The teenage boy led them to a dark mustard colored train, he opened the door for them and he led them inside. There were two doors, another leading outside and the other leading further into the train. Another boy came out of the door and said, "This is Watts, and Im Zone." They all shook hands and then Zone said, "Will one of you go wake the princess?" The seeDs all looked at Squall.
"Why does Squall have to do everything?" Marriku whispered, giggling. "This is the Forrest Owls headquaters" Watts said, running his hand across the metal of the inetrior of the train, he smiled. "We are so glad that the seeDs are finally here, we cant thank you enough" Zone said. "We've been waiting for a long time for help from the seeDs" Watts said. The door opened and Squall and a girl in light blue clothing came out.
"This is the princess, Rinoa" Zone said, Rinoa smiled at him and said, "Now, since your following our orders, we have a specific need for you. We are going to interogate President Deling" She said. Rinoa had a smile on her face, Marriku glared at her, her fists clenched. "Lets go into this room, and i'll explain the mission to you." They followed her into the room. 'Princess my damn ass...' Marriku thought darkly as they entered the room.
It was dark, with only one flourescent light shining from above. In front of them was a large oak table with a model on top. It was like a large toy train set, with presicse looking train cars, besides one. It was horribly painting and horribly shaped, not as glossy and exact as the rest. "now, this is a replica of the train rails leading towards Deling city. President deling will be in this car," Zone said, pointing towards a glossy blue and grey train car. "Why does that other train look exactly like it?" Selphie asked, poking the ugly train car.
"Thats the dummy car, I'll explain it to you in a minute," Zone said. "President Deling will be in this car and we need to unhook it from the other cars and hook the dummy car to the cars. Then we need to re-hook the real president's car to our train and then we can go in and interogate him!" Zone said excitedly. "How are we going to do that? how can you unhook train cars while they are already moving?" Zell asked.
"There is a control panel on each end of the trains and we have to enter in a 4-digit code, and this unhooks the car." Rinoa said, clearing her throat before continuing, "there are sensors hooked to the train cars, every one of them besides the presidents car. There is the heat sensor and the temperature sensor. When you see the heat sensor comming, run! When you see the sound sensor, stop!" "We only have to enter 3 codes at each train, so we only have to unhook 2 train cars, so this will be easy guys" Watts said.
Marriku nodded at her teammates and then asked, "So, how much time do we have?" "5 minutes exactly" Rinoa said. "Thats not alot of time..." Amaya said, her eyes squinted. "We've done a simulation of the operation, it should only take 3 minutes, be we thought you might need some extra time." Zone explained. When the explaintion was over, Rinoa said, "It will be maybe 30 minutes before we reach the president's train, so you can have time to rest or something"
Marriku sat down the corner and sighed, running her hands along the sheath of her right katana. Squall was talking with Zone, Watts and Rinoa about the mission and Amaya, Zell and Selphie were messing around with the train cars. Everyone was so calm about this. What if one of us falls off the train or something goes wrong? no one had asked that.
Marriku rubbed her forehead and sighed, getting up and looking out the train window. The hillside was passing by fastly, she hadnt even heard the train start. She walked over to the train set and said, "Guys, be serious...This is our first mission." "Riku, whats wrong?" Selphie said, her hyper frown turning into a frown. "Nothing, im just a little nervous about this. Arent you guys?" she said, her eyebrow raised. "Im sure nothing will happen, we can only hope for the best, ya know" Zell said, excitedly. He starting punching at the air.
"Your taking this very seriously" Amaya said, shouldering her staff. "Yeah, i just cant keep thinking that something is going to go wrong." "Dont worry it wont" Amaya said, confidant. "Yeah your right.." Marriku said. "Okay, guys!" Rinoa said, calling them foreword. "The presidents train is in site, when we are close, we'll head to the roof to get on the train."
Rinoa led them towards the back of the train, a ladder that led towards a hatch was above. Rinoa climbed up and opening the hatch, her raven hair whipping upward as she climbed. Then marriku climbed up. From ontop of the train, Marriku sighed shakily. The train was going awfully fast, which made her shiver. The rest of the team climbed up, following Rinoa's lead towards the front of the train.
Their car was almost touching ends with the presidents. "Just jump!" Rinoa called, having to raise her voice to be heard over the wind. She stood up, her thin body shaking from the wind and she leapt towards the other train. She landed on her knees, Marriku almost burst out laughing seeing her wince. She jumped next, feeling horribly sick when she was in the air, the wind ripping at her skin. She landing perfectly, smiling smuggly at Rinoa. Squall jumped, then Amaya, Zell and Selphie.
"The first train to unhook is just ahead! Who will be the sound sensor guard?" Marriku raised her hand, She crawled over towards the window. "And the Temperature guard?" Amaya raised her hand. "WHo will be doing the unhooking?" Zell and Selphie looked at Squall and he said, "I Guess." He crawled towards the panal, Rinoa following him.
"Ill tell you the codes!" Rinoa said, handing Squall a rope so he could drop down to the side of the train where the control panel was located. Everyone was in their positions, Squall dropped down the first time. "1124!" Rinoa called out to him, he pressed in the numbers. Marriku seen a big, bulky looking man through the window. He wore Galbadian soilder garments, but in a bright red color. "Hes comming!" She screamed. Squall climbed back up, just as the solider looked out the window.
"My guys comming too!" Amaya called out from behind her. A little shrimpy man in blue garments looked through the window next, the red man disapearing through a door and the blue man followed. Squall jumped down again and Rinoa called out, "4223!" Squall entered in the code and Rinoa called out once more, "3321." Squall started entering the code just as the red man came through the door. "Red man! hes comming!" Marriku screamed at the wind.
Squall jumped back up, his booted foot almost noticed by the red man. He glanced out the window and headed down the hall, the blue man following suit. "C'mon! next train!" Rinoa said. The train lurched, Marriku almost screamed. one side of the train was unhooked, they needed the next half unhooked, then the forrest owls' car would come and then they could interogate Deling once inside.
They headed towards the next side of the car, in the same positions. "Blues comming! dont go yet!" Amaya shouted. They stalled for a moment as the blue man patrolled the window and then went back to the other end of the car. Squall went down, Rinoa shouting "2234" he entered them in, Red begining to walk down the hall. "Reds comming!" She informed then. The red man looked out the window and almost looked up, before the blue man called to him, he ran towards the next car. "hmmm..." Marriku hummed to herself. "Two more codes!" Rinoa called, as Squall went down towards the control panel.
"1122" She called out, Squall entered it. The last code was "3312" and they we finished, the real presidents car was unhooked, Marriku could see the yellow owl's car come from behind them. They train pushed against the lone presidents car, and then they were hooked together. The team of 6 ran towards the yellow car, jumping into the hatch and back inside the train car. Rinoa patted down her hair and then jumped up and down. "Finally! we can interogate him! Bring your weapons, just incase he wants to get hostile or something" she warned before heading into her pink room and bringing out her weapon, the pinwheel.
Marriku grabbed her Katanas from the presentation room and they headed towards the door to the next car. Marriku sighed and said to Amaya, "She better know what shes doing." Amaya nodded. Marriku burshed her hand against the black onyx jewels that were attached to her wrists and sighed again. Rinoa came up and placed her hand on the latch to enter the next car. "Are you prepared?" They all nodded. She opened the door, and a smell of cleaner and coffee filled Marriku's nostrils.
The president's car had plush, expensive looking crimson red carpeting and the walls were decorated with wooden panals. The president was sitting in a grey leather booth, his face hidden from them. Rinoa stepped up to him and said, "President Deling!" He looked towards them. He had greasy grey hair that was slicked back and wore a fancy black stripped suit. "Who a-are you?" He said. "We are the forrest owls! your trapped, ya know!" Rinoa said, sounding very unprofessional. "yOU think yOU can treat mE like this?" His voice falling and raising. He stood up out of the booth, a crazy expression was on his face.
Rinoa's eyes were wide and she stepped back, but the president advanced on her. "yOU siLLY fOOLs chaLLENGE ME?" HE shouted in the air, Rinoa falling towards the ground and covering her head with her hands, as if expecting the president to explode. Squall ran forward and pulled out his gunblade, slashing at Deling but missed. The president laughed a cruel and deformed laugh before lunging and Squall. Marriku threw off the cases of her Katanas before attacking, slashing the presidents arm and pushing him back.
Selphie jumped foreward and hit in straight in the face with her nunchaku, and Rinoa regained her footing, looking pale in the face. The president lunged at Selphie, sinking his teeth into her shoulder. She screamed and Squall stabbed the president in his shoulder, Deling pulling back and sinking to his knees. It was like he was quivering all over, his body changing shape. "...T-this isnt the real Deling!" Selphie cried, her fingers touching her bleeding shoulder.
The president warped into a pale, greyish white creature, with wild emerald eyes. his arms were lengthy and skinny and one foot one enourmously big and the other normel sized. Deling giggled shrilly before swiping his claw at Squall, scratching him in the face. "Blizzard!" Amaya said, raising her staff. The icy air attacked the president, but it looked like it didnt do any damage. His long arms lunging at Amaya, but Marriku stabbed him through the hand, spinning around and landing a perfect kick to his deformed head.
His other hand swiped at Marriku and grabbed her leg, but Selphie hit him with her nunchaku and Zell left hooked him. He dropped her and lunged at Rinoa, Slashing at her. Rinoa punched him and flew back, striking him with her pinwheel. Marriku crossed her katanas and whispered "Dark Messenger." The demon Diablos appeared, attacking the zombie Deling with a monsterious hit. Deling flew back into the wall, Selphie attacking with her nunchaku and Amaya using a Thunder spell.
Marriku shouted and lunged, her katanas raised and she starting slashing at him like crazy, his body oozing a drippy green substance. Zell ran up and kicked his side, then punching him the in face. Deling fell to the ground, Rinoa attacking him next. He began to quiver again, this time his body began to melt. The white skin turned into a tarry black and they all stepped away as the Fake Deling slowly died, his tar body sinking into the carpet like acid.
Marriku closed her eyes and turned around, placing the cases back on her katanas. "...what the hell" Zell said, as he turned towards the door. The seeDs retreated back to the forrest owl's train car. Rinoa sighed sadly and said, "Guess we cant interogate him now..." "you should be thankful Squall saved your ass, or else you would have been food for that fake Deling" Marriku said, pointing at Selphie who was gingerly looking at her wounded shoulder. Rinoa stared at her for a moment, looking to say something when Watts came in the room.
"We have some information about the real Deling! Hes comming to Timber, he going to make an anouncment using the live broadcast system. It must be something big, because that system hasnt been used for 17 years!" He said, sounding amazed. Rinoa placed her hands to her mouth and said, "Well, then we should head to the TV station! We can catch him there! We should only need a party of four, so why dont two of you guys stay here and relax?" Selphie nodded and said, "Ill stay behind...my arm is seriously killing me after that freak bit me!" Zell nodded as to agree.
"Well, lets go!" Rinoa said, opening the door and a warm breeze flew into the metal smelling train. Squall, Rinoa, Marriku and Amaya jumped out and headed east, past the train tracks and onto a bridge. Rinoa stopped and stared at the train station, every track was empty. "Hmmm...thats strange. The trains have stopped running" She thought out loud. She then lead them towards 3 buildings. One was a comfortable looking home, the other was a large buisness building and there was a set of stairs that led to the last building, which was a popular looking bar.
"If I remember correctly, im sure that if we go through the back alley of the bar, we'll get to the TV station!" Rinoa said, running down the stairs excitedly. 'She has to stop acting so hyper, its really getting on my nerves...' Marriku thought as they followed her through the front door of the bar. There bar smelled horribly of alchohal and there were a few people sitting at tables drinking. Rinoa led them out back through a heavy metal door and they came into an alley. There were tons of empty boxes out here, along with some stray cats and garbage cans. Rinoa led them towards a large maze of stairs and heard the door of the pud bust open. Watts came sprinting towards them, huffing and puffing.
"Rinoa! Dont just bust in there, i just heard that everything is being heavily guarded, so dont take the chance." He explained. He lean leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath. "well...what should we do..." Rinoa said to no one in particular, squatting down and wrapping her arms over around her legs. "we need a new plan..." Squall sighed heavily. "Whats wrong?" She said. Marriku could tell he looked annoyed.
"If you have something to say, say it" She said defensivly. "How can you just sit on the ground and think up a new plan? That doesnt work, you need time to figure out this kinda of things, you cant just sit around for a few seconds and come up with some plan that is out of order." He said. Rinoa's arms dropped to her side, her face blank. "Your not serious about this" he said. She squinted at him. "we are serious, so serious, it hurts" she said, placing her hand on her heart for effect. "how can you say that...your horrible!" She screeched before running off into the bar. Squall looked away and then glanced up at the large outside TV.
"I think the broadcast is about to start" Amaya said. The trio headed up the stairs to get a better view of the TV. The screen when blank and then an announcer took the screen, standing behind the worn, wooden podium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Im VERY excited to announce this. The Live Broadcast system is being used for the first time in 17 years so the president, President Deling of course, can make an offical anouncement!" he said excitedly.
"could he be anymore happy?" Amaya said and she giggled. "Now, here is...President Deling!" The annoucer shouted, backing out of view. President Deling stood behind the podium, looking exactly like the fake deling they had just fought a while ago. He cleared his throat and said, "I would like nothing more than peace in this world. Galbadia and the other nations should unite, to be one. This cannot be possible if we all dont cooperate"
"Could this be a peace talk?" Marriku whispered. "Now, the Galbadian Nation is taking steps towards Nationwide Peace and we have aquired a new Peace Ambassador. We are very please to inform you that the Ambassador is-" he was cut out by a large crash and voices started to scream in the backround. Seifer took the stage, raising his gunblade and slashing at the galbadian soliders who chased him. Marrikus eyes widen and said, "What the hell is going on?"
Seifer grabbed the president and placed the gunblade to the mans throat. 'What do you want? let me go...If you kill me now, My army will strike the nations as fast as possible" Deling groweled. Quistis took the stage and said, "Back away! You'll only provoke him!" to a team of Soliders. She faced the screen, her blue eyes were glossed with seriousness. "Timber team, report her at once! This is an order!"
Marriku sprinted up the next set of stairs, followed by Amaya and Squall and ran down the bridge and pushed her way into the TV station, a camera was smashed on the ground and 2 galbadian soilders lady dead. Right behind them, from the door, came Selphie and Zell. "Im glad your all here" Quistis said. "Seifer, what do you think your doing?" Squall said. "What are you planning to do with this guy?" He said gruffly. "how did he know..." Marriku said. Did he know of Rinoa's plan to interogate Deling? "I couldnt stop him!" Quistis cried, "He broke out of the disciplinary room, and he directly came here...im sorry."
"Take this idiot back to garden!" Zell said. Marriku's eyes widened. "So...you are from garden. If you hurt me, my army will destroy garden. Now, if you dont want that to happen, you better let me go" Deling said, laughing at them. "Good job! Your and your damn mouth, i knew it was going to get you into trouble one day" Seifer said, tightening his grip on Deling. Seifer dragged Deling into the next room. A large silky white curtain covered the whole room.
"Poor, poor boy..." Came a voice from the curtain. Marriku, Squall, Amaya, and Quistis entered the room, watching on. "Whos there?" Seifer shouted, looking around wildly. A woman appeared, in a beautiful low cut black gown, with a large headdress on, shaped like the head of a bird. "Confused? What shall you do?" She said, her voice icy and mysterious. She giggled. "Stay away from me!" Seifer said.
"I know what you are feeling, you feel trapped in this situation. Yes? I am correct." "Shut up! Stay away!" Seifer growled at the woman. She giggled and said, "Are you afraid of my help? Dont be." "Im Not." "Come with me, I shall save you. Your childhood will be no more" She said, raising her arms, her fingers looked like claws. President Deling flew against the wall, his eyes wide. He ran towards the emergency exit. "Say goodbye to your past, Say hello to your future" She purred. Seifer looked back at them and smiled and headed towards the woman. They both disapeared through the curtain.