Stunned silence ruled Laguna's office. The silence seemed fragile, as if each of them feared breaking it. Slowly, though, people started moving again, looking from Squall to Seifer and back again. But still, no one dared speak. Eventually, Zell broke the silence, his voice thick.
"You're telling me that Cid..."
Quistis nodded. "He's been manipulating us since the orphanage. Shaping us into his strike team."
Silence again. This time, Seifer spoke, hesitating, "What was that last part again?"
Quistis reread the entry from Cid's journal. "Basically, Seifer, it says that you were supposed to be the leader of the team, and Squall was supposed to be the..." She trailed off, unsure how to continue.
"The pain in the ass?" Seifer replied, a weak smile on his face.
"More or less."
"So what went wrong?" Selphie asked. "I mean, if he was in league with Ultimecia, how'd we ever get to the point where we defeated her?"
"I've been working on that," Quistis answered. "As near as I can figure, Seifer was supposed to pass his first field exam. He failed because he insisted on saving the life of a civilian instead of concentrating on the mission – that wasn't a part of Cid's plan. He didn't learn the lesson, however, and made a similar choice at the next field exam, when he saved Rinoa at the expense of the mission objectives.
"The third field exam was the one Squall took, along with Zell and Selphie. By that point, Seifer should have been one of the SeeDs supervising the operation. Squall's programming would have led him to act in such a way to fail the field exam, which would result in his running away from Garden.
"In theory, we would have been assigned, as a unit, to track down the renegade Squall. In order to bring him down, we would have joined forces with the Sorceress. This would have led events to play out in Ultimecia's favor. Cid always told Matron he was raising us to fight against Ultimecia. In truth, he was raising us to fight for her."
"So why didn't Ultimecia destroy Cid when all this went bad?" Nida inquired.
"She had no way of knowing. By that point, she'd already possessed Edea, and gone out of touch with Cid. She was using all her energy to stay manifest in our time, and didn't have the strength to contact him. He knew that once she reestablished contact, she'd destroy him, so his only hope..."
"Was to assassinate the Sorceress," Seifer breathed. "He double-crossed Ultimecia, too."
"Exactly. He needed us to destroy her, so that's why he kept us around after we'd 'failed' him. And ever since then, we've been too high-profile to dispose of."
"I have a question," Irvine shot out. "If we were supposed to be a team, how come Selphie and I were sent to other Gardens?"
"You two were the control groups. Selphie had the regular brainwashing treatment, but was sent to Trabia to find out how she'd interact with other troops. If she'd become a leader, that sort of thing. You, Irvine, went straight from the orphanage to Galbadia Garden, with no brainwashing at all. You're the only one of us who hasn't been tampered with."
Zell, patience exhausted, leapt to his feat and began punched the air, his face contorted into an angry snarl. "That's it!" he exclaimed. "Cid's a dead man."
"No." Squall's voice cut through the room like a whip. "We're not moving against him yet."
"But Squall!" Zell protested. "What he did to you and Seifer..."
"Not now. We have other things to worry about. He'll be held accountable. Just not today."
"But..."
"No, Zell!" Squall snapped. "We will not take any immediate action against Cid and that is final. We stick to the plan. Understood?" Squall, lightning flashing in his eyes, looked up at Zell, who nodded his assent. "Good. Time to head back."
* *
As the ship tore through the sky, Quistis stood by one of the ship's large windows, watching the ground race past. Zell stood by the elevator, shadow boxing. Squall shuffled a set of Triple Triad cards in mechanical repetition. Selphie and Irvine sat together, drawing strength from each other's presence. But no one spoke.
As the continent of Esthar sped away from them, Quistis heard footsteps approaching from behind her, and knew, based on the length of the strides that Seifer wanted to speak to her. She turned to face him, smiling a little, a lump in her throat.
Seifer, on seeing her silhouetted against the enormous backdrop of the midday sky, couldn't help but grin. He laughed a little, reaching out and mussing her hair. "Helluva surprise, blondie," he said. "Helluva surprise."
"I," she opened, glancing at her boot, "I don't know if I made the right decision... With Cid acting so irrational, Squall setting a contingency coup in motion. I mean, for me to just throw this on top of the pile is pretty enormous."
Seifer raised an eyebrow. "And what did you swear to as the fourth precept of being a SeeD?"
They recited the principle together: "To provide my superior officers with the intelligence necessary to make the best possible tactical decisions."
"Exactly," Seifer said. "And that's what you did. It may have been harsh, but if it gives us the edge, so much the better."
Quistis nodded, acknowledging the truth of Seifer's words.
"And so here we are, boy," Quistis said, after a moment of silence, "Cid's warrior-pawns. Nice, isn't it?"
"May I," Seifer started, voice little more than a husky whisper, "May I ask you a few questions about what's happened. I mean, with Cid and all?"
"Of course," Quistis, answered, taking Seifer's hand. "I think if anyone's entitled to answers, it's you."
"My blackouts... Cid's brainwashing... how do they relate?"
"Cid was trying to build you into the perfect warrior. The blackouts were all a part of that. They were just one of the phases of his brainwashing. However, the process was imperfect. He wasn't counting on Ultimecia entering your mind or you ridding yourself of her at such length. The whole thing has caused the brainwashing to fray. Remnants of it are still there, but they're starting to come apart."
"What can I do about them?"
"When we get back, I'll sound out Dr. Kadowaki. I'm pretty sure should wouldn't participate in anything this inhumane. She should be able to help us put you back on track."
"That's good to know."
"I guess. Anything else?"
"No... Yes. Why does Cid hate me so much?" Seifer crossed to the other window and looked out, contempt alternating with sorrow written across his face.
"It's in his journal, but I'll let you guess, if you want."
Seifer rolled his eyes, sneering at the absent Headmaster. "Probably something inane about how I was his chosen one, the leader of his new order, and I spurned the place he offered me. And, therefore, I am unworthy, etcetera."
Quistis nodded. "You've certainly got the gist of it."
"You know," Seifer shook his head, "the world sure as hell seemed a lot simpler when I was under the control of an evil Sorceress from the future."
"Yeah. Like you said, we need this intel to make decisions, but this is not easy to deal with. I haven't slept since I decoded Cid's journal."
"Somehow, Quisty," Seifer said, watching the ground as the ship streaked back towards Garden, "I don't think I'll ever sleep again."
* *
With utmost delicacy, Cid pulled a cigarette from out of its case. He placed it between his eager lips and lit it using a spark from his mind. The burst of green flame heralded the subtle flavor he always craved. It filled his nostrils and lungs and soothed him.
General Mallis stood just a few steps behind Cid, ready to do the Headmaster's bidding. Through his clenched teeth, Cid spoke, emitting a cloud of smoke as he did so. For a moment, Cid envisioned himself as a malboro, young cadets fleeing in terror at the sight of his smoke. "Well, General, shall we see how the children did? If they managed to bring us the head of the traitor Dobe?"
Mallis moved over to one of the control consoles and punched a series of buttons, activating the monitor in the hanger. It showed Squall's team, in the process of disembarking and unloading the ship.
"Squall," Cid said, voice sweeter than his breath, punctuating his words with a stab of his cigarette, as though the group could see him through the monitor, "kindly have your group report to my office at once."
As the monitor winked off, Cid spun in his chair, facing Mallis once more. "Make a note, General. If the actually bring me the head of Dobe, or the heart, or the hands, or what the hell... anything significant, we'll give them a 25% bonus for this mission."
Mallis smiled and made the notation as Cid requested.
Cid, cigarette expended, produced another from his case and lit it, moments before the door to his office slid open, admitting Squall and his team.
"Squall!" Cid exclaimed, jumping up from behind his chair and pounding both fists on his desk, "my favorite son! Please, enter, and regale us with the tale of your latest triumph. The General and I long to hear of how you brought down the tyrant Dobe."
The First Team filed into Cid's office, apprehensive at Cid's enthusiasm. Well beyond bloodshot, now, his eyes had about them a manic and dangerous aspect. The group lined up, exactly as they'd done countless times and Squall stepped forward, saluting.
"Sir, I have to report our failure in this mission."
"What?" Cid roared. "Explain at once!"
Nida stepped forward. "I broadcast the message personally, sir. We experienced engine trouble not for away from FH. We had to put in at Esthar for repairs."
"By the time we arrived there," Squall continued, "Dobe had been alerted to our presence and managed to escape to Galbadia. Once the ship was repaired, we returned here for further instructions."
"Incompetent!" Cid bellowed, picking up a glass ashtray from his desk and heaving it at Squall's head. It passed close enough to ruffle his mane, but Squall did not bother trying to dodge. "These are your instructions!" Cid screamed, closing with Squall, yelling directly in his face. "Get out of my sight! Never darken my doorstep again, you worthless... Get out!"
Cid's gaze expanded to the entire group. "That goes for all of you. I don't ever want to see any of you. And you, General," Cid whirled on the Garden Master as well, "you may leave for the time being. I need some time alone."
Mallis nodded curtly and turned to Squall's team. "Come, team. I think I had best escort you out."
As they left, Cid returned to his desk, trying, in vain, to restore his blood pressure to normal. Another cigarette, and Cid found himself contemplating the necessary purge of those around him. Squall's betrayal ran deep, almost as deep as Seifer's. Cid didn't consider himself a man of arbitrary cruelty, but as an educator, he recognized the need to confront disciplinary problems head-on. He'd already arranged the next step, and when he reached the step after that... Well, then they'd pay.
He could hear them in the hall now. The wretched First Team. Plotting against him. At the limits of his powers, he could hear their conversation, banal chatter about returning to their offices, or eating lunch, disguising the true nature of their treachery.
And then, a different sound. A quick whirring, followed by the shattering of glass.
Then the world exploded.
* *
A gunshot. They all recognized it. They'd heard enough, in their combined lifetimes, to cover an entire shooting range.
They never expected to hear one coming from within the Headmaster's office.
Squall immediately crouched at the side of the door, producing a card from around his neck. He made a series of hand signals to his friends, counted down from three on his hands, and they sprang into action.
Squall swiped his card through the reader, disabling the lock on the door to the office. Squall stood up but stayed pressed against the wall, out of the way, so the rest of the team could do their jobs.
Seifer lashed out with his long legs, knocking the door open, allowing Irvine to burst through, guns drawn. The gunman inside, dressed in a SeeD uniform found himself caught off guard as Irvine screamed "Drop it!"
Zell immediately burst through the door, vaulted over the desk and tackled the gunman, wrestling him to the ground.
Squall walked into the room and surveyed the scene, looked at the Headmaster, bleeding on the floor. Quistis and Selphie flanked him.
"Squall?"
"I know what you're thinking, Quistis. The Dark."
"What can I do, Squall?" Selphie asked.
"Call Dr. Kadowaki. Tell her the Headmaster's been shot."