Living Through Memories
Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creator of Glee and Final Fantasy.
Pairing: Rachel/Quinn
Rating: M
Chapter 3
Please Don't Die
Once again, I found myself on a train; I lived a good majority of my life on a train. Going from one mission to the next, escaping, hiding. There was a difference this time though, Rachel was with me. She was going on a mission with me. My anxiety rose when she was simply around, but knowing that she would be out on that battle field with me was all the more terrifying. I worried that it would throw me off. If I were too focused on protecting her, it could jeopardize the mission. It also could upset her; she was very intent on being self-reliant and being treated equally, if not superiorly, when it came to fighting.
Puck had once again used violence to scare off most of the other passengers, but there was one Shinra worker who refused to leave the car, now he was attempting to get him to leave. His tactics were nearly barbaric, but they were entertaining to watch. I glanced across the car to see Rachel who was standing with her hands on her hips, shaking her head at him.
"I am not going to be scared out of this train car by some hoodlum like you. Learn how to speak proper English and maybe I will take you seriously." The older man said, crossing his legs and opening his book.
"What the Hell? Are you kiddin' me!" Puck shouted aiming his gun arm at the other man. Instantly, he looked up, dropping the book. He was scared, but he still managed to keep his wit.
"You've seen the news, right? AVALANCHE says there will be more bombings. Only devoted employees like me would go to Midgar on a day like today. Do you think I am really going to be scared off by some little worthless punk?"
This pushed the other over the edge. Reaching out he grabbed ahold of the man in the suit, lifting him up by the collar and shoving the gun against his forehead. "You workin' for Shinra?"
I was shocked by his blatant anger toward anyone who worked for Shinra, honestly, I knew a few of the people who had been in SOLDIER with me, and not all of them were terrible. Most were corrupt, but as with any superpower, there were always some that wanted out and hated the system.
"Noah! Put that man down this instant!" Rachel shouted, storming up behind him.
The young woman was always like this, so it simply made me smile. What did shock me, on the other-hand was that Puck actually listened to her. Forcefully he shoved the Shinra worker back into his seat. "You're one lucky fuck, that's all I gotta say."
He was still shaking from anger as he headed back toward us, a scowl on his face. "Damn you Rachel, why do you always have to poke your nose in where it aint needed."
Rachel looked more than smug, but she did not answer his question.
Shaking my head at them I asked about the mission. I was curious. "So, what's our next target?"
Puck turned his attention away from the short brunette and focused on me. "Listen to Miss Serious-about-her-work!" When I shrugged my shoulders he laughed and rolled his eyes. He had more than likely been hoping for more of a reaction from me. "Alright, well, there's a security checkpoint at the top plate. It's an ID scan system checkin' all the trains."
"Which Shinra is extremely proud of." Rachel added with slight annoyance in her voice.
"We can't use our fake ID's anymore." He informed me. I felt myself grow nervous, but again I was only nervous because the other woman was present. My life was worthless, hers was priceless.
There was a dinging noise and the conductor once again spoke over the intercom. "Good Morning, and welcome to Midgar lines. Arrival time at Sector 4 Station will be 11:45."
"That means that we have got only three more minutes to the ID checkpoint." Rachel said, as her large brown eyes glanced toward the clock. I allowed my hazel eyes to follow them and realized that she was correct, I wondered what the plan was for once we reached the checkpoint.
"Alright, in three minutes, we're jumpin' off this train. Got it?" Puck asked, drawing my attention back to him. Pushing myself off of the wall I made my way toward Rachel at this news, wanted to be near her when we jumped. She looked up at me, catching my eyes and flashing me an award-winning smile and I melted, she had to be the most gorgeous woman on the planet.
"You are going to be alright, correct?" I asked her. Trying not to appear as worried as I was.
"I am perfectly capable of jumping out of a train Quinn." She stated with a pointed and firm nod of her head.
"I know you are."
A loud beeping noise filled the train car, alerting us all.
"That's odd. The ID checkpoint was supposed to be further down." Rachel stated with her eyebrows knit together in confusion. I knew that this meant that Shinra was more than likely on to us invading the train; we would have to jump sooner than planned. I knew their strength and they would murder us.
"Type A Security Alert!" The conductor stated loudly. "Unidentified passengers confirmed. A search of all cars will be conducted! Repeat! Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed. A search of all cars will be conducted!"
The short brunette standing beside me started to look around frantically. "What is happening?"
One of our other teammates made their way into the train car we occupied and she announced. "We're in trouble, I'll explain later! Just hurry up and get to the next car!"
"Shit! Someone blew it!" Puck shouted "Let's go!"
I followed them as they proceeded to run through the train cars, hoping to outrace the security check. We made it through car after car, before finally reaching the final train car. Closing the door behind us, Puck turned to me. "All right! We made it! Let's go, we're gonna dive outta here!"
Standing at the door to the train car I glanced down at the short brunette standing beside me, her large brown eyes were full of worry. I knew that her confidence was just a front, that she was actually terrified. Looking up at me she offered me a shaky smile. "Scary, huh?"
I bit down on my bottom lip. "I wish that you hadn't insisted on coming—"
"Watch closely Quinn, I'll show you how it's done!" Rachel interrupted me, probably not wishing to hear me once again tell her that it worried me that she was acting irrationally. The young woman was a fighter, she could hold her own in a fight, she had a daily exercise routine and had often sparred with me whilst training in my teen years, but she was not a soldier. I knew that it was wrong of me, and that it offended her, but I could not help but feel protective of her.
Hazel eyes widened and my heart nearly burst, as I watched the other woman jump from the train. Tucking and rolling on the grassy plains as she landed.
Closely behind her, I jumped, followed by the rest of my team and our leader. It took us a few minutes to all locate each other, but once we did, we quickly devised the next part of the plan. Truthfully, as a woman used to military plans, this "plan" did not seem well-devised in the least. I was just pleased to have Rachel next to me once more, safe from harm.
"Good, so far everything's going as planned!" Puck stated with a grin. 'I still cannot believe that this was their plan…' "Better not let your guard down till we get to the Sector 5 Reactor. Come on you guys! The Reactor is just down that tunnel!" With that he started toward the tunnel, gun arm raised and prepared to shoot at anything or anyone that posed a threat to the young man.
O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
"Quinn, plant the bomb! We'll watch your back!" Puck shouted as he and Rachel turned their backs on me. I knelt down in front of the reactor and started to plant the bomb, wondering to myself how it became my job to do so. Wasn't he the leader?
Unexpectedly, my head started to pound and an immense pain flooded my senses. I could no longer see, I could no longer hear, I could not do much of anything as I fell to the ground with my head between my knees.
My mind filled with fog as it was riddled with dark memories, memories that fueled the fire of hatred and revenge inside of me. I could see Rachel, she was only a teenager. She was bent over her father's corpse, holding his body close to her own, large brown eyes full of sorrow and pain as tears rolled down her cheeks. She was shaking, and his blood was staining her skin. With no control over my body, I was powerless to relive one of the worst moments of my life.
"Father…" Rachel said through soft wheezes. "Father… please… speak to me…" He did not respond. "Sebastian did this to you didn't he! Sebastian, SOLDIER, Mako Reactors, Shinra, everything! I hate them all!"
"Damn man, get a hold of yourself!" Puck shouted, shaking my body and jolting me out of the memory. I could feel a pain in my chest as my eyes came in contact with those same brown eyes, the same pained eyes I had just witnessed. I wanted to protect her; she should never hurt like that again.
"Are you alright Quinn, you do not seem to be feeling well." Rachel wondered, obviously concerned.
"….Rachel…" I whispered, under my breath. It was so quiet that I wondered if she would even be able to hear it.
"What is it, Quinn?"
"No…Forget it…" I replied rushing to finish planting the bomb. Still, I could not shake that feeling, that memory, the way that it made my stomach flip. How could Sebastian have hurt the woman that I loved that way? Finishing setting up the bomb, I stood to my feet and turned my attention to Puck. Awaiting the next order.
"This way!" The young man shouted, before rushing along the metal bridge of the reactor. Rachel and I following closely behind him.
All of a sudden we were ambushed by a group of Shinra soldiers who surrounded our group. Puck looked around, most likely for an exit. "Shinra soldiers? Shit! What the hell's goin' on?"
"It's a trap." My voice was monotone, as my hazel eyes searched for any weakness in the group; they appeared to have planned this well though, because I did not see a way out. Now I was standing more so in front of Rachel, in hopes to shield her with my body.
"President Shinra?" Puck asked, eyes fixated on the president.
"Why is the President here?" Rachel wondered from behind me. I did not have an answer. My eyes were focused on the older man, I hated him.
"Hm. So you all must be that—What was it?"
"AVALANCHE! And don't ya forget it!" Puck shouted proudly, lifting his gun arm preparing to solve this problem as he solved most of his problems it seemed, with violence. I had rarely witnessed him attempt to talk his way out of a situation with kindness. "You're President Shinra, huh?"
I took another step closer to the president. Catching his eyes with mine, cold and full of resentment. "Long time no see, President."
"Long time no see?" He cocked his head to the side, looking me over. I felt uneasy under his gaze. "Oh, you. You're the one who quit SOLDIER in order to join AVALANCHE correct? I knew that you'd been exposed to Mako, from the look in your eyes. Tell me, traitor, what was your name?"
"Quinn."
"Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember each person's name. Unless you become another Sebastian. Yes, Sebastian. He was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant."
My body started to shake as the memory once again surfaced in my mind; I spoke his name with such spite. "Sebastian?" Rachel could tell that I was upset and she reached out, placing a hand on my arm, in order to calm me down. It worked, but only slightly. Her touch always seemed to soothe me.
"You know what? I don't give a damn 'bout none of that! This place's goin' up with a bang and it serves you guys' right!" Puck shouted, interrupting the conversation that we had been having.
"And such a waste of good fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you." The President sneered.
Puck started to shake. "Vermin? That's all you can say? Shinra are the vermin, killing the planet! So shut up jackass!"
He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You are really beginning to bore me. I am a very busy man, so if you will excuse me. I have a dinner that I must attend." With a smirk he turned his back to us.
"Dinner? Don't give me that! I ain't even started with you yet!"
"But, I've made arrangements for a playmate for you all."
A large robot that resembled a soldier moved across the bridge, standing in front of the President. Honestly, I was not surprised. He often had others fight his battles for him. Reaching for my large sword I pulled it from its sheath, wielding it with two hands.
"Meet 'Airbuster', a techno-soldier. Our Weapon Development Department created him. I'm sure the data that he will extract from your dead bodies, will be of great use to us in future experiments."
"Techno-soldier?" I questioned.
"Now, then, if you'll excuse me." A helicopter started to lower from the sky and he quickly got on board and away from the scene, leaving us to fend for ourselves. This was going to be a difficult fight, and I worried that we would not kill the robot fast enough to escape the explosion.
The fight was intense; it had taken more than a few blows from my sword to defeat the monster. And although I was hesitant to allow her to fight, Rachel got in many good punches and kicks as well. Finally, the robot blew up and we started to race toward the entrance of the reactor, knowing that we had little time before the bomb that I set would explode. Suddenly, I tripped and slid, almost falling through a hole in the bridge. The drop had to be at least thirty feet high, and I was suddenly terrified as I held on for dear life.
My muscles were growing tired as I tried to pull myself out of the hole. I could see Puck and Rachel, but they could not reach me from where they were standing. It was going to be up to me to save myself.
"It's gonna blow! Let's go, Rachel!" I heard Puck shout and my face covered with sadness, she wouldn't leave me would she?
"Can't you do something, Puck!"
"Look how far down she is, I can't reach her!"
"Quinn!" Rachel shouted from above. "Please, don't die! You can't die! There is still so much that I want to tell you!"
"I know, Rachel—" I forced out, trying again to pull myself up to no avail. I felt like a failure. This was how my epic adventure would end? Not in a battle, not after I proclaimed my love to the woman of my dreams, but falling through a hole in a bridge and dropping to my doom?
"I can't hold on much longer!" I shouted out. There was another explosion and as my body rocked with it, I could no longer keep my grip. My gloved hands let go of the stone bridge and I started to fall. Hazel eyes connected with brown. I felt my heart pounding away, I felt my life flash before my eyes, I was never going to get to tell her how I felt. I would never see that beautiful face again.
O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
Authors Note
I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Please do leave me reviews if you would like to see more!