Chapter II
The pair continued the short journey to General Caraways'.
This isn't a long walk, yet it feels like it's been forever.... Why do so many people seem to want this?
And with that thought he raised the package to meet his eye line and studied it hard. Nothing of merit met his eyes, just brown paper encasing a small box.
Wonder what's in it?............... Maybe................. No, it's too heavy for a simple message.... Perhaps it's some kinda weapon..... bit small, but you never know.............. Wha-
His thoughts were interrupted by a tugging at his left sleeve. He winced and yanked his arm away in a hostile motion, as he had a nasty pain there which the gang had inflicted.
"Hey, what's your problem?"
Squall turned and saw that the shrill voice had emanated from a somewhat camp looking (and sounding) man, clad in leather trousers and a frilly shirt.
"All I wanted was to ask you the time!"
Looking at him, he really looks like he stepped right out of Saturday Night Fever..... Strange guy.
Suddenly realising that he had been staring at this man for quite some time without saying anything, he stuttered
"Er.... Sorry.... It's er, half twelve"
"Thank you, handsome" The man replied with a mischievous grin that sent alarm bells ringing in Squalls' head.
Is........ this man................ A . . . . . M A N...... coming onto me?
"I saw you staring at me pretty boy, so how about it?"
"er..............."
Run.
"I........er............"
Run.
"I....................am not .........
Run.
"That.................... way inclined........... sorry"
Run!!!!!!!!!!!
Squall turned from the man and hastily strode away. He practically sprinted to the corner of the road, turned and hid behind a park bench.
Please say he's going the other way..........
Fortune favoured Squall this time, and he watched as the chubby man sidled off down another path.
Squall rose to his feet, wincing again at the pain of his injuries that had yet to subside. He thought it best not to inspect his injuries yet, but to wait till they were safe.
Being chatted up by a gay man...... Rinoa is never gonna let me hear the end of this.
But Rinoa never saw it.
Where is she?
Squalls concern was increasing by the second.
What if that gang are seeking vengeance? Who knows what they have done to her... I gotta find her!!!
Squall thought of the most likely place that Rinoa might have run if she was in trouble: her Fathers' house.
Squall tried his best at a sprint, but his legs had had enough torment for one day, so he hobbled as best he could. The streets were a hive of activity, market stalls and countless shoppers made spotting Rinoa impossible.
After a short while, Caraways' imposing mansion loomed in front of him. Squall usually stopped to appreciate just how extravagant it was, but not today. No time.
He pounded at the doors, and to his surprise they fell open. Now his fear for Rinoas safety was serious. He frantically searched the downstairs rooms, poking his head into every room and calling out to her.
He got no reply.
He yelled
"GENERAL!!!! ARE YOU HERE!!!!??"
No reply.
He darted upstairs and banged on every door he came to. Suddenly, his banging came to a halt as an ornate porcelain vase was sent crashing onto his head.
.................................................................................................................................
W.......................w..............................what?
Squalls eyes opened gingerly, and he tried to regain focus.
How many times in one bleedin' day is this gonna happen?
His eyes found a blurred outline of blue.
That can only be...................Rinoa or papa smurf .
As he regained control of his vision, he realised to his horror what stood before him. Rinoa was chained to what looked like wooden support beams, and a man, dressed predominantly in black, held a gunblade to her throat.
The smell of fresh air implied that they were outside, but Squall could not quite place where.
"Wh... where are we?"
I sound so feeble.
"Oh, so you're alive after all...... that's good, good"
The voice was eerily calm, and not deep, but you could tell it was male. He sounded like he had every intention of murdering without remorse.
"SQUALL!!!!" Rinoa cried out to him. Still it sounded hazy, drowned out by the ringing in his ears.
"Here, this should be useful to you" the voice sounded soothing, and he produced a small vial and poured it onto Squalls' crumpled body.
There's no mistaking that rejuvenating feeling.
Elixir.
Squall writhed as he felt all his pain being sucked out of his body, as though it had somewhere better to be.
He leapt to his feet, full of energy again. He pointed an accusing finger at the man, still hidden in the shadows.
"What the Hell are you doing?!? You'd better let her go, I mean NOW, or you may regret using your last elixir on someone else!"
The man looked, unfazed
"Come now, is that any way to speak to a man who just............. Fixed you? Where are your manners?"
Just who the Hell are you?
As though the man had read his thoughts, he stepped into the light.
Looks so familiar... but who?
Squall was speechless
"Y...You?"
The man laughed, a sinister laugh. He did not sound like anyone he knew.
Then it clicked.
The boy.
"You are the father of the young boy that tried to rob me earlier. You Bast-"
"In a manner of speaking.... Isn't life so ironic?"
The man grimaced. The way the light caught his face, he looked satanic.
"Why do this? And where the fuck are we?" Squall felt as though he couldn't contain his rage and energy for much longer.
"My dear boy, we are on the roof of Caraways' Mansion" He paced over to the edge of the roof
"What a beautiful view, don't you think?"
Squall thought perhaps he should run over and push him over the edge, but the man turned too quickly.
"You still cannot see why I am doing this? It's very simple if you think about it."
Does he want the package? Where is that bloody package now? Rinoa had it....
Squall spotted it resting on the ledge surrounding the skylight.
"Why do you want our package so badly?"
"You FOOL!!"
The man's response stunned Squall. It was only now that he noticed that the mans eyes were tainted with red. In fact, they seemed to glow a little.
"Can't you understand?!? That boy was not my son, he WAS me!!!"
huh?
"In this time, I am a meek and feeble boy, but I am destined to become the man you see before you now"
The man seemed to resume his cool, and calmly lay back against a wall
"I have the ability to fold time itself" He said matter-of-factly.
The pair continued the short journey to General Caraways'.
This isn't a long walk, yet it feels like it's been forever.... Why do so many people seem to want this?
And with that thought he raised the package to meet his eye line and studied it hard. Nothing of merit met his eyes, just brown paper encasing a small box.
Wonder what's in it?............... Maybe................. No, it's too heavy for a simple message.... Perhaps it's some kinda weapon..... bit small, but you never know.............. Wha-
His thoughts were interrupted by a tugging at his left sleeve. He winced and yanked his arm away in a hostile motion, as he had a nasty pain there which the gang had inflicted.
"Hey, what's your problem?"
Squall turned and saw that the shrill voice had emanated from a somewhat camp looking (and sounding) man, clad in leather trousers and a frilly shirt.
"All I wanted was to ask you the time!"
Looking at him, he really looks like he stepped right out of Saturday Night Fever..... Strange guy.
Suddenly realising that he had been staring at this man for quite some time without saying anything, he stuttered
"Er.... Sorry.... It's er, half twelve"
"Thank you, handsome" The man replied with a mischievous grin that sent alarm bells ringing in Squalls' head.
Is........ this man................ A . . . . . M A N...... coming onto me?
"I saw you staring at me pretty boy, so how about it?"
"er..............."
Run.
"I........er............"
Run.
"I....................am not .........
Run.
"That.................... way inclined........... sorry"
Run!!!!!!!!!!!
Squall turned from the man and hastily strode away. He practically sprinted to the corner of the road, turned and hid behind a park bench.
Please say he's going the other way..........
Fortune favoured Squall this time, and he watched as the chubby man sidled off down another path.
Squall rose to his feet, wincing again at the pain of his injuries that had yet to subside. He thought it best not to inspect his injuries yet, but to wait till they were safe.
Being chatted up by a gay man...... Rinoa is never gonna let me hear the end of this.
But Rinoa never saw it.
Where is she?
Squalls concern was increasing by the second.
What if that gang are seeking vengeance? Who knows what they have done to her... I gotta find her!!!
Squall thought of the most likely place that Rinoa might have run if she was in trouble: her Fathers' house.
Squall tried his best at a sprint, but his legs had had enough torment for one day, so he hobbled as best he could. The streets were a hive of activity, market stalls and countless shoppers made spotting Rinoa impossible.
After a short while, Caraways' imposing mansion loomed in front of him. Squall usually stopped to appreciate just how extravagant it was, but not today. No time.
He pounded at the doors, and to his surprise they fell open. Now his fear for Rinoas safety was serious. He frantically searched the downstairs rooms, poking his head into every room and calling out to her.
He got no reply.
He yelled
"GENERAL!!!! ARE YOU HERE!!!!??"
No reply.
He darted upstairs and banged on every door he came to. Suddenly, his banging came to a halt as an ornate porcelain vase was sent crashing onto his head.
.................................................................................................................................
W.......................w..............................what?
Squalls eyes opened gingerly, and he tried to regain focus.
How many times in one bleedin' day is this gonna happen?
His eyes found a blurred outline of blue.
That can only be...................Rinoa or papa smurf .
As he regained control of his vision, he realised to his horror what stood before him. Rinoa was chained to what looked like wooden support beams, and a man, dressed predominantly in black, held a gunblade to her throat.
The smell of fresh air implied that they were outside, but Squall could not quite place where.
"Wh... where are we?"
I sound so feeble.
"Oh, so you're alive after all...... that's good, good"
The voice was eerily calm, and not deep, but you could tell it was male. He sounded like he had every intention of murdering without remorse.
"SQUALL!!!!" Rinoa cried out to him. Still it sounded hazy, drowned out by the ringing in his ears.
"Here, this should be useful to you" the voice sounded soothing, and he produced a small vial and poured it onto Squalls' crumpled body.
There's no mistaking that rejuvenating feeling.
Elixir.
Squall writhed as he felt all his pain being sucked out of his body, as though it had somewhere better to be.
He leapt to his feet, full of energy again. He pointed an accusing finger at the man, still hidden in the shadows.
"What the Hell are you doing?!? You'd better let her go, I mean NOW, or you may regret using your last elixir on someone else!"
The man looked, unfazed
"Come now, is that any way to speak to a man who just............. Fixed you? Where are your manners?"
Just who the Hell are you?
As though the man had read his thoughts, he stepped into the light.
Looks so familiar... but who?
Squall was speechless
"Y...You?"
The man laughed, a sinister laugh. He did not sound like anyone he knew.
Then it clicked.
The boy.
"You are the father of the young boy that tried to rob me earlier. You Bast-"
"In a manner of speaking.... Isn't life so ironic?"
The man grimaced. The way the light caught his face, he looked satanic.
"Why do this? And where the fuck are we?" Squall felt as though he couldn't contain his rage and energy for much longer.
"My dear boy, we are on the roof of Caraways' Mansion" He paced over to the edge of the roof
"What a beautiful view, don't you think?"
Squall thought perhaps he should run over and push him over the edge, but the man turned too quickly.
"You still cannot see why I am doing this? It's very simple if you think about it."
Does he want the package? Where is that bloody package now? Rinoa had it....
Squall spotted it resting on the ledge surrounding the skylight.
"Why do you want our package so badly?"
"You FOOL!!"
The man's response stunned Squall. It was only now that he noticed that the mans eyes were tainted with red. In fact, they seemed to glow a little.
"Can't you understand?!? That boy was not my son, he WAS me!!!"
huh?
"In this time, I am a meek and feeble boy, but I am destined to become the man you see before you now"
The man seemed to resume his cool, and calmly lay back against a wall
"I have the ability to fold time itself" He said matter-of-factly.
