Chapter Four: No Mercy
They stood in Deling City's train station. She looked around, thoughtfully, as if searching for someone, while he awaited her next order. She was the leader of this team, after all.
Suddenly, she took off walking at an incredibly quick pace, talking all at the same time.
"We're going to Deling's Central Intelligence Office," she said quietly, not losing a bit of speed. He had no idea why she was walking this fast, but quickly shoved past people in an attempt to catch up.
"Wait, there's too many people, slow down."
Selphie shook her head.
"No, I can't. This keeps our conversation from being recorded. Any 'officers' won't catch enough of our conversation to mean anything to them. Anyways, we're heading to the Office. I've been trained to hack into the database, and you'll keep a lookout so that no one catches me."
"That's it? That's all I get to do?"
She lifted an eyebrow.
"Yeah, Seifer...that's it."
"But I don't even have that important of a part!"
"Yeah, you do...you're protecting me. Isn't that good enough?" she beamed.
Well, he would have much rather preferred a part that involved more...how to phrase it...talent and effort on his part? He was more into action, not sitting around and waiting for an attack.
"Well, don't answer that then," she sighed, but it was obvious she was covering up a laugh. "You understand our job then?"
"Yeah."
"Then let's go."
~//~
He was somewhat surprised at the speed she could move. For a person who took her time getting to classes, she was moving at an incredibly quick pace. And for a person who stopped to talk to every one of her friends between classes, she was completely silent.
He followed her, mimicking her silence perfectly. Despite the way everything was working out so perfectly, he had a horrible feeling about the entire thing...
She frowned, suddenly stopping and glancing at a few scribbles on her hand. She turned, and silently went in a doorway, sitting down at a computer. He stood in the doorway, keeping a close eye that no one was coming. Occasionally he'd glance back to see if she as almost done. Most of the time she was staring intently at the screen, rapidly typing codewords. She leaned back, clicked a few more buttons, and ran over to a printer. After typing in a few codes on that, she grabbed two sets of papers, and handed one to him. She glanced at the computer, and ran over to it. Apparently she'd forgotten to log off of it or something.
Suddenly she went pale, and frantically started typing in more codes, but the look of panic in her face never completely went away.
There was a click, another small sound that truly went without definition, and Selphie grabbed her arm.
"Get the copy of those papers I gave you to you-know-who, and get out of here. No one'll ask questions. If they do, tell them you're a cadet. Go."
"What's going on?"
She removed her hand from her arm, though he couldn't see the cause of her distress.
"I messed up. They figured out I'm here." She glanced around the room, eyes stopping on a small, window-like area near the ceiling.
"I can't believe I didn't see that," she whispered, total humiliation crossing her face. "There's security in here. I knew this was too easy...I've just been shot with what I think is some sort of sleeping-dart type deal. Seifer, get out of here."
It was the first time in his entire life he'd ever seen Selphie so business like.
"No, I'm not leaving without you."
"Go!! Hurry, they're on their way!"
"What about you?!"
She shook her head, eyes glazing over.
"I can't make it out of here. Get those papers to him."
"But--"
"--someone's gotta take the blame for being in here, anyways! They don't have to know you were even here! I'll cover for you if you…just..." she fell to her knees, eyes closing much against her will. "Go, Seifer..."
He stood there for a moment, somewhat unsure of what to do. Selphie was the leader of this team, so he needed to follow all her orders. But she was also his friend. So did he just leave her here like she ordered him to, or risk his own life saving her?
I don't know how to get out of here...she input so many codes just to open all the doors. I don't know what the codes are. I need her intelligence to get out of here....
...and I don't think I could live with myself if I just abandoned her here...look at everything she's done for me. She saved my life...now it's my turn to save hers.
"Let's go, Selphie," he said more to himself than anyone, picking her up and running.
"Tilmitt, wake up...I need you to enter these codes..."
A few Galbadian soldiers ran up, swords and guns drawn.
"I don't have time to deal with this," he scowled. What he wouldn't give to pull a fire-cross on them right now. No mercy, that was his motto...but he couldn't hang on to Selphie and do all that.
No mercy...well, there was always another alternative solution.
"Mega-flare!" he yelled. One wave of soldiers down, and one door open.
It wasn't like this was his building, anyways. Heck if he busted down the doors. They were already caught anyway...
"Tsunami!"
"Runaway train," Selphie mumbled in her sleep.
Seifer shook his head. At one time he had wondered why anyone would let Selphie in their party, because she seemed so useless.
Well, you knew that someone was definitely useful when they could destroy something in their sleep. Obviously her year out of the Garden as a SeeD had considerably improved her skills since the last time he had seen her as a little messenger girl taking her SeeD test...
He saw the exit door, and started running, trying his best to ignore every attack the Galbadian Soldiers were using, trying his best to ignore the pain that was searing through him with every step he took...he kept running, the train station appearing in the distance...
Selphie opened her eyes, and gave the world around her a confused look. It was obvious she wasn't fully awake, just slightly there. Her eyes met his, and a sense of security passed through hers. She tried her best to stay awake as Seifer quickly flashed the train tickets, and walked into the SeeD cabin. He gently sat her down, and then sat on the floor himself, trying to ignore the searing pain that was coming from the back of his head. What on earth had that Galbadian Soldier attacked him with?!
"You're hurt, Seifer..." Selphie was obviously awake now. "How come you didn't just leave me like I told you to?"
He paused, unable to make up a good answer.
"Sit still and let me find the first aid kit..."
Why didn't he just leave her? Cid would have sent other SeeDs to save her. Why'd he put his life on the line for her?
She sat down behind him, and opened the first aid kit.
"The nurse'll need to see this when we get to the Garden. I'll try my best to stop it from bleeding until then," she said quietly.
He hardly even knew her. Why did he save her?
"OUCH!" he yelped, unable to refrain from cursing as a burning feeling on the open wound on the back of his head broke through his thoughts. "WHAT was that for?!"
"Disinfectant. Someone hit you hard with some sorta blade on the back of your head. I'm sorry, I know this stings..."
He glanced behind him, staring at her.
"You don't mind helpin' me out here?" I mean, y'don't have to. I'm not gonna force you to."
"Well," she replied, "I want to. And I owe you, probably, my life at this point in time. So it's only fair."
"Thanks, Selphie."
She blinked a few times, taken by surprise.
"...what'd I say?" he questioned, trying to find whatever mistake he had made in that two-word sentence.
"You...called me Selphie. Instead of Tilmitt."
"Um, oh."
What the...why does that even matter?!
"Turn around and let me finish fixing your head."
He obliged, unable to refrain from wincing with every little thing she did.
"Look, Seifer, I know it hurts...I'm sorry. I'm being as painless as I can be, I'm sorry..."
She bit her lip, something other than just her bringing even more pain to his head bothering her.
"You okay, Selphie?"
She sort of just sat there, a pained expression on her face. He turned to face her, confused.
"You're not hurt, are you? That Galbadian Soldier didn't hurt you, did he?"
"It's...it's my fault you got hurt," she cried. "I put the wrong codeword in to shut the computer down, and that alerted them that we were there...it's my fault you got hurt so bad!"
Never in his entire life had he ever seen her lose control, but for the first time, she went from 'okay' to sobbing.
"I could have got you killed! And then you risked your own life for me...this is all my fault!!"
She sat there, frantically trying to regain composure. She looked so helpless, so defenseless...and at the same time, so young...like she was just a lonely little child facing the world by themselves...
Without a second thought, he found himself holding her in a gentle embrace.
"Selphie, we all make mistakes...you got the information Headmaster Cid wanted, and we're all gonna be okay. It's gonna turn out fine."
"I coulda got us killed," she sniffled, and he could feel her tears dripping onto his shoulder.
"But we're not dead, Selphie, we're okay! We're gonna be okay. Please stop crying..."
"I'm sorry..."
"It's okay, Selphie, it's okay..."
He closed his eyes, letting her cry freely onto his shoulder. For some reason, seeing her in this much pain bothered him. He was so used to her being so upbeat, in such a good mood, so in control of her own life...to see her this miserable and helpless was horrible. On top of all of this, something was pulling at the back of his mind....he wasn't sure which was harder, even, anymore...ignoring the dull, throbbing pain in the back of his head...
Or ignoring the strange feelings he was staring to have everytime he got around Selphie Tilmitt....
~//~