Catch You, Catch Me (FFXIII Modern AU)

Chapter Five: To Be Human

"Noel Kreiss, at your service."

The detective that Amodar had sent in was just a boy. No more than eighteen in fact. Then again, Lightning was only twenty one, so she had no room to talk. Yet he seemed to have good manners at least, saluting to her in fear as if one look would pop his head off in an instant.

"Sit down." She sternly said as he nodded softly and took his seat in front of her desk. "Tell me, why do you think that you have the qualifications for this case?"

"My own girlfriend was one of the killer's victims. Two years ago, she disappeared and her body was discovered in a ditch. She was abandoned the same way that the other victims were." He pulled out a file and laid it out on the desk with a serious gaze. One that hid the anger that he had towards the case.

She recognized the name. Yuel Paddra. The sixteen year old had just moved into the city and started going to the same school that Serah did. She remembered being called upon the scene and not talking to Serah for days because of it. "So you think you have what it takes to track the killer down?"

"Not really, Captain Amodar is the one who's been teaching me. But he taught you as well, so he probably thinks we'll work well together. But also I may or may not have lived in the same orphanage where a boy had his mother killed the same way Yuel was."

"So you think it's connected?"

"Gotta be." He answered honestly to her, causing her to slouch a little in her chair. He held his breath as she fell silent and watched as she rubbed her forehead in thought.

"Well I guess we have something to go on now. Do you have any information on the kid?"

"His name is Hope Estheim. His father is a billionaire but hasn't shown interest in picking him up yet. His mother's name was Nell. He should be fourteen by now."

Oh god. Another case she was on scene for. Now that she recalled the scene, she remembered First Responders checking up on a rather shaken eleven year old. Amodar was there that day as well, taking charge in leading the boy to safety. The fact that they had to bring up these memories to the kid again was troubling to Lightning. But it was promising. Maybe finally, they had their lead.

"Welcome on the team then, Detective Kreiss."

Noel's face lit up instantly as she held out her hand. He shook it with a wide beam in his own pride.

-----

Fang swallowed a sigh as she stood outside of the shredded sheet flap that lead to her hideout. Her Gang's symbol was spraypainted everywhere. The flaming dragon's eyes seemingly watched as she cringed at the sounds of a scuffle inside. Yet the leader took a deep breath and pulled the flap back, stepping into the scene. Her camp consisted of her strongest men and a few lost kids. The scuffle was between two teenagers, one much larger in muscle mass than the other. Newbies.

The bigger one, Tyke, was holding the much smaller and skinner guy, Simon, in a tight headlock and arm twist. "You didn't give me my fuckin money yet, punk. I asked for a refund on that shit fuckin edible you gave me!"

"That's enough. Break it up." Fang sighed softly, only giving them a warning for now.

"Gave this fucker ten bucks and he gave me a shit edible. I asked for a refund but he's fuckin holdin out."

"You ate the damn thing, didn't ya?" Well shit. She had him there. Yet Tyke wasn't taking no for an answer. And Simon's shoulder was starting to turn purple by the sheer force of the other man's pull.

"I want my fuckin money back-"

His sentence was cut short as Fang's knee connected with his ribcage, forcing him to let go of Simon and stumble back as he lost his breath. Simon scampered away as Fang quickly put Tyke in a tight chokehold, threatening to snap his neck completely.

"When I tell you to break it up, break it up." Using her strength against his winded state, she forced all of her weight onto his upper spine and made him curl onto the ground as she still held onto him. "You're new so I'll cut ya some slack. I run a peaceful community here, get that through your fucking skull before ya wind up on my shitlist."

He wheezed out a short "yes ma'am" before she let him go finally, letting him breathe. He rubbed his neck as he scooted off to the side to let Fang through the camp. She flopped onto a clean mattress held up by a half broken bathtub and rubbed her forehead as she could feel a headache coming on. "Fuckin a."

"Need a light, niñera*?" Thank god for her best friend, Cid. He was there since day one. His pale skin and golden hair with blue eyes did not sell him as a Latino, but he fit the bill in voice and language.

"I need more than a light, bud."

"Damn perra*, the whole pack? You must be really desperate." He chuckled softly before sitting on a crate beside her bedding. "Sorry honey, but we cannot do that to you."

"I meant a drink."

"Usual place then? Speaking of which.. how was your one night stand with the mamá caliente*?"

She didn't answer this question, opting to roll over and ignore it instead.

"Oho! You wish it wasn't a one nighter." He took a drag from a cigarette he'd just lit and chuckled once more as she turned her head slightly to glare at him. "What? If you didn't, I wouldn't have said anything. You going back?"

Fang grumbled something to him but only loud enough for herself to know what she said.

This caused him to laugh in a gentle tone. "Oooh, ella volverá~*"

//
*niñera - little sister
*perra - bitch
*mamá caliente - hot mama
*oooh, ella volverá - oooh, she'll go back
//