Chapter Ten: Endgame
The sheer magnitude of what had just occurred was slowly becoming apparent to everyone. Still, Balamb Garden was silent, no one spoke a single word. Shock reigned.
Meanwhile, the small contingent on Galbadia Garden was the same way. None of them spoke to each other.
Everyone just stared. They stared at the spot where Balamb had once been. As the smoke cleared, all that was left was the ashes of a once small town. A few structures remained, blackened, charred, and crumbling even as everyone looked on.
For the survivors, for those who had managed to escape… the horror was doubled.
It was in the midst of this silence that the phone rang, on the bridge of both Galbadia and Balamb Garden. Miles, and his son answered the phone at the same time.
"Hello?"
The voice came back, familiar, and each knew exactly who it was, "I trust you enjoyed my little light show?"
Miles came back, "Listen you sick son of a bitch! You're gonna pay for what you just did! You hear me?"
"I hear you very well, Miles, but I don't think you can stop me. You of all people, who are about to suffer."
Peter returned, "What?"
"To sum it up in terms you can understand; it ain't over till I say it's over."
"Dad, what's going on?"
Miles shook his head, "I don't know."
Then, Peter could hear a distinct scream from his father's end of things. He yelled, "What's happening?"
Miles dropped the phone on his end, but Peter could still faintly make out the words 'stop', 'please' and 'bomb.'
***
Miles stared at the sight before him. A young man stood, strapped to a large explosive device, right in the bridge. Behind him were Veronica Reist, and Neos Leonheart, both of whom had obviously chased him.
Miles looked at the man, he recognized this kid. This was the kid who was giving Jasmine the lip weeks ago.
-Little bastard.-
Miles struggled for the name, but found it.
"Mike! What are you doing?"
The teen replied, in a slow, dull voice, "I'm finishing the job."
"What are you talking about?"
The kid got violent, "I'm gonna finish SeeD! SeeD is doomed! I'm gonna be the one to do it!"
"Hey now…"
Veronica cut off Miles, "Miles, can I?"
Miles sighed, she's the best damned talker we've got, "Go ahead."
She slowly stepped up to Michael, walking around, and facing him, as Miles and Neos slowly backed out.
"Michael," she spoke in a soft, gentle voice, "Michael, why are you doing this?"
He glared at her, "I am only a servant of the new world order to be bought about. I will be one of the most glorious heroes of the revolution against the world."
"Michael, you're going to die if you do this."
"We all die."
"No reason to rush it." She kept her voice calm, cool, relaxing, "Listen, no one wants to hurt you here. Just take off that bomb, and give it to me. I'm your friend."
"You are not my friend."
"Michael…"
"NO!"
She backed away, "Let's not get hotheaded here, I only want to talk to you."
"Talk is useless. Now is the time for action!"
And he flipped the switch.
***
For Peter Animus, three hundred yards away, the explosion in Garden was still a deafening event. First, the bridge blew in an array of fire that seemed to burst from the vessel. Then, the ship seemed to lose control entirely, and leaned onto one edge, smashing into the ground. He watched in horror as more bombs seemed to go off, and the lower parts of Garden blew, collapsing and disintegrating. The other edge hit the ground, and Garden leaned forward, as more explosions raked across floor one. Finally, the Garden smashed forward into the ground, and one final explosion erupted from the engines. Then all was silent.
Garden, and the four thousand lives aboard, were no more.
Peter collapsed to the floor of the bridge, his faced pressed against the window, and all around him, similar actions were taken. After a few moments, Peter managed to open his eyes, and he saw the courtyard of Galbadia Garden.
A lone man stood there, and Peter instantly realized whom it was. Filled with a new sense of rage, and an indefinable level of determination, Peter pulled out his pistol, and shot the bridge window. He backed up, and then dashed straight into it, jumping out, and plummeting fifty yards to the courtyard below. He landed with a thud, and struggled to push himself up. As he got to his knees, he was greeted with a foot to the face.
Peter flew backwards, his pistol flying off in one direction, his ammo belt for the rifle in the other. He was unarmed.
"So ya wanna play rough, huh, Alex?"
Peter shoved himself up, and raised his fists. Alex walked over to him, and threw a wild hook for the head. Peter ducked it, and returned with a crushing jab to the chest, followed up by a roundhouse straight into the side of the ribcage.
Alex coughed and whirled around, then gave a grin, and charged. Peter braced himself, preparing to make his move. Then, Alex stopped short, and a bolt of energy radiated from Alex's body, knocking Peter yards away to the ground.
Peter slowly managed to push himself up, and then he looked down again. His pistol was there. Loaded. He scooped it up, and not so gently stood. Alex stared at him. Peter smiled, and raised the pistol up, aiming it directly at Alex's head.
The sheer magnitude of what had just occurred was slowly becoming apparent to everyone. Still, Balamb Garden was silent, no one spoke a single word. Shock reigned.
Meanwhile, the small contingent on Galbadia Garden was the same way. None of them spoke to each other.
Everyone just stared. They stared at the spot where Balamb had once been. As the smoke cleared, all that was left was the ashes of a once small town. A few structures remained, blackened, charred, and crumbling even as everyone looked on.
For the survivors, for those who had managed to escape… the horror was doubled.
It was in the midst of this silence that the phone rang, on the bridge of both Galbadia and Balamb Garden. Miles, and his son answered the phone at the same time.
"Hello?"
The voice came back, familiar, and each knew exactly who it was, "I trust you enjoyed my little light show?"
Miles came back, "Listen you sick son of a bitch! You're gonna pay for what you just did! You hear me?"
"I hear you very well, Miles, but I don't think you can stop me. You of all people, who are about to suffer."
Peter returned, "What?"
"To sum it up in terms you can understand; it ain't over till I say it's over."
"Dad, what's going on?"
Miles shook his head, "I don't know."
Then, Peter could hear a distinct scream from his father's end of things. He yelled, "What's happening?"
Miles dropped the phone on his end, but Peter could still faintly make out the words 'stop', 'please' and 'bomb.'
***
Miles stared at the sight before him. A young man stood, strapped to a large explosive device, right in the bridge. Behind him were Veronica Reist, and Neos Leonheart, both of whom had obviously chased him.
Miles looked at the man, he recognized this kid. This was the kid who was giving Jasmine the lip weeks ago.
-Little bastard.-
Miles struggled for the name, but found it.
"Mike! What are you doing?"
The teen replied, in a slow, dull voice, "I'm finishing the job."
"What are you talking about?"
The kid got violent, "I'm gonna finish SeeD! SeeD is doomed! I'm gonna be the one to do it!"
"Hey now…"
Veronica cut off Miles, "Miles, can I?"
Miles sighed, she's the best damned talker we've got, "Go ahead."
She slowly stepped up to Michael, walking around, and facing him, as Miles and Neos slowly backed out.
"Michael," she spoke in a soft, gentle voice, "Michael, why are you doing this?"
He glared at her, "I am only a servant of the new world order to be bought about. I will be one of the most glorious heroes of the revolution against the world."
"Michael, you're going to die if you do this."
"We all die."
"No reason to rush it." She kept her voice calm, cool, relaxing, "Listen, no one wants to hurt you here. Just take off that bomb, and give it to me. I'm your friend."
"You are not my friend."
"Michael…"
"NO!"
She backed away, "Let's not get hotheaded here, I only want to talk to you."
"Talk is useless. Now is the time for action!"
And he flipped the switch.
***
For Peter Animus, three hundred yards away, the explosion in Garden was still a deafening event. First, the bridge blew in an array of fire that seemed to burst from the vessel. Then, the ship seemed to lose control entirely, and leaned onto one edge, smashing into the ground. He watched in horror as more bombs seemed to go off, and the lower parts of Garden blew, collapsing and disintegrating. The other edge hit the ground, and Garden leaned forward, as more explosions raked across floor one. Finally, the Garden smashed forward into the ground, and one final explosion erupted from the engines. Then all was silent.
Garden, and the four thousand lives aboard, were no more.
Peter collapsed to the floor of the bridge, his faced pressed against the window, and all around him, similar actions were taken. After a few moments, Peter managed to open his eyes, and he saw the courtyard of Galbadia Garden.
A lone man stood there, and Peter instantly realized whom it was. Filled with a new sense of rage, and an indefinable level of determination, Peter pulled out his pistol, and shot the bridge window. He backed up, and then dashed straight into it, jumping out, and plummeting fifty yards to the courtyard below. He landed with a thud, and struggled to push himself up. As he got to his knees, he was greeted with a foot to the face.
Peter flew backwards, his pistol flying off in one direction, his ammo belt for the rifle in the other. He was unarmed.
"So ya wanna play rough, huh, Alex?"
Peter shoved himself up, and raised his fists. Alex walked over to him, and threw a wild hook for the head. Peter ducked it, and returned with a crushing jab to the chest, followed up by a roundhouse straight into the side of the ribcage.
Alex coughed and whirled around, then gave a grin, and charged. Peter braced himself, preparing to make his move. Then, Alex stopped short, and a bolt of energy radiated from Alex's body, knocking Peter yards away to the ground.
Peter slowly managed to push himself up, and then he looked down again. His pistol was there. Loaded. He scooped it up, and not so gently stood. Alex stared at him. Peter smiled, and raised the pistol up, aiming it directly at Alex's head.
