuffie whispered, with almost an absently-minded appearance on her face. A dangerous thought was floating around her mind. She decided not to pay attention to it, to bury it where it would not have surfaced again any more
"What about you and Cade?" Elena innocently asked, without realizing that she was touching a nerve. Yuffie's eyes bulged. Now it was her turn to turn ruddy
"What?" she hurriedly replied "What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry" Elena frowned "But Lieutenant Farron was constantly talking about the fact that she thought that there was… that there must be something between you and him…"
"Does she really think so?" Yuffie asked, although she already knew that. Sarah had had the frankness of directly asking Yuffie and Cade that question before
"Apparently…" Elena continued "Look, if it's something sensitive, I'll call it a day with gossiping" she smiled, trying to defuse a potentially embarrassing situation
"I don't know…" Yuffie replied, immediately. She quickly realized that short answer was too ambiguous, so she rushed to correct herself "…I mean: no. Absolutely nothing. At all" she vigorously shook her head "We're just friends. Dear friends, but still friends" she conceded
"Ah, so that's it" Elena nodded "Too bad. You looked good together! You really would be a nice couple!"
Yuffie could not understand why Elena was acting like that. Was she genuinely curious, honestly building fantasies of maybe she was doing an awkward work of intelligence gathering on behalf of someone else?
"Sorry, Elena" Yuffie resolutely yet calmly asked "What makes you think so?"
"By the way he was acting towards you" Elena explained. Yuffie almost fell into astonishment. She was so caught up by the task she had at hand that she did not notice that Cade (who she had presumed being focused on the assignment just as she was) had acted in a certain way towards her. Or maybe he did?
A doubt was setting roots in her mind. A doubt she could not dare to think of. A doubt which was embodied at best by the vision of Cade laying motionless to the hospital bed in Gongaga, strapped to the machines that momentarily kept him in a coma. A doubt that came in the form of words she had distinctively heard when he woke up
…when you came into this room for the first time, when you where alone with me, I could hear you
Why do you think I woke up?
'Please don't' she begged.
She focused back on the corporal, standing before her with a quizzical expression on her face
"Did I say something wrong?" she asked
"No, no!" Yuffie quickly replied "You surely are a quick observer. We stuck together just for a few minutes down in Kalm and yet…"
"They were enough to notice Cade not taking his eyes off you" she pressed "Sorry if I call him by his name but he has given us the impression of being someone pretty at hand…"
"He is, indeed" Yuffie quickly confirmed the corporal's guess "He definitely hates etiquette and staff…"
"But Lieutenant Farron has great admiration for him" Laura continued "And not just because he is the nephew of Director Tuesti…"
Yuffie surprisingly felt a sting of jealousy on her hip. She resolved herself to enquire
"What do you mean?" the ninja asked
"Well, she likes the way Cade leads his troop in the theatre" Elena illustrated "He's dedicated and result-oriented. A bit of a daredevil but I bet everyone feels safe around him. He's got the aura of the guy who comes away with nothing but scratches…"
Yuffie produced a lopsided grin. Scratches were just the wounds on the outside. So to speak…
"… but this is all but new to you, right?" Elena concluded, with a coy smile
"Ahem, corporal Biggs" Yuffie cleared his voice "Being sassy won't help you make a career in the WRO. Not under my command!" she sternly pronounced these words, catching Elena off-guard.
The corporal paled
"I'm joking" Yuffie smiled again "But, yes. You are right"
"Good. Then I think I'll get my well deserved coffee then…"
"Of course" Yuffie let her pass, in a reversal of the roles they had taken when they had initially bumped in each other
"Enjoy your coffee. Oh, by the way, how's Lieutenant Farron?" she asked, as she stepped outside the door
"Sarah is fine" Elena replied, pouring the reheated coffee in her cup "She was already yelling orders by the time she had been cleared form the infirmary. She's fine, I'll guarantee it!"
"I'm happy to know that" Yuffie nodded "Thank you, Elena. I really enjoyed talking with you!"
"Anytime, Yuffie" Elena waived at her with her free hand.
As she took the passage towards the crew's cabins, Yuffie could not get out of her mind the fact that she had to go and check Cade out.
Yuffie finally reached Cade's room. The Shera was not the gigantic airship she thought it was, at first, and it did not take her much to get to where she wanted.
She found herself in front of a steel door, rusty and kept closed by a bar leaning on a hook fixed to the jamb. She closed the gap between herself and the passage, as her heart had began to beat inexplicably faster.
Her knocks beat on the cold, steely surface three times
"Cade?" she called him. She got no answer.
For an instant she thought that maybe Cade was already sound asleep. She somehow convinced herself of that and she turned to walk away. No pint in disturbing him, then. A rested Cade would probably get up looking way better than she last saw him, all tensed, jumpy and with a downbeat, sad grimace.
"Yuffie? Is that you?" a muffled voiced suddenly came from behind the door
"Cade?" Yuffie leapt in front of the hatch "Are you all right?"
Strangely enough, silence fell in the quarters again, much to Yuffie's apprehension
"Come in!" Cade finally said from behind the door "The lock is open!"
Although something strange was in his voice, Yuffie thought that it was due to the heavy walls separating them and the fact that he was tired and maybe already sleeping or at least laying on the bed in some sort of strange position cramping his throat. She sighed in relief as she finally got clearance to enter Cade's compartment. She lifted the bar with both hands and she slowly swung the squeaking door open.
The room was as big as the comfiest cell an inmate could have the luck to be locked in on Gaia. a bunk stood opposite to it with a toilet and a sink on the corner at the feet of the bed.
There, was Cade.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, still wearing his trousers and boots. He was naked from the chest belly upwards, with his arms extended out. She could not see him on the face as his head was bowed down as his gaze was fixed at something on the floor between his feet.
Yuffie stood momentarily petrified, as she closed the door behind her: the bandages and gauzes covering the staple-closed wounds on his arms had fallen down on the floor, all soaked in blood and a yellowish substance that was probably the result of the onset of an infection. He had probably tried to change the binds, check his wounds and dress them again but something had caught him in the meantime and he was standing there, halfway through the operation. The wounds had suppurated, maybe because of the stress of fighting, and they had poured out that mixture of blood and pus that had visibly stained the swaths laying at his feet.
Yuffie carefully approached him
"Hi there, Yuffie" Cade murmured, in a broken voice, head still bent forward "Nice of you to drop for a visit" he said, nervily chuckling at the very end of that line
Yuffie knelt before him, avoiding the dresses at his feet and gently placing her hand under his chin, feeling the stingy mat of his short yet unkempt beard on her fingers.
Cade's face was sanguine and sticky with tears, now that she had lifted it. His green eyes, now meeting Yuffie's ones, were gleaming and watery but devoid of their usual sparkle of confidence and vitality
"Cade" Yuffie squeaked, battling with the tears building behind her eyes "Cade, what's happening? What's wrong?"
Cade snorted, squinting his eyes as apparently he could not bend his arms and needed to wipe away the tears in his eyes. Yuffie put his face between her hands and gently caressed his cheeks with her thumbs
"Cade" she gently invited him "tell me what's happening! Please, whatever it is I'm here…" She suddenly found extremely difficult to look at this version of Cade, so far from the Cade that used to teas her, play jokes on her and drive her in and out the battle safe and sound by her side.
"Cade" again, Yuffie forced herself to face the demon of despair, pain and sorrow residing in the body of the man before him, angrily dealing with the urge of getting an answer, even resorting to beat the heck out of him if necessary
"Please! I perfectly know what's happening, but please tell me yourself…" she cried
"What's wrong with me?" Cade mustered a flicker of inner strength and finally the words came from his mouth. Yuffie grew a confused expression
"What do you mean, Cade?"
"I don't know" he replied, with a feeble voice "I think I killed her twice…"
"Are you talking about Kayla?"
"I killed her when I let her go down that goddamn place all alone…" he explained "… but I already killed her when I shunned her away from me. And just because… ah, damn it!"
He managed to finally vent his lividness before he started sobbing quietly again. Yuffie sympathetically hugged him
"I know Cade, I know" Yuffie murmured in his ear, as she burrowed in his neck, letting a tear running down her left eye "I understand what you feel. At least, I try…"
"Sorry" Cade uttered between the tears "I think I snapped this time. I really had to let it out. I know there was nothing I could do. But still… Ah, if this world ends it won't be that bad! At least that's the only way we will be able to enjoy some peace!" he confessed, as Yuffie, separating from him, searched a bag he had previously drawn next to him. Her hand resurfaced with a handkerchief. It was indeed a lucky dip in a bag she ignored the content of
"Come on" she gently wiped his eyes with the help of the hankie "One step at a time, they say. Where you trying to change your bandages, weren't you?" she asked, pointing at his arms
He nodded "I tried" he said "but I realized only halfway they hurt as hell… Too much for me to do it by myself"
"Let me help you" Yuffie offered, putting the bag next to her on her lap "I've tended to wounds worse than that…"
"Are you making fool of me, by chance?" Cade abruptly asked
Yuffie stood still for a while. She smiled, then laughed, as soon as she realized Cade was only teasing her again. Thankfully he had reverted, or was slowly starting to return to his usual demeanour. The one Yuffie liked better
"I didn't mean to ridicule your pain threshold…" she said, as she unfolded a squared drape and slid it between Cade's legs and arms "This will sting a bit I think" she warned him as she poured the peroxide over his wounds. Cade's face wrinkled and an hiss escaped from his sealed lips
"I told you…" Yuffie laughed
"It's just an itch…" Cade scoffed
"As I told you, you don't have to play the hero while you're with me. I perfectly know what you are capable of… Beside, how do I know this stuff is going to work if you can't tell me if it stings?"
"I somehow doubt that…" Cade chuckled as Yuffie dabbed the wounds with a swab
"Doubt what?"
Cade gave her a mischievous look
"Is that a threat?" Yuffie chuckled, as she finally understood his cue
"No" he faintly smiled "an invitation to explore the unknown" he said, grinning
"Listen Cade" Yuffie grew serious, after that brief comical parenthesis, while she slowly swept the trenches in his arms, dodging the staples bringing the edges of the cuts together and sweeping away the foam rising from the wounds "I know why you would like to quit all the bullshit about preventing the world from exploding or being devastated or all that nonsense about fighting the bad guys who will alter eventually resurface only in a different shape. Is it because of what you've gone through, right?" she stopped poking at the wounds, now pouring a reddish sterilizing solution on them. Cade twitched as the crimson substance made contact with his skin
"You lost this, you lost that, you did not have a single moment where you could simply lay to rest, along with the people you loved and then all of a sudden the world looks like the ugliest place in the universe. Am I right?"
Cade sighed "I think so…" he muttered "It's pretty much like you say" he admitted
"Look, back in Wutai things are in such a mess I hardly want to step on the throne and reign over the rotten cake that is my hometown. That's why I always wanted to spend as much time as I can away from that place… and from my father!" she frowned upon thinking about old Godo Kissaragi, but at the same time getting caught by a touch of homesickness
"But eventually, I will take on my duty as heir to the ruler of Wutai because I still think I'll be able to do something. I believe in myself and in the power of the people who are willing to fight for a better place. I still have to figure out how, but I'll do something. Sure enough I'll do! I'll raise and face the demons. One by one…"
She stretched out a strip of gauze and started wrapping it around his right arm
"And I think that deep inside your heart" she continued "You will find the will to fight again. The same will that made you carry on after you lost your parents, the same will that helped you get through while you were in the Shinra Infantry Corps…"
Cade's eyebrows arched upon the Yuffie unearthing that part of his past
"… the same will that made you carry my nearly-lifeless body though a snowstorm with nothing but a fleece sweater on" she uttered, clamorously repressing a sob and suddenly growing more dramatic, as her hands gently shook "The same will that woke you up in the hospital. Just think about every beautiful thing you stumbled upon in your life. Even the smallest of it makes a life like yours worth living and fighting for!" she finally said, almost crying it out loud, just in time to cut the last piece of gauze and fastening it because she was finally unable to hold herself and the tears finally ran freely out of her eyes as she wept.
Thankfully, with the bandages and the dressing in their place, now Cade was finally able to move his arms and to hug Yuffie, who reciprocated his sign of affection
"Think about Kayla" she managed to say above her sobs "Think about all the things she wanted to do and how she helped us even now that she's not with us anymore! The world can't be a bad place if there are beings like hers…"
They separated. Yuffie noticed with a strange sense of relief that Cade had wept along with her
"I'm sorry" she apologized "I needed a good cry myself"
Cade laughed "You don't even have to ask" he shook his head "Not after you did this" he said, showing the bandages on his arms
"Do you still think about her, right?" Yuffie asked, sweeping her cheeks with the back of her hand
"I do, surely I do" Cade nodded "Sometimes I'm even afraid I will fall asleep"
"Why?"
"Because I don't want her to appear in my dreams" he explained "and I don't want to relive that scene again. But I guess I'll have to move on. That's what she would have wanted"
"She will always love you" Yuffie put a hand on his bare shoulder "You meant her no harm by putting that distance between you and her. You were just afraid of losing someone else"
"The people who love me have the bad habit of disappearing…"
Yuffie frowned upon his remark
"Don't even think about something like that" she sternly replied "This is the first and last time I hear something like that from your mouth!"
Cade was startled by that sudden and feisty reply
"I'm sorry" he apologized "I have the bad habit of talking too fast…"
"I pardon you" Yuffie told him, caressing his head with a smile on his face
"Thanks again Yuffie" he said, after a brief pause, putting his hand over Yuffie's own on his shoulder "Maybe I haven't told it you as clearly as I wanted to but thanks for… existing basically"
Yuffie chuckled "Don't worry" her hand translate from the shoulder to the root of his neck "I plan to stay around as much as I can!"
"Well, I'm glad you are, then!" he smiled
Yuffie smiled back, caressing his cheeks. Suddenly her eyes turned inquisitory "How long it's been since you last shaved yourself?" she asked.
Cade was caught by surprise "What do you mean?"
"You shouldn't have such an unkempt beard" Yuffie explained "It's all messy and impractical!"
"Do you really want me to shave?"
Yuffie shook his head "I'll do it!"
Cade's eyes bulged "You?" he repeated, incredulously
"I don't want water to ripple on your freshly-laid bandages" Yuffie explained "And I really think that maybe taking care of yourself could help you feel better…"
Half of the things Yuffie said made sense to him, but it was maybe only because he was tired. He yawned
"Are you sure you know how to do it?" he tentatively enquired
"My dad used to come back from martial arts tournament all beaten up sometimes" Yuffie told him "Who do you think was in charge of taking care of him while he recovered, with mom already in the Lifestream? That goes for the bandages as well…" the ninja winked. Without loosing a beat, her eyes were already scanning the surrounding "Where do you keep your razors and stuff? Oh, I bet they're right here…" she guessed, as he made a dash towards a black bag were Cade, amongst other things, actually kept his razors
"A-ha, what did I tell you?" the ninja triumphantly exclaimed as she produced a transparent pouch with a tube of shaving cream inside it, along with a couple of shaving blades.
Cade smiled at the found-again enthusiasm of the princess of Wutai. It was true: getting his beard shaved was already making him feel better.
Moments later was sitting on the mattress with his bare back against the cold steel wall of the room and Yuffie before him, scooping the shave cream with razor, carefully sliding the blades on his skin, pouring water to wash away the remnant cream after clearing a piece of skin
"Well, whoever taught you, he or she did a good job!" he commented
"Thanks" she smiled
"Admit it" he mischievously told her "you are having fun at this!"
Yuffie laughed "Maybe we should do it more often…"
"Yeah, why not" he said "I'm going to fly to Wutai every time I need a cut. Expensive, time-consuming but well worth the effort!"
Yuffie laughed again, spilling some water on his chest as she was pouring it on his face. She had insisted on doing that thing on the bed, ransacking all the towels she could find around the room and strategically placing them on the mattress to prevent water from wetting it.
She took one of them and passed it on Cade's chest. It was the first time she had the chance to take a look at him naked, at least for the upper part of the body. Her eyes gazed upon his toned body, with scars scattered here and there. She did not feel ashamed of it at all. On the other hand, she felt quite attracted by the sight.
"Hey, are you all right?" Cade woke her up from her frozen state. She immediately blushed, feeling caught red-handed
"Oh, yes" she uttered "I'm all right. Let me just finish this…" she hurriedly brushed Cade's naked chest with the towel and proceeded to shave the remaining skin
"And that's it!" she said, as she gave the last, gentle stroke
"Being shaved by a woman: ticked off" Cade made a gesture in the air
"Did you really had it in your bucket list?"
"I added it while you were doing your job…" he replied, making
Yuffie laugh again
"Yuffie…" Cade suddenly said, looking at her " Sorry if you heard me talking like that before…" he apologized
"Nonsense" she shook her head "Don't feel bad just because a bad thought crosses your mind every now and then. You're… we're not made of steel" she said, pointing at the scars on his chiselled body
'Chiselled? Come on Yuffie…' a voice spoke inside her mind again 'I'm beginning to think you are starting to like him…'
'No way!' the same voice angrily countered
'Well, then give me a reason not to like him… I'll wait here!'
She focused back on the here and now only to find Cade staring at her with an addled expression
"Do you mind if I ask you again if you are all right?" he politely enquired
"Of course" she yawned, stretching her arms out wide "I'm tired too, I'd better crash my bunk soon"
"Well, have a good nap then" Cade told her, as he grabbed the brim of his bed sheets "See you later!"
Yuffie turned to the door, when a invisible force grasped her heart so vigorously she stopped even before making a single step. A warmth feeling was rising from the very centre of her body, making her temporarily wobble.
The words she told him, she would have never swore she meant them, but they happened to be spoken, nonetheless
"To be honest" she said, lowering her eyes and letting anxiety, nervousness and sheer panic get a hold of her legs "I could use some company" she confessed.
Cade frowned, as he was just about to cover himself
"I… just don't want to be alone" she added, turning back towards Cade "That's it!"
"So" Cade tentatively asked "Do you want… to sleep together?"
"On the same bed" she corrected "I mean… if it's not bothering you…"
"Not at all… I mean…" the strange feeling that had caught Yuffie was now spreading to Cade as well, who found himself negotiating a very awkward situation "…Why not?" he finally asked
"Ok, then…" Yuffie timidly replied
"Do you want me to sleep on the floor?" Cade offered
"No, no" Yuffie waived her hands "I don't mind sharing the bunk with you…"
"Do you want some… cover?" Cade offered a corner of his sheet to her
"Don't worry" Yuffie shook her head "I'll just keep my stuff on" she explained, patting on her dress
"I see" Cade nodded, as he retreated next to the wall to clear her a sizable portion of the bed "Then take a… seat" he patted on the mattress next to him. Yuffie accepted his invitation and sat on the bed before laying on her side, back against Cade's own back
It seemed like they had fallen asleep almost instantly but then Cade broke the silence
"Yuffie?"
"Hmm?"
"You will do a great job as the ruler of Wutai"
"What does it make you think so?"
"If you'll treat your land just like you treated me…"
"Oh" Yuffie gulped, incredibly flattened by the remark "Thank you!"
Again, silence fell. Again it seemed like they had taken shelter in the arms of Morpheus.
Yuffie broke the silence, though
"Cade?"
"Hmm?"
"You said thank you to me for existing" she said "But the same goes for you…" she said, her words veiled by the tiredness
"I see" he replied, just as flattened as Yuffie had been flattened by his previous remark "Thank you. I'll try to stick around as much as I can as well" he smiled.
Yuffie smiled too "Now get some sleep, ok?"
"Sure"
This time they fell asleep once and for all.
And Cade had one of the best slumber of his life.
2.
"This better not be a joke!"
"In fact it isn't!" Ruding replied, tipped off , still waiving his hand towards the WRO major "Why it should be?"
Evan rushed to Ruding's workstation, abruptly quitting a conversation he was having with a couple of intelligence officers at the other side of the deck
"I don't know" he said "but you IT guys have a penchant for playing tricks…"
"Well, I'm either playing the most elaborate joke I've ever conceived, or the WRO is doing that on my behalf" he explained, tapping on the computer screen with his pen
"What is that?" Evan asked, holding his breath. He hoped it was what they had been looking for days
"A document testifying the consignment of former Director Reeve Tuesti in the hands of the personnel managing the Correctional Facility of Junon" Ruding triumphantly exclaimed, fists in the air and with a bloated chest "We did it!"
Evan stood in front of the monitor, clinching his fist in exultation, albeit more moderately and under the desk. He patted Ruding on his shoulders with both hands, then he leant over to take a second look to the document showed on the computer screen
"The order of putting Reeve inside the jail in Junon has been signed two days ago" he observed "What if he's not there anymore? Maybe Junon was meant just as a temporary placement…"
"Maybe we can check the cell registers" Ruding proposed "The prison in Junon has been hardly used since it was established after the Meteorfall. If we can't find his name we can still find if the same cell that is indicated on the paper is still occupied…"
"Well, then take out that 'maybe' from the sentence and do it now!" Evan urged him, as he turned to go to the crew quarters and alert Lieutenant Farron of the development. She anticipated him, though
"Hey, what's with all the excitement here? Is it someone's birthday party?" the red-haired lieutenant stood there, appearing at the entrance of the main flight deck, in her everyday uniform
"Lieutenant, we have found Director Tuesti" Evan solemnly announced
"I did!" Ruding bitterly corrected him from his own station. Evan scoffed at him
"Regardless of the paternity of the discovery" he told Farron "get your team prepared for the briefing. We have a new assignment on our hands…"
"Where, if I may ask?" she asked
"Junon"
A satisfied expression appeared on Sarah's face
"A seaside town is right what I need after a mission in a shithole" she nodded, smiling "I'll get the boys ready in no time" she said, as she rushed downstairs.
In the section of the ship where the bunk stood, a series of bumps on the hatches made everyone stand up and check the source of that disturbance. Lieutenant Farron was knocking on every cell, regardless of the fact that they had been actually assigned to someone or not, confiding in the preparedness of her subordinates, whom she expected to be ready in less than a minute, as she was shouting on top of her lungs.
She banged her fist on the door of Cade's bunk as well, only to walk by and proceeding to beat up the next hatch. The sudden blow at the door had been preceded by the lieutenant almost menacing cry which had resonated through the corridors.
Yuffie was a bit more alert as her sleep was not as sound as the man who lied right next to her in bed. She opened her eyes and briefly stood there, as her eyes began to adapt at the dim light of the room. She turned towards what she felt was a bulky encumbrance on the bed where she had just slept.
The point is she immediately remembered she had slept with Cade. And the bulky encumbrance was him actually.
In other circumstances, she would have panicked. She would have tried to recollect how many bottles of alcohol she had drunk the previous night and whatnot. But then, the scene became immediately clear.
She had actually offered to spend the night with him.
Why on Gaia, then?
The voice of Lieutenant Farron, who was doing a second passage through the crew quarters to spur everyone to appear in the briefing room in a matter of seconds wake her up for good.
A whistle of relief came from her mouth as she noticed she was still dressed. She rushed back to the bed, energetically caressing Cade's back through the sheet
"Cade" she whispered right into his ear "Wake up! Something is going on…"
"Hmm" he protested "Give me five more minutes…"
"I'd give you all the time in the world" she shook her head "But it's not up to me"
Cade opened his eyes "Is that Lieutenant Farron?" he asked, as the voice of Sarah finally reached his eardrums
"Yes, apparently" Yuffie confirmed "Something is brewing, I bet!"
Cade suddenly sprung up, his head scanning right and left looking for something to put on, when at some point he stood still
"Wait a second" he said "I slept last night"
Yuffie nodded with a quizzical expression
"I slept… with you" he added, nervously
"Well…" Yuffie blushed, as she was not really feeling comfortable with that situation as well.
An embarrassing silence ensued, interrupted only by the thumps and the muffled noises coming from the other crew compartments. It was all new to Yuffie, waking up next to a man with whom she had just shared a bed. Thankfully, she was one-hundred percent sober otherwise she would have banged her head on the wall in self-loathing and desperation.
Cade was uneasy too. It had been ages since he last went through something like this. Plus the circumstances, it was a pretty awkward situation
"Listen" Yuffie broke the stillness "We'll talk about it later… Now get dressed" she hurriedly told him
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine" she answered, badly concealing her nervousness. She was now giving her back to Cade, arms crossed "Hurry up!"
"Look" Cade stood up "There's nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing really happened… between us!"
Yuffie bit her lip "I know" she bitterly replied
Cade grew a confused expression at Yuffie sudden mood swing. She had suddenly turned indecipherable all at once. He tried to walk around her so to speak to her in her face
"And, to ne honest, you were the one who asked for it…" he pointed out
"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" Yuffie spun on herself, throwing an angry gaze at him
Cade backed down "Whoa, sorry!" he apologized, as he donned a white shirt "I… haven't expressed myself correctly!"
"Look, just cover yourself up and pray nobody has seen us getting out from the same room" she sharply cut the conversation
Cade sighed. He walked up to her, standing inches away behind her back
"Yuffie" he calmly told her "Why are you acting so weird? Nothing happened, I swear. You paid me a visit …yesterday afternoon" he paused to check his wristwatch. Indeed they had spent a whole night in bed. Good for them
"You and I had a talk, and that was the most intimate thing that happened between us. Just that. A simple talk… a talk I needed like a starving man need some food"
Yuffie let her arms fall down, as her head bowed down with a sigh
"I know what happened last night, or afternoon, whatever time it was" she explained, the anger in her voice gone away and replaced by a mixture of anxiety and despair "it's just I've never woke up next to a man!"
Cade arched his eyebrows. So it was all just that. Inexperience.
He had to suppress a laughter. That it was not meant to scorn her but it was just a spontaneous reaction that could be misunderstood
"I'm sorry" he shook his head smiling, as Yuffie finally turned to him, with the expression of a puppy who had gotten lost in a crowded place "I'm terrible at these things!"
"Who are you kidding?" Yuffie retorted "Look at you: smart, funny and handsome. I bet I'm the thousandth girl who wakes up next to him…"
"Why do you think so?"
"I…" Yuffie paused as she realized she had just spoken without any kind of regard "Sorry! I spoke without connecting my brain!" she begged pardon, with a beaten expression
Cade stepped forward and hugged her. Yuffie jolted upon feeling the assuring and warm presence of Cade all around her, but soon she grew fond of that sensation. She found herself hugging him a well
"You've been very dear yesterday" he sincerely told her "Thank you!"
"Was it really yesterday?" she asked, still intentionally buried in his arms
"Well" Cade let go of the hug "my watch doesn't lie"
"Geez, I'm losing the sense of time here" she puffed
"Same for me" Cade nodded "Now let's move, We're probably already late for whatever is happening out there…"
"Right" she agreed, as she walked outside the door
"What about all that stuff about us not being seen together?" Cade asked
"Fuck them all" Yuffie theatrically scoffed "I'm Yuffie Kissaragi. Princess of Wutai and Ninja Warrior. I share my bed with whoever I want…" she said, as she waited for him just outside the door.
Cade laughed at these words, letting him fall back on the mattress once again, his heart indeed filled once again with the desire of facing the enemy head on, regardless of the situation.
That, and the will to protect Yuffie at all costs.
3.
The atmosphere inside the briefing room was hectic.
Evan was shuttling from the room to the main deck as he wanted to regularly check if updates had appeared while he waited for the places around the table to fill up. At the same time, intelligence specialists were leaving sheets of papers on the table before rushing back to their stations, The papers were printed with details about Reeve Tuesti's last known movements and location, plus blueprints and schemes of the surroundings of Junon and its prison, where he was supposed to be held.
The whole SISF team had finally arrived. Everyone minus Cade who, according to Yuffie's own conception, was still searching for something clean to dress. She felt an enormous sense of relief at picturing Cade regaining his smile after the hard time he had yesterday. Though, she could not stop thinking how could it be that they had come to share a bed together. Of course, nothing… sexual took place but somehow Yuffie was now thinking about that experience in rather pleasant terms. She actually came to terms with the fact that she had asked it to happen, in the first place. And that because seeing Cade deeply affected by the torments brought about by the course of the events had made her realize she was feeling alone herself.
That, and that she liked Cade.
She had finally found the guts to admit that to herself in the confusion of a busy briefing room filling up with special forces operatives eager to get ready to action once again. It was liberating, also because she felt at peace with herself now that she had had the courage to let that feeling out amid the hustle of a space where everyone was focused instead on the impending mission.
She momentarily shut herself from the outer world, caring not about attracting someone's attention with her seemingly detached composure, musing on stuff such as how she liked how Cade strived to get the best out of anything, no matter how worse it was. She appreciated his care-free attitude yet how his heart always guided him towards helping someone he cared for even at the cost of his own life. She admired his resilience, valiantness and pride. He was beautiful, pretty smart and a loving being whose sole, giant weakness was not being keen on showing his frailties or ask for help. That an a bit of stubbornness. And a pinch of brat-like behaviour.
When did she cross the line that separated friendship from love (as her mind struck that word, goose bumps grew on her skin)? She did not know for sure. Maybe it was not a matter of reaching out and breaking through a threshold. Maybe it was the sum of the experiences they had been through together. Maybe the last straw was the connection she felt inside her room when she helped him while he was so battered and bruised, both internally and externally. What was it? Was it really love? Or maybe just the will to be connected to somebody not to feel alone in such a situation? Someone to lean on? All that she knew was that she was happy when she was with him. And given the circumstances, it was more than enough.
True to be told, there were a couple of things to get straight. As long as Cade had recovered from a nervous breakdown, she could not be sure what would have been of him in the long distance. She barely knew him and his past was mostly wrapped up in mystery, and she did not want to walk blindfolded toward a disaster. Furthermore, was Cade feeling the same towards her? Had he already recovered from the loss of Kayla? Was he already prepared to love someone else after her? What was his attitude towards a relationship now that his girlfriend had practically died in his arms?
There where millions of things to be worked out. But Yuffie was confident it was just a matter of time. That, and staying alive…
'Jeez, Kayla' she found herself thinking, as that last line reminded her of another instance where she had thought exactly the same thing 'Now I know why you loved him so much. I still don't know if I'm entitled to steal him away from you… If only there was an easy way to have a talk and make it clear…" she shook her head, overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness. One thing was to admit that kind of staff to oneself, another question was to tell it to the other one involved.
His musing were interrupted by Sarah. Lieutenant Farron had anticipated her the breakthrough discovery about Reeve's condition and whereabouts, to which the ninja had reacted with triumph and a reinvigorated sense of hope
"Where is Cade? He doesn't look like someone who would allow himself to be so late…" she asked Yuffie.
Yuffie raised his head and was just about to shrug when Elena came in
"You really don't have any idea, Yuffie?" she candidly but coyly asked
Yuffie blushed, as she felt the seemingly innocent question like a breach in her comfort zone. Sarah came to her aid, by forcefully clearing her throat.
That made Elena turn towards the lieutenant, who looked at Yuffie in an apologetic way. Yuffie slightly smiled, accepting the apology by proxy from Sarah, who turned back at Elena, who had lowered her eyes in the meantime
"Don't worry Sarah" Yuffie grinned "I have the feeling he gave you a wrong impression on that…"
Sarah rolled her eyes as Evan was getting ready to speak
"All right, gentlemen… and woman" Evan took position next to the screen on the wall of the briefing room. Specialists were still arriving with a steady pace leaving sheets of papers and replacing previously left ones
"As you can see" Evan pointed at the sprawled papers on the table "the situation is far from being steadily assessed. We are constantly being updated by Captain Ruding's intelligence team, who has been working around the clock since our last discovery. Anyway, let's make a recap in order to get things straight"
A diagram appeared behind him on the large display. Evan stepped next to it as he illustrated the titles in each frame of the presentation. He was visibly pepped as he swung his arms while he spoke
"It all starts when a meteorite is spotted falling in the Mythril Desert. Upon its recovery it is assessed that it's made entirely of Mako. Mako has been surging in the outer layers of the atmosphere and is close to being collected in a single point where it could be soon unleashed with catastrophic effects for the planet. The information is still undisclosed to the public."
"Meanwhile a terrorist organization, presumably in connection with the discovery, starts targeting the WRO under the name of Meteor Purification Movement. Security is stepped up yet the motivations behind the actions of this group are shrouded in mystery"
"Here's where the string come in: in an attempt to tackle the Mako catastrophe, the WRO sends a team to recover a large quantity of Mako from the Northern Crater region. The MPM allegedly strikes at the team with our friends Cade Tuesti and Yuffie Kissaragi being indicated as the ringleaders of the MPM who had carried out the attack on the mission. Reeve Tuesti, our Director, is jailed under the accusation of conspiracy against the WRO itself. The WRO is currently led by an interim leader, Brad Clawbourne, son of General Adrian Clawbourne, who has committed suicide in his office after killing his staff in an attempt to pose as being killed by the conspirators led by Director Tuesti"
"As far as now" Evan tirelessly continued, while Yuffie kept glancing at the room's entrance, to see if there were any sings of Cade "martial law has being enacted pretty much everywhere the WRO has a sizeable presence. A crackdown of activities related to the conspiracy is underway and a couple of incidents have happened so far" he read from a paper "In Kalm, the whole WRO garrison has mutinied after our visit there, where a disk containing evidence that the Scientific Division of the WRO might have tampered scientific data for reasons yet unknown has been retrieved"
"In Niebelheim" he continued "an angry mob has been brutally dispersed after an incident where WRO troops have shot dead a man who was not cooperating with them. The situation is generally chaotic, and unless some divine intervention, Colonel Clawbourne and his lackeys at the General Staff will have to devise something to get a grip on the populace"
"And what would it be?" Perkins raised his hands
"We don't down" Evan shook his head "but it will be something dramatic. Most commanders of garrisons in the outskirts of Gaia are on the verge of severing links with Edge"
"We are on the brink of a civil war, virtually" Kewell intervened
"I hate to put it that way" Evan replied "But we do are"
An eerie silence fell into the room. Yuffie's mind raced back home, and she immediately realized that his father was oblivious to her fate. She had to reach out for him somehow when the chance would arise
"But now we do know where Director Tuesti is, right?" Sarah finally broke the silence
"That's it!" Evan nodded "Our intelligence gathering team just intercepted a message from Edge to Junon where…"
A thumping, rapidly repeated noise came from the corridor outside the room. As it grew more intense and closer a panting sound came along it.
Cade abruptly came to a halt on the threshold of the entrance, making everyone turn towards himself
"Did I miss something?" he asked, still heavily breathing for the run
"No, nothing really important" Evan shrugged "Just a resume explaining how we came to this point…"
"Nothing that I don't know, then" he replied, as he walked to the only empty place that was, surprisingly enough, next to Yuffie
"Sorry everyone. It is quite hard to get dressed when most of the clothes you have haven't been washed for a week" he explained, while he took a seat. Elena chuckled while Sarah covered her face in despair
"Hey there" he quietly whispered to Yuffie as he adjusted himself on the chair. Yuffie briefly smiled, although inside her she could not believe how rapidly Cade had recovered. It was either creepy or highly remarkable. She was glad of it nonetheless
"Hi there" she silently replied, with a brief but sincere smile, her eyes gleaming
"Ok, Cade" Evan resumed his briefing "Who tells me where we were at?"
"We were talking about Director Tuesti…" Perkins answered
Upon hearing the rank and surname of his uncle, Cade's sunny disposition was swept away as he grew concerned and serious in a matter of seconds
"What's up with Reeve?" he suddenly pressed "Have you find him?"
"Yes" Evan replied
"Where?"
"Junon"
"What's he doing in there?"
"They jailed him" Sarah told him
"Well" Cade's urgency waned down a bit "better jailed than buried"
Yuffie marvelled at Cade's willingness to shed humour even there. Why was she marvelled at all, then? She ought to know it was his way to deal with pressure
"So know that we know where he is" Yuffie took word "we can launch a rescue operation…"
"Hold your Chocobos, lady!" Perkins tamed her enthusiasm "We are talking about a correctional facility which is packed with WRO personnel! This is not something that can be done by storming the front door and spraying bullets everywhere either…"
"There are too many 'civilians' in the way…" Kewell noted
"What do you mean?" Evan asked
"The WRO personnel guarding the facility may be simply guarding a prison" Kewell explained "I sincerely don't feel like I'm willing to take down soldiers like us, basically…"
Yuffie could not agree more with him
"If we fail there are two alternatives" Elena intervened "We fly, and we blow our cover. If we are all captured, instead, we will serve Brad a nice present, and he will publicly execute us in the name of restoring order…"
"That's a valid point, too" Evan noted
"I think we need to think strategically first, rather than tactically" Sarah said "Even if Director Tuesti is rescued, where we will bring him? Brad will issue an order to shoot down the Shera on sight and the whole WRO will be looking for us!"
"First things first" Evan regained the reins of the discussion "How do we enter, or rather, how do we get access to the prison?"
"Why not via sea?"
"There are patrols everywhere…"
"Maybe with a diversion…"
"There aren't enough elements on our side…"
Soon the discussion turned into an heated argument. The sound advice by Lieutenant Farron of trying to figure out the moves immediately following the eventual liberation of Reeve was thrown away. Obviously, the SISF was not a party of plotters and conjurers. It was a pack of people who craved action, who where used to think not more ahead that thirty minutes when on the field
Yuffie got lost in the bickering between the special operatives as the discussion dug deeper and deeper into analysis of tactics and plans where Yuffie's knowledge allowed her to be only a hapless bystander. Her attention turned to Cade, who was staring the wall across his position, in a frozen laid-back posture.
Then, as a circuit triggered inside him, he slowly stood up and, almost magically, everyone calmed down until all the voices were killed, one by one. All the people in the room took their seat back as they turned their eyes on him
"Say, Evan" Cade finally spoke "the WRO, or better, Brad issued warrants for our capture, right? Me and Yuffie…"
"Right" Evan confirmed "What do you…"
Evan immediately grew an incredulous look as he slowly began to see into Cade's intention
"Are you serious?" he asked him "Don't you really want to…"
"What?" Yuffie asked, eager to understand the plan Cade had just devised "What do you mean with…"
"Evan" Cade solemnly declared "I am your key to the Junon Correctional Facility. You will surrender me to the prison staff and there you have your inside-man"
"Wait a minute!" Yuffie stood up "I've got a warrant too, right? What about me?"
"I'll tell them that I framed you" Cade explained "I'll explain you were a hostage, and I hoped to make you look like one of the perpetrators to drag the Kingdom of Wutai into the crisis!"
Yuffie stood there, speechless. Evan made a step forward
"Cade, this is too risky…" he countered
"I'm listening, Evan" Cade scoffed him "Go on! Pitch your ideas…"
Evan sighed, as he realized that Cade had devised a risky yet effective way to get a foot in the prison complex. Perhaps the most effective of all. All the SISF member were staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and admiration. Except for Sarah, who had decided to express her appreciation for Cade's boldness with a slight grin
"You won" Evan meekly surrendered
"See, we're already halfway there" Cade enthusiastically slammed his hand on the table, startling most of the people around it "Now let's dive deep into every piece of information about the complex that we can get: blueprints, personnel, shifts…"
"Wait a second" Yuffie intervened "How about the guards? Perhaps they are just clueless about the nature of the events around them. I mean the real nature…"
"Well, but surely you guys have something for it…" Cade replied
"For it, what?" Perkins leaned forward
"In order to incapacitate the guards" an annoyed Elena "Do I need to explain you what 'incapacitate' means?"
'And they are supposed to be a couple…' Yuffie thought amused upon witnessing that brief confrontation. Love was something which worked in mysterious ways indeed
"I'll go and talk to Cid about that" Evan assured him "But we surely need to plan ahead, and I mean ahead in term of weeks" he warned them
"There's a first time for everyone, right?" Sarah pointed out as, suddenly, a ping on the screen on the wall warned them of an impending message
Evan rushed to the screen as everyone followed him, waiting for the window to enlarge and reveal the information it contained
"Seismic activity in the whole planet on the rise" Evan read out loud "Mideel hit by a devastating tsunami right after a quake hit off the coast"
"And an extraction facility in Corel has suffered extensive damage after… Mako has spurted out of the surface?" Cade repeated incredulously
"Corel? You said 'Corel'?" Yuffie asked
"Yep, it says 'Corel'" Cade confirmed
"Damn it!" Yuffie almost cried as she stared into the screen
"Are you all right?" Cade questioned her, feeling and seeing her distress
"Nothing" she shook her head "I just hope somebody I know and who happens to work in Corel is alright…"
Cade made a slight nod as Evan was thinking out loud "So now basically Mako is surging from under the surface and building up in the sky? What is this… sorcery?"
"Well, we should ask the Scientific Division, provided they aren't busy trying to figure it out themselves"
"I'm sorry for the people in Mideel…" Yuffie murmured, as she recalled years ago when she barely escaped the destruction of that little town back when she had fought Sephiroth along with her gang. Apparently, the newly rebuilt settlement had to face a new challenge again
"Probably this will play in our advantage" Cade guessed "The WRO will be busy dispatching personnel to the affected areas. Maybe drafting them from Junon itself"
"We are keeping an eye on the flow of soldiers to and from the affected areas. But, to be honest, little will change…"
"So what are we going to do now?" Sarah asked "Send Colonel Clawbourne a message where we tell him that Cade and Yuffie are in our hands? Will he fall in our trap so easily?"
"Probably…" Cade replied, slightly amused
"I wouldn't count on that" Yuffie retorted "I would like to remind you that I'm supposed to tag along in your plan. I demand I have a say on this"
"Cade, Brad will not take your excuse for good…" Evan noted
"Which one?"
"The fact that you forced Yuffie to come along with your plan" he explained "Who knows what will happen once you will be locked up in Junon"
"Hey, I'm not saying my plan is perfect" Cade objected "but at least is a way to enter in that damn prison. Besides, if it's Yuffie you're worried about, you clearly haven't seen her in action…"
Yuffie blushed, caught by surprise by the flattering remark
"There's no need for you to say that" she whispered "but thanks for using my prowess to sell your plan"
"I repeat" Cade replied to Evan "if anyone has a better idea, and it doesn't seem likely, then go on and talk"
A moment of silence passed, while everyone pondered about the next move to take and weighed the pros and cons of what they had head thus far. But the situation was the way it was: Cade's idea, as much as full of things beyond their control it was, it was the only idea they could come up with
"Cade" Sarah finally exclaimed, breaking the stillness in the room "you have either drafted a kick-ass plan or we are so short in time and creativity that I'll settle for that" she commented "I'm in" she finally confirmed
"A bit of this and a bit of that" Cade commented as a reply to Sarah's words
"I'm too" Yuffie raised her arm "I don't know where I will be next but we must do something."
"It's your skin we are playing with" Perkins warned her "Are you sure is a smart thing to do?"
"If you can't do something smart, better do something right…" the ninja came up
"Sounds like a cool line to me" Elena whistled
"Do we all agree?" Evan concluded
"Do we have options?" Kewell sighed
"Not really…" Cade shook his head
"Then we are all set" Evan stood up "Come on gentlemen. We have a lot of work before us…"
"Since when has the SISF turned into a suicide squad?" Perkins remarked, as images of the Junon prison flipped on the screen.