A black and red, bi-wheeled machina revved when it came into view. When the loudly humming vehicle landed, the driver whipped the back end around in a semicircle kicking up even more dust as a result. The engine revved a few times before the dust cloud cleared, and it was cut off. Firro, the man who had spent his whole evening chasing after an ever-cooling trail, was standing beside his machinacycle with a smug grin on his face. Firro slowly strode forward, his heavy boots falling quietly on the grass of the highroad. Thunder in the distance crept ever closer to the agency, growing louder with each moment.

"Well, well, looks like I finally caught up.," the smirk on Firro's face was growing with each step he took, "You must be the famous Lady Yuna. I need you to come with me."

"Umm dude, we're kinda in the middle of something important.," the annoyance came heavy in Tidus' reply, "Could you try some other time?"

"Really now?" Firro questioned as he took his final steps toward the two, "Well I hope whatever it is can be postponed. Sounds like a storm's comin."

"No need," Yuna tenderly spoke looking gently at Tidus, "I was just about to say yes."

"You two are confused on one thing though," Firro slowly stepped closer two the couple with only yards between them now, "I never asked for you to come with me Lady Yuna. You'll be coming with me one way or another."

"Listen mister," Tidus firmly spoke as he gripped Firro's shoulder, "I'm not in the mood for this kinda joke.,"

"If I was joking, you'd be rolling on the ground laughin your asses off.," the tension between the three grew with every word said, "This is a matter of me finishing my job."

Firro threw a sudden elbow into Tidus' ribs, and followed with a hard back-handed strike to the side of his head which sent Tidus promptly to the ground. Dazed, Tidus tried to jump back to his feet but found himself staring down the barrel of one of Firro's two pistols. Tidus quickly tried to grab the man's arm in hopes of disarming him, but was met with the butt of Firro's second gun striking the top of his head which stunned him all the more. As Tidus tried to bring himself up for the second time, a gunshot echoed through the highroad.

Paine sighed as she followed Rikku up the … Highroad. "I can't believe you talked me in to sneaking up here to spy on Yuna and Tidus."

"Shhh!" the blonde hissed. "We must be getting close. Do you want them to hear you?"

"Why should I care? It's none of our business what they do together," the red eyed girl shot back.

"If you really believed that you wouldn't have followed me," Rikku smirked. "C'mon, you can't honestly tell me you're not curious."

Before Paine could respond, a loud gunshot snapped them both to attention.

"I am now," Paine said before both girls rushed in the direction of the sound.

"Tidus!" Yuna cried. She ran to her loves side, tears already running down her cheeks. She cupped his face looking desperately for a wound. Much to her surprise, there was none to be seen.

"Don't worry," Firro said calmly, lifting his gun for the girl to see. "It was a sleep bullet. I don't kill if I don't have to. I came here for you, that's all."

"You'll understand if I'm not grateful," Yuna growled. In a flash her guns were drawn, both shooters staring down the barrel of the others pistols.

"This one won't put you to sleep. You want to fight and I won't hold back," Firro said sternly.

"You hurt me more shooting him than you can with anything else," Yuna replied, her different-colored eyes every bit as set as his own. Both their fingers tightened over the triggers, waiting to see who would make the mistake of blinking first.

"You always have to sound so heroic…"

No sooner had those words been spoken then there was a flash of silver as the moonlight reflected off a fast-moving surface. Firro leapt backwards, barely avoiding the blade that would have lopped his arm off. A blade with a red handle and a skull at its base. The calm, yet seemingly angry woman holding the sword cocked her head to the side in curiosity and confusion. Who… she thought as she scanned him from head to foot with a hint of nostalgia in the back of her mind, who are you?

"You attack anyone else and you're as good as dead." the words monotonously slipped between Paine's lips as she shifted into an offensive position.

"Look, I know I seem like the bad guy here, but I'm just doing my job," Firro sighed.

Paine's grip on her sword tightened. "Well your job just got harder."

The warrior said no more before she rushed forward, swinging her sword at her (former friend?). Again Firro leapt back and dodged the blade. He raised his mage gun to fire, but another flash entered his vision and he looked up to see Rikku descending on him, her daggers drawn. Firro quickly drew his other pistol, hoping to stop her before she came too close, but the moment's distraction had given Paine a moment to counter and she slashed at his guns, knocking them off target.

The gun mage barely managed to raise them again to block Rikku's knives. The pistols were expertly built, receiving strikes from all three blades without getting a scratch. Again Firro moved to counter, but again the numbers worked against him as Paine appeared. The two girls moved in perfect rhythm as they broke through his guard and knocked him away in one swift, nearly invisible move.

It would take more than that to stop him however. By forcing him back he had once again gained the advantage of range. Firro aimed a barrel at each girl, but before he could fire the two stepped apart and a flash of light flew between them. Yuna's energy bullets hit the mercenary in the chest, exploding as they struck. Firro fell to a knee, winded from the trio's attacks.

"Kane?" Firro muttered into com-link. "Still waiting for that back up…"

"Then you might want to move," was his only response. For a moment Firro stood there confused until he heard a hum growing louder very quickly. He rolled to the side, a machinacycle speeding by him. The driver twisted in his seat, and the machine moved with him, now sliding along the ground at high speed. The girls all leapt over it with a start, barely avoiding being run down. The black and blue vehicle slid to a stop and its driver dismounted.

He was dressed in a similar manner to his teammate, though the red stitch of Firro's clothing had been replaced with blue. The newcomer's jacket had both sleeves intact, unlike his partners, and they both had a silver buckle at the top. His dark brown hair was encircled by a black headband that was tied in the back with what resembled a pair of fangs etched into the cloth covering his forehead. He also wore a pair of black fingerless gloves, a piece of metal resting over each knuckle. His electric blue eyes scanned the scene carefully as he pulled a black metal staff off the back off his cycle.

"Always gotta make an entrance," Firro sighed as he joined his teammate, his single red eye rolling in amusement.

"Like you're any better," Kane smirked, his own sight never leaving the three women in front of them. "I thought you called me 'cause you needed help fighting a guy."

"He's dosing over there," Firro jerked his thumb in Tidus' direction.

"That isn't a problem, is it?" Paine growled. She hated being underestimated for being a woman.

"You kidding? This couldn't be any better," Kane replied, a lighter tone to his voice as he rested his staff on his shoulder. He gave a flirtatious glance to Rikku before he turned to Firro, "Dibs on the blonde."

"Huh?" the girls exclaimed, a blush filling Rikku's cheeks.

"You bastard! I saw her first!" Firro shouted back.

"Exactly my point, you had your chance," Kane grinned. "In fact you had a shot with all three…"

"This is really annoying," Paine said as the mercenaries continued to argue.

"Maybe for you. I've got two hot guys fighting over me," Rikku giggled.

"Rikku, they shot Tidus," Yuna said sternly.

"I know, Yunie, I know," the Al Bhed girl conceded. "We're still gonna beat 'em up. But he's just sleeping. Let me enjoy this a little bit."

"You're gonna enjoy this plenty when your bragging on the ship. Me, I'm gonna enjoy kicking the crap out of these two," Paine shot back. Before anyone could utter another word, she was encompassed in light, drawing the attention of the arguing mercs.

"Hello…" Firro grinned as they saw a brief flash of Paine's bare and glowing form.

It was short lived however as she appeared again clad in wicked looking black armor, her Black Knight dressphere. The woman held a massive black blade that she thrust into the ground as she whispered to herself. Before the two realized what was happening, they were covered by a large black energy sphere. Paine's Demi spell crashed down on them with explosive force, throwing dust into the air as the powerful spell was completed.

"That's what you get for ignoring me," Paine grinned in satisfaction.

"I knew it!" Rikku exclaimed. "You were jealous they liked me!"

"I was not," the knight replied in monotone. "It just pissed me off they weren't taking us seriously."

"Damn Kane, that was pretty good," the girls heard from beneath the dust cloud.

"No kidding," the other merc agreed. "We should have been told about that trick. Remind me to smack our client one later."

"You got it. Guess we should take 'em seriously," Firro sighed. "Round robin?"

"You're on."

Before the Gullwings knew what was happening, Firro shot out of the top of the dust like a rocket. A storm of bullets followed his appearance, falling on the girls like rain. Yuna raised her own guns and fired, the two swarms of bullets clashing in the air. Kane dashed out of the clearing dust, staff in hand. Paine swung her sword, but Kane was faster, knocking the blade away as he rushed past. Rikku was next, slashing with her daggers but the fighter flipped over her easily, his momentum undisturbed as he reached Yuna and drove a hard kick into her stomach.

The former summoner fell hard, reeling from the blow. Kane spun back around, blocking another attack from Rikku. The two's weapons sparked again and again as they clashed against each other's blows. Paine rushed Kane again, but her sword was halted as it connected with a gun that appeared from nowhere. Firro gave the familiar face a quick wink and fired his other pistol, fully charged, point blank.

The shot exploded against Paine's armor, blasting her back several feet where she lay gasping for breath. Yuna saw this and rushed Firro, firing in rage at the man who had now shot two of her loved ones, only to have Kane appear between them. His staff spun at incredible speed, deflecting each bullet with ease as Yuna continued to charge. Rikku leapt at him from the other side, hoping to sandwich the mercenary between their attacks. But with the two focused on Kane for that moment, Firro raised his pistols again, firing one perfectly aimed shot at each of them, knocking both women to the dirt.

"Well this is a bit easier now that we have the momentum." Firro joked as a smirk played on his lips, "Got anymore trick for us ladies?"

"Well as a matter of fact…," Paine spoke as she stopped for a moment.

"We do." Yuna spoke following Paine's lead.

"Enjoy the view while you can, boys!" Rikku cheerfully winked as she struck a playful pose and the three young women were enveloped in a tell-tale glow.