Here's the thing on Adel.
If they don't know Adel is a man, people call Adel a woman. (Zell, Kiros, Squall, ect.)
If they do know Adel is a man, they call Adel a man. (Seifer, Adel, ect.)
Odine calls Adel a woman out of respect, because Adel pounds him into walls for entertainment.
Hope that clarifies a few things.
Disclaimer: Square owns them.
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Chapter four
Zell glared at the scientist as he rode in the van. Odine was the only other person in the van; Adel had taken Seifer back to his "home" and Zell wasn't allowed to see. Zell sniffled. Seifer was probably dead, and he wouldn't forgive himself for it. Odine patted his leg- far too high up and far too long.
"Do not worry, my beautiful," he stated, making a left-hand turn and thereby going the wrong way on a one-way road. Cars honked and leaped out of the way, and Odine never took his eyes off Zell.
"The road, Odine," Zell told him.
"We will take care of you. Zhe and I…we are imprezzed by your… ingeniouz." Odine slipped his hand further up, and Zell hit it, far too restrained to do much damage. The stupid bangles and the stupid power were suppressing his own strength and ability to stay awake. His head bobbed a few times, not wanting to fall asleep in front of the scientist.
"Zhe has allowed me to… do a few zings," Odine stated grinning. "I hope to have many more beautifulz running around me, doing my bidding."
Zell managed to squirm away from Odine, though the van was small, perhaps why Odine had chosen it in the first place. Odine grinned. "Though, I will alter zem. Zey will not find knights." Odine spit out the window and turned right back onto the main highway. Zell's heart, however, didn't stop pounding, adrenaline flowing through him.
"You're going to clone me?" Zell asked, and Odine grinned.
"You are a zmart boy. Yez, I zink it would be fun- zough zey would not have your zpunk." Odine chuckled. "Zink of all I could do- Playboy Bunniez, partiez, watching who doez who-"
"Stop," Zell hissed. "You're sick."
"Zo I've heard," Odine responded, grinning. "It'z not my fault. Adel won't let me have you, so I'd better make more of you." He looked up, thinking. A lonely little raccoon made its way over the road, and was promptly hit. "Maybe I could give you cat-earz…"
"Adel won't let you have me?" Zell asked, and Odine glared at him. Zell closed his eyes as he realized Odine was going into one of his rants. The perfect opportunity for a nap or to greet death, whichever came first.
"I zhould! I captured you! I saw you for what you were! I am the greatizt zcientizt zat ever lived! And what do I get? I don't even get to enter my boy! I cannot claim him! Zat iz not fair! I zhould be able to have you az a love-slave, but what doez Adel zay? No!" Odine yelled. "No!"
Odine reached over and grabbed Zell's hair, pulling Zell close to those wild, dark eyes. "You are mine," Odine stated, and Zell winced at the pain. "Agree!" Odine yelled and Zell nodded his head, if only to make the pain stop. Odine laughed, hitting a puppy and its owner. "Zee? He agreez wiz me!"
The van pulled into a parking lot and hit the wall, thereby stopping. Zell lurched forward into the airbag, and Odine laughed. "I have zeen your zpine curve like zat before…" he mused, undoing Zell's seatbelt. "Come. We have DNA to get, zough, I must admit, it iz not my expertize."
Zell looked up at the skyline, looking for a building miles away. "Seifer…" he whispered, and Odine grabbed his hand and yanked him out of the car.
"Come! Maybe zen, I will get your clonez to build a car where I can reach ze brakez!"
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Adel threw the knight onto the bed, not caring whether Seifer cracked his skull or not. The knight had still to awaken, and Adel was reminded by Odine he was the boy responsible for pulling him out of stasis. So the knight would live this day, and Adel would call it even.
The knight gave a moan. Thoughts flew through Adel's head, and he decided it would be fun to gloat. Walking over to the bed, he sat on it, covering the blonde's throat. The knight's eyes opened, revealing green, an opposite of Adel's own eye color. "Where's…Zell?" The knight managed to mutter, and the sorceress grinned.
"With me," Adel cooed. "I must admit, it was quite convenient of you to be hit by my men. It made the bargain much more sweet, Zell agreeing to come for your life."
Seifer's eyes widened in anger and loathing, partly for himself, partly at Adel. He struggled in vain. Adel's hand would not move. "You bastard," he stated.
Adel laughed. "I must thank you. I'd never know how beautiful he was if I hadn't been watching you two." He leaned over, his voice growing husky. "The way he flushes, the way his voice takes on that needy pitch, the way he seems to control the situation without actually being in control…"
Seifer struggled harder, trying to escape the words.
"He's mine," Adel stated. "You knights think you can take our glory."
"You wouldn't know!" Seifer yelled back. Guilt ate at him; he was supposed to protect his sorceress, and now Zell would be Adel's plaything. "You never had a knight!"
The room filled with a hideous laughter and Seifer stopped struggling. Adel was laughing hard. Slowly Seifer realized he had been quite mistaken.
"I had a knight, once," Adel stated, taking his nails and raking them gently so not to do damage over Seifer's eyes. "He was weak. Pathetic."
"You killed him." Seifer stated worriedly. Adel chuckled.
"Yes. He was stupid and pointless. But Zell does not see you that way, and it sickens me." Adel tightened his grip. "He loves you."
Seifer's face was turning blue and Adel let go, upset he could not finish his kill. "Do not try to find him again," Adel hissed. "Or I will kill you both."
If looks could kill, Adel would have been dead as soon as Seifer had woken up. Alas, looks could not kill, and so Adel chuckled at the glares and angry eyes and stood. "Sleep," he cast, and Seifer fell on the bed. Adel looked around the room. After he was sure there was nothing of Zell's, he shut the door behind him. "Sweet nightmares, dear knight."
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Adel opened the door to see Odine finish drawing blood, the second part of his DNA gathering he had asked Adel for. His sorceress, his boy was sitting on a chair in this…laboratory room, and was completely tired. Adel frowned inside. That meant no fun for him tonight, but it did mean… other things, he remembered, and he grinned wickedly.
"Follow me," he told Zell, and Odine sighed and let Zell go, mumbling something about bunny outfits and pantyhose. Adel snuck a glance at the legs his boy had. Pantyhose would do nicely, he agreed.
Adel led Zell to a make shift room, what was to be Zell's personal quarters. "This is yours," Adel told him. "Odine cannot enter here."
Zell nodded, wiping his eyes of something. Adel licked his lips at the sight. This boy, this boy would be his undoing! Already his emotions were out of check. He hadn't felt this heated since…since… Adel could not remember, or would not, but at the moment, it didn't matter.
"Take your power and go," Zell whispered. Adel laughed, stroking the boy's face. Zell flinched, trying to feel upset but feeling a strange, growing sense of need emerging from his power. The power was coaxing his emotions to feel needy, Zell realized.
"How can I leave a sorceress in need?" Adel asked, pulling Zell a little too harshly. Zell landed on his chest, feeling surprised. Gasping, he made his statement.
"You're a man!" he cried in surprise. No, this wasn't happening. Now Adel suddenly looked a whole lot more attractive, and suddenly Zell could see those potions in the back of his head.
"Just like you. We're like brothers, you and I." Zell stepped back, shaking his head. No. Zell wasn't like Adel. Seifer even said so, Seifer said, Seifer said…Adel held his chin, almost as if reading his thoughts. "Yes, my knight lied to be as well," he stated.
The response was instantaneous. Zell had thrown a punch, but Adel had seen it and caught Zell's fist. Adel watched as Zell started crying, trying to coax Zell's power to feel more needy.
"Shh. Shh," Adel whispered, trying to sound comforting. "We will talk tomorrow. Rest."
Zell couldn't help himself- the shock, the weariness of what he had already been through, and the need for another human touch must have been ganging up on him. There was no other way he'd hug Adel back, crying into the older sorceress's arms.
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"How fairs the plan?" Adel asked, walking into the main laboratory. Odine stood with samples of semen and blood, investigating Zell's DNA sequence.
"Zoon I will have bunniez," Odine responded, trying not to drool.
Adel slapped him. "The Estar plan," he specified.
Odine rubbed his head. "Iz well. Laguna leavez for winhill in a few dayz. Kiroz…iz suddenly sick. Ward iz not understood when zey are not around."
Adel grinned his sickening grin. A few days to prepare, and he'd take this city back. His city, he corrected.
Odine was also happy. While Laguna was much nicer than Adel, he put many more restrictions on Odine's work. Odine couldn't do anything he wanted. Odine then continued messing with the DNA.
"What is this?" Adel asked, not touching.
"Ziz? It iz for a clone. You wanted the boy," he spat harshly. "Zo I am making more of him- not ze zame. More zumbizzive, becauze I do not have your powerz of…perzuazivenezz." Odine looked up as Adel was also stuck in the fantasy. "He iz beautiful, no?"
"You have no idea. Even subconsciously, he repels me. But he will cave; he is confused and tired and you have left his spirit weak." Adel left then, to take care of some "personal" matters, as Odine and anyone who passed Adel in the hall saw. Odine was cool until the door shut and there were no more footsteps.
An empty beaker shattered across the door.
"He zhould have been mine!" Odine yelled, stamping his feet.
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Zell was in a dressing room, sadly preparing for his wedding. He didn't want to be married, not like this- and certainly not in a gown. It was pretty and all, but it also hurt him that no one had asked him what he wanted to wear- he was just placed in the gown because he was the sorceress. He bit his lip, staring at the make-up the faceless ladies of the castle had painted across his face. The flowers were ugly, black and weeping. His match had seen them and beheaded the gardeners instantly, but Zell had coaxed him out of it. It wasn't their fault; it was his match.
Zell wished he could remember his name.
There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Zell stated sadly. The blonde did just that, walking in and Zell backed away, tears in his eyes. "Seifer," he whispered. "You mustn't be here!" When the blonde shut the door, Zell backed to the window. "It's forbidden!"
The leader of Squall's Knights bowed to him. "I cannot, milady," he stated weakly. "I am hopelessly in love with you. If you marry him, my heart will die." He got up, tracing Zell's face.
It was flushed, almost red and Zell wasn't sure if it was from anticipation or a blush from the words. How typical that Seifer was always romantic. Zell leaned into him for a kiss, and Seifer responded instantly. Zell felt himself move from the window to the bed and Zell pulled away. "Seifer, it's forbidden," he whispered.
"It cannot be forbidden if I feel this strongly," Seifer stated with passion, though he was not loud. He continued kissing, and a hand trailed up Zell's leg.
"Seifer, I'm going to be married soon." Zell pulled away from those kisses and that… somewhat perverted touch, looking sadly at his Knight. "Adel will care for me."
"He will not!" Seifer told him, holding Zell, and Zell didn't struggle. "You will not be happy with him! He'll take your innocent spirit and crush it!"
"Innocent?" Zell asked, looking at his hands. "I've…I've killed, Seifer. I'm not as white as this dress." His eyes grew misty and Seifer wiped away would-be tears.
"You still believe that people are good inside," Seifer told him gently. "You believe in doing the right thing. I've seen you, you regret killing and try to make it as painless as possible. You'd rather leave people unconscious than destroy them."
Zell looked away. It was true, and he'd tried to hide that. He couldn't look at a face without wondering if the soldier had children, or a wife waiting at home. He'd often wonder maybe if he'd orphaned someone, just like he had.
Seifer took his hand. "Come. Let us escape now, and we can be free." Zell got up, then, following his knight out the door.
Seifer awoke in a cold sweat.
"Oh, fuck," he whispered, shaking. It was those dreams again. He'd been sent them- dreams where everything was romantic, where everything ended up well, where people loved him. Ultimacia had sent those dreams, when he did well.
Ultimacia…Seifer growled and shook his head. Best not to think about it, he told himself. But if she was dead… then who was-
Zell. Zell was sending him dreams, and probably didn't know it. Seifer hit the covers, and the bed made a faint bleeting sound. He couldn't tell Zell to stop, because Zell wasn't here. He'd tried to get in the palace yesterday but Adel had also cast some paralysis spell, and he hadn't been able to leave the bed. He tried to swing his legs, but he couldn't, though he could bend them. He couldn't reach the phone.
He sighed. Some knight he'd been. He could protect Zell for a day, but when push came to shove he was actually a liability. Adel would take Zell and… Seifer shivered.
No. He'd give Zell hope, he'd let Zell know he was still not giving up. Maybe a lackey or someone could pass a message… Seifer lay back in bed, angry with himself.
What a fool he'd been.
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Zell had been waiting for quite some time since he'd been stuck in his room. Odine couldn't get to him, he found, but he also couldn't leave. Adel must have held the only key, and Zell really wanted food and a shower. There wasn't anything in the room, either, just a bed and a desk.
The door opened and Zell happily stood for an odd servant in a cloak. The face was covered. "Lord Adel wishes to see you," the servant stated. Zell followed the servant through corridors and halls he would never remember and stopped at a very large door. "He has arrived," the servant called. The door opened and another servant, in the same cloak, entered.
"Please come in, milady," the servant whispered. This one was a woman. Zell entered and his power seemed to roar to life, trying to move his emotions. Zell fought it with his strong sense of curiosity.
Adel sat at a table with a bowl of fruit as a centerpiece, random documents around. Zell realized the servant was taking off one bangle- just one, and she bowed and disappeared through the door. "I do not wish to be disturbed. Number three knows this."
"Three?" Zell asked. "You don't give them names?"
Adel shook his head and stood, focusing more on his power inside the boy than looking at him. "Are you not hungry?" he asked, and Zell said nothing. "Come, sit down, Zell. I invited you to breakfast."
Zell sat as far away from Adel as possible, cursing the man's long arms as one came to stroke his hand. Zell looked away, only obeying Adel's request so he wasn't hit, or so another bangle wasn't put on. Already his strength seemed to be returning, though his power was still acting oddly.
Adel held out an apple. Zell looked away from it, though he did sneak glances at it once or twice. "Why?" Zell finally asked. "Why did you take over this city?"
Ah, the past, Adel realized. He could talk about the past. Not today, with those i-pod things or the new weapons or the flying Centra weapons- the past was where he had lived, even in those years sealed up by the moon.
Adel smiled, setting the apple down. It was the smile he'd given when he fell to the earth, a smile that chilled Zell to the bone.
"I could tell you, but you seem so…wild. It's a long story." Zell stopped tapping the table. "It's much easier to judge if you don't know."
Zell suddenly felt bad, though he didn't know why. Sympathy was overtaking him. "I'd…like to hear," he said. It'll be inaccurate! He told himself. But he said nothing more.
Adel tossed him the apple, which Zell caught this time, despite the bangles. Zell ate rabidly. Those little fangs, Adel thought, a searing flash of heat in his gut. He licked his lips before starting.
"I was a decided sorceress at birth. My knight was chosen for me, and we got along… until he started picking on me. First it was my dress, then my weakness." Adel paused. "He was about five years older than me. Beautiful black hair, with pitch-black eyes. Things were different, then. I was thirteen, he was eighteen. He'd stopped being loyal at that time. He'd wander in with a woman every night. Sometimes the same, sometimes different."
Zell swallowed. "Oh. How did you…how did you…"
Adel's eyes glazed. "It was about two months before I inherited my powers. I was until then always being trained to by the older women, trained to by my parents. For his immaturity, the woman all struck him, several times. It was no beating, but it must have hurt…for he took it out on me. That night, he forced himself on one of the women, breaking her spirit. She was my predecessor. So she gave me her power and bound us together. In the next few years, I still had no idea what he had done, and I was… attached to him."
"You're gay?" Zell blurted out, then covered his mouth. "Sorry." Now he regretted those kisses, he regretted being here, because now he had a strange feeling Adel was after his ass.
"Nothing to be sorry about," Adel responded, and the feeling Zell had grew worse. Zell sat obediently in his chair as Adel continued.
"One day, I threw a fit and told him to send his woman of the evening away. He did, but he yelled at me for it. I told him he was my knight and he told me it was a stupid idea and we just yelled, back and forth and back and forth. Finally, he took a gun to his head and just fired…in front of me."
Adel watched as Zell's eyes grew teary. He was buying this hook, line and sinker.
"After that I decided knights were pathetic creatures, and I went around the world and tried to keep them from spreading, helping other sorceresses grow independent. But when I came to Estar, they tried to lynch me because I was a sorceress. So I was determined to control it and I did. But they still have not learned."
"Learned what?" Zell asked, the apple eaten.
"We are gods, Zell," Adel told him. Zell felt unsure of what to say to that. Adel didn't continue, realizing his credibility was creeping to a stop in the boy's mind. "We will discuss that later. That is my story, Zell. You would never grew, never blossom as a sorceress if I hadn't found you. We will train later." Adel smiled gently, looking in Zell's eyes.
They were still fighting his power inside him. Zell nodded and Adel let his hand go. "Perhaps you should enjoy a shower. I do not think you've had one for a while."
Zell nodded, looking down at the ground. Adel stood, coming around the table and behind Zell, roaming his hands through Zell's hair. His power sparked beneath the surface. "I suppose you are tired of being attacked here," Adel remarked. "Or raped."
"It wasn't rape," Zell whispered, trying to scoot into a ball. "He just…made…"
Adel stopped and gave him a protective hug. "Well, whatever it was, it is not to be tolerated." Zell nodded, relaxing. Adel continued ignoring his own beating heart and his own growing libido. "So, for your protection, you will bunk with me."
Zell tensed, jumping from the chair and glared at the legendary sorceress. "no way," he stated, eyes darting around.
Adel sighed and Zell suddenly felt submissive. "Come to me, Zell," Adel called.
Zell, against all rational thought, slowly walked into Adel's waiting arms. The strain of fighting this feeling became too much and he passed out, exactly how Adel wanted him.
Adel chuckled, kissing him lightly, reveling in the slight taste Zell's sleeping lips gave. He'd never been happier from the fact he could control his power. This boy would be worth it, so much more than what he originally thought.
Gently he lay the sorceress on the bed, and moved to the door to choose a new dress for him.
/He always obsesses over the people he wants/ came a voice, and Zell listened to it only briefly before returning to sleep.
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Sorry not much Seifer. Was going to put more, ran out of time.
Isn't Adel creepy?
Creepy, creepy, creepy!