Ch 25 – The Assassin Attacks
Zell lay on the bed in his suite with Angel, the last of the Curaga cast by her seeping through his body, returning him to his maximum strength.
"Woo…" he breathed, flipping up into a sitting position. "…Feels better when someone else does it. Thanks hon." He had been marginally healed by the field medics at the fighting area, requesting that he was escorted to his room as soon as possible. A nervous and worried Angel had taken him from the escort, who looked at the weakened Zell as if he was crazy, putting so much faith in the power of the little woman he passed the powerful warrior over to.
Angel smiled at him. "That's ok, but you'd better make sure you get some rest. You really put a strain on your paramagic out there. Try not to overdo it at the party tonight, ok?"
Zell looked at her with a confused frown. "Party?"
"Didn't you know? To celebrate the finalists. You and Grey are the guests of honour."
Zell shook his head and looked down at his hands, freed from their metallic restraints. "Grey doesn't deserve anything."
Angel bit her bottom lip, watching as Zell agonised over July's death. She pulled him into a warm hug, not allowing him to see her face. "What's…done is done, honey. You can't change it, and you couldn't have make it any different."
Zell said nothing.
* * *
The door suddenly opened, and Rinoa walked in. Rinoa wasn't one for subtly, and she usually barged in unannounced a lot – which usually made for an embarrassing scene. Right now she took one look at the position Angel and Zell was in, and about faced, her pretty face beginning to turn crimson. "Whoops!! Aiyaa, I'm sorry! I'll leave you guys alone…"
Angel giggled and looked up. "Don't worry, Rinoa. You can come in."
Zell smiled sourly. "But you could have knocked."
Rinoa scratched the back of her head and giggled uneasily. "Sorry guys…" Her face suddenly became serious as she looked at Zell, lowering her hand to clutch her opposite elbow. "Squall want's your report on what was said between you and Grey. He also wants to go over the plan for tonight. We're to meet in our room."
That's right…the second night in Esthar was when the Assassin was supposed to attack… "OK. I'll be right there." Zell said, looking at Angel sadly. He didn't want to leave her so suddenly.
Rinoa smiled. "Angel can come too, silly. She's in this far, I suppose you'd better bring her along."
Angel beamed up at her. "Thanks Rinoa!!"
"Don't thank me, silly. Thank Squall! Although he would have been a lot happier if you had been kept in the dark about this thing…"
Zell smirked. "Well, tell Squall that his happiness is about as readable as his disappointment. The guy could at least make some facial expressions or something…"
Rinoa giggled at that, before clucking her tongue at them and walking out, dismissing the verbal jab at her Knight with a wave of her hand.
Zell shook his head. "Well, baby, I suppose you're going to get a first hand look at how the pros do stuff!" He looked down at his dirty and bloody body. "But first I suppose I'd better get cleaned up!"
Angel shook her head and laughed. "Yeah! I suppose we'd better call the maid or something about the sheets too!!" She giggled, gesturing to the Zell shaped red stain on the expensive sheets.
Zell just face-palmed and groaned. I bet that's coming right out of my salary…
* * *
Squall looked up at Angel and Zell walked in, Zell now dressed in his usual shorts-and-shirt combo. "Zell…glad you could finally join us." He muttered, showing slight annoyance as he ladled on the sarcasm.
Zell scratched the back of his neck and just chuckled. "It's better to be late then messy, right?"
The whole gang was there – Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa – except for Quistis. "Where's Quis?" Zell asked as he walked over to an empty seat situated around the small coffee table covered in papers and a blueprint. He plonked himself into the seat and patted his lap, which Angel jumped into immediately.
"She's staying within Garden tonight." Irvine said, rolling his eyes. Selphie sat in his lap also, her legs crossed slightly as she linked her hands around his neck. "Said she had too much backlogged work to worry about some silly assassination attempt."
Selphie giggled. "She muttered something about us being more then capable to thwart some kind of attack, then hung up the phone. Rude, really. But there was a guy on the other end of the phone, in the same room. I think Quis has a secret boyfriend!!"
Squall shook his head, his face passive. "Enough rumour, Selphie." He muttered in his 'leader' voice. Rinoa didn't sit in his lap, as he would need to point things out and such. Instead she sat just to the left of him in her own chair, her hand lightly draped over his, providing constant contact.
To anybody else looking in they would seem like a bunch of good friends getting together for a night out – but their objective was far from such an innocent goal. Squall looked at Zell and Angel. "Angel…" He said quietly, gathering the student's attention. "What you hear in this room is for an unofficial mission, and if you are caught or attain by a negative party Garden will not be able to give you legal support. Also, anything that happens outside of this room after this meeting is completely unofficial too. We're working under our own steam. If you wish to back out, now is the chance."
She bit her bottom lip and shook her head slowly. "…No thank you, Commander." She said quietly, her old, shyer personality resurfacing. "…This guy has already attacked both me and Zell, as well as Ma. I can't just walk away."
Squall nodded. "I understand. Ok, Zell. Tell us about what Grey told you." He shifted forward slightly. "Everything, understand?"
Zell nodded slowly, his grip tightening around Angel's stomach as he rattled off their conversation, almost word for word. When he had finished he looked up at Angel to see if he had gotten anything wrong, but she just shook her head slightly.
The room was silent for a moment, before Irvine breathed out slowly. "That poor bastard…"
Squall nodded. "He's had it rough." He muttered, remembering his own torture experience in the Sand Prison. That had been a walk in the park compared to Grey's ordeal. "…But it doesn't excuse his actions. He had defeated July fair and square, and then executed her in cold blood. He should be our top priority."
"But what about the other things he said…" Zell muttered, pulling Angel closer to him. "Like about SeeD, and Deling."
Irvine smirked. "Oh, come on Zell! Do you really think one of us is going to murder the old fart? He's a really nice guy! I'd hate to kill him…"
"So would I…" Selphie confirmed.
"As would I." Squall said. "But we shouldn't dismiss the possibility. Remember Seifer, and the control Edea had had on him? What's to say that someone hasn't gotten to us as well?"
There was deathly silence in the room as everybody looked away from everybody, the seed of doubt planted in each mind. Only Zell looked up into Angel's eyes with a clear conscience. I know who I am, baby. I'm the same guy who loved you in Garden. I'm the same guy who loved you in Balamb. And I'm the same guy who loved you five minutes ago.
She returned the look and smiled at him.
"Listen guys…" Rinoa said, speaking up for the first time in the meeting. "I know who I am. And besides that, my own Sorceress powers shield me from mind control. And that's why I say we ignore that piece of information. I think Grey is fooling with us, playing mind games with us."
"It's a possibility…" Selphie said, grasping Irvine's hand and squeezing it. "I mean, Grey killed July for almost no reason! He's a psycho! Not to be trusted, nuh-uh."
"The thing he let slip about Deling, though…" Squall muttered, looking up at Irvine. "Could that be true? Could Deling be alive?"
Irvine smiled. "We ought to know best. We were the last people to see him alive. Remember? Edea had shocked the life out of him, and when we went up to rescue Rinoa, we ran right past him."
Squall frowned. Three years of GF use had muddled his memory slightly, but at the mentioning of the rescue his brain was given a small kick-start. "Yeah…when we ran past he wasn't moving. But when I jumped down from the clock tower, he wasn't there."
"That man I lived with said that his body was recovered quickly." Rinoa said, still referring to her father as 'that man'. "He said the guards had run right past us, they were so concerned to recover his body."
"Do you reckon they could have revived him?" Zell asked.
Rinoa thought for a second…before shaking her head. "No. The attack Edea used was both a physical as well as paramagical one. She stabbed her nails into his throat, then Drained all the paramagical energy in his body. There would have been no magical way to revive him." She leaned forward, explaining her confidence. "In order for a Full-Life or a Phoenix Down to be used on a dead person, their soul, or aura, would have to still be in their bodies. Their paramagic aura fade's swiftly, depending on the size of their aura, and the magic must be used before the victim's aura dissipated completely. By drawing all of Deling's aura into herself – and believe me, in the time she took to drain it, there wasn't much – she effectively made sure he stayed dead."
"What about a scientific way?"
Every person looked over at Angel with a surprised expression as she spoke up for the first time. She shifted her weight on Zell and blushed shyly. "What I meant to say was…what about a non-magical way to revive him? Like, say, freezing him or something?"
Squall narrowed his eyes. "Hmmm…it's a possibility…we don't know how far Galbadia has gotten with their cryogenics, but we do know that now that the project had gotten off after they opened trade lines with Esthar." Squall lifted a hand and rubbed his chin. "There's no mention from our spies or defectors of Deling being frozen though…but if he was, I'm not sure that Galbadia have the technology to revive him without magical assistance."
Selphie shook her head, placing her hand on her temples. "Urg, confusing!!"
Irvine pulled a face. "Yeah! How about we cover the topic at hand, huh?! No matter who is pulling the strings behind this fiasco, they're still pulling them, and we still have an Assassin loose!"
Squall nodded. "That's right. We're putting the cart before the chocobo, people. Let's pool our information and see what we come up with." He gestured to Selphie. "You first, Selph."
Selphie shrugged. "I have no clue. Given a guess, however, I'd pin it on that Strange chick. She's weird."
Squall frowned uncertainly. "Point taken…Irvine?"
"I'd have to go Grey. He seems to know a little too much about our situation, as well as the Assassin's. Beside's that, he fills Zell's blurry description kinda well…same height, can move fast enough – and he has the access to a voice disruptor. All SeeD facilities have a few for missions and stuff."
Squall nodded. "Right. To tell the truth, I think its Grey too. He seems…well…" He shrugged uncertainly. "…Too in control."
Zell nodded. "I'm going for Grey too. He's just too in there – he knows too much, plus he's been screwing that Emily chick. Something is defiantly going on there."
Angel frowned. "Hang on. How don't we know that there are two assassins? Or three?"
Squall looked at her impassively. "Watts was able to give us an accurate update on the time and place, as well as tell us the new target. I rely on his information."
"But what if his information was wrong? It was wrong before, right?"
Rinoa smiled at Angel sadly. "Watts was a lot of things – but he didn't shirk at his work. 'Info's my speciality' – that was his motto."
At the reference to Watts, everybody retreated to their respective other. Selphie cuddled closer to Irvine. Squall tightened his grip on Rinoa's, who looked down at the carpet sadly. Angel leaned back into Zell's grasp. "This is so confusing, Zell…" She whispered.
"…I know, baby. My brain's doing flips as it is…at least you don't have to worry about fighting Grey in two days…"
Squall shrugged, before leaning forward. "I suppose Grey is our main target then. We'll keep an eye on him at the party, and we'll have to get someone to go do a little recon for us. Until then, lets strategise." He shifted to the edge of his seat and grabbed a blueprint from the table. "This is the layout for the party tonight. Zell and Grey will be seated not only to near each other, but also on either side of Justice and Laguna, so Zell, you'll be in the best position to keep an eye on him."
"Roger." Zell said with a grin, giving an awkward forefinger salute. "I'll be all over him like a fat kid on a cupcake."
Squall turned to Selphie and Irvine. "You guys are there for appearances. You're seats are near to Grey's too, but you'll have difficulty seeing him, as you'll have your backs turned to him. You're backup for Zell, in case Grey decides to pull something. Irvine, be prepared. You're the only one who can carry weapons without anybody else knowing."
Selphie nodded, and Irvine tipped his hat. "Always ready."
Squall leaned back in the chair. "Rinoa and I will be the recon team. We'll try and gain entrance to the White SeeD's personal living quarters, and see what we can find. If we find anything incriminating, Rinoa will contact you telepathically. Any questions?"
Angel meekly put her hand up. "Um…what about me?"
Squall smiled. "You'll be seated next to Zell, of course. You're place has already been reserved, as well as Ma's."
"Hey, yeah, where is Ma, anyways?" Zell said, sitting up.
Rinoa grinned and winked. "From what I've heard, Ma and Justice seem to have been getting to know each other, if you know what I mean?"
Zell did a double take and frowned. "Wha?!"
Squall smirked, but ignored the comments. "In any case, she'll be seated between Laguna and Justice, but Grey will be seated right next to Justice – so you'll have to keep your eyes peeled, guys."
Zell pushed the disgusting thoughts of his mother getting it on with the President of Galbadia – Ewwww – and sighed, frustrated. "Three whole bodies between me and Grey? I'll never be able to keep an eye on him then!!"
"Don't worry…you'll be able to see him fine." Squall said mysteriously, before leaning back in his chair. "Right. I think that's about all we need to know for now? Any more questions?"
A million questions raced through Zell's mind. What's our procedure if Grey pulls some shit? What happens if it isn't Grey? What happens if you or Rinoa are captured? What happens if our cover's blown?
Squall looked at him with a smile. "I know that look, Zell. If something happens, just follow on how you've been trained. Capture if possible, defeat if necessary. And don't worry about Rinoa and me. We'll be fine."
Zell rolled his eyes. "I hate it when you do stuff like that."
Squall smiled openly at that remark, before standing. "Well, we still have about four or so hours before we have to be there. Do the girls want to go and find some dresses, or something?"
Rinoa crossed her arms roughly, pouting. "I don't see why I would need to. We're only doing recon, right? No need to get all dressed up when you're burgling someone."
Squall smiled again, but face-palmed all the same. "Rin, we wont be there for long. Just go through his things and get back to the party."
Rinoa stood happily. "Good!!" she squealed, hugging Squall tightly before running over to Angel. "Come on! We'll find something good for you!!"
"Hey, what about me?!" Selphie cried as Rinoa dragged Angel out, angel meekly waving goodbye to Zell with a help me expression on her face as the most powerful woman in the world took her to go and try on some clothes. Selphie jumped up out of Irvine's grasp and ran after the pair.
Irvine shrugged and smiled. "Well, that's how it is."
Zell laughed at that. Squall simply smirked.
* * *
There was a small knock on the door of Laguna's office, and he looked up from playing with a small chicobo. "Yes?"
His pretty secretary opened the door and poked her head around it. "You're son and his friends are here to see you, Mr. President."
Laguna rolled his eyes with happiness. "Thank Hyne! I was so bored!!"
"Shall I send them in, sir?"
Laguna laughed out loud. If there was one thing he didn't like about the Estharian people, it was their inability to think for themselves. Someone else always needed to take the initiative. "Yes, send them in."
The door closed, and Laguna returned to playing with the chicobo. He had had it made especially in one of his research labs – a new wave of pets will be sweeping the globe as soon as he launched these babies. All they needed to do was pull the aging gene from their genetic code. The only way they died, supposedly, was if they got sick or they were killed by some outside force. Not only that, they were cheap to make, easy to look after, and were cute as all buggery.
The secretary opened the door, and Squall, Zell and Irvine walked in. Irvine was grinning lewdly at the secretary, who had a no idea what he was finding so funny.
Laguna raised his hands happily. "Squall! Zell! Irvine! Just the guys I wanted to see!!"
The boys took their seats and looked down at the little animal as it began to pick at something in its tiny wing. Squall frowned. "Laguna…I didn't know you kept Chocobos."
"Oh, nah, this is just a new thing my labs have just released. Chicobo pets!! They're going to make a bundle." He scratched the little bird's head with a finger, which it cheeped happily at. "I'll tell you, they're infectious. I'll give you some – they're the best present for the girls."
The boys looked at each other with worried expressions. The message conveyed in their eyes said it all – months and months of the girls pampering the little creatures, taking it with them where ever they would go, talking to them in baby-talk, and all the while the respective guy would wake up in the morning wondering if he had accidentally crushed it in his sleep.
Zell smiled half-heartedly, looking left and right desperately in a bid to escape the words. "Gee…thanks Laguna…they'll love em."
"Yeah…so, what brings you to my neck of the woods?" Laguna picked the tiny bird up in his hand and allowed it to peter around in his palm. It couldn't be anymore bigger then a tennis ball. "You're certainly not here on a personal visit, I'll bet."
Squall looked at Irvine and Zell, before shrugging. "Well…yes and no." he said unevenly.
Zell rolled his eyes. "The girls have gone dress shopping. Leaving us a few hours of absolutely nothing to do."
Irvine smiled. "Granted, it's good to get away from Selphie's chatter – on and on and on and on and on – but we already miss them."
Laguna looked at them, the little chicobo petering about on his palm – before he burst out laughing, startling the little creature and making it ruffle its tiny yellow feathers. "So you thought you'd come and talk shop with the President of Esthar!" He lifted his free hand and wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, that's rich. You've made my day, boys."
"That's not all, father." Squall said. "We need to find out what you've been doing about…you know."
Laguna's face grew serious, and he reached under the desk for something. Pulling out a small cage, he bundled the little bird into it and shut the gate. "Stay there." He whispered, before placing it under the desk and clasping his hands on top of the desk. "Well…what do you want to know?"
"Security." Irvine said. "How tight will it be at the party?"
"Very. We're not expecting anything – I think you're friend is a little too subtle for that – but we're prepared."
Zell frowned. "As prepared as you were for me when I walked through your building with six guys hanging off me?"
Laguna rolled his eyes. "What do you want from me? This isn't SeeD we're talking about, this is just your everyday soldiers."
Squall nodded. "We know. We'd also like to know who you think the assassin is."
"How the hell am I supposed to know?! I'm not friggin telepathic, you know!!"
Irvine rolled his eyes. "Hyne, one of the most powerful men in Gaia and he doesn't know anything."
"Well, what do you guys know?"
All eyes turned to Zell, and he rolled his eyes before explaining – again – everything Grey had told him. When he was finished Laguna sat back in his chair. "Hyne…that's a lot to consider."
"Tell me about it." Zell muttered, crossing his arms. "I've been so confused lately, I don't know who to trust."
Laguna stood and turned, looking out his large window that overlooked the entire city. "So…Deling might still be alive…" His arms were crossed as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. "It is possible to cryogenically freeze a person in Galbadia – my spies know this for a fact. What we don't know is who they've been freezing, or why. Well, I suppose that answers one question."
"What's that?" The boys asked in unison.
"Why you've received so much grief in Galbadian territory. There's obviously some sort of underground army under Deling, or someone using Deling's name, who wants to create a coup de ta in the Galbadian government, in a bid to allow Deling to reclaim Presidency." Laguna turned to the boys, his expression hard. "Obviously, if this happens Esthar will sever all trade lines with the outside world once more. If there's one thing I hated the most while I was in Galbadia, it was working for that sleezeball."
"Their objective is to allow Deling to reclaim Presidency – and the only way to do that is to bump off Justice." Zell muttered. "But won't the Galbadian people mutiny against this kinda thing? Times have been better with Justice around."
"Civilians with no paramagical training wont stand against an army of Galbadian soldiers." Laguna muttered. "It's easier to go along with the crowd. There will most probably be a few incidents – but the Galbadian people will fold easily. They're used to his way of living."
Squall sat with his hand on his chin, his legs crossed. He slammed a fist into the armrest of the chair he was in. "Dammit…all the work we've done in rebuilding a better Galbadia, ruined by a tyrant with a selfish goal."
"And I suppose this makes you feel any better to know that Justice was going to declare a world-wide peace agreement at the end of the Tournament?" Laguna said, plonking himself back into his chair.
"What for?" Squall said. "Galbadia isn't at war with anybody at the moment."
"Yeah, but there's still a few countries that want to blow the Galbadians to kingdom-come. Justice is hoping that the peace offering will be accepted. He really wants to have peace."
"Good for him." Irvine said. "That's what makes him a good leader. Nobody to look out for if nobody wants you dead."
Laguna shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose. By the way, are you still using that Dincht Mark you showed me a few years ago?"
Irvine's eyes widened at the mention of his lever-action rifle. "Uh…yeah, but it got destroyed again when I was fighting some defectors."
Laguna's eyes sparkled. "I wanna show you something."
Getting up from his chair, he gestured for them to follow, and moved to the big double doors. Opening them and walking outside, he smiled down at his secretary. "Chera, please take my messages as I'm gone. And tell the security detail to take a break. I couldn't be any safer with my son and his friends around."
The secretary looked at the blushing Squall, who fought desperately to hide it, and smile sweetly. "Yes, sir."
"Oh, and don't forget to feed Chico while I'm gone!"
"Yes, sir."
They moved through the presidential building, Laguna gathering more stares then the trio of SeeDs who followed him. It wasn't uncommon for Laguna to go strolling around the complex – but to have no guards and only three young men accompanying him was a little unorthodox, even for Laguna.
They finally reached a large door, which Laguna opened by pressing his palm against a panel next to the door. "My rooms." He explained as they walked in. "Make yourselves at home."
The room they were in was, to be blunt, less decorated then the rooms and hallways that usually accommodated the Estharian lifestyle. Of course there were a few bits and pieces of Laguna' Estharian life – paintings, sculptures, etc – but for the most part, the decorations were very Western. Instead of a futuristic looking seating unit, there was a beaten up old couch. Instead of a wall-to-wall surround-sound unit, there was a medium sized CD player. Instead of a dropdown TV set, there was an old-model glass screen unit on top of the CD player. In short, it didn't look like the living quarters of the President of Esthar. It looked more like the bachelor pad.
Zell looked about the room and liked what he saw. He wasn't into that fancy stuff anyways. Everything he had – or did have – had meant something personal to him. Sure, he had gotten the new computer for his birthday – but after a few months it was as beaten and loved as the rest of his junk. "I like your place, Laguna." He said out loud. "It really reflects who you are."
Laguna's chuckled. "Yeah…but don't go into the kitchen. Then you'll only see how messy I am."
Squall looked around the room and said nothing. He already knew who his father was – an annoying, ignorant simpleton – this was just a new reflection of it, and a new way to show how much more they were different.
Irvine was getting impatient. He hopped from foot to foot in excitement, a bad habit he had gotten off Selphie. Somehow he managed to pull it off without humiliating himself. "C'mon!!" He whined. "Show us!!"
"Alright, alright…" Laguna said with a laugh, disappearing down a corridor.
The boys took their seats. Zell sitting on the floor in front of the CD player and checking Laguna's collection. Squall sat on the couch and picked up the remote for the TV, flicking it on. Irvine sat next to Squall, his right foot resting on his left knee and jiggling impatiently, like a child waiting for Christmas.
Squall looked at him and frowned. "Stop that. It's disconcerting."
Irvine looked at him blankly. "I have no idea what that means, but I'm pretty sure it's an insult."
"It means it worries me, you simp. So stop it before I cut it off."
"Try it, buster, and you'll find yourself a running a little better with the new ventilation holes I'll put in your head."
Zell rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up before I knock the both of you out…with your tonsils."
Amazingly, they didn't retort.
There was a loud bang from where Laguna went to, followed by a long stream of swear words. Another bang followed, before Laguna finally emerged, carrying what looked like a large sliver briefcase. "Sorry about that…I haven't pulled this thing out in a long while."
Laguna moved around to sit in-between Squall and Irvine, and placed the case on the ground. He looked at Irvine with a grin, before flipping the locks open and flinging the cases top open with a flourish.
From his position, Zell couldn't see what it was, but whatever it was it made Squall raise an interested eyebrow – and make Irvine salivate. "Oh my Hyne!!" He squealed, pulling the item from it's casing.
It was Laguna's Desperado, the very same machine gun that he used throughout the Galbadian wars and in his quest to find Ellone. The gunmetal was a sleek black, the sheen signifying that Laguna kept it in pristine condition. "I used to take it out every now and then and pick off a few Bite Bugs that wander the Plains…but I'm getting to be worse and worse a shot. Lately all I've been doing is strip it and clean it. It clears my head. I never was much of a soldier."
Irvine couldn't stop looking at it. "It's flawless… .45 calibre rounds…autoloader…full auto, and a laser sighting…fifty clip mags… optional scope…Hyne, this thing is perfect!!"
Laguna smiled at the gunslinger. "How'd you like to have it?"
It was like someone had sucker punched Irvine right in the guts. All his air was blown out of him as his brain processed the words. "Come again?" he gasped.
"I can't use it anymore. And it'll just be put in some stupid case if I leave it lying around for the Estharians to get their honouring hand on it. I'd rather you have it then for it to be put in some stupid museum."
"I…I cant take this!! This…is a work of art!"
Zell smirked. "Yeah. Knowing Irvine he's probably break it after having it for a few minutes."
Irvine nodded violently, and pushed the weapon back into Laguna's hands. "Thanks, Laguna…maybe later, when I'm not so worried that'll break it."
Laguna didn't look sad – he simply accepted Irvine's decision. "I suppose you're right…but remember, the offer is always on the table. I'm going to have to give it away some time, and I'd rather it'd be you. You'd put it to good use." He looked down at the weapon, and smiled. "Hey, why don't we go roaming – find us some monsters to kill. Nothing kills time like a good old fashioned hunt!"
Squall shrugged. "As long as we're back by six, I don't mind."
Irvine jumped up. "It would be a pleasure to fight alongside you, sir!!"
Zell sighed. "Yeah, may as well. I was getting bored anyways…"
* * *
Rinoa stepped out from behind the curtain and walked out of the dressing room, twirling for the girls to see. "What about this one?"
Selphie and Angel had been watching Rinoa try on dresses for a good hour now, fascinated by the girl as she tapped a well of unimaginable stamina that seemed to make her shop almost non-stop. The dress she had now, though a little revealing, looked alright to Selphie. "Yeah, that looks good." She said dismissively, wanting to attack the collection of clothing herself.
"Alright! What about you, Ang?"
Angel looked at the dress with a critical eye. The dress was figure-hugging, showing off her breasts and behind – but apart form that, the sleek black velvet dress seemed very elegant. "Very nice, Rinoa."
"Cool!! Now you guys go try some on!!"
The petite Selphie walked out of the dressing room with a two-piece dress – a long white skirt with a strip cut out of the left to reveal some leg whilst allowing her to move, and a blouse which barely contained her large bust.
"Ummm…change the top sweety, you're pouring out of the thing." Rinoa said critically. "The skirt looks nice, though."
Selphie frowned at Rinoa, before changing the top to a white blouse, which fit everything where it was supposed to go. The most powerful magic user in the world and the third most powerful then turned to the simple library girl. "OK hon – your turn!!" Rinoa said with glee.
Angel hesitantly approached the rack of clothes. Even if she was being paid a SeeD's allowance – which she wasn't – she couldn't pay for any of these. "I don't know, you guys…I don't think I can afford any of this stuff…"
Selphie dismissed the remark with a wave of her hand. "Pfff. Just put it on Zell's account. I'm sure he wont mind."
She was right. Because of Zell's perfect mission record, not to mention his impeccable saving skills, he had an awful lot of Gil. Being a grade A SeeD meant he could buy a lot of things – if he wanted to. The embargo on his salary hadn't been a problem for him.
OK Angel – only this once. Don't get used to this.
She hesitantly pulled a dress from the rack and pressed it to her body. "This one?"
The dress was a masterpiece, the long flowing skirt made from the finest Estharian cloth. The material would have cost more then Angel could ever make in a lifetime.
Rinoa waved her hand in an 'ok' kinda way. "Meh. Too dressy, if you know what I mean."
Selphie agree with the Sorceress. "Yeah, Angel. You want a dress that'll blow his shoes off his feet the first time he sees you in it. You want him to think he's died and gone to heaven, you know?"
"What, you mean wear the stuff that you guys are going to wear?"
"Yeah!!" Rinoa said happily. "I know that as soon as he sees me in that dress, you can forget abut the old Squall – he wont be able to keep his hands off me!!"
Angel giggled at that. Zell has always found me beautiful, no matter what I wear…I suppose I could dress up for him, just this once… "Alright. Help me pick one out…"
* * *
A few hours later Angel walked into the room carrying a small plastic bag. Stepping into the room, she saw that Zell was lying on the bed, his fresh clothes now covered in red dust. His hands were behind his head on the pillow, his snores making the lamp on the bedside table tremble.
She giggled. Aside from his echoing snores and the dust, he looked like an angel – albeit, a tired angel.
His snores suddenly switched themselves off, plunging the room into silence, and she smiled once more. For some reason, no matter who it was, Zell was able to unconsciously turn off his snores. Almost as if he didn't want annoy anybody.
She walked forward quietly, placing the bag beside the bed, and crawled onto it, lifting her head over to his and kissing him softly on the lips.
"Mmnnnmm…Angel…" he muttered in his sleep.
She giggled again and shook his shoulder softly, causing him to wake. "Sorry, hon, but we have to be getting to the dinner in an hour."
He took in a breath and sighed, rubbing his bleary eyes. "What time is it?"
"Its just about to turn seven."
He smiled and drew her into an embrace. "Plenty of time."
* * *
Walking into the dining area was like walking into a palace fit for ten kings. The room was so big Bahamet could stand happily and still have room for several other GFs. The tables were covered in blue cloths and silver utensils, the plates all having a delicately folded napkin and a small present for all guests.
Zell and Angel's place was at the very end of the room, and they walked through the throng of influential people, Zell having to fight to keep his eyes on where they were going.
Angel looked breathtaking. Dressed in a white one-piece dress, which barely covered the legs and had straps that crisscrossed around her neck, with sparkling sequins placed liberally around the body and short skirt. The first time she ad stepped out of the bathroom where she had changed had been like someone had kicked Zell right where it would've hurt. All he had been able to do was gape and mumble incohererently as she stood before him, shyly blushing, and drew him into a hug.
Zell was decked out in the full SeeD uniform – Black and blue coat with the SeeD logo on the back, with black slacks and boots. A long chain went from his left shoulder over his chest to his right breast. His left breast held medals and lines of rank – being an A Grade SeeD, Zell had to leave some of the less important ones back at the suite. His fists were covered in his old Ehrgiez gloves – they simply went with the uniform. His was, most probably, the most overdressed person in the room.
All the female guests were dressed in extravagant gowns or dresses, the males dressed in the usual penguin suits. Zell spied Grey, however, sitting in his position, dressed in the White SeeD official uniform.
Out of his usual grey colours, his skin looked slightly darker against the pure White cloth, tanned from training on board the ship. The uniform also covered the entire body, white gloves on Grey's hands, shoulder blades on the shoulders, a wide sash for a belt. A white bandana with long white tails was also strapped around his head, keeping his ash-like hair out of his eyes.
White and Dark met up, Zell wiping his hand on his slacks and holding it out. "Hiya Grey! How ya doin'?"
Grey stood and shook the offered hand. "Feeling better then I did this morning, Dincht…who's this?" He asked, looking at Angel. He looked her up and down with a critical eye. "A fighter too?"
"Yes…" Angel said evenly, holding her hand out for him to shake. "My name's Angel Lee. Nice to meet you."
"You wont be so please when I beat Zell into the ground."
Zell laughed with good nature. "C'mon, Grey! Let's keep that stuff out for tonight, ok? We're here to have fun!"
Grey shook his head and sat back down. "Whatever…"
Angel and Zell looked at each other, but said nothing back. Moving around him, they went and sat in their designated areas. The seating for the guests of honour was like a semi-circle – Grey on one side of the circle, Zell on the other. Zell had no trouble keeping an eye on him.
"He's a bit weird…" Angel whispered into Zell's ear.
"He's like a mixture of Seifer and Squall…" Zell explained. "He's quiet like Squall, but he's up himself like Seifer."
Angel smiled. "Well, at least we get to have a good dinner for a change. They say that Estharian cuisine is the best in all of Gaia."
Zell chuckled. "Well…I wouldn't go past some of Ma's cooking…but it is pretty good…" He looked up to see President Justice walking through the crowd. "Oh my Hyne…"
"What? What is it?" Angel asked, wondering what had made Zell blush suddenly, and turning to see Justice and Ma walking, hand in hand, up to the younger couple.
"Hello Zell!!" Ma said, a big grin on her face. "I've been having the most wonderful time!!"
Zell tried not to groan and looked down at his plate with its little present and nameplate. Zell Dincht. "That's great Ma."
"You're mother is a spectacular person, Zell!" Justice said, equally happy. "I've never had so much fun in years!!"
"That's great, Mr. President."
"Oh, come on Zell. What's wrong with your mother having a bit of fun?"
"It's fine when you have fun with your friends, Ma. But it's a bit over the top when you have fun with the President of Galbadia!"
Ma turned to Justice and laughed heartily. "That's my Zell! He can save the world but he can't bear to see his mother make new friends."
It was more then that, and Zell could see it. Ma had fallen for Justice hook line and sinker. And it wasn't the fact that his adopted mother had fallen for the most powerful man in the world. It was the fact that the most powerful man in the world had fallen for her as well.
"And you must be Angel." Justice said to Angel. "I've heard a lot about you."
Angel giggled and looked down, her blush equal to Zell's. Her hand snaked down under the tablecloth and grabbed his, giving it a small squeeze. He returned the squeeze and looked up at the President. "Nothing but good stuff, I hope?" he asked Ma.
"Of course! I couldn't have asked for a better girlfriend for my Zelly!"
Justice patted Zell's free hand and moved over to his seat, sitting down next to Grey and holding out a hand for the White SeeD to shake. Grey shook it evenly and resumed his brooding.
Angel smiled at Zell. "They seem to be getting along rather well, huh? Ma seems to like him a lot!" She saw Zell's expression then, deadly serious, looking down at the hand that the President had patted. "What? What is it?"
Zell lifted his hand – to reveal a piece of folded paper that Justice had palmed him.
* * *
Dear Zell.
Clara told me everything. I can't say that I am angry at you for keeping it from me – it was my own people's fault that I didn't know.
I knew that someone has been rallying the old Deling forces for a while now – certain troops always disappearing, orders not being carried out to the degree in which I asked, and a subtle coldness in some of the commanding officers.
The news of an assassination has troubled me, obviously. Even more of the fact that it will happen tonight. There were a few things that I had wanted to speak to you about – thing I cannot write here. Meet in my quarters after the dinner – I shall explain my plans further.
Regards,
Justice Delarn
"Hyne…" Zell muttered. "He knows."
"So what do we do?" Angel asked, gripping Zell's hand tightly.
Zell looked at her, his gaze slightly fearful. "We hope he doesn't wig out, and try to keep him as close to intact as possible."
* * *
The dinner went off without a hitch – Laguna arriving with grandeur, as usual. After finishing his meal he sat back with a loud burp and laughed heartily, before asking Angel if he could have a dance. Angel agreed meekly, and Zell kept one eye on her whilst keeping another on Justice, who never left Ma's side the entire night.
Selphie and Irvine walked up to him where he was standing next to the dance floor, nursing a wine for the better half of the hour. He took one look at Selphie's dress and decided the best thing to say was nothing at all. "How's everything going?" He asked Irvine, who was out of his usual cowboy attire and was wearing a more black version of the SeeD uniform, the chains glinting brightly in the light.
"Everything's cool so far…had a quick talk to some of the security guards, and they let me carry a piece, so if anything happens, I'm ready."
Zell nodded coolly, before noticing someone picking their way through the crowd toward them. "Great. Well, I suppose you guys should go and have some fun."
"Ok…you gonna catch up with us later with Angel?" Selphie asked, grabbing Irvine's hand.
Zell nodded with a smile and waved to them as they melted into the dancing throng, to be swallowed by the mass of people. Zell estimated there to be – at least – five hundred people within the complex.
Grey finally managed to squeeze past an elderly couple dancing badly to stand next to Zell, placing his hand in his pockets as he stood next to the Duellist. "How you going, Dincht?" He muttered, grabbing a glass of red wine from a passing Estharian waitress.
Zell looked at him, before resuming his gaze over the crowd. "Fine, Grey."
The two fighters stood there for a few minutes, sipping their drinks, not saying a word, simply letting the sound of the music waft over them and allow the heat of the dancing bodies to be absorbed. The wine was tangy, if not a little too strong, so Zell surreptitiously tipped the rest of his glass into the pot plant he was next to.
"So…what have you come to?" Grey muttered, downing the rest of his glass with a short swallow. He was having no qualms about drinking tonight.
"Come to? You mean, who do I think it is?"
"That's what I mean, Dincht. You don't have to spell it out
for me."
Zell thought for a second. "…If anybody, I'd think it was you."
Grey snorted, lifting his hand and waving another waitress over. "Really?" He muttered with a cool smile, placing the empty glass on the tray and picking up a full one, before turning to Zell once more. "Do you really think I would?"
Zell's eyes narrowed. "Why are you here? What are you, a distraction, or something?"
Grey chuckled. "No, no. I'm here to simply get to know you a little better." He lifted the glass to his lips. "It would be nice to know what he find so interesting about you."
Zell's eyes narrowed. "I only know he's a he. I don't know who he is or what he look like. Reckon you could help me with that?"
Grey chuckled again. "What'll you give me for it?" He narrowed his eyes. "A kiss?"
Zell raised an eyebrow. "Jealous? I were you, I wouldn't be."
Grey chuckled again, before walking right into Zell's face. Zell could smell the wine on his breath as he spoke. "It's one thing to have it every single night…but it's another to actually have it." He stepped back a little awkwardly, looking down at the glass in his hand. "She wants you. She can't have you. Ergo, I cant have her."
"You actually love her?"
"Hard to believe? I mean, sure, she's no Sorceress…but I suppose I'll make her a good Knight anyways."
Zell suddenly grabbed the lapels of Grey's white uniform and twisted him around, slamming his back against the wall where Zell stood just a moment before. "Just tell me who, dammit!!"
Zell's eyes were on fire, and it was obvious that Grey was drunk. For a split second there was a look, like fear, in his grey pupils…before a gazed sheen took over. "Even if I wanted to, I cant." He dropped the half full glass, allowing it to shatter to the floor. "I tried to keep a hold…I tried my hardest…but I just can't fight it anymore."
He suddenly doubled over, crying out in agony. Zell let go of him and he dropped to the floor with a grunt, before he began to convulse wildly. The people around them moved away instantly, the women shrieking of help as Grey grunted an animalistic howl of pain.
Zell had seen this thing before. He had felt it down to his very core. He had experienced it. "The Kiss Of Death…" He muttered. Grey slept with the Devil…and this was his reward.
He knelt down next to the White SeeD, placing his hands on Grey's chest, covering the SeeD's own white-knuckles grip on his shirt. "Just hold on, Grey! I'll go get Selphie! She can hold it off long enough for us to get you proper help!!"
Grey looked up at Zell with gritted teeth and glazed eyes. Zell watched in shock as the whites of his eyes began to turn pink – then red – then crimson. "It's…too…late…" He growled, lifting his hands painfully and gripping Zell's SeeD coat, his fingers clawing at the chains of rank.
"Then tell me!" Zell screamed suddenly, grasping Grey's head. "Tell me who!!"
"Emily…find Emily and…tell her…Sam…Sam will…"
Grey suddenly threw his head back and groaned an unearthly groan, the noise tearing through the shocked crowd like a gigantic sliver of ice. Zell's eyes widened, and he stood and threw his arms out wide, the bluish-green shield of a Protect spell fanning out over the crowd.
Grey's head twitched to the left, before suddenly bursting like a popped balloon, brain matter and chunks of skull splattering over the magical wall. The red bits had a few seconds to trail down the wall slowly, before Grey's chest suddenly erupted, his ribs flying open and his gut spilling out over his now-red pants.
The lesser men and women within the crowd fainted – others screamed bloody murder and tried to escape the horrific scene, pandemonium ensuing as the dance hall was suddenly cleared out.
Zell just stood there, still feeling Grey's grip on his chest as he managed to see something small and pink pick it's way down the bluish-green wall he had thrown up at the last notice. His breathing was erratic, his face covered in sweat. Hyne…that could have been me…
Someone suddenly place a hand on his shoulder and he spun violently, knocking whoever it was to the polished floor, the Protect falling, the curtain of blood and chunky bits falling with it was a resounding splatter. Zell looked down to see Angel looking up at him with a horrified look on her eyes. "Oh…baby…I'm sorry…" he said quickly, reaching down and grabbing her, lifting her up to her feet.
She looked down at the corpse, head now gone, ribs protruding from what had been a chest, and buried her head in Zell's chest with a resounding sob. He hugged her tight to him, rubbing his hands on her back and turning his from the scene, unable to look anymore. "Shhh, it's ok, I'm fine, it's ok…"
When he turned he saw only Selphie and Irvine standing where there had been hundreds of people, looking down at Grey's corpse with horror. He frowned. "Where's Justice?"
They looked up at his with shock, unable to talk. He released Angel and pushed her into Selphie, Selphie catching her with a confused look on her face. "Look after her." Zell muttered, grabbing Irvine's sleeve. "Come on, we gotta find Justice."
* * *
"What the fuck happened back there, Zell?!" Irvine asked, barely able to contain himself as he pulled the Vincent from his hip holster and pulled the slide back, chambering a round.
"The Kiss Of Death…" Zell muttered, dashing out the big double doors of the hall and looking left and right at the remanent of the crowd as they continued to try and escape. "If I had been a little less lucky and a lot less stronger, that would have been my brains and lungs splattered all over the Trabia snow lands." He tightened the grips of his Ehrgiez Gloves and looked around. "Where the hell is he?"
* * *
Justice and Ma had been slow-waltzing to the tune of a slow song when Grey's first grunts of pain had lifted over the sound of the music. Both of them had looked up, staying put as several people pushed past to get a glimpse of what was going down.
Then the screamed began, followed by the flash of a Protect springing up – followed by the most gut-wrenching sound Justice or Ma had ever heard, something between a bloody crush and a wet slap.
The panic had then erupted, the people with front-row tickets to the small glimpse of hell suddenly desperate to exit the building with extreme prejudice. Like humans are, the smell of blood and fear riled them up, and in a blink of an eye everybody around Justice and Ma were fighting for their lives to get to the door and out into the Estharian night.
They were picked up easily, carried with the crowd, and flung out into the hallway of the Esthar Presidential Dance Hall, the Estharian guards unable to do anything with the mass-hysteria that had suddenly sprung up for no apparent reason.
Justice and Ma finally found themselves outside, in the cold Estharian night, spilling out of a service exit with a bunch of other people, the only things greeting them the starlight and an empty Estharian alleyway. It was meticulously clean for an alleyway, same as everything else in Esthar.
Both of them were panting with the exertion of the run, and Justice turned to Ma. "Are you alright?"
"I've never had to run that fast in my entire life!" Ma blurted, her breaths coming in short bursts. "What the hell happened in there?"
"I don't know…" Justice said, looking over at the other people with a suspicious eye. "But I don't think we ought to stay here. My security detail will be looking for us in a few minutes – we ought to be getting to the main entrance. There'll most likely be someone there." His breathing had already returned to normal, and as he stood he cast a critical eye on the other runner. They all looked seriously frightened, most of them clinging to their respective other, huddling together like frightened Chocobos.
Ma nodded in agreement, but as he stood to go she grabbed the hem of his coat. "Wait! Wait…I need to rest…"
He knelt back down again. "Emily…we have to go now. We're not safe here."
"What do you mean?" She asked, looking up at him, confusion on her dumpy face.
"He means that you're not safe, Miss Dincht." A voice suddenly rang out from the darkness. The six other runners shockingly burst into flames, the Fira's cast upon them making quick work on their expensive suits and highly flammable dresses. From the darkness the silhouette of a man walked out from the inky black, his hand smoking at the gloves he wore smouldered from the magic having to burn through the material. "Not safe at all."
Justice pushed Ma behind him, shielding her with his body. "What do you want?" He yelled, making sure that she was safely behind him.
"It doesn't matter what I want, old man." The Assassin muttered, his black clothing making him seem ethereal in the night sky. "I'm only following orders."
And his hand burst into fire once more.
* * *
The sounds of screams – painful screams – erupted in Zell's ears, and he skidded to a halt sharply, making Irvine ram into his back. Zell twisted his head left and right, trying to home in on the sound. "There!!" He yelled, pointing at a service doorway, the door ajar slightly.
He smashed the tough metal door down with a single kick and ran down the tunnel with fear in his mind. Ma…Justice…I hope to Hyne you're alright…
Finally coming to an opening, he jumped outside, electricity licking and boiling within both of his palms – to see several smouldering bodies lying about him. Looking up, he watched as Justice took the brunt of a Firaga with his chest, screaming shrilly as Ma cowered behind him.
"Noooooo!!" Zell screamed, flipping out and ramming Ma straight out from behind Justice, flicking his foot out at the last second to catch Justice's, causing him to fall backwards, the Firaga flashing over him and blasting into the doorway, making it to melt down into a red, lumpy opening.
Zell rolled with Ma momentarily, before recovering to his feet, picking Ma up in the same roll. He quickly spun her and pushed her towards the main entrance. "Go!" He screamed, not bothering to se wether or not she followed his order as he turned and began to run at full speed at the man dressed in black.
Everything was in slow motion. He could see the pupils of the Assassin's wide eyes – hazel, and full of confusion and fear. He felt the hard ground beneath him, his formal boots smashing into the pavement, radiating their own fury. He watched, amazed, as his left hand took leave of it's senses and flew forward with a speed he had never witnessed before, slashing out with unrelenting passion and no holds barred.
Even more amazing was the fact that the black-garbed man ducked under the fist, the imprint of a boot suddenly obscuring Zell's view.
He flew backwards, more surprised then hurt, and rolled with the blow, flipping off his hands and landing on his feet – to be smashed across the chops once more by a foot, which was followed through with an easy sucker-punch, the gloved fist flipping out like a whip, smacking into Zell's face and retreating under it's own accord.
Blood spurted from Zell's nose, and he barely had time to duck under the Assassin's next attack, the foot sailing over Zell's head as he fell backwards to land on his hands, flipping up so his body was held up by his arms. Swinging his feet around and catching the Assassin's face twice, he fell down and grabbed the man's head with his boots, pulling him down onto the ground violently.
The man reacted instantly, pulling his head from the crater it had made in the pavement and stabbing out with his hand, his fingers straight like a knife. They stabbed twice into Zell's throat, immediately cutting off his air and killing all common sense as his brain overrode everything around it to concentrate on revival of oxygen.
Zell lay spluttering like a fish out of water for only an instant, before he looked up to see the man, his black mask covering his entire head except for the eyes, the mask stretched out into an unmistakeable smile. "Too easy…" Was the words muttered, before a hand was shoved into Zell's face, palm open, fingers splayed, electricity growing from a tiny ball into interlacing lines which trailed up the black arm.
"Stop." Someone suddenly said, causing Zell to smile.
Irvine suddenly materialised behind the Assassin, his Vincent levelled at the man's head, pressing against the back of it roughly.
"Go…Irvine…" Zell coughed, managing to stand. He rubbed his throat painfully, watching the man raise his hand and allow the Thundaga to dissipate, lifting his other hand above his head as well.
Zell moved forward at the man, who had lowered his head. "Well then, Mr. Assassin, lets see who you really are." Gripping the black balaclava with one fist, he pulled it off roughly, revealing a shock of brown hair and a cheeky grin that belonged only to the White SeeD, Sam Gamgee. Zell shook his head sadly. "Dammit, Sam! Why?"
Sam smiled. "Now's not the time, Hunter. The question you should be asking yourself…" He lowered his arms suddenly, taking a step away from Irvine. "…Is where you're friends loyalties are."
Zell looked at Irvine, who had levelled the gun at Zell, the distance to close for Zell to even consider a disarming manoeuvre. He knew Irvine would be able to pop a killing shot off before Zell would even blink. He simply ground his teeth together and frowned mencacingly. "Hyne, Irvine…you're our mole?"
Irvine didn't say anything. He simply looked at Zell with sad eyes, his red hair flowing slightly with the night breeze. Sam moved over to Zell, tapping him on the shoulder and smiling again. "Don't worry about it, Hunter. He hasn't really betrayed you. He's just been…turned. That's all."
Zell's eyes widened as the Stop magic took over, arresting all possible movement. He couild only grunt as the blank eyed Irvine moved over to Justice's still-smoking body and lower the gun to aim at the body.
He blasted off the entire clip, the bullets making the body jump and dancing slightly as spurts of blood signified the lumps of Teflon-coated lead entering the President's body. Irvine's finger continued to click on the empty trigger as the gun went dry, and he seemed to move sluggishly as he popped the spent clip and slam in a fresh one, chambering a round.
He then pressed the gun on the President's temple and fired off three more rounds, just to make sure, before turning to Zell's statuesque body.
Zell wanted to speak. He wanted to scream. He wanted to know. But all he could do was watch as Irvine levelled the gun at Zell once more. "Say goodnight, Zell." He muttered, his tone deadpan.
Goodnight…Zell? Was all Zell could think – before the last thing he saw was the muzzle flare of a Vincent Valentine loaded with .45 calibre bullets.
* * *
Jesus, that was a long chapter!! I swear, I took one look at the word count, and I thought to myself "Shit! You should have made this into two chapters, or something!!"
There were a few things I wanted to do in this chapter. Firstly – I wanted to reveal the Assassin, as well as the SeeD mole. Done that, what did you think? Also, I wanted to show the SeeDs in an everyday situation. The girls going to a shop to buy dresses for the big ball, the guys simply letting it all hang out with some old-fashioned hunting. Plus, I've never written my rendition of girls shopping for clothes. Now I have. Female readers, did I hit the mark?
Well, the comp is over too, and the winner is Matt Carpenter!! Matt, if you're reading this, I'd like to know you're physical description – i.e. height, weight, eye colour, that kinda crap.
For all the other people who have entered in, nice try, but no tamale!! Maybe when I write the sequel…after I finish off all the other backlogged stories I've got going.
PS – if you find any spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes within this chapter, you can just bite me. You try friggin writing all this down then stopping and have to pick through it with a fine-toothed comb!
