Plans…
She slowly opened her sapphire eyes, her whole world absolutely still, silent. All she could see were the cerulean eyes of Seifer looking down at her with warmth and compassion as she laid in his strong, warm embrace. Then his lips moved as if he were talking, but she could not hear the words, no matter how much she strained her ears…
The haze of sleep sluggishly diminished as her eyes began to focus in the dim lit room. Although she was finally awake, a powerful drowsiness overwhelmed her. Then Quistis realized she was sitting in a chair, with a bare light bulb hanging above her head. She willed her arms and legs to move but they were immobile. They were tied with ropes and finally, she realized and she was not alone in this strange room.
* * *
Squall entered his office and began to file through papers, when he came across something that caught his eye: Mission Files, the files that recorded what SeeDs went on what missions.
"Hmm…." Squall's curiosity took over. Quistis had been gone for two days, but where? She never told them.
'This little baby could tell me exactly. Might as well…After all I am Commander', Squall thought. As he skimmed through them he saw many that he remembered as he himself had assigned the SeeDs to the missions, which brought up the question of why Cid hadn't informed him of Quistis's mission? Strange….
He had gone through the file three times, and still he couldn't find her mission file, which was even stranger because all missions were supposed to be recorded. Immediately, Squall became worried about Quistis's well being and headed for the Headmaster's office.
Squall in his worry, barged into the office, in a very un Squall like manner. "Sir! There is something very weird about Quistis Trepe's mission…Sir…?" Cid was not in his office and after an hour of searching, the Headmaster was nowhere to be found and neither was one of the Garden's cars…
* * *
There were garbled, inaudible voices that filled the room with a dark undertone, but there were voices just the same. Where were these voices coming from? Quistis couldn't tell. All her senses seemed dulled somehow…must have been the drug. Slowly, very slowly, the sedative was wearing off and she began to comprehend the sound echoing in the dark room.
"So what exactly are we planning to do with her?"
"I already told you. She's a hostage."
"For what?"
"Listen, idiot, I am going over this one last time. She's a hostage and we're getting ransom money from the Headmaster of Balamb Garden. After we collect the money we're home free."
"…Huh? Hey, Seifer, she's waking up dude!"
"Shit! Do you think she heard?"
"I don't know…"
"If she did we'll have to kill her."
"The hell? If we do that, then how can we get the ransom?"
"We kill her after we get the ransom."
In the gloom she managed to focus her eyes on two familiar faces. Finally! Her eyes were beginning to focus again. She heard the heavy boots resound as they came closer.
"Hello, there," Seifer's deep baritone said in a low voice near her ear.
"Seifer! What the fu-" Quistis was cut off. She gasped and winced in pain as he stabbed her with a needle. It was heroin, which would sedate her for the time being.
"Got the camera ready, Rajin?"
"Yes sir!" Rajin held up the camcorder and turned it on.
"Wait where's Fujin?"
"Still on look out."
"Fine, proceed."
* * *
"Maybe he just decided to go for a drive?" Suggested the ever so optimistic Selphie as Squall and the gang sat around the lunch table. Squall had just finished telling them about the situation with the Headmaster and Quistis.
"Selphie that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say," Zell commented. "Besides how do you explain Quistis's mission?"
"I actually disagree with you there, Zell," Irvine said. "I've heard Selphie say stupider." Selphie stood up, grabbed the cowboy's hat and threw it across the cafeteria, rather than hitting him because this would cause him more pain as it landed in someone's chocolate pudding. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Irvine dropped to his knees and almost bawled. Selphie giggled and the rest of the crew joined in, except Squall, who remained serious in the matter.
"You guys! This is serious," Squall stated sternly. They calmed down a little and finally paid attention. "The headmaster and our friend Quistis are missing. I don't know if they are together, God forbid, or separate in who knows where. Look we have got to do something."
"Ok, Squall, what do you suggest we do?" Rinoa asked, finally seeing the seriousness of the situation. Squall paused to think. What could they do?
"Ok, maybe there's some kind of information in Cid's office. I don't know, like files or something."
Inside Cid's office, they frantically searched, but tried to put everything back exactly the way it was, in case Cid came back. Finally in a drawer, Selphie found something interesting.
"Hey Squall! Over here!" Selphie exclaimed excitedly.
"What is it?" Squall questioned curiously as he walked over to her and followed the rest of the gang.
Selphie carefully removed a notebook from under a huge stack of papers. "Do you know what could it be?"
"Is it a diary?" Rinoa asked.
"I'm not sure. I didn't even know he kept a diary," said Squall.
"Well don't just stand there! Open it!" exclaimed Irvine.
"Yeah! " Zell shouted.
"Shhhh!" Rinoa whispered, "We're still in Cid's office and this is punishable, you know?"
"Don't worry about it guys. We were never here." Squall took the diary that Selphie was taking way too long to open.
"This morning, I received another letter from the private detective. It gave me some grave news about my son. It said that he was safe and was living in a roach infested apartment in Timber, but was still alive which was more than I expected. I was so relieved. Now how am I to tell him that I am his biological father? Would he even believe me? Well I had to have someone to go and collect my son soon. But who is stupid enough to escort Seifer back to Balamb Garden? I couldn't. It would be to conspicuous, and neither could Leonhart, what with their past rivalries and all, plus he is now the commander. Couldn't choose Kinneas, Tilmit, or Dincht, they are too stupid and loud. And definitely not Sorceress Rinoa! That would draw way too much to attention. So, due to default of SeeD choices, there was only Instructor Quistis Trepe to choose. Now there is a SeeD who was loyal, an excellent fighter, and wouldn't ask too many questions as well as reveal too many answers. I will send her on a 'mission' to Timber to escort Seifer back to Garden for a proper trial."
