Hey all! I've finally learned how to use HTML, so everyone's thoughts will be in italics from here on in. Okay? All right, without further ado, here's the long overdue Chapter Eleven!

~*~

Kyle was frustrated as he leaned against the cracked wall. Nothing was going the way he wanted. Rinoa escaped her prison. Though he was able to lure Quistis back into the sewers, all her comrades came too.

But there was a big advantage he held. Their party was divided. He contemplated on how he would get rid of Quistis' pesky friends.

I think I'll go after those three near the ladder. What were their names again? Zell, Irvine, and Selphie? Yeah, they'll be the first to go…Watch out, Quistis. I'll have you, no matter what.

He let an excited chuckle escape from his lips as he went in pursuit of the three lost party members.

~*~

Quistis turned her head sharply to a dark corner of the tunnel they were in. What was that? It sounded like a giggle. She frowned, clutched her Save the Queen, and cautiously walked to the spot she heard the laugh from. Shadows concealed the spot, so she lashed her whip into the black space. She made no contact with anything. So why did I get the distinct feeling that someone was there?

~*~

Zell held his head as he walked with Irvine and Selphie through the dim corridors. "Guys, we are so lost. I swear we passed that waterwheel like four times," he said. Selphie looked around with a disappointed expression. She was usually such a good navigator.

Noticing her frustration, Irvine reached for her hand. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, he said, "Don't worry about it, Selph. We'll find the others and get out of here. After all, who first piloted the Ragnarok?" Selphie gave a slight smile and said, "I did."

"And you've got the best navigational skills out of anyone in any Garden!" he continued. Selphie's cheeks tinged pink as she kissed Irvine's lips gently. "Thanks, Irvy. You know just how to make me feel better."
A harsh voice interrupted the sentimental moment. "Aw, how sweet. Just wait here while I puke!"

The three looked to the intruder, and Selphie screamed.

"How is this possible!? Seifer killed you!" Zell shouted, while readjusting his Ergheiz.

Kyle gave a disgusted look. "Well, he obviously didn't kill me off for good, now did he? Anyway, I'm not here for idle chitchat. I'm here to kill you all. Now hold still; this won't hurt a bit." His coffee colored eyes sparkled with adrenaline. Ah, the feeling of looking at my targets, just before I kill them…

Irvine stepped in front of Selphie, and cocked his Exeter. "You'll have to get through me first!" He began unloading his most powerful ammo, Pulse Ammo, at Kyle. Irvine fired the highly potent bullets as fast as he could. But to his dismay, Kyle had some sort of force-field surrounding him, and the bullets were consequently ricocheted in all directions. He stopped shooting when he heard the anguished scream from behind him.

He turned his frightened eyes to Selphie, who was lying on the concrete ground, screaming. He let his Exeter crash to the ground as he rushed to her side. She was bleeding dark crimson blood from a hole in her chest. "Hyne, NO!" Irvine bellowed. Selphie was now gasping and wheezing; the bullet had pierced her right lung.

Zell looked at the heart wrenching scene, and his fury built. Soon, beams of golden light emanated from his body; he was in Limit Break. "For your sake, I hope that shield protects you from my fists!" Zell cried, as he began to unleash a devastating flurry of attacks.

Unfortunately for Kyle, it didn't. It also didn't help that he didn't have his Katal with him. The different moves Zell had acquired from his treasured Combat King issues were coming in handy at that moment.

"Punch Rush!" His fists met with Kyle's unprotected form, and Kyle shrinked back with pain. But Zell wouldn't let up; not now.

"Booya! Heel Drop!" Zell's power increased with every blow. Kyle was quickly folding under Zell's deluge of attacks.

"Meteor Strike! My Final Heaven!" The finishing blows solidly connected with Kyle's broken, bloodied form, sending him through the air, and connecting with the cement wall behind him.

Kyle lay on the ground, unconscious. His limbs were badly bruised, and blood poured through his nose and a gash on his arm. In other words, he got exactly what he deserved.

Zell looked to Irvine and Selphie. He still crouched next to Selphie on the hard ground, but her skin was pale and turning a bluish shade. She was dying.

A flood of tears ran down Irvine's face. There was nothing he could do for her. One moment ago, he was kissing her; now he was watching her meet Death.

Zell hopelessly watched. I read somewhere that if you put a piece of plastic to a bullet wound in the chest, it will keep them alive. He reached into his pockets with a dreadful feeling arising in the pit of his stomach. Who carries around plastic in their pockets—he paused in mid-thought as he pulled out a scrap of plastic wrapper from his vest pocket.

He ran to Selphie and placed the plastic wrapper over the bloody gunshot wound. The crimson blood stained his hands, but he paid no attention to it. Selphie, you gotta make it! Hyne, you can take me instead, but leave her here!"

As if she was listening to his thoughts, her eyes snapped open as she sharply gasped a breath of air in. The bluish tint faded from her skin, but she was wheezing and gulping air as fast as she could. She looked so frail, and she was laying in a pool of her own blood, making her look like she would go at any moment.

Irvine gave Zell a gratified look and asked, "How the hell did you have a spare piece of plastic in your pocket?" Zell chuckled and said, "Before we left Garden to go on this mission, I wanted to have one last hot dog in the cafeteria. I was working on my eighth hot dog, when I realized that it was time to leave. So I finished the last one in the car, and since there was no garbage, I put the plastic in my pocket. Doesn't Hyne work in mysterious ways?"

Irvine shook his head.  I can't believe Zell's infatuation with hot dogs has just saved Selphie's life.

~*~

Quistis, Rinoa, Seifer, and Squall were alarmed at the sound of gunshots. They were even more alarmed of the screams, and obvious attacks that echoed through the walls of the sewers. During Zell's furious blows at Kyle, they ran through the passageways.
"This way!" Rinoa shouted. "They're this way! And so is Kyle!"

Seifer shouted in rage, "WHAT!? I killed him! There's no way he could have survived!"

Rinoa replied, "Well, curative spells would have easily restored him. It's quite possible that he did survive. Plus, my sorceress' instincts are never wrong. Now let's move; we're getting closer!"

~*~

The four reached the scene just as Selphie began to stabilize. "What happened?" Quistis asked. She looked around the tunnel at Selphie's blood-soaked figure, Irvine's tear-streaked face, and Kyle's broken, bloodied, and unconscious form on the opposite side.

Zell looked at her and replied, "Irvine accidentally shot Selphie. I kicked Kyle's ass with my Limit Break. The only thing keeping her alive is this hot dog wrapper."

The far-out story boggled Quistis' mind. In shock, she asked, "Come again? Give me all the details!"
Zell and Irvine told the entire story to Quistis, Seifer, Squall, and Rinoa. The four stood in disbelief as they looked at the scene around them, and heard the story.

~~
At the end of Zell and Irvine's recount of the events, Rinoa ran over to Selphie's side, next to Irvine. "Oh Hyne," she was on the verge of tears, "If we don't get help for her soon, she really will be in serious trouble. If I cast Curaga on her, the lung may not heal properly, resulting in further harm done. Let's find the exit and get out of here while Kyle's still out of it!"

"Speaking of Kyle…" Quistis trailed off. She walked over to his horribly beaten body on the cold cement. Kneeling down next to him, she took his pulse. He was alive, just badly hurt. Still crouched, she looked to everyone and said, "He could wake at any time. Let's not waste any time getting out of here!"

Unfortunately, she didn't see their shocked expressions until it was too late. Kyle grabbed Quistis from behind and held a rusty knife to her throat. She gasped with surprise and pain from his tight hold on her. "Funny how planning ahead makes for such benefits," he said.

Seifer prepared to cast a Firaga spell, but Kyle stood, holding Quistis in front of him. Kyle rolled his eyes and said, "Oh please. I have no interest in killing any of you. Though it may be tempting…Wall." A solid rock wall emerged from the ground, blocking the exit. "You may all leave, but only if you leave Quistis with me. When you give me your word, I'll lower the wall, and you will be free to leave. Your freedom in exchange for Quistis. Do we have a deal?"

"Never!" growled Seifer. He ran at Kyle with his Hyperion's deadly blade aimed. But he never made it, because a huge crevice opened between Kyle and Quistis, and the rest of the party. Kyle laughed and said, "You won't get her back, Seifer. Just leave!"

Seifer's vibrant eyes reflected defeat. As long as Kyle had that magic, there was no way to defeat him. Unwillingly, he finally said, "Fine. We'll leave."

~*~

AN: Woah, what's this? Seifer's gonna leave Quistis behind!? And why won't Kyle die!? Will Selphie make it through this?

Hehehe, that's the best part about being an author; I can do whatever I want! MUAhahahahahhaha!

Anyway, press that purple button, and let me know what ya think of this chapter! And maybe, just maybe, I'll continue…Okay, I will. You guys are so nice to me! Look at this! 65 reviews! You, the reviewers, officially ROCK!

Until next time, I'm outta here!

~Mari~