Final Fantasy VIII
Emerald Princess of Vernea
Chapter Nine
The lift came to a stop at the bottom of the Tower. Squall, Zell and Selphie stepped off and looked around in search of Seifer. There was no sign of him anywhere, and the Tower's main doors had been left wide open. Seifer had already run on ahead.
They had just stepped outside when a loud noise caused them to stop. It was a grating sound, like something incredibly large and heavy moving across metal. The noise seemed to be coming from above them, so the students turned their gazes to the top of the Communication Tower.
There was something overhead, moving across the top of the Tower. It was very large and almost filled the whole platform. It moved, and the grating noise came again. From a distance it looked like a giant insect, although it was far too large. When it reached the edge it stopped, drew its legs together, and then leaped off.
Squall and the others jumped back, just as the creature slammed into the ground. The dust began to settle and they saw that it was not a creature or an insect at all, but a large robot. Its name was X-ATM092, but its design had earned it the nickname 'Black Widow' amongst the Galbadian Army. It had four large legs supporting an equally large body, and two long mechanical arms that it held in front of it like mandibles. The arms ended in a set of strong pincers. It was its face that earned it its name. It had a box-shaped face with a row of flashing red lights, giving it the appearance of having multiple eyes.
The Black Widow rose up. It shifted its legs, which ended in sharp points, and stood in front of the students. Its mandibles moved and the pincers clashed together. Zell looked at the robot, and then at Squall, and then at the robot again. Finally he looked back to Squall and pointed at the robot.
"Is that thing from Galbadia!" he cried.
In response the Black Widow lunged forward and thrust out its arms. The pincers reached for them and the three students leaped back. The pincers closed with a loud snap. Its eyes flashed and the Black Widow settled back. Squall knew what it was doing. It was analysing them, weighing them up and determining what threat they were to it.
"Um, it's not going to let us leave, is it?" Selphie asked. She reached behind her and drew her nunchaku from her belt.
"What do you think we should do, Squall?" asked Zell.
Why are you asking me? Squall thought. He cast his eyes over the Black Widow. He tried to recall the lessons Quistis had given on Galbadian weaponry. The Galbadian Army relied heavily on its mobile artillery, which were capable of independent mobility. They were outfitted with an advanced scanning system that allowed it to identify its enemies from its allies, and had destructive arsenal at its disposal. They were also relentless, with a reputation for continuing the attack until all enemies had been defeated. It did not come as a surprise that the army had brought one of these along, in case the Dollet military put up more resistance than they expected.
Zell and Selphie were looking at him, waiting for his decision. Finally Squall made up his mind, and he drew his gunblade. "We don't have time for this," he said. "Just beat it and let's get out of here."
Zell grinned and clenched his fist. "Sounds like a plan."
The Black Widow must have finished its deliberations, for it suddenly charged at them. At that moment the three students also charged and ran to meet the robot head on.
Squall signalled to Zell and Selphie. They nodded, and when they neared the Black Widow they split up and charged at the robot on three sides. Selphie ran in from the left, while Zell swapped with Squall and ran straight ahead. Squall swerved to the right, coming at the robot from its left-hand side.
The Black Widow came to a stop and stared about in confusion as its three targets split up. While it hesitated Squall and Selphie ran in from the side and attacked the robot's two front legs. Squall's sword slashed across the lower half of the robot's left front leg, cutting into the metal. Selphie swung her Flail and the chain wrapped around the other leg. Holding both bars the girl tugged them towards her. The Black Widow lost its balance and lurched forward onto its front arms, its two back legs dangling in the air.
With the robot down, Zell ran in. He leaped onto the robot's front arms and from there onto its head. He ran along the robot's back, searching for an access point to the robot's main power systems.
The Black Widow's eyes flashed, as it tried to figure out what had just happened. It tried to get back onto its feet, but another swift tug of the Flail from Selphie brought it crashing down again. The robot lay still, its eyes still flashing.
Zell finally found the access point, located in a recess just behind the robot's 'head'. Digging his fingers into the recess, he tried to pry the hatch loose. It wouldn't budge.
As soon as Zell laid his hands on the access panel, a small alarm began to beep inside the head of the Black Widow. It turned its sensors upwards and saw Zell on its back. Now aware that it was under attack from above, the Black Widow immediately made measures to respond to the threat.
But first it had to deal with Selphie, whose Flail was still wrapped around its foreleg. With the girl's attention focused on its front, the Black Widow raised its back right leg and aimed it at her. Selphie did not notice. The leg's pointed tip began to crackle, and a bolt of electricity fired out. It struck Selphie on the arm. The girl yelped and dropped her Flail.
With its leg free, the Black Widow climbed onto its feet. It charged forward at speed, heading straight for the cliff wall. Zell held on for dear life as the robot ploughed forward. The cliff wall loomed in close, and as they neared the Black Widow raised its legs and drove them into the wall. It climbed up until it was almost vertical, and then suddenly pushed itself away from the wall.
The robot hit the ground hard. It landed with such force that Zell lost his grip on its back and was thrown off, landing by its feet. A shadow fell over him. Zell looked up, and his eyes widened in alarm as he saw one of the Black Widow's large legs coming down rapidly towards him. With haste Zell rolled out of the way. The leg slammed into the ground next to him, sinking almost a foot into the rock. Zell scrabbled back away from the Black Widow, trying to get some distance.
"Zell! Get out of the way!"
Zell obeyed with hesitation and hurried to get out of the way. The Black Widow turned to the Communication Tower. Squall stood in front of the building, his gunblade held out in front of him. The robot's eyes flashed repeatedly and, forgetting Zell, began to make its way towards Squall.
With the robot's attention now on him, Squall raised his gunblade. The metal blade began to glow hotly, and as Squall swung the sword a ball of fire burst from the tip and went soaring through the air. It flew past the Black Widow and swerved up towards the cliff-top. It grew larger and then exploded into a cloud of flames. From the fire emerged Ifrit, the flames licking along his muscular body.
The GF spread his arms and latched onto the cliff wall. He dug his feet in and held on tightly. His head turned this way and that, and then finally turned towards the Black Widow, which had once again stopped in confusion. The GF roared deeply, the sound vibrating from deep inside his throat. Then, slamming his fist into the wall, he pushed himself off and headed for the Black Widow.
The GF clenched his fist and, with all his might, slammed it hard into the robot's back. The impact caused the Black Widow to crumble, overwhelmed by the sheer power the GF had put into his strike. Ifrit dropped down behind the robot and grabbed onto one of its legs. With amazing strength he dragged it back and began to spin it in a large circle. The Black Widow's eyes blinked furiously as it was lifted off the ground and spun in a circle. When he had created enough momentum Ifrit released the Black Widow, and sent it crashing into the cliff wall. The robot slumped onto the ground, and rock from the broken cliff wall came falling down on top of it.
His job complete, Ifrit roared in triumph. He leapt off the ground and into the air. Flames swept rapidly over his body until they covered him completely. The flames then dissipated, and Ifrit was gone.
The Black Widow lay still, partially buried under the rock. Squall half-lowered his sword and walked towards it. Zell and Selphie joined him and they stood before the robot, watching it. It did not move.
Selphie tapped her Flail against her shoulder. "Well, that wasn't so tough," she said.
Just as she spoke, the Black Widow's body twitched. It pushed its body up and from under the rock pile and tottered towards them. More rock fell from its body as it moved. It came to a stop in front of them. Its mandibles clicked together.
"Okay, so maybe it is a bit tough," Selphie corrected.
The students raised their weapons. The Black Widow paused and then charged. It came at them and reached out with its pincers, aiming to snatch them off the ground and crush them in its grip. The students jumped back and then split up once more. They ran around the side of the Black Widow.
This time the Black Widow was ready for them. It stopped and rested its pincers on the ground so that it could lift both of its front legs into the air. The tips crackled and surges of electricity fired out. Squall and Selphie just managed to swerve out of the way, but a surge struck Zell in the legs as he prepared to jump into the air. The fighter cried out and dropped onto his knees, clutching his thighs.
The Black Widow put down its legs. Squall and Selphie ran straight past the robot and came around the other side. Selphie swung her Flail and latched onto its rear leg, and Squall repeated his earlier and slashed at the other one. The Black Widow, caught off-balance, slumped forward.
Squall took his chance. With Selphie keeping a grip on the back legs, he leapt onto the robot's back. He ran over to the access point behind the robot's head. Raising his sword high, he brought it down on the panel with as much force as he could muster.
The sword broke through the metal plate and sank deep into the robot's mechanics. Electricity crackled. The Black Widow, which had been trying to stand, shuddered violently. It broke free of Selphie's Flail and forced itself back onto its feet. Like an animal in pain it staggered forward, its legs churning up the ground with each step. It turned and tried to go forward, but a loud whir rumbled through its engines. The robot collapsed, and the lights on its face went out. It was dead.
Cautiously this time, Zell and Selphie approached the Black Widow. It did not move. Just to be sure that it was actually dead this time, Zell gave the robot's pincers a swift kick. Still it did not move. Zell sighed in relief and looked up at Squall.
"Let's get the hell outta here!" he called.
Squall nodded. That fight had cost them valuable time, and they had to get back to the shore. He sheathed his sword and jumped back down. Zell and Selphie joined him and together they headed back along the path, leaving the robot behind.
As they walked, Selphie glanced longingly over at the cliff. She grinned and tapped Zell on the arm. He turned. Selphie pointed over at the cliff, and her grin grew wider. Guessing her thoughts, Zell flashed her an angry glare before walking firmly up the path. Selphie giggled. Behind them, Squall placed his hand on his hip and sighed. At least this exam would soon be over.
They headed on up the path. They had just made it around the bend leading to the cliff-top when a loud thud sounded behind them. The students stopped. More thuds sounded, followed by a loud grating noise, like something pulling itself to its feet. Then there came more thuds, each one growing louder.
Then, to their horror, the Black Widow emerged from beyond the bend. It stomped along the path and then stopped. Its eyes flashed as it fixed on them.
Zell's eyes widened and he jabbed a finger at the Black Widow. "I thought we already busted that thing up!" he cried.
The Black Widow raised its arms. Its pincers clashed together, and it moved forward a step. Squall frowned. The damage to the robot's body, although minor, should have been enough to put it out of commission. It was likely that the robot had self-repair technology. Squall had heard about it before, but he had never expected it to be so efficient. It was impressive. But impressive or not, it still posed a problem.
"Forget it!" he said, shaking his head. "Let's go!"
Zell and Selphie nodded. The students then turned their backs on the Black Widow and ran with all haste up the path. After a moment's pause the Black Widow gave chase. The mountain path was narrow, a little too narrow for the Black Widow to move about freely. So it stopped and dug its feet into the cliff wall. It hoisted itself up and climbed towards the cliff top. Once there it made its way steadily over the rugged rocks, continuing to give chase.
The students reached the cliff edge overlooking the tower. There they stopped and looked back. The Black Widow was making its way steadily over the rugged cliffs towards them, and it was gaining fast. The students turned and began to run down the slope, heading for the bridge.
As they ran down the slope, Squall looked back over his shoulder. The Black Widow was still running along the cliff top, now rising up above them. Looking ahead again, Squall felt a bit of hope. The cliffs led all the way to the bridge, where they ended in a sharp decline to the river leading to the ocean. If the Black Widow followed them all the way there, it would have nowhere else to go except for over the edge. They could lose it there and head for the shore.
They reached the steps. As they started to head down, Squall noticed that the dead and wounded Dollet soldiers were nowhere to be found. Had someone from the Dollet military found and rescued them? There was no time to ponder these thoughts, and he focused on hurrying down the steps.
He and Zell took the steps two at a time, leaping down as fast as they could. Not wanting to fall for a second time that day, Selphie slowed down and took her time. When she realised she was starting to fall behind she quickened her pace. The heel of her boot caught on a loose piece of rock. She slipped and tumbled forward—
Hands reached out and caught her before she could hit the floor. She was lifted back onto her feet and she looked up to see Squall and Zell holding onto her arms. She smiled gratefully.
"Thanks so much!" she said.
"There's no time for that," Squall replied, his eyes on the cliffs. "Get moving!"
Selphie followed his gaze. She then did as she was told and followed Zell down the steps towards the bridge. Squall, meanwhile, remained behind and turned to look up at the Black Widow. The robot had come to a stop at the edge and was looking down at them. Its mandibles clicked together, as though hungry.
Squall raised his hand. After summoning Ifrit twice today already, he was unsure if he had enough energy left within him to use the para-magic he had stored within him. He took a deep breath to calm himself and then focused on calling up the magic. There was a brief pause and then flames began to encircle his hand. They grew denser and then burst out in a single fireball, flying towards the Black Widow.
The fireball hit the cliffs just below where the Black Widow stood. The flames exploded, sending a cloud of smoke and dirt billowing around the robot and obstructing them from its view. With its vision blocked for the moment Squall hurried after Zell and Selphie, who were waiting for him beside the bridge.
Just as he neared them there was a loud scraping sound from the cliffs. They turned in time to see the Black Widow leap out of the smoke. It landed on the stone steps, and its weight caused them to crack. Squall cursed under his breath. He had forgotten that the robot was capable of jumping. He turned to Zell and Selphie. "Just run!" he shouted. They ran onto the bridge.
The Black Widow came charging after them. Once it reached the bridge it picked up in speed, where it had more room to move. It powered over the bridge, trying to catch its targets before they could reach the other side. They had a good start, however, and would likely get there first. As soon as it processed this it immediately put in countermeasures to intercept them. It came to a stop, drew its legs together and then leaped into the air.
Squall and the others looked up in surprise as the Black Widow sailed overhead and landed on the path in front of them. It looked about for a second and then turned around to face them.
"Again?" complained Zell. He raised his fists. "Doesn't this thing ever give up?"
"Why don't you ask it?" Squall replied and drew his sword. "Just get past it and head for the shore!"
Selphie readied her nunchaku. "Get past it. Got it!"
They advanced on the Black Widow. The robot swung its arms in large, horizontal arcs. On the first swing the arms hit Zell, knocking him clean off his feet. Selphie was hit on the return swing and went flying back.
When the robot finished its second swing Squall moved in to strike. He raised his sword, preparing to attack the legs and bring the robot once more onto its knees. The Black Widow surprised him, however. Just as he was about to strike the robot lifted its leg and sent an electric charge running through it. So when Squall's metal blade came into contact with the leg, the resulting shock sent Squall flying back. He landed on the ground in front of the Black Widow.
"Squall!" called Zell.
Squall struggled to sit up. His whole body felt rigid and he had to force himself to move. The electric shock, minor though it was, had caused the muscles in his body to tense up and become numb. Moving was like straining against a rubber band that had been stretched tight. The effect would wear off quickly, but Squall did not have time to wait. Fighting against the numbness of his body, he moved onto his knees. He tried to reach for his gunblade, which lay a few feet away.
"Squall!"
"Look out behind you!"
Squall turned his head, but he did not need them to tell him what he would see. The Black Widow was right behind him, with its flashing-eyed gaze fixed on him. The robot raised its leg, ready to bring it down on its defenceless target.
With great effort Squall threw himself to one side. The numbing effects of the electric shock still had not worn off, but he managed to move just enough so that when the Black Widow's leg came crashing down it missed him—but only just. As he rolled Squall picked up his gunblade and scrabbled back against the bridge wall.
The Black Widow turned to him. It raised its leg once more. Then there was a bright flash of light and the robot recoiled violently. It staggered back, as though wounded, and Squall saw numerous tiny bolts of lightning flickering over its body. Squall turned and watched as Selphie released another blast of Thunder at the Black Widow. The robot raised its arms in front of its face and stepped back.
Squall watched the Black Widow as it writhed, batting its arms in front of its face as it tried to shake off the bolts that attacked it. Then it hit him. Of course! Anything mechanical should be susceptible to any type of Thunder-based magic. But Selphie's Thunder magic was only startling the Black Widow. It would take a much greater surge of electrical energy to bring the Black Widow down. Squall frowned. A greater surge…
Squall forced himself onto his feet. His muscles were still numb, but it was becoming easier to move. He turned to Zell, standing next to Selphie. The girl released another blast of Thunder and the Black Widow recoiled again. Zell readied himself, preparing to charge after the next blast.
"Zell!" Squall called. Selphie unleashed another blast, drowning out his voice. Zell started to charge. "Zell! Wait!" he called again. This time Zell stopped and looked at him in confusion. "Use Quezacotl!" the swordsman shouted out to him. "The lightning will short circuit it!"
Zell blinked, not sure what he meant. Then realisation dawned on him, and he nodded. He closed his eyes, focusing on the summoning.
Another blast of lightning struck the Black Widow, which emitted a horrible shrieking noise that sounded like painful scream. The robot shook itself free of the bolts and stomped forwards. It ignored Squall and advanced on Zell and Selphie.
The robot stopped near to them. Selphie swung her Flail and released another lightning blast, but the Black Widow raised its arms and blocked the blast. While the lightning flickered over its arms, the robot spread out its legs and braced itself. It brought its flickering arms together in front of its face. Its red eyes blinked in a sequence and then went out. The robot stilled. On its sides vents opened, releasing clouds of billowing, hot steam. Squall had to shield his face as he was blasted by waves of piping hot air.
Then a deep rumble began to sound from deep within the Black Widow. It grew louder, and the robot began to tremble. Its legs twisted and dug into the rock, holding it in place.
Sparks of energy formed between the robot's pincers. They merged together and formed into a ball of energy that grew larger as more power was poured into it. The vents opened again, releasing another hotter blast of air. An extreme heat radiated from the energy ball itself, making the air around it ripple.
Realising that the Black Widow was about to unleash a ferocious assault, Selphie lowered her Flail and turned to Zell. "Hey!" she said loudly, over the whir of the Black Widow. "Get out of the way!"
Unfortunately Zell was heavily focused on his summoning and did not hear her. Selphie looked at him and then at the Black Widow. Then she darted forward and pushed Zell hard, breaking his concentration and throwing him onto the ground. She leaped down next to him and covered her head with her hands.
The Black Widow fired. The ball burst out in a long and powerful beam of energy. It emitted a light so bright that it almost blinded Squall. The beam passed over Zell and Selphie, who stayed pressed onto the floor. The beam hit the cliff on the far end of the bridge, burning a deep fissure in the rock. This continued for a few seconds before the beam dissipated, its energy spent. The Black Widow's eyes reactivated and it scanned the surrounding area for any sign of its targets.
The moment the beam vanished Selphie leapt onto her feet. She raised her nunchaku and held the two wooden bars out in front of her. She crossed them, channelling her energy. Lightning started to flicker around the bars, dancing along the chain that connected them. Selphie then released one bar and flung it up into the air. The lightning energy gathering in the weapon shot up, firing into the sky. It hit the clouds and a shockwave of light burst across the sky. The energy then re-emerged, flung back, and struck the ground between her and the Black Widow.
A second shockwave, as powerful as the first, swept across the ground. The lightning bolt remained stationary in the centre of the bridge. Unlike a normal bolt, which flashed and then disappeared, this one showed no signs of fading. The air around the bolt became charged with energy so thick that they could taste it in their mouths. The bolt expanded, and numerous smaller bolts emerged from it, reaching out like snakes to taste the air.
At the centre of the bolt a creature appeared. Spinning within the bolt, it began to grow larger. The smaller bolts were drawn inward and poured into the creature's body, feeding it. With a flash the creature burst out of the bolt and rose up. The bolt faded and the creature unfurled its body, revealing itself.
The GF Quezacotl was a great winged beast whose body was filled with vast electrical power. His body was smooth like marble and filled with the power of lightning. The energy rippled and flickered throughout the GF's body, from his smooth head to his vast wingtips. As Quezacotl spread his wings lightning flashed across them, lighting up the air.
Quezacotl turned his head and fixed it on the Black Widow. The robot was standing still, trying to process this new information.
Before it could finish its analysis Quezacotl beat his wings and rose up into the air. The energy within his body was drawn up towards his head and gathered at the spot where his mouth should have been. When all the energy had been gathered the GF reared back his head and then thrust it forward, releasing all of that pent up energy and hurling it at the Black Widow.
The Black Widow could do nothing to block the attack. It was hit in full force, and the robot's body shook as the bolts wracked its body. They spread over the Black Widow, covering it in a thick, impenetrable shell of intense electric energy. Another painful shriek emanated from the Black Widow and it staggered back, trying desperately to fend off the attack.
Raising its arms the Black Widow thrust them forward, trying to break through the electrical barrier surrounding it. As it moved the lightning moved in and attacked the joints that connected the arms to the main body. The circuits overloaded, overwhelmed by the surge of power. The arms did not drop but disconnected from the Black Widow entirely, dropping onto the floor.
The eyes of the Black Widow flickered and went out. The rest of the lightning faded, save for a few small bolts crackling here and there. Its power gone, the robot's legs crumpled. It slid sideways and crunched into the ground.
Beating his wings, Quezacotl rose higher into the sky. The energy that filled his body was spent, leaving his luminous green flesh dark. He flew up into the clouds and vanished, leaving nothing but a trace of flashing light behind him.
The students did not wait about to see if the Black Widow would get up again. They hurried past it and ran on into the town. The numbing effect on Squall's muscles had begun to ease and he was able to run almost normally, at least managing to keep pace with Zell and Selphie as they hurried on towards the Central Square.
Just as they neared the Square a loud noise came from the bridge. They did not need to look back to see what it was. The Black Widow had risen again and was charging after them. Its broken arms, snapped off during Quezacotl's attack, were left behind. The students quickened their pace, trying to keep ahead of the robot. They could not afford a fight inside the town.
The Central Square was just as they had left it. The dog that had followed them before had returned and was sitting forlornly by the fountain. When they entered the dog looked up and its tail wagged eagerly.
The students paused briefly and looked back. The Black Widow was making its way down the path towards the Square. The path was too narrow for its wide body to fit, and so the robot had placed its left legs up against the walls of the buildings to enable it to move along the path. Each step it made took great chunks out of the walls. Clearly its program said nothing about keeping buildings intact.
They turned and hurried through the Square. When they passed the dog Zell reached out and swiped his foot near to it. The dog, in fright, turned and fled. The fighter felt guilty for attacking the dog, but it was better than it being caught in the Black Widow's path.
They left the Square and ran down the eastern path that would lead them to the shore. Their muscles were beginning to burn with the constant running and exhausted by the battles they had fought. They had no idea how much time they had left, so they ignored their burning muscles and pushed themselves onward.
The Black Widow came down the path after them. This path was wider and it no longer needed to place its legs upon the walls. Its mandibles clicked together as it moved, venting steam from its body.
It approached the car that was parked along the roadside. Rather than go around it the Black Widow continued going forward. Its leg came down on the roof and the car was crushed easily beneath its weight. The robot did not even break pace and carried on going after them.
The students ran a few more paces and then came to a stop next to the café to catch their breath. They looked back. The Black Widow had stopped when the path became too narrow for it to come down and was looking about, trying to find a way down.
The door to the café opened and a member of Squad C came out. He saw Squall, Zell and Selphie standing nearby. Curious, he followed their gazes. He saw the Black Widow standing in the middle of the street and his eyes widened. He turned back to the café and shouted out to his comrades inside.
"Squad C, withdraw…!"
He ran. A second later the other members of his squad came out. They also looked back and saw the Black Widow. At the sight of the robot their faces paled and they fled, following their squad leader with all haste down the street.
The Black Widow looked around, taking in its surroundings. After determining that the path was once again becoming too narrow for it to pass, the robot brought its legs together and leapt into the air. It landed on the rooftops, which creaked and bent under its weight. The Black Widow glanced down at Squall and his comrades before turning and stomping off across the rooftops, disappearing from sight.
Squall gazed up at the empty space where the robot had stood, wondering what it was up to. He had no time to think about it, though. He signalled to Zell and Selphie, and with the robot out of sight they made a dash for the shore.
The shore was just ahead. They could see the promenade and the stone steps that led onto the beach. Squad C was already there and vanished down the steps, hurrying towards the SeeD ships. As they approached the shore Squall looked back over his shoulder. There was no sign of the Black Widow. Squall sighed in relief and turned his eyes back to Zell and Selphie, who were pulling ahead of him. If they could just reach the shore before the Black Widow caught up with them.
A loud crash sounded behind him. It caused the ground to shake and he almost fell forward. The three students looked back.
It was the Black Widow. The robot had come crashing through the wall of a shop after breaking its way through the brick walls, leaving the store in ruins. Once out it stormed down the cobbles after them, unhampered by its crash through the wall or the cobblestone floor.
Zell and Selphie reached the steps first and leapt down onto the sand. Squall was a little way behind them, his movements still being hampered by the effects of the electric shock.
The Black Widow reached the promenade moments after them. Its body was far too large to fit through the stone archway bordering the entrance and so it just forced its way through, breaking the stone apart. The collision caused the ground to judder violently. Squall was thrown from the promenade and fell onto the sand below.
Zell and Selphie were still running. They looked back when they heard the crash and saw Squall fall onto the sand, but there was nothing they could do to help him. They carried on running towards the ships.
On the promenade, the Black Widow looked around in search of its targets. Its body was barely damaged from its crash through both the archway and the building. In fact, aside from the loss of its two arms, it was barely damaged at all. It seemed nothing could bring this robot to its knees.
Below it, Squall opened his eyes and looked up. The Black Widow loomed over him, its head turning from left to right. It was trying to find him. Squall knew he had to get away from it before it caught him.
Squall drew himself onto his feet and began to run across the sand. As soon as he moved the Black Widow's head snapped around to look at him, and its eyes flashed bright as it locked onto its target. It took a step forward off the promenade, not realising that there was no ground beneath it to support it. The Black Widow fell forward off the promenade and slammed into the sand.
Zell reached the SeeD vessel. The other ships were already setting off and heading away from Dollet. Only theirs remained on the beach, but at any moment the doors would close and they would be left behind. He looked back. Selphie was still on the beach, looking back at Squall, who was running towards them. The Black Widow was still immersed in the sand and had not yet gotten up.
"Selphie!" he called out to the girl. "We've no time! Get on the ship!"
Selphie hesitated, unsure. Then she turned and ran onto the ship. Zell entered after her. He stopped in the doorway and turned back, waiting for Squall.
The Black Widow groaned and heaved itself back onto its feet. Sand poured out of its joints as it hoisted itself up. Shaking itself free, the Black Widow began to charge down the beach after Squall. The fall had given the swordsman a head start, but the robot had him in its sights and was gaining fast. It would catch him before he could reach the ship.
In the doorway, Zell clenched his fist tight. The ship's engines whirred, and the ship started to slowly pull away from the shore. Zell looked up in alarm and cursed as the doors began to close. The captain must have given orders for the ship to pull out, whether everybody was aboard or not. Zell turned back to Squall and signalled for him to jump aboard.
Squall reached the water's edge and leaped toward the vessel. Those moments when he was in the air with the Black Widow close behind him and the ship doors closing in front of him seemed to go in slow motion to his mind. Whenever he thought back to that moment that was all he could remember: the doors closing in front of him, the stench of machinery behind him, and Zell reaching out to him.
There was a loud click from overhead, like the cocking of a barrel. Then the sound of machine-gunfire filled the air, loud and continuous. The Black Widow stopped and drew back, shrieking almost in agony, as dozens of bullets tore through its seemingly impenetrable metal body.
Squall landed with a splash in the water next to the ship and grasped onto the edge of the deck. The ship started to pull away from the shore, dragging Squall along with it.
Despite the unremitting gunfire that was ripping through its metal body, the Black Widow continued to come after them. Its programming was such that it would let nothing stop it from attacking. The robot forced its way forward into the water and caught up with the SeeD vessel. It rose up and tried to climb onto the ship.
Quistis stood on the upper deck, positioned behind the sights of a heavy-duty machinegun. It was she who fired volley after volley of bullets at the Black Widow, stalling it enough to give her student time to get onboard the ship. The instructor stood without fear as she continued to open fire. Even when the Black Widow rose up in front of her and tried to place its legs onto the deck she held firm, refusing to back down.
One well-aimed shot hit the robot's fuel tanks, and they burst wide open. The Black Widow drew back away from the ship. Engine fluid poured out of the broken tanks and spilled onto the beach, creating a dark and ugly pool on the edge of the shore.
With its power quickly fading, the Black Widow gave one final groan and then slumped onto the sand. It tried once more to stand, but its power was spreading on the sand beneath it. Its legs fell still. Its eyes flickered and then went out. Quistis stopped firing and peered over the deck.
Squall just made it into the ship. He pulled his legs over the side just as the doors finally slid shut. Quistis pushed her glasses up and turned her back on the Black Widow. She walked calmly from the deck.
Once the doors were closed the engines revved up once more, and the SeeD vessel finally pulled away from the shore. The Black Widow remained slumped on the sand. It would move no more. Sparks began to flicker over the robot's body. The sparks hit the engine fluid and ignited, and the Black Widow was engulfed in an almighty explosion that rocked the shores of Dollet. A pillar of fire and black smoke rose up into the air.
The SeeD vessel turned its back on Dollet and headed out into the ocean once again, heading for home.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS
Wow, that was certainly a long chapter. XD I really hadn't intended on those battles being as long as they turned out to be.
We're almost at the end of Part 01. Thanks to everyone who posted reviews or sent me messages. I really like to hear your feedback.