Ch 15 – Time Out
Zell was slightly disturbed that he felt so famished after watching Squall electrocute someone almost to death…but he realised that he hadn't eaten since that morning. And even then, he had only had a bowl of cereal, and Selphie's Curaga had only healed his body – it hadn't filled his stomach.
Moving to the leisure quarters, he walked in to see Squall sitting on the sofa, arms crossed, staring at nothing.
Zell paused, wondering whether or not to say something…but decided against it, moving past him into the tiny kitchen.
I wonder whether Squall knows that that guy wont ever forget that time they had together? Zell mused to himself as he opened the fridge. I mean, it seemed to go on forever…I'll never forget that look…
Zell shook his head to shake away the memories and grabbed the butter and some jam from the fridge, shutting it behind him as he turned to the counter. Placing the items on the counter, he turned to the bread-box and pulled out four slices of bread. Buttering the bread from a knife in the kitchen sink, he dug the knife deep into the jam, the mound of jam quivering on the tip of the blade before being spread evenly across the buttered bread…
Zell dropped the knife, the utensil clattering to the kitchen floor. He clenched the edge of the counter so hard it crumbled under his grip. He drew in a shuddering breath, and looked up to see Squall staring at him.
"What?!" He muttered, letting go of the counter and bending over to pick up the knife. "You think you're the only one who has problems, Squall?!"
Squall continued to stare as Zell finished making the sandwiches and picked one up, taking a big bite out of it. He chewed the bread and jam viciously, before swallowing with a big gulp. "I mean, its not like I don't have my own issues…" Zell muttered, his mouth half full, before he threw the bread down in a fit of frustration. "Hyne, Squall! Do you know what we did to that guy?!"
Squall's answer was quiet. Controlled. Methodical. "We extracted information from an unwilling candidate. SeeD guide, chapter three, verse thirteen – 'never give the target a name'."
"How can you be so cold, Squall?!" Zell suddenly yelled. "We've just irreversibly changed that mans life! I don't think even Justice would be able to get anything from him now!!"
"I'm not being cold, Zell. I'm being logical." Squall said, standing up and walking over to the counter, placing his hands on it. "If we had simply let that man go unpunished, he would have most likely continued to kill people. He most likely would have continued killing SeeDs. Which would you rather? An active assassin? Or an invalid assassin?"
Zell leaned close, getting right in Squalls face. "That wasn't for us to decide!"
Squall looked straight into Zell's eyes. "You're stressed. You need to relax."
Zell scoffed the comment. "Me?! Stressed!? Since when have I ever been stressed!?"
"There was that time in Timber…"
"Don't bring that up Squall." Squall blinked at the tone in Zell's voice, like a cornered animal growling at a predator. "Don't you dare bring that up."
Squall blinked once more, before leaning back. "You're relieved of all duties, Zell. I'll ask Selphie to drop you off at FH, and you can make you're way to Balamb from there. You need rest, and you need to forget about what's been happening."
Zell was taken aback by Squall's comment. "W-what?! You can't just tell me to go home!! What about the tournament?!"
"The Tournament can wait. It's already been postponed until the Galbadian government sort themselves out. It'll give you ample time to relax."
"Squall, what about the assassin?! He could strike at any time…"
"I get the feeling that he isn't going to do anything until we get to the finals." Squall said confidently. "From what I've heard, he's got too much class to strike whilst you're back is turned."
"But, Squall…"
"No buts! You're going home, and that's it!!"
* * *
Zell watched, duffel slung over his shoulder, as the Ragnarok lifted off from the makeshift landing pad next to Mayor Dobe's home, roaring into the air before shooting off into the blue horizon.
Bastards. He thought to himself, before shaking his head. No, they're not bastards, Zell. They're concerned bastards. You have been acting rather strange lately…
"Zell? Zell Dincht?"
Zell turned, half lost in thought, to see Flo, the Mayor's wife, walk down the steps of the house. "Zell! I thought it would be one of you. Who else gets around in a big red dragon?"
"Well, I hear the President of Esthar takes it out for joyrides every now and then…" Zell said with a smile, allowing himself to be hugged tightly by the old woman. After he had jump to Dobe's defence at the docks, she had always considered him like the son she had never had…even thought she still didn't like what he did for a living.
"Oh, Zell, you're too much…" she said with a laugh, before pulling herself away. "Now, lets look at you…" She looked deep into his light blue eyes, her eyes travelling over his widening grin, the fiery black tattoo. She straightened his spiked hair and smiled at him. "Well, you don't look too much different…only more…" she seemed to struggle with words.
Zell frowned. "Huh? C'mon, Flo, I'm the same as I always was."
"No, Zell dear…there's something different about you…you look more…serious."
"Flo, have you seen what I'm wearing? How can a guy who wears a shirt that says 'I'm going to kick your ass' ever be serious?"
She smiled at him. "Well…you have a point there…well, come on then. I'll make you a cup of tea."
Zell smiled, but declined the offer. "No thanks Flo. I'm under orders to get back home."
Flo's wrinkled face frowned. "Not anything violent, I hope?"
Zell laughed out loud. "No, I'm on leave. I just wanna go back and spend some time with Ma. You know how she worries about me."
"Almost as much as I worry about you, my dear…" The old woman said. "But ok. I'll tell Gerald you came around. He's at the Grease Monkey's, trying to get the TV fixed. Try to call in when you pass there."
Zell smiled at her. "I'll try. Bye Flo."
He hugged her once more, and began the long trek up the ramp, passing through the valley of solar panels that adorned the gigantic metallic crater that the FH people maintained. Not only did the FH citizens work to keep a running train and trade line to Esthar, they also powered all the train lines throughout the world through the massive solar power they are able to produce thanks to Gaia's huge burning orb and a lot of solar panels.
Not only that, but the FH people were world renowned for being able to fix and make things from scratch. Busted TV? Broken radio? Car wont run? It would take an FH child less then five minutes to figure out what was wrong, and les then ten minutes to either make it work, or improve it so it didn't need to use the broken part.
Some people think it's the fact that, because of all the solar panel, they are affected by latent radiation from Gaia's sun, magnified thousands of times over by the panels. But the FH people simply put it down to their neutral living, and all the fish they eat.
When Zell got to the top of the ramp, he stopped for a minute, thinking whether or not he should go and see the Grease Monkey. It's close to the train station…I may as well. Though Dobe will be there… Mayor Dobe was so neutral that he venomously hated anybody who took a side in anything, whether it was opposing armies or a friendly game of Triple Triads.
The good thing about this was that he never kicked anybody out for trying to believe whatever they wanted to believe…but if you didn't believe in his ways, be prepared for the biggest silent treatment since some pranksters poured Silence Powder into the Garden's air conditioning system while everybody was all asleep.
Shrugging, Zell decided to go in. Besides, he needed to talk to the Grease Monkey about something anyways.
Walking up and through the streets, he found many people patting him on the back, or simply saying hi. True to his upbringing, he politely replied, but wondered how everybody knew who he was.
It was only when he ran into Chloe, the girl who had the hots for Squall, that he found out, that he found out. She was sitting just outside the Grease Monkey's shop, and waved to Zell when she saw him walking up the road. "Hi, Zell!!"
"Hi Chloe." He replied evenly. Chloe was a nice girl, but was too out-putting. She wore really short skirts and dresses, usually see through ones, and if she ever thought you were trying to ogle, you'd get a right slapping. "Nice dress." He said, deciding to get it over and down with.
"Why, I never!!" she uttered, slapping him for all she was worth.
Zell shook his head, and blinked the tears away. "…Right. Now that's over, how are you?"
She shrugged. "Eh. Can't complain." She sat back down. "But what about you? You're a celebrity around here."
"Huh? Why?"
"Well…you are in that martial arts Tournament, right? People have been seeing it everywhere, and they're all rooting for you!"
Zell raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wow. I never thought that I'd ever actually get fans. But what are you doing sitting out here?"
"I'm waiting for the Grease Monkey to finish up so we can go and get something to eat. I'm starving, and Mayor Dobe is in there making a ruckus as usual."
"What for? Grease Monkey usually just deals in repaired good, right?"
"That's right. But he managed to fish out the machine that you guys destroyed a few years ago…it's got a really weird name, I cant pronounce it…"
"BGH251F2?"
"How do you do that?!…Anyways, he managed to fish it out and fix it up real good, as if it had never been broken or sitting on the bottom of the ocean for four years…then Mayor Dobe finds out, and begins to give him the full lecture about violence and how violence begets violence, and bla bla bla…" she sighed and adjusted her short skirt. "He's been in there for almost two hours now."
Zell frowned. "Hmpf. I've got my own business with the Grease Monkey, as if I don't get to speak to him, I'll never get it done. I suppose I'll juts have to bear the brunt of the storm." He stood and handed her his duffel bag. "hold this will you? And if I don't come back, avenge my death." That said, he set his jaw and pushed open the door to the Grease Monkey's pad…
To run straight into Mayor Dobe, finished yelling and wanting to get back home for some tea. The two of them collided; Zell's training helped him stay to his feet. Mayor Dobe, for that matter, fell like a sack of potatoes.
"Oh, Mayor Dobe, I didn't see you…" Zell said, concerned. He helped the old man up, before realising that he had just gotten in the old man's crosshairs.
"Zell Dincht!" The old man announced, like a teacher who had just picked out a child to do long division. "Why do you always have to go barging into places? Don't you ever knock?"
Zell frowned. "To tell the truth, people really don't seem to mind us going into their homes without knocking. It's actually quite strange."
"Well, to you it might be strange, but the truth is that they're scared of you're warmongering, and that you'll beat them up and steal their furniture! Well, let me tell you, you little punk, that you're kind isn't welcome at Fisherman's Horizon! If I see you gallivanting around here again with that little girl who should dress more proper, or that strange womaniser with the large gun, then you'll…"
Zell held up a hand "Mr. Mayor, please! I'm only here to tell you that Flo wants you home!!"
The Mayor instantly shut his trap and blinked. "Oh…" He pushed past Zell and walked out the door, almost bowling over Chloe in the process. She stepped in and handed Zell his duffel bag. He thanked her and moved further into the shop.
The Grease Monkey's home was a pack-rat's wet dream – piles and piles of useless stuff lined the walls, filled shelves and were cluttered on the floor in little stacks. Most of them had some use, forgotten long, long ago, and even less of them still worked.
One of the things that the Monkey still had, however, was the Moomba doll that the Shumi inventor had given him during his travels. Monkey had managed to get to the Shumi village, and get a copy made for him. Now it greeted customers as they entered Monkey's pad.
Zell watched as the little furry creature, barely four inches tall, bounded off the stool it sat on and 'meep'ed at him. It always brought a smile to his face.
"Hello? Yes?" the Grease Monkey called, coming in from out the back. True to his name, he was greasy and moved with the grace and stance of a gorilla. He smiled goofily when he saw who it was. "Zell!! Haven't seen you in a while!!"
"Yeah. Long time no see, huh Monkey?" Zell said with a grin, allowing his hand to be enveloped by a greasy grip.
"You've been knocking them dead in the Tournament, huh? Mayor Dobe tried to ban us from watching, but I managed to break his TV, so he doesn't know what's going on!"
Zell laughed. "Well, I'm glad you've been liking it. It's been postponed for a while, thought. Someone tried to assassinate the President."
The Grease Monkey's eyes went wide. "Really! Wow…"
Zell held up a hand. "Look, Monkey, it's nice to see you, but I have something to ask of you." He reached into his duffel and pulled out his Ehrgiez gloves, shaking them loose and holding them out for Monkey to see.
"Those…those are you're Ehrgiez gloves." Monkey stated, taking them from Zell gently. Chloe craned her head to see.
"Yep. I've had those babies for about…four years now, and they haven't failed me." He walked a little closer. "But I think, in the next few rounds, they'll need to be better."
Monkey looked up at Zell. "Zell…I can't work on these." He tried to hand them back to Zell. "Try the old man down at the docks. He's the weapon maker in the town…"
Zell grabbed Monkey's hand and pushed the gloves back at him. "Monkey, I need someone I know will make them better. Greg? He'll just polish 'em up and charge me a thousand Gil for it. I need them improved."
Monkey looked down at the gloves. "Zell…I don't do this kind of thing…I just fix things…make them better…"
"You can make these better. I know it. You're the best fixer this side of Balamb. I'd go to the Shumi's, or even try Esthar, but I need this to be discreet too. I need someone I can trust. And I need it soon."
Monkey looked down at the gloves once more, before looking up at Zell. "Ok, Zell." He said with a nod. "I'll do it."
Zell grinned happily. "Great! When do you think they'll be finished?"
The Grease Monkey turned the gloves over, picking at the martial and scratching the adamantine covering with a greasy fingernail. "Give me…two days. Then you can come back for testing, and I ought to be able to put the finishing touches on them after that."
"Excellent!! Thanks a lot for this, man!"
"Yeah, yeah…you know I don't usually do special requests, so consider yourself lucky, SeeD."
"I know I am, Grease Monkey, I know I am. Well, I'll see you two later." He beamed at Chloe and the goofy mechanic, and made for the door.
* * *
As the train pulled into Balamb station, Zell looked out the window of the SeeD suite. "Hyne, it's gotten dark already…" He muttered, suddenly realising how much had happened to him during the day. Hyne. I've killed off an opponent, shot, lost a friend, and left one man drooling for at least a few days. He shook his head. I've been busy.
He wondered what his Ma would think as he stepped off the trains platform, walking down the steps of the station, passing the item store. She'll probably freak. We haven't seen each other in…how long? A year? That damned embargo…
Ever since the Training Centre incident, Zell hadn't been allowed to leave the Garden unless on a mission, or unless he was accompanied by a Security official, usually Seifer.
And he didn't want Seifer poking around his home.
Walking down the pathway, he passed the weapon store and moved up the street. Coming to his home, a little blue dome dug into the ground, he looked down at the steps. Would she have been watching the tournament? Probably not…she wouldn't have wanted to watch me kill innocent people, just for money. He frowned. But, isn't that what I do for a living? Kill for money?
He shook his head and grimaced. "Hyne, Zell, you're thinking too much again." He muttered to himself, walking forward and pushing the door open. The Dincht's never locked their door.
"Ma, I'm home!" He yelled, dumping his duffel beside the door and hanging up his coat on the coat hooks.
"Zell?!"
His Ma came tearing down the steps, pausing at the landing as she saw who stood in the middle of the room. Known around Balamb and in the Garden as 'Big Ma', Zells Ma wasn't the supplest of women – but her heart of gold outshone anything else.
Tears formed in her eyes as she stepped off the stairs and ran to him, grabbing him and squeezing him to her for all he was worth. "My Hyne, I thought you were dead!" she sobbed, clutching him closer.
Zell tapped her on the back. "Ma? Ma?" He said urgently.
She looked at him, not releasing him from her grip. "What is it, dear?"
His face was red, and he pointed at his throat. "Air." He gasped.
She let go of him and he felt oxygen flow back into his lungs as she rubbed his back, laughing heartily. "Why is it that you can take on all these martial artists but you can't survive one decent hug from you're Ma?"
"I…dunno…Ma…why...is it?" Zell said with a grin, his breath returning to him.
Ma Dincht craned her head to the side frowning as she looked at him. "Are you alright, Zell?"
He stood straight, testing his lungs. "What? What do you mean?"
Ma Dincht took a step back and placed a finger on her chin, as if to assess the boy before her. "You look…different from the last time I saw you…"
Zell rolled his eyes in frustration. "What is it with people thinking I'm different, all of a sudden?! First it's Squall, then Flo, now it's you…"
Ma Dincht frowned. "Zell Dincht! Don't take that tone in this house!"
Zell sighed and let his topper half of his body to fall limp in frustration and sadness. "I'm sorry, Ma. I've just been under a lot of stress lately."
Ma smiled and rubbed Zell's back sympathetically. "I can see that, dear. Maybe you just ought to go and have a sleep, huh?"
Zell nodded, suddenly conscious of how weary he felt. "Yeah…I guess you're right, Ma…" he said, suddenly yawning. "I do feel a bit tired."
"Come on then." She said, placing a hand over his shoulder and helping him up the stairs.
They got to his room, and Zell saw that it was exactly as he had left it. T-Board leant against the wall next to the door. Punching bag with numerous round stiches in it, after putting his fist through it numerous times. His own comfortable bed, not the cots on the Ragnarok or the hard beds in Garden.
Ma Dincht sat him down on the bed and began to unlace his sneakers, like she had done all those years ago when he had come in from playing all those years ago, dead tired from running around.
She pulled his sneakers and socks off him and placed them on the floor beside the bed, and instructed him to take off his shirt. He did so, tiredly pulling the shirt off his body, before allowing his Ma to push him down onto the bed.
"Gosh, Zell…" she gasped quietly, running a hand down the long, jagged gash on his belly. "You've been busy, haven't you…" She saw the round scars just above his belly button, and the numerous other small scars added to the collection.
"I can heal the wounds, Ma…" Zell said groggily, allowing his eyes to close wearily. "But the scars remain." He frowned with his eyes closed. "I wish it was only the scars that remained…"
"So do I, honey. So do I." She ran a hand over his face with a small smile, before covering him with the sheets.
He was asleep before she left the room.
* * *
When he woke up, light pealed into the room through the Venetian blinds over his window. Obviously, they were strategically positioned so that, even if he moved the bed, the slits of light would always drop onto his face, waking him and blinding him simultaneously.
He felt well rested, if not a little stiff. He stretched his arm out to get some blood flow going – and hit something soft.
Frowning, he felt the thing with his hand. Smooth, supple texture. Warm to the touch. Yelped when pinched.
Yelped when pinched?
He swivelled his head around to see Angel, snuggled close to him under the sheets, fast asleep.
After the initial shock wore down – where the hell did SHE come from?! – He calmed down and tried to move without waking her.
Removing the sheets off his body, he saw that she was only wearing a bra and panties. Right…two avenues of procedure here. Either wake her up and do it, or retain dignity and try to move around her without poking her eye out.
Although his body screamed for the first option, his love for her battered it down and he managed to crawl around her without waking her.
Staggering down the stairs, he saw his mother making breakfast, sizzling bacon and scrambled eggs. She was humming a tune happily when he moved into the kitchen, but she stopped as she saw him walk in. "Oh, hello Zell!" she greeted him happily. "How do you feel this morning?"
"I slept like a log Ma…thanks for asking." The way she was avoiding his gaze made him suspicious. "Ma…?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you know that Angel is up in my room?"
His mother stopped flipping the bacon and turned to face him, the hand with the spatula going to her hip, a fake look of shock and surprise on her face. "Really?! Well, I never!" she said indignantly, before snorting a laugh and turning back to the breakfast.
"Ma! That's not funny!!" Zell whined.
"Well, why not? After all, she is you're girlfriend! And she's been dying from grief from all the shenanigans you've been getting yourself into. Do you know that as soon as the transmission cut on the Tournament after you got shot, she ran straight here, crying her eyes out! Poor dear was in bits…"
Zell plonked himself into a chair. "You know I had it covered."
"That's right dear. You've always got it covered." Ma agreed, before putting the spatula down and turning to him, wiping her hands on her apron. "But there'll come a time when you'll have no-one left to cover it for you. And when that time comes, it'll be you, and whoever is coming after you."
Zell nodded. "I know, Ma…and I don't want that aspect of my life to intrude on you and Angel…I wanna keep that bit of my life nicely covered up, so it can be a surprise when it turns up."
Ma Dincht frowned. "Well, I'm not so sure about you, but I don't intend to be sitting here, waiting to receive you're death papers. I want you to bury me, understand?" Her voice cracked at the last word, and a single tear trailed down her face.
Zell got up and moved to his mother, gathering her in a hug. "Ma…don't talk like that…please?"
She sobbed into his shoulder and nodded, before looking up at him. "You've grown up so much…I still remember when Pa and I got you from the orphanage…you were so full of life, so joyful, laughing at everything…"
"I'm still like that Ma. I've just got some things to think through right now. That's all."
Ma Dincht chuckled and chuffed him under the chin. "Well, don't think too much. That's what give you wrinkles."
Zell smiled. "Yeah. I suppose Squall will look like a prune before he turns thirty."
Ma Dincht threw her tea-towel at him and passed a plate to him. "Now, be a good boyfriend and go give Angel here breakfast."
Zell looked down at the plate in front of him, mounds of glistening bacon and a wobbling heap of scrambled eggs beside it. "Ma! Angel won't touch one-third of this!"
"Exactly! Which is why I've given it to you! This way, you can both eat off the same plate, and have a fulfilling meal. At least this way she wont have to wait for you to finish all the stuff you eat!!"
Zell grinned and pecked her on the cheek. "Thanks Ma." He said, before bounding up the stairs, taking them in twos.
* * *
When he got to his room he nudged the door open with a foot and moved in, nudging it closed silently with his butt.
He walked up to the bed and placed the tray of food on the bedside table, before sitting on the edge.
He looked down on Angel, her brown hair untied and flowing around her like she was lying in a puddle of chocolate. He eyes were closed, and she snored ever so silently.
He paused for a second, before leaning forward and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
She mumbled something and opened her eyes slowly, the morning light hitting them as severely as it had hit his. She looked up at him sleepily. "Good morning." She mumbled.
"Hey there." He replied with a smile. "How you feeling?"
She stretched her arms out from under the sheets and smiled fantastically. "Mmmm…good."
"Great. You feel up to bacon and eggs?"
"Do I."
"Excellent." Zell turned to the tray, picking it up and grabbing a spoonful of scrambled eggs. "Open wide."
She opened her mouth, and he shovelled the food in with a big grin. She giggled and chomped down on the food greedily, before swallowing and smiling up at him. "More, please?"
"This first." He whispered, placing the spoon down and kissing her like he never kissed her before, kissing her like he had wanted to kiss her as soon as he had accepted this awful mission, kissing her like he had no tomorrow.
