A/N You can all just call me a liar. Between promises to update in a reasonable timeframe and well…updating in a reasonable timeframe. So to hell with it nothing can excuse it so I wont try. Here it is. I will update when I have a chance. I wont give an actual time because then I will miss it and you guys will hate me more. But enough of that crap. Here I go again. Warning. There are graphic torture scenes in this one. Enjoy.

The stench hit them as soon as the elevator doors opened. All three seeds gagged and struggled to breath through their mouths.

"Hyne what the hell is that stench?" Zell complained. It smells like a zoo but one that is never cleaned.

"There's the cause." Irvine said. Pointing towards the walls.

The room was huge. It seemed to be at least three hundred yards long. Lining both walls were cells. Inside there were creatures the SEEDs had never seen before. Some looked familiar but others totally failed to register. The room itself was unpainted and cheerless. The creatures' cells were hewn directly into the rock. They had a trough of food and one of water. The floors of the cells were covered in excrement.

Some of the larger creatures began to roar. Picking up the cue the rest of the test subjects began to cry out, adding to the deafening cacophony of sound.

"Well I guess our secret is out." Zell yelled. Lets blow the computers before company comes.

Squall nodded in agreement and the three SEEDs hurried to the door on the other end of the room. Once the doors closed behind them the sound was greatly muted.

"Well we found the Labs." Zell smirked.

The room they had stepped into could not be anything but a lab. The walls were a sterile white and the air smelled of cleaning solvents. In the middle of the room was a large stainless steel table. On the counter next to the table was a sterilizer and rack filled with scalpels, bone saws, forceps, and artery clamps. A sign on a door on the other side of the lab showed that the mainframe was behind the door. In smaller print the sign pointed out that only authorized personnel were permitted inside.

"I think we are about to become authorized." Squall said airily. "Irvine. Will you do the honors?"

Irvine nodded and leveled his shotgun at the door. One deafening boom later the door was in shambles and the room open too them.

Immediately a wall of cold air struck the SEEDs.

"Spread out. Find the primary mainframe and the network server." Squall said.

The three men spread out and checked the labels on each tower. The room looked infinitely complex. Fortunately the designers had foreseen this and labeled every part of the super computer.

"Squall. Here is Main server." Irvine called out.

Squall hurried over and handed Irvine a charge. Then returned to his bank of computers.

"Found it." He said to himself. He was looking at the central processing unit of the super computer. He placed a charge on the center of the tower.

"Squall." Zell called from across the room. "You might want to see this."

Squall walked over to Zell, who was standing between two towers. One was labeled backup memory, the other was labeled security protocol.

"Good work Zell." Squall grinned and handed Zell a charge. Zell turned to the security tower. Squall moved to the backup. Both men placed their charges.

"Set timers and tamper devices." Squall commanded.

The tamper device was a very simple thing. If someone touched the charge after the tamper device was set then the charge went off prematurely. Crude but very very effective.

"How long should we set the timers for?" Zell asked.

"Ten minutes." Squall replied.

The three SEEDs walked back into the lab and then into the creature holding area. This time though the room was deathly quiet. As they looked around all the creatures save one were cowering in a corner of their cell.

The one creature was staring directly at Squall.

Squall locked eyes with the creature then froze. He heard something…a sibilant voice.

"Sssssquall." The voice called in his mind. "Ssssquall I know you hear my wordssss boy."

"Squall are you ok?" Zell shook Squall's arm roughly.

"Do you hear that?" Squall asked.

Both Zell and Irvine looked at Squall like he had just grown a second head.

"Hear what Squall?" Irvine asked. "It is totally silent in here."

But Squall was not listening. He was slowly walking towards the cage of the creature. His eyes still locked with the creatures. He stopped in front of the cage.

The creature was not particularly big or impressive. It had the general shape of an anacondour but it also four legs and a second head. It looked like an experiment gone awry.

"What are you?" Squall asked the creature.

" It issss not what I am boy. It issssss what I am not. I am not like any creature before. Nor will there be another like me. I have ssssensed your presence ssssssince you came here and in you I sssssesed a mind like my own. You block your emotionssssss. You feel they make you week in battle. I can help you. Thissssssss body issssss not my own. I have….borrowed it. Before you asssssssk. I do not ssssssseek to borrow yourssssssss. Your will issssss to strong. I could not take you like I could a beassssst. Nor do I wish to. I wish to aid you. To make you ssssssstronger."

"If this is not your body then why choose this one?" Squall asked. Beckoning to the other cages. There are many more impressive and powerful creatures here."

The voice replied. "I had a body once. It wasssssss truly powerful. It wassssss a mighty sssssssssserpantine body. Alassssss that body issss dead. Now I ssssssssearch for a body to live in again."

"Are you a guardian force?" Squall asked.

In a sssssssense. I have no corporeal form. Nor can I be called into battle. My asssssissstance would be indirect. You would find yoursssself sssssstronger, fassssster, more resssssisstant to fatigue and injury.

"There is a price to power." Squall said. "The price for a GF is memory. What is yours?"

The voice replied "My price? My price issssss simple. My price is to have a body to partner with. I would be with you at all times. Sssssssharing every moment. If you desssssssired I would not ssssspeak to you. If you desired ssssssomething left be I would not ssssspeak of it. That issssssss my only price boy. Do you accept?"

Squall considered a moment. "No." He said flatly. "My mind is my own. I share it with no creature." He turned his back on the cell and began to walk away but stopped when the voice sounded again.

"You will change your mind boy. You will need my assssssiissstance. When you do. All you need to do is ask."

Zell and Irvine were both staring at him.

"What?" Squall snapped.

"Have you been working too hard?" Zell asked. "You just stood there and talked to that thing."

"I'm fine." Squall snapped again. "Drop it."

Zell looked slightly hurt. "Sorry man."

Squall slapped Zell on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it Zell."

Zell brightened then his face fell again as the elevator began to move up.

"Oh crap." Irvine groaned. "This is not good."

Squall looked around the room. "There is no cover in here. We will have to fight."

Squall, Zell and Irvine moved to the middle of the room facing the elevator. Each man cast protect and shell on himself. Squall swung his gunblade a couple of times to loosen his shoulders. Irvine loaded his shotgun and his newly acquired machine gun.

"You cannot win thisssss fight without me boy." The voice said in Squall's head.

Squall shook his head a couple of times and focused on the elevator doors. The numbers were slowly climbing down as the elevator came closer and closer to the lab floor.

The ding of the elevator door was almost deafening. The doors opened and a dozen Galbadian soldiers spilled out and lined up in front of the seeds. As soon as they were clear the doors closed and the elevator went up again.

Irvine put his machinegun to his shoulder but before he could fire a red armored commander stepped forward.

"Don't throw away your lives SEED's." He said. "You might kill us but do you think you can cut through the defenses for the entire base? There are three dozen more men at the top of the elevator. Do the right thing and throw down your weapons."

"Like hell." Zell muttered as he started to run toward the formation.

"ZELL FREEZE!" Squall shouted. Zell skidded to a stop and looked up. Every Galbadian had their weapon trained on him. "Zell slowly walk back to us." Squall commanded. Zell walked backwards until he was in line with his friends.

"Irvine, unload both your weapons slowly and place them on the ground. Zell, lay flat on the ground and spread out your arms and legs. Do NOT be the hero."

Irvine had a scowl on his face as he ejected the magazine from his machinegun and pulled the charging handle back to eject the chambered round. He slowly bent and placed the gun on the ground. Then he broke the breach of his beloved Exeter and carefully removed the two pulse rounds. He bent again and placed the shotgun and the ammo on the ground. He then stepped away and mimicked Zell's position on the ground.

The commander nodded his head at Squall. "Now you sword boy."

Squall shook his head. His face and voice totally devoid of emotion. "I don't think so. Take my friends first, then you can have me."

The commander was taken aback for a moment. "Very well. Take them." He commanded his men. Indicating Zell and Irvine with his gun.

Squall stepped to the side and raised Lionheart to a high guard as he faced the soldiers. One soldier knelt by each man and dispelled his protections. Then roughly bound their hands behind them and stood them up. Frog marching them to the door.

Once again the commander turned to Squall. "Now you."

Squall simply nodded and dropped his gunblade and stepped away. Laying flat on the ground.

"You are wissssssse boy." The voice whispered in his head. "Though had we been partnered we could have taken them all."

Squall grunted as his hands were bound behind him and he was roughly brought to his feet.

The Commander smiled. "Thank you for your cooperation. He nodded at the man holding Squall. Bright lights exploded in Squall's vision as the soldier clubbed him with his gun. The last thing Squall saw as the ground came rushing to meet him was Zell and Irvine being subjected to the same treatment. Then he knew no more.

A gauntleted hand slapped Squall across the face. "Wake up SEED." A cultured voice purred. "The fun is just beginning."

Squall opened his eyes and tried to focus on the source of the voice. He tried to turn his head but found that it was tightly restrained.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice said. Squall's eyes focused finally and he was able to determine that he was firmly fastened to an upright table. His legs were spread and his arms stretched out to the sides and firmly shackled to the table. Even his waist was secured.

Squall's mind snapped into focus. There could only be one reason for a table like this. Torture. He noted that he had been stripped to his shorts.

"Bravo." The sickly sweet voice said. "It usually takes my patients much more time to realize their situation. The voice moved as it spoke and finally a woman walked into squalls field of view. The woman was medium height. She had a face that looked like it had been chiseled. A very prominent nose, wide and intelligent eyes and very close-cropped hair. She was incredibly slim and wore a white lab coat. The pockets were stuffed with things that Squall could only begin to guess.

"My name." She continued. "Is Doctor Eisley. As you have guessed we are here to determine what you know about our plans and to do whatever it takes to make sure those plans are not leaked." She snapped her fingers and a charcoal brazier was pushed in by a Galbadian soldier. The soldier bent and lit the coals then stepped back. Next the soldier brought out a hose. The hose seemed to be attached to the some point in the room. Water dripped slowly from the end. Finally the soldier came back several long pokers. These he laid to the side of the brazier. The room felt distinctly warmer as the brazier burned. Dr. Eisley nodded to the soldier and he laid the pokers one by one on the glowing coals.

"Now then." Dr. Eisley said. "Most people like to try to avoid these pleasantries. So why don't we start with something simple. Tell me your name."

Squall kept his mouth shut and stared straight ahead.

"Excellent." Dr. Eisley smiled. "I knew you would see it my way." She looked to the soldier. "He smells don't you think? Give him a bath." The soldier picked up the hose and pulled the handle.

Squall bit back a savage curse as he was sprayed head to toe with freezing water. He sputtered for a moment then resumed his dead man's stare.

Dr. Eisley's smile widened. She loved it when they resisted. It made it so much more fun. She looked to the brazier and saw that the pokers were glowing nicely. She put on a heat resistant glove and picked up one of the pokers. "Are you sure you wouldn't care to avoid this?" She said sweetly. Squall just stared. "No? Excellent."

She touched the poker to Squall's bottom rib.

Squall screamed. The pain was more intense than he could have possibly imagined. Dr. Eisley smiled and touched the poker to the next rib up. Smiling wider as Squall's scream took on a shrieking edge.

"Pleasant yes?" She nodded to the soldier who turned the ice water on squall again. Squall screamed again as his raw nerves were assaulted by the reverse sensations. It was almost as painful as the poker.

"Fuck you." Squall whimpered.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" Eisley bent closer.

"I SAID FUCK YOU YOU SADISTIC WHORE!" Squall shouted as hard as he could.

"My my my such manners. Such language. Such…determination. Oh yes breaking you will be great fun indeed."

Squall screamed again as she applied a new poker to his ribs.

Dr. Eisley washed her hands and looked over at the pathetic shell that was the man that was Squall Leonheart. It had taken her four hours of the pokers to simply pry that out of him. Soon after he had passed out. She chuckled as she gathered her things. The man had more spirit than any of her other patients. This would be her greatest challenge. Oh well. Tomorrow she would turn it up a notch or two. She looked over to the soldier. His face was expressionless. He had been working for her for years now. Any squeamishness had long since been destroyed.

"Take him back to his cell." She commanded. Bring him back here tomorrow morning after breakfast."

Zell and Irvine sat bleakly in their cell. The Galbadians had never brought squall back and they feared the worst for their Commander.

"D'ya think he'll talk?" Zell asked Irvine.

"I doubt it." Irvine replied but you never know. "Enough torture and anybody will crack."

Zell shuddered. "Man the bastards will probably kill him. Then us."

"Shut up Zell. Those thoughts don't do us any good." Irvine replied wearily.

"In case you didn't notice Irvine. Positive thoughts don't seem to be bringing sunshine and rainbows either."

"Shut up in there." The guard shouted and opened the door, leveling his gun at the two men.

Dr. Eisley's assistant walked in dragging squall by the ankles after squall was in the room he walked out and the door was slammed shut.

"SQUALL" Both men shouted at once and rushed to their leaders side.

"Oh Hyne what did they do to him?" Zell asked.

"Looks like they burned him. And then burned him some more." Irvine replied.

"Squall. Hey Squall wake up." Zell tapped Squall's cheeks lightly.

Squall's eyes fluttered and focused on Zell and Irvine for a second. "Hey guys." Then his eyes slid shut again.

Irvine checked his pulse. "I'm no medic but it feels a lot lower than it should be. He is probably in shock. Grab that sheet over there and cover him."

"Got it. Zell replied." Gently covering Squall. "Do you think they will question us too?" He asked.

"Good question man. I wish I knew."

Both men lapsed into silence as Squall twitched and moaned in his sleep.

"Sssssquall. Ssssssquall lissssten to me boy." Squall's eyes opened. Yesssss lissssten well. They will continue to torture you boy. You are sssssstrong. Your sssssspirit powerful indeed. But you cannot fight them off again boy. You know thissssss to be true. And when they finish with you they will work on your friendsssssss. You need my help boy and I need yoursssssss. Remember well what I sssssay boy." The voice went silent.

Squall softly murmured to himself. "My mind is my own." Then he lapsed back into unconciousness.

"Good Morning Squall." Dr. Eisley said. "It is time for us to resume our little game.

Squall came to full consciousness with a scream as Dr. Eisley places a pair of forceps on either side of one of his blisters and squeezed with all her might. The blister burst with a small jet of pus and white blood cells and Squall went pale.

"Ah I see I have your attention now." Eisley sneered. "I thought we could start off the day nice and quick and see if I can get you talking before lunch. What do you say?"

"I…will…kill…you." Squall gasped.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Dr. Eisley smiled. She held out her hand and her assistant places a small cigarette lighter in her hand. Since you seemed to enjoy the burns so much I thought we could try a slightly different technique today."

Her assistant brought a small stool and she sat down next to Squall's left foot. "Scream when this starts to hurt."

She flicked the lighter on and held it under the arch of Squall's foot.

Squall's breath caught in his throat but he clenched his jaw shut. His foot was in agony. He couldn't take it anymore. He screamed. His raw throat protested but he could no more stop screaming than he could stop the pain in his foot. A distant part of his mind noted the slightly sweet smell of cooking flesh had turned bitter.

Dr. Eisley turned off the lighter. The arch of Squall's foot was blackened and cracked and steaming slightly. She stood up and sighed. You have forced my hand squall. She reached into her pocket and pulled out an empty hypodermic syringe.

She moved the stool closer to Squall. One last chance my brave SEED.

Squall's voice rasped but it was so raw he was unable to form any words.

"Very well." Eisley said. She nodded to her assistant and he stepped out. She flicked on the lighter and held the needle in the flame for a full minute. "If you think you felt pain before." She whispered. "You were sorely mistaken." She thrust the short stubby syringe into Squall's right eye.

Squall screamed anew. The sheer pain overriding his battered vocal cords. The fluids in his eye bubbled and boiled and after a moment his eye exploded dripping boiling blood and fluids down his face. Dr. Eisley quickly jerked his head free of the restraints and pulled it forward so the liquids dripped down his face instead of back into his brain. It had only taken one patient for her to learn that lesson.

The screaming lasted for minutes. Until Dr. Eisley brought a hot iron out and cauterized the socket. At that point the screaming stopped and squall was granted blissful darkness at last.

Dr. Eisley sat munching her sandwich. Watching as Squall twitched in his own private hell. She would miss this one. But he could not take much more. She conceded that his will could not be broken so she decided to settle for inflicting as much agony as she could before he died.

Squall whimpered as he awoke. His right eye would not open. He tried again and again. Then the memory of the past hour came rushing back to him as he saw Dr. Eisley. Calmly eating her lunch as if nothing had happened. Squall recoiled and let out a small cry as she stood up.

"No more." He croaked.

Her eyes widened. "You are finally ready to talk?"

"No more" Squall croaked again. He didn't even seem to realize she was there now.

"I can help you Ssssquall. Jussssst assssssk." The voice was Squall's sole focus. It had helped him. Kept his attention drawn from his tortures.

"Yes." Squall croaked. "Yes please."

Dr. Eisley smiled. She had done it. She had broken his will. It would be such a pleasure to break him down bit by bit until he was just a husk.

She licked her lips in anticipation. "Tell me everything." She commanded.

"Please help me." Squall croaked. "I ask you. I beg you. My mind is yours to share."

Dr. Eisley's eyes widened again. She rationalized however that he was in too much pain to be able to think clearly. She walked to her counter and filled another syringe with a painkiller that would not cloud his thoughts even more and turned back to him.

"You have chosen wisssely Ssssquall. Clear your mind and close your eye. Instruct your Guardians to go to your friends. I will be with you soon."

Squall closed his eye. Tears streaming down his left cheek. "Thank you." He whispered. He instructed his Guardians to go to Zell and Irvine. They protested but realized it was his only chance. He felt a new presence enter his mind. "Thank you." He whispered again.

"We are one now. And I ssshall help you my friend. For I am now you and my survival tied to yours. I am Allissssstar. I am your mind brother. Now let usssss get revenge for what they have done to you."

"Thank you." Squall said once more.

Dr. Eisley smiled again as she approached. She must have broken him even further than she thought. She decided to let him keep his illusion. "Your welcome." She murmured kindly.

Then Squall's eye opened and she stopped dead in her tracks as it locked with hers. That was not the eye of a broken man. There was not a word for the emotions raging through that eye. But fear rooted her to her place. Then Squall smiled at her. She felt a warm trail of urine trickle down her leg. She felt the most irrational fear of him. But why? He was bound. He was a broken thing. He was restrained in such a way that no man could break free. Yet there he was and here she was. Wetting herself. Terrified of this broken thing.

"With me now." Alistar said in his mind. Focus all your attention on one arm and pull. Break free of these pathetic bonds. Exact your revenge.

Squall grunted and focused every fiber of his being on his right arm. He commanded it to pull. And it did.

Dr. Eisley gasped, as the shackle holding his right arm began to whine as metal was forced in ways it was not meant to go. With a spang the hinge of the shackle popped free and squalls arm was loose. She finally managed to move. She ran outside and jumped behind her guard shrieking incoherently into his hear.

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "What is it Doctor?" He said slowly "What is wrong?"

She pulled franticly at his hands. "Prisoner…eyes…mad…escape…let go." She pulled free and ran as fast as she could down the hall.

The soldier opened the door and saw Squall writhing against his bonds. His right arm and both legs were free. He was only secured by his waist and his left arm now. The guard ran down the hall to the arms locker and pulled out his assault rifle.

Squall hissed and growled. He knew exactly what needed doing. The Galbadians must pay. For him. And for the others that were strapped to this table. For the animals downstairs. With a final grunt his left arm came free. And he focused his attention on his waist restraint. The metal begin to shriek as he pulled on one end.

The soldier ran back into the room. Impossible. The prisoner had broken himself free. The soldier regained his composure and leveled his rifle at Squall's head and pulled the trigger.

Just as he did Squall broke his waist restraint and dropped to the floor. The bullets hit where Squall had just been. The soldier didn't get another shot though. One second Squall was on his knees the next he plowed into the solder. The rifle was pulled from the man's grasp and sent flying. The panicked soldier flailed at squalls head and neck, trying to dislodge the crazed SEED.

Squall ignored the blows raining on his head. He cocked his fist and slammed it into the Galbadian man's trachea. The blows stopped immediately and the man clutched his throat. Desperately trying to inhale. Squall stood. Gazing down at the man. He turned his back and walked down the hall. Leaving the man to die.

He was a hunter now. And his prey still needed catching. Inside his mind Alistar radiated his approval.

A/N I have already started working on my next chapter. Once again I apologize for my tardiness in this latest chapter.

Review as always

Mike