Re-Creating Hell
Chapter Two: The Assignment
By: PasifikStar
*My head is throbbing...Hyne...what the hell happened?* Rinoa felt the pain pulsating against her skull, making her wince. She opened her eyes and tried to get them adjusted to the sudden brightness that flooded her senses. *What the...?*
"Good evening, Miss Caraway...or would you rather be called Miss Heartilly?" a deep voice asked. "It doesn't really matter. We can call you either one."
"Where am I?" Rinoa mumbled incoherently. The lights. They were bright and white and aimed directly at her. She lifted her hand to shield her face, only to find it strapped down to something cold. She tilted her head downward and came to the realization that she was strapped down to a cold, metal examining table, with her ankles, waist, and wrists tied down. "What is this!?" she growled, anger over taking her.
"Just relax," the voice said. "Don't make us sedate you." the voice chuckled.
Her brown eyes tore through the room, looking for the owner of the voice. Instead, she found a speaker to one corner of the ceiling. All around her, the white washed room was sided with mirrors. Hyne, they were watching her from behind them. How many were there? But more importantly, why were they watching her.
"What is going on here?" she shouted furiously. "Where are my shoes? Where are my gloves!?"
"Miss Heartilly, please calm down," a voice said. "This won't take too long."
"What won't take too long!?" she screamed. Then she saw it. A long metal arm was moving towards her slowly, a syringe glistening in the lab light. "Oh, Hyne, you've got to be kidding me!" She began to twist violently on the table. "Let me go!"
"Sedate her." a voice echoed in the room.
"Fuck no!!" she screamed. "You've messed with the wrong sorceress, ass hole!" She didn't want to have to resort to her powers, but when she saw yet another syringe with yellowish liquid inside heading towards her, she began to concentrate her energy into her hand.
"I think you'll find that your efforts are in vain, Miss Heartilly," the deep voice said stated. "We know exactly who you are. Did you really think we'd bring you here unprepared?"
"What? My powers...what's going on!?" she gasped. She looked around and caught a glowing green bands on her wrists that had been previously hidden under the shackles. "What the hell are those!?"
No one answered. Her heart slammed against her chest as sweat began to appear on her head. Her eyes shut closed, preparing herself for the pain of the needles as they approached her.
"Get him out of here!" a voice shouted. Rinoa's eyes flew open as gun shots rang out. The door behind her head flew open and a man ran out. He was tall, dressed in a dark red trench coat with long, straight black hair.
From the door, she heard growling. *Werewolves!* The animalistic growls sang along with gun shots as the man rushed over to her. He pressed a button underneath the metal bed and the shackles unlocked.
"Let's go." he said. His voice was deep and dangerous. It was the voice talking to her earlier.
"What's going on? Who are you!?" Rinoa said. He grabbed the sedative and stabbed it into her arm. Rinoa screamed in pain as the needle peirced her tender flesh. He pushed the liquid into her veins and it had a almost immediate effect as Rinoa's body felt heavy.
He violently tore the needle from her arm and then grabbed her. His gloved hand was around her upper arm and with unhuman strength, he hoisted her off the bed to her feet. Almost immediately, Rinoa crumpled to the ground. He swore and put her over his shoulder. The man in red kicked the door in front of the open as someone entered the laboratory room from the door he entered from.
Blue eyes turned cold as he saw the fleeting image of the red dressed vampire with a sedated sorceress on his shoulder. *Shit, it is her.*
Irvine's car skidded to a halt just outside the barb wired fence. There was a large stone sign outside the gate that stated it's name. Within the gates was five story tall white building. "There's his car!" Zell said as he pointed to the dark colored Lexus parked across the street.
"Then he's in there, obviously." Irvine said. He got out of his car, followed by Zell. Screeching could be heard and the two turned their heads. Coming from the opposite side of the street were two super bikes, one bright yellow and the other red.
They skidded to a stop at the front of the gates as behind them, a black limo stopped. Three people came out of the limo as the rider of the yellow motorcycle removed her helmet. "She's in there!" exclaimed a petite brunette with green eyes. She hung her helmet on the handle of her bike as the rider of the red motorcycle removed her own helmet and did the same.
"Raijin!" said the blond man that had come out of the limo. "Get the gates!"
"This is Adel's laboratory!" the tall blond woman in the rose colored dress under the black knee high leather jacket said.
"Adel!?" the petite girl gasped, her large green eyes growing wider. "Are you sure!?"
It was then that the blond man noticed the other two people standing there. "Chicken-wuss and the Cowboy? What the fuck are you two doing here!?"
"Same question, Seifer," Irvine said, narrowing his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Seifer, now is not the time!" the female blond said as she glared at them. Her blue eyes turned back to the barb wire gate that Raijin was standing in front of. The lycan grabbed the lock and tore it out of it's place. "We have to get Rinoa."
"I want to know why they're after her," Selphie said as she slung something over her shoulder. "Quisty, can you scan for guards?"
The blond nodded. "Fujin, go with her." Seifer ordered. The white haired woman also nodded and they rushed through the gate. Quickly, their bodies moved like liquid silver, loosing their identifying features and adding new ones. Where a blond and white haired women once stood, were now guards dressed in dusty blue uniforms. They casually walked through the area, their sharp eyes observing everything around them.
Selphie's head perked up as she heard Quistis' voice in her head. "The telepath says that it's clear," Selphie said. "Let's go!"
Irvine watched as the rest of the group rushed in. He motioned his head after them and he and Zell followed. Seifer looked over his shoulder. "Where the hell do you two think you're going?"
"Squall's in there, too!" Irvine said. "So don't think we're going to help you or something."
"We don't want your help, cowboy-" Seifer began, but Selphie held her hand out to stop him.
"Shh..." she whispered. She leaned back against the wall of one of the buildings. "She sees a guard..." There was a grunt and Selphie smiled. "The guard is down."
"I have the keys," said a shiving blob of silver liquid that formed into the tall blond. "I can't sense Rinoa's mental waves right now."
"Oh Hyne! I hope she's just unconcious..." Selphie gasped, her face paling. Suddenly, the heard gun shots.
Seifer looked up. "A gunblade!" he shouted.
"Squall!!" Irvine and Zell chorused. "He's on the top floor!"
"I'm going up!" Selphie said. She looked up at the building and let out a low growl as her bone structure and muscles began to move. Her breathing began shallow as her upturned brown hair grew longer. Her bright yellow dress gave way to brown fur as claws replaced nails and slitted green eyes looked up at the moon.
Irvine raised an eyebrow. *Thought so...* he thought to himself. He watched as the female lycan blared her fanged teeth as she sank her claws into the side of the wall. The sound of cement crumbling could be heard as she scaled the side of the building, all the while sniffing the air for her friend's scent.
"Quisty," Seifer said as his own form began to mutate. "Go inside and find out what you can. Raijin! Fujin! Go with her!"
"Scream when you find her!" Quistis said as she ran back around the corner, followed closely by the werewolf and the shape shifter.
Seifer sank his claws into the wall, following the brown furred lycan. He let out a growl and the female replied and pointed to into the fifth floor.
"Irvine," Zell said. "Do you think that Squall's up there, too?"
Irvine sniffed the air, his senstive lycan nose caught the blood scent of a familiar vampire and a foreign one. "Get up to the fifth floor," Irvine said as he tossed his hat on the ground. Zell nodded. "He's probably on the east wing!"
As the tattooed blond rounded the corner, Irvine transformed into his werewolf form. His senses were heightened and easily caught the scent of several other lycans in the area. He looked up as he heard a crash. Glass fell to the floor as the two werewolves ahead of him entered a room.
"RINOA!!" a female voice screamed in horror. Growling, Irvine ran up the rest of the way and jumped through the window after them. Standing at the door way was a young man with blood on his cheek. The front part of his shirt had been slashed several times and gripped in his hands was a gunblade. By the broken window were two furious looking werewolves and in the center of the room, was a vampire holding a woman.
*That's the girl Squall was dancing with!* Irvine thought to himself. His eyes grew large.
"What are you doing with her?" The female werewolf growled as she eyed the vampire wearily.
"Relax," the vampire said. He reached into his pocket and the tension in the air seemed to thicken. Squall lifted up his gunblade, eyes narrowed and body poised attack. "I just need a sample." He poised the needle over the drugged girl's neck.
"Aghh...uh..." Rinoa moaned as the needle went through her pale skin and into a vein. Anger flashed through her friend's eyes. Rinoa's right arm fell to her side to reveal a nasty dark purple bruise on her tender flesh.
Dark red liquid was squeezed into the glass tube as pain crossed Rinoa's face. "Stop it!" Selphie hissed. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Fucking vamp." Seifer hissed, narrowing his own green eyes at the creature. He remained in his spot, knowing full well that if he moved, that needle was going to go MUCH deeper.
The vile in the needle was almost filled when the door behind Squall burst open. Zell brust into the room, out of breath and sweating. As everyone turned their attention to him, the vampire made his move. Still holding Rinoa over his shoulder, he ripped the the needle from Rinoa's neck and ran forward.
"Rinoa!" Selphie screamed.
As if in slow motion, the sorceress' body was used to break another window. Rinoa's eyes flashed open as she felt the force of glass breaking against her back. The vampire holding her let her go as they went through together and jumped. As he seemed to fly on to another roof, Rinoa's body began to plummet five stories.
"Squall!" Irvine gasped. The brunette dropped his gunblade and ran forward. Zell tried to grab him, but was too slow and within seconds, Squall was leaping from the window.
*Oh, Hyne...* Rinoa closed her eyes. Images of her mother flashed through her mind. Her father, her friends. *This is it.* She opened her eyes once more. They widened as she saw him diving after her, his arms outstretched as his narrowed blue eyes seemed to will him to catch up. Rinoa's head tilted back and her eyes closed once more.
Squall saw her falling ahead of him and he reached out. She was so close. His arms went around her upper body, pulling her against him as he straightened his body. The ground cracked beneath them as he landed on both feet, Rinoa clutched against him.
He pulled her head away gently and looked over her. She was passed out. "Hey..." Squall whispered quietly. He craddled her body against his and gently brushed her bangs aside with his hand.
"Put her down," a voice hissed. He looked up and saw three guns pointed at him. "Put her down nice and easy, you fucking vamp." The blond woman ordered.
"Now." the white haired woman next to the blond added.
Behind him, three werewolves landed with thuds. "It's all right, Quisty," the smallest one said as her body began to mutate into that of a petite green eyed girl. "He's cool."
"Better keep your gun aimed at his head," Seifer sneered as his own body changed. "Hand her over."
"Squall, you all right, man?" Irvine said as he took a step forward, his body back to normal.
"Yeah..." Squall looked over at Seifer with a cold glare. *Fucking bastard...you didn't even try to jump after her.*
"Give her to me," Seifer barked once more. Reluctantly, Squall placed Rinoa in Seifer's extended arms. Without taking his eyes off of Squall, Seifer ordered the others. "Quisty...you mind?"
The blond woman walked cautiously around Squall and Irvine. She raised her gun as she arrived next to Seifer and Rinoa. Squall took a step forward and heard the clicks of guns aimed at him, forcing him to hold back. Without hesitation, Quistis shot the bracelets off of Rinoa's wrists, proving her excellent skill with the gun. She pocketed the two bracelets for later study.
Rinoa groaned. "Shh..." Quistis said, smiling warmly. "It's okay..." She began to place some cure spells on Rinoa's still bleeding neck.
"We've got you, girl," Selphie said next to her, trying to smile. "Everything's okay now..."
"Where...?" Rinoa turned her head, looking for the man whose arms caught her. She saw him standing a few feet away, looking concerned as he stood there. *Hyne, he's even cuter when he's worried...* She smiled slightly. She frowned. *Why the hell is Seifer carrying me? I KNOW he didn't jump out of a window to save me.*
"Did you get anything?" Seifer asked Quistis as he held Rinoa.
"I sent all the info I could find to my files back home," Quistis informed him as she finished up the spell. She gently rubbed Rinoa's neck. "How's that, Rin?"
"I'm going to kill that man who did this to me..." Rinoa mumbled. Her friends smiled slightly.
"Glad to see you haven't lost your edge, princess." Seifer smirked.
"Shut up..." Rinoa grumbled, tilting her head away from him.
"Can you stand?" Selphie asked quietly. Before Rinoa could answer, Seifer cut them off.
"I'll carry her back to the limo," Seifer told them. He tilted his head to the side, towards the entrance. "Let's get out of here."
"Wait..." Rinoa whispered.
"Shh, Rinoa," Quistis said as she walked along side of them. "Just rest. You can tell us later."
"But..." Rinoa looked behind Seifer at Squall's fleeting figure. A blond guy with spiky hair joined him and Irwin or whatever his name was...the guy dressed as a cowboy. She heard the revs of Quistis and Selphie's bikes as Seifer carried her into the limo. Raijin and Fujin got in, closing the door to Squall.
"So what is that?" Seifer asked, looking over Quistis' shoulder as they stood in Rinoa's dark room/Quistis' lab.
Quistis turned aorund and glared at him. "Will you STOP with the questions?" she asked, annoyed. She removed her glasses and walked down the counter to where her lap top was hooked up to her research equipment. "They're a radiated compound shaped into a bracelet that negates magic powers on the person that's wearing them."
"I could've figured THAT out." Seifer snorted, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms.
"Then why didn't you?" Quistis retroted. She picked up one of the bracelets and waved for him to come over. "Put it on."
"Fine..." he snatched the green material from her hand and snapped it on his wrist. "Now what?"
"Ugh..." Quistis rolled her eyes. "Are you the stupidest man in the world or what!? Try a spell!"
"That's all you had to say," Seifer said. "Damn, woman...why must you say so many mean and hurtful things?"
"See, it's that attitude that won't get you date." Quistis snapped back.
Seifer tried a fire spell. Nothing came out. "What the fuck..." He aimed his hand at Quistis. "Nothing!" Grumbling, he tried another spell. Still nothing. "Damn!"
"Now try to take it off." Quistis said in the most serious tone.
"With pleasure," Seifer gripped the bracelet with one hand pulled on it. "AH!" A shock went through is body, making him stumble backwards and fall. He looked around wildly. "What the hell was that!?"
"Thanks for the data," Quistis smirked as she looked back at her laptop. "It seems that the radiated compound memorizes the DNA of whoever it's attached to and negating. When that person tries to take it off, it shocks them. And gets stronger the harder they try."
"And you barely found that out NOW?"
"Yeah, thanks to you," Quistis winked. "I always knew you were good for SOMETHING."
"Just get this thing off of me," Seifer ordered. He stood up and held his wrist out at her. She just looked at it with distain. He narrowed his eyes. "Quisty...that's not funny."
"But you're so much better this way," Quistis sighed. She smiled brightly. "Just THINK about it! I've created the first NEW and IMPROVED Seifer! The world now owes me a great deal."
"Quistis!" Seifer growled.
"Do you really think, that's going to get you somewhere, Seifer, honey?" she continued to smirk and leaned back against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest. "Beg."
"Hell no."
"No beg, no magic."
"I'll just get Selphie to take it off." Seifer grumbled. He turned around and headed towards the door.
"Sure...that's really going to work, isn't it?" Quistis snickered as she saved the data for her tests. "You can ask a favor from the girl who refused to lend you a buck for the dollar menu at McDonalds just because you're her brother. And you were starving at the time, too."
His hand on the doornob, Seifer swore. *I hate it when she's right...* Turning around he walked back over to her. "Quistis," he tried in a deep voice. "Did I ever tell you how absolutely sexy you are?"
"Many a time," Quistis said with sweet smile. "Flattery won't help..."
"So if I call you a smart ass bitch, you'll help me out?"
"I do believe I hear Selphie calling me!" she pretended to listen for the brunette's calls and Seifer sighed. He pinned her to the counter and pressed himself against her.
"All right..." he grumbled, obviously not happy. "Quistis...PLEASE take this off." he grumbled in a low voice.
Quistis smiled, but wasn't satisifed. "I can't hear you..."
Seifer struggled to keep his composure. "Quistis-"
"Mistress Quistis."
"What?" He pulled away from her and frowned. "Argh...FINE. MISTRESS QUISTIS..."
"Louder." Quistis added.
"Mistress Quistis, PLEASE take this off!!" he nearly shouted.
"OH HYNE!! MY VIRGIN EYES!!" a voice screamed from the door way. Both blonds turned and saw Selphie standing there, her head turned and her left arm covering her eyes as she held her right hand up to stop them. "Oh Hyne!"
"Selphie, it's not what you think-" Quistis began in an calm voice.
"No!" Selphie nearly screamed. "I don't want to know! I just wanted to to tell you that Rin wants to talk to us!" She pulled her left arm down as she turend to look at them. She groaned and winced, turning her head away sharply once more. "Oh, Hyne! My eyes!"
"Shut up, you little pain," Seifer hissed, pushing himself away from Quistis. "It's all her fault!"
"No! No details!!" Selphie screeched.
"Selphie-"
"You two SICKEN me!!" she growled as she turned and ran back down the hall, screaming something about how her brother had tainted one of her best friends.
Quistis rolled her eyes and removed the bracelets off of Seifer. "There, you happy now?" she asked sharply. "You made your sister go nuts."
Seifer shot her a dark look as he rubbed his wrist. "She's already nuts. She'll be fine."
"I'm going to go talk to Rin," Quistis said as she removed her white lab coat and hug it up on a hook on the wall next to Rinoa's smock. "You can leave now."
"No way, I want to find out what's going on," Seifer said. He casually put his arm around Quistis as they headed around the corner and up the stairs to Rinoa's bedroom. "I can't let someone attack one of my girls and let them get away with it, can I?"
"Your 'girls'?" Quistis asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you have a harem now?"
"Just you and Rin," Seifer answered coolly. "Selphie's just my sister."
"Every time I'm reminded of that, I feel pity towards her for having a brother like you." Quistis sighed.
"Someone sexy and skilled?"
"Someone stupid."
"Oh, come off it, you know you want me." Seifer grinned. Quistis rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, like a dog wants to be nuetered..." she mumbled. Seifer let his arm fall down around her slim waist and pulled her up against him.
"Oh yeah...you want me bad."
"Oh, Hyne, Seifer!" a voice growled behind them as they reached the top of the stairs. They saw Selphie at the bottom of the stairs, slowly making her way up. "Must you two do that in front of me?" She passed between them, breaking them apart, and made a right. "I expect that behavior from Seifer, but not from you Quistis."
"Grr..." Quistis shoved Seifer away from her hard. "Thanks a lot!"
"Hey! Shit!!" Seifer fell back, missing the steps with his feet and tumbling down their stairs to the white marble tile below. "Dammit! That hurt!"
"You're a werewolf! Deal with it!" he heard her shout from the hall.
Seifer frowned and shouted back up. "That just proves how much you WANT me!!"
"Seifer, shut up!" another voice shouted. "Go home!" Rinoa glared out her door way as she passed by it to go to her closet. Her bedroom was painted in light blue with a white washed wooden twin bed, decorated with the 'Angel' theme. "I thought he went home hours ago..." she grumbled as she pulled the closet door open and stood in front of it.
"He and Quistis were in the dark room lab, about to go at it," Selphie informed her, as if it actually happened. "If I didn't come in at that time, we'd have to burn all the equipment."
"Selphie, I'm telling you nothing-" Quistis began.
"It was kinky, too!" Selphie added with disbelief. "He was calling her Mistress!"
Next to her, Quistis ran her hand down her face. "Forget it...the effort of explaination is wasted on you," She sighed and looked over at Rinoa. "So what's up? You sure you're okay?"
"I'm just peachy," Rinoa's annoyed voice grumbled. "Tonight, they'll be a meeting at Esthar's central park," she said. "My father asked us to come."
"Do we have an assignment?" Selphie asked.
"What else could it be if he asked for all three of us," Rinoa said as she tossed some clothes over her shoulder. She put her hands on her waist and shifted through some of her shirts. "It feels like something big."
"Think so?" Selphie asked, getting excited. "Sounds fun."
"We haven't had a big assignment in a while," Quistis said whistfully. "Just minor recon work and such..."
"Well, I have a hunch," Rinoa said. She smiled and pulled out her favorite light blue, sleeveless duster. "I'll be back soon. We'll leave afterwards."
"Where are you going?" Quistis asked warily.
"To get dinner," Rinoa said, pausing as she slipped the blue duster over her black skirt and shirt. She looked at them and tilted her head. "My turn to cook, remember?"
"Oh yeah..." Selphie mumbled. She jumped up from where she had been sitting on Rinoa's unmade bed. "Can you get something OTHER than pizza this time? I'm sick of pizza.'
"But it's 50% off tonight!" Rinoa gasped.
"I knew you had a reason for picking Monday for one of your cooking nights," Quistis sighed. "Stop being such a cheapie and buy some REAL food for once."
"Pizza is real food."
"Okay, you know what," Quistis shoved her hand in the back pocket of her denium pants and pulled out some wrinkled gil. "Take this," she took Rinoa's hand and pushed the money into it. "And go get us some DECENT food."
"Okay okay..."
"Hey, Rin..." Selphie said as Rinoa exited her room with them behind her. "Do you want us to come...I mean... after what happened last night..."
"No," Rinoa said, whirling around to face them. Her face was set in a serious look. "I was just caught off guard that time. It won't happen again."
"But-" Selphie began, Rinoa shook her head and proceeded to go down the stairs.
"No...I'm not going to hide behind you guys after a little mishap. I was sedated and my powers nullified," she asserted. "Else that bastard's head would've long been gone. And I'm NOT just talking about the one on his neck."
Quistis and Selphie winced. "Glad I'm not a guy..."
Quistis stood in front of Rinoa as the girl put her boots on. "Are you SURE? Do you feel any pain at all? How are your arm and neck?"
Rinoa sighed and shook her head. "Quisty, I'm fine! Geez, why does everyone ask me that? Even my dad asked if I was up to the assignment. My FATHER the General!"
Quistis rolled her eyes as Selphie giggled behind Rinoa. "Oh, yes...we're just horrible people," Quistis sighed. "I mean...CARING about you and all of that..."
"Okay, okay...I'm sorry. I'll be fine, look, I'll even bring Angelo," Rinoa said indiciating the dog that had been sleeping couch in the living room. She whistled. "Angelo!!" Upon hearing his name, he perked up and scrambled over to his mistress. He gave a happy bark as he was petted by all three girls. "Okay, boy, let's go get dinner!"
"Watch her good, Angelo!" Selphie said as she waved at the two as they exited. Quistis closed the door after them. Selphie began to put on her shoes. "We'll give her until the count of a hundred and go."
"Right."
Squall looked at the swirling red liquid in his alcohol as the room echoed with people's voices. He was dressed darkly, as usual, and his sun glasses laid on the table by his drink. Irvine chugged down something and let out a content sigh as Zell took a drink of water to clear his throat for even more hot dogs. As his two friends aimlessly sat there, his eyes scanned the bar.
Loveless, the bar, had been in his mother's side's family for years. Years ago, before he was born, his mother had been running it. It was where she met his father after he was dragged in by Ward and Kiros. It was were his old man had been nursed back to health by the vampiress. It was now owned and run by a distant cousin who was working the bar.
His mother, the favorite daughter of her clan, had been engaged practically at birth to marry his father and she had resented that. Working at the family bar, she fell in love with Laguna, never realizing that he was the leader of the Loire vampire clan, then already the largest. It was Kiros who revealed it by accident to Raine, who had panicked. According to the story Squall heard as a child, Laguna, who had heard about her reaction, thought she didn't love him and was about to leave when she ran up to talk to him and he asked her to marry him.
It was so sickeningly romantic in every sense of the way. His mother had loved his father up until the day she died. Squall took his glass and drank down it's contents in one glump, slamming the cup down and making Irvine and Zell look up and stare. *Up until the day I was born.* he thought to himself.
"Squall..." Irvine said. Squall looked up at the cowboy. "You okay, man?"
Squall nodded. He saw his cousin looking at him from the bar. She mouthed the words 'okay?' and he nodded. Running a hand through his hair, he pushed his chair back. "I'll see you guys later at the park."
"I thought we were all going there together?" Zell asked, his mouth about to be filled by yet another hot dog.
"I'll meet you there," Squall asserted in a deep voice. He stood up and pushed his chair back in. "I'm going for a drive." Grabbing his sunglasses, he strode to bar to pay his tab.
He put gil on the counter and his cousin shook his head. "No way, kid," she said with her arms crossed over a pair of rather large breasts. "You know you're money ain't good here. We're family."
"Just take it, Tifa," Squall sighed. How many times must they have this argument before she realized that he was ALWAYS going to pay. "And don't let them drink too much." He tilted his head back at his table and she nodded.
"Will do. See ya." She took the money and put it into her tip jar. Squall nodded in approval, knowing that the money went to serve orphaned underworld children at Matron Edea's orphanage. He walked out the doors and headed for his car.
"Can you believe them, Angelo?" a familiar voice was saying. He turned his head as he was about to press the lock remote. "I'm totally fine and they're following me!"
A dog marked in reponse and Squall's eyebrows furrowed in question. He looked around the corner and saw HER walking in his direction with a medium sized dog at her side.
"I KNOW!" she sighed exasperatedly. "I mean do they think I can't sense them?" she whispered in a low voice.
Squall couldn't help but grin. *She's so cute...* he thought to himself.
"And I can't believe Seifer was listening in on the coversation!" Rinoa gasped in disbelief. "That moron! Next time he stays too long, bite him, okay, Angelo?"
Squall smirked as the dog barked. *Heh...I like the dog already...* He heard her give out a tired sigh and then her foot steps stop.
"Sel, Quisty! I know you're there," she said in a self assured voice. "Either walk with me or go back home because I don't like people following me!" Silence. "Don't make me cast a spell!" She threatened.
"See, I told you to be quiet!" a voice snapped.
"ME?" another voice gasped. "You're the one who said 'we'll give her until the count of a hundred and then go!'"
"I can't believe you two..." Rinoa said, disapproval all over her voice. "Especially you, Quistis!"
"Okay, why don't we just go get something to eat?" Squall peeked over the corner again and saw the blond and brunette from the night before.
"Yeah-" the petite green eyed girl began. She froze and sniffed the air. "Vampire..."
"Duh, Selphie...we're in Esthar. I.E. Vampire country." Rinoa sighed.
*Shit, that's me...* Squall thought to himself. Unwilling to be caught, he went back to his car and slipped inside. He turned on the car and reved it a few times, trying to get the smell of exhaust to cover his own blood scent. He looked out of his tinted windows and saw the girls pass by the parking lot. He ducked, even though he knew they couldn't see him.
Selphie shrugged. "Nah..." She smiled at her friends and linked arms with them. "Since we're all here, let's head over to that place where that cook that chili!"
"Oh, Hyne..." Quistis frowned as she and Rinoa were dragged away. "Not the chili..." Rinoa merely laughed as Quistis gave a losing sigh. "Now she'll refer to us as 'partner' and greet with us with 'howdy' for a few hours...
"Well, partners, I reckon' this is where the meetin' be at." Selphie said was she pretended to tilt her imaginary cowboy hat.
Rinoa giggled as Quistis groaned. "Stop it...please..." the blond sighed. Selphie merely smiled brighter and Rinoa shook her head.
"You know that the more you ask her to stop, the more she'll keep doing it," Rinoa giggled. "But seriously, Selphie, don't do that when we're at the meeting."
Selphie repeated her earlier movement. "Gotcha, cow poke."
"Is that even a word?" Quistis asked tiredly.
"There should be a stone gazebo here..." Rinoa mumbled as her eyes scanned the park. She was wearing a black dress under a long, black leather duster and boots. Behind her Quistis was wearing her knee high black leather jacket and boots over a short, dark dusty pink dress. Selphie had on her yellow dress and a short black leather jacket, to match with her friends.
"There's one." a voice said behind them. The girls froze. They already knew who it was.
"Oh, shit...he followed us..." Rinoa grumbled. She turned around and glared at Seifer. "What are you doing here?"
"Chill, princess," Seifer said. "Cid and Edea asked us to come." Fujin and Raijin nodded.
"Together." Fujin said.
"Ya! Now we can all team up, ya?" Raijin asked excitedly.
"I don't mind Fujin or you, Raijin," Selphie said. "But I do mind Seifer. I mean, I had to grow up with him, isn't that bad enough? Why must Hyne keep punishing me?" She said as she lifted her arms and looked up towards the sky.
"Shut up, train girl," Seifer snapped. He pointed to the gazebo to their left, hidden behind the long branches of a willow tree. "Let's just go."
They all headed toward the gray stone gazebo, all the while Quistis and Seifer snapped nasty remarks at each other. Selphie was gladly informing Fujin and Raijin of their situation in the dark room lab earlier and seemed to be exaggerating. As they stood inside the gazebo, Rinoa stomped her foot on the floor three times and a grinding sound was heard as the stone floor was lowered.
"Cool!" Selphie chirped as she looked around. "You can't get this in Balamb!"
"How'd you know to stomp?" Quistis asked Rinoa.
"It told me to on the information card my father had in the limo." Rinoa stated simply.
"Like she'd really figure that out for herself."
Three voices replied. "Shut up, Seifer." He rolled his eyes and the stone floor came to a stop at least two stories below ground. Heavy metal doors slid open in front of them and they walked through. As soon as they did, the doors closed and they heard the grinding sound once more, meaning the gazebo floor was being raised.
They went through three more sets of doors before entering a darkened room. There were a few lamps hanging down from the ceiling over a circular table. Rinoa quickly recognized the people as heads of various vampire, werewolf, shape shifter, and sorcerer clans. Her father was there, representing the Caraway clan.
"We'll start as soon as my son and his party arrive," Laguna said as he sat across from them. "Please have a seat." He motioned to the several seats across from the older clan members.
The six took their seats and heard the door open once more. "Seifer!?" a voice gasped, echoing off the walls.
"Oh, this has got to be a joke..." Seifer sneered as they turned all around. Irvine, Squall, and Zell were at the door way, frozen in their spots as they saw the six other people there.
Rinoa's eyes went large as she saw brown hair. Blue eyes immediately locked on to hers. *Oh, Hyne, it's him! Wait...Mr. Loire's son...Mr. Loire is a vampire...the only vampire in the group is... OH MY HYNE!!*
"Rin," Quistis whispered in her ear as the brown eye brunette kept her eyes on Squall. "Close your mouth. I know he's hot, but have some pride."
Immediately, Rinoa clamped her mouth closed and whirled back around in her seat. Squall kept his smirk to himself as he noticed her blushing face behind her dark hair. *So, you're here, too, sorceress...*
"Hey, you're those people from last night!" Irvine said as he recognized them. He saw Selphie and Quistis. He smirked and walked over to them, putting a hand on the back of their chairs as he loomed over Rinoa, who was sitting between them. "My name is Irvine, by the way. I've already met Rinoa, haven't I, little lady-"
"Irvine, please have a seat," Cid sighed tiredly. "All of you." Squall grabbed the nearest chair, two chairs away from Rinoa as Irvine took the seat next to him and Selphie and Zell took the seat next to Squall.
"Children," Edea's voice said solemnly. "There is something we want to speak to you about that is rather serious. I'm sure you were all aware of last night's attempt on Rinoa Heartilly Caraway's life.""There was some rather confusing information I found at the lab," Quistis voiced. "But I couldn't make any sense of it."
"It will probably make sense after this," another voice said. Xu and Nida, ancient shape shifters who gave the appearance of still being youth, were the leaders of the clan Zell belonged to and the clan that Fujin and Quistis' mother belonged to. "What do you know of the Blood Moon?"
"It comes once every thousand years," Quistis explained. "The full moon turns blood red and strengthens the blood of all underworld creatures. It's considered a very dangerous time as many underworld coups are attempted."
"It also weakens something," Rinoa's father added. "The Blood Moon weaks all seals that were created by forged bonds between races. There is only one seal that has been forged with the blood of vampire, lycan, shifter, and sorcerer."
"Hell's Gates..." Rinoa whispered quietly. "It was sealed a hundred thousand years ago before the any wars between the races."
"Rinoa is correct," Edea said. "Do you know how the Underworld War was started?"
" "The vampiric sorceress Utlimecia's mate was killed and she went crazy," Irvine said. "Everyone knows that."
"Do you know WHY?" Edea asked, raising an eyebrow. The teens were silenced. "Her mate was killed because he was a pure blooded sorcerer. His magic was so pure that he could open the Gates, but it would kill him. He refused and was killed by a combined group of vampires, lycans, shifters, and sorcerers. Ultimecia was furious and they say she went insane. But we believe otherwise."
"What do you mean? That she purposely turned all groups against each other so they'd never work together again?" Seifer asked. "No way...no one would do that."
"We are saying exactly that," Edea sighed. "Seifer, do you know how powerful hybrids are? You are one and should know. They have the strengths of both sides and Ultimecia feared that if they were to combine again, they would kill each other for ultimate power. So she manipulated all sides to avoid it."
"But the mixing of bloods has been going on for centuries," Selphie said. "Millenias even."
"Exactly," Cid said. "We believe that she had an irrational action."
"So why are we here?" Squall's voice rang out and everyone turned to look at him. He had been sitting there the whole time, a bored look on his face.
Laguna coughed. "With the Blood Moon appoarching, groups who want it open have been coming together to unseal Hell's Gates. We believe that Adel is leading them. All races who want that gate unsealed are coming together and to stop them..."
"You need a group of people that can match them powerwise..." Quistis concluded.
"Exactly." Laguna breathed.
"But why us?" Zell asked. "More importantly, why HIM?" He pointed to Seifer, who rolled his eyes as he leaned back against his chair was arms crossed over his chest.
"You all have had jobs like this before," the General told them. "Stop a group here. Stop a group there. But this is, by far, the hardest thing you will ever have to do. Adel is a dangerous sorceress."
"You said something about why I was attacked last night," Rinoa said as she leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. "You know why...tell me."
The General took a deep breath. "Adel hunts down powerful and gifted magic users. We're not sure how, but she drains them of their magic. And you know what happens to a magicless sorcerer."
Rinoa paled and Quistis and Selphie turned to her with worried expressions. Rinoa closed her eyes and nodded slowly. Zell tilted his head. "What?" he asked, confused. "What happens to them?"
"They die, you idiot!" Seifer snapped. "If she gets her hands on Rinoa and takes her magic, she'll die!"
"Seifer, calm down," Edea said. "No one is going to die."
"If she's a target, why does she have go on this assignment?" Irvine asked, confused.
"I agree," Selphie said. "She'll be a greater risk."
"Rinoa's mother," General Caraway explained with a pained look on his face. "Had the blood of all branches of magic, except one. We had Rinoa and thanks to my blood line, she now has the blood of all magic. Black, white, red, witch, shaman, you name it, Rinoa's a carrier. And because she has all the blood, she might be the only sorceress to battle Adel."
"Had Adel never taken the magic of other sorcerers, as Ultimecia, she wouldn't be anywhere near this dangerous," Edea admitted. "But we've recorded at least three hundred sorcerors she has consumed in the last several hundred years."
"Why hasn't anyone stopped her?" Selphie gasped. "There must've been someone!"
"They've tried, Selphie, but no lone sorcerer is strong enough," Cid told her truthfully. "Rinoa is the only one with this blood line with even a chance. Julia Heartilly had no siblings. During the attacks on her home village, her family was nearly wiped out."
"Rinoa," her father told her gently. "We really need you." Everyone's eyes were on her.
"It was Adel, wasn't it?" Rinoa murmured quietly. She looked up, tears in her eyes. "Adel was the one who ordered mom's murder..."
Silence took over the room and Caraway closed his eyes. His voice was shallow and filled with saddness as he answered. "They thought that was a carrier of all magic...so they took her, but found out she wasn't. But Adel still wanted...to take her," he swallowed hard. "...Her magic."
Rinoa's eyes were glazed over, as her mouth hung partially open. Tears streamed down her face. "Rinoa...?" Quistis asked gently as she and Selphie held on to their friend's hands. "Honey...say something..."
Slowly, Rinoa closed her eyes. "I'll do it," she whispered. "I won't let her get away with this." Her eyes flew open, revealing furious brown eyes.
Selphie nodded. "If Rin's in, so am I! right, Quisty?"
"Of course."
"We're in." Seifer stated. Fujin and Raijin nodded.
"Same here." Irvine said.
"I'm in." Zell added.
Everyone turned to look at Squall. He sat there, his eyes looking straight ahead. Slowly, they shifted over to Rinoa, who looked back at him. They were pools of mixed emotions. Anger, fear. Hope. And they were crying. The vampire stood up. "Squall?" Irvine asked, looking up at him.
"Whatever." he mumbled.
"Squall!" Laguna called out. The brunette didn't pay attention as he strode over to the doors and let them open before stepping out into the hall way.
"He's in," Irvine stated. A few disbelieving faces look at him. "Don't worry," he told them confidently. "He'll do it." He looked over at Rinoa. *Because of her.*