Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Final Fantasy 8, only the OCs present in the story.

Recommended that you read Connection: New Game through to Welcome To Mystery.

Summary: Lysander Adams was thrown into a portal, separated from his friends. Dante has a strange disease and inconsistent memories. Vanadium is turning more and more elusive, cold and over-protective. Trust is waning, truth is coming to light and tensions rise between all of the young mercenaries. It can only go so far before one of them snaps. This story contains swearing, sexual themes, violence and extreme bitterness.

Where Loyalties Lie

Prologue: The Gunman

"... His seizures stopped only half an hour ago. They've been occurring all night," Ah fuck my head... what happened? "He's become stable since then. There have been no signs of any abnormalities. There are no Guardian Forces Junctioned to him, either."

"What about his origins?" Stop talking... feels like a hangover...

"We've run various tests... he doesn't appear on any database," Can't open my eyes... my head... someone fucking bashed it against a wall... feels like it anyway. "It's like he... appeared from thin air," What the fuck? "What shall we do, sir?"

"When he wakes up, send him to my office," I couldn't open my eyes. Ahh fuck just let me go out cold for a few hours... fuck it.

Such a perfect vessel... no one will ever know...

My eyes got flung open and I shot up in the bed, yelling and grabbing my head. I heard a constant, fast beeping and my head basically splitting from pain. Everything was blurred and I couldn't focus on anything. Fuck what is happening? What's in my head?

"Sir please calm yourself! You're in no condition to be moving about!" But I felt fine! I just can't focus my eyes! "Sir please lie back down!"

"Just everyone get the fuck away from me!" I yelled, grabbing my head again. Fucking Hell what was going on up there? Fuck what's the ringing in my head? Fucking stop now!"

… Right... okay... I just have to open my eyes... look at something. Focus... still a bit blurry... maybe that's just me. Maybe it'll focus later...

"Sir, can you stand?" Who the fuck keeps calling me sir? I just nodded, holding the bridge of my nose. "We'll get you some clothes. Get dressed and someone will escort you to the Headmaster's office." Clothes? Bandages on my chest... patient scrubs? How the fuck did I get into these?

When they left I fell on my back again, staring at the light above me. Still blurry... can't really see much. What the fuck happened? Why do I only remember water?

… Fuck that stuff gives me the creeps.

"You may want to rethink your alibi," The Headmaster, Martine, told me. I'd been given a plain white shirt and some sort of uniform to wear. Didn't like the jacket though. Not wearing it. "You claim to have... just appeared from nowhere. Are you expecting me to believe that you just washed up on the beach from the ocean?" I shuddered at the word. Fuck what's up with me? I thought I was passed that.

"It's more believable than what I keep seein' in my head, trust me," I muttered, holding the bridge of my nose again. "Look I don't really know how to explain what the fuck 'appened to me but there must be something you can do?" He frowned at my swearing.

"You're incredibly crude."

"How about we talk about what we're going to do rather than what we know?" I asked. The Headmaster sat down and clasped his hands. My vision wasn't any better. Still blurry.

"Well. I can only see two options to this situation," He said. "I can either remove you from the Garden, leaving you to your own devices, or I can induct you as one of our students, that is if you have any skill on the battlefield." Skill? Oh he has no idea how much skill I've got.

"Well, leaving me to my own devices in an area I'm unfamiliar with, as well as being broke and unarmed, would be signing my own death warrant," I answered. "I'm a marksman. I'll play along and get inducted." He frowned at me, before buzzing his assistant to get some formal papers.

"You will have to fill these in yourself," He said. "It won't take long, and we'll arrange your living quarters and classes. I suppose some rivalry within our sharpshooters will do them good."

"They won't have anything on me," I said under my breath. Confident and cocky, yeah but if you're good at it why hide it? I did as he said and filled in the forms. He said they'd be processed and I'd be a full student by tomorrow morning. I was just sent to a free dormitory. I'd be sharing with the best gunner in the Garden. I knew I was currently an interesting subject as while I was being escorted to the dorms a lot of the students pointed and whispered.

"Hey, you're the one who's been unconscious in the infirmary for the past week aren't you?" I opened my eyes and turned my head, looking at very blurry cowboy. Well... he sort of looked like a cowboy...

"... Yeah," I answered, closing my eyes again.

"The whole Garden's been talking about you," He went on. Oh please fuck off. "Been a load of rumours. They said you were found with a broken gun and half dead, with a load of monsters dead around you."

"Well that's bullshit. I woke up in the infirmary," I answered with a groan. "But I wouldn't be surprised..."

"I suppose you're going to attend now?"

"... I guess."

"Well it's been a while since anyone's been interested in being a sharpshooter," He went on. "I mean the others are good but it'll be fun to have competition," Fantastic. Now piss off... "Hey you're gonna have to deal with me a lot more if your a student. I'm your room-mate."

"You're the best gunner in the place?"

"That I am."

"Okay mate, we'll see how long you can keep a hold of that title," I sat up held the bridge of my nose again.

"I'm Irvine Kinneas," He said. "I hope you live up to your cockiness."

"Lysander Adams," I replied. "Trust me, I will."