Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII, and all that jazz. Now, let's carry on, shall we?
Save Yourself
Chapter Twelve
Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't I respond to the reviewers up here instead! It's so obvious!
Jack Hanek: Aha, just the reaction I was hoping for! Sorry about your drawings, btw, life has just been hectic – I've been trying! Anyway, thanks for the constant comments and stuff. Rock on.
Lain of the Weird: Yeah, I'm awesome like that, lol. Don't worry about Alec. He'll get his just rewards. (Insert evil laugh track here)
Angel-Kinneas4: Thanks for the great review. Just in case anyone was interested, the cipher said, "A weapon is only as strong as the soldier."
Yuyami no Okami: So much flattery! I like your style. And thanks for the luck comment, I have a feeling I'll need it.
Frost: You're perceptive, good stuff. Anyway, thanks a lot for the review, I'm glad you're tuning in for every chapter, I appreciate it!
Okay, now to start the story.
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Like a ferocious waterfall, emotions came pounding down on Quistis relentlessly. Anger, leading the way, clouded her vision with shades of red. Why the hell didn't Seifer just come straight up and tell her he was still alive? What was the whole business with the visits, the notes and the gifts? Why did he need a fake identity – and why, instead of maiming an everyday pervert in front of her, couldn't he have just said 'Hi?' It could've saved her a lot of stress and himself a lawsuit!
Alec – now what the fuck was up with that jerk? It was fairly obvious that he knew who Sam was the whole time – she should have caught the hint at dinner…But why the grudge? And why was he pulling her into this whole thing? Was Seifer working for Alec in some secret mission? Was Alec using Seifer to get to her – but why would he want her anyway? He was just a police chief, nothing more.
Energy revived, Quistis resolved to get to the bottom of this. But first, she resolved to get a fresh cup of coffee. Might as well make suremy dorm wasn't bombed or anything whileIwas gone the past few nights -and while I'm at it, I should get something for this impending headache, she thought. I can tell already this is going to confuse the hell out of me. Taking a left at the exit of the cafeteria, she headed towards the dorms, crumpling the piece of paper in her hand and ignoring anything in front of her. (Several cadets and student were jumping out of her collision course)
She raised her eyebrows in surprise when the door opened at the slightest touch. Okay, yeah, I'm seriously going to have to look into that lock, she made a mental note to herself. Closing the door behind her, she headed towards the kitchen, caffeine sensors activated. Let's see…this problem appears to be of 4-mug caliber…Just to be safe, I'll put in enough water for 6 mugs. Like an unconscious reaction, her hands reached for the can of coffee grinds and scooped out an exact amount. Some people ran their lives by a clock, Quistis' life ran by a coffeemaker.
She flopped down on her bed, listening to the rhythmic bubbling of the coffee in progress. Rolling over, she grabbed a pillow and clung to it. Why did life have to be so confusing? Why couldn't people be honest? Hell, she couldn't even be honest to herself.
Seifer couldn't be honest enough to tell her he hadn't died, Alec couldn't be honest enough to tell her what the hell his intentions were…Tear welled up in her eyes, followed by a few small sniffs.
"What the…" She sniffed the pillow a few more times. They definitely smelled different. It had the lingering scent of something earthy, like a beach, or a crisp fall evening. And it was positively intoxicating. In a good way, not like Alec's aftershave.
Quistis froze mid-sniff. Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. If her bed smelled different, then somebody else was sleeping in it. Geez, that wasn't creepy or anything. Ok Quis, you really need to get that lock fixed. Crazy guys are waltzing into your room, sleeping in your bed, probably jacking off or something. This is just lovely. Then again, it could've been Sam, um, Seifer in your bed. I know that he was arrested last night – Mr. Suave couldn't cover that up – but I was never actually in my room that whole day. If it was Seifer that was doing all that stuff…But what Zell said, about Alec setting up those cameras, that pretty much verifies it. Besides, only Seifer would remember that my favorite flowers are violets. Not quite sure how he figured out I'm addicted to coffee, or how to complete my report on Shumi Technology, but I won't complain.
A bark interrupted her thoughts. She peered over the edge of the bed and Seify took the opportunity to jump on her face eagerly. "Ahh what the – Seify!" The small puppy licked her face with endless stamina. "Hey boy, how're you doing? I hope Selphie remembered to feed you like I asked her to!" He responded by batting her in the nose with his paw. "Aww, you're so cute!" She giggled in spite of herself and the situation. "You know, you're exactly who I need to see! C'mere and snuggle with me." Wriggling in beside her, he yawned with a contentedness that only a puppy could achieve and dozed off. Quistis reached over him to grab a pen from her dresser and pulled out her diary from under the pillow. Careful to avoid elbowing Seify in the face, she turned to a fresh page and started writing.
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"So, how long have you been tracking me?" Bloodied, bruised, and losing hope, Seifer's voice was weak and tired. His hair was matted and filthy, face openly battered, eyes dull and lifeless, clothes torn and a hideous shade of bloody brown-red.
"Oh, a few months. We've been keeping a close eye on you. Of course, we suffered one casualty that day in Balamb…" Alec was still pristinely neat and tidy, wearing a three-piece suit and smoking – making sure to blow the smoke in Seifer's face, of course.
"That pervert was working for you?" Seifer couldn't find the energy to fight back. He knew he could only survive without water for another day or so, so it was only a matter of time before he died in this hellhole anyway.
"Precisely. Now, I have a few questions for you. If you answer them all, you will get food and drink. Good deal, is it not?"
"Ok, fine."The longer he could survive here, the longer he could hold out to see Quistis again and escape. "Fire away." His frail voice frightened him.
"It's nice to see we're agreeing for once, hmm?" The smug smile didn't quit. Seifer ached to punch it, but felt like he couldn't lift his arm if he wanted to. He was nothing without Hyperion. Screw that, he was nothing without Quistis. And now he'd practically lost her forever…to this asshole. "Okay, number one. How many years of military experience do you have?"
"Ten."
"What weapons can you use?"
"Gunblade. Any standard or sniper rifles. Rocket launchers, machine guns. You name it." Alec looked at him thoughtfully.
"Any piloting experience?"
"Piloted a Galbadian XC85 fighter for about a half year." Alec stroked his chin, as if mentally weighing his options. Seifer sunk down into the floor as his stomach panged with hunger. He had never, in his whole life, felt so low.
"Alright, this is the last question. Answer it, and you may eat. How many people, estimated, have you killed?"
Seifer was quiet for a few moments. Visions of Hyperion mercilessly slashing through flesh and bone, his right arm casting vicious spells of fire and pain on helpless soldiers. The grim battlefield, strewn with monster, soldier and civilian carcasses. The howling of a fighter plane as it crashed to the ground in an explosion of sulphur and flames. Blood, screams, smoke…death. Like a black suffocating cloud, they consumed and suffocated his mind. Looking Alec straight in the eye, his own clouded jade eyes reflected sorrow, anger and regret.
"I've killed hundreds of people. And I remember every single one of them, so none of their lives are taken in vain."
The words were cold, and Alec was visibly shaken. But if he was shaken, once again it didn't last long. "I see. Well, you've answered the questions, so you get to survive another day. Your food and drink will be here shortly." And with one last cold stare, he left Seifer alone, with nothing to accompany him but the chains that bound his arms and legs, and faint thoughts in his head.
Oh, Quistis. If only you were here with me, none of this would bother me. I could be your knight – I could be strong enough…
"How did the questioning go, Mr. Crowell?"
"It appears our subject does have a few flaws, but that's nothing we can't change. Inform Quistis Trepe that I would like to meet with her tonight. And make sure she accepts."
"Understood, sir."
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Today Seifer came back to me. In the middle of the cafeteria, he picked me up in swung me around in his manly arms. He then continued to proclaim his undying love for me, and we shared the most wonderful kiss…
Like hell that would ever happen, Quistis thought as she scribbled in her diary. It was more for humor than anything, but there was secret longing inside of her that wished it did happen and that it wasn't a straight out lie. She flipped the pencil over and furiously erased the last paragraph, flicking the eraser shavings off the edge of the bed. Let's try that again.
Today I found out Seifer was alive. And with this realization comes a barrage of questions. Although I do know one thing: Alec isn't what he says he is. (I know he's an complete asshole, though.) There's so many unanswered questions…
Where was Seifer all this time?
Where is he now?
What are Alec's intentions?
Will I ever see Seifer again?
…
Why do I care so much about Seifer? He only treated me like dirt during our years at Balamb Garden. He was only protecting me that day in Balamb.
Protecting me…just like those days back in the orphanage. I remember when the bite bugs attacked that day when we were at the beach. They weren't very strong, but Seifer held them off with just a broken 2 by 4. He was all cut and bruised up after that, and I remember taking care of him with Matron. He kept asking if I was okay, not really caring about himself.
Arg, I hate those damn GF's! Sure they helped us defeat Ultemicia, but the loss of memory had severe consequences. Just imagine how different things could have been between Seifer and I…Instead of having a bitter student-teacher relationship, we could have been good friends again, or closer.
I know I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record. I know I've said all this stuff before, but this time I'm really starting to realize how serious the situation is now. I have the chance now, to find Seifer, apologize, and start over from where our childhood left off. I don't care whether he's a criminal. Below that, he's the arrogant (and incredibly sexy) Seifer who matched my wits step for step, and under that he's still Seify, the brave little boy that I fell in love with.
Whoah, back up. Fell in love with? Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, I love that crazy arrogant jerk. Too bad I have no idea where to start looking for him. But I know who to start with. And that's my real problem. Seifer, you had better damn be well worth putting up with the Supreme Mr. Snob-and-Suave.
People do crazy things when they're in love, huh?
"Huh. Well, what do you think Seify? Think it's worth it?" She put down the book and scratched behind his ears. He peered up at her, blinked, and yipped assuredly. "Well it's settled then. This evening, I'll give our dear enemy Alec a call."
Seify jumped off the bed, and started sniffing under it, pawing at the dust ruffle.
After putting away her diary back under her pillow for safekeeping, she finally noticed Seify's actions and joined him down on the floor. "Hey, what's up Seify? What do you have there?" The puppy whined in response. "Is there something under the bed?"
She reached under the bed and gasped in surprise when her fingers brushed cold metal. Groping around, she found something to hold onto and pulled it out. It was the one thing that could confirm her suspicions and ignite hope in her heart. The light glinted off the black lustrous metal like a flash of an old smirk she used to know.
Hyperion.
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Seifer struggled against his chains for the 50th time that day. The food and water had made him feel like a new person – or at least not a zombie – and had refueled his urge to escape. The hope of escaping, and dreaming about the childhood memories that hadn't slipped from his mind were the only things that kept him sane.
"Mr. Almasy." Seifer turned his head reluctantly towards the sickeningly suave voice that he had grown to hate. He eased back against the wall, letting the chains go slack.
"Mr. Crowell. What do you want?" Alec was unaffected by Seifer's rough tone, instead he completely ignored it and lit another cigarette. He tapped the end so the ash fell into Seifer's beyond-dirty hair.
"Why, your training begins today. You will obey, by the way." Leaning down, he clipped a metal band around Seifer neck, no small feat considering Seifer was resisting with everything he had. Finally, it snapped into place, and a small red light appeared. "Now, this is to keep you in line. Tell me, have you ever heard about shock training dogs?" He paused for Seifer to budge his head a little, which he accepted as a nod. "Well guess what. You're going to be shock trained, mutt."
Seifer gave Alec a glare that would melt lead. He was about to curse him out, but he also didn't really want to find out the voltage on the collar. "…"
"Just think! I, Alec Crowell will be the one to break Seifer Almasy's spirit! Oh, what an honor!" He grinned maliciously and pulled out a key, while Seifer grimaced in pure hatred. "Now, let's get you out of those chains. And don't even bother hitting me, or trying to escape. You touch me, and the collar goes off. You try to leave this room before me, and that collar will shock you to within an inch of your life."
Seifer, notliking the odds., attempted to change the subject. "So what am I going to be training with, anyway?"
"Well, I suppose since you won't be seeing civilization for a while, you might as well know where you are and what you'll be doing. You, Seifer Almasy, are 1 mile under the city of Balamb. Where exactly, I can't tell you...yet." He paused to smirk at Seifer's expression. "And we're training you…to become the ultimate weapon. We will make you….immortal, in a sense." Seifer couldn't stand it anymore.
"Oh HELL no, there's no way you can make me do that!" He was rewarded with a vicious punch to the side of his face. Wincing in pain, he forced himself to look at the cruel man in front of him.
"Would you be willing to die in resistance?"
"…It's a hell of a lot better than what you're offering now…" Seifer growled. It was bad enough he was being treated like a dog, but making him into some sort of freak weapon was tripping the line. Goodness knows, he'd probably end up fighting Garden again…Fighting Quistis again. Surely death was better.
Alec, with a tilted grin, pulled a picture out of his pocket. It was Quistis…but at the same time it wasn't. She was in a flattering dark red evening gown, and she was nothing short of breathtaking. Why the hell was she dressed up like that…and why the fuck did Alec have this picture?
"Oh really. Would you be willing to let Quistis Trepe die in your resistance…?"
Turning his head away, Seifer slumped in defeat and said nothing. "That's better. Now be a good soldier and march this way. Oh, better let me go first. We don't want you to have an unnecessary shocking, now would we?" He chuckled nastily and opened the door.
Seifer, having zero to nil choices, followed silently – his mind going double time. He resolved to himself, that no matter what drugs they put him on, what magic they used on him or what machine they made him use…he would never harm Quistis.
Never again. He'd already made too many mistakes already.
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Alright, I'm bracing myself for all those who think the storyline is overdosing on clichés.
All I ask is not to judge it so quickly, ok?
Other than that, school has been a real drag…and I really don't like computer programming. But Art has been rocking, so it's all good. I've never appreciated weekends so much. Well, the ones where I don't have to work.
Ahaha, as always, your reviews are appreciated. I've noticed a declining number of chapter hits though, which kind of worries me and makes me wonder if it's worth continuing.
Ah, what the hell. If I have a few constant reviewers, page hits don't matter.
Peace out.
Juusan Ikkiuchi