Legacies: Chapter 18

by: Gemini83

Disclaimer: You know it, I don't own FF8. But I do own this story.

Squall stared straight back into Gabe's eyes, "what the-"

Gabe fired his shotgun once. Zell flinched as the shot flew past him. He turned to see it go above their heads, hitting a building's roof on the other side of the street. Several dark figures appeared near the rim of the rooftops, scattering away from the blast.

Irvine turned to Gabe, "why-"

Then more bullet fire came, and several of the SeeDs backed into the alleyway, forcing themselves against the sides the walls. Rinoa took cover behind a large postbox, while Selphie pressed herself against a telephone pole. Leona and Quistis ran to the SeeD utility vehicle, leaping safely behind it as several rounds of bullets riveted the ground where they had been. Gabe charged forward, loading a bullet into his gun. Then he shot a nearby car with it. A blast of strange energy erupted from the barrel, overturning the vehicle to its side. Gabe immediately froze the underbelly of the car with a simple ice spell.

He ducked behind the car, now covering the alleyway. Squall, Irvine, and Zell joined him.

Zell winced, "that car was the band's rental."

"Don't worry," returned Gabe, "I'm sure the company's insured, they usually are."

They all flinched as several other shots rang off the sides of the overturned car. Zell pressed a bit too close to the icy bottom, and had to rip his hand away, leaving a bit of skin behind.

He cursed, bringing his fingers to his lips, "dammit man! What did you freeze the car for?"

"It's easy Zell," answered Squall, "stray bullets won't blow the car if it's frozen."

"Explosions and people don't mix well," Irvine nodded, "quick thinking."

Squall looked over the top of the car, spotting several of the dark figures attacking from the rooftops, "so this is where they went?"

Gabe turned to him, "pardon?"

"We had trouble getting here," said Squall.

Gabe nodded, "so that was you. And this would be the Illuminati."

Irvine cursed, looking across the empty street, "why the Hell isn't anyone in the street?"

"Be thankful for small miracles," answered Squall, "no innocent bystanders."

The bullets were raining down even heavier now. Glass shattered as stray shots pounded into the car and adjoining buildings. Squall turned to look at Rinoa.

She looked back, nodding that she and Selphie were fine, then she squeezed herself tighter against the mailbox as several more bullets passed by.

Leonhart forced himself to look past her, to the SeeD utility vehicle a few meters away, "I need to make it to the car."

Gabe glanced in the vehicle's direction, "will it be okay?"

Squall nodded, "bulletproof...could even withstand a grenade if it had to."

Gabe shook his head, "Irvine, now would be a good time to bring out the bullets I gave you."

The cowboy did so, "I took a look at them. Pretty straightforward."

"Aim high," he instructed, "the shots will fire on delayed reaction, like launch grenades."

Squall handed Zell his pistol, "cover me?"

Zell took the gun in his hands, and grinned back, "you got it."

Gabe moved to the side edge of the car, peeking his shotgun out, aiming at the rooftops. Irvine followed, standing up to aim from above the top of the car's rim. Zell flanked them on the other side. Squall crouched, waiting to make a dash. He made hand gestures to Rinoa and Selphie, who nodded in understanding.

"On three," declared Gabe, as another bullet grazed off the car chassis.

"One..." counted Irvine, "two...THREE!"

In unison, the three men fired their shots into the rooftops. Rinoa and Selphie rose from behind their shelter, aiming a few well placed spells. From behind the SeeD car, Leona and Quistis began to fire volleys as well, Quistis using spells, Leona using a mechanized crossbow. Squall ran for the SeeD vehicle.

Opposing fire began to pepper the ground behind him as Squall ran, forcing himself to outpace the stream of fire. Then the fire toned down as his allies began their own attack. He reached Rinoa first, and, helping her to her feet, ran towards the safety of the SeeD car with her, arm in arm. Selphie rolled from behind her telephone pole, rising to her feet, and ran in the opposite direction. She passed them by, leaping to the safety of the overturned car.

Rinoa and Squall reached the SeeD vehicle, and fell to their knees behind it, as the rain of bullets from the rooftops poured down anew.

Selphie was panting for breath, keeping her exposed skin well away from the ice on the car.

Irvine ducked behind the car again, reloading his weapon, "that wasn't the smartest thing to do Selphie."

She huskily replied, catching her breath, "what...can I...say? I wanted to be...with you."

He smirked, "that's my girl."

She gestured to her leather pants and matching top, then to his duster, "we match too."

Irvine shook his head as Selphie grinned.

Squall leaned back against the body of the SeeD vehicle, breathing heavily.

Quistis peered over the edge of the car, watching the black figures on the rooftops skirting back and forth, angling for better positions. She laughed as shots from Gabe and Irvine's guns cast a wave of spells around the cloaks, scattering them.

"That seems to be working well," said Rinoa.

"We must have disoriented them earlier," nodded Quistis, "this should have been a perfect ambush."

Rinoa agreed, "and Gabe's warning helped too. Something's off."

Squall sniffed, "other than a sneak attack in the heart of a city?"

Leona fired a last volley of arrows at the rooftops, then came down again. Opening the side door of the car, Quistis drew out a large package from the glove box. Leona closed the door while Quistis opened the package, revealing several rounds of ammunition and guns within.

"Always prepared right?" said Leona.

Quistis nodded, picking up several rounds of ammo and binding them within the package again. She caught Zell's eye, and flung it to him, aiding her throw with a simple wind spell.

Zell caught the package, several shots narrowly missing it as it flew through the air, and opened the box.

Irvine whistled, "great, we needed more shots."

Gabe drew another pouch, much larger this time, from his belt, "here's some more."

Zell eyed them critically, "where'd you get those, or did you make them?"

He laughed, "made them, real pain in the ass too."

Selphie was about to make a bawdy comment, as another bullet grazed the side of the car. Gabe cried out in pain, grabbing at his side, and cursed.

Zell and Selphie gasped, asking together, "are you alright?"

He nodded, "passing shot...I'll be fine."

He peered over the top of the car again, as if the pain were already forgotten, "I need to get to that side of the street."

Irvine stared back, eyes wide, "are you nuts?"

"Probably," said Gabe, "but we can't keep this up forever. We need to finish them before the authorities arrive, by then the sneaky bastards will have run away."

Zell nodded, and signaled to Squall and the others.

Selphie turned as she heard a door in the alley behind them open.

"Stay back!" yelled Selphie, as several clubbers came out of the exit to see what was happening. The sound of gunfire quickly caused the people to heed her warning, and they slammed the door shut.

Gabe turned to Zell, "sign to him what I'm about to tell you."

Squall saw Selphie motioning behind her, while Zell began to sign to him. Squall nodded, understanding.

"We need to get some heavy cover fire," he announced, "Gabe has a plan."

Gabe turned to watch the rooftops, searching for the point to do most damage. Crouching back behind the overturned car, he nodded to Zell.

"You sure this will work?" asked the SeeD.

"It better Dincht," answered Gabe, "I have a reputation to uphold."

Selphie looked down at him for a moment, and sniffed in laughter, "great...you remind me of Irvine."

The cowboy grinned as he fired into the rooftops, "what's the matter with that?"

"Shut up and shoot," ordered Selphie.

"Yes dear," joked Irvine.

Zell groaned as he turned to look across at the others...and gaped at Quistis.

She had opened the trunk...and brought out a large mountable chain gun.

Squall whistled, "portable version of the guns on our ships?"

Quistis' lips twitched in amusement, "need to be able to cover your butt wherever we go."

"It's a full time job," quipped Rinoa, "and such a cute butt too."

"Lord," Leona grunted as she helped Quistis balance the gun against the car, "you people frighten me sometimes."

Squall nodded, "okay, when I say so...let them have it...all out. You'll know when to stop."

He reached into the back compartment of the car, drawing out a sword. Securing his gunblade in a sheath on his back, he gripped the sword in his hands tightly, edging to the end of the car.

"Mind telling us the particulars of Gabe's plan?" asked Quistis.

"Yes," answered Squall.

"Why?" followed Rinoa.

He remained silent for a moment, "you'd think I was crazy."

Rinoa smiled, "Squall...you're a SeeD that fell for a Sorceress...it's certifiable that you're crazy."

He grinned slightly, "never hear you complaining...now...let's wait for Gabe to start."

"What?"

Gabe nodded to the others, "Selphie, Irvine...pound into them. Zell, are you ready?"

The SeeD nodded, checking his two handguns, "ready as I'll ever be..."

"Just what the hell..." started Irvine.

"NOW...FIRE!" he shouted.

Behind the SeeD car, Squall heard Gabe and ordered Quistis to shoot...and had to cover his ears for the deafening chatter of the chain cannon's blasts. Then he did something which no one had expected...he ran out into the street.

Behind the overturned car, Gabe did the same, as Selphie and Irvine continued to fire into the rooftops. Zell followed close on Gabe's heels.

The cloaked figures atop the rooftops scattered as the barrage of gunfire and spells rained down on the rooftops. Zell, Squall, and Gabe continued to run for the other side of the street.

They met at the opposing wall, and pushed themselves against it, breathing heavily. Their friends on the other side of the street continued to fire.

Squall nodded to Gabe, throwing him the sword.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," replied the SeeD.

Gabe looked up at the roof, which Quistis was riddling with bullets still. He looked back down, drawing his shotgun, "I'm gonna go up the stairs on the east side."

He jerked his head to the left of them.

Squall nodded, "I'll go up the west side stairs. How about you Zell?"

The blonde haired SeeD rubbed his chin as he looked up at the rooftops above. He clenched his fists together, and brought them up. The retractable claws emerged from his gloves.

"Screw the stairs," he said, "I'm climbing straight up and capping their asses."

Gabe flashed a feral grin, "going to wait for us?"

Zell shook his head, "no, but I did bring a few spell grenades. I'll lob them once I'm up, then climb over."

Squall nodded, "we'll tear into them right after."

Brickwork began to fall down in pieces around them, and Zell coughed from the dust. The three men looked each other over one last time before they each turned to their separate tasks.

Behind the SeeD car, Quistis ran out of bullets for the chain gun.

She cursed, "take over while I reload."

Leona nodded, priming her crossbow and firing several volleys of spelled arrows into the rooftops. They didn't quite reach far enough, but they were flare spells, so at least it was providing distraction.

Rinoa shook her head as she fired several round of ammunition from her pistols, "what in Hyne's name is Squall doing?"

Quistis shrugged, reloading the chain gun, "we'll have to ask afterwards."

She turned the cannon to fire, and stopped...

Irvine also stopped firing for a moment, as the woman beside him shouted.

"What is he doing?" asked Selphie, pointing at the opposite wall.

Zell threw himself against the wall, forcing his fists into the solid brickwork, and began to climb the wall as if it were a mountain. The claws on his gloves clung to the building, and he grunted as he forced himself up, hand over fist.

Irvine blinked once, shrugged, and began to fire again, higher this time. He didn't want to hit Zell.

"Don't tell me he's..." started Quistis.

Rinoa furrowed her eyebrows, "Squall...if you live through this, I'm going to kill you."

Zell grunted as he came to a stop, suspended from the edge of the roof, hanging by the talons on his glove. He reached down into his pockets, pulling out a charged grenade, and lobbed it over his head, onto the rooftop.

He heard muffled shouts of dismay, and a second later, the blast from his grenade. The smoke and noise was all he needed to haul himself over the ledge, leaping onto the roof feet first.

His SeeD training kicked in immediately.

"Shit," cursed Zell.

There had to be at least thirty cloaked men on the rooftop, and that was just what he could see. The sun had almost completely faded now, forcing him to squint past the haze, but there were still so many...

Then his instincts kicked in, and he acted. He drew his two handguns and began firing...

All the shrouds heard was the first explosion, before a cacophony of blasts reigned down death upon them. Several fell, but soon the figures turned, finding the source of the attack, and ran to fight back.

Zell didn't back down, doing the opposite of what was expected. Reloading his pistols, Zell charged them. He continued to fire into them as he ran. The world was a fast moving blur of shadows and blood, as he forced his legs to run faster and faster. And like death itself, he ploughed through the horde of men.

Knives and blades sought out his skin, bullets whizzed by him, several bodies groped for his legs as he ran, trying to trip Zell, but the dying bodies were not enough to slow him...not now...not until he himself calmed the flow of adrenaline to his systems.

Zell looked ahead of him, finding a cluster of enemies awaiting him. They were just too thick to shoot past, he couldn't run through them...

Instead, Zell ran faster towards them, return fire going wide in their disoriented state. And when it seemed he had fallen into their midst...he jumped.

Clear over their heads he leapt, twisting in mid-air, as he fired his guns down into the shrouds, raining death from above. He righted himself as he landed, firing several last shots into his enemies.

He grinned darkly, "I am hot today, Irvine eat your heart out."

The beginning twilight of dusk, combined with the adrenaline induced haze, clouded his vision slightly, and he forced himself to breathe more slowly as he turned.

Zell discarded his guns, clips empty, and cocked his fists, as he scanned for more enemies..

Then a blast rang out from behind, and Zell knew he'd never be in time to avoid it...

Author's Note: Zell kicked some serious butt at the end there. Loved that...he was on the RAMPAGE! Yes, Squall and Gabe are there too, their battles are up next. Anyway, thanks for reading, give me feedback if you feel like it. Take it easy (grins at 'Prince Tiger' ).