Chapter 2 A Mission
The insistent ring of the classroom phone pulled Quistis from the papers she was grading.
Dropping her pen she sighed and picked up the phone " Instructor Trepe". She listened before replying "Yes, of course. I'll be there as soon as I can, but my next class starts in ten minutes." The person on the other end answered. "Ok as soon as Xu gets here I'll be there."
Puzzled at the request to leave her students with Xu and report to the headmaster's office, Quistis gathered up the papers on her desk putting them in her briefcase absently as she tried to think of a reason Cid might want to see her.
She looked up as the door opened, to see Xu entering with several of her students. Xu came up to the front of the classroom and greeted Quistis "Hey Quistis" "Xu" Quistis nodded "do you know what's going on". Xu shrugged "Don't know but Cid has been worried about something lately. He's been on his phone all morning."
This baffled the blonde even more. Things had been good around the garden. Never better. Every thing was back to the way it had been before---before Ultimecia. The ringing bell brought Quistis out of her thoughts as students rushed into the room. "Well I guess I'd better go. The lesson for today is on my desk." " Look on the bright side, maybe Cid's sending you on a mission" Xu said as Quistis picked up her briefcase and headed for the door. "Maybe" was the reply as the door closed behind her.
Quistis headed down the hall, dodging students rushing to their classes. She nodded at students that greeted her as she passed. "Hey Quistis" Zell said as he moved beside her when she stopped, waiting for the elevator. "Oh, hi Zell. How are things?" "Alright" he shrugged "boring mostly. It's been too quiet around here." As if to prove his point he started bouncing on the balls of his feet. "So where you going. I thought you had class." He leaned in raising an eyebrow, smirking "You're not cutting, are ya." Smiling at the hyper boy next to her she replied "No, nothing so fun. I'm going to see Cid."
They stepped on the elevator when the door opened. "How about you. Where are you headed?" She asked turning away to punch the right button. "Going to the training center." Zell answered boxing at the air.
....................................
Cid sat looking grimly at his phone willing it to ring when Quistis knocked on his door. "Come in" he said curtly, looking up. "Ah Quistis, thank you for coming on such short notice. I know you were pulled out of class." Quistis looked at Cid noticing how tired he looked. "Is there a problem? Did I do something----"?
Cid waved her question away before she could finish. "There is a problem but it's not with you. Since you started teaching again, I've heard nothing but good things from your students and colleagues." He smiled at her and motioned at the chair she was standing next to. "Please sit down." Cid shuffled some papers on his desk as Quistis took the seat indicated and waited for him to speak.
"There is a situation that I need to bring you in on." Cid leaned back in his chair and looked Quistis straight in the eye. "I am sending you on a mission" he paused "Quistis, I gave this a lot of thought before deciding to send you. I have a great deal of faith that you will be able to accomplish ---- " Quistis's mind began to wander as Cid talked on. "--- Seifer Almasy" She jumped up "what did you say. Seifer what? If this has anything to do with that--that----" "Instructor Trepe" Cid said sternly "sit down and let me continue". He stood up and began to pace before turning to her once more. "Quistis, Seifer's in trouble. He's being held at the prison outside Esther City."
Quistis sighed "What did he do this time? You know, we can't rescue him every time he gets into trouble. I don't know why we should even care. After the last time you would think he might have learned something."
Cid cleared his throat. "Oh, sorry headmaster, please continue." "I understand why you feel that way. And I know the others have an even stronger dislike of Seifer. That is why I chose you for this mission. You've always had a strong sense of fairness. That and you are the only one that wont kill him on the way back" Cid smiled at the girl again. "Anyway" Cid continued, "Seifer is being held for war crimes committed during the whole Ultimecia mess." He held up his hand before she could interrupt him again. "I know, he was pardoned but Esther felt he should be punished more intensely. I believe they have had him in custody for several weeks. There have been rumors of an execution, but I think even Esther wouldn't have dared to go that far for the sake of revenge. This was all brought to my attention when Edea heard the rumors and came to me. Since then I have been in communication with the warden where he's being held and an exchange of prisoners is in the works."
"Exchange of prisoners?" Quistis questioned. "Yes, apparently there are prisoners that have more importance to Esther than Seifer Almasy." Cid smiled as Quistis put in "With his big ego, he'd hate hearing that." "Well, to wrap things up I want you ready to go as soon as plans are finalized. You will be taking a team of four SeeD's with you and the two prisoners to be exchanged, but I don't foresee any problems. The ragnorak will take you as far as the Esther border, they wont allow us to fly in their air space, and then a transport will take you the rest of the way. Do you have any other questions?"
....................................
"Time to wake up" the guard shouted as he opened the cell door and slid Seifer's breakfast in. "And I was having such a good dream" Seifer quipped back as the guard slammed the door shut. The man looked at him through the bars and shaking his head replied "Do you enjoy being a punching bag, because one of these days, Almasy, they're gonna knock that smart ass out of ya."
Seifer lay on the hard bed until the man had moved on not wanting him to see how difficult it was going to be to get up.
He sat up slowly, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. Carefully putting his feet on the floor he stood up waiting for the dizziness to pass. He looked over at the tray that contained his breakfast and sighed. "Another four star meal, I see" Seifer grumbled as he shuffled over to it.
....................................
Authors notes: Thank you Hannah for the offer. I may just need it.
The insistent ring of the classroom phone pulled Quistis from the papers she was grading.
Dropping her pen she sighed and picked up the phone " Instructor Trepe". She listened before replying "Yes, of course. I'll be there as soon as I can, but my next class starts in ten minutes." The person on the other end answered. "Ok as soon as Xu gets here I'll be there."
Puzzled at the request to leave her students with Xu and report to the headmaster's office, Quistis gathered up the papers on her desk putting them in her briefcase absently as she tried to think of a reason Cid might want to see her.
She looked up as the door opened, to see Xu entering with several of her students. Xu came up to the front of the classroom and greeted Quistis "Hey Quistis" "Xu" Quistis nodded "do you know what's going on". Xu shrugged "Don't know but Cid has been worried about something lately. He's been on his phone all morning."
This baffled the blonde even more. Things had been good around the garden. Never better. Every thing was back to the way it had been before---before Ultimecia. The ringing bell brought Quistis out of her thoughts as students rushed into the room. "Well I guess I'd better go. The lesson for today is on my desk." " Look on the bright side, maybe Cid's sending you on a mission" Xu said as Quistis picked up her briefcase and headed for the door. "Maybe" was the reply as the door closed behind her.
Quistis headed down the hall, dodging students rushing to their classes. She nodded at students that greeted her as she passed. "Hey Quistis" Zell said as he moved beside her when she stopped, waiting for the elevator. "Oh, hi Zell. How are things?" "Alright" he shrugged "boring mostly. It's been too quiet around here." As if to prove his point he started bouncing on the balls of his feet. "So where you going. I thought you had class." He leaned in raising an eyebrow, smirking "You're not cutting, are ya." Smiling at the hyper boy next to her she replied "No, nothing so fun. I'm going to see Cid."
They stepped on the elevator when the door opened. "How about you. Where are you headed?" She asked turning away to punch the right button. "Going to the training center." Zell answered boxing at the air.
....................................
Cid sat looking grimly at his phone willing it to ring when Quistis knocked on his door. "Come in" he said curtly, looking up. "Ah Quistis, thank you for coming on such short notice. I know you were pulled out of class." Quistis looked at Cid noticing how tired he looked. "Is there a problem? Did I do something----"?
Cid waved her question away before she could finish. "There is a problem but it's not with you. Since you started teaching again, I've heard nothing but good things from your students and colleagues." He smiled at her and motioned at the chair she was standing next to. "Please sit down." Cid shuffled some papers on his desk as Quistis took the seat indicated and waited for him to speak.
"There is a situation that I need to bring you in on." Cid leaned back in his chair and looked Quistis straight in the eye. "I am sending you on a mission" he paused "Quistis, I gave this a lot of thought before deciding to send you. I have a great deal of faith that you will be able to accomplish ---- " Quistis's mind began to wander as Cid talked on. "--- Seifer Almasy" She jumped up "what did you say. Seifer what? If this has anything to do with that--that----" "Instructor Trepe" Cid said sternly "sit down and let me continue". He stood up and began to pace before turning to her once more. "Quistis, Seifer's in trouble. He's being held at the prison outside Esther City."
Quistis sighed "What did he do this time? You know, we can't rescue him every time he gets into trouble. I don't know why we should even care. After the last time you would think he might have learned something."
Cid cleared his throat. "Oh, sorry headmaster, please continue." "I understand why you feel that way. And I know the others have an even stronger dislike of Seifer. That is why I chose you for this mission. You've always had a strong sense of fairness. That and you are the only one that wont kill him on the way back" Cid smiled at the girl again. "Anyway" Cid continued, "Seifer is being held for war crimes committed during the whole Ultimecia mess." He held up his hand before she could interrupt him again. "I know, he was pardoned but Esther felt he should be punished more intensely. I believe they have had him in custody for several weeks. There have been rumors of an execution, but I think even Esther wouldn't have dared to go that far for the sake of revenge. This was all brought to my attention when Edea heard the rumors and came to me. Since then I have been in communication with the warden where he's being held and an exchange of prisoners is in the works."
"Exchange of prisoners?" Quistis questioned. "Yes, apparently there are prisoners that have more importance to Esther than Seifer Almasy." Cid smiled as Quistis put in "With his big ego, he'd hate hearing that." "Well, to wrap things up I want you ready to go as soon as plans are finalized. You will be taking a team of four SeeD's with you and the two prisoners to be exchanged, but I don't foresee any problems. The ragnorak will take you as far as the Esther border, they wont allow us to fly in their air space, and then a transport will take you the rest of the way. Do you have any other questions?"
....................................
"Time to wake up" the guard shouted as he opened the cell door and slid Seifer's breakfast in. "And I was having such a good dream" Seifer quipped back as the guard slammed the door shut. The man looked at him through the bars and shaking his head replied "Do you enjoy being a punching bag, because one of these days, Almasy, they're gonna knock that smart ass out of ya."
Seifer lay on the hard bed until the man had moved on not wanting him to see how difficult it was going to be to get up.
He sat up slowly, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. Carefully putting his feet on the floor he stood up waiting for the dizziness to pass. He looked over at the tray that contained his breakfast and sighed. "Another four star meal, I see" Seifer grumbled as he shuffled over to it.
....................................
Authors notes: Thank you Hannah for the offer. I may just need it.