An: thank you for being patient with me. and i got a review asking about cloud. sorry! I didn't even realize he's not in this at ALL! oh gawd. what a big slip up! i even managed to include Genesis when I hate him! The FFVII cameos have been Genesis, Zack and Tifa. I am going to have to remedy this some way and include Cloud and Sephiroth somehow.
Chapter 9
Everyone in the hallway watched silently as Seifer and his friends sauntered away. Zell, Hana, and Luneth were at a loss as to what to say and Mateus was watching Seifer's back as he retreated. It wasn't until Seifer fully rounded the corner and the sound of his footsteps diminished, that someone dared speak.
"Thank you," Luneth said with a curt yet polite nod. "You really helped us out back there."
Mateus, who was still staring down the hall suddenly brought his attention to the three lower classmen in front of him.
"Yeah, thanks, Captain!" Zell agreed cheerfully, then suddenly clenched his fists and began shaking in anger. "I can't stand that guy. He thinks he can pick on anyone and call them whatever name he thinks of! You showed him!"
"Did I?" Mateus asked, with a bored expression on his face.
"Yeah! Well, I'll see ya today at practice. I'm going to lunch," Zell said, walking off and waving.
"Bye, Zell. Be careful," Hana called out.
Mateus let out a snort at her advice, "Shouldn't I be saying that to you? You're the one who was backed into a corner."
Hana looked up at him in surprise, "What do you mean?"
"--And what about Seifer?" Luneth jumped in.
"What about him?" the Emperor asked.
Luneth shook his silver head, "He mentioned something about Ultimecia. She's your girlfriend, right? What does she have against Hana?"
Mateus quietly studied Luneth face with a blank expression. He had never noticed this boy before, but he was apparently a first year and one of Hana's friend, probably from journalism class. He was short with a round pale face, framed by silver locks pulled into a messy ponytail. The boy didn't look at him with the sort of awe and fear he seemed to inspire from the others. That seemed to be something he and his friend Hana shared. The boy was obviously smart too, immediately sensing that there was a link between Mateus and Hana's being cornered in the hall.
"Hmm, you're smart, kid," the Emperor began. The young boy's countenance brightened at the complement, but Mateus wasn't finished. "--under normal circumstances, that is. These are not normal circumstances, I assure you. Ultimecia is not my girlfriend and what she has against Hana has nothing to do with me."
Luneth's eyes narrowed, "I don't believe you."
Mateus shrugged indifferently as if encouraging him to believe whatever he wanted, and merely turned his body again towards Hana. She looked up at him with her wide light brown eyes. Looking down he noticed her really for the first time. She was much shorter than him, but so were most of the girls in the school. She also had shoulder length straight brown hair that had been warn today in a single small plait. Some strands weren't long enough to reach so they framed her face and blended with her side bang.
"Well?"
The sound of Luneth's voice broke Mateus away from his observations and he straightened his posture further and flipped some of his long hair behind his shoulder and then replaced his hand on his hip.
"I'll be speaking to Hana alone now," he said.
It was a statement and was said with such deliberateness that both Hana and Luneth knew they had little other choice than to follow through. Yet, Luneth's eyes went from Mateus to Hana as if trying to think of what to do. His shoulders were tense in contemplation. Mateus could already tell where his thoughts were taking him. Chances were the little first year was torn between demanding further explanation or assuring Hana she didn't have to do it if she didn't want to.
Luneth sighed, closing his eyes to take in a breath. When he opened them they shifted to Hana.
"Hana," he said. "You don't have to--"
The Emperor felt a smirk tugging at his lips. He loved being right. He held up his hand ready to interrupt and let the little worm know that he was wrong and that Hana did have to, but the girl was quicker.
"No it's fine," Hana said, to both Luneth and Mateus' surprise.
"Hana?" Luneth asked.
Hana shook her head, "He's the captain of the Blitzball team. I am working on the assignment, remember. Don't worry about me."
Luneth wavered for a moment, then sent Mateus a wary glance before nodding, "Ok. Well, see ya in the cafeteria."
That said, Luneth turned on his heel and headed off the same direction as Zell had disappeared to. As soon as Luneth was gone Hana let out a sigh of relief that made Mateus curious. What had made her so anxious?
"Luneth is such a worrier," Hana giggled.
"Really now," Mateus said, uninterested.
Hana nodded cheerfully. "Yeah, he's always trying to act like some kind of knight in shining armor. He gets even worse if it's Terra."
Mateus merely turned his back. "Follow me" he said before walking off.
"H,hey!" Hana said, beginning to walk after him. "Were you listening?"
"You weren't speaking about anything relevant."
"Well it would behoove you to listen," Hana scolded.
The Emperor stopped abruptly and Hana almost ran into his back. She stopped just in time and he turned around to face her, sending her a look that she didn't quite know what to make of.
"And please tell me, Miss Hana. Why would it behoove me to listen to you ramble about a 1st year runt with a complex?"
Hana blushed, ducking her head down a little and peering up at him through her bangs, embarrassed.
"Just testing you?" she asked, softly.
"Please don't. It's irritating. I pride myself on my high tolerance levels but you're wearing thin my patience."
"Woah!" Hana raised her hands in front of her and stepped back. "What are you going on about now? I have never interfered with anything you've done and I certainly didn't ask you to come and get Seifer off of my back either. Whatever it is that crawled up your butt and died is your problem not mine. Don't take it out on me."
The Emperor almost was surprised by Hana's outburst, but then realized he was talking to the most idiotic of all freshman to ever walk the halls of Dissidia High. He knew from the day she blew up at him for knocking her down on the street that she was a strange one. He didn't let her attitude eat at him… or rather he was trying not to let her attitude bother him. His face stayed perfectly straight, but his silence attested to the fact that her outburst both irritated and disturbed him. Who did she think she was?
Automatically, one of his hands shot up to rub at his temple, but he caught himself and pretended he was merely pushing his bangs away.
"Well?" Hana asked.
Mateus only looked at her blankly.
"You wanted to talk to me. It's lunch and I only have a few minutes if I wanted to grab something," Hana said, with no hinting of the earlier frustration in her voice. She was looking at him expectantly.
Mateus found her sudden shift in attitude unnerving and he found himself having to reevaluate his approach of the topic. He wanted to ask her about the Blitzball manager position, preferably in a private place. In privacy he had the upper hand because there was no one to witness any tactics he wished to employ.
"Let's talk on the roof," he said.
"But--"
"Enough!"
Mateus couldn't take any more of this, he took Hana by the arm and waltzed her into the nearest empty classroom and closed the door. Hana was shocked by his force, but when Mateus turned to face her he was the very perfect picture of cool, calm and collected.
"Ok, what's going on?" Hana asked, brow furrowed in confusion.
"I just wanted to talk about something important to both of us," he said.
"What?" Hana asked. "Can't this wait?"
"No. Sit down."
"Ok, you're crossing a line here. I don't want to talk right now. You think you can just order me around?"
"Yes," Mateus replied.
Hana quickly rushed to the door but he moved his body in the way. She tried to reach around him but he stopped her. She tried again on the other side, but he grabbed that wrist as well. He let go and she pouted furiously.
"Are you quite finished?" he asked.
Hana looked up at him with her brow furrowed and her mouth in a pout. How dare he trap her in this room just to talk. Last time she checked talking was done in nice friendly circumstances. Yet, his face was still as stoic as ever, as if these proceedings were an everyday thing for him.
Hana tried one more time to get by him but he successfully blocked her exit. He was Dissidia's goalie after all.
"I won't ask again…"
"Good," Hana shot back and reached again for the door, jabbing an elbow into the Emperor's midsection.
Mateus laughed. It wasn't the kind of laugh that someone gave when they heard a really funny joke. Instead it was a deep sultry laugh that left Hana just a bit uncomfortable. She stopped struggling and stepped back and she saw him smirking, eyes flashing with some untold emotion.
"Lowly worm," Mateus said. "I was going to have fun and play with you for a little while. I do so love dangling carrots. It makes it fun for everyone don't you think? Give it up. You're outmatched."
"I'm no worm," Hana shot back, but she stepped back and leaned against the desk. "Fine let's talk."
"I'm done talking. I gave you your chance to at least have some sort of semblance of choice. You wanted to be difficult so be it. I'll make it difficult."
"What are you talking about?"
"Blitzball, little girl. We need a manager and you're it."
"Me!?" Hana gasped, putting a hand over her mouth.
Mateus shook his head and crossed the room, leaving the door unguarded. He knew he had her attention and she wouldn't try to escape any longer.
"Yes, you. Other than me you're the only other person here. As the new team manager please try to be a bit smarter."
"Hold on. Don't I have a say in this?"
"Well--" Mateus finally settled himself on top of the teacher's desk. "I did say I was planning on giving you some semblance of choice,… but you blew that opportunity. Now I'm just telling you. You're manager."
"Wait, I don't even know what managers do."
"That doesn't matter. I'll be telling you everything."
"So basically I'm doing your bidding?"
Mateus didn't answer. He instead began to play with a paperweight shaped like an airship that was on the desk.
"What made you think I would agree to something like that?" Hana asked.
"Why, I'm glad you asked," Mateus said, snapping to attention. "Actually it wasn't my idea at all."
"What?"
"It was Tidus. Tidus was the one who suggested you."
"T,tidus… but--"
"How does that make you feel? Happy, I presume. You'd do it for him right?"
"I don't believe you," Hana said, although her heart rate jumped a little at the mention of the bubbly blond.
"Oh, you don't have to believe me. It'll all be clear soon enough. He's going to ask you and when he does you're going to say yes and then you're going to follow exactly what I say."
"And again, what makes you think I would agree to that?"
"Simple really," Mateus replied. "You like Tidus… a lot. Why wouldn't you do that for him? Oh and don't worry I have insurance as well."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
"What's that?" Hana asked.
"Insurance."
They both stared at each other, daring the other to act. Hana didn't know what that paper was, but she knew he didn't know her well enough to have anything on her. Confident, she shrugged his threat away.
"You're bluffing."
Mateus laughed again in that deep manner that sent a chilling feeling up her spine.
"Am I?"
Mateus turned the paper over revealing the picture of Tidus that Bicky took.
"Am I bluffing now?" he asked in a way that could only be described as sinister. "You're going to say yes and you're going to follow every word I say."
-to be continued-
thanks for reading please review!!! i was thinking the emperor got OOC a lot in this chapter. D:
