A Promising Young SeeD

Chapter 16

All Dried Up

The mission had taken on a new urgency since O-Lab. Given Quistis' rash decision to unplug and thus destroy Seifer's samples, it was only a matter of time before someone put two and two together and the team would possibly find themselves targeted. Or at least, the suspicion would grow, that someone was onto their activities, which would mean a switch up in the routine and a change of plans.

Time was no longer a commodity, but a liability.

And so Quistis found herself in the VIP area of Phantasmagoria once again, for the eighth time in the last two weeks, carefully watching her targets. She was wearing a strapless black dress with a deep U-cut in between her breasts. The only thing keeping her from flashing everyone was double sided-tape, plastic cups, and hope. The dress ended a few inches above her knees and was extremely tight, so that any time she sat down, she had to sit up very straight to even be able to breathe. Sparkling heels and a cascading diamond necklace, that she was currently playing with, completed the outfit. Raijin had worked his magic on her this night, she could feel it. Shimmery make up perfect, hair to her waist in soft platinum curls.

Seifer's arm was snaked around her waist, hand planted firmly on her ass. His grip was vicelike, and to any outside observer likely looked possessive. As he brushed hair away from her neck with his free hand, she shivered, feeling his breath on her ear.

"You think tonight's the night?" Hot air tickled her with his words, and she tried to remain focused and not distracted. Ignoring the fact that his mouth had been in that exact place hours ago, whispering filthy platitudes and worship.

Quistis licked her lips in a way she hoped was seductive, her eyes traveling to the Prime Minister of Esthar. The only person possibly more powerful in Esthar than him was Laguna. And he was the person they were almost sure was running a massive drug ring in Esthar. Drugs that were created from the blood of a Sorceress.

"Maybe…"

Seifer's grip tightened, and his hand moved from caressing her cheek to grabbing her wrist. Not her hand. Her wrist. Possessive, not caring. "It needs to be tonight."

"I know."

He was setting the trap. Her a mere moth dangling in a spider's web, drawn by the way the light played along the web. Trapped and perfect prey for any predator to come and snatch her. That is, if the spider left her alone himself.

Squeezing her wrist tighter, Seifer took a sharp intake of breath. It was not one of surprise, or decisiveness, it was one of fear. She could practically smell panic on him, and he was close enough that she could feel his heart racing in his chest. This wasn't part of an act. Something was going on. There was a reason he had told her tonight was the night.

"You don't hear that, do you." It was a statement and not a question. He knew her answer. His speech was a hoarse whisper, sounding very much like a panicked cornered animal.

All she heard was thumping music, and a bass that made her ears ring. Turning to look at him, she momentarily lost sight of their target. Seifer looked exactly like he sounded. His eyes wild and lips pale. The only time she had ever seen him like this was…

"She's here." Seifer let out a deep breath before gently knocking his forehead to hers. "It has to be tonight. And know I'm truly sorry for what I'm about to do."

"Wha—"

Before she could get a word out, he stood in all his terrifying glory. Seifer always knew how to take up space. To be the most noticed man or monster in the room. Or something in between. Today was no exception. He loomed like a king over his subjects. His grip on her wrist intensified even more, and she was sure there might be marks tomorrow. A sharp tug had her standing as well, almost tumbling on her heels from the force of his pull. Nearly falling to her knees in front of him. Like a loyal little subject.

"What did I say, bitch?" he barked at her, in a voice she didn't recognize.

"I—"

The slap came across her cheek before she could even block it. It was so completely unexpected, it was sure to have the desired effect as she was absolutely bewildered. And hurt. Physically and emotionally. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes from the force of it. Seifer was not holding back. He was going all out.

He was shaking her by her shoulders as she was still trying to register what had just happened, before shoving her roughly back onto the couch, a menacing finger looming in her face. A finger that hours ago had been giving her inexplicable pleasure, had been gently running along her thigh.

"Know your place. No one is going to have you. Not like me. No one. Watch yourself. I broke you and you're mine now," Seifer growled at her, loud enough for people to hear.

The tears were coming down now. She couldn't stop them, both from the force of his hand as well as the venom in his voice. Salty angry tears stained her cheeks, betraying just how far they had come. She knew it was an act, but it still took her by surprise. Maybe that was the point. All she could do was stare up at him, mouth agape and cheek stinging.

"I'm… I'm sorry," she finally managed to mumble lamely. For Hyne knows what, she wasn't sure. But it seemed like the only thing she should say in this moment. To make her look even more pathetic than she surely already did.

Seifer nodded to Raijin, who was quietly watching from the corner. The ever-present sentinel. "Watch her."

He then turned back to Quistis. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

Grabbing his leather jacket from the couch next to her, he shrugged it on before bending down and grabbing her chin in his hand in an aggressive gesture and smashing his lips to hers. It was the opposite of romantic. The opposite of love. It wasn't even hate. It was brutal sickening dominance.

It was perfect.

The ultimate invitation for someone to come save her. And with that, Seifer left Phantasmagoria, leaving Quistis alone in the VIP area for the first time ever. Given Seifer's dread, she knew, somewhere nearby there was a Sorceress.

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Zell hadn't normally come to Phantasmagoria with the other three in the past, but that had changed since O-Lab. He was there every night, along with the rest of the "peasants" in the non-VIP-section. Usually dancing, but in reality, keeping a careful eye on the going-ons downstairs, as well as being close-by so that Quistis could send him information via the many electronics he had implanted on her, or, Hyne-forbid, use her panic button. O-lab had left them all uneasy, and they knew their time was limited in a sense. It was only a matter of time before questions started getting asked, and Seifer became a problem rather than an asset. Not to mention the fact that Selphie was still at Garden, which was making all of them concerned. Given they knew Garden was involved somehow, and that was likely the reason Selphie was attacked. She must have seen or known something.

There was that sense in the air that something was coming.

Phantasmagoria was an extremely loud place. The DJ particularly liked using a subwoofer that left one's ears ringing for hours after they left. Zell loved it. Roommates at Garden used to get frustrated with how loudly he listened to his music, and headphones never quite did the trick for him.

So it came as a strange occurrence when he actually felt the music dampening. It wasn't just that the decibels were lessening. It seemed like someone was slowly turning a volume knob down to a softer version, but also the air around him had slowed. Both music and movement diminishing. As did the people. Until they completely stood still, mid-dance, a hazy quality in the air making them come in and out of focus.

"What the…"

He could hear footsteps on the concrete floor of the club above all else, echoing as loudly in his ears as the bass once was. Out of the frozen crowd, a beautiful woman walked towards him, despite the fact that no one else in the entire building was moving.

As if someone had stopped time.

When trying to recall later what the woman looked like, Zell couldn't quite explain it. He would say that it was like trying to remember the identity of someone in a dream. When a single person represents tons of people encountered across a lifetime. This woman was the same. He couldn't actually recognize a specific thing about her, just that it was as if she was every beautiful woman he had ever seen shifting into this one being that marched directly and purposefully towards him.

When she finally reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to dance with him. The music slowly started to increase in volume, though the people around them remained inanimate. Without thought, he began to dance with the woman, pressing himself as close as he could, as she did the same. A familiar smell immediately drifted into his nose.

"Rin…" His voice sounded far more like a prayer than anything else. Whatever spell Rinoa was weaving was all-consuming.

For a brief second, her smile looked oh-so-familiar as she looked up at him. "Sorry to do it this way. I can't stay too long when I'm like this."

"Why—"

"You have our support. I know we can't do much. But, Laguna and Squall know what you all are doing, and will do anything they can from the background. I mean, obviously Laguna can't do anything overt."

"But… why didn't Squall stop Garden? Letting Odine take your blood?" Zell asked the questions they had all been bothered by.

"He didn't know. And… it became a safety issue. When we realized Garden was purchasing the cannon, Squall put in his resignation papers. He hasn't been in Garden since almost the time you left, they only just made it official. As for Odine, it's better if he is on our side for my safety, let's just put it that way."

She stepped back from him slightly, before reaching into an invisible pocket on her gown and pressing a stack of small notebooks to his chest. "For you. I hope this can help. If it's ever safe, we will try and see you."

Zell looked down at what she had handed him. "Esthari passports?"

She winked and in that moment she became completely Rinoa again for a few seconds. "For when you need to disappear… or maybe become someone else, you know?"

Zell didn't know what to say. These had to be official, probably from Laguna. New identities? Did they have a shot?

Leaning up on her toes, Rinoa pressed her lips against Zell's, his eyes widening as she did so, almost dropping the passports in the process. His arms instinctually enveloped her in a hug as she kissed him.

"In case we never see each other again," she whispered against his mouth. "You were always my favorite."

With that, she disappeared completely. Vanished into thin air as the club came alive once more, people dancing around him to the blaring music. No one seemed fazed. As if nothing had just happened. Zell would have thought it to be a waking dream, if it weren't for the stack of passports and identity papers burning a hole in his pocket.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Taking a moment to steady her breathing, Quistis composed herself. People were surreptitiously stealing glances at her, and it wasn't helping. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirrored table, she realized her make-up was slightly smudged from the tears that had snuck out of her eyes. Her cheek was angrily red from where Seifer had struck her. He had indeed, not held back. A quick survey of the VIP area confirmed that Raijin had conveniently disappeared as well, likely to do a run.

The Esthari PM was standing at the bar. Alone. Her target. Time to go to work.

Standing on unsteady feet, she immediately got her bearings as her adrenaline began to surge. She had a star part to play, and this was her moment to shine. Walking to the bar, she leaned over just enough to emphasize the curvature of her spine, sticking her rear out next to the PM.

"Excuse me." She made her voice sound as meek as possible as she addressed the bartender. "Could I trouble you for a water?"

She could feel the PM's eyes on her before he placed a hand at the small of her back. Trying not to jump out of her skin, she straightened and met his eyes. He was easily three times her age.

"How about something stronger, dear. A pretty girl like you shouldn't cry over a beast like that." A flick of his wrist and a snap to the bartender, and a glass of a clear liquid was set in front of her, next to a water.

The PM's hand did not stray from the small of her back, forcing her to stand very close to him. Close enough that she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"He… he doesn't mean it. Just, he's just having a bad day," Quistis mumbled, sounding very unconvincing, which was exactly what she wanted.

"Now, now…" The PM reached up and pushed hair away from her face, tracing a finger along the dampness of her cheeks. "You are quite something, you know. I'm sure you could do much better. You need a real man to take care of you. Not a little boy."

Jackpot. Reaching down, Quistis took a drink of whatever the PM had ordered her, glancing up through long lashes at him. "I… I would have no where to go if I left."

She may as well have been screaming "Please save me" at the top of her lungs, she was making it so obvious.

The kill shot was within her reach. And then something happened. For just a moment, everything in the air shifted. The moment stood still, and it was almost as if time jumped forward with no one noticing but her.

"Rinoa?" she whispered into the air to no one. No one could hear her anyway, or listen, time was stuck… just for that moment. That must have been what spooked Seifer. Rinoa had to be nearby. Had to be behind this.

Nothing was moving. Quistis herself seemed to move very slowly. A figure came behind her, and a voice appeared in her ear.

"My best years were spent when everyone thought I was dead, you know?"

She knew that voice. She had lived next to that voice in a dream, thanks to Ellone. "President Loire?"

A computer chip was pressed into the palm of her hand. The entire room was dark now, and everyone else had disappeared. She couldn't see Laguna, but she felt his presence around her. Was this what the faeries felt like, that Laguna always spoke of?

"My best years. There are plenty of places in this world for dead people to live." Laguna's face came into view where the PM had been a moment before. It was hazy and she couldn't clearly make out his features, or a body. He was a phantom, wisping in and out of existence.

"Tell everyone thank you, Miss Trepe. We all have full confidence in you."

And with that, the darkness faded, and the PM was in front of her once again, though she felt a small computer chip burning into the palm of her hand. Quickly shoving it into the hidden pocket of her dress, she tried to refocus on her target.

"You know," the PM began, stepping even closer to her, as if nothing had just happened. Which to him, it likely hadn't. Merely a glitch.

"I will take real good care of you. Much better than your previous friend. That is, if you take care of me too. And you look like you could take care of me real well."

Quistis internally vomited. "Really?"

All she had to do was get to his phone. She had to get closer. It must be on him somewhere.

Biting his lip suggestively, the PM nodded to a door behind him. A door to a room that Quistis had never actually been in, but she had very strong suspicions about what went on behind it when it was closed.

Reluctantly, but with a fake smile plastered on her face, she followed him. She had to get close enough to his phone to clone it. Zell had equipped her with a fake emerald ring. All she had to do was press it against the man's phone, and Zell would be able to clone it and de-encrypt anything on it with the Archivist's help.

The room was very dimly let, with wall sconces flickering to mimic candles. A few comfortable looking couches and a chandelier completed the look. Quistis shuddered to think of how gross it must look in the light of day. Hyne only knew what fluids were congealed into the fabric. But there were no windows anyway. Or cameras. The rest of Phantasmagoria was crawling with cameras.

He kissed her before she could even react. and she kissed back as falsely-enthusiastically as she could. Being as sloppy as possible. Let him think she was intoxicated. It was easier that way. Deep down, she felt like she was betraying Seifer. But they both knew this was what needed to be done.

Hell, SeeD had trained them to sleep with people if necessary. An important part of espionage and mercenary work. Men and women alike. It's wasn't like Seifer hadn't been trained to seduce as well.

The PM dragged her onto his lap and hiked her skirt up over her hips, his hands everywhere and no where at once. She used the opportunity to grind against him. Not sexually, but very carefully trying to feel his pockets to try to see if a phone was there. Front right pocket. It would be plenty easy to get her hand there if he thought…

Dragging her lips from his, she kissed his neck, pulling back and running a hand down his chest. "You know…" her hand dragged to the zipper of his pants. "Let me take care of you."

He leaned back, clearly hoping for exactly this, propping his arms up on the back of the couch and spreading his knees, letting her sink between them.

Being as messy as she thought was believable, she rubbed her hand with the ring along his thigh while trying to be as teasing as possible with the other without actually having to do something. The last thing she wanted to do was actually have to touch this man's crotch. The ring would jolt her when it was done.

Come on, Zell… come on… Quistis thought, pressing the ring as hard as she could against where she thought the phone was while purposefully struggling to get his pants off.

He was losing patience, and the PM grabbed her by the hair, pushing her back just as her ring buzzed.

She leaned back and looked up at him as he took over, shrugging out of his trousers and presenting her with something she did not want to look at.

She made as innocent a face as she could, before pouting her lips and grabbing her breasts, squeezing them, effectively triggering her panic button that was still laced inside her dress before slowly pushing the top of it down, revealing her bare chest. The dress hadn't allowed for a bra.

"Sorry… I'm just a little nervous. You're just so…" Quistis tried not to roll her eyes. "Big."

He chuckled, clearly enjoying the coquette routine. "Call me daddy."

Oh Hyne, not one of those… Quistis was running out of time. If someone didn't interrupt them soon she was going to have to do something with this man to alleviate suspicion. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward, telling herself over and over it was just a mission.

I'm sorry, Seifer…

Just as she was about to act, the door to the room was almost ripped from its hinges. Pulling her head back, Quistis instinctively tried to cover her chest.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Seifer! Thank Hyne.

She was yanked to her feet by a rough hand and shoved behind a hulking body. Seifer was pointing a menacing finger at the PM. "She's mine, asshole. Mine. No one touches my property."

The PM seemed utterly unimpressed, merely sizing up Seifer, appearing to feel zero intimidation. He hadn't bothered moving, pants still down, crotch on display as he leaned back, arms on the couch. He shrugged.

Seifer's grip on her hand was painful. He didn't bother looking at her as he addressed her. "I'll fucking deal with you at home."

Emerald eyes narrowed at the second most powerful man in Esthar. "I'll kill you if you touch her again."

The PM scoffed. "Please. You're easily replaceable. Mr. Almasy."

Seifer's name came out of his mouth casually. As if it was the most known thing in the world. As if the PM himself had put him in place to be Siegfried.

Seifer actually paused at that, his back stiffening, not enough to be visible to the naked eye, but enough for Quistis to feel the shift in the musculature of his arm and the grip he had on her.

Regaining composure quickly, he turned on his heel, dragging Quistis behind him as she frantically tried to pull her dress back on. "Let's go…"

The PM's voice followed them out the door. "I'll be seeing you soon, dear. Don't you worry…"

"Seifer," Quistis whispered as he threw a jacket on her shoulders to give her modesty. "He said—"

"I know. I know…"

Seifer's mouth was grim, and she knew she wouldn't be getting any further reaction or commentary from him until they were far away from this hellhole. And this night. Quistis fastened the buttons of Seifer's jacket over her breasts with trembling fingers, and hid her still-burning face from the onlookers as Sefier dragged her harshly across Phantasmagoria's floor and out into the cold Esthar night.

A/N: Thank you to my beta, colobonema :)