Ch 23 – July VS Grey

Zell opened his eyes and looked up at the blue Estharian roof, momentarily unable to tell where he was.

His vision was blurry, and he blinked several times and lifted a hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes, careful not to waker Angel, who slept clinging to him as she usually did. He rubbed his eyes, before scratching the base of his scalp as he tried to recall what he did last night.

Advancement ceremony…dinner with Justice and Laguna in the Presidential Dining Room…having to tell Ma that she's had enough to drink…hmmm, what else?

He looked down at the sleeping girl and smiled. Oh yeah.

Disengaging himself gently, he rolled over and slipped out of the expensive silky sheets, scratching the back of his neck as he padded through the thick carpet over to the bathroom.

Hyne, I need to pee…he thought to himself, quickening his pace and shutting the door behind him before relieving himself. Flushing and hoping that the noise wouldn't wake Angel, he washed his hands and splashed some cold water on his face.

Absently he recognised the Odine bracelet still on his arm, and twisted it around so the face faced him. He frowned as he looked down at the readout. It's not quite done yet…I thought it was supposed to be done yesterday. He shrugged. Ah well. It looks like it's almost done, anyways. My fight isn't until midday anyways. It ought to be done by then.

He splashed some water on his face once more and wiped it with a towel, looking at himself in the mirror. His tattoo flared at him, and he smiled at the memory of getting it.

"What are you smiling at, tough guy?"

Zell turned to see Angel standing in the doorway, holding the door open with a slim hand, her body wrapped in a towel. He smiled at her. "Sorry if I woke you."

"No bother." She said, dismissing his remark easily, before walking up and giving him a gentle kiss on the lips, before looking up at him once more. "So, what are you smiling at?"

"Oh…nothing…" Zell said, turning back to look at his reflection. "I was just remembering how I got my tattoo…" He raised a hand and rubbed the blackened area of skin gently. "A bunch of guys and me had gone to Deling City after being accepted into Garden. We walked around, and found this little seedy tattoo parlour in an alley. We were only twelve at the time – we thought it would be really cool to get some tattoos. All I remember was a lot of pain and my friends cheering me on, but when I woke up in the hotel the next morning, I saw the tattoo and freaked."

Angel walked up behind him, wrapping one arm around his midriff as she traced the pattern of the tattoo with a finger. "What did you do?"

Zell grinned. "The first thing I did was puke. Then I beat the crap out of my friends for making me do it. Then I got such a grounding from Ma." He chuckled. "The more that I look back at it, the more it seems so funny. I still remember how Ma had held my head under the water as she tried to scrub the bloody thing off…but it was permanent." He shook his head and sighed. "After a year or so, people simply got used to it. I was always reckless and gung-ho anyways – the tattoo is like an outward expression of my soul."

Angel smiled, resting her head on his back. "Ooo…getting philosophical now, huh?"

Zell cleared his throat hurriedly. "Erm, of course not!"

Angel giggled. "Yes you are! You're very thoughtful. You're always thinking of everybody but yourself…that's one of the reasons why I love you."

Zell smiled, turning and wrapping her up in a big muscly hug. "Thanks babe."

She cuddled against him, her warmth making him feel like a million gil…before they heard a knock on the door. They both tensed. Apart from Angel, who was wearing a small towel, they were both wearing basically nothing at all. Zell looked down at her with a cheeky glint in his eye. "Wanna go see who it is?"

She smirked up at him and removed her towel, wrapping it around him instead. "I need to have a shower first." Turning his head up from his wide-eyed gaze at her body with a delicate push at his chin, she tucked the hem of the towel into itself and pushed him out the door, closing it with a small bang.

Zell looked back to see if he could catch one last glimpse – but missed out. "Aiyaaa…" he muttered to himself, scratching the back of his neck as he walked to the front door.

He opened it to see July standing in the corridor, her long blond hair pulled back into a long pony tail. She was wearing a white blouse and some white tracksuit pants, her gloves a brilliant white as well. It was true what Justice had said. She looked like an Angel, her clothing so bright it was painful to look at. She smiled up at him. "Hi, Zell." She looked down his battle-scarred torso, seeing that he was wearing only the towel. "Have I caught you at a bad time?"

Zell heard the shower in the bathroom turn on, and he looked down at her. "Yes. Sorry. Come back some other time."

He moved to close the door, but she quickly put her foot in the door. "No, wait! I need to tell you something!"

Zell opened the door fully, standing in the frame to block her way in. "Look, July, you're a nice girl and everything, but you and me…well, there is no you and me! I love Angel, and that's all there is to it, ok?"

His own harsh words shocked him, and it looked like each syllable struck July like Bahamet's Mega Flare, her face grimacing with each word. She moved up close, however, trying to make her way into the room. "Its…it isn't about us. It's about the…" she raised her head to his ear, whispering the word. "…Assassin."

Zell's eyes widened, and he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. She began to walk up to him and speak, but he grabbed her arms and shook her violently. "Who is it? I was so close in Centra! Who is it!?"

She blinked back tears as she spoke. "He's…he's been sneaking out almost every night ever since the Tournament began…and for the last few nights I've followed him…and he's been meeting with the Galbadian girl, Emily!"

"Who, damn you!!" Zell yelled.

"I…I think it's Grey."

Zell was confused with his reaction. He felt like he should have been shocked, been surprised even minutely…but he wasn't. All he felt was a kind of…relief? From finally finding out who the bastard was, to finally find out who it was…and, to tell the truth, to finally confirm his beliefs. "Grey…I shouldn't have doubts my instincts…"

He released July and walked over to the wall, leaning against it with a hand. She took a step forward, hugging herself as she spoke. "They…they would talk for hours…sometimes all night…I…I figures they knew each other…but when they began to use the knife…" She shuddered. "Zell…don't blame him. He's been…manipulated, or something. He's always been deathly afraid of knifes and swords – that's why he's Duelist."

Zell narrowed his eyes. That's right. He shied away from Squall when he showed them the LionHeart…he even seemed afraid of the gunblade. "What for? Why's he afraid of pointy objects?"

"His first mission was a failure…him and several others were doing body-guard duty for some rich person…and he was captured and tortured by some SeeD haters. They…they cut him all over his body, slashed bits of flesh and skin off…it was horrible when we managed to rescue him…" Her voice quivered. "What…what are you going to do to him?"

Zell stood up straight, re-tightening the towel around his waist. He looked down at his hands. "I…I don't know. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

"Please…don't kill him."

The words were weak, and even if she had screamed them at him, they would have fallen on deaf ears. Grey was destined to be taken down by Zell's hands – that Zell was certain. "I'll try…" he said, to ease her worries. "…But I'm not making any promises."

"He'll…he'll know I've talked to you. He always knows." She stepped forward. "I might die in the next round…if I do…"

Zell rolled his eyes. "You won't die. You're too good for that."

She shook her head. "I'm going to die…but I want you to know…that it's been good…getting to know you. You've been…my idol…ever since I saw you, three years ago…" The tears became too much for her to bear, and she suddenly turned and ran out of the room.

Zell watched her go but made no attempt to stop her. What had been a fantasy for her had horribly come to a shocking conclusion – he had set his boundaries, and no matter how hard she would push at them, he would hold them up. He already had someone in his life…and nothing would come between what they had formed.

Angel poked her head out from around the door, her hair wet from the shower. "Who was that, Zell? I thought I heard yelling."

"It was nobody, love…nobody…"

*          *            *

Zell was preparing for his match, his fists tightly covered with the Uber Ehrgiez Gauntlets, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. Almost every other match he had performed in before had been without him meditating. The actual meditation didn't affect his performance one bit – it simply cleared his mind, strengthening his resolve. Angel sat in front of him, watching his face and body intently. It was reputed that whenever Zell could be bothered to meditate before a major battle or bout, he never moved one inch, always staying in one spot. It was said that he could sense everything around him, right down to the heat emitting from a pot of hot coffee and the button you are about to press on the remote control.

Right now he was about to show off his skill. "Squall's coming down the hall, Angel." He said suddenly, making Angel start with surprise. "Be a doll and open the door for him, please."

She did as he said, getting up out of her own lotus position and moving to the door, opening it and looking out. Squall had his hand just where the doorknob would be, and looked down at her with muted shock. "He's meditating, huh? I hate it when he does that…"

Angel nodded up at her Commander, and tilted her head to one side. "Do yo wanna talk to him, or do you wanna come back later?"

"No. Just tell him to turn the TV on to the channel with the Tournament broadcasting. July and Grey are about to start, and I think he'll want to watch the results."

She nodded and he turned succinctly and left, her shutting the door. She turned around to face Zell, who hadn't moved an inch. "I heard." He said quietly as she opened her mouth. "Turn the TV on to channel thirty-five."

She did as she was told, moving around him and grabbing the remote control from the bedside dresser. She looked around the room, but didn't see where the TV was. Shrugging, she pressed the 'on' button, and a large TV emerged slowly form the roof, just a few feet from the end of the bed. Clambering up onto the fluffy sheets, she switched the channel to thirty five, the words 'Esthar Sports' flashing on the screen before the picture took over.

A commentator stood, microphone in hand, next to the transportation device that would take the fighters to the designated battle zone, and was talking to the camera. "…And the next fighter is known as Grey, another White SeeD." He turned to Grey, who was sitting quietly on the device, one leg folded over the other, his arms crossed defiantly. The commentator bravely shoved the microphone in his face. "So, Mr. Grey, what do you think the outcome of the battle will be?"

Grey looked up at the man with daggers in his eyes, but answered the question. "I'll win. July will lose. It's that simple."

"Do you see any difficulty in defeating your comrade?"

"I foresee no difficulty…"

"How do you feel, fighting your friend? Fighting the person you've trained beside for years?"

"I feel nothing. She is a contestant, just like I am, and we were drawn to fight together. I wouldn't feel any different if I was fighting Zell Dincht, or Clara Justice."

"But…this girl is your friend? You're comrade?"

"Yes…"

"How do you feel to know that you're going to be fighting against someone who has defended you in battle many times before?"

Grey looked at the man now. "I don't feel anything at all."

The commentator and Grey locked eyes for a second, before the commentator straightened up, clearing his throat and facing the camera. "Well…very stoic words from Grey. We'll be back after these short messages."

Angel suddenly realised that Zell was sitting next to her, watching the screen with interest. "So, who do you think will win?" she asked him, draping an arm over his shoulders.

He snuggled in closer and rested his head against her tiny shoulder. "It's pretty close. July is good at magic, but Grey is good at physical attacks. Grey scored higher in the tally, however, which signifies how much these guys underestimates magic."

"Yeah…by the way, how's your little thing?"

Zell looked down at the little wristwatch. "It's still not done yet, which is a bit unnerving…but it's almost done, or at least it says it's almost done." He lifted it up for her to see the little red dial. "See? Almost done."

"Good…oh! It's back on!!"

They both looked up at the screen as the advertisement for dog-food finished to be replaced with the faces of July and Grey. A voice-over man spoke as their statistics ran under the mug shots. "The White Angel VS Brutal Grey, both White SeeDs, both fighting for the final round! Both have an equal share of winning the round, but only one will emerge the victor! Who will win?! We're about to find out."

*          *            *

July stepped off the device and moved away from it to give it a bit of extra room for take-off. The Estharian landscape surrounding them was barren and coloured a rocky red, the dust staining the bottom of her white shoes. She bent down to re-tie them, making sure the knots are firm.

Grey stepped off the device and moved away too, walking away slowly, his arms still crossed in a defiant matter, as if he didn't want to be there.

They both watched as it lifted off the ground with a hum and took off at astounding speed, their final chance to back out of the pain about to come vanishing in the distance as quickly as it had brought them there.

You could just see Esthar City on the horizon, flickering with blue light and glinting brightly in the morning sun.

July checked to make sure that her gloves were snug, and took her position, her legs just a little out of shoulder length, her left arm bent behind her back, her right extended out, her jaw set.

Grey still stood with his arms crossed, his light-grey clothing form the night before traded for some darker grey ones. He wore no gloves. "Last chance to back out, July." He muttered. "You can still run back to Dincht. Not that he'll be able to protect you."

July blinked, but kept her stance. "Just…tell me why, Grey. Why betray us?"

Grey smirked at her comment, and uncrossed his arms, tilting his head to the side, his neck cracking loudly. "Why did Stern Timel climb the mountains of Galbadia??" He muttered, taking his own stance. "Because they were there."

*          *            *

"I have no idea what they are talking about, folks, but it looks like they're about to get underway!"

Angel looked down at Zell. "What did he mean, 'run back to you'?"

Zell squirmed slightly. "She's got a bit of a crush on me…I've been fighting her off me ever since we met…"

Angel 'humph'ed the remark and settled back a little further into the cushions.

"Nothing happened, I swear!!"

Her sour face didn't move as Grey suddenly launched at July, his battle-cry ringing loud and clear through the ear-pieces.

*          *            *

Grey's punch flew wide as the faster July strafed to the right, the left sailing way past her head. She savoured the surprised look on Grey's face, before kicking up with a white sneaker, catching him just under the chin and sending him flying back.

He flew back with the blow, having only just lifted his head enough for the attack to be a glancing blow, and flipped off his hands to his feet, landing on all fours like a cat. He rubbed his chin with his hand, smiling wickedly. "So, you're better then I thought…"

July resumed her former position. "I'm better then I look."

He smirked, before attacking once more, this time running forward, his fist sailing out – allowing her to fall for the feint, catching a leg with a foot and sending her sprawling to the dusty red ground.

She fell gracefully, catching her balance at the last second by extending her leg out, falling down into the splits and sending a jab into Grey's stomach.

He staggered back, his breath knocked out of him, watching as she raised herself from the position using only her legs. She stood up straight and frowned. "Stop playing with me, Grey. You're better then this."

Grey stopped pretending to grasp his stomach and stood straight, smirking. "You're exactly right, July." He said – suddenly beside her, his fist buried deep within her stomach. "I am better then this."

*          *            *

Zell sat up straight. "No way! That looked like…"

"…You're Meteor Barrett!" Angel ended, her gasp simultaneous with Zell's.

*          *            *

July seemed to cough, spewing a little blood – before the laws of physics caught up with her, launching her from Grey's fist and into the air, gravity only gently grasping her and pulling her down to the ground where she skipped, bounced, and finally lay still, her blond hair undone form her pony tail and strewn all over, her pure white clothes now stained red with Esthar's rocks and her own blood.

Grey began to walk forward, his laughter echoing around the landscape. "C'mon, July!" He yelled. "You're better then that!"

His vote of confidence was rewarded when July coughed, before lifting herself up shakily to her feet. "There you go…" Grey mocked, walking up to her as she struggled to regain some composure. Grey walked forward, slapping the left she threw at him aside and slamming his head into hers, the sickening crack as her nose broke seeming to echo around the landscape just as Grey's laughter began to die down.

She cried out in pain and began to fall backwards, but Grey grabbed her shirtfront and hammered his head into her face once more, another sickening crack emitting from the bloody mess, before he twisted her around and threw her away as casually as he would throw away an empty soda can.

She twisted through the air as he let go, however, and released a Fira at his face, the attack catching him off guard. The blast threw them aside – Grey flying back from the brunt of the attack, July still flying through the air form his toss – and they landed simultaneously with opposing 'whump's.

Grey was the first to stand on his feet groggily, shaking his head as the last of the fire died down, his face and upper body scorched, his shirt in burnt tatters. July managed to wrestle herself to her feet too, running a hand over her face, the green light of the Cura seeming to make her nose pop back into joint as easily as clicking two Lego pieces together.

"So, you wanna play like that, huh?" Grey growled, baring his teeth in an animal snarl as he set his arms at his side, his biceps suddenly bulging as he tensed every muscle in his body.

July widened her eyes, and immediately threw up her Shell.

Grey suddenly threw his arms out, the Quake rippling through the ground towards her at a mile a minute. The earth beneath her trembled violently, as if Gaia herself was unhappy with her presence, but the Shell kept her level, minimising her injuries as she bounced around the moving earth.

When the Quake stopped, July shook her head and looked up – to see Grey running towards her with astounding speed, his feet making tiny clouds in the ground – to launch a knee attack into her belly, lifting them both up and off the ground. Grey grabbed her shoulders and bent her down, so he landed on top, and he rode her over the rocky ground as if she was a sand board.

The pain was excruciating for July, and she screamed with pain as she managed to flip up and over, tossing Grey off her and causing them to switch places, him now underneath her as their ride came to a halt. She took the initiative; smashing two fists into his face, king hitting him for all she was worth, before her slapped her aside with a backhanded fist, knocking her off him and onto the ground once more.

He climbed onto her back and pinned her arms to the ground, grabbing a fist full of her shiny blond locks and lifting her head up off the ground…before slamming it down violently, her cries of agony only making him smash her face down harder and harder, a puddle of blood forming as her cries got weaker.

*          *            *

"My Hyne…" Angel whispered, gripping Zell's arm tentatively as she watched the fight go on, the surveillance bee's hovering in for a closer look. "…He's going to kill her…"

Zell watched on silently, his gauntleted hand gripping the remote tightly as he listened to July cry out once more.

*          *            *

Grey lifted her head up once more, showing the bee her mangled face, before letting it drop to the ground with a wet 'splut'. He pushed himself off her and cracked his knuckles, before spitting on her unmoving body. "Get the medics over." He muttered, turning away form her and moving back to where the transport would arrive.

He didn't see July open her one good eye, or sense the Curaga as she allowed it to flow through her body. He only felt it as she suddenly jumped up onto his back, like a monkey, wrapping her arms and legs around him. He grunted as he fell forward, landing on his face with all the grace and skill of a falling tree.

Quickly jumping up to her feet, July grabbed her left hand with her right and pointed the palm at Grey, the power growing to immense heights before she screamed the activating word. "Meltdown!"

The non-elemental blast rocked the ground as it burrowed deep into the earth, creating a gigantic tunnel as the massive energy cu through the sun-hardened bed-rock and granite as if it was a hot-knife through butter.

The attack was to no avail, however, as July suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. Blinking in surprise, she twisted her head to see Grey, his hand held up and fingers spread, his palm almost touching her back as she felt the heat. "Surprise!" He yelled over the noise of the Meltdown, before snarling and gripping the raised hand with the other. "Flare!"

She had no defence against it, the Meltdown attack not finished yet. She could only take the brunt of the massive Fire elemental as it pummelled into her back like a train smashing into a brick wall, her body seeming to withstand the immense pressure for a split second – before she was picked up and carried across the fighting arena by the powerful magic, her screams the only sound carried over the roar of the Flare as it burned straight through her cloths and licked at her flesh.

*          *            *

Zell watched it all with a snarl on his face, his grip tightening and tightening on the remote – before it shattered with a resounding smash, the plastic and copper wiring flying all over the place as he suddenly stood, his fists bundled tightly at his sides as he looked at the screen. "He's playing with her! He could have knocked her out and finished her off at the start, but he's not! He's intentionally torturing her!!"

His bracelet suddenly beeped, and he grabbed it and pressed own on the flickering button. It was like a sudden rush of adrenaline, everything pouring back, every junction returning to its original place, every GF taking his or her separate place in his brain. He welcomed it back with pleasure, seeming to draw it all in with one big breath…before wrenching the device from his wrist and crushing it with one squeeze.

Angel was at his side in an instant, looking at the glint in his eyes. "Zell…what are you going to do…"

But her words fell on deaf ears as Zell kicked down the door of the Estharian apartment and vanished in a flash of red light.

*          *            *

At the end of a large funnel dug out of the ground, lay July, her bright white cloths a thing of the past, tatters from the massive Flare attack. The ground around her had been melted into glass, and the Shell she had managed to put up at the very last second still flickered around her weakly, before dying completely.

She picked herself up from the rubble, throwing rocks off her body painfully as she stood on trembling feet once more, not wanting to give up. Her blond hair had been burnt down, her long tresses now only reaching her neck. Her breath came in short gasps, and she gulped at them like a newly caught Balamb fish.

She watched, painfully, as Grey walked through the smoking rubble towards her, unable to run, only barely able to stand. She put up her fists weakly, defiantly to the last breath.

He stopped before her, placing a hand on a hip, surveying what he saw. "Hyne, July…" he muttered, emotion suddenly in his voice. "You're a wreck."

He walked forward, and she pawed her chest pitifully in a vain attempt to fend him off, but all he did was push her arms down and embrace her, like a brother would do a sister. Her breaths began to slow as her defiance began to waver, and she relaxed in his strong grip. He began to brush her hair back, looking down at her. "Relax, July, relax…" he murmured softly…before twisting her head back violently, the snap seeming to report a loud as a gunshot.

*          *            *

The Haste magic seemed to flow around him without thinking as he ripped through the building, ducking in rooms and through corridors without anybody noticing him except for the red trail he left behind. Snapping through a doorway, he suddenly screeched to a halt as he looked at a TV. He was in the cafeteria, and everyone's head was turned to the TV screen.

He watched Grey drop July as if she was a rag doll, allowing her to fall to the ground limply, her head lolling to the side, her pink tongue sticking out of her mouth. The commentator seemed to sigh, his voice saddened almost beyond belief. "And…that's that fight done. Grey is the winner, after a valiant effort by The White Angel."

Zell fell to his knees and smashed a fist into the ground, the floor beneath him rocking with his fury.

*          *            *

How's this folks? A little prelude to the major battle coming up, Zell VS Clara.

And now is the question to ask yourself – is Grey really the Assassin? Or am I finally pulling your chain to give you one last twist before looping the plot around your neck and throttling you with it?

Hey! If you really like my style of writing, go and check out some of my FictionPress stuff, especially the story SuperNatural! If you like Tournament, you'll definitely like SuperNatural, especially the double Vincent fight scene! (That one rules, check it out)

Semper Fi!!

Michael Kenny

PS – In relation to the use of Meteor Barrett by Grey – anybody ca read Combat King. Also, can you find the little reference to an FFX character in this chapter? Little hint – Grey says it!