Disclaimer: I think everyone knows that I don't own Final Fantasy VIII so why do I even bother putting these things up?
Chapter SixteenTime seemed to freeze as a bone chilling cold settled throughout her shaking body. A voice she used to long for, a voice that defied her parents' authority, a voice she used to love but now feared, hated even.
"Baby, there are such things as monsters …" The tall, blond haired man holding a gun to her temple announced with a haughty, drawling voice.
"That's right … I forgot you are one." Her voice shook as she avoided the eyes of the figure that was leaning against her son's bedroom wall, another gun equipped with a silencer aimed for Alessandro. His finger was positioned on the trigger and she didn't even need to doubt that he would pull it if he had to.
"Mommy, what's going on?" Riana's sleepy voice came to the mother's ears. Her daughter's tiny footsteps stopped as the unfortunate scene met her young eyes, "Wha-wha-mommy?"
"Go back to your room and get Angelo." Rinoa said calmly knowing Riana was right behind her, "Now." The six year old began to sputter, "Go get him and leave the house, now!"
"Oh come on, you're expecting me to let them walk out of the front door?" Seifer sneered. She turned right around to face him, the gun now pointing at her forehead. Her eyes bore into his hatefully.
"Yeah, I kinda am." Rinoa replied, her mother instincts giving her a new resolve and bravery, "While I'm kicking your ass for breaking and entering."
"That's rich coming from a girl who has given birth twice and neglected her training over six or so years." Seifer smirked, the guns never altering their position. Alex was looking over the scene with terrified eyes, unmoving and thousands of questions swarming his head. Riana still had not moved.
"Riana, I said get the dog and get out." Rinoa snapped, her eyes still fixating on his, searching for some sort of weakness. She found none.
"I am not allowing them to leave." Seifer breathed, smirking.
"They don't need your permission!" Rinoa yelled, as swiftly as her training had once taught her she kicked the gun pointing towards her son from Seifer's hands. Alex got off the bed immediately and went to join his sister beyond the doorway.
"Oh ok, we can play it that way then." Seifer stated, the smirk unable to be wiped from his hateful face, "I didn't want to rough it up but it seems you've always liked it that way." The other gun wound up pointing directly at her face. A silenced bullet was projected through the barrel …
And hit the wall, a few inches from her head. Her ears rang with the noise the bullet had made when it contacted the wall. Seifer put the gun back in one of his jacket pockets, "Let's see what you can still do …"
His fist crashed into the wall as she dodged his attack, "Stop making holes in my house!" She yelled at him angrily, attempting at a roundhouse kick. He grabbed her leg right before it hit his abdomen and just stood there, letting her hop around on one available foot, "Goddamn!"
Taking a risk she jumped up, aiming her only foot to his head. It crashed into it, sending both fighters to hit the floor. Rinoa pushed herself up only to realize that Seifer was already looming above her, rubbing his neck, "Not bad …"
The two children stood, staring in wonder. What was this man doing in their house trying to kill them? Since when does mom know karate?
"Trust me, that was just a warm up." Rinoa said haughtily, ignoring the pain of the leg that collided with Seifer's head.
"Well I certainly hope so." Seifer got into fighting position once again.
"'Well I certainly hope so.'" Rinoa mimicked contemptuously, "You sound so much like Ackroyde."
"Yeah, and he's stronger than you." Seifer hissed as he unleashed an onslaught of punches to Rinoa's head. She dodged them, sometimes the leather of his glove skinning her cheeks threateningly causing little scratches to appear.
"Come on, stop pretending and hit me!" She yelled out and
her wishes were granted. His fist
landed unexpectedly in stomach, colliding with some ribs, enough to knock the
air out of her.
She gasped and clutched her stomach in surprise. Nothing was broken, she was quite sure, however she also knew
that he was holding himself back. 'If
he had been fighting seriously I would probably be disfigured right now … and
that means I'm in trouble.' She analyzed the situation, "Come on, Ackroyde's
lapdog had to have more backbone than this …"
"Oh he does." Seifer answered casually, "I just want to make sure what you're getting yourself into. Are you? I mean … we don't have to go through this, Rin …" His voice began to get softer, almost as if he were trying to seduce her … and he was, "We could run away from all this … Squall won't … he doesn't have the guts. But it could just be you and me, like the old times."
Rinoa gave off a short laugh and Seifer continued, "Those times were great … and to think we could relive them. We're in our mid-twenties … life is still a party. Come on …" He extended his hand towards her, "Just off your kids and let's go …"
She looked at her two kids in the doorway as if she was almost considering Seifer's offer, 'What a fucking idiot, as if I'd really mull over that offer.' She thought, sickened by his cruelty. She shrugged slightly, "Nah, I don't think so. I find they're cuter than you. I mean … Squall's genes, hello? He was always the better looking one."
Seifer laughed forcefully, his jaw clenched, "So … you're ready to die?"
Choosing not to answer that question, she just readied herself in a fighting stance. She struck first with punches he easily blocked with the palm of his hands. Next came well-coordinated kicks that he stopped with his forearms or hands.
Finally she landed one kick on his waist and he sidestepped a bit until regaining control, "They say women can handle more pain than men." Seifer stated simply, "Let's test that theory." And he smashed his elbow in her clavicle. She winced, refusing the howl that was caught in her throat.
"Mommy!" Riana cried out, Alex was too dumbfounded to do much.
'Don't tell me they've inherited Squall's intelligence!' She thought, engaging in panic mode, "I SAID GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!" She yelled back without even looking at them, rubbing her sore bone that she considered was busted.
The kids didn't move but she didn't have much time to think it over as Seifer's foot crashed in the wall, centimeters from her head. "WILL YOU STOP DESTROYING EVERYTHING?" She was now royally pissed.
He smirked and threw his fist in the wall, making another hole. She threw missed punches at him, kicks that were caught by his hands with quickened reflexes until finally he grew tired of this mere exercise.
"Ok, you know … before you used to be great. Then you started going out with Leonheart and your great degraded to good. And now you just plain suck. I'm very disappointed in you …" His fist smashed into her stomach once more, the impact slammed her in the nearby wall.
The children watched on in horror as their mother covered her mouth, bent over slightly and coughed. Seifer seemed to smile, standing back a little.
Rinoa tasted blood coming up as she coughed. She felt it in her saliva … and when she pulled her hands from her mouth she saw it. "Son of a bitch …" She whispered painfully.
"Nifty little trick isn't it?" Seifer smirked slightly and without further warning his kneecap smashed in her abdomen and she couldn't help yelling in pain. On her hands and knees she coughed up more blood that stained the carpet, "MOMMY!" Alex cried out this time.
Seifer slammed his foot in her stomach once more, causing her body to jolt upwards and her back collided with the wall and left her in a sitting position, wincing in immense pain that she hadn't felt since her last training session years ago, "You know, it fucking rips my heart out to see you standing there like a goddamn second class whore …" Seifer looked down on her.
Blood dripped slightly from her bottom lip as Riana began to cry, the kids still not moving from their position outside the room, "What the fuck did I tell you …" Rinoa's raspy voice was barely audible but then became slightly louder, "What the fuck … are you stupid kids still doing here?" Finally she rose to a scream, "GET THE HELL OUT WITH THE DOG NOW AND GO TO YOUR GRANDPARENT'S HOUSE RIGHT DOWN THE GODDAMN STREET!" She wasn't looking at them, only at the floor.
Hearing his mother swear for one of the first times in his life, the message was quite clear and the impact of the words took effect as Alessandro grabbed his sister's arm and went to look for the dog.
"Fine … I'll get them later. My business is with you now." Seifer shrugged.
Rinoa heard the bark of Angelo and the slam of the front door, 'Good … they're safe.' And she was left to face her opponent. He was smirking as though he had just gotten a five thousand dollar raise, "By the way, just thought you should know … agents are raiding your parent's house as well … so they aren't any safer."
'Fuck …' Rinoa thought helplessly, 'I have to finish this up quick … and by the looks of it, that isn't really possible now is it? Squall … where are you?' The metallic taste of blood still hadn't left her mouth, "You're a bastard, I hope you know that."
"Well, I do now. Thank you for teaching me one last thing before you die." Seifer said with mock courtesy, "Its only custom that you teach me things. You taught me so much … how to kiss, how to fuck … you were the goddamn leader in our relationship. I guess it's only fate's way of including irony in your death."
'Yeah, I was a fucking little slut when I was younger … is this the bill I have to pay?' She thought miserably with pain accompanying her regret. "I'm sorry I didn't love you anymore." Rinoa's tone dripped with sarcasm, "I'm sorry you began to be such a goddamn pain in my ass. I'm sorry I left you because I wasn't happy. I'm sorry I-"
"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Seifer barked at her, unsheathing his gunblade that was secured to his belt. "You aren't sorry about anything."
She held out her hands in front on his, "Yes master, I truly am sorry for not basing my entire life on a stupid high school boyfriend." She drawled sarcastically.
"Those hands …" He began disgustedly, looking at her hands that were positioned as if she was offering him something, "Those hold him at night …"
"Oh trust me … they don't only hold him." Rinoa hissed at Seifer. Unexpectedly Seifer swung his blade on them, piecing her palms horizontally. She yelled out in pain at the unforeseen move as blood flowed out of the clean cuts. The wound was fairly deep and the slice went right across the palms.
"And the body that bore his children." Seifer continued, despite Rinoa's howls of pain. He swung the gunblade once more on her abdomen, slicing through the fabric of her shirt, making another horizontal, clean cut. More blood.
She felt as if she didn't even have any more strength to yell out so she just gasped slightly, grasping her bleeding abdomen with her already wounded hands.
She felt something sharp on her chest and she realized it was the tip of Hyperion. "And … the heart that loved him."
Sabam: *Screeches in a really high pitched voice and waves her arms around fanatically* CLIFF HANGER! CLIFF HANGER! Muwahahahahahaha! *Laughs evilly until people start chucking random things at her* Uh oh … shit-muncher! *Ducks for cover* Review and I might update real quick? Please? Please, please, please review! On a happier note … HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOO … MEEEEEE! I ask for nothing … only a review! Love y'all!