Ladies and Gentlemen, after three years of waiting, it has finally arrived – the final chapter in the Final Fantasy 8: Tournament trilogy. I apologise for making you all wait so long – which is why I started this ball with a cannon.
I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1 – The Beginning Of The End
Zell sat on the hard train seat and fidgeted with the many, many medals adorning his SeeD uniform. The dark-navy suit, for once, had been pressed and cleaned, the sleeves rolled down his thick forearms, the brass buckles and buttons all latched and locked in place.
His sky-blue eyes, normally bubbling with care-free life, were now flashing with dry nervousness. He looked down at the medal he was fiddling with – it was the Estharian Star of Heroism, pinned on his chest by Laguna personally. It looked like a star, with many differently angled spikes jutting out here and there, with a picture of Laguna in the centre, grinning like a madman down the camera. He turned it over to look at the back of it – etched into the back of the medal was an inscription – This medal is the property of a total badass on the battlefield. You rock dude! – Laguna Loire.
He dropped his hands down to his knees, sighing with nervous anticipation. "I…I dunno guys…this suit…I still have that bloodstain on the heel of my pants that Ma couldn't get out. I think I'll go and change into the tux Squall bought me…"
Irvine, sitting across from Zell and dressed in his own Galbadian SeeD uniform – complete with his cowboy hat - reached out with his hand and slapped Zell sharply across his face. Zell's face was mixed with shock and horror as Irvine stuck his finger into the fist-fighter's face. "Look here, you're going through with this, and that's that. You look fine, now shut up!"
Zell sat back in his seat, rubbing his tattooed cheek, scowling over to the Slayer. "You didn't need to hit me, dude…"
"Look, ever since we got on the train – heck, ever since we left your place – dammit, ever since you popped the damn question to Angel, you've been freaking out about it! Why ask her to marry you if you're not sure whether you should be marrying her in the first place!?"
The fist fighter shrugged half-heartedly, leaning down to rest his elbows on his knees, wringing his hands together. "That's just it…I know we're meant to be together and everything, but…i…I don't know if…"
Irvine sighed with irritation, rubbing his hand across his face. "By the almighty Hyne, not this again…"
Zell sat upright, spreading his arms out. "Dude, look at the life we live! How don't you know that I wont be dead in a week, a month, maybe even tomorrow!! We're SeeDs, we fight monsters and armies and, and…and magical Sorceresses! Would you wanna get married knowing that you might leave your wife all alone?!"
Gods, I wish Squall had decided to watch him instead… Irvine thought to himself. This is getting tiresome… "Zell, I'm going to say this only one more time. Both Angel and you are SeeDs. You always will be. It's what we do. And she understands that, y'know?"
"I know…but does she really understand?"
Irvine was about to slap him again before the door of the compartment opened, a beaming Selphie bounding into the room and instantly smashed into Zell, crashing them both to the floor, Zell crying out with a strangled moan as he was cuddled agonisingly. She was wearing a bright yellow bride's-maid gown, the skirt fluffy and bright, the blouse barely holding her generous chest together. Her brown curls were done up with a crown of lotus petals, Angel's favourite flowers
"You're getting married married married!!" Selphie squealed, putting her back into the cuddles, ignoring the popping noises coming from Zell's back.
The day had finally come. Almost a full year since Zell had popped the question to Angel, the day had finally arrived. The brand new Sorceress and Knight were about to get hitched, joined at the hip, tied the knot, and so forth. And the Knight was being weird about it. It wasn't that he didn't love Angel – he loved her with all his might, and that was a lot of might. It was a question of personality.
Zell didn't think he was husband material.
"Babe, talk to this idiot before I bust a cap in his ass!" Irvine cried, looking down at the two of them, fighting down the slight jealousy that rose whenever his love tackled her male friends. It was fine with the female friends – just not with the males. He also felt a swell of pride – those Earth immigrants were teaching him so much!
Selphie sat up, placing both her hands on Zell's ears. "You getting cold feet Zell?! That's not like you at all!!" She began to shake his head, scowling down at him as she tried to rattle his brains back into working order. "This is the love of your life you're talking about and you're getting cold feet now I thought you had more integrity then that why would you think such things I cant believe you would do that to Angel and after all you've been through what with the Sorceress thing and everything!!"
"Selphie please!!" Zell cried desperately, fighting the urge to break her hands. "I think my brain is bleeding!!"
Dropping his head to the floor, the blond-slicked cranium hitting the compartment floor with a clunk, she stepped off him and stood over him, both her hands at her hips, scowling at him as hard as she could, scrunching up her cute little face. "Now look here you, you're gonna go get married whether you like it or not, and you're gonna love Angel forever and ever and have ten babies and you're gonna enjoy it!!"
Zell wondered just when Selphie became so persistant. Perhaps she had been hanging around Rinoa too much? He simply lay on the floor and nodded meekly, before drawing himself up and placing himself down on the seat again, smoothing his uniform down as he did. "Yeah…yeah, you guys are right…" He mumbled.
Selphie rolled her sparkling jade eyes, patting both hands on his shoulders. "Of course we are, silly! Zell, you're going to be the best husband ever!!"
Irvine could only nod. "I've been trying to tell you, dude, this is, like, what you were born to do. I mean lets face it - we all knew you were gonna be the first out of us to get hitched. It's fated, ya know?"
Zell nodded hesitantly. "I know…this is just so…new."
Selphie and Irvine simply looked at each other and sighed, Selphie moving to sit next to Irvine, trying to fold her puffy skirt between her legs as she did. Irvine shook his head and flicked his cowboy hat up, sitting back on his seat with an exasperated sigh. "By the gods, babe, of all the people to get scared about something like this…" He muttered.
Zell tried to ignore them. He knew he was being stupid. But he also knew what it was like to be raised by a single parent, to know the heart wrenching feeling of losing a father. Zell hadn't been adopted long before the original Sorceress Wars had started. His Pa had fought in the Wars…and had lost his life. Ma, bless her heart, had never truly gotten over it…even if she was going out with Justice, President of Galbadia, at the moment.
He smirked, absently fingering another medal on his uniform. This one was the Galbadian Presidental Medal of Honor. It looked a lot more formal then the Estharian one, a flat squat cross, two-inches squared, right over his heart. It had an insignia inscribed on the center of the cross, as opposed to the gaudy picture of Laguna's medal – For consistent bravery and dedication to human life in the face of unspeakable turmoil. – Justice Delarn
And, although Pa and Zell hadn't known each other for very long, he remembered warming to him instantly, just like he did with Ma. He was a Dincht, through and through, from the very moment they had picked him up from the orphanage.
He sighed again, letting the medal he'd been playing with drop back down. "Maybe I shouldn't be wearing all this stuff…I mean, I don't wanna give her lead poisoning when I…you know…'seal the deal'."
"I think you look nice with all of them! They look shiny!" Selphie squealed, clapping her hands with delight.
Irvine sighed, sitting forward. "Look dude, you seriously need to get a grip. I don't wanna have to push you down the damned aisle."
Zell sighed for the last time, before sitting up straight. "Y-you guys are right. I…I need to get a grip!" He stamped his fist into his knee. "By the gods, I'm gonna be the best damned husband Gaia has ever seen!" He stood bolt upright. "I'm gonna go marry the shit out of Angel!!"
And then he tried to leave the compartment.
Instantly he was set upon by both Irvine and Selphie, Irvine hooking his arms around Zell's shoulders and waist, trying to pull him back as Selphie slipped in front of the fist fighter, placing both her hands against his chest, pushing him back into the compartment. "No Zell, you cant go outside!!" Selphie yelled up to him. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wed – ouch!"
Suddenly Zell twisted his body, Irvine's arms slipping off him and causing him to crash back into the compartment. In the same movement, he slid to one side, pushing Selphie around him and allowing her own forward momentum to cause her to crash to the floor – on top of Irvine, her skirt getting her legs tangled. Within a second Zell was gone, causing Irvine to groan in irritance. "C'mon babe, we gotta get after him!!"
"I know, I know, give me a minute – I don't want to tear my dress!!"
--
The train was moving faster now. It had left Balamb a few hours ago, and was making it's way towards Timber within the tunnels built within the ocean depths. People were standing in the corridor, looking up at the ceiling, which was made of plexi-glass. You could see all manner of sea-life whizzing past. Schools of Fastitocalon's swam near the tunnel often, and if you were lucky you could see Leviathan, unsummoned and enjoying him home.
Zell pushed past a few people crowded around a doorway and began to make his way to the end of the carriage, his jaw set, his eyes focused. All these damned tourists… He grumbled inwardly, trying to fight his way through the throng.
The world had changed much this past year. The team's trips through the multiverse had been replicated by trained teams of experts, sent to gather information and relay a message of peace from the Gaian people. Earth was more secretive about the Gaian observations, tending to keep them at Area 51 for the majority of their visits, using specialists to teach them about Earth instead of letting the Gaian's investigate for them. Gaia, on the other hand, accepted all Earth citizens – usually soldiers and researchers – with open arms. Whilst the Universal Investigation Bureau - an investigative section of Garden that Commander Carpenter had begun when he had first started investigating the Arch – tolerated Earth's rudeness, their patience was beginning to wear thin.
Zell opened the compartment door to reach the next train cab, stepping lightly over the coupling to the platform on the next door, twisting the handle and opening it, the roar and wind of the tunnel around him being shut out as quickly as he had entered it.
Squall had been hesitant to activate the Bureau again, what with Carpenter having been tainted by the Hearts. All the soldiers had been handpicked by Carpenter out of SeeD's ranks, most from the Galbadian Garden. This smacked of a conspiracy – fleshing out the ranks with loyal subjects and placing a few randomly selected SeeDs from the other Gardens to throw off any suspicions – but they had all passed the tests Trabia and Balamb Gardens had thrown their way, physical, mental and metaphysical.
Carpenter's deceit, however, was unforgivable. His mind had been twisted by Heart Rinoa's dark power, resulting in raving lunacy after his cover had been blown. After trying to commit suicide, he had clammed up, even under immense torture. From what the interviewers had gleaned from him and all his fake records, he was a person of little interest in Te'Get, perhaps an actor. Having living under Heart oppression for many years, someone had come to him with an interesting mission – infiltrate a crack squad of teenage mercenaries, rise to the top of their ranks, and deliver information on them.
It was deliciously deviant. Who would know that he came from another universe? The concept at the time was mind-boggling. Papers had been forged, he had gotten to know the culture quickly, and almost instantly he was assimilated into the Gaian way of life. Besides, with all the Sorceress Wars and eternal conflict, people tended to act strange. He had fit right in.
He passed through another cab, walking through the door to the next one, before picking his way through the crowds again.
Te'Get had stayed to themselves. When the SeeDs defeated the Hearts, they had rushed through Terran, clearing out any stragglers and training up the Te'Gets to fend for themselves. Apparently they were becoming quite a formidable race, years of oppression and the frustration incumbent with it spilling forth. They were more happy to simply live in peace more then investigate other universes…however a few Te'Gets tended to show up around the world, wide-eyed in wonder and awe at the bustling cities and boisterous people.
So now there's a few more people wandering about. Big deal. Zell thought as he 'excuse me'd' through a gaggle of tourists trying to take pictures of the sea life above them. I never knew how many people lived on Gaia till I saw the death-count of the Heart War. Now there's less, we need some more numbers.
He was beginning to approach the first cab, the one Angel had reserved so she could prepare for the wedding. The train-ride from Balamb to Galbadia took a long time, so instead of preparing at Galbadia, she decided to get ready here. That's probably the reason why there's so many people packing the corridor… Zell grumbled to himself. Down one train cab must cut down a lot of space to use for passengers.
However, she had asked for it, and he had given in. Part of him suspected that this was part of some plan to not have him see her before the wedding took place. It was custom in the Gaian universe for a bride not to be seen by the groom before a wedding…for some stupid reason. Zell scoffed at the idea, almost stepping on someone's foot as he did. What crap. We should both walk in there and get it over with…not pussy-foot about… He thought to himself, oblivious to the conflictions he'd had prior to his sudden burst of enthusiasm.
"Finally…" He muttered to himself as he reached the door. He'd had to go through a lot of cabs to get to this one…
--
Within the cab, Quistis, resplendent in her bridesmaid gown, was beginning to put the final touches to Angel's hairstyle. "Alright, now don't move…"
The librarian did as she was told. Her wedding gown was a glowing white, sparkling sequins radiating from the bodice and the massive gown. Her chocolate brown hair had been pulled out of it's ponytail for once, a hair-brush drawn through it almost a million times by the perfectionist that was Quistis in order to get every single kink and knot out of it and give it a beautiful natural shine. Her hands played with the skirt again and again, drawing the light Estharian silk up into her fingertips before letting it drop back down. Tears continually fell down her cheeks, making her makeup run once again, but a smile as bright as the morning sun was glowing from her face.
This compartment was usually reserved for VIPs or SeeDs, but Zell had bought it out for the day using some of his tournament winnings, much to Angel's joy. She didn't wish to prepare for the wedding in Galbadia – the big city tended to scare her, with all the people milling around, even in a hotel. She liked the trains, and knew it was a good way to keep Zell from snooping around as well. Although Zell had gotten her to relax a little and become more confident in herself, it didn't change the fact that she had grown up in a religious family – as such, some things needed to be proper for her to be married.
Dee watched from the doorway in awe, sitting on the floor with her back on the door proper, her hands in her folds of her skirt as she watched it all unfold. Everything was new to her, and this was no exception. Whilst, back in her universe, people got married, there never was much of a fanfare as there was on this world. She couldn't stop looking at Angel, almost gaping at her as Quistis delicately entwined flowers within the bridal veil. "So pretty…"
The Immortal girl had grown accustomed to life on Gaia relatively quickly. Although she was over the age to join the ranks of SeeD, Ma Dincht had welcomed her with open arms, Zell giving her his old room to live in, seeing as he spent most of his time on the Balamb Garden or on missions. They spent much time together, however, Dee becoming quite proficient at stowing away on the Garden as it traversed the globe so much that Squall eventually had to relinquish and give her her own room – as long as she never joined a mission.
She mostly spent her time training with her father and getting to know her mother more. Although she was physically only a few years younger then both of them, cloned from the sperm of Zell during his time on the Immortal world and the egg of a woman who looked identical to Angel, both Angel and Zell treated her like their own daughter…only older and a lot smarter. The intelligence injections she was given when she was grown had given her an incredible amount of intellect, placing her on the same mental wavelength as Angel, who enjoyed her study as much as she did her romance novels. Dee was happy they had bonded so well – although she did get snotty when Zell and Angel ganged up on her and 'pulled rank', as Selphie put it.
"Dee, please…don't sit on the floor in your dress." Quistis snapped to the girl. "I don't know how many times I need to tell you."
"Sorry ma'am!" Dee replied smartly, jumping to her feet in an instant.
"I know I told you to guard the door for Zell, but you don't have to take me so seriously, dear…" Quistis continued, biting her bottom lip as she pushed her glasses up her nose further so she could see what she was doing.
"Yes she does!" Angel retorted, looking up to the taller woman. "He cant see me in this dress before the wedding, Quistis!"
"I know, I know…" Quistis replied tiredly. Angel had begged Quistis to help her get ready. Rinoa and Selphie were simply too unreliable. Rinoa cried too much and Selphie kept screaming 'you're getting married' at the top of her lungs. Quistis didn't understand how much work would be put into it, though…however, it did make her feel good to be wanted again. She almost felt like a big sister again, back at the orphanage…
Suddenly the door bumped into Dee's back, causing the eighteen-year old to yelp.
"Babe!!" Zell called from behind the door, his nose and shock of blonde hair peeking out from behind the door. "I love you baby!!"
Quistis instantly put her body between the door and Angel, who was cowering behind the taller woman, trying not to be seen. Dee placed both her hands on either side of the doorframe, forcing it to remain as closed as possible. "Zell Dincht, you are not supposed to be here!!" Quistis commanded as loudly as she could. "Flee now, if you value your life!!"
"C'mon Quistis! This is supposed to be our big day!!" Zell cried, fingers slipping through the door to grasp it firmly. "Cant I just take a peek?!"
"No! Go away!!" Angel yelled from behind Quistis' back.
"Daddy! Please go!" Dee cried – before paling and beginning to shake. "Daddy – Miss Trepe's eyes are beginning to glow!!"
Zell's nose, hair and fingers ducked away from the door – along with Dee – as Quistis' Laser Eye Blue magic burned a neat hole through the door in the general area where Zell's head should have been. Quistis' hands, one holding onto her delicate glasses, were shaking as she called out again, Dee looking up at the twin smoking holes in the doorway only inches above her head in confused shock. "By the almighty Hyne, you'd best be gone, Zell Dincht, or I will remove you myself!"
There was no reply from the now-shut door…
…Before a cheeky pair of eyes peered in through the smoking holes, spying something dressed in white –
Dee instantly opened the door and, with her skirt billowing out to shield her mother from her father's gaze, kicked out with her left foot, the foot colliding with Zell's guts and sending him stumbling back, gasping for breath. Quistis' scream of rage was quickly cut short as Dee slammed the door behind her and, hitching up her skirt with one hand and, grabbing Zell by the collar of his SeeD Uniform, raced down the corridor, dragging him out of the line of fire as Quistis opened the door and shot off a few more laser blasts, bellowing with rage as the yellow skirt and a pair of SeeD trousers disappeared into the next compartment.
--
Zell ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his coat when Dee dropped him, the SeeD composing himself as he stood back up. "Sorry hon…didn't know what came over me just the –"
SMACK!!
Dee's fist flew into Zell's jaw, sending him back into the wall behind him and causing him to curse out in pain. "Dammit, what did I do now?!"
"You should know better, Daddy!" Dee cried, pointing an accusing finger at Zell's face as he rubbed his jaw. "You know how much Ma has been looking forward to this day!"
"I know! I know! I just got caught up in my emotions…" Zell replied gruffly, snorting out a breath in irritation and pain. What was it with everybody hurting him today? Wasn't it supposed to be the one day that people didn't try to hurt him?
Dee nodded, satisfied that he had learnt his lesson, before stepping forward to give him a hug. "Sorry for hitting you…" She whispered into his medals.
He placed his arms around her, holding her close, careful not to poke her to death with all his jewellery as he rubbed his tattooed cheek against her cheek. "It's okay. It just seems like today everybody has been getting me…stubbed my toes coming out of my room this morning…Squall accidentally hit me in the shin with his stupid gunblade…Irvine keeps slapping me! And Rinoa and Selphie seem intent to kill me with all their crash-tackle hugs…"
Dee smirked, pulling away and looking up to Zell. "What are you complaining about? Since when do you ever feel pain?"
Zell sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "I guess it's the lack of GFs…I got so used to using them all the time that I forget how crap it is not being so…well, powerful!"
This made the younger girl frown. "Why do you not have your GF's junctioned?"
Zell sighed again, his face dead-pan. "For some stupid reason. Something about the wedding being about the joining of just two souls, not four or eight. I gotta remain 'pure' during the ceremony, otherwise…'bupkis', as the Earthlings say." He said, lifting his fingers and making the quotation signs on 'bupkis', before letting his arms fall again, putting them into his pockets. "I guess I can understand it, though…"
"You shouldn't use them anyways. Uncle Irvine says that they mess with your memory. He says you forget about your childhood if you use them." Dee replied, stepping back and placing her hands behind her back, leaning against the wall opposite her father.
Zell smirked at her reply. "He may say that when he's not on a mission, but during one when we're under fire, it's all 'for gods sake Zell, just summon them! It's what they're there for!" He chuckled. "It gets more frequent when he runs out of ammo."
She giggled at that, which made him smile. "You look really beautiful in that dress." He said wistfully, drawing his left hand out of his pocket to lift something up that was in his hand. "…Which is kinda spoiled by this."
Dee blinked in confusion – before realising what he was holding.
The Universal Blade.
He must've lifted it off her whilst she was dragging him down the corridor. Clenching her teeth together and setting her jaw, she held her hand out for it.
Zell, also clenching his jaw, gripped the Blade tightly in his hand…before reluctantly putting it forward and, slowly, tipping it over to drop the weapon into the girl's outstretched palm.
Immediately she pulled it back, holding it close to her chest, gripping it with both her hands and looking at it sadly.
Zell said nothing, placing his hand back in his pocket and looking at her over the hallway. Although she was fascinated with Gaia and loved it immensely…she still felt homesick. Sometimes Zell or Angel would catch her staring at the Blade, almost as if it held some answers to getting back to the Immortal world. She had only been in the place for just under two months…but Zell understood. The entire time off-world, he had wanted nothing but to go back home.
And, whilst she had a home and a happy life here…she was born in the Immortal Universe.
Zell had caught her opened Tears in the universal fabric with the Blade and had yelled at her, fearing that she would leave him. Of course, he hadn't said that. He told her that doing something like that was dangerous, that gods-knows what might happen to her if she opened up the wrong Tear and something got her. This was, of course, after she had screamed at him for taking the Blade away from her.
It had been their first major fight…on Gaia, at least. Zell didn't like remembering about it…Angel, Dee and himself had all been in tears, Angel holding Dee close, trying to console the girl as Zell tried not to throw the Blade away.
He couldn't do it. Not to Dee. The girl had gone through so much, and had never done anything wrong with it before then. He made her promise that, if she felt like trying to contact the Immortals, that she should talk to Squall and Quistis first.
They would know what to do in that regard.
Right now, however, Zell reached out with his hand to squeeze her shoulder. "Hey…you aint in trouble, sweetheart. You should've told me, that's all."
Dee nodded quietly, before placing the Blade back into the folds of her skirt, hiding it expertly from outside view. "I know Daddy…I just…today is so important for you guys, but just you guys, and I thought…well, I thought…"
"You'd bring something so you didn't feel lonely?"
The teen nodded. "…Something like that."
Zell smirked. "…I'll tell you what kiddo – I'm scared shitless right now. I have no idea what I'm doing, everybody I know has never done anything like this before, and this damned uniform gets itchy!" He waited for her giggles to subside before he continued. "…But I know I aint alone. I got all my friends around me, and I have you as well. If I have you, then you have me…ya know?"
"Yeah, I guess…" Dee replied quietly.
Zell pulled her back into his embrace, hugging her tightly to him. She snuggled up to him, grateful for his warmth and support. "I love ya sweety."
"I love you too, Daddy."
"ZELL!!"
Zell looked up, his eyes wide like saucers, as Selphie suddenly burst through the door to the next cab, the cute girl launching herself at him like a yellow blur, slamming him out of Dee's grasp and smashing him to the floor, the SeeD straddling Zell and pummelling him for tripping her up and getting away like that.
Irvine walked in behind them, closing the door behind him as he smiled down to Dee, tipping his hat up as he smirked suavely at her. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, little chicken…"
He watched Dee blush and shuffle her feet shyly, the girl obviously smitten with him – before he looked up to see Selphie and Zell converge as one, Selphie grabbing his ponytail as he turned to Flee and yanking him back for the pounding Zell was about to administer, Dee giggling with glee the whole while.
--
Whilst Irvine was receiving his punishment, the train finally pulled into Timber. The majority of the passengers disembarked here, tourists taking happy snaps the entire way and holiday-goers fresh from the Balamb Hotel (where the sea breeze will blow you away) not looking forward to going back to work.
Three men disembarked slowly. They were all large men, dressed in thick brown coats and large boots, heavy hoods covering their faces. As soon as they left the train they were met by a larger group of similar-clad men, some carrying briefcases, others carrying weapons such as swords or guns. Including the trio, there were around thirty of them. It almost looked like a congregation of some type, a gathering of Browncoats.
"Brothers." One of the trio called, lifting his hands, his brown sleeves pulling back slightly to reveal thick iron manacles adorning his wrists. "Today we achieve victory. Today we bring brilliance and light to this world. Today, all the prophecies will come true…and our new world will begin."
He turned then, lifting his hand for a moment…before waving it forward, the group taking heed of the gesture and moving forward like a single unit, boarding the train from the back and working their way up the compartments in single file.
--
Zell had Irvine's arm around his shoulder as he helped him down the corridor of the train cab, Selphie hanging back a few feet to give Irvine a swift kick in the rear every few feet. "I keep telling you, dude, Dee is off limits, but noooooooo, nobody ever listens to Zell…" Zell was saying to Irvine as the train was suddenly filled with rejects from the local monster matinee.
"And I keep telling YOU…I only think of Dee as your DAUGHTER…I'd never do anything to HER…you gotta BELIEVE MEEEE, ah, ow hon!" Irvine cried, his voice rising every time Selphie planted her dainty foot up his gunslinger ass.
"Take the pain!" Selphie growled back, scrunching up her skirt for another launch.
"Okay Selph, I think he gets it…" Zell injected, frowning as he pushed through the crowd of large men. Weird…they were all dressed the same. And they were almost all of the same build. Was there some kind of competition going on?
All the men they passed seemed to pause, turning back to stare at the trio as they tried to walk through. When they finally got back to the last carriage, Zell turned to slip his ticket into the door, opening the compartment, and looked down the corridor to see the entire group staring at them.
Zell smirked, hefting Irvine up onto his shoulder a little more. "Too many burritos." He called, before slipping into the room, Selphie close on their heels.
--
Zell deposited Irvine onto the couch and sat down across from him, scratching the back of his neck as he watched Irvine wince in pain. "Hey, you really okay dude?"
"No…I think you've dislocated something or something…" Irvine groaned as he shifted in his seat, Selphie sitting next to him to place her hand on his.
"I think we have a few Hi-Potions in our bag." She said as she patted his hand. "One of those will fix you right up!"
"Sure hope so…" Irvine groaned, before looking over to Zell. "…You seem a bit more relaxed."
Zell smirked, spreading his hands. "Hey, you know me, one cool customer, heh…" He sighed though, placing his hands together. "…Dee and me talked a bit, but I'm still a little scared. I know I shouldn't be, I just…I dunno…"
Selphie suddenly sat up from the open bag before her. "Irvine Kinnes!"
Irvine winced suddenly. "Ah crap…"
Pressing a button on the side of the compartment, a small table slid up from the centre of the room between the couches, right between Zell and Irvine, and when it was up Selphie slapped a loaded gun magazine down on top of it. "Do you want to explain to me what this is doing here?! We're going to a wedding, not a bad day in Abadan Plains!!"
Irvine groaned again. "C'mon babe! You know I cant relax without having ammo around me! You try spending your life without magic to fall back on!"
Selphie scrunched her face up and put her face against his, staring right into his pain-filled eyes…before giving him a quick peck on the nose and, tossing the clip back into the bag, grabbed out his Hi-potion and a pack of cards. "Here. It's not going to be that long till we're in Galbadia…lets play some cards!"
--
Within the train, the brown-coated men began to move up the compartments. As they moved through the cabs, the ones who held the briefcases paused by the doors between the train carriages.
They would wait for two of their brothers to move to the next carriage first, before stepping out to the coupling. Placing one foot on either platform, they would bend down – and slap the briefcase against the coupling holding the carriages together, the cases magnetically sticking to the metal.
Then they would stand upright and walk into the next carriage.
A group of ten stood outside Zell's compartment, some pulling out wicked looking knives, others pulling out large-calibre handguns, pulling the slides back to chamber rounds or easing hammers back to ready their weapons.
"We wait till we get the signal from the front carriage." One said to the rest.
--
Wihtin the compartment, Zell was beginning to get frustrated.
They were playing Snap. And Zell hated Snap. It wasn't because he got overexcited when he got a pair. And it wasn't because he was always the faster on the snap. It was that he always ended up destroying whatever they were playing on, sending the cards and debris flying everywhere.
Well, not this time. This time, he was going to exert a little control. Gently he placed down a three.
"Snap!" Selphie squealed, slapping another three down on the three already down and collecting up all the cards. She bounced up and down in her seat, giggling like a child as she placed all four cards in her hand, sorting them out by colour and number respectively.
Zell heaved a long sigh. This was another reason why he didn't like playing Snap. It also happened to be Selphie's favourite game. And when she won, didn't she let you know.
Irvine was too busy chugging down his Hi-potion to play, so Selphie played for him, pulling a card from his deck to place it on the table.
Zell looked out the window to watch the platform man look about for any other boarders. "I wonder what the group of guys are on for?" He asked no-one in particular as he lazily tossed down a card.
"Maybe the bodyguard union is being held in Galbadia?" Selphie replied, quickly planting her own card – and looking crestfallen as it didn't result in her favourite word.
"Maybe that Occult Fan convention has started." Irvine said, shivering as the Hi-potion took effect and placing down one of his own cards.
"Nah, Squall's had tickets for months. No way he'd miss out on it, not even for me." Zell replied, playing his hand.
"Well, maybe that's why him and Rinoa went to Galbadia first…to catch a bit of it before the wedding starts…" Selphie replied in anticipation…before frowning sullenly as she threw down her card.
"Are you kidding? All Rin's ever talked about for the past month is this wedding." Irvine replied with a smirk, playing his card. "He's probably being dragged around now, being forced to try on different shirts and watch Rinoa try on shoes."
They all lurched forward suddenly as the train hissed and whirred, beginning it's departure from the Timber Station. Selphie quickly pushed the cards, which had slipped off themselves, back into place and poked Zell in the shoulder. "C'mon, c'mon!!"
She was really beginning to bug him. But Zell smirked inwardly as he placed down his card. Even without his magic junctioned, he could still react to things faster then they could. He'd been trained since a child, after all. So when he placed down his card and he saw he had a pair of fives, he stood up, his fist raised high as he jumped in the air - to slam it back down on the table, the fist sailing straight through the cheap wood to crash into the floor of the train, a loud donnnnng emitting from the floor as he dented the thick steel plating beneath, shaking the entire carriage as well.
Cards and woodchips blew into the air as he looked up to Irvine and Selphie, staring at him with wide eyes, as he smirked and said that magical word.
"Snap!"
--
Outside, the goon-squad heard the loud donnnng and jumped with alarm.
"Almighty gods, what was that?!" One asked, alarmed.
"Was that the signal?!" Another called.
"We'll have to assume it was! Go!!" The leader called, stepping forward to kick the door down, his black Baltheir Mk12 rifle gripped tightly in his hands.
--
Within the compartment Zell prepared himself for the worst – before someone kicked the door in. "What the?!" Was all he got out – before the Baltheir Mk12 fired it's first shot, the Demolition Ammo flying out of the barrel across the open space as Zell turned to face the intruders – before smashing into his chest, the round hitting him so powerfully it literally blew him off his feet, the short fist-fighter flying back – and out the window, the glass shattering around him as he fell out of the moving train!
"Zell!!" Selphie screamed as Irvine reacted to the intruder, his arms shooting forward, his palms open – to catch the twin Vincent Valentine .45's hidden up his sleeves, the guns booming loudly as soon as his fingers curled around the grips, blowing the rifleman back into the corridor with only six rounds.
Pushing Selphie off him, the girl trying to get to the window to see where Zell had fallen, Irvine moved quickly across the compartment, his cowboy hat falling off his head as he reached the entrance and stooped slightly, entering the corridor – and just missing his head getting blown off by the two men situated side-by-side at the door, both men firing at the same time – and shooting each other by mistake, one man blowing a neat hole into his partner's neck whilst the other was decapitated. Irvine's arms spread out as the two men fell backwards, the gunslinger falling into a crouch – as he fired both guns simultaneously, the four other men behind the first two falling underneath a hail of bullets.
Then he raced forward, his shoulder slamming into the door before him to burst into the compartment across the corridor from them, the frightened people hidden within screaming as he entered, throwing toiletries and candy at him to ward him off.
"Get off, I'm a SeeD, get out of it – babe!!" He screamed across the hall as he popped the spent clips from his Vincent's. "Need some mags!!"
Irvine watched as a torn and battered Pet Pals. Vol 3 and an old copy of Timber Maniacs! was thrown into his room.
"Not those ones! Gun mags! Check under my underwear!!"
He sure hoped she'd hurry. The goons outside, the three left down the corridor, were being suspiciously quiet…
Before something bounced across the corridor to roll into his room.
"Ah crap!!" Irvine yelled, letting his Vincent's drop back into his sleeves as he reached back for the slide-up table the civilians were hiding beneath, somehow wrenching it from it's housing and planting it over the door –
Before the grenade went off.
Instantly, what was once a smooth surface called the bottom of the table was now riddled with sharp little objects. Frag grenades… Irvine mused, letting the table-top fall back down – revealing the entire corridor peppered with fragments of metal. A dangerous little toy the Earthlings gave to the Gaian army when they were in the Heart War – they were standard issue, so a lot went missing during the war.
I guess I found some people who had some… Irvine thought to himself – as two handgun magazines were thrown out of Selphie's room and into Irvine's, the gunslinger catching them and loading his guns quickly –
As a screaming madman entered the room, his meaty hand brandishing a curved knife, Irvine falling onto his back in shock – and planting a foot on the Browncoat's chest as he dove onto the gunslinger, keeping him and the slashing knife at bay as he pushed the knife-hand against the wall with his right wrist, his other coming up into the knifer's face – to put a bullet into his temple.
"Selphie!" Irvine called, shoving the dead weight off him and moving to the doorway, crouching next to it as he used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his face. "Can you see Zell?!"
"No!" Was the reply, Irvine's eyes narrowing as he overheard the two remaining men rushing forward, hoping to interrupt them during their talking. "We're moving too fast now!"
Judging where they were by their pounding footsteps, Irvine suddenly twisted and fell onto his back into the middle of the room, the civilians behind him shrieking more as he suddenly fired recklessly, his bullets slashing straight through the walls of the carriage in the general direction where the enemy was approaching. His effort was rewarded by the stomping noise of the boots ending with duel thumps, a brown-sleeved hand falling into the doorway to drop a dagger into the compartment.
Standing up slowly, the only sounds Irvine heard now was the whimpering of the passengers behind him and the soft 'rickety-click' of the train-tracks whirling beneath them. Edging to the doorway, stepping over one of the dead bodies as he did, he quickly poked his head out into the corridor to see if there were any survivors –
There were none.
Walking across the hall and into their room, Selphie stood from where she had been hiding in the corner and threw her arms around his neck, crushing him to her in a passionate embrace. "Irvine!!" She whispered into his ear emotionally.
Irvine returned the hug briefly, before pushing her off him gently, crouching down to retrieve more ammunition from his bag. "I dunno what's going on, babe, but judging by the amount of guys we saw getting on the train, I think we'd better group up with Quistis." He unloaded his handguns and placed clips into the ammo-slots, letting the slides click into place before letting the weapons slide back up his sleeves.
Selphie nodded, squatting beside him as he began to rummage around in the bag. "I couldn't see Zell – do you think he'll be okay?"
"It'd take more then a bullet to the chest to put Zell down." Irvine muttered confidently as he unzipped something within the large bag – to pull out a sub-machine rifle, slapping the slide into place. Instantly, almost by reflex, Selphie's hand whipped out to smack him across the head, causing him to cry out in pain and look down at her with confused eyes. "What?! What have I done?!"
The small girl reached out to grab the barrel of the weapon, shaking it roughly. "Do you call this holiday clothes?"
Irvine pouted as he pulled the gun out of her grasp. "It's Laguna's Desperado…I like to take it with me on special occasions…"
Selphie looked at him, her face screwed up – before she frowned harshly, her voice a high shriek. "Even on that time we took leave at Hasberry Plains?!"
Cold blood never ran colder through the gunslinger's veins then at this point. A part of him wished it had been him that had been shot out of the train. "…Maybe." He replied with chagrin, before quickly picking up the bag with his free hand and shoving it into her arms, before doffing his cowboy hat and planting it firmly onto her head. "Here. You're ammo-bunny. Stick behind me."
And with that, he quickly turned and made for the door, the butt of the rifle pressed firmly into his shoulder as he checked the corridor – and advanced slowly.
Selphie could grind glass to powder with her teeth as she shot lasers at him with her eyes from beneath the brim of the hat – but that was for another time and place. For now, she would follow him, and plan on ways to kill him as they made their way to their friends.
--
Outside the train, on the clear green grassed Lanker Plains, Zell sat up suddenly, his hand gripping his coat where he'd been shot.
His trip through the window had shredded the thick cloth his coat was made of, and he was covered in grass stains and a bit of mud, but aside from that he looked fine. Peering down at the immense pain radiating from his chest, he continued to gasp for breath – before stopping in surprise, frowning and blinking hard.
He couldn't believe what he saw.
The Galbadian Presidential Medal of Honour now had a massive dent within it, the cross' tails bent outward by the force of the bullet, which had left a small indent just off the centre of the words.
"Who woulda guessed it…?" He asked no-one in particular, scratching the back of his neck with a short laugh – before he jumped suddenly, the fact that someone had shot him out of the train making him jump to his feet.
The first thing he thought was, 'holy crap, how the heck did I survive that?!'
The second thought was, 'It was one of the monster men…they must be taking over the train!'
Only one word shifted through his mind then. A name really.
"…Angel…"
Suddenly he span, grunting in agony as he began to run, his muscles sore from flying out of a moving train and rolling along the grass for a few seconds, to head back towards Timber, his painful lope soon replaced by a steady sprint as he willed the pain into the back of his mind.
--
"Gods, I swear there were less then this when we came in!!" Irvine shouted over the bullets pinging and screaming around them, ducking back into the compartment he had pushed Selphie into and flinching as the enemy's rifles tore the wooden doorframe apart.
"Maybe there were already some on the train when it arrived!" Selphie yelled back, digging into the bag to place a magazine into Irvine's awaiting hand, the gunslinger pressing the magazine tightly into the Desperado before chambering a round and, with a short breath, swung into the corridor to place the butt of the rifle against his shoulder and fire off three quick bursts, sparks flying around him as the Browncoats returned fire.
They had managed to move up two cars, which had been good – until something exploded behind them, Selphie squealing as the back of the cab was exposed to the world, screaming air and debris flying all over the place as the bad guys began to detonate their bombs.
"We have to keep moving!!" Selphie yelled at Irvine when he ducked back in, sweat beading on his forehead as he waited for another opportunity to counter-attack. "The bombs went off in a synchronised pattern!! I figure we only have another minute and a half before the next one up goes off, and then we're…"
Irvine stepped back out into the corridor, shouting out a battle-roar as the Desperado rattled in his hands, ejecting spent .45 shells as he sprayed death at his enemies. "I got it!" He shouted to Selphie – before suddenly leaping forward, running down the corridor with the weapon firing wildly, keeping the goons in their cover-points – before he turned the corner, slipping down onto the laquered wooden floor to his back and spraying the Desperado left and right, cutting a vicious swarth through the remaining forces.
Lifting his legs up, he flipped his body up to his feet, a martial arts manouvere Zell had taught him a year ago, and turned to look down at Selphie as she ran towards him. "Mag!"
Selphie was already digging into the bag as she ran, tossing him the magazine as she approached him, the cowboy ejecting the spent one and slamming the fresh magazine home as he burst into a run to reach the next doorway, chambering the round as he went.
--
Back at Timber, Zell ran down the train-tracks and, approaching the platform, placed a hand on the concrete and flipped himself up onto it, his speed not slowed at all as he ran past the conductor, who blinked in surprise as he was brushed aside by the short blond man in uniform.
Running out of the train station, Zell jumped onto the hand-rail of the escalator leading up to the platform and slid down quickly, knocking a few people over on the way down, not bothering to say sorry as he leapt off at the bottom and ran for the car-park.
Coming into the packed lot, Zell ran for the nearest car he figured would be fast – a Kisaragi CC7, a sleek navy-blue sports-convertible with spiked curls for the rims and around the siding. Zell absent thought they looked like pinwheels as he leapt over the door into the driver's seat.
No time for hotwiring. Time for a bit of Dincht magic!
Linking his fingers together, Zell pushed his hands out, cracking his knuckles – before lifting his fist high to smash it down into the dashboard, the car suddenly roaring into life as he pulled his hand out of the indent.
"Like a charm…heh…" Zell said apprehensively, before slipping the car into gear and, tyres squealing, reversed out of the bay and sped out of the parking lot, burning rubber marks on the asphalt and tyre-smoke the only remnants of his passing.
--
Irvine grit his teeth as he fired forward with one hand, the Desperado tucked under his elbow against his hip rattling wildly as his other hand grabbed Selphie by the back of her dress and hauled her into the cab, the door swinging shut with a click behind them – before a loud boom and a flash emitted from behind it, the cab they had only just been in slowly receding into the distance.
They'd moved further forward – but now there were no more compartments left to hide in, the train cab passenger-seating only now until they reached the VIP/SeeD section. Irvine threw himself behind a seat, trying to make himself as small as possible as the bullets from the Browncoats chewed it to shreds, before hefting the Desperado over his head and fired blindly down the carriage, shell-casing raining down on him and burning his skin, causing him to grit his teeth in pain and exertion.
Selphie crouched behind the seat opposite him, holding the bag tightly to her chest, her smaller frame making her harder to hit. She placed a hand on her cowboy hat as she yelled over to Irvine when he lowered the machine-gun to reload. "Hey! Toss me a gun!!"
Irvine dangerously paused mid-load. Giving Selphie a projectile weapon was dangerous. Playing with fire, suicidal intentions dangerous. Magic was different. Once you cast it at a person, you rarely missed, unless they were skilled in paramagical defences. But…he did need another person backing him up. Seeing as they had all left their GF's back on the Garden in respect for Angel, Selphie didn't have any magic to fight back with. Not to mention she hadn't packed her nunchaku.
Reluctantly, Irvine's left hand opened, allowing a VV to slip into his palm. Spinning the gun around so he gripped the barrel, he hesitated only for a moment before sliding it over the bullet-shell covered floor to Selphie…
…Who cackled with glee as she picked up the weapon, pulling the slide back to chamber a round like Irvine had taught her – to release it, the heavy gun jumping in her hand to suddenly discharge, blowing out the window above Irvine's head and showering him with glass. "Sorry!!" She yelped – before craning around the seat she was hiding behind, the gun held out straight and firm as she focused down the sights at her enemy and began to fire, the blow-back from the weapon causing her bangs to bounce and her face to wince under the sudden force of the recoil.
The cowboy didn't have time to argue or complain. He simply loaded his gun and continued to fire, trying to keep the countdown to the next timed explosion going in his head amidst all the chaos…
--
That cant be good… Zell thought to himself, the wind ripping through his blond hair as he left the road and, angling the car up through a fence-line, mounted the train-tracks, the Kisaragi's engine roaring as he put his foot down – to pass the caboose of the train, spying the smoking end in the rear-vision mirror as he flew past it.
Figuring Irvine and Selphie was alright – he suspected Selphie would be beating Irvine up outside the caboose if they weren't – he soldiered forward, shoving the car into another gear, the engine screaming in protest, the tires rattling as they slipped over the train tracks.
His eyes widened as he flew past another smoking carriage, this one smoking on both ends, the fist-fighter having to swerve off the tracks in order to avoid it. Systematic breaking-down of the fighting area…they must be targeting the front carriage. He deduced, thinking back to the SeeD training in how to occupy a train.
With all the carriages, a train was slow and cumbersome – if you separated the train and it's front carriage from the rest of the links, however, it became a rather fast getaway vehicle. Standard SeeD operating procedure when occupying a train was to fight from the back up, so as not to leave anybody behind to flank you.
Zell figured this would've taken a mix of planning and luck, though. The attack on the train was a planned one…but if they were going for someone specific, they would've simply uncoupled the carriage before the one carrying the target, so he or she had nowhere to run to. They were de-coupling systematically, however – sign that they didn't know where or who they were looking for. Timed intervals too… Zell figured as he swerved to avoid another carriage, the tyres screaming as they ran through the Galbadian dirt and mud.
He sat up in his seat, however, as he finally spied the locomotive in the distance, the six funnels belching white smoke recklessly as it thundered along the tracks.
This made him grin. I'm catching up… He thought victoriously as he slowly approached the end of the train, spying the smoking end of the last carriage and noting the flashes of gunfire within the windows…
Before he watched as an explosion rocked the entire car, the carriage sliding off the end of the train to begin bearing down on him!
Twisting the wheel hard right, Zell sent the Kisaragi flying off the tracks and off the train line altogether, smashing through the fenceline and mercifully sending him onto a dirt track that ran along the train tracks. He was breathing heavily, sweat beading down his face in the cheery afternoon sun as the carriage flew past him, allowing him to twist the wheel back to the left and through the fence one more time, jolting up and onto the train-line once more.
"Dammit…just wanna marry Angel…that so much to ask…" He muttered to himself over the roar of the wind as he planted his foot down harder on the accelerator, the sports-car lurching forward to pass the car at the end of the train. It was now the last of the passenger cars – after this was the VIP car, the one Angel was on.
He kept his eyes on this carriage intently, speeding up on it, getting closer and closer – before his blood ran cold.
Several of the men he'd brushed past before within the caboose was climbing up the ladder on the end of the VIP car to reach the roof, several carrying cases of some sort.
The chill in his veins suddenly became boiling hot as he realised what they were doing. They're going to blow the car to smithereens!
Suddenly, his mind switched into gear. His foot planted down firmly on the accelerator, he reached down to grip the gear-stick, snapping it off it's holdings with a grunt, before wedging it between the dashboard and the accelerator, keeping the engine's revs up high. Then, shifting in his seat, he began to stand up slowly, his dirty SeeD uniform dirty and ruffled as he placed one foot on the plush leather of his seat, one hand on the wheel of the car.
He edged it closer and closer, one eye in front of him, the other fixed on the back of the VIP carriage, the Kisaragi's engine screaming at him now, protesting the immense strain it was being put under. When he was close enough to the train, he suddenly propped himself up, gripping the windshield with one hand as he placed his foot on the steering wheel, holding it steady as he tried to judge the jump from his position.
His leg was solid on the wheel, trying desperately to keep it from shaking loose as he reached out with his hands, trying to grab a railing or something – before he saw the light fixture, several hundred meters down the track, beginning to bear down on him.
Now or never. Gritting his teeth, he jumped desperately, his foot slipping on the wheel and sending the car into a turn away from the train, twisting sharply to the right – before buckling over, rolling end over end, the majestic sports car being reduced to a scrappy wreck as it smashed into the light fixture, cutting in half, the engine exploding as soon as the fuel lines were severed.
Zell would've watched and said something cool if he hadn't been hanging onto the roof ladder for dear life, his left hand scrabbling for purchase as his right hung limply by his side. The train was moving at unbelievable speeds now, having lost it's excess weight, and Zell was thrown about like a ragdoll in the wind. Somehow his fingertips remained curled around the metal rung, his face twisting in exhertion as he forced his body to spin out – and grab another bar.
Just wanna get married… He thought to himself as he grasped the rungs tightly, hugging himself to them, before beginning to ascend to the top of the carriage. …Just wanna start my life again…with her…
--
Atop the carriage, the three large Browncoats had placed their bombs and was beginning to walk to the locomotive. The leader stood at the foot of the ladder, tucking something into his pocket, the wind roaring around him forcing him to move slowly as he crouched – before he narrowed his eyes, sensing something behind him.
Shifting around under the immense wind-speed, he looked behind him to see a very pissed Zell gripping the collar of one of his collegues, the first one sliding off the edge of the train as the second slumped within Zell's grasp.
Between them sat a briefcase, the lid open to reveal a large amount of plastic explosive.
The Browncoat's eyes shot venom at Zell, the large man turning fully to face the shorter fist-fighter. "We meet at last!" He called over the screaming wind.
"You're messing up my big day, pal!!" Was the answer he was given, the currents almost swallowing up the words before they reached his ears.
"You're messing up the world!" Was the barked reply, full of contempt.
Now Zell was before him, in the afternoon sun, he could see inspect the Browncoat more clearly. The larger man's hood had been blown off by the wind and the movement, revealing his head – which was covered by tattoos. Literally every part of exposed flesh, from the lips to inside the ears, were scrawled tiny letters indelibly writ in ink. He wasn't a handsome man either – a jagged scar ran over his left cheek in a hook which lead over the bridge of his nose to end at his right ear-hole. The scar was jagged, yet straight – Zell guessed it had been self-inflicted, yet left to heal on it's own. A very painful process.
The two men suddenly advanced, their steps staggered as they moved over the speeding train, the two men circling each other like snarling beasts. Hook-Face had the build of a wrestler, thick and beefy, yet his eyes held an intelligence usually belied by such strength. He had a small smile on his face – and Zell guessed what it meant. If we duke it out here, I'll have to rely on my strength and not my speed – and he knows he's got the upper hand there.
Now they were at opposite ends, Hook-Face where Zell had been and vice-versa. The Browncoat's smile was broadening to a grin, which made Zell anxious. Why hadn't the bonehead made a move? "C'mon Scarface, come get some!" Zell yelled over the wind, spreading his legs wide and lifting his arms up, his face set…
…As Hook-Face placed his hand in his pocket and pulled out what he had been carrying before.
A remote detonator.
"Ah crap." Zell muttered to himself, his voice lost in the wind as his mind whirled...
"This is the beginning of the end." Hook-Face yelled as he pressed the detonator in his palm and curled his fingers around it, his large thumb raised high above the red button…
Before he dropped the detonator, gripping his now-bleeding hand, howling in pain!
Zell, at a loss of what to do, had brought one of his hands back – to grip Laguna's medal, ripping the sharp star from his lapel to throw it hard at Hook-Face. He hadn't expected it to dig into the larger man's knuckles, however, causing the detonator to fall and roll towards the edge of the train!
Hook-Face, tearing the star out of his hand, twisting like a cobra, his large frame falling down to a knee to grasp at the detonator – and catch it just by his fingertips!!
He was laughing as he pushed himself laboriously to his feet, a vicious sneer on his tattooed face as he turned, his fingers wriggling to gain a firmer hold on the item – to see two boots flying straight towards him.
Using the time Hook-Face had used to grab the detonator, Zell had raced forward in long, loping strides, the train's speeding forward-momentum giving him the necessary boost to leap with both legs extended – to slam straight into Hook-Face's head, the larger man releasing the detonator in surprise as he was knocked back – and off the top of the train, toppling down to the edge of the tracks below!!
Zell landed on his back, however, and continued to slide straight off the edge of the train – but not before throwing his hand out and grabbing a vent-opening, the vent's wings cutting into his fingers, blood trickling from the cuts down into the vent – as his other hand slashed out and scooped up the detonator!!
He hung there for a moment, almost severing his fingers as he felt a wave of relief wash over him, before he flipped the safety back onto the detonator and stuffed it into a pocket and, with a painful grunt, pulled himself back up to the roof of the carriage.
He sat there for a moment, smirking as the body of the tattooed hook-faced man disappeared as quickly as he'd arrived. "It's not the quantity the ladies like, pal!" He yelled triumphantly, lifting his hand to point his finger at his own tattoo. "It's the quality!!"
He didn't have time to celebrate, however. As he'd hung there, he'd looked down to see another briefcase magnetically attached to the outer-edge of the car – seeing as he'd taken out all three of the goons, he figured there would be another case attached to the opposite end of the car as well. Lifting himself up, he staggered over to the case stuck to the roof to get a better look at what he was dealing with.
He didn't want to get into the VIP car until he was certain Angel was completely safe…
--
Irvine suddenly kicked the door open, his Desperado swinging into the car – before it was ripped out of his hands and a fist was smashed into his chest, sending him tumbling back into Selphie, who squealed as she was crushed beneath his weight, the gun in her hand going off and blowing another hole into the compartment.
The cowboy's breath had been completely knocked out of him – but his right hand came up, his other Vincent slipping into it and his fingers curling around it as he squinted in pain, trying to get a bead on the three targets before him –
"Irvine?!"
Irvine blinked at his name being called, coughing as his mind clicked over. "…Quistis?"
From the doorway came Quistis, a length of rope that looked like it had come from one of the fancy curtains curled in her hands, her SeeD uniform ruffled and unkept. Lashed on one end was a bloody wedding shoe, the pointy tip and heel smeared with blood and hair. Behind her came Dee, holding the Desperado in one hand, a look of shock on her beautiful face. She had torn the majority of her skirt away to allow better movement for her legs. "Sorry Uncle Kinnes, we thought you were one of them!"
She pointed back to the pile of bodies that littered the car. Some had their heads caved in, others had whip-marks torn from their coats, others had their limbs all twisted around.
Pushing himself up off the floor, helping Selphie up as well, the two of them entered the car, closing the door behind them. "Is this all of them?" Irvine asked Quistis as Dee, blushing, handed his machine-gun back.
"All that came into this car. I'm assuming you and the others took care of the rest?"
Selphie winced. "About that…Zell got knocked off at Timber. We'll probably have to go get him…before…you know."
"It's okay, Selphie." Angel sadly called from behind Dee and Quistis. The two women stepped back to reveal Angel sitting on a seat in the middle of the room. Her dress, the beautiful Estharian silk, was ripped and torn and stained with blood, the skirt completely destroyed. Her chocolate brown hair was a mess, strands and tangles in all directions, her wedding veil torn and skewed on top of her head. Her makeup ran dangerously with her tears as she sobbed again. "…I'd rather he not see me like this anyways…"
Selphie tutted, stamping her foot on the ground, before running over to a pile of corpses and giving one a swift kick. "How dare you ruin Angel's big day!"
Irvine, still breathing heavily from Dee's attack, nodded in agreement as he collapsed into one of the seats. He opened his coat to see he'd only had one clip left. Lucky gunslinger…
Quistis stepped forward, looping her make-shift whip over and over her arm. "We don't have time to rest. This was a calculated attack. We need to check the remaining car for survivors and look over the rest of the train for any hidden enemies. Selphie, take Dee and search the last car. Irvine and I will go to the locomotive and see if the driver survived."
"Quistis…can you gimme a sec…" Irvine wheezed, holding his hand up as he hefted the Desperado. "…I need a second…"
This got an irritated sigh from Quistis. "Unless you're injured, I don't want to hear about it. You're a SeeD, now act like one!"
"Yeah you, act like one!" Dee remarked, slugging Irvine in the shoulder with a grin…
…Only to watch him collapse to the floor out of his seat.
Dee blinked, looking over to the other women. "I didn't hit him that hard, I swear!!" She said hurriedly, throwing her hands up in slightly in defence of Selphie…
…Who ignored Dee and rushed to Irvine's side, dumping her bag and gun and rolling him over – to gasp in shock.
The gunslinger was shuddering in her arms, his tall frames wracked with tremours. His mouth was foaming, his eyes glazed and rolling back into his skull.
"Quistis!!" Selphie screamed, looking up to the woman as she held Irvine close. "Whats happening to him?!"
"I don't know, Selphie…" Quistis whispered as she knelt beside her friend, pressing her fingers to his neck to check his pulse. "…But whatever it is, it's hurting him."
"Poison?" Angel asked, finally getting up from her seat to stand next to Dee.
"It looks like it – did he eat anything out of the ordinary, or was any of the weapons you were attacked with poisoned?" Quistis asked Selphie.
"Not that I noticed – we shot at them mostly – oh gods Quistis, he's burning up!"
"Dee!! Get me that ice-bucket!" Quistis ordered the girl, Dee jumping in slight shock at the sudden ferocity of the command, before spinning and grabbing the bucket as ordered. As soon as the thing was in her hands, Quistis dumped the ice onto Irvine's chest, pulling his coat open to allow the frozen cubes to touch his flesh – where they began to sizzle!!
"This is no ordinary poison, Selphie. We need to get him to Deling City fast, otherwise his body will burn up!" Quistis remarked, turning back to Dee. "Go and find out if the driver is still alive – if he is, tell him not to stop till we get to Deling, got it?!"
Dee nodded, before turning and running to the end of the car, moving through the door in a flash of blond hair.
Angel stepped up to Quistis then, concern on her face. "Quistis…what about Zell? What if he's…hurt?"
Quistis smirked grimly as she ran to the small mini-fridge embedded in the wall and opened it, grabbing out all the ice and cold liquid she could carry. "I highly doubt something like falling off a moving train will hurt Zell, Angel…right now we'll focus on Irvine's situation and when we get to Deling we'll send Zone out looking for him."
"O-okay…" Angel replied quietly, looking down at Selphie and Quistis in concern – before blinking as something dropped onto her face. Lifting her fingers to touch the liquid, she looked at her fingertips – to notice…
"…Blood?"
Curiously she looked up to the ceiling, covered in scratched and bullet holes – to see that she was standing underneath a vent, situated in the centre of the ceiling, a small droplet of blood forming on the edge of the vent's blade…
--
Outside, amongst the roaring wind and unbelievable pressure, lay Zell, his fingers jammed into the vent as his muscles spasmed again and again, his entire body twitching and his eyes rolling up till the whites were shown, the thick foam emitting from his mouth being carried away by the wind…
--
That's right people. The name's John Tomorrow…and I'm not here for a haircut.
((I apologise for any spelling/world errors. I bashed it out rather fast and haven't had time to replay the game to refresh my memory.))
