Chapter II
~*~*~*~
"Good grief! I don't even wanna imagine the difficulties Master and the others must have gone through!" Boko said.
"They had to be extremely careful." TK said. "But, they were physically and emotionally trained for this. In the meantime, Balamb Garden had announced their
disappearance, and said they would investigate. In the meantime, Estar kept being silent. Actually, Laguna was preparing Estar for a Galbadian invasion. He was almost sure Zelenick would dare it."
"Yeah, and the whole world was up-side-down those days. Zelenick's coup-d'etat had had a major impact on the political action of those days. The diplomatic bonds were ruined, and Galbadia was growing powerful, but threatening." Angelo added.
"Well, the worse were happening in the Imperial Palace itself. Miss Rinoa was going through worse torture than you can imagine. Because it was emotional torture." TK said.
~*~*~*~
Rinoa sat in her big room, next to the fireplace on the thick, soft carpet. Outside, the weather was rampaging. Heavy rain fell, and the wind tapped it on the crystal
windows. She wore a long blue dress, and white slippers. Her hair was differently combed in a ponytail on a high placement of her head. 'Sorceress garment' Zelenick called them. She hated it. The only thing familiar on her was her bangle with Squall's ring.
She took the lid off the box on her lap. It was full of pictures. She had hidden this box from everyone, since Zelenick was trying to pull out and destroy everything that would remind her of her past life in the Garden, with Squall. He was fooled to think the ring was her mother's, so that and the box were the only things she had that comforted her. She looked at the room around her. "Luxurious, a room for a princess." She thought. 'I hate it. It may be a golden cage, but it's still a cage.'
She looked back at her photos. She picked up the first one. Squall. She had taken this when Squall wasn't looking. He had been cleaning his Gunblade, and Rinoa snapped his profile. Serious, and engrossed in what he was doing. He looked very handsome. The next one was the two of them, fallen in Garden's fountains. They were kissing near the rim, when Angelo jumped on them, and pushed them in the water. Zell had seized the opportunity to take this hilarious photo of Squall and Rinoa laughing in the water, and Angelo's happy snout pooping in the frame. The dog looked very satisfied with himself.
Without knowing it, she laughed. She loved those photos. Then, she heard footsteps. Panicked, she packed the box up, and hid them in a secret shelf in the burning
fireplace, which was very safe. As a Sorceress, she didn't get burned from the fire. Zelenick came it. Tall, with black hair and black eyes, dressed in royal robes, he was quite handsome, but Rinoa hated his behaviour. Egoistic, selfish, and cruel. Too bad he had clasped an Odine necklace around her neck and her powers were nullified. She would have turned him into a disgusting worm, and then feed him to a Chocobo.
"Hello Rinoa." He said with a slyly superior voice.
"Greetings your Imperiality." She replied bowing her head.
"Oh please Rinny. Don't call me like that. I'm just Zelenick for you toots. Even better, Nick." Zelenick replied.
"You demand everyone calls you so." Rinoa said sternly.
"You are the exception of every rule." He said tenderly.
Rinoa frowned. She had hated her old childhood friend, and all the tenderness she felt for him in the past had disappeared. Zelenick had destroyed everything beautiful in her life, and had forced her father to step out of politics and exile himself in Galbadia's highlands.
"Tell me toots," Zelenick said kneeling to the carpet. "Why do you still reject me? I love you like hell. You can be the most powerful woman on the planet, and Galbadia, the most powerful nation. Why do you deny it?" he asked, for at least a hundred time.
"I'm not interested in power Nick. Not interested in power, money or anything. And certainly I'm not interested in you." She said bravely.
That got Zelenick in a tantrum.
"WHY!? Why damn it!? I offer you everything and you reject me! Rinoa, I warn you again! I'm giving you another chance to accept me, or I'll force you to marry me!" Zelenick yelled.
Rinoa looked at him like a cold, frozen statue. Zelenick breathed deeply for a little, then turned his back at her and left her room, slamming the door behind him.
"Asshole…" Rinoa murmured. A side door slightly opened and a little boy with blond cowlicks peeped his head in.
"Rinny can I come in?" he asked.
Rinoa turned to the boy with a smile. Her little cousin, Remus.
"Of course Rem. You're always welcome." She said.
Remus was her only real company in the huge palace. They loved each other, and comforted each other. Remus was also 'imprisoned' in this place, like her. The child crossed the room, and sat next to her in front of the fireplace. He wasn't older that 8 years old.
"Uncle Zelenick went angry again?" Remus asked.
"Yeah…and it's my fault again." Rinoa said.
"He's getting batter every day huh?"
"Remus! Don't say that! Zelenick is just pressured from being the Emperor." Rinoa said.
"Rinny…I'm old enough to understand Uncle Zelenick isn't as good as we believed…" Remus said, and to Rinoa he sounded older than he should be.
She hugged him. "Goodness Remus…you're right…Zelenick isn't as good as he used to be… All this Imperial crap has drove him mad…" she said. They sat there, listening to the patter of the rain, when Rinoa's ear caught the sound of a bark from the palace's gardens. A very familiar bark…
~*~*~*~
"So, it was you Angelo?" Boko asked.
"Yup. Master Squall had sent me to the Palace to find Miss Rinoa. Miss Rinoa and Remus came out running in the rain to meet me. Miss Rinoa fell to her knees and
hugged poor, wet little me, and I licked her cheek as she hugged me. I had missed her and she was crying from joy."
~*~*~*~
"Angelo! My God it's you my puppy!" Rinoa said crying in the rain.
"Ruff! Ruff!" Angelo barked.
Remus was standing a little further, and the guards of the gardens that had been chasing Angelo were stunned.
"Miss Rinoa…" one said with hesitation.
"Leave him alone guys, it's my dog. God, I can't believe it… Did you swim all the way from Balamb?!" Rinoa asked the dog.
"Ruff! Grrr…Ruff! Ruff!" Angelo growled.
Rinoa took Angelo inside, and followed by Remus which seemed pretty excited from the sudden arrival of the dog, led him to the kitchens and had him eat up a big dish of food, which Angelo had gulped up with great happiness, cleaning up the plate while waging happily his tail.
"Is this the dog you were telling me about Rinny?" Remus asked later, when they returned to Rinoa's quarters with Angelo, all stuffed up and clean.
"Yes. He was left behind when I came here. I can't believe he's here. How did he get here…?" she replied.
Angelo suddenly behaved weirdly. He got up and pointed up his head, showing off his collar.
"Angelo, what the…" Rinoa began.
"Rinny, look!" Remus whispered and pointed something stuck in Angelo's collar. A flat and stiff camellia leaf.
"What the…" Rinoa said taking it. She looked at it.
"There's something like holes on its surface." Remus noticed.
"You're right…" Rinoa said looking better at it. She had an idea. She lifted the leaf and held in front of the fire.
"It's letters!!" Remus gasped.
It was. 'Don't give up your hope' the letters said.
"My God! My dear God!" Rinoa said almost gasping when she looked at the letters and what was written beneath them: L F. Liberi Fatali. "…That's the way Squall always signed his messages in Garden's Square!!" Rinoa gasped. "He's alive!…And…and…he's here…" she said with a choke.
"Rinny…burn it…burn the leaf! Someone's coming!" Remus said bumping her with his elbow.
Rinoa threw the leaf in the flames, shaking wildly, and feeling feverish. "I…I'm not well…" she said and fainted.
~*~*~*~
Irvine had taken up the responsibility to sell Squall to gladiator dealer.
"Zell, I want you to keep these for me." Squall had told Zell, giving him his LionHeart Gunblade, Griever's Necklace and his jacket.
"I'll keep 'em safe for you dude. Don't worry. Good luck" Zell said with emotion in his voice.
"Take care…" Quistis said.
For the first time, Selphie didn't say anything.
That was the easiest part. The hard was to make Squall look like a slave. To manage that, he injured himself –not heavily of course- and made Zell beat him, despite Zell's arguments (Zell had done it with cold heart, and after the beating, Irvine found him banging his head on a wall saying: 'I'm never gonna forgive myself', over and over again.'). After the 'work', Squall looked pitiful.
Zelenick had turned an old football field into a slave bazaar, and that's where Irvine managed to sell Squall. A weird looking man looked carefully at Squall, then went off running, and soon returned with another man, -his boss- that examined Squall.
"How much do ya sell this chap?" He asked, taking his cigar out of his mouth.
"10.000 Gil. He's as wild as a lion with rabies and sly as a jackal." Irvine said, disguised as a mid aged man.
The other man looked at Squall from head to toe. "I'll buy him." He said.
Squall was loaded in a truck with five others, and taken to Dollet, where the man had his gladiator 'academy'.
Squall was sitting in the cell with the other gladiators, when the owner's footman came and told him the owner wanted to see him. Puzzled, Squall followed him.
"Thanks Wedge. Close the door now." The owner said as the got in.
Squall looked at the footman. "Wedge?" he said.
"Yes." Wedge replied smiling, not with bad intent, but rather satisfied.
"And that would make you Biggs I assume?" Squall said looking at the owner.
"Yup…But they call me Sven Biggs. Sven to you and all my lads." Biggs replied.
~*~*~*~
"Uh-oh!" Lotar said.
~*~*~*~
"And you are Squall Leonhart." Biggs said.
"You sure have a good memory." Squall replied. "I suppose this is where you get revenge?" Squall asked, preparing himself for the worst.
"No. Despite you may have thought opposite; I have no hard feelings on you or your buddies. You did what you were ordered to, so I don't blame you. After all, it was my fault for what became of me, and Wedge here." Biggs said and drew a breath of his cigar. "Although I barely know you I can guess why you're here. You wanna overthrow Zelenick, right?"
Squall nodded.
Biggs giggled. "Then welcome to the 'Red Rebels' resistance. This 'academy' for gladiators is my resistance. I hate Zelenick, and so do all my men, you included I
assume." He said, and drew another breath of his cigar. "After all, it's not a small thing when someone kidnaps your girlfriend."
"How do you know about Rinoa's abduction?" Squall asked.
Biggs laughed. "Hehe…I have eyes and ears all over Galbadia son. I pay pretty well you see… I know practically everything."
"What do you have against Zelenick?" Squall asked.
Biggs face turned cold, and his voice even colder. "That brat is the reason my son died. He used to be in Garden, much like you are. When Galbadia Garden was
invaded, he was killed." He said, taking his cigar and dropping it on the floor. He stepped on it with his foot and continued. "You look a lot like Zac. He used to be as edgy as you are now. 'Cause invading Deling and planning to overthrow its emperor IS edgy. Get my drift kid?"
"Yeah. What I don't get is how you ended up like this." Squall said.
"We both quit the army, soon after you finished with this Ultimecia lady." Wedge said. "We went together around Galbadia and then, when Zelenick made his coup
d'etat, we decided to create another resistance. And we used the gladiator academy as a cover."
"I see." Squall said.
"Now, to business. Tell me about your plan." Biggs said. "You ain't gonna win anything staying silent. I'll find out, one way or another. It's better if you say on your
own." He added, sitting at his desk.
Squall explained, without much detail, his ideas.
"I'm impressed kid. That's a fine plan, doin' it the dirty way. Good on you." Biggs commented. "Now, on more important things. What else can you use besides a
Gunblade? I can't equip you with one, for now. You do need a weapon for the arena show…"
"Well…I guess I could use a sword…preferably a broad one…" Squall said after some though.
"Benne…" Biggs said noting it down. "Now, you have a nickname of some sort?"
"Why?"
"You can't really walk around with your real name! One man learns it, and Zelenick has you dead by the stake and rotting before you say 'Deling'." Biggs said sharply.
Squall thought. "Jeremiah…" he said.
"Jeremiah?" Wedge repeated.
"It's my middle name. No one knows it. I…was embraced by it, so I kept it to myself." Squall said."
"Hrm…Alright. Now you're known as Jeremiah." Biggs said, lighting another cigar. "Wedge, take 'im back to the cells. Jeremiah, listen to me son, and you'll make it. And try and make a good friend or two among the others. At least, you'll be sure they won't stab you behind your back."
Squall nodded, and turned to leave, escorted by Wedge.
"And another thing…" Biggs said. "Remember: Squall Leonhart is dead son. Now, there's only Jeremiah…"
Squall nodded.
Back in the cells, Squall sat looking down and deep in his thoughts as usual. Another man was looking at him with persistence. Then he got up and sat next to him.
"Mind if I see that injury? On your arm." He said.
Squall looked up at him.
"I'm a doc you know." The man said urgently.
Squall shook his shoulders. The man examined the wound then tore a piece of his clothes and tied it up.
"I know you dude." The man said afterwards. "You're that Squall Leonhart kid, from Balamb Garden. I'd never forget you…"
Squall looked at him with curiosity and anxiety. Where did he know him from, and would he be an ally or an enemy?
"I'll remind you…Deling Parade, in honour for Edea…the carousel clock…you jumped off it, and landed on a soldier below." The man said.
"It was you?"
"Yeah. You broke me a rib or two, but I ain't angry. It was late when I realized you guys were right. After all, we're in the same shit now, so there's no gain in fighting. By the way, name's Vermillion O' Flaherty." Vermilion said.
Squall looked at him, measuring him. He wasn't older that 25, with black hair and green eyes. He could be considered handsome but for the scars across his face, that had cut his nose diagonally, separated his mouth vertically and passed over his left eyebrow.
"Squall Leonhart is dead. I'm Jeremiah." Squall said emphatically.
Vermillion nodded. "Jeremiah…"
~*~*~*~
Boko and Lotar were listening to the story TK and Angelo told them with their eyes and ears peeled open.
"Come on! Get on with it!" Boko said.
~*~*~*~
Their training began the next day. In public too. Jeremiah and Vermillion were standing back-to-back, dealing with their opponents. Jeremiah delivered rather sharp
and quick slices with a broad sword, while Vermillion was specialized with more smooth and heavy blows with an axe. Each had an extra dagger tied on their hip.
As a duo they were very good. Biggs was impressed.
"Oh, good God." He thought as he saw Jeremiah beheading another gladiator with no mercy. "Oh, good God, where does a man keep so much rage and hate? He must love her more than we can imagine. The guy who sold him to me was right. He's worse than a lion with rabies and sly and pitiless as a jackal. I'd add he's as accurate as a hawk and silent as a blarney serpent."
Then he thought of an idea.
"Wedge," he told to his footman. "Do me a favour and go send a message to Tedious that I want to see him please."
Wedge nodded and ran off.
"Tedious? Why does he want to see the palace man? Could he want to ask him to do something from in the Imperial Palace?" he thought.
Later, Biggs went to the cells to see his men. They were eating. He walked around the cells without talking, looking at them. But he did nod to Jeremiah.
"I heard you sent Wedge to go find someone…" Jeremiah whispered to him, as he got close.
Biggs was impressed. "How'd you find out?" he asked.
Jeremiah winked with a smile.
"Hehehe…you're getting better kid." Biggs giggled.
Tedious Avan arrived in Deling two days later. Tedious was a magistrate, something like a duke, which had himself in the Imperial Palace, and often saw the Emperor. This evening he headed straight for the gladiator academy Biggs owned, and told the doorman Biggs was expecting him. As he got in the academy, Wedge led him to Biggs' office.
"Welcome Tedious; it's been a while." Biggs said.
"Good to see you Sven. What is it this time?" Tedious said.
"I have a chap here…he's up for something big." Biggs said.
"Oh? Is it another gladiator with experience in massacres?" Tedious sarcased.
"Not exactly…" Biggs said and showed him the window.
They both looked. The gladiators were training in the arena, battling monsters.
"They guy's the youngest one, with the sword." Biggs said.
Tedious watched Jeremiah as he cut a Geezard in half.
"So? What is there special about this young man?" he asked.
"Look…" Biggs said. He took a mic from his desk and gave an order to the gladiators. "Alright boys! Time for hardcore battle! Jeremiah, you're the lucky one today! Bring it in!"
Jeremiah smiled. He looked at the gate closing the cage of the biggest monster. Every day, Biggs picked one out of random, or by volunteer to battle a big monster.
"Wonder what's for today…" Jeremiah thought.
The gate opened and the probably biggest Torama he had ever seen in his life jumped out roaring.
"Hello kitty!" Jeremiah laughed.
Vermillion was impressed. Jeremiah flung in battle with no regrets, no hesitations. He didn't care if he lived or died. Jeremiah approached the large cat carefully, advancing from the side. The Torama kept its eyes on its opponent, and then jumped at him. Jeremiah fell backwards and drew his dagger as the cat flew over him. He stabbed it, cutting its stomach in length. The Torama let a cry and landed on its legs. It roared and attacked again, this time charging on Jeremiah.
Jeremiah stood steadily on his feet and grasped his sword with both hands. As the great cat drew nearer, he jerked his armed hands. The Torama 'hit the brakes' and Jeremiah only hit its cheek. He wouldn't let the carnivore recover; he dashed at it, and unleashed something like Renzokuken. He hit a combo of four blows, killing the Torama.
"Good Jerr, but may I remind you, we said you're not supposed to use the Renzokuken again or you'll blow your head off son." Biggs commented.
Jeremiah made a face of reaction and then followed the rest of the gladiators to their cells.
"Get my point now?" Biggs said, drawing a breath of his cigar.
"Yes…And I happen to know the boy. It's Squall Leonhart, isn't it? I'd recognize that Renzokuken anywhere." Tedious said. "I remember when I saw his unleashing it against Edea. I will never forget it."
Biggs appeared to have no reaction to those words, but he drew a dagger from his belt, grasped Tedious by the collar, and pressed the dagger on his neck.
"One soul learns this secret, and you're dead Tedious." Biggs said.
"[Gulp] Sven, you know I will take this secret with me to my grave. After all, he may be the answer to our problem. He may be able to do what we can't; overthrow Zelenick." Tedious said.
Biggs nodded with a grunt, and let Tedious go.
"I'd like to talk with him." Tedious said.
~*~*~*~
"Hmmm…seems to me that this Tedious guy played a big part later in the story, right Angelo?" Lotar said scratching his head.
"You're right Lotar, he did." Angelo replied.
"To put it lightly, he became their ears and eyes about The Imperial Palace, and about Zelenick and Rinoa's condition, but it was actually someone else who was officially in charge of checking up on those two." TK said.
"Oh, I'm so curious about the rest of the story! Go on TK!" Boko said.
~*~*~*~
Jeremiah and Vermillion were sitting in their cell when Wedge and some other footmen brought in a new gladiator, a tall and bulky black man. They put him in the
same cell with Jeremiah and Vermillion, which happened to host just the three of them now. Vermillion didn't pay much attention, but Jeremiah was looking at him, full of curiosity.
"Who are you?" he asked him, trying to be at least a bit polite.
"Ahhhggg…" They man groaned and showed his throat, making a swift move and pinched his lips together.
"I think he means he's mute…" Vermillion said.
The man nodded. Then he touched his chest, and drew letters on the dirt floor.
"His name's Duke." Jeremiah said. He pointed at himself and said: "I'm Jeremiah and he's Vermillion."
Duke nodded. He looked around to see if the coast was clear and then wrote Zelenick's name on the floor and made a face of disgust. Jeremiah and Vermillion
giggled and nodded affirmatively. Duke was very happy, and showed it with a big, white grin.
Tedious and Jeremiah met a day after. Tedious studied Jeremiah's face, as Biggs watched.
"Yes, I knew you were the Leonhart. I'm Tedious Avan, magistrate of the Emperor." Tedious said.
"He's our man inside the Imperial Palace." Biggs explained. "I've explained him your plan."
"Can you help us recover the information we need?" Jeremiah asked.
Tedious stirred and scratched his head. "Ehhh…It'll be very hard, but I'm going to try. There's no guarantee I'll make it, but what the hell…I'll do anything to help
restore peace in Galbadia."
"I appreciate that." Jeremiah said.
"What about your partners? What have they gathered?" Tedious said.
"I don' know for the time being." Jeremiah replied. "One of them should come in contact with me soon."
Tedious nodded affirmatively, and then announced it was time he left. He asked Jeremiah to contact him when there was information. Jeremiah was left alone with
Biggs and Wedge who came in, and told something to Biggs.
Now Biggs stirred perplexed. "Erm…kid, I've got some news for you…Not the best one's you've heard…I guess a noblelady is…interested in you…oh, geez…" he said.
Jeremiah's face took an odd expression, which showed his disappointment and disgust at the same time. "Don't tell me…Oh no man, no, not that!"
"I'm afraid so…" Biggs said. "Two of them are already here."
"Uhm…I don't wanna sound stupid but…why don' you take it more lightly? I mean…they're just women!" Wedge pooped up.
Jeremiah had a facial expression like he was gonna throw up. "I can't believe there are women that will go with gladiators, just for the pleasure of saying they have a
forbidden lover that is just there when they want him and if he dies just forget about him. That thing disgusts me."
"I know kid, me too. But, you have to put up with it. If you don't, they'll take it as a personal offence and have you taken down, not to mention you might blow off the whole cover and your plan." Biggs said.
As Wedge led Jeremiah back to his cell, he told him some things.
"Maybe you should try to politely turn them down. Try not to offend them…Say you have a love somewhere in the world…maybe they'll get touched…"
"Wedge…" Jeremiah said.
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
Vermillion was quite shocked when he talked with Jeremiah about it.
"You don't like it!? Man, you're weird…There's one for me too, and I'm all happy about it! And if the lady's pretty…" he said and whistled.
Duke made a facial expression and pocked Vermillion's temple with his finger.
"Yeah, yeah…say what you want Duke, you're just jealous!" Vermillion said.
Duke's eyes peeled open and he made a gesture like he wanted to strangle himself.
"I guess it's not so Vermillion…" Jeremiah said and a faint smile lighted his face. The other two didn't show it, but they were glad Jeremiah got off his depression a
little.
~*~*~*~
Jeremiah was put into a room with a bed and was ordered to wait there for the first of the two women. He was more than in a bad mood right now, and felt like he wanted to hang himself. It wasn't so much t what was going to happen that bothered him; it was the people who forced him to do it. Jeremiah had his own beliefs about sex and those things. He believed nothing should be rushed and no one should be forced or urged upon it. He never urged Rinoa and neither had she ever urged him, and he was quite shocked when she first asked to discuss about it with him. Rinoa had found it unusual for a guy to be so patient with a girl, but he had reminded her that he was never like anyone else; he had to be different in every way.
When the door opened with a soft crack, his hair stood on end from rage. He felt like an enraged dog. The woman avoided looking at him. She closed the door, inspected the room for cameras or other gizmos and then took off the scarf that covered her face. Jeremiah smiled and calmed down at the sight of her face. Quistis…
"Hi Quisty." He said and his face got brighter.
"Hi Squall…Or should I call you Jeremiah?" she replied with a smile. "Gosh, the beard changes your face a lot, I barely recognised you."
"Yeah, I guess it does…Leaving your hair loose changes you too."
Quistis sat on the bed next to him. "So, how are you?"
"I'm pushing it…" he replied.
"I saw two of your battles. Your style changed. We're quite worried you know."
"You don't have to worry about me." Jeremiah said and told her about the situation he was in.
"I see…so we meet again with Biggs and Wedge."
"Yeah, I'm glad they're on our side now. Biggs is actually a nice man. So, how are you guys doing? Did you gather any info?"
"Just bits. We found that Zelenick's nickname while he was a criminal was 'BlackJack'." Quistis said.
"'BlackJack'…I'll be…"
"You know it?"
"Should I?"
"As far as we could find, he's guilty for 12 murders and 56 robberies and other forgeries, and a whole bunch of other charges."
"I see…do we have proof of them?"
"Not for all of it, but Zell's doing a great job."
"Zell? I can't believe it…"
"It's thanks to him we have the juiciest info. He really is a good hacker and he won't even admit it!"
"Sheezz…I should give him some credit…"
"Oh, you bet. He's the one that urges all us rest. It's really funny hen he yells at us saying: 'C'mon! Try to work harder guys! Let's not leave Squall down!'" Quistis
said imitating Zell's voice. "He really believes in you…"
Jeremiah giggled. "Darn him…I'm sure he'll do it all fine. Do you know if Rinoa got Angelo and the message?"
Quistis shook her shoulders. "I'm not sure, but I'm hoping she did."
"I wish there was a way I could contact her…" Jeremiah said.
"We'll find a way, don't worry." Quistis said. "So, I guess there's a gadabout waiting for your 'services'…goodness! What freaks they are! I've seen some!"
Jeremiah made a face of disgust. "I'll have to find a way to avoid this. I hate this! I feel like a jigolo!"
"I guess it wouldn't matter if it was Rinoa?" Quistis said to tease him.
Jeremiah laughed. "I certainly hope she stays away from places like this, or I'll have to spank her!"
Quistis stayed for a bit longer, then left. They only let Jeremiah alone for 10 minutes, then another, very beautiful young woman came in, dressed in clothes 'full of lace' and wearing a very heavy perfume.
"Hello hunk…" she said and Jeremiah's face took a shocked expression.
"She's been taking drugs…what a pathetic figure." He thought.
"My name's Catherine, but they call me Cat. I'm the daughter of the Duke of Dollet."
"Nice to meet ya." Jeremiah said. "Now get outta here."
"What!?"
"I said: get outta here. I'm not interested."
"Oh, how much I care." Cat said and she looked at him.
"I'm serious."
"So am I." Cat said and made herself comfortable on the bed.
"I said I'm not…!!" Cat had grabbed Jeremiah's face and kissed him.
Jeremiah pushed her away and she laughed. He coughed and looked at her shocked.
"Are you deaf!? I told you I don't want anything to do with you!"
"Shut up! You are and I say so!" Cat snapped.
Jeremiah got furious. He didn't want to resort to this, but it seemed the only way. He grasped her throat, and told slowly, word by word to her: "I have no intention of wasting my time with you, or any other bitch like you. And if you want to ask about the girl that just left, she was one of my sisters. Now, I want you to be a good girl and leave the room, saying I'm not your type after all. I'm not bad, but I can get drive myself into a really bad tantrum and go nuts if I have to. You've heard I killed two of my own comrades for no good reason now, didn't you? Now go, and I'm sorry if I hurt you."
Cat nodded, and left, barely holding her tears. After a while, Wedge came in, and smiled at Jeremiah as he led him back to his cell with Vermillion and Duke.
~*~*~*~
"Hmmm…this seems that went a bit too far." Boko commented.
"Yeah, I mean if a guy says no, a guy says no! This is nuts!" Lotar added.
Angelo giggled. "Why you two bother saying things like these in front of TK? He's a robot, what does he know about such things?"
"I'll excuse that interruption Angelo, because you are right; my mathematical accuracy is somewhat boring. I envy humans." TK replied.
~*~*~*~
"OUCH!" Zell yelled after Irvine stepped for third time on his foot.
"Sorry man!" Irvine said.
"God Irvine, can't you control your fucking feet?!"
"I'm nervous Zell! I can't help it! And you get in the way!"
"Oh, shut up both of you!" Selphie shrieked. They were heading along with the crowd in the colosseum in Deling, where Jeremiah and his comrades had been transported after Dollet. Now it was serious battling, and they would be before the Emperor himself. The trio made themselves comfortable in three seats especially picked to view the Imperial Booth across them. Zell used small binoculars to see across.
"Is he there?" Irvine asked.
"He's getting there now…Rinoa's not with him." Zell reported.
"Maybe he doesn't want her to see these massacres…The bastard." Selphie said chowing down a packet of potato chips.