This is a 1x1 based on ffxiii. We will start at the beqininq of our story which is were the civilians are boardinq the train to be purqed.

 

"Alriqht, keep movinq!" The soldier yelled out to the line. Airra stood there hooded and keepinq quiet. She kept her winqs tucked into her cloak and qot to the soldier. They inspected her then motioned her onto the train. Airra boarded and sat in a chair. ("Gettinq purqed wasnt the plan! Uqh! How could i mees up!") She thouqht as she clenched her fists.

Sarmen jumped out one of the PSICOM transports he had stowawayed on. He shook his head at how inexperienced these soldiers were. And they were in charge. Cocoon was not in good hands. Sarmen sneaked over to a near by building and broke in. He hid in a room and took out a data pad. On it, he had locations and intel on different areas in the city. The fal'Cie was a priority, just to check on the validity of this situation. First step, though, is to figure out the plan. Sarmen knew the official story, but that was rarely the true happenings. Sarmen picked out where the PSICOM Command and Control would be. He put away the data pad and began his silent trek to the C&C.

Airra sat as the train started movinq. She saw two people silently arquinq. A soldier came up and checked out the comotion. Then suddenly the two civilians attacked the soldiers and stopped the train. They disappeared and another qroup appeared. "Is everyone okay? Exit, hurry! We dont have much time!" A man in blonde told them. Airra looked to the side to see two sets of weapons she qrabbed them and hid them in her winqs.

Sarmen stalked toward the PSICOM C&C, keeping an eye on everything, just in case. The guards on duty were lax and didn't notice the Calvary veteran enter their commandeered headquarters through an upper window. Sarmen thanked his luck when he found an unattended computer terminal set up by PSICOM. He jacked in his data pad and started hacking.

Aided by hacking program the Calvary techs had given him, he was soon flipping through the files and copying most of them. Sarmen froze when he opened a file that described the ends and out of this mission. His stomach churned as he read the plan. PSICOM wasn't relocating the citizens. They were executing them! Fury burned in Sarmen's mind and heart as he sent this message to Raines.

Sarmen knew that he should now get out of town and back to the Lindblum for additional orders, but he wasn't going to do that. He had to get the innocent civilians.

Leaving a small bomb to disorient the PSICOM forces, Sarmen made full speed toward the Trains bound for Pulse.

The citizens exited the train, Airra followed behind. The man introduced himself as Snow and his qroup as "NORA" While one of the qroup member let his quard down Airra made a dash for it and started runninq. She held her cloak on tiqht and ran as fast as she could. After days on the run and after facinq many enemies she stopped and sat on the side. "Uqh, how can i keep qoinq? All this is qonna kill me." She said as she siqhed. She then leaned on a rock and fell asleep. Later on she awoke to find herself beinq carried away by soldiers. She struqqld and then they threw her in an empty room. There was a machine and it stunned her. Her skin burned more than ever. She held her arm and then looked to see a L'cie brand. "Oh crap!" She yelled to herself.

Sarmen helped several loads of civilians escape PSICOM forces. He several times saw a group of people also fighting against PSICOM, led by a big man with blond hair. Sarmen aided them as best he could with out giving himself away. As he was searching for more pockets of resistance, he noticed a PSICOM Marauder dragging a young woman toward the fal'Cie.

"What are you doing?" Sarmen asked himself.

Sarmen dropped down and ran after the Marauder. The marauder caught sight of Sarmen and ran. Sarmen gave chase, but the Marauder went faster than anyone in that armor should go.

"Must be using a Manadrive Haste." Sarmen thought.

Sarmen continued the chase till he saw the Marauder and his hostage enter the fal'Cie. Sarmen paused for only a moment before he charged in after them. Once inside, Sarmen quickly over took the Marauder. Extending his wrist blades, Sarmen dove and slashed at the Marauder's knees. The attack was successful and the Marauder went down, dropping the young woman. Sarmen flipped the Marauder over and brought one of his blades to the Marauder's throat.

"What were you thinking?" Sarmen demanded.

The Marauder just laughed.

"My focus." he said.

With that, the Marauder convulsed and slowly turned to crystal. Swearing profusely, Sarmen grabbed the young woman and ran as fast as he could for the exit. Before he got a few steps, he felt a searing pain in his neck. He cried out in pain, but didn't stop his run. Outside, he dropped to his knees, grabbing at the epicenter of the pain. The young lady popped up.

"Are you okay?" She asked, frantic.

She quickly pulled away Sarmen's hand away to get a look at his "wound." Sarmen shoved her off.

"Go, I'm fine." He said.

"But..." She started.

"Go!" He ordered. "Get out of here. There's others just down that road that will help you."

The woman hesitated a moment, then nodded. She turned and ran.

Sarmen grimaced as he stood up. He knew what happened. He had gotten too close. The Pulse fal'Cie had gotten him. He had to get away from people. He was now their enemy. He ran out of Hanging Edge, wondering where he would go. Also, his mind wondered about the flash he had seen when he was tagged, and what it meant. All he could remember seeing was a woman with a pair of wings on her back...

Airra escaped the fal'cie and started running as fast as she could. She saw some soldiers come up with guns. She quickly grabbed the blade like gun and started shooting them. Once they were down she made a dash for it. As she ran she felt a peircing pain wherevshe had been branded. She stopped to look around then felt something sharp on her kneck. "Get down!" A woman yelled. Airra looked at her long staff and then the l'cie brand on her shoulder. She then turned to the man as he looked like a general. "Get down!" The woman yelled at her again. Airra sighed and got on the floor.

Sarmen sat in a cave, trying to figure out what he was to do. He wasn't going to attack Cocoon, he had sworn to protect it. What ever he did, he needed to at least inform General Raines of what happened. Pulling out a communicator, Sarmen keyed in the Calvary's frequency.

"Renoko." Came a radio operator's voice. "Report."

"I need to talk to the General." Sarmen said. "It's urgent."

"One moment." Came the answer.

Sarmen waited a few minutes till,

"Sarmen? What do you have?" Asked Cid Raines.

"Sir. After I got the information I sent back, I attempted to help some of the locals get away from PSICOM." Sarmen reported. "While trying to save a young woman, I followed a PSICOM soldier to the Pulse fal'Cie. After stopping the soldier, he turned to crystal. I attempted to leave with the civilian, but was tagged by the fal'Cie. I am currently in hiding."

"I see." Raines said, his voice neutral.

A minutes silence elapsed before Raines spoke again.

"I'm setting up a pick up point not far from your original extraction point. Can you make it there."

Sarmen blinked.

"Yes sir." He answered. "But-"

"I'm not luring you in to kill you, Sargent." Raines said, no anger in his voice. "Though you were branded by a Pulse fal'Cie, your abilities as a l'Cie could prove valuable."

"Yes, sir." Sarmen said, filling both relieved and hopeful. "I'll try to get to the new extraction point ASAP."

"Good." Raines said.

Static for a moment.

"What do you know about your focus?"

Sarmen shrugged, though he knew his superior couldn't see it.

"Unsure, sir. All I got was an image of a young woman with wings."

More empty static.

"Really?" Raines replied, his voice sounding intrigued. "Interesting. We might be able to shed some light on to your focus when you return, Sarmen."

"Understood, sir." Sarmen lied. He didn't understand, but he trusted Raines to make it clear later. "Have a team waiting for me."

"Will do" Raines said. "See you in a bit, Sargent."

"Sir." Sarmen said, then disconnected.

Sarmen got up and headed out of the cave. His extraction point was a ways away, but he could make it. And hopefully, when he got there, Raines would have some answers.

"Who are you?" The woman demanded. Airra scoffed and looked at the brand on her arm.

"Enemy of Cocoon." Airra replied. The woman laughed.

"Whats your focus?" The woman asked. Airra froze.

"Dont know." Airra replied. She looked at the woman. The woman was fasinated by the wings on her back.

"Is there something wrong?" Airra asked touching one of her wings. The woman laughed.

"Of course not." She said. The woman sighed and put her staff like weapon away.

"Whats your name kid?" The woman asked. Airra sighed.

"Airra." She answered, "And you?" The woman scoffed.

"Its Oerba Yun Fang. You can call me Fang." The woman said. Airra nodded.

"So. What are your intentions with me 'Fang'?." Airra managed to ask.

"Well thats not up for me to decide. I just thought you were an enemy." Fang told her. Airra sighed and layed back.

Sarmen finally made it to the extraction point to find a small transport with three Calvary non-coms inside.

"We're taking you to a situation General Raines is supervising now." Another Sargent reported.

"Good." Sarmen said, strapping in.

He could tell the the others were a little disturbed by him right now. He couldn't blame them, though. He was pretty disturbed about with himself as well.

Airra layed on the floor with Oerba next to her. Oerba heard footsteps, she grabbed her bladed lance and pocked Airra.

"Get up little angel girl. We've got company." Oerba said. Airra sighed. She stood up and grabbed her gun-blade. PSICOM soldiers approached them. They started to atack the two. The two readied themselves and started fighting back. After the fight was over Oerba got a call on a transmitter. She answered it and started talking.

"Sir, are you sure? Wings?" Oerba said, "alright sir, right away." She said as the call ended. Oerba then cuffed Airra.

"What the hell? What are you doing?!" Airra yelled at her.

"Im taking you in." Oerba said.

The airship Sarmen was in cam low as he got ready to jump out. The pilot hit a button that flashed a green light. Sarmen took the hint and jumped out the back. He flipped and landed on his feet. He quickly straightened up and gave the departing airship a wave. Sarmen turned around to see a small contingent of Calvary soldiers. A corporal stepped forward and saluted.

"Sargent. The general requests your presence, Sargent." The corporal bellowed.

Sarmen returned the salute.

"Understood, Corporal." He thanked. "Lead the way."

The corporal saluted again then led Sarmen down a path. Around the corner, Sarmen saw Cid Raines looking over a report. The General looked up and nodded.

"Ah, Sarmen." The general greeted. "I think we've found your focus."

Airra looked at Oerba.

"Aww i thought we were friends." Airra said. Oerba laughed.

"Sorry kid. Just following orders." Oerba said. Airra sighed and sat on the floor. She flexed her wings to get the dirt off she then looked at the cuffs. She started bending them and trying to get loose. She saw more people coming towards her. She sighed and covered herself with her wings.

General Raines led Sarmen toward a scene with a woman and what Sarmen first took to be some sort of feathered monster. He quickly noticed some human parts peaking out of the feathers.

"Must be the find the General was talking about." Sarmen thought.

Sarmen switched his attention to the woman next to the winged human. She was oddly dressed and had tattoos on her arms. One, Sarmen noted, looked like a l'Cie brand.

"Sargent Sarmen Renoko." Raines introduced. "Oerba Yun Fang, a new operative."

Sarmen gave Fang a nod which she returned.

"And this" Raines said, pointing to Airra. "Is Airra."

Airra flinched and tightened her feathers around her body. She managed to stick her hand out with the cuffs.

"I want them off." Airra demanded. Oerba smirked and forced her to open her wings. Airra then budged and let them see her. She turned around, her back facing them.

"Dont look at me" she said as she fluttered her wings, telling them to back off.

("Why dont they just let me go? Ill give them all my money, anything to get away.") She thought as she sighed.

Sarmen studied Airra for a moment, then nodded.

"That's her, sir." he reported.

Sarmen reached up and unlocked his helmet, taking it off. He walked around Airra to face her, looking her straight in the eye. His hand rubbed the visible brand on his neck.

"You get tagged too, Airra?" He asked, his voice quite and friendly.

Airra looked at his brand and touched her arm. She nodded.

"Yeah." she managed to say.

"What do you mean by me? How do you know me?" She said as she looked at him. She then felt chills throughout her back. She covered herself with her wings.

("They probably think im a freak.") She thought.

Sarmen grimaced.

"I got turned on Hanging Edge." He explained. "When I got hit, I got a flash of a young woman with wings. I got a good look at the face, so unless you have a twin out there somewhere, the fal'Cie have some reason for me to at least met you."

Sarmen waved his arms around and stomped his feet.

"Since I'm not crystal yet, I'm guessing there's more. What's did you see?"

Airra pulled her wings away. She closed her eyes.

"I dont remember." She lied. She couldnt understand what the vision meant. She didnt want some stranger to know just anything.

"Now can you let me go?" Airra asked,

"Not that i have anywhere to be nor to go." She said as she looked around.

Sarmen eyed her with his dark blue eyes a moment then nodded.

"That's fine." he said.

Sarmen looked over at Fang and Raines.

"Keys?" He inquired.

Fang looked over at Raines, who nodded his assent. Fang pulled out the keys and tossed them to Sarmen.

"Careful, though." Fang warned in her nonchalant way. "This girl can be a handful."

"Says a prime example, i suspect." Sarmen thought.

He turned to Airra and looked her in the eyes.

"I can follow you were every you go." he said, his tone leaving no doubt as to his resolve. "What ever is going on, we're in this together, for some reason."

He then unlocked her cuffs.

"Well then." She said as she got up and dusted herself off. She sighed as she saw the l'cie brand on her arm.

("Enemy of Cocoon.") She repeated in her head.

"Follow me around everywhere?" Airra said as she shrugged.

"Well. Your name?" She asked.

Sarmen mentally sighed with relief. He had been worried that Airra would have tried to bolt and with her wings, he wasn't too confident he could make good on his proclamation. But she was at least willing to listen for a little.

"I'm Sarmen Renoko." He introduced himself. "I'm a Sargent in the Wide-Area Response Brigade of the Guardian Corp."

Sarmen cocked his head to one side.

"Where are you from?"

Airra froze at the question.

(Palempolem? No i dont remember.) She thought. She sighed.

"Well, i dont remember. When i became this."she flexed her wings. "I havent remembere much." She said as she sighed.

Sarmen raised an eyebrow as he studied the wings. They were certainly impressive. He hadn't heard of a l'Cie getting something like this. An odd though struck Sarmen.

"You didn't get these wings when you were turned into a l'Cie, did you?" He asked.

Airra took a deep breath.

"No it didnt" airra replied. She sighed.

"And just so you know i wasnt born this way i guess something bad must have happpened to me." Airra said as she sighed.

"That answer your questions?"

"Yes." Sarmen answered, more that a little puzzled.

A human with wings? This was definitely new.

"Nice wings, regardless." he said, giving the wings a final look over.

Sarmen stepped back and turned to have Airra, Fang and Raines in front of him.

"So. Apparently we've got something to do. Figuring what that is going to be half the battle, but that will have to wait. We'd better move."