Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, blah, blah, blah …

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rinoa 'awakened' forty minutes after being exposed to the dangerous gas.  Straightaway, she panicked.  Her eyelids would not obey her attempts to open her eyes, her fingers were numb and would not pry the cord that withheld her wrists, and her legs felt as if they had been turned to marshmallows.  She could barely feel the chair beneath her.

She tried to call for help, to call for Squall but her lips couldn't move.  She was a prisoner of her own body.  It was long minutes away until she was able to twitch her fingers a bit, move around her toes in her shoes.  It was an hour before she gained speech and was able to open her eyes completely, "Squall?" She called out in the darkness of the room.

"Nope." A light switch flicked on and fluorescent lights blinded her.  Her eyes adjusted slowly as she squinted in the immense brightness.  Seifer pulled up a chair right in front of hers, "Been a while, hasn't it, Rin?"

"I don't know, has it?  Sure wish it was a while more though." Rinoa snapped up smartly.  Of all the people that could have been at her wake, he was the one.  He was always the one.  The shadow in the background of the morgue, the unsuspecting predator that desired to devour her whole and to cause her grief, pain, whatever he could.

Seifer smirked; the same smirk that she had once fell for.  It was incredible how that same smirk made her sick to her stomach today, "Ah well, things don't always turn out.  I can't really do much about it …"

"Sure you can.  You can start by getting the fuck out of my face." She drawled, a little too venomously, a little too spiteful.  His hand slammed onto her jaw, sending her head to the right.  She cringed in pain but left no sense of accomplishment for Seifer to feed on. 

"I don't think you're in a good position to be a smart-aleck." Seifer warned amicably, "But I suppose I won't change you.  I don't think anyone ever will.  You are so rooted that I don't think it's even possible to alter you in any way, shape or form."

"Why thank you, I'll take that as a compliment." She answered sarcastically.

"See what I mean?  Can't be tamed.  Sometimes, Rin … that's a bad thing." He cupped her chin and made her look up to him, "Sometimes … that can get you hurt!" He punched her other cheek boldly, out of the palm of his hand.

"Ow, Christ!" Rinoa hissed, weathering the throbbing, trying her hardest to hide her physical weakness, "Do you have to hit so hard?  I don't mean to sound like a narcissist but I like my face without the odd bruise here and there."

Seifer ignored her and leaned back in his chair, "Let's have a chat, you and I.  It's been a while that I've wanted to do that.  Been a long while …" He stared her down with those piercing green eyes that had once made her legs weaken.  They still did, but not for the same reasons.

"Ok, let's 'chat'!" Rinoa agreed indifferently, "So where'd you put my boyfriend?" She asked casually, almost as if she didn't really care at all.  Her apathy surprised him, as did the reference to her 'boyfriend'.

"Your boyfriend?  Last time I checked you were tied in holy matrimony." Seifer dodged the question slyly with a sarcastic drawl.

"Oh, we are.  But come on, Seifer, I'm twenty-four.  I need some adventure to keep my eyes open.  Squall and I like to forget about the rings on our fingers and just be." She was about to add in another comment but to avoid the slap that would probably follow, she remained silent.

"Couple exchanges?" Seifer hypothesized openly, playing with a switchblade.

"Did I make it sound like that?" Rinoa asked surprised, "Sorry, no.  None of that.  Actually, I wasn't even referring to that at all."

"Oh, sorry, I assumed." Seifer smirked again, apologetically.

"Yeah.  So where did you put him?" Rinoa asked, yet again, beginning to lose her mask of uncaring.

"Don't you want to know about your children first?" Seifer dodged the question yet again, and scored a goal of his own.  Her face remained stoic, to his great annoyance.

"I know you didn't hurt my kids, Seifer." She replied coolly, confidently, "However, I'm sure you did something to Squall.  What is it?  Dismemberment?  Gang-up?  Where is he?"

"So you're sure that I took advantage of your weakened boyfriend and did something that is harmful to his health?" Seifer asked smugly, flipping the switchblade.

"Absolutely positive." She answered without the slightest amount of visible fear in her eyes. 

Caught off guard, Seifer stared at her for a while, "So … you're positive that I'm monstrous enough to give your Squally another scar but not yet monstrous enough to slit the throat of your kids?"
"That would be correct." Rinoa locked her eyes in his, "And why do I think that?  Because of something called 'love'.  You can't kill me, can you Seifer?  You can't bring yourself to just blow my head off, or else I'd already be gone.  You can't forgive Squall … but you can forgive me.  You're just a sad little boy that can't let go of high school years.  Remember, you told me love was a weakness.  Well, I guess in your case, you were right.  And that's why you won't touch a hair on my children's head … you want to hurt me, but you're too much of a pussy to go all the way." For a moment, she feared another good hit in the head but Seifer just leaned back in the chair silently.

He didn't look at her directly for a moment and then spoke up, doing his best to mask himself with indifference, "So, if we were to assume you were right.  And I said … assumed.  What do you think I did with your boyfriend?"

"I don't know, Seifer." Rinoa admitted casually, "But I supposed that's why I asked in the first place.  Because I didn't know." She added sarcastically, glaring him down.

"You know, for the most part … you're right.  Your little psycho analysis … pretty damn smooth.  You know me well.  Better than I'd have thought you did.  But you're wrong about one thing …" He let his sentence linger for a while and then continued, "I'm not afraid of killing your children.  Squall's blood will one day paint the walls of my apartment, Rin.  Little Alex and Riana … they're Squall's blood." He got up from the chair and walked behind her.

"So, you never answered my question.  Where's Squall?" Rinoa asked again, this time more nervously.  She couldn't look at him in the eye anymore, her principle source of defense had been taken away.  Never turn your back on your enemy.  But what if you had no choice?

"He's alive and well.  Ok, not exactly well." Seifer laughed haughtily and placed his hands on Rinoa's shoulders, "I just added a couple of scars.  We sparred, you know?  He's pretty fucking resilient if you asked me.  I mean, for someone who's half-drugged and out-numbered by five people." Another disgusting, mocking cackle followed.

"Please don't touch me." Her voice said evenly.  In turn, Seifer bent down and kissed her lightly on the neck.  She groaned in discomfort but could not pull away, "You didn't hear me, did you?"
"Loud and clear, baby, loud and clear." Seifer smirked against her neck, "You know, I've got a couple of things I'd like to do."

"Great." She spat out sarcastically, "Just fucking great!  Will you stop?  That's annoying." Had she the use of her hands, she would have taken anything sharp and impaled him with it.  Her skin crawled with goose bumps at the mere thought that he was touching her.

"You know … I could let you go." Seifer said tauntingly, "You can end your trip in Hell, right here, right now, Rin.  Don't you see?  Your entourage is weighing you down; you're being prosecuted because of your family.  Isn't that a bitch?  Don't you just want it to fucking stop?"

"Yeah, I really do!" She felt his hands on her hips, "Seifer, I swear if you don't get your hands off me, you'll regret it later!" She warned angrily.

"Oh yeah?  What're you going to do?" He taunted mockingly and his hands descended a bit.  She whipped her head to the left to face him.  He was about to kiss her neck again.  He grinned at her, "You don't look very happy." Fire blazed in her usually calm eyes.
"If you do not remove your hands now, I will have no pity for you when the time comes." She warned in vain, "And they have a name for this.  It's called rape, so I'd suggest letting go."
"Rape?  Listen, my fly isn't down, your shirt isn't open.  Don't fucking shit around with rape, Rinoa." Seifer joked and went back to the front of the chair to face her, "Do you know what I think?"

"The appropriate question is 'Do I care?'" She correct maliciously, staring him down.

He ignored her completely, "I think … that it would be great idea to play truth or dare."
"I dare you to set your pants on fire." She snapped, her impatience going in a crescendo, "And then to jump over a bridge into ice cold water where you'll freeze to death."

Once again, he ignored her, "Truth.  Does Squally perform better than me in bed?"
"Yes, as a matter a fact he does." She had never taken the time to compare and she wouldn't have cared either or, however, just to spite him, she replied in favor of her husband.

"Oh, that hits hard." Seifer faked a hurt expression, "Dare.  Change your mind right now."
"How the Hell do you change your own mind?" Rinoa asked, but then regretted her stupidity.  Seifer's smile grew wider.

"Try the experience, one more time."

"Get the fuck away from me, now!" Rinoa snapped in his face, her muscles tensed and the cords around her wrists seemed to tighten and cut her skin.

"Sure thing." He took his distanced but returned to the back of the chair where she could not watch over him, "You know … it's disappointing … being rejected for a third time straight.  Not only that, but it gets to your ego." Seifer pulled out his switchblade and flicked it open. 
Upon hearing the click, Rinoa held her breath nervously.  Her nerves became more agitated as she felt him come closer to her.  She felt a gloved hand on hers, "You're beautiful Rinoa.  Every inch of you is perfect.  But your hands … your hands are … well, they used to be amazing.  I'm sorry I sliced your palms.  There's just something about your hands … no matter how many people you've killed … I can't see a single stain of blood on them.  No matter what you do, Rinoa Heartilly … you're still innocent as ever, your hands … they remain clean.  But yet … they're the ones that do the dirty work.  Your fingers pull the trigger, your hand wields the knife … you know what I mean?"

"You're a complete psychopath, Seifer." Rinoa quavered nervously as she felt the tips of his fingers brush against her own.  He had removed his gloves.

"To those who don't understand, I suppose I am." Seifer pressed her palms together with his own hands and held them like that for a moment.  "And the magic trick is …" She felt him remove one hand and in replacement she felt something sharp.  Her eyes widened.  A sharp sting sliced into both her hands, through her already present wounds, "I think it's time you take account for what you've done to me.  Scars are the best way to remind you."  He kissed her on the cheek, closed the lights and left the room.

He had left her, gasping and moaning in wrenching pain.  The cold blade was still in her flesh, she felt the blood dripping off her palms and fingers.  Tears rolled down her cheeks in complete stinging sufferance.  She whimpered and did not move for a moment.  Letting the agony sink in, crying silently.  "Oh God …" She gasped and prayed for strength, for luck, for anything.

Finally, resolve overcame her.  No one could possibly chance finding her, wherever she was.  Agony over came her and she let out a cry of anguish as she slowly slid her left hand free from the blade by pressing the other against the hilt of the knife.  More tears came but they weren't important right now.

With her left hand free, she maneuvered her hands around in the tight knot and managed to pull out the blade from her right hand.  She sat, gasping, whimpering, cursing with the knife in her left hand that was shaking uncontrollably.  But she refused to let the switchblade drop.  It was her only chance of escape.

It took minutes filled with torment to slowly saw her way through the thick cords that bound her wrists together.  Her hands had been freed.  Dizziness took hold but she was the stronger party.  She cut the ropes at her ankles and was finally freed from the wretched chair that had held her captive. 

She finally stood and a new emotion washed over her, it burned deeply within her like a massive bonfire that was being fed gallons of gasoline.  An old shadow of her had crept back into her spirit, a reawakening of the dragon.  "I've been calm for way too long.  It's time for a bloodbath." She kicked open the door into the battlefield.

Sabam: MERRY BOXING DAY!  I love you all so now review if you want me to update the next two chapters!  Review, review! *Looks like she's walking away but suddenly pops back up* REVIEW!