Chapter 11
Betrayed Within?
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, but other characters I most likely do.
A/N: Warning-I think Sephiroth went majorly out of character in this chapter and I'm not happy with it, but there's not much I can do about it. Maybe later on I'll go back and rewrite this chapter, but until then.here it is.
Having went to bed early, Daitona and Sephiroth woke late in the night. A quick look around, they found Lavitz to be gone. Another look reveled them to be also weaponless. A note on a small, well-worn table told them that Lavitz had left to go back to Shinra for an escort back to the tower. It said that he would be back soon.
Sephiroth looked over to the corner to where Daitona sat silently, her glowing green eyes met and held his gaze.
"Are you 'ok' now?" By the confused look on Daitona's face Sephiroth thought it necessary to explain what he meant. "Your legs, you hurt your legs. Remember?" She nodded in understanding. "Stand up."
"We'll see." Daitona slowly pushed herself up staggered a bit, then stood soundly on her own. "Well, at the least I can walk on my OWN now. No more slow going because of me."
"I'm glad, not that I blame you. You did, after all, save my life. I would have felt bad if I had really hurt you." He grinned at her narrowed eyes.
"You, hurt me? In your dreams," Daitona mocked. "We 'supposedly' know where Lavitz is, but that doesn't explain where our swords went to, now does it?" She crossed her arms and sat back down to take a gruff position, sitting on the floor.
"You're right," he admitted, nodding his head. The room was so dimly light that he could hardy see Daitona, but her eyes gave her away as he knew his did the same.
The light was coming from behind the curtains that covered the two windows. It had to be streetlights because it was far too late for it to be natural light.
"I don't trust Lavitz," Daitona said in a voice of warning, and stood back up. She walked silently and reached out for the small metal doorknob. She twisted it slightly then push. Her eyes narrowed slightly when the door didn't budge, so she repeated the motion. With a dull look she turned back to Sephiroth. "The door's lock," she stated sarcastically, "and we can't get out."
Sephiroth stared as Daitona's cool composure slowly began to crumple. He stood and went to one of the windows; Daitona did the same and went to look out the other. Sephiroth pushed back the dusty curtains and stared into a poorly boarded up window. A simple push on the wooden planks proved that they were stronger than they appeared.
He turned back to find Daitona was still looking behind the curtains with her back to him; she wasn't moving so he took a hesitant step toward her.
"Daitona.what's wrong? Can we get out through the window?" Sephiroth asked softly.
Her long hair moved over her shoulders, as she shook her head 'no.' "It's- it's all.boarded up," she stammered while taking a few slow steps back.
"So is this one," Sephiroth grumbled absently, he sighed heavily and shook his head in confusion.
Daitona whorled around on her heels so fast that it startled him into taking a step back. Her eyes had a wild look in them that he hadn't seen before; was that look.fright?
"We can't stay in here," Daitona hissed at him, her shoulders and hands shook as she spoke.
"What' s wrong? Are you ok?" Sephiroth asked in bewilderment, he had never seen her act this way. 'What's wrong with her?'
Daitona clutched at her hairline in what appeared to be in extreme frustration. She shook her head, all the while mumbling incoherent things to herself, then she began pacing the room relentlessly.
Sephiroth watched her actions closely trying to figure out why she was so up set. Finally it hit him and he stepped in her path to stop her pacing. 'How in gods name she had lived in the Shinra building for so long and was Closter phobic was beyond him. He had to calm her down before this got out of hand.'
"Daitona," Sephiroth said gently. Why was he so worried about her? He couldn't take the time now to figure that out. He had to make sure Daitona wouldn't do something stupid and to get her mind back on what the real problem was. "This is nothing to worry about. Surely Hojo had you locked in smaller rooms than this one?"
"Why did he leave us here? Why are we locked in.in.HERE!" Daitona's head snapped up as anger was quickly building in her mind.
Before she could move away, Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her pulling her close. "Now is not the time for this," he spoke soothingly to her. "I need you calm down, do you trust me? Trust me to get us out of here. Remember your training. This should be a simple task to us. Just think, there's nothing to worry about so long as we are both here. You watch my back I'll watch yours. Remember?"
" Yes.but.HE TAUGHT US HOW TO BREAK INTO PLACES, NOT BREAK OUT!" she yelled back at him.
"Shhh-getting upset won't help us in escaping." He rubbed her shoulders in an attempt to keep her calm. 'Escaping? Since when have I thought us prisoners of this room? I haven't even checked the door yet. I could probably break it down if it's any of the quality as the rest of this run down old place.'
"The windows are boarded up, the door's locked from the outside, we're weaponless, and Lavitz isn't to be found.are you finally convinced we've been double crossed?" Daitona knew she wasn't being fare, but she couldn't help it. Sephiroth was right, she had been locked up in smaller places before.but not like this.
'Oh why did I have to be so weak?' she mentally scolded herself. 'Why didn't we notice where that two-faced double crosser was leading us? I know, it was because of me. Sephiroth was to busy helping me to notice and I was flat out not paying attention.wait, I had to of know. I just didn't realize it. Lavitz knew how much my eyes tend to wonder when I'm in a new place, that's why I didn't see it. I was too busy taking in my surroundings. He fooled both of us into here.but why?'
"I'm sorry," Daitona breathed, she was trying to get her thoughts back on track and to calm he wound up nerves. She had to calm herself to help Sephiroth to think of a possible escape plan. But escaping would be the easy part. They were in a sector of the slums that they were unaccustomed to and weaponless. They'd have to rely on their hand-to-hand combat skills, and frankly.it'd be no use against a gun or the assorted weapon. "Something's wrong.and I think it's Lavitz's fault. He's the one who brought us here, and now he's the only one missing. He probably left that blasted note here so we wouldn't suspect him."
"I know, I know." Sephiroth's voice faded into the darkness and he finally stepped away from Daitona. His action had helped done a great deal in calming her. "I'm just not so quick to loose my trust, even though.I think you're right. I don't think anyone else could sneak around this room quiet enough to take our weapons without waking at least one of us up. I don't know about you, but I for one.am light sleeper."
"And why else would the windows be boarded up like that. I'll tell you why, it was meant to keep someone in this room.it was meant to keep US in THIS room!" Daitona cursed herself for her impatience, her temper was on edge and it kept showing its ugly head. "IF, it wasn't Lavitz, and I'm saying ONLY if, then someone had to be watching us to be able to get us locked up like this. You can't tell me normal Inn's have boarded up windows and they lock people in their rooms when they're alone."
"You're right. Normally, this doesn't happen, but then again, how normal are our lives?" Sephiroth pointed out.
"Quit getting smart with me," Daitona said dully, shaking her head slowly. "Why don't you just break down the door and we'll go from there?"
"Why don't you?" Sephiroth stated simply; she narrowed her eyes at him again. "I for one don't want to hurt my shoulder."
Daitona stared at him, mouth agape. 'What's he playing at now?!' "Sephiroth, you get over there and break that door down, NOW!!!!"
Sephiroth chocked, then laughed.only putting Daitona's mood to worse. Her arms crossed over her chest and her icy glare was clearly evident.
"What?" she finally asked in a taunting tone. "The poor old man's afraid he's going to hurt himself?"
Sephiroth stopped laughing and looked on at the angry girl. "I'm not that old."
"Well, your hair says differently. How prematurely gray did you go?" Daitona smirked at the shock on his, normally expressionless face.
"It's NOT GRAY!!! I was born with silver hair! Hear that? SILVER!!! IT'S SILVER!!!!"
"Sheesh Sephiroth. I didn't know you were so temperamental about your hair." The taunting never left her voice and it was beginning to irritate him.
"Think of a different way out Daitona," Sephiroth challenged. "You don't really think anyone would let us waltz out the front door if we're suppose to be caught, do you?"
"You better help."
-Midnight-
"Ok Daitona, you can stop pacing now. You're making me dizzy," Sephiroth sighed. They had spent the last hour and a half tearing the room apart trying to find any possible escape; there was none to be found. It happened that the old warped door was a tough old bird, and even with both of their efforts the door held firm.
Daitona sighed and sat down across from where Sephiroth had been sitting for the past 45 minutes or so. "What about the boards on the windows?" she questioned.
"What about them?" Sephiroth didn't really pay her much attention; he had his own thoughts he was sorting through.
"Couldn't we push them out? How strong can a lousy nail really be?" She sighed and leaned back on her hands. All that pacing was beginning to show; she was getting tired, but she had hoped the simple movement would help motivate her into finding a way out. But in reality, it had helped none and now worse, she knew she'd need to rest soon.
"We're three stories up, remember. And if my memory serves me right, either of those windows are a straight drop down, still like that idea?" Sephiroth informed, still thinking of his own thoughts more than paying attention.
Daitona growled and sprawled out on the floor on her back as a sign off momentary abandonment of escaping. Her whining finally brought his attention back to the subject at hand.
"What's wrong?" he asked eyeing her sprawled position before him.
"What's NOT wrong?" she groaned in response. "I have a headache, my nerves are on end, I need a bath.so do you," she said wrinkling her nose before continuing, "it's getting colder as I speak, who KNOWS what's going to happen to us by morning, and to top all that.I huuuunnnggggrrrrryyyyyyy. I can't think of anything on an empty stomach."
They sat a long while in silence. The small room grew colder by the minute and Daitona's teeth began to chatter.
"It's cold," she chattered miserably. "And thanks to 'whoever', I can't just ask to have the heater turned up or ask for an extra blanket.we don't EVEN have a blanket to start out with!"
Sephiroth stood and took off his long black trench coat, that he had become accustom to wearing, and draped it over Daitona's shaking shoulders.
Daitona looked up at him with a startled expression. "I can't take this.won't you be cold?"
"At the moment you seem to be the colder of us here." He gave her one last look then sat down next to her.
By the time of early morning they we both huddled up together in a corner, covered by Sephiroth's trench coat.
"We're .gonna.f-f-f-r-r-re-e-e-e-e-e-e-z-z-z-e-e-e.," Daitona chattered to Sephiroth, just above a whisper.
"It-shouldn't get any colder." The words spilled from Sephiroth's blue tinted lips.
Just when Daitona was about to say more, bright light flooded through the door as it was thrown open. It was thrown open carelessly then slammed shut after something was chucked in with them.
Sephiroth and Daitona stared at the door in wonder when a thick smoke started to billow up from the place where the object thrown in had landed.
"What is that?" Daitona slowly started to creep forward.
One good breath of the smoke sent her into a fit of coughing. Her head spun wildly and black started to blur her vision.
When Daitona began coughing, Sephiroth got to his knees to pat her on the back, but all he managed to do was get a mouth full of the toxic smoke; Daitona collapsed before him.
Sephiroth's eyes rolled as the sleeping gas attacked his senses and he swayed on his knees before he too hit the floor loosing consciousness.
His last vision was of the light from the door, and a few dark blobs moving about speaking.but words at that point made no sense and his world faded to black.
****
-End Chapter 11-
A/N: As I stated before, I'm thoroughly annoyed with the way Sephiroth turned out in this chapter, but I guess there was no helping it.but I still don't have to like it. I'll try and not do this again.
Betrayed Within?
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, but other characters I most likely do.
A/N: Warning-I think Sephiroth went majorly out of character in this chapter and I'm not happy with it, but there's not much I can do about it. Maybe later on I'll go back and rewrite this chapter, but until then.here it is.
Having went to bed early, Daitona and Sephiroth woke late in the night. A quick look around, they found Lavitz to be gone. Another look reveled them to be also weaponless. A note on a small, well-worn table told them that Lavitz had left to go back to Shinra for an escort back to the tower. It said that he would be back soon.
Sephiroth looked over to the corner to where Daitona sat silently, her glowing green eyes met and held his gaze.
"Are you 'ok' now?" By the confused look on Daitona's face Sephiroth thought it necessary to explain what he meant. "Your legs, you hurt your legs. Remember?" She nodded in understanding. "Stand up."
"We'll see." Daitona slowly pushed herself up staggered a bit, then stood soundly on her own. "Well, at the least I can walk on my OWN now. No more slow going because of me."
"I'm glad, not that I blame you. You did, after all, save my life. I would have felt bad if I had really hurt you." He grinned at her narrowed eyes.
"You, hurt me? In your dreams," Daitona mocked. "We 'supposedly' know where Lavitz is, but that doesn't explain where our swords went to, now does it?" She crossed her arms and sat back down to take a gruff position, sitting on the floor.
"You're right," he admitted, nodding his head. The room was so dimly light that he could hardy see Daitona, but her eyes gave her away as he knew his did the same.
The light was coming from behind the curtains that covered the two windows. It had to be streetlights because it was far too late for it to be natural light.
"I don't trust Lavitz," Daitona said in a voice of warning, and stood back up. She walked silently and reached out for the small metal doorknob. She twisted it slightly then push. Her eyes narrowed slightly when the door didn't budge, so she repeated the motion. With a dull look she turned back to Sephiroth. "The door's lock," she stated sarcastically, "and we can't get out."
Sephiroth stared as Daitona's cool composure slowly began to crumple. He stood and went to one of the windows; Daitona did the same and went to look out the other. Sephiroth pushed back the dusty curtains and stared into a poorly boarded up window. A simple push on the wooden planks proved that they were stronger than they appeared.
He turned back to find Daitona was still looking behind the curtains with her back to him; she wasn't moving so he took a hesitant step toward her.
"Daitona.what's wrong? Can we get out through the window?" Sephiroth asked softly.
Her long hair moved over her shoulders, as she shook her head 'no.' "It's- it's all.boarded up," she stammered while taking a few slow steps back.
"So is this one," Sephiroth grumbled absently, he sighed heavily and shook his head in confusion.
Daitona whorled around on her heels so fast that it startled him into taking a step back. Her eyes had a wild look in them that he hadn't seen before; was that look.fright?
"We can't stay in here," Daitona hissed at him, her shoulders and hands shook as she spoke.
"What' s wrong? Are you ok?" Sephiroth asked in bewilderment, he had never seen her act this way. 'What's wrong with her?'
Daitona clutched at her hairline in what appeared to be in extreme frustration. She shook her head, all the while mumbling incoherent things to herself, then she began pacing the room relentlessly.
Sephiroth watched her actions closely trying to figure out why she was so up set. Finally it hit him and he stepped in her path to stop her pacing. 'How in gods name she had lived in the Shinra building for so long and was Closter phobic was beyond him. He had to calm her down before this got out of hand.'
"Daitona," Sephiroth said gently. Why was he so worried about her? He couldn't take the time now to figure that out. He had to make sure Daitona wouldn't do something stupid and to get her mind back on what the real problem was. "This is nothing to worry about. Surely Hojo had you locked in smaller rooms than this one?"
"Why did he leave us here? Why are we locked in.in.HERE!" Daitona's head snapped up as anger was quickly building in her mind.
Before she could move away, Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her pulling her close. "Now is not the time for this," he spoke soothingly to her. "I need you calm down, do you trust me? Trust me to get us out of here. Remember your training. This should be a simple task to us. Just think, there's nothing to worry about so long as we are both here. You watch my back I'll watch yours. Remember?"
" Yes.but.HE TAUGHT US HOW TO BREAK INTO PLACES, NOT BREAK OUT!" she yelled back at him.
"Shhh-getting upset won't help us in escaping." He rubbed her shoulders in an attempt to keep her calm. 'Escaping? Since when have I thought us prisoners of this room? I haven't even checked the door yet. I could probably break it down if it's any of the quality as the rest of this run down old place.'
"The windows are boarded up, the door's locked from the outside, we're weaponless, and Lavitz isn't to be found.are you finally convinced we've been double crossed?" Daitona knew she wasn't being fare, but she couldn't help it. Sephiroth was right, she had been locked up in smaller places before.but not like this.
'Oh why did I have to be so weak?' she mentally scolded herself. 'Why didn't we notice where that two-faced double crosser was leading us? I know, it was because of me. Sephiroth was to busy helping me to notice and I was flat out not paying attention.wait, I had to of know. I just didn't realize it. Lavitz knew how much my eyes tend to wonder when I'm in a new place, that's why I didn't see it. I was too busy taking in my surroundings. He fooled both of us into here.but why?'
"I'm sorry," Daitona breathed, she was trying to get her thoughts back on track and to calm he wound up nerves. She had to calm herself to help Sephiroth to think of a possible escape plan. But escaping would be the easy part. They were in a sector of the slums that they were unaccustomed to and weaponless. They'd have to rely on their hand-to-hand combat skills, and frankly.it'd be no use against a gun or the assorted weapon. "Something's wrong.and I think it's Lavitz's fault. He's the one who brought us here, and now he's the only one missing. He probably left that blasted note here so we wouldn't suspect him."
"I know, I know." Sephiroth's voice faded into the darkness and he finally stepped away from Daitona. His action had helped done a great deal in calming her. "I'm just not so quick to loose my trust, even though.I think you're right. I don't think anyone else could sneak around this room quiet enough to take our weapons without waking at least one of us up. I don't know about you, but I for one.am light sleeper."
"And why else would the windows be boarded up like that. I'll tell you why, it was meant to keep someone in this room.it was meant to keep US in THIS room!" Daitona cursed herself for her impatience, her temper was on edge and it kept showing its ugly head. "IF, it wasn't Lavitz, and I'm saying ONLY if, then someone had to be watching us to be able to get us locked up like this. You can't tell me normal Inn's have boarded up windows and they lock people in their rooms when they're alone."
"You're right. Normally, this doesn't happen, but then again, how normal are our lives?" Sephiroth pointed out.
"Quit getting smart with me," Daitona said dully, shaking her head slowly. "Why don't you just break down the door and we'll go from there?"
"Why don't you?" Sephiroth stated simply; she narrowed her eyes at him again. "I for one don't want to hurt my shoulder."
Daitona stared at him, mouth agape. 'What's he playing at now?!' "Sephiroth, you get over there and break that door down, NOW!!!!"
Sephiroth chocked, then laughed.only putting Daitona's mood to worse. Her arms crossed over her chest and her icy glare was clearly evident.
"What?" she finally asked in a taunting tone. "The poor old man's afraid he's going to hurt himself?"
Sephiroth stopped laughing and looked on at the angry girl. "I'm not that old."
"Well, your hair says differently. How prematurely gray did you go?" Daitona smirked at the shock on his, normally expressionless face.
"It's NOT GRAY!!! I was born with silver hair! Hear that? SILVER!!! IT'S SILVER!!!!"
"Sheesh Sephiroth. I didn't know you were so temperamental about your hair." The taunting never left her voice and it was beginning to irritate him.
"Think of a different way out Daitona," Sephiroth challenged. "You don't really think anyone would let us waltz out the front door if we're suppose to be caught, do you?"
"You better help."
-Midnight-
"Ok Daitona, you can stop pacing now. You're making me dizzy," Sephiroth sighed. They had spent the last hour and a half tearing the room apart trying to find any possible escape; there was none to be found. It happened that the old warped door was a tough old bird, and even with both of their efforts the door held firm.
Daitona sighed and sat down across from where Sephiroth had been sitting for the past 45 minutes or so. "What about the boards on the windows?" she questioned.
"What about them?" Sephiroth didn't really pay her much attention; he had his own thoughts he was sorting through.
"Couldn't we push them out? How strong can a lousy nail really be?" She sighed and leaned back on her hands. All that pacing was beginning to show; she was getting tired, but she had hoped the simple movement would help motivate her into finding a way out. But in reality, it had helped none and now worse, she knew she'd need to rest soon.
"We're three stories up, remember. And if my memory serves me right, either of those windows are a straight drop down, still like that idea?" Sephiroth informed, still thinking of his own thoughts more than paying attention.
Daitona growled and sprawled out on the floor on her back as a sign off momentary abandonment of escaping. Her whining finally brought his attention back to the subject at hand.
"What's wrong?" he asked eyeing her sprawled position before him.
"What's NOT wrong?" she groaned in response. "I have a headache, my nerves are on end, I need a bath.so do you," she said wrinkling her nose before continuing, "it's getting colder as I speak, who KNOWS what's going to happen to us by morning, and to top all that.I huuuunnnggggrrrrryyyyyyy. I can't think of anything on an empty stomach."
They sat a long while in silence. The small room grew colder by the minute and Daitona's teeth began to chatter.
"It's cold," she chattered miserably. "And thanks to 'whoever', I can't just ask to have the heater turned up or ask for an extra blanket.we don't EVEN have a blanket to start out with!"
Sephiroth stood and took off his long black trench coat, that he had become accustom to wearing, and draped it over Daitona's shaking shoulders.
Daitona looked up at him with a startled expression. "I can't take this.won't you be cold?"
"At the moment you seem to be the colder of us here." He gave her one last look then sat down next to her.
By the time of early morning they we both huddled up together in a corner, covered by Sephiroth's trench coat.
"We're .gonna.f-f-f-r-r-re-e-e-e-e-e-e-z-z-z-e-e-e.," Daitona chattered to Sephiroth, just above a whisper.
"It-shouldn't get any colder." The words spilled from Sephiroth's blue tinted lips.
Just when Daitona was about to say more, bright light flooded through the door as it was thrown open. It was thrown open carelessly then slammed shut after something was chucked in with them.
Sephiroth and Daitona stared at the door in wonder when a thick smoke started to billow up from the place where the object thrown in had landed.
"What is that?" Daitona slowly started to creep forward.
One good breath of the smoke sent her into a fit of coughing. Her head spun wildly and black started to blur her vision.
When Daitona began coughing, Sephiroth got to his knees to pat her on the back, but all he managed to do was get a mouth full of the toxic smoke; Daitona collapsed before him.
Sephiroth's eyes rolled as the sleeping gas attacked his senses and he swayed on his knees before he too hit the floor loosing consciousness.
His last vision was of the light from the door, and a few dark blobs moving about speaking.but words at that point made no sense and his world faded to black.
****
-End Chapter 11-
A/N: As I stated before, I'm thoroughly annoyed with the way Sephiroth turned out in this chapter, but I guess there was no helping it.but I still don't have to like it. I'll try and not do this again.