Sitting 'round the house all day
Thinking 'bout the hang over and the party
I left the fuckin' keys then had to beg for
A ride from a stranger that I never met before
He acted so friendly that I had to take the ride
But for some reason he resembled that guy
Wanted for a robbery and beating on his kids
"You remind me of my step-son," he chuckled with a grin
--- Nonpoint "What a Day"
Chapter 12
The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, painting the sky with a swirl of etravagent colors. The remaining rays of light reached out from the sky and gently carressed darkened curls as they hung against pale cheeks.
"You did well, today," a smooth voice spoke from behind before laying a comforting hand on the thin shoulder.
"Thank you," the small voice whispered. "But I still don't understand this. Why am I here, and they're there?"
"It's difficult to explain, dear. But, if you like, I'll tell you what I can."
"Tell me."
"Everything has a destiny. But despite this, nothing is ever truly certain. The slightest thing can be different, and change the path of one's life. Especially when it comes to the eternal battle between good and evil. Your father and mother died because of some bad choices they made before. And because they died, evil reigned over one region for a long while, bringing a time of great pain and struggle for many. They couldn't pass to heaven, for the weight of their failure weighed their spirits down. They couldn't be damned to hell, for their hearts were too good and pure. So their spirits were condemned to purgotory, where they would wait for centuries to be born again. Then, they would be given a chance to redeem themselves and save the human species from another reign of terror."
"That still doesn't explain everything."
"The future is still uncertain, but either way, it must go on. What we see here now, is what our future will be if neither side wins, which is possible. If they fail, it will all turn for the worst. We will all die. But if they survive, they will join us here, in peace and happiness, alive and well."
The child bent down then, before two tombstones, and gently ran her tiny fingers over the inscriptions on both.
"What if they don't survive? Will you still be here? Will I?"
"It depends, really. If your mother makes it out of the government facility, then I live. If not, then I won't."
"And me?"
Tears filled the dark eyes that looked down upon the child. "If your mother doesn't survive... then your existance will be erased."
The child nodded gently. "I've done my part, now, right? All that I can do, I've done?"
"Yes. All that you could possibly do. After all, you're such a young child."
"Then all I can do now is hope," the tiny voice whispered.
She didn't look up as her companion walked away, back toward the house where the two stayed. Instead she kept her eyes on the tombstones in front of her. In her hands she held two long stem red roses. She brought them to her nose and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent before laying one against each of the head stones.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
9: 05 A.M.
The siren continued blaring as Rinoa and Alicia walked down the hall. Alicia pulled Rinoa over to a window over-looking the front gates and pointed down to the comotion outside.
Two people, a man and a woman from the looks of them, stood in the middle of a group of guards, machine guns pointed in their faces. Both wore long, dark trench coats and sun glasses to shield their eyes. The man was tall, and dark-skinned, with broad shoulders and thick arms. The woman was also tall, but much thinner. Her silver hair glistened in the early morning sun light and framed the unhappy scowl on her face.
"This is our chance," Alicia whispered to Rinoa.
Rinoa nodded her agreement and replied, "Lead the way."
Alicia began walking down the hall again, her pace quickening with each step. She didn't bother to look back and make sure if Rinoa was following after her. She could tell from the determination in her voice that she would do whatever it took to get of that hell hole.
As they passed by a guard, who eyed them suspiciously, Alicia gave a cheerful smile and said, "Have to get some breakfast before it's gone."
The guard smiled back and nodded before continuing about his business.
"You're good," Rinoa muttered from behind her.
They made it to the elevator, where another guard was standing as he waited for the doors to close. Alicia quickly made note of his chosen destination, the third floor, and immediately began talking to distract him as she pushed the button for the first floor, where everyone but visitors, doctors, and guards were prohibited.
"It's a beautiful day, no?" Alicia said, flashing another grin at the guard as she casually stood in front of the button console.
"It's fine," he replied curtly.
"Yes, I remember these kind of days when I was younger. Maybe your age? Yes, I remember going on a picknic with my sweetheart. Ah, young love. So sweet. Do you have a young sweetheart at home?"
"Uh-huh. She's called my wife," the man replied with contempt edging his voice.
"Oh, how nice. Make sure you are good to your wife, and that you appreciate her. You never know when someone you love might just dissapear. I know, I'm old and full of wisdom! Oh look, it's your floor. Too bad, I enjoy talking to the younger crowd. Be good, and make sure you bathe good! Don't want to stink at work," she said, as she shoved him out of the now open elevator doors.
He turned around a gave her a funny look before walking off, muttering something about old people.
As the doors slid closed again, Rinoa burst into laughter. "Your really going all out for this, aren't you?"
"Hey, it's not often I get to play the "old and senial" card. I might as well have fun with it when I can," Alicia replied.
The doors slid open again a few moments later, revealing the lobby that few of the prisoners there had ever seen. It was white, like most of the building, but had black marble flooring, with the facility's logo in the middle. There was a long counter to the right of the elevator where receptionists answered phones and worked at their computers if they weren't talking to someone. Small, but cushioned chairs were set up in front of the counter for people to wait in. More elevators stretched out over the rest of the wall and people in expensive suits lined up in front of them as they waited to pile into them. Against the left wall, was a much smaller counter with a large computer monitor mounted or it. Names, numbers, and symbols flashed over it, constantly changing. A sign over the monitor read "International Exchange." They were selling the results to their research to the highest bidder.
"Let's hurry before any one sees," Alicia said after a moment. "There are many guards here. They almost always catch escapees before they get anywhere near this floor, so they're unsuspecting. But we have to hurry before they notice us."
While the lobby made the place look like any normal business building, the outside made it clear that this was no regular operation. There were three walls surrounding the facility. The first was tall and chain link, with barbed wire rimming the top. The second was made of solid concrete and was the same height as the first with thick steel bars for the gate. The third, outer wall was a solid sheet of thick, titanium steel with a sliding gate at the front.
All of the gates were closed, and the first and third had guard posts, with a guard house next to the entrance of the third gate, where the guards would check for clearance. Every now and then, the gates would slid open and a shiny, expensive car would slid through and take a spot in the parking lot.
"What now?" Rinoa asked as they hurried out through the doors and crouched behind the finely trimmed hedges.
"They're all busy interrogating the visitors. All we have to do is get into the back of a car and hide there until it gives us a free ride out of here," Alicia explained.
"Sounds too easy," Rinoa said.
"They're distracted," Alicia said. "What better chance do we have?"
"How are we going to get into the cars? They've got to be locked."
"Don't worry," Alicia whispered with a soft chuckle. "There isn't a car made that I can't get into, somehow."
"Then we better get going, now," Rinoa said as she observed the two strangers nodding to the guards.
Alicia took off without any further warning, signaling Rinoa to follow behind her. Alicia rolled beneath the nearest car and instructed Rinoa to look out for her. After a few moments, sparks flew from beneath the car and Alicia crawled out from under it.
"We're in," she said and opened the back door.
The two jumped in and quickly locked the door behind them. About five minutes later, a middle-aged man in a gray business suit stepped into his car and slid into the driver's seat before setting his brief-case down in the passenger seat.
He seemed about to start up the car, when he suddenly pulled a pistol from his jacket and pointed it to the backseat, saying, "I know you two think your slick, but it will take you a lot more effort to get away from us."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
Squall leaned against a pillar as he stood outside the train station, watching cars pull into the parking lot. His mind raced as he tried to think of some way to find this place where they were keeping Rinoa. He had looked all over the map inside the station, but there was no sign of it. He even tried asking around, but no one had even heard of it. He had just about decided that Ellone had lied to him again, when he noticed an expensive car pulling off a dirt road and into the parking lot.
He noticed as he inspected the car, that there was an I.D. tag on the back of the car, with the words, "South Esthar Scientific Research Institute" on it.
As a young man in a navy blue suit exited the car, Squall slowly, casually aproached him and said, "You work there?" as he nodded toward the tag on the back winshield of his car.
"Yeah," the slightly older man replied. "Why do you ask?"
"I've got some business there," Squall replied. "But I can't find it. You think you could give me directions?"
The man looked at him in disgust. "You certainly don't look the type to be doing business there. I'm sorry, I don't think I can help."
He started to walk off, but stopped when he heard the sound of a gun being cocked.
"You wouldn't be stupid enough to do that, I hope," the man said without turning around.
"No, of course not," Squall laughed slightly. "So, what is this car, anyways? A Jaguar? I never was too good with cars. So how much is it worth to you?"
The man turned around immediately. "You want to steal it, or shoot it?"
"Well, I was thinking it needed some ventalation holes. I could do that for you for free, then leave you to your business. Or, I could leave your car alone, and you can give me a ride to this "South Esthar Research Institute". It's your desision."
The man sneered, but opened the driver's door in defeat. "Who's driving?"
"You," Squall answered. "And make sure you get me where I want to go. You play any tricks on me..." he didn't need to finish.
They settled into the car, and Squall cracked the window as the drove before pulling out his pack of cigerettes. He wasn't in the mood to smoke, but he wanted to make sure this man was cooperative. He lit one up and took a short drag from it.
"Hey, hey, not in the car!"
"As you wish," Squall replied in his low, smooth voice. He reached over and pushed the tip of his cigerette into the dash to put it out.
"No! Don't do that!"
"Then do what I tell you," Squall growled.
After a few moments of driving, Squall put the pistol to the mans neck and said, "Stop."
The business man looked over at Squall with pure terror in his eyes. "You're.. you're not going to rape me or anything, are you?"
Squall hit him across the face, knocking his head into the steering wheel. "You're disgusting, you know that? Just tell me where the facility is!"
"Up that road and to the left."
"Good. Now get out."
"What?!"
Squall turned and glared at him, "What don't you understand? Get the fuck out of the car!"
He opened the door and stepped out of the car, frowning, and watched as Squall got out and changed to the driver's seat. He walked around and was about to get into the passenger side when Squall slammed the door shut.
"What, you're just going to leave me here, with no way to get back to the train station?" he asked.
Squall threw the guys brief-case out the window and said, "You know how to hitch hike, don't you?" before driving off.
Squall slammed his foot down on the petal and drove as fast as he could. He punched a button and scanned through the radio stations until he found some loud, blasting metal music. He picked up a pair of sun glasses off the dash and put them on as the sun shown in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Rinoa," he said to himself. "I'm coming."
After following the directions he was given, he noticed the research facility looming in the distance. When he finally reached the front gate, he was stopped by a guard, who checked his I.D. tag before allowing him to pass through. He parked in the nearest parking space and began walking toward the entrance, barely able to contain his excitement at knowing Rinoa was close by.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
9:30 A.M.
"I think you need some time to think over your disobedience."
A door was pushed open in front of Rinoa's eyes, and she was shoved into a laboratory-type room. There were computer consoles lining the right side of the room, with over-sized monitors buzzing and beeping with information. A team of scientists and doctors hurried around the room, jotting things down on their clip boards. In the middle of the room was a large, horizontal tube that was surrounded by equipment on all sides but one. The top was open, and the inside cushioned, but with straps and shackles poking out from the smooth light blue surface of the cushioned interior.
A female doctor approached them, her short blonde hair dangling from a pony tail, and her red-rimmed glasses shielding her hazel eyes.
"Who do we have here?" she asked Rinoa captor.
"This is Ms. Rinoa Heartilly. She was attempting escape. She's only been here for one night, and already she's causing trouble. What do you think?"
The doctor lead the two over to a table where Rinoa was forced to sit down with the doctor and the guardsmen.
"How much is she worth to Vinzer?" the doctor asked.
The guardsmen shrugged. "I don't know. I think she's more trouble than she's worth, personally. But you know how Vinzer feels about his specimens."
The doctor nodded then looked to Rinoa. "Tell me, Ms. Heartilly, what's your reason for attempting escape?"
Rinoa glared at her for a moment before leaning forward and saying, "I wanted my life back. Just like a lot of other people in here do. So tell me, doctor, how you're able to sleep at night knowing that hundreds of people will never know what it is to live freely again."
She laughed. "Yes, this is a determined one alright. And by the way, Rinoa, I have a name. My name is Jennifer Corigan. I'm a highly revered doctor. You should consider yourself lucky. Anway, I think it would be in our best interest if we opt for plan B. Go report to Vinzer. If he doesn't agree, then he can interfere."
The guardsmen nodded and left thr room. Doctor Corigan smiled slightly at Rinoa and instructed her to get in the tube.
"What are you going to do to me?" Rinoa asked.
"Just some tests," she replied as she watched Rinoa lay down in the tube. The straps and shackles immediately attatched themselves to her. "We'll also be putting you to sleep."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a lot like cryogenic freezing. First, you'll get really sleepy, and fall into a trance. When you do, we'll start running some tests to see if you're really important to our research here. If you are, then we'll continue to study you, but you'll be put in solitary confinement. If not, then you will be put into an eternal sleep, and your body will be frozen. You'll be kept as a spare specimen, and you will remain in that state until you are awakened through our special "awakening" process."
Rinoa raised her head to get a better look at the doctor. "What about Alicia?"
"Ms. Chang? She's very valuable, so don't worry. We already know how to keep her in line."
"Do you believe in hell, Doctor?" Rinoa asked.
"No. I don't belive in heaven, either. But I do belive in eternity. See you when it's over."
A plastic mask was placed over Rinoa's face, and she immediately began to smell gas pouring into her nose and mouth. Her eyes stared up as doctors gathered around her and hooked her up to various machines. Her vision blurred until she could barely make out the top of the tube sliding closed over her. Her eyelids became heavy, and she began to feel as if she were drowning. As she began to fall into an even deeper abyss of unconciousness, one last word, one last image, one final emotion, rose through her body, and washed over her mind. Squall.....
Somewhere down the hall, in another sealed off room, Alicia was crumpled against a wall, her wrists and ankles chained down. A crowd of doctors stood nearby, looking down at her. One of them stepped forward, a vial of bright red liquid in his hand.
"Are you going to be disobedient, again?" he asked.
Alicia shook her head vigorously, her eyes swollen and red, her face twisted with panic.
"I still think you need to be taught a lesson. Attempted escape is very serious. It's not something you can get away with."
"I know, I know!" Alicia sobbed. "I swear, it won't happen again! Just don't make me change... I'm not sure my body can handle it again."
"I think she's learned her lesson," one of the doctors said sympathetically.
"She's not getting off that easy," the head doctor snapped. "These specimens have to learn to behave properly." With that, he walked toward Alicia with the injection vial in his hand. "Look here, Alicia. Fresh blood from the storage locker. Fresh, just like you like it."
"Please, don't make me do it again!" she begged.
"Oh, but it's blood. Just like you used to drink with your victims, you filthy beast! What's wrong, not hungry?"
"You know what's wrong with me!" Alicia screamed. "You're the one responsible!"
"Too bad," the doctor replied before injecting her arm.
For a moment, all was silent, then suddenly Alicia began screaming. She fell to the floor, writhing in agony as the veins beneath her skin began to bulge. Fangs ripped painfully from her gums and her skin began to shift, in an attempt to change, but failed and instead seemed to melt. Her bones gave a loud crunched as her body attempted its natural adaption, but instead they just snapped under the pressure. Blood vessels burst within her arms, the free blood spreading beneath her skin, and her heart pounded in her chest so quickly that it was audible to the rest that were in the room. Wings tore from her back, matted with black blood, but hung limply against her back, the thin bones shattered and deformed, and the leathery skin shredded.
"Let's get out of here," the head doctor said, leading his crew out the door and locking it behind him.
As he walked out the door, he passed by a strange looking pair, in sun glasses and trench coats.
"Do the two of you have clearance to be up here?" he asked.
The female nodded. "Yes. We were sent here to investigate. Now tell us, what was going on in that room?"
"Just some simple research," the doctor answered. "What department are you from?"
"FBI. The government's considering pulling its funding of this place," she replied, flashing her badge.
"Really? I hate to hear that. Well, let me know if there is anything I can do for you."
"There is," she replied. She threw a quick glance down the hall way to make sure the other doctors had gone on, the snapped her fingers.
The muscular, dark-skinned man that stood at her side, grabbed the doctor by the collar and shoved him into the room. Alicia's tattered, and possibly dead form lay still against the wall. The woman gave the body a cold look before turning back to the doctor.
"Tell me where Ms. Heartilly is," she said.
"That's classified," he replied.
"Wrong answer," she said, producing a pistol. "You have one more chance."
"Five doors down on the left. They're putting her through the eternal sleep process as we speak."
"Thank you for the information," she said cooly before pulling the trigger. The gun went off soundlessly and the doctor slumped to the floor.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Excuse me, sir. You can't go in there."
"Says who?" Squall asked coldly.
"The upper levels are restricted to traders. It's only for employees."
"Well, I demand to know what I"m putting my money into," Squall replied. "Now let me go."
"I'm sorry, sir, I can't. Now can you please step away from the elevator?"
"Look, I've been doing business here for a long time! I demand to be let through!"
"Sir, if you don't step away from the elevator, I will be forced to throw you out and terminate your account here."
"Fine," Squall replied in a challenging tone. "But I want to see your manager."
"Very well, sir follow me."
The man led Squall down a long corridor filled with various doors. They were made of thick steel and had small windows in the top. Looking through them, he could see people in suits talking with serious looks on their faces. Finally, as they were passing by the men's bathrooms, Squall hooked the man around the neck from behind and pulled him inside, hoping no one else was there. Luckily, there wasn't. Before the guard had time to speak, Squall rammed his head into a porcelin sink, then into the wall.
A few moments later, Squall stepped out of the bathroom alone, wearing a guardsmen uniform, and switched the sign on the door from "open" to "closed for cleaning."
He walked over to the elevator as quickly as he could without breaking into a run. He was careful to keep his head down, just in case anyone might recognise him as the loud, complaining stock bidder. As soon as he was on the elevator, he realized just how difficult finding Rinoa was going to be. There were fifty-nine floors in the building, not including the buisness floor. It would take forever to search each one. There had to be an easier way.
Squall decided to pick a floor and hope for the best. After all, he couldn't just stand there and look clueless. He picked floor number thirty- two and held his breath as the elevator traveled upward.
Just as the elevator was coming to a stop, a siren went off throughout the top fifty-nine floors of the building, followed by an announcement calling for all the guards to report to floor thirty-two, room A12.
As Squall stepped off the elevator, a crowd of guards passed by him, their polished black shoes clicking loudly on the floor as they hurried down the hall. One of them stopped and glared at Squall.
"What are you waiting for? C'mon!"
Squall reluctantly followed behind them, hoping it wouldn't take too much time away from his search for Rinoa.
As they reached the room, they saw that they were the first ones there, which meant they had to go in to investigate. They entered the room slowly, cautiously, with their pistols drawn. After the head investigator saw that there was no threat, he signaled the rest inside, and had them put away their guns.
On the inside, they found two bodies. One they dismissed after a moment's examination. The one that really drew their attention was the man slumped against the wall with a bullet hole in his head.
While the others were busy investigating this corpse, Squall walked closer to the other, deformed body that lay in a shallow pool of blood. To his surprise, it reached a hand out for him, touching his shoes. For a moment he felt as if he'd fallen into some kind of trance. When it was over, the weak, and battered woman beckoned to him with a thin, trembling finger.
After throwing a careful glance over his shoulder, he bent down close to the woman, feeling as if he could trust her.
"Five doors and to the left," she whispered.
"What is?"
"Rinoa. Hurry, before it's too late. And... one last thing..."
"Yes?"
"Treat her well. She's a good person."
Squall nodded, and was about to try and slipped out the door, though he was curious to find out more about this person that had given him the answer. How did she know Rinoa, and how did she know that was what he was looking for?
He found the right door, and walked in, suddenly finding himself in the middle of an ugly situation.
Half a dozen or more doctors were sprawled out on the floor, dead. Two other remain alive, and were working furiously at their computers, in a terrified panic. Two people, a man and a woman in a trench coat held machine guns in their hands, and had them pointed at the two remaining doctors.
The woman swung her head around to glare at the sudden intruder. "Guard!" she hissed.
"No, I'm not a guard! I...I..."
"Leonhart?" the man asked as he turned around.
Squall squinted slightly and realized it was Raijin and Fujin, who had gone through FBI training with him.
"So the FBI really is working under-cover in this place," Fujin commented. "Well, you can either help us, or die."
"I guess I'll help you then," Squall replied sarcastically. "Why are you here, if not for the FBI?"
"We're here under your sister's orders. She wants this Rinoa chick dead," Raijin replied. "She's in that tube thing there, and these two are trying to get her out," he gestured toward the doctors.
Squall struggled to keep his composure. "Is that so?" He waited until the two had turned back around, watching the two doctors, and drew his pistol, quickly shooting them both dead.
He then raised his pistol to the two doctors who, thinking they should take the brief moment of freedom, were about to press the alarm.
"I don't think so," Squall said. "You keep working. Get her out NOW!"
After a few more moments of vigorous working, the top of the tube slid open and Squall ran to it, seeing Rinoa asleep inside. The straps came undone, and he lifted her up, preparing to take off with her, when a hord of guards suddenly rushed into the room. The alarm had been set off.
"What do you think you're doing?" one of them asked.
"I'm... I was just taking this patient in for treatment," he lied.
"Bull shit!" the lead guard spat. He was about to shoot Squall dead when there came a strangled roar from behind him. In one swift blow from a giant claw, half of the guards went flying across the room, followed by the other half. A creature, looking something like an over-grown demon crashed through the door and walked over to the pile of fallen guards.
"It looks like your experiment on me to make an improved demon wasn't a complete failure after all," a thick, altered female voice boomed.
Squall had raised his pistol, and was about to shoot, when the creature threw up its hands in submission and said, "Don't shoot me. I'm trying to help you."
"Who are you?" Squall asked.
The monster pitched over suddenly, and its scaley, mud-colored skin melted away, revealing a diminished, human figure.
"My name is Alicia. I'm a fellow inmate of Rinoa's, and a friend of hers in a way. Now, lets go before we get caught. I'm not sure if I can do that again."
Squall nodded, feeling he had no choice but to believe what this person said. They quickly ran down the hall, Squall still carrying Rinoa over his shoulder, and jumped in the elevator.
"What are we going to d now? They must have the entrance sealed off," Squall said.
Alicia punched the button for the basement floor. "I've got an idea."
They arrived at the basement floor in a few short moments. It was a small area, with little space, since most of it was filled with switches, generators, and control boxes. The lighting was dim, and the air was still, as if no one had been down there in a long time.
"What are we going to do here?" Squall asked.
Alicia inspected the various machinery and opened one of the panels on the control boxes. She played around with the wires a moment then said, "Brace yourself. There's going to be a pretty big explosion towards the back. And get ready to run. The explosion will distract them. They'll come down the elevators, looking for us, but we'll be running up the stair case and out through the front."
"What about the gates?"
"I'll take care of those, too. When the time is right. Now, get by the staircase and get ready."
Squall did as he was told and looked back to see Alicia twisting and connecting various wires again. For a moment, nothing happened, then suddenly, there was a loud rumbling, followed by a boom. The room shook uncontrollably for a moment, then became calm again.
"Just a moment," Alicia said.
The sound of the elevator decending filled the small room and Alicia quickly signaled him to go before taking her place in front of another control panel and beginning to work. He began running as fast as he could up the stairs, careful of Rinoa, who was beginning to wake up.
He paused for a moment and looked behind him, expecting Alicia to be there. She was no where to be seen. He stopped dead in his tracks, unsure if he should go on, if he should go back for her. At that moment, Alicia came running up the stairs.
"What the hell are you waiting for?!" she demanded. "Move!"
They continued running up the stair case until they came to an old, mostly unused door. Squall kicked it open and continued through it, suddenly finding himself in the middle of the lobby.
None of the panicked people noticed them as they ran through the door and into the parking lot.
"This way!" Squall shouted as he ran for the Jaguar he had stolen earlier. He hadn't bothered to lock it, thinking he might need to get in and out of it quickly. He laid the half-conconcious Rinoa in the back seat and jumped in the driver's seat while Alicia got in the passenger's side.
Squall produced the key from his pants pocket and started the car up before taking off through the open gates, pushing a hundred as he did so.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
11:03 A.M.
They made it to the train station only a few minutes later. By this time, Rinoa had woken up, and was sitting straight up in the back seat.
"Who are you?! Where are you taking me?!"
Squall slammed on the brakes in the middle of the mostly empty- parking lot, and jumped out of the car before tearing the back door open.
She sat there for a moment, her mouth open in shock as she stared into his eyes, her own filled with tears. Finally, she snapped out of her trance and jumped forward, into his open arms.
"I thought you were dead," she said softly. "I thought I was dead."
"Well, its all over, now. I got you out of there. Everything's fine," he said in a soothing voice.
"Out? What about Alicia! Oh no, she's still in that horrible place!" Rinoa exclaimed.
Alicia stepped out of the car, grinning widely. "What, you think Squall managed to rescue you all by himself?"
Rinoa laughed, relieved. "We're all alright. I can't believe it."
"For now," Squall said. "Let's get out of here."
He wrapped his arm around Rinoa's waist and walked with her inside the train station, Alicia smiling as she followed behind the happy couple. Inside sat the owner of the Jaguar, the young business man, as he stared out the window.
"Hey!" Squall called, catching his attention. "Thanks for the ride," he said, tossing him the keys.
They purchased a ticket to Balamb, then, and boarded the train. Alicia went to the dining car, where they were serving dinner, and Squall and Rinoa went to their private room to spend some time alone together.
As Alicia came to one of the doors, leading to another car, she noticed it was locked. Casting a quick look over her shoulder, she used her abilities to unlock it, and quickly stepped inside.
On the other side of the door the car was illumintaed in a dim red light. The air inside was thick and cold, and a loud, obnoxious humming caused the floor to vibrate. Upon further inspection, she saw that the room was filled with nothing other than large, metal boxes with the "Southern Esthar Scientific Research Institute" symbol on the sides, along with a stamp that said "bound for Balalmb".
"I missed you so much," Squall admitted as he dropped to his knees in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist, laying his head on her stomach.
Rinoa was shocked by this sudden display of emotion, but gently cradled his head in her arms and bent over him, so that her long raven locks mingled with his silken brown. "I missed you, too," she replied. "I... I was certain you were dead...."
"I was," he answered, looking up at her. He smiled slightly at the look of confusion on her face. "I was brought back."
"How?"
"I don't supose you've ever seen a little girl with long, brown curls and eyes just like mine in a white dress with wings drawn on the back?" he said.
"Yes, I've seen her. She gave me this necklace," Rinoa said, pulling the locket out from under her shirt.
"Well, I've met her a few times. This last time, I was in the morgue. I suddenly opened my eyes, and there she was, smiling at me. She had my eyes and your smile. Your face. She told me that I wasn't supposed to die. That Selphie ruined everything, so she came to bring me back. And she said... she said she was our daughter."
Rinoa dropped to her knees in front of Squall. "Our... daughter?"
He nodded. "Yeah... she was the sweetest thing... you're not... dissapointed, are you? That we had a child?"
She shook her head. "No, of course not. I just I don't know how you really feel about me. I mean, if we do have a child, will you stay with us?"
He looked at her then with an unusual amount of emotion in his eyes. "I think I love you. Enough to turn my back on everything I've ever known," he said in a soft, gentle voice. "And I would die before I would part with you or our child."
She threw her arms around his neck then said, "I think I love you, too. But what do we do now?"
"Ellone will never leave us alone if we run. It's either us or her. We've got to fight."
She nodded. "But what if...?
He put a finger to her lips. "Its her or us. We have to try. Now lets enjoy this time we have alone. We've got a lot we have to do when we get to Balamb."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
Thinking 'bout the hang over and the party
I left the fuckin' keys then had to beg for
A ride from a stranger that I never met before
He acted so friendly that I had to take the ride
But for some reason he resembled that guy
Wanted for a robbery and beating on his kids
"You remind me of my step-son," he chuckled with a grin
--- Nonpoint "What a Day"
Chapter 12
The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, painting the sky with a swirl of etravagent colors. The remaining rays of light reached out from the sky and gently carressed darkened curls as they hung against pale cheeks.
"You did well, today," a smooth voice spoke from behind before laying a comforting hand on the thin shoulder.
"Thank you," the small voice whispered. "But I still don't understand this. Why am I here, and they're there?"
"It's difficult to explain, dear. But, if you like, I'll tell you what I can."
"Tell me."
"Everything has a destiny. But despite this, nothing is ever truly certain. The slightest thing can be different, and change the path of one's life. Especially when it comes to the eternal battle between good and evil. Your father and mother died because of some bad choices they made before. And because they died, evil reigned over one region for a long while, bringing a time of great pain and struggle for many. They couldn't pass to heaven, for the weight of their failure weighed their spirits down. They couldn't be damned to hell, for their hearts were too good and pure. So their spirits were condemned to purgotory, where they would wait for centuries to be born again. Then, they would be given a chance to redeem themselves and save the human species from another reign of terror."
"That still doesn't explain everything."
"The future is still uncertain, but either way, it must go on. What we see here now, is what our future will be if neither side wins, which is possible. If they fail, it will all turn for the worst. We will all die. But if they survive, they will join us here, in peace and happiness, alive and well."
The child bent down then, before two tombstones, and gently ran her tiny fingers over the inscriptions on both.
"What if they don't survive? Will you still be here? Will I?"
"It depends, really. If your mother makes it out of the government facility, then I live. If not, then I won't."
"And me?"
Tears filled the dark eyes that looked down upon the child. "If your mother doesn't survive... then your existance will be erased."
The child nodded gently. "I've done my part, now, right? All that I can do, I've done?"
"Yes. All that you could possibly do. After all, you're such a young child."
"Then all I can do now is hope," the tiny voice whispered.
She didn't look up as her companion walked away, back toward the house where the two stayed. Instead she kept her eyes on the tombstones in front of her. In her hands she held two long stem red roses. She brought them to her nose and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent before laying one against each of the head stones.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
9: 05 A.M.
The siren continued blaring as Rinoa and Alicia walked down the hall. Alicia pulled Rinoa over to a window over-looking the front gates and pointed down to the comotion outside.
Two people, a man and a woman from the looks of them, stood in the middle of a group of guards, machine guns pointed in their faces. Both wore long, dark trench coats and sun glasses to shield their eyes. The man was tall, and dark-skinned, with broad shoulders and thick arms. The woman was also tall, but much thinner. Her silver hair glistened in the early morning sun light and framed the unhappy scowl on her face.
"This is our chance," Alicia whispered to Rinoa.
Rinoa nodded her agreement and replied, "Lead the way."
Alicia began walking down the hall again, her pace quickening with each step. She didn't bother to look back and make sure if Rinoa was following after her. She could tell from the determination in her voice that she would do whatever it took to get of that hell hole.
As they passed by a guard, who eyed them suspiciously, Alicia gave a cheerful smile and said, "Have to get some breakfast before it's gone."
The guard smiled back and nodded before continuing about his business.
"You're good," Rinoa muttered from behind her.
They made it to the elevator, where another guard was standing as he waited for the doors to close. Alicia quickly made note of his chosen destination, the third floor, and immediately began talking to distract him as she pushed the button for the first floor, where everyone but visitors, doctors, and guards were prohibited.
"It's a beautiful day, no?" Alicia said, flashing another grin at the guard as she casually stood in front of the button console.
"It's fine," he replied curtly.
"Yes, I remember these kind of days when I was younger. Maybe your age? Yes, I remember going on a picknic with my sweetheart. Ah, young love. So sweet. Do you have a young sweetheart at home?"
"Uh-huh. She's called my wife," the man replied with contempt edging his voice.
"Oh, how nice. Make sure you are good to your wife, and that you appreciate her. You never know when someone you love might just dissapear. I know, I'm old and full of wisdom! Oh look, it's your floor. Too bad, I enjoy talking to the younger crowd. Be good, and make sure you bathe good! Don't want to stink at work," she said, as she shoved him out of the now open elevator doors.
He turned around a gave her a funny look before walking off, muttering something about old people.
As the doors slid closed again, Rinoa burst into laughter. "Your really going all out for this, aren't you?"
"Hey, it's not often I get to play the "old and senial" card. I might as well have fun with it when I can," Alicia replied.
The doors slid open again a few moments later, revealing the lobby that few of the prisoners there had ever seen. It was white, like most of the building, but had black marble flooring, with the facility's logo in the middle. There was a long counter to the right of the elevator where receptionists answered phones and worked at their computers if they weren't talking to someone. Small, but cushioned chairs were set up in front of the counter for people to wait in. More elevators stretched out over the rest of the wall and people in expensive suits lined up in front of them as they waited to pile into them. Against the left wall, was a much smaller counter with a large computer monitor mounted or it. Names, numbers, and symbols flashed over it, constantly changing. A sign over the monitor read "International Exchange." They were selling the results to their research to the highest bidder.
"Let's hurry before any one sees," Alicia said after a moment. "There are many guards here. They almost always catch escapees before they get anywhere near this floor, so they're unsuspecting. But we have to hurry before they notice us."
While the lobby made the place look like any normal business building, the outside made it clear that this was no regular operation. There were three walls surrounding the facility. The first was tall and chain link, with barbed wire rimming the top. The second was made of solid concrete and was the same height as the first with thick steel bars for the gate. The third, outer wall was a solid sheet of thick, titanium steel with a sliding gate at the front.
All of the gates were closed, and the first and third had guard posts, with a guard house next to the entrance of the third gate, where the guards would check for clearance. Every now and then, the gates would slid open and a shiny, expensive car would slid through and take a spot in the parking lot.
"What now?" Rinoa asked as they hurried out through the doors and crouched behind the finely trimmed hedges.
"They're all busy interrogating the visitors. All we have to do is get into the back of a car and hide there until it gives us a free ride out of here," Alicia explained.
"Sounds too easy," Rinoa said.
"They're distracted," Alicia said. "What better chance do we have?"
"How are we going to get into the cars? They've got to be locked."
"Don't worry," Alicia whispered with a soft chuckle. "There isn't a car made that I can't get into, somehow."
"Then we better get going, now," Rinoa said as she observed the two strangers nodding to the guards.
Alicia took off without any further warning, signaling Rinoa to follow behind her. Alicia rolled beneath the nearest car and instructed Rinoa to look out for her. After a few moments, sparks flew from beneath the car and Alicia crawled out from under it.
"We're in," she said and opened the back door.
The two jumped in and quickly locked the door behind them. About five minutes later, a middle-aged man in a gray business suit stepped into his car and slid into the driver's seat before setting his brief-case down in the passenger seat.
He seemed about to start up the car, when he suddenly pulled a pistol from his jacket and pointed it to the backseat, saying, "I know you two think your slick, but it will take you a lot more effort to get away from us."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
Squall leaned against a pillar as he stood outside the train station, watching cars pull into the parking lot. His mind raced as he tried to think of some way to find this place where they were keeping Rinoa. He had looked all over the map inside the station, but there was no sign of it. He even tried asking around, but no one had even heard of it. He had just about decided that Ellone had lied to him again, when he noticed an expensive car pulling off a dirt road and into the parking lot.
He noticed as he inspected the car, that there was an I.D. tag on the back of the car, with the words, "South Esthar Scientific Research Institute" on it.
As a young man in a navy blue suit exited the car, Squall slowly, casually aproached him and said, "You work there?" as he nodded toward the tag on the back winshield of his car.
"Yeah," the slightly older man replied. "Why do you ask?"
"I've got some business there," Squall replied. "But I can't find it. You think you could give me directions?"
The man looked at him in disgust. "You certainly don't look the type to be doing business there. I'm sorry, I don't think I can help."
He started to walk off, but stopped when he heard the sound of a gun being cocked.
"You wouldn't be stupid enough to do that, I hope," the man said without turning around.
"No, of course not," Squall laughed slightly. "So, what is this car, anyways? A Jaguar? I never was too good with cars. So how much is it worth to you?"
The man turned around immediately. "You want to steal it, or shoot it?"
"Well, I was thinking it needed some ventalation holes. I could do that for you for free, then leave you to your business. Or, I could leave your car alone, and you can give me a ride to this "South Esthar Research Institute". It's your desision."
The man sneered, but opened the driver's door in defeat. "Who's driving?"
"You," Squall answered. "And make sure you get me where I want to go. You play any tricks on me..." he didn't need to finish.
They settled into the car, and Squall cracked the window as the drove before pulling out his pack of cigerettes. He wasn't in the mood to smoke, but he wanted to make sure this man was cooperative. He lit one up and took a short drag from it.
"Hey, hey, not in the car!"
"As you wish," Squall replied in his low, smooth voice. He reached over and pushed the tip of his cigerette into the dash to put it out.
"No! Don't do that!"
"Then do what I tell you," Squall growled.
After a few moments of driving, Squall put the pistol to the mans neck and said, "Stop."
The business man looked over at Squall with pure terror in his eyes. "You're.. you're not going to rape me or anything, are you?"
Squall hit him across the face, knocking his head into the steering wheel. "You're disgusting, you know that? Just tell me where the facility is!"
"Up that road and to the left."
"Good. Now get out."
"What?!"
Squall turned and glared at him, "What don't you understand? Get the fuck out of the car!"
He opened the door and stepped out of the car, frowning, and watched as Squall got out and changed to the driver's seat. He walked around and was about to get into the passenger side when Squall slammed the door shut.
"What, you're just going to leave me here, with no way to get back to the train station?" he asked.
Squall threw the guys brief-case out the window and said, "You know how to hitch hike, don't you?" before driving off.
Squall slammed his foot down on the petal and drove as fast as he could. He punched a button and scanned through the radio stations until he found some loud, blasting metal music. He picked up a pair of sun glasses off the dash and put them on as the sun shown in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Rinoa," he said to himself. "I'm coming."
After following the directions he was given, he noticed the research facility looming in the distance. When he finally reached the front gate, he was stopped by a guard, who checked his I.D. tag before allowing him to pass through. He parked in the nearest parking space and began walking toward the entrance, barely able to contain his excitement at knowing Rinoa was close by.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
9:30 A.M.
"I think you need some time to think over your disobedience."
A door was pushed open in front of Rinoa's eyes, and she was shoved into a laboratory-type room. There were computer consoles lining the right side of the room, with over-sized monitors buzzing and beeping with information. A team of scientists and doctors hurried around the room, jotting things down on their clip boards. In the middle of the room was a large, horizontal tube that was surrounded by equipment on all sides but one. The top was open, and the inside cushioned, but with straps and shackles poking out from the smooth light blue surface of the cushioned interior.
A female doctor approached them, her short blonde hair dangling from a pony tail, and her red-rimmed glasses shielding her hazel eyes.
"Who do we have here?" she asked Rinoa captor.
"This is Ms. Rinoa Heartilly. She was attempting escape. She's only been here for one night, and already she's causing trouble. What do you think?"
The doctor lead the two over to a table where Rinoa was forced to sit down with the doctor and the guardsmen.
"How much is she worth to Vinzer?" the doctor asked.
The guardsmen shrugged. "I don't know. I think she's more trouble than she's worth, personally. But you know how Vinzer feels about his specimens."
The doctor nodded then looked to Rinoa. "Tell me, Ms. Heartilly, what's your reason for attempting escape?"
Rinoa glared at her for a moment before leaning forward and saying, "I wanted my life back. Just like a lot of other people in here do. So tell me, doctor, how you're able to sleep at night knowing that hundreds of people will never know what it is to live freely again."
She laughed. "Yes, this is a determined one alright. And by the way, Rinoa, I have a name. My name is Jennifer Corigan. I'm a highly revered doctor. You should consider yourself lucky. Anway, I think it would be in our best interest if we opt for plan B. Go report to Vinzer. If he doesn't agree, then he can interfere."
The guardsmen nodded and left thr room. Doctor Corigan smiled slightly at Rinoa and instructed her to get in the tube.
"What are you going to do to me?" Rinoa asked.
"Just some tests," she replied as she watched Rinoa lay down in the tube. The straps and shackles immediately attatched themselves to her. "We'll also be putting you to sleep."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a lot like cryogenic freezing. First, you'll get really sleepy, and fall into a trance. When you do, we'll start running some tests to see if you're really important to our research here. If you are, then we'll continue to study you, but you'll be put in solitary confinement. If not, then you will be put into an eternal sleep, and your body will be frozen. You'll be kept as a spare specimen, and you will remain in that state until you are awakened through our special "awakening" process."
Rinoa raised her head to get a better look at the doctor. "What about Alicia?"
"Ms. Chang? She's very valuable, so don't worry. We already know how to keep her in line."
"Do you believe in hell, Doctor?" Rinoa asked.
"No. I don't belive in heaven, either. But I do belive in eternity. See you when it's over."
A plastic mask was placed over Rinoa's face, and she immediately began to smell gas pouring into her nose and mouth. Her eyes stared up as doctors gathered around her and hooked her up to various machines. Her vision blurred until she could barely make out the top of the tube sliding closed over her. Her eyelids became heavy, and she began to feel as if she were drowning. As she began to fall into an even deeper abyss of unconciousness, one last word, one last image, one final emotion, rose through her body, and washed over her mind. Squall.....
Somewhere down the hall, in another sealed off room, Alicia was crumpled against a wall, her wrists and ankles chained down. A crowd of doctors stood nearby, looking down at her. One of them stepped forward, a vial of bright red liquid in his hand.
"Are you going to be disobedient, again?" he asked.
Alicia shook her head vigorously, her eyes swollen and red, her face twisted with panic.
"I still think you need to be taught a lesson. Attempted escape is very serious. It's not something you can get away with."
"I know, I know!" Alicia sobbed. "I swear, it won't happen again! Just don't make me change... I'm not sure my body can handle it again."
"I think she's learned her lesson," one of the doctors said sympathetically.
"She's not getting off that easy," the head doctor snapped. "These specimens have to learn to behave properly." With that, he walked toward Alicia with the injection vial in his hand. "Look here, Alicia. Fresh blood from the storage locker. Fresh, just like you like it."
"Please, don't make me do it again!" she begged.
"Oh, but it's blood. Just like you used to drink with your victims, you filthy beast! What's wrong, not hungry?"
"You know what's wrong with me!" Alicia screamed. "You're the one responsible!"
"Too bad," the doctor replied before injecting her arm.
For a moment, all was silent, then suddenly Alicia began screaming. She fell to the floor, writhing in agony as the veins beneath her skin began to bulge. Fangs ripped painfully from her gums and her skin began to shift, in an attempt to change, but failed and instead seemed to melt. Her bones gave a loud crunched as her body attempted its natural adaption, but instead they just snapped under the pressure. Blood vessels burst within her arms, the free blood spreading beneath her skin, and her heart pounded in her chest so quickly that it was audible to the rest that were in the room. Wings tore from her back, matted with black blood, but hung limply against her back, the thin bones shattered and deformed, and the leathery skin shredded.
"Let's get out of here," the head doctor said, leading his crew out the door and locking it behind him.
As he walked out the door, he passed by a strange looking pair, in sun glasses and trench coats.
"Do the two of you have clearance to be up here?" he asked.
The female nodded. "Yes. We were sent here to investigate. Now tell us, what was going on in that room?"
"Just some simple research," the doctor answered. "What department are you from?"
"FBI. The government's considering pulling its funding of this place," she replied, flashing her badge.
"Really? I hate to hear that. Well, let me know if there is anything I can do for you."
"There is," she replied. She threw a quick glance down the hall way to make sure the other doctors had gone on, the snapped her fingers.
The muscular, dark-skinned man that stood at her side, grabbed the doctor by the collar and shoved him into the room. Alicia's tattered, and possibly dead form lay still against the wall. The woman gave the body a cold look before turning back to the doctor.
"Tell me where Ms. Heartilly is," she said.
"That's classified," he replied.
"Wrong answer," she said, producing a pistol. "You have one more chance."
"Five doors down on the left. They're putting her through the eternal sleep process as we speak."
"Thank you for the information," she said cooly before pulling the trigger. The gun went off soundlessly and the doctor slumped to the floor.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Excuse me, sir. You can't go in there."
"Says who?" Squall asked coldly.
"The upper levels are restricted to traders. It's only for employees."
"Well, I demand to know what I"m putting my money into," Squall replied. "Now let me go."
"I'm sorry, sir, I can't. Now can you please step away from the elevator?"
"Look, I've been doing business here for a long time! I demand to be let through!"
"Sir, if you don't step away from the elevator, I will be forced to throw you out and terminate your account here."
"Fine," Squall replied in a challenging tone. "But I want to see your manager."
"Very well, sir follow me."
The man led Squall down a long corridor filled with various doors. They were made of thick steel and had small windows in the top. Looking through them, he could see people in suits talking with serious looks on their faces. Finally, as they were passing by the men's bathrooms, Squall hooked the man around the neck from behind and pulled him inside, hoping no one else was there. Luckily, there wasn't. Before the guard had time to speak, Squall rammed his head into a porcelin sink, then into the wall.
A few moments later, Squall stepped out of the bathroom alone, wearing a guardsmen uniform, and switched the sign on the door from "open" to "closed for cleaning."
He walked over to the elevator as quickly as he could without breaking into a run. He was careful to keep his head down, just in case anyone might recognise him as the loud, complaining stock bidder. As soon as he was on the elevator, he realized just how difficult finding Rinoa was going to be. There were fifty-nine floors in the building, not including the buisness floor. It would take forever to search each one. There had to be an easier way.
Squall decided to pick a floor and hope for the best. After all, he couldn't just stand there and look clueless. He picked floor number thirty- two and held his breath as the elevator traveled upward.
Just as the elevator was coming to a stop, a siren went off throughout the top fifty-nine floors of the building, followed by an announcement calling for all the guards to report to floor thirty-two, room A12.
As Squall stepped off the elevator, a crowd of guards passed by him, their polished black shoes clicking loudly on the floor as they hurried down the hall. One of them stopped and glared at Squall.
"What are you waiting for? C'mon!"
Squall reluctantly followed behind them, hoping it wouldn't take too much time away from his search for Rinoa.
As they reached the room, they saw that they were the first ones there, which meant they had to go in to investigate. They entered the room slowly, cautiously, with their pistols drawn. After the head investigator saw that there was no threat, he signaled the rest inside, and had them put away their guns.
On the inside, they found two bodies. One they dismissed after a moment's examination. The one that really drew their attention was the man slumped against the wall with a bullet hole in his head.
While the others were busy investigating this corpse, Squall walked closer to the other, deformed body that lay in a shallow pool of blood. To his surprise, it reached a hand out for him, touching his shoes. For a moment he felt as if he'd fallen into some kind of trance. When it was over, the weak, and battered woman beckoned to him with a thin, trembling finger.
After throwing a careful glance over his shoulder, he bent down close to the woman, feeling as if he could trust her.
"Five doors and to the left," she whispered.
"What is?"
"Rinoa. Hurry, before it's too late. And... one last thing..."
"Yes?"
"Treat her well. She's a good person."
Squall nodded, and was about to try and slipped out the door, though he was curious to find out more about this person that had given him the answer. How did she know Rinoa, and how did she know that was what he was looking for?
He found the right door, and walked in, suddenly finding himself in the middle of an ugly situation.
Half a dozen or more doctors were sprawled out on the floor, dead. Two other remain alive, and were working furiously at their computers, in a terrified panic. Two people, a man and a woman in a trench coat held machine guns in their hands, and had them pointed at the two remaining doctors.
The woman swung her head around to glare at the sudden intruder. "Guard!" she hissed.
"No, I'm not a guard! I...I..."
"Leonhart?" the man asked as he turned around.
Squall squinted slightly and realized it was Raijin and Fujin, who had gone through FBI training with him.
"So the FBI really is working under-cover in this place," Fujin commented. "Well, you can either help us, or die."
"I guess I'll help you then," Squall replied sarcastically. "Why are you here, if not for the FBI?"
"We're here under your sister's orders. She wants this Rinoa chick dead," Raijin replied. "She's in that tube thing there, and these two are trying to get her out," he gestured toward the doctors.
Squall struggled to keep his composure. "Is that so?" He waited until the two had turned back around, watching the two doctors, and drew his pistol, quickly shooting them both dead.
He then raised his pistol to the two doctors who, thinking they should take the brief moment of freedom, were about to press the alarm.
"I don't think so," Squall said. "You keep working. Get her out NOW!"
After a few more moments of vigorous working, the top of the tube slid open and Squall ran to it, seeing Rinoa asleep inside. The straps came undone, and he lifted her up, preparing to take off with her, when a hord of guards suddenly rushed into the room. The alarm had been set off.
"What do you think you're doing?" one of them asked.
"I'm... I was just taking this patient in for treatment," he lied.
"Bull shit!" the lead guard spat. He was about to shoot Squall dead when there came a strangled roar from behind him. In one swift blow from a giant claw, half of the guards went flying across the room, followed by the other half. A creature, looking something like an over-grown demon crashed through the door and walked over to the pile of fallen guards.
"It looks like your experiment on me to make an improved demon wasn't a complete failure after all," a thick, altered female voice boomed.
Squall had raised his pistol, and was about to shoot, when the creature threw up its hands in submission and said, "Don't shoot me. I'm trying to help you."
"Who are you?" Squall asked.
The monster pitched over suddenly, and its scaley, mud-colored skin melted away, revealing a diminished, human figure.
"My name is Alicia. I'm a fellow inmate of Rinoa's, and a friend of hers in a way. Now, lets go before we get caught. I'm not sure if I can do that again."
Squall nodded, feeling he had no choice but to believe what this person said. They quickly ran down the hall, Squall still carrying Rinoa over his shoulder, and jumped in the elevator.
"What are we going to d now? They must have the entrance sealed off," Squall said.
Alicia punched the button for the basement floor. "I've got an idea."
They arrived at the basement floor in a few short moments. It was a small area, with little space, since most of it was filled with switches, generators, and control boxes. The lighting was dim, and the air was still, as if no one had been down there in a long time.
"What are we going to do here?" Squall asked.
Alicia inspected the various machinery and opened one of the panels on the control boxes. She played around with the wires a moment then said, "Brace yourself. There's going to be a pretty big explosion towards the back. And get ready to run. The explosion will distract them. They'll come down the elevators, looking for us, but we'll be running up the stair case and out through the front."
"What about the gates?"
"I'll take care of those, too. When the time is right. Now, get by the staircase and get ready."
Squall did as he was told and looked back to see Alicia twisting and connecting various wires again. For a moment, nothing happened, then suddenly, there was a loud rumbling, followed by a boom. The room shook uncontrollably for a moment, then became calm again.
"Just a moment," Alicia said.
The sound of the elevator decending filled the small room and Alicia quickly signaled him to go before taking her place in front of another control panel and beginning to work. He began running as fast as he could up the stairs, careful of Rinoa, who was beginning to wake up.
He paused for a moment and looked behind him, expecting Alicia to be there. She was no where to be seen. He stopped dead in his tracks, unsure if he should go on, if he should go back for her. At that moment, Alicia came running up the stairs.
"What the hell are you waiting for?!" she demanded. "Move!"
They continued running up the stair case until they came to an old, mostly unused door. Squall kicked it open and continued through it, suddenly finding himself in the middle of the lobby.
None of the panicked people noticed them as they ran through the door and into the parking lot.
"This way!" Squall shouted as he ran for the Jaguar he had stolen earlier. He hadn't bothered to lock it, thinking he might need to get in and out of it quickly. He laid the half-conconcious Rinoa in the back seat and jumped in the driver's seat while Alicia got in the passenger's side.
Squall produced the key from his pants pocket and started the car up before taking off through the open gates, pushing a hundred as he did so.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
11:03 A.M.
They made it to the train station only a few minutes later. By this time, Rinoa had woken up, and was sitting straight up in the back seat.
"Who are you?! Where are you taking me?!"
Squall slammed on the brakes in the middle of the mostly empty- parking lot, and jumped out of the car before tearing the back door open.
She sat there for a moment, her mouth open in shock as she stared into his eyes, her own filled with tears. Finally, she snapped out of her trance and jumped forward, into his open arms.
"I thought you were dead," she said softly. "I thought I was dead."
"Well, its all over, now. I got you out of there. Everything's fine," he said in a soothing voice.
"Out? What about Alicia! Oh no, she's still in that horrible place!" Rinoa exclaimed.
Alicia stepped out of the car, grinning widely. "What, you think Squall managed to rescue you all by himself?"
Rinoa laughed, relieved. "We're all alright. I can't believe it."
"For now," Squall said. "Let's get out of here."
He wrapped his arm around Rinoa's waist and walked with her inside the train station, Alicia smiling as she followed behind the happy couple. Inside sat the owner of the Jaguar, the young business man, as he stared out the window.
"Hey!" Squall called, catching his attention. "Thanks for the ride," he said, tossing him the keys.
They purchased a ticket to Balamb, then, and boarded the train. Alicia went to the dining car, where they were serving dinner, and Squall and Rinoa went to their private room to spend some time alone together.
As Alicia came to one of the doors, leading to another car, she noticed it was locked. Casting a quick look over her shoulder, she used her abilities to unlock it, and quickly stepped inside.
On the other side of the door the car was illumintaed in a dim red light. The air inside was thick and cold, and a loud, obnoxious humming caused the floor to vibrate. Upon further inspection, she saw that the room was filled with nothing other than large, metal boxes with the "Southern Esthar Scientific Research Institute" symbol on the sides, along with a stamp that said "bound for Balalmb".
"I missed you so much," Squall admitted as he dropped to his knees in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist, laying his head on her stomach.
Rinoa was shocked by this sudden display of emotion, but gently cradled his head in her arms and bent over him, so that her long raven locks mingled with his silken brown. "I missed you, too," she replied. "I... I was certain you were dead...."
"I was," he answered, looking up at her. He smiled slightly at the look of confusion on her face. "I was brought back."
"How?"
"I don't supose you've ever seen a little girl with long, brown curls and eyes just like mine in a white dress with wings drawn on the back?" he said.
"Yes, I've seen her. She gave me this necklace," Rinoa said, pulling the locket out from under her shirt.
"Well, I've met her a few times. This last time, I was in the morgue. I suddenly opened my eyes, and there she was, smiling at me. She had my eyes and your smile. Your face. She told me that I wasn't supposed to die. That Selphie ruined everything, so she came to bring me back. And she said... she said she was our daughter."
Rinoa dropped to her knees in front of Squall. "Our... daughter?"
He nodded. "Yeah... she was the sweetest thing... you're not... dissapointed, are you? That we had a child?"
She shook her head. "No, of course not. I just I don't know how you really feel about me. I mean, if we do have a child, will you stay with us?"
He looked at her then with an unusual amount of emotion in his eyes. "I think I love you. Enough to turn my back on everything I've ever known," he said in a soft, gentle voice. "And I would die before I would part with you or our child."
She threw her arms around his neck then said, "I think I love you, too. But what do we do now?"
"Ellone will never leave us alone if we run. It's either us or her. We've got to fight."
She nodded. "But what if...?
He put a finger to her lips. "Its her or us. We have to try. Now lets enjoy this time we have alone. We've got a lot we have to do when we get to Balamb."
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