When You and I Collide

28) The Search

SPLIT CHAPPIE AGAIN!

~Cloud's POV~

A pillow hits me across the back of the head hard. Still, I pretend not to feel the thirty seventh item thrown at my skull in the past fifteen minutes. Yes, I've been counting, and whoever keeps calling me must be pretty desperate. Maybe you should answer then, hm? I sit up just in time to get a boot chucked straight at my nose. Hope bursts out laughing and Lightning looks like she's trying to hide her inner horror at her mistake. Glaring at her sharply as I hold my hand to my nose to keep the blood from dripping everywhere, I flip my phone open and hold it to my ear.

"Hello?" My answer is more of an agitated snap than a greeting. What else did they expect at two thirty in the morning?

"Yo! This is Reno speakin'!"

"... Reno, how did you get my number? No, why are you calling at freaking two in the morning?"

"Yeah, sorry about that, yo. But, uh, one of your buddies went missing earlier and I just now got the chance to call everyone."

"What happened?" I yawn.

"I dunno, but that Fang chick is missin', yo. The hot girl?" I roll my eyes at his description. Typical Reno.

"So I'm guessing Vince called?"

"Yeah man. Sounded pretty freaked out, even though you could tell he was tryin' to hide it."

"I'll make sure to let them know then," I sigh. Great. Fang's missing. What could've happened to her, I wonder?

"Goodbye yo," he says boredly into his phone before hanging up.

"So why did some idiot decide to call you his early?" Lightning asks as I set my phone aside.

"That idiot was Reno, and he called to tell us that Fang's missing."

"What?!" She and Hope exclaim at the same time. The surprise and worry in the boy's eyes are the complete opposite of the anger and bitterness behind Light's. It's she who speaks first.

"What do you mean, missing?! I'm going to freaking murder Valentine if she's hurt."

"He'll probably murder himself," I murmur.

"When was she last seen?" Hope asks, playing detective.

"I dunno," I shrug. "But the Turks are on it, and not much gets by them."

"Seems like everything would get past the red headed moron," Light mutters. I shake my head.

"As much as I hate to admit this, that guy is probably smarter than all of us put together, not to mention one of the best Turks Shinra has had in awhile, if only he would be just a bit neater and drink a bit less."

"I'll believe it when he proves it," she waves me off. Then her eyes flicker down to the trail of blood dripping down my arm. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to hit you in the face."

"I'm fine," I nod, wincing as I put my hand away from my face momentarily, only to get the steady red stream all over my leg. "Crap."

"No, that's blood," she smirks. I give her a flat look before hurrying to the bathroom and holding some toilet paper to my face. Then I get to work washing the blood off my arm, hand, chin and around my aching nose. That's a lot of blood. Her shoe must be pretty dang hard.