Chapter 38: Trapped
Our cell was cramped, especially as there was five of us here. The girls sat on the floor, as did Zell, while I paced back and forth, all of us trying to think of how to escape. We were weaponless, for a start, we had no idea where Dante and Squall had been taken and Irvine and Lysander seemed to have gotten away. How was a mystery. I'm sure the Sorceress and Antara got a good look at them.
"They've got an Anti-Magic Barrier," I frowned, bringing some noise to the small room. "We can't even use Guardian Forces to escape. Although considering we attacked the Sorceress we may be sentenced to death very soon."
"Well we're prisoners, either way," Selphie remarked. "We should be trying to escape," She then turned to Zell. Not long ago had it been established that Ward worked in this prison, as Zell recognised it after Rinoa's prompts. "Any ideas Zell?"
"All Ward did was mop floors," He admitted. "I don't really know the layout of the place."
There was a loud noise and what sounded like electricity sparking and someone shouting. It echoed down the prison and sent chills down everyone's spines.
"What was that?" Quistis asked fearfully, not wanting to think what it really was. Guards came into the cell, two armed with assault rifles, seeming smug and seeing us as inferior.
"That would be the sound of your friend being tortured," One answered, laughing. The other two snickered at the idea. It was sickening. Zell stood up and challenged them before I could stop him.
"You're torturing them?" He growled out before the man whipped out his nightstick and smacked Zell across the face, blood splattering on the floor.
"Don't try to fucking mess with us!" The man shouted, hitting the back of Zell's head with the nightstick. "You better start understanding who the fuck's in charge here, boy!" The officer kicked Zell's gut multiple times before Rinoa screamed at him to stop. "Oh right, I almost forgot," He grabbed the back of Zell's head. "Is a Rinoa Heartilly with you? Well? Answer me!"
"I'm Rinoa," Rinoa spoke, hoping to avoid them hurting Zell more. "Whatever you want, I'll do it just stop hurting him."
"Right lady, you're coming with us," He said.
"You bastard! What are you going to do to Rinoa?" Zell got his head hit by the nightstick and I stepped forward, angered, and punching the officer in the face. Unfortunately the other two opened fire and bullets struck my abdomen, making me stumble and fall to the ground.
"Stop!" Rinoa shouted. "Guys I'll be fine, please let's go." The officer stood up, giving me a whack on the back of the head with his nightstick.
"You'll regret that, fucking bastard," He muttered as he and the other guards left with Rinoa. I pulled myself up, leaning against the wall. Selphie sat beside me and helped me.
"I'm okay, I don't think they've hit anything important," I assured them. "I just need to get the bullets out before they cause damage.. it's only half a dozen, thankfully."
"Vanandium you could've gotten killed," Zell said, rubbing the back of his head. "I could have handled it."
"I don't doubt that but I couldn't risk it," I told him. "How's your head?"
"I'm dizzy but I'll live," Zell laughed awkwardly. "Still, the others getting tortured... what if they torture Rinoa? We don't know what will happened to Squall and Dante." I laughed slightly at his words.
"Dante would be surprised that you cared," Even after he broke your nose and you never got along with one another. "But remember Rinoa is Caraway's daughter. There's no way he'd have his daughter rotting in a prison. No doubt he's pulled strings to get her out."
"I hope that's the case," Quistis fretted. "But we need to get out of here as soon as possible... Zell, you may not know the place well but you're our only hope of getting our weapons back. They can't confiscate your fists, after all."
"Oh yeah! You're right!" Zell realised. "I've got a plan, just do as I say and I'll be back with our weapons."
"Warning. Warning. Anti-Magic Barrier's core has been damaged. Anti-Magic Barrier's core has been damaged. Anti-Magic Barrier is no longer functioning."
"Zell you're a genius!" Selphie praised as he returned with our weapons. He had been gone for a lengthy period of time. His plan was to have us all unconscious, claiming a monster had gotten in. Zell then escaped and searched for our weapons, only now returning. Selphie then proceeded to heal me, all of the bullet wounds clearing up.
"I didn't destroy the core," He explained. The who did?
"No time to think about it now," I stated. "We've got the advantage, let's find Dante and Squall," We left the prison cell and I studied the prison's layout. "The noises came from higher up. Squall and Dante may be on the top floor, let's go!" We ran up the stairs, vaulting over barriers and rushing up as fast as we could.
On the twelfth floor we were met by a curious sight. About five or six Moombas were running up the stairs, squeaking excitedly as they did so.
"Laguna!" They all cried and cheered. I was impressed that someone had taught the Moombas to speak. Why they shouted Laguna was a mystery, unless Laguna was actually here, of course.
We followed them upwards. No guards were around, which was strange in itself. They ran into a chamber, shouting Laguna's name. However it wasn't Laguna they had found. It was Squall, unconscious and badly burnt from electric shocks. Selphie and Quistis both cast healing magic on him. I kept watch at the door in case Guards arrived.
"Squall, you okay?" Zell asked. The man grumbled and stood up, still shaky from the torture. "Is Dante or Rinoa here?"
"No... Seifer... Seifer said he was in a different chamber..." Was the answer. "I don't know where..."
"We need to escape, perhaps Dante destroyed the core to the Barrier?" I suggested. "No doubt security is looking for us. They'll be here eventually and if we go down the stairs we'll be outnumbered."
"The arm," Squall said. "That's what brought me up here."
"I'll do it," Zell said. "When I was Ward he used it sometimes. I know how it works."
"If you find Dante both of you get to the bottom as soon as you can," I told him. I hoped Dante was making his own escape... if they were torturing him... I hate to think of it this way, but Seifer seems like Dante's only chance of survival at the moment. He may be a Knight now but I'm hoping he didn't forget how much of a friend Dante was, and is, to him.