Final Fantasy XIII: Episode Zero -Promise-

"Search", Chapter Three

"Search", Chapter Three

"A deal, huh? I'm too nice." Rygdea thought to himself as he walked the road from Bodhum Station to the shopping mall quarter. They wouldn't get anything in return for this deal.

Fang had said herself that she was a "broken l'Cie", but even if that wasn't the case she wouldn't break so easily. They might not get any information on Pulse out of her, but it was true that they couldn't let her fall into PSICOM's hands. Searching for her friend wouldn't be a waste of effort.

And, if they could get her to join them, she would be a nice addition to their forces. When they had brought her in Rygdea had felt her strength and skill, but what was even more surprising was when they let her use the training simulator. He had thought she might be getting bored just waiting around, and had brought her to the training room.

While it might be true that there is a world of different between a real fight and a simulated program, Fang managed to grab the high score on a machine she had never even seen before. It was no wonder she was able to escape from enemies so easily in unfamiliar territory.

She had not only strength, but luck on her side. That she got tickets to Euride with an overwritten ID card, and that she overwrote the card by accident, was nearly impossible to imagine.

And then the airbike she used after her escape from the plant. It must have been left with the engine running, because there was no way she could have found a way to turn it on and make it run without knowing what she was doing. The owner of that bike must have left it on, planning on returning immediately. In fact, PSICOM had locked down the plant shortly after the accident. The owner might not have been able to return.

Fang had said she had seen an unusual owl on Cocoon three times. An owl that had a human-like face and legs like those of a raptor. She had never seen one, other than in a book, she had said. Rygdea himself had only seen one once. That she had seen one three times in only a few days showed how luck seemed to follow her.

Fang's friend was still running from PSICOM, and without the help of the Cavalry. Her luck must be even greater than Fang's. Perhaps all l'Cie from Pulse had such luck.

"But where should I begin looking for her?"

The fireworks festival was in a couple of days, and Bodhum was already filled with tourists. It would waste too much time and effort to look for her in this crowd. Fang had said that she wouldn't have gone far. Unless something had happened, she would be somewhere in Bodhum. But the problem was, Rygdea didn't know much about the area.

Which meant, he would have no choice but to search at random. Or so he thought, when he heard a voice calling out his name. It was one of the officers from the Bodhum security force. Rygdea had spoken with her a bit the other day when he had come to investigate.

"You're... Sergeant Farron, right?"

"Sir!" She said, saluting, a perfect textbook example. Her movements were tight and efficient. If given the chance, she could become very strong. Though he knew this already from the information he had seen on the troops, this was something he could tell just by looking at her.

"Don't be so formal, relax already." He said to her. That's when he had an idea. He might not know the area, but he could ask someone who did.

"Do you know of any places where young people go to hang out? Anything is fine."

It wasn't widely known that their suspect was a young girl. Fang's friend may have decided to hide herself with others her age so as not to raise suspicion.

"Does this have something to do with the accident in Euride?" Sergeant Farron's eyes lit up. Her intuition was sharp. "

"Is there a rumor going around?" Though she was trying to get information out of him, he decided to turn it back on her, hopefully to find out how the troops are feeling about the accident.