"Scared? I thought you were nearly [i]dead![/i]" Mei responded hysterically, her face betraying the hurt and worry she had carried with her the past 24 hours. "I mean...they said you wouldn't wake up for at least a few weeks, maybe a lot more. I thought that I'd never-" 

Mei stopped herself mid-sentence, shaking her head vigorously to break herself out of her emotional state before focusing quickly on Kein, in an attempt to regain her professional composure. "Umm, Mr Marx, sir? I heard that Mr Duncan and the others have already made their way to the station. I wanted to inform him that the Faction would like me to accompany the team, as a representative of our cause. It was supposed to be Tyler, but..." Her gaze drifted over to where her unconscious brother was resting. "I will be going in his stead. I hope that won't be a problem?"

"Not as far as I'm concerned," Kein shrugged, following Mei's gaze over to her brother before giving her a warm smile. "We'll do everything we can for him, that I can promise. And your name is Mei, right? We haven't been properly introduced." Kein extended his hand in a friendly gesture. "I'm Kein. Nice to meet you."

"Oh! Nice to meet you too!" Mei smiled, giving Kein's hand a quick shake before glancing over at Syrus. "Umm...I'm really glad you're okay, too, you know? You wouldn't believe how worried I was..."

Deciding not to elaborate further, she looked over at both SeeD's with a determined glint in her eye. "Well then. We have a train to catch!"

[hr]

With a rather insistent Syrus accompanying them, Mei, Kein and a couple of other SeeD stragglers joined them on their way towards the train station. Fortunately, the train was still on the platform, meaning that they would be able to board the same train as Duncan and the others, or at least they would have assumed, until they were rudely halted at the barriers by two stern faced Galbadian soldiers. 

"Tickets and identification, please." One of them spoke in a lazy drawl, his lips curving with relish as he looked over the small ragtag group. "New security measures. Can't be too careful."

"Yeah, what with them rumours of SeeD   terrorist activity..." The other one grumbled in agreement, outstretching a hand to receive their papers. "Under strict orders, you see." 

"Umm..." Mei's expression grew tentative as she looked over at the others. Would their IDs be covered for such a scenario? Galbadian security checks were pretty thorough. 

Fortunately, she didn't have to find out as she managed to catch the eye of a man in a purple uniform, her eyes giving him a subtle signal towards the checkpoint. The man responded with a curt nod and a stretch off the part of wall they were leaning on, before approaching the two soldiers with ease. 

"No need for this faffing about. They're with me."

Both soldiers straightned and gave the purple soldier a look of utter disbelief. "You what?"

"You can't just-"

"You question my authority?" The higher classed soldier cut them to the quick with a note of consternation. "They're certainly not going to like hearing about this you know..."

"Uh! Right! Right you are, sir!" The guards replied hastily, fumbling with the sensor panel on the gates before the barrier snapped wide open for Mei and co. "Straight through, please!"

"Thanks," Mei mouthed at the man in purple before gesturing the others to follow her. Behind them, they could hear the guards swearing about 'bloody purples' and 'might as well be signposts for all it matters.' It was all Mei could do not to giggle aloud at their bitter remarks as she lead the way towards the train, but not before being stopped by Kein.

"What was that all about?" He asked in bemusement, looking back at the enigmatic man in purple, who had seemingly chosen to return to his lazy spot on the wall. "A contact?"

"Something like that," Mei shrugged her shoulders, a secretive smile forming on her lips as she chose not to honour any more of Kein's questions by simply sliding the train doors open for them to enter the car. Next order of business was rendezvousing with the others, but hey, at least they made it.