Chapter 2- Field Test
The members of Squad B met in the Parking lot and loaded in to a large Yellow SUV, that after which exited the Garden and headed for Balamb. It was a short ride to the docks prior to that, a large vessel was waiting for them. It resembled a tank on water, but on the top instead of a Cannon was a large Assault Riffle, feeling rather safe, everyone loaded in to the vessel, Xu was inside already awaiting their arrival. When everyone was settled she gave the briefing of the mission.
Eventually they reached Dollet, they were to secure Central Square, a very simple but boring job...
Zell, Seifer, and Squall sat around the fountain in Central Square, waiting… Zell looked up at the Comm Tower in the distance. "Hey? What is that up there?" he asked.
With boredom overwhelmingly growing Seifer glanced toward what Zell had indicated, an idea forming in his head "Our next destination." Seifer smirked, his eyes shifting to Zell.
"But that's against orders!"
"Weren't you just saying how bored you were?"
"Squall!"
Zell to Squall for support on the matter but all he said was "I stand by the captain's decision."
"...Captain's decision?" Seifer looked at Squall with agrowing smirk "You want to wreak some havoc too, don't you?" he inquired in an impish voice
"It's a good opportunity to test out my training." Squall said plainly, "Thanks to you, I feel like I can take on anyone. Even if they do fight dirty, like you."
Seifer took some pride in that. "You'll thank me when the time comes."
Zell looked to Squall then looked at Seifer "What the hell..." He was surrounded. "I thought you guys didn't get along? You're like, all buddy-buddy now. Listen. This ain't no ordinary battle. It's an exam, an important one. I'm tellin' ya, we have to stick to orders."
"Then you stay here. I don't need any boy scouts." Seifer said walking off.
"What was that?" Zell yelled, his anger flaring up as he lifted his fist.
"Don't take him seriously, Zell." Squall sighed with a shake of his head. "Seifer, if we're gonna go, let's hurry."
"The enemy is headed for the facility. We, Squad B, are to secure the
summit. Move out!" Seifer ordered, heading for the hill road leading to the Tower.
! - ! - !
! - !- !
Squall and Zell stood with a the new and very cheery girl Seiphie, at the top of Dollet's communication tower after a hard battle . "Squad B captain? S'cuse me! I have new orders! All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours. Assemble at the shore!" She relayed.
"Withdraw? There are still enemies around!" Seifer shouted.
"I know, but I'm just a messenger." Seiphie told him, shrugging. "1900 hours... We only have 30 minutes! You got 30 minutes to get down to the shore! Better run" Seifer took off , heading for the lift and leaving everyone else behind.
"Heeey wait for us!" Seiphie shouted, but he was already gone and the lift was returning.
"Who the hell dose he think he is!" Zell grunted, taking one look back a Major Biggs and Lt. Wedge of the Galbadian army. "He can't just leave us here:
"Why don't you ask him? Let's go!" Squall prompted, leading the way out now that Seifer was gone. The three stepped on the lift and Seiphie hit a switch, causing it to descend. It quickly reached ground level and the three hurried outside.
'Squall! Above you!' Ifrit's voice suddenly shouted.
A shadow was cast them just as Ifrit prompted, Squall looked up to the source... "?" There was nothing but a large shadow on the outer part of the satellite dish... The shadow suddenly dropped down, and a large machine landed in front of them, shaking the ground violently and knocking Seiphie off balance. If Ifrit hadn't said anything the machine would have landed on him and he would have been crushed.
(What is that thing!)
'Be careful it's about to attack.'
It was a large mechanical spider with 4 legs instead of 8, the body was covered in a thick alloy that hid other weapons. But it's main feature was the nano-machines in side of it that allowed it to repair itself. "Great, Seifer runs off just before…" Zell mumbled, backing away from the machine nervously.
A panel on it's side flipped down reviling a Glatting gun, the machine targeted the three and started firing. "Whoa!" Seiphie jumped out of the line of fire as the bullets tore through the walls of the Comm. Tower.
Zell dived to the ground, rolling out the way and jumping to his feet when it passed over. "What the hell is that!" he yelled, looking at it carefully before he got ready to attack. Another round of bullets fired at Squall, he quickly lifted his gunblade across his chest to blocked them, hearing the small chime as the used ammo struck the blade hit the ground.
Damnit He quickly charged at the machine. lifting the sword over his solder and slashing it with his gunblade, the blow was enough to barely cut through the alloy shell.
Zell followed with a spell, in an instant a bolt of white lighting streaked down in a flash from the calm skies, striking the machine. The mechanical body was electrified, making the X-ATM092 shake a little. Seiphie drew a spell from the Machine while it was distracted, and cast it against it. A considerably stronger thunder spell roared from the skies instead, a bolt double the size crashed on to the X-ATM0982 covering it's whole torso in white lighting.
The machine fell to the ground, it's legs ccollapsing. "Let's get the hell outta here!" Zell yelled, Seiphie and Squall took the hint and ran from the large machine while they had the chance. Turning away Zell glanced back at the spider like machine when he heard a strange sound "Huh, is it repairing it self?"
The large gash Squall had created in it's alloy body was gone... An already tired Seiphie shook her head with small pants, she had just come from a hard battle, she didn't want to go into another "No more!" She shouted.
"There is no end to this." Squalls voice held the spark of realization, waving for them to hurry up. Under his direction the group ran up the small stone road, going up a bit of a hill.
'Squall! Look out it's coming again' Ifrit warned.
The Machine jumped up the hill with ease, almost landing on top of them, they only had a slight lead on it... The road curved pursing just behind them. The ground rumbled as the X-ATM0982 finally came from around the curved and came after it's acquired targets with more speed now that it had a strait and unhindered path going down the mountain. It became quickly apparent that the machine was a lot faster then they were.
They made it on the stone bridge at and... the metal sound stopped. "Huh?...What?" Squall stopped so abruptly that he nearly fell, pausing for a few moments while his other continued on to look back, the machine was gone. (Where is it? I just heard it...?)
'Above you!'
Squall looked up and saw the large machine in the air above them. He stepped forward just far enough to grab Seiphie and Zell by the shoulder and pull them back with no time to spare. The weapon landed only inches from his face, making his gasp and stumble back while Zell cried out with a yelp of surprise. They turned back and the machine jumped in to the air again. Squall pulled the group back and quickly changed direction, rrunning forward, making it safely off the bridge, just as the Spider landed behind.
The there had made it safely down to Central Square, hoping to lose it in streets of Dollet. But it caught up with them, and was gaining speed on them fast.
'You have to slow that thing down or youll never get away.' Ifrit said.
(How!)
'Leave it to me!'
Squall stopped, putting a halt to Zell and Seiphie in turn. (Ifrit, what are you going to do?) His question was answered when they were pulled in to a sub dimension that a GF used to keep humans out of range of their attacks.
With a loud rumble, Ifrit burst through the stone ground, standing atop a large burning meteor, glowing with red embers from the flames contained internally. The sky darken as he rose higher and higher, until the momentum that carried the large rock up to that high was expelled, the burning rock stayed suspended in the air as Ifrit above it. He cuffed both of his hands together and stretched his body back, then hammered the burning rock with all his strength and a ferocious roar. It hurtled to the ground, crashing in to the enemy at tremendous speed then it exploded violently in a sea of rock and flames, then suddenly faded as quickly as it had appeared.
Squall, Zell and Seiphie returned to this dimension, and all evidence of Ifrit or the burning meteor was gone. Except for the burned and broken machine that had taken the damage laying sparking and dismantled in front of them. The metal was melted in most places, and it had collapsed on the ground, giving them the opening they needed "Let's go!" Squall called out, louder than usual.
The group hurried through the streets, coming in sight of the dock at the next intersection where the boat that had carried them there was waiting, it didn't't seem like they would have anymore trouble from the X-ATM0982... but as soon as they passed the bar, the sound of heavy metal striking against concrete returned, faster then ever. With in a few seconds it was behind them, crushing anything in it's path. Zell resisted the urge to look back, just running as fast as he could forward "Damnit, we'll never get rid of this thing!"
"We don't have too, just run!" Squall notice the speed difference between his two teammates and himself, The beach was just down a pair of steps and Zell and Seiphie where already far ahead of him, sprinting for the boat, climbing jumping in side and to safety. With the time limit having expired 30 seconds ago the back gate started to lift close, but the X-ATM0982 was still on a lagging Squalls tail.
Zell waved his arm yelling "HURRY UP!" to encourage him to move faster, but with the large machine sill chasing him, catching up, he wouldn't make it.
No...!'
Quistis hurried to the top of the boat, manning a large assault riffle and firing a stream of hevay armor piercing rounds at the machine.
The X-ATM0982 was immediately slowed by the torrent bullets tearing into it's metal armor, giving Squall enough reprieve to making in to the vessel. The rounds continued to fire in a barrage into the Mecca, until Quistis struck it's engine and the fuel cells behind it. The engine combusted, taking the whole machine with it in a massive explosion, causing a rain of burring machine parts to scatter across Dollet's beaches
