Chapter 5
Death
" Connor, what was with you last night?" That was the question that was burning in everyone's heads. Haven and Zell kept glaring at each other while Squall and Rinoa explained what the plan was once we hit Galabadia.
"Zell and Connor will wait by the gate while the rest of us penetrate the base, and find our fallen comrades." Squall said, in a strong low voice. Connor started to protest guard duty, but Kris shot him a look that shut him up.
"Kris and I will be guarding the door into the facility. In case the first team fails." Rinoa said with a hint of nervousness.
"I know I won't," Zell said in a cocky tone. "But my partner might have issues. Can't have him, having another bad dream and running away, now can I?"
"You got a problem with me?" Connor asked, with a twitch in his eye.
"Yeah, you're fucking crazy, and frankly I don't trust you." Zell said, standing up. He stood in front of Connor, who was still sitting.
"Ha. You wanna fight, little man?"Connor said rising. Connor stood and Zell seemed to lose a little of his nerve. Connor was about six inches taller than he, and he had to outweigh him by 100 pounds. He leaned down to Zell's ear and whispered a warning. "You're right. I am crazy, so watch your step."
Squall jumped in the middle of the two young men and shoved them both back onto the seats.
"If you two don't stop this shit, I'm gonna recommend your dismissals from SeeD." Squall said. Connor nodded and joined Haven in glaring at Zell.
"Ok. We're coming up on the base. Get ready to jump." Squall screamed, over the sound of the open door of the helicopter. Everyone gathered their weapons and equipment, and lined up for the jump.
"That's a nice sword." Rinoa said.
" You think so?" Connor said smiling. "Thanks. It was my dad's. He killed thirty-three men with it, in one day. They attacked him, and he killed all of them, except for one . . . " The smile faded from his face.
"Well what happened to the thirty-fourth? Did your dad leave him alive to tell the tale?" Rinoa asked as the chopper began to descend.
"Not exactly, this is where it gets fuzzy for me. I remember the first thirty-three, but I blacked out the memory of number thirty-four. I remember watching number thirty-three fall, and then seeing my dad on the ground . . . dead." He replied, with a tear in his eye. "The men where Galabadian soldiers. That's why this mission is so important to me."
"I shouldn't have asked . . . sorry," Rinoa said, in a saddened voice.
The helicopter hovered six feet off the ground. As the last member of the team landed, the Galabadian army emerged from the gates of their base. Their guns were cocked and their armor was shining.
Connor smirked, and drew his sword. Squall had his Gunblade ready as well. Zell slipped on a pair of steel-laden gloves. Rinoa was holding her pinwheel, poised for attack. Haven had taken his guns out of their holsters, and Kris had her hand on her stash of throwing knives. The soldiers opened fire on them, but they were obviously not very well trained. The Phoenixes began rushing at the defending soldiers. Squall and Connor lead the pack, deflecting bullets with their blades. Kris had cast Shell, but a few shots had penetrated the magic barrier. As they came face to face with the twenty or so soldiers, the Shell broke and the onslaught began. Squall and Connor began slicing at their enemies with intensity. Rinoa's pinwheel flew past Connor's ear three or four times. He had been removing it from fallen soldiers and tossing it back to her. Haven conserved his shots, he was fighting smart. Kris' knives flew past Squall's head on occasion, killing three of their enemies. Zell's hand to hand combat only claimed the life of one soldier. He was a strong fighter, but not strong enough.
When the smoke cleared, all of the Phoenixes were still standing, and the G-soldiers had all fallen. The team had sustained a few mild injuries, but nothing that would stop them now. Connor and Zell took their places inside the gate and the others continued on into the main building of the massive base.
"Ha. Looks like you didn't do so hot there, bud." Connor said, laughing at Zell's bloodied nose, and lacerated forearm.
"Shut up!" Zell exclaimed, swinging to punch Connor.
Inside the base, the second squad wasn't met with much resistance. A few sentries and a guard outside of the room where the last team was being held. As the door to the prison opened a stench filled their noses. The dead bodies of Irvine Kinneas, a marksman from another garden, and Selphie Tillmitt, a SeeD officer from Balamb, were chained to the side walls. In the back of the torture chamber, strapped to a stretching rack, was Instructor Quistis Trepe. She was still alive.
"Squall. It's Instructor Trepe! She's alive." Haven exclaimed. He took out his pocket knife and sliced the ropes that held her. She was unconscious, so Squall carried her out of the base. As they walked out of the main building Kris and Rinoa rejoined them. As they made it back to the gate they saw Connor standing over a dead body weeping. As they got closer they recognized the body, it was Zell.
"I-I don't know what happened. He swung at me, and I blacked out. When I woke up he was dead, and I was covered in his blood." Connor exclaimed, drying his eyes.
"Give it up! We all know you hated him!" Rinoa screamed as they tied him up.
"I hated him, but not that much! Kris, You know me! I DID NOT KILL HIM!" Connor screamed as they tightened the ropes around his arms. Kris began to cry. She couldn't bring her self to look at him. When the chopper arrived they threw Connor in the cargo bay. He was alone again . . . everyone he cared about thought he was a murderer, and he wasn't sure he disagreed. The helicopter started, and they headed back to Balamb.
Death
" Connor, what was with you last night?" That was the question that was burning in everyone's heads. Haven and Zell kept glaring at each other while Squall and Rinoa explained what the plan was once we hit Galabadia.
"Zell and Connor will wait by the gate while the rest of us penetrate the base, and find our fallen comrades." Squall said, in a strong low voice. Connor started to protest guard duty, but Kris shot him a look that shut him up.
"Kris and I will be guarding the door into the facility. In case the first team fails." Rinoa said with a hint of nervousness.
"I know I won't," Zell said in a cocky tone. "But my partner might have issues. Can't have him, having another bad dream and running away, now can I?"
"You got a problem with me?" Connor asked, with a twitch in his eye.
"Yeah, you're fucking crazy, and frankly I don't trust you." Zell said, standing up. He stood in front of Connor, who was still sitting.
"Ha. You wanna fight, little man?"Connor said rising. Connor stood and Zell seemed to lose a little of his nerve. Connor was about six inches taller than he, and he had to outweigh him by 100 pounds. He leaned down to Zell's ear and whispered a warning. "You're right. I am crazy, so watch your step."
Squall jumped in the middle of the two young men and shoved them both back onto the seats.
"If you two don't stop this shit, I'm gonna recommend your dismissals from SeeD." Squall said. Connor nodded and joined Haven in glaring at Zell.
"Ok. We're coming up on the base. Get ready to jump." Squall screamed, over the sound of the open door of the helicopter. Everyone gathered their weapons and equipment, and lined up for the jump.
"That's a nice sword." Rinoa said.
" You think so?" Connor said smiling. "Thanks. It was my dad's. He killed thirty-three men with it, in one day. They attacked him, and he killed all of them, except for one . . . " The smile faded from his face.
"Well what happened to the thirty-fourth? Did your dad leave him alive to tell the tale?" Rinoa asked as the chopper began to descend.
"Not exactly, this is where it gets fuzzy for me. I remember the first thirty-three, but I blacked out the memory of number thirty-four. I remember watching number thirty-three fall, and then seeing my dad on the ground . . . dead." He replied, with a tear in his eye. "The men where Galabadian soldiers. That's why this mission is so important to me."
"I shouldn't have asked . . . sorry," Rinoa said, in a saddened voice.
The helicopter hovered six feet off the ground. As the last member of the team landed, the Galabadian army emerged from the gates of their base. Their guns were cocked and their armor was shining.
Connor smirked, and drew his sword. Squall had his Gunblade ready as well. Zell slipped on a pair of steel-laden gloves. Rinoa was holding her pinwheel, poised for attack. Haven had taken his guns out of their holsters, and Kris had her hand on her stash of throwing knives. The soldiers opened fire on them, but they were obviously not very well trained. The Phoenixes began rushing at the defending soldiers. Squall and Connor lead the pack, deflecting bullets with their blades. Kris had cast Shell, but a few shots had penetrated the magic barrier. As they came face to face with the twenty or so soldiers, the Shell broke and the onslaught began. Squall and Connor began slicing at their enemies with intensity. Rinoa's pinwheel flew past Connor's ear three or four times. He had been removing it from fallen soldiers and tossing it back to her. Haven conserved his shots, he was fighting smart. Kris' knives flew past Squall's head on occasion, killing three of their enemies. Zell's hand to hand combat only claimed the life of one soldier. He was a strong fighter, but not strong enough.
When the smoke cleared, all of the Phoenixes were still standing, and the G-soldiers had all fallen. The team had sustained a few mild injuries, but nothing that would stop them now. Connor and Zell took their places inside the gate and the others continued on into the main building of the massive base.
"Ha. Looks like you didn't do so hot there, bud." Connor said, laughing at Zell's bloodied nose, and lacerated forearm.
"Shut up!" Zell exclaimed, swinging to punch Connor.
Inside the base, the second squad wasn't met with much resistance. A few sentries and a guard outside of the room where the last team was being held. As the door to the prison opened a stench filled their noses. The dead bodies of Irvine Kinneas, a marksman from another garden, and Selphie Tillmitt, a SeeD officer from Balamb, were chained to the side walls. In the back of the torture chamber, strapped to a stretching rack, was Instructor Quistis Trepe. She was still alive.
"Squall. It's Instructor Trepe! She's alive." Haven exclaimed. He took out his pocket knife and sliced the ropes that held her. She was unconscious, so Squall carried her out of the base. As they walked out of the main building Kris and Rinoa rejoined them. As they made it back to the gate they saw Connor standing over a dead body weeping. As they got closer they recognized the body, it was Zell.
"I-I don't know what happened. He swung at me, and I blacked out. When I woke up he was dead, and I was covered in his blood." Connor exclaimed, drying his eyes.
"Give it up! We all know you hated him!" Rinoa screamed as they tied him up.
"I hated him, but not that much! Kris, You know me! I DID NOT KILL HIM!" Connor screamed as they tightened the ropes around his arms. Kris began to cry. She couldn't bring her self to look at him. When the chopper arrived they threw Connor in the cargo bay. He was alone again . . . everyone he cared about thought he was a murderer, and he wasn't sure he disagreed. The helicopter started, and they headed back to Balamb.