Disclaimer: I only put this here each chapter so I don't get sued. (Paranoid, I am.) I only own the stuff I created, plot included, and nothing else.
Chapter XVI
Three Down, The Trap is Set
To fight aloud is very brave,
But gallanter, I know,
Who charge within the bosom,
The cavalry of war. -Emily Dickinson
XxXxX
She sat there, his eyes still locked on her. She had been lucky he had even let her back inside, after her…miraculous --as he wanted to call it-- recovery. Still as confused as before, he just sat there, unable to think of anything to say; until she, the…non-human being, spoke, her voice slow and calm.
"I honestly hadn't intended for you to find out like that…"
"Find out about what! About the fact that you're not even human!" He snapped, taking a deep breath a moment later, knowing he shouldn't have snapped like that. He should've known that she wasn't a normal, little girl by all the information she had told him--them. But not human?
"Please, you must understand-" Sorrow filled her blue eyes, even as he interrupted her.
He held up his right hand. "We don't have time for this. We've got to figure out a way to leave this place; it's not safe anymore." Just moments ago, he had called everyone inside because of the threat outside: several more of those fiends --T-Rexaur-- had shown up, guarding their only way out.
"It's as safe as any other place," the girl stated.
"You said the storm can't hit here, not the T-Rexaur. At least somewhere else we won't have those fiends preying on us, drooling as they think about eating every last one of my people --me included, since you see to heal."
"Healing won't help if one swallows me whole."
"True." Turning his head, he looked out of the window to his left. They'd need a freakin' miracle to get out of here in one piece. Suddenly realizing he hadn't even filled Yuna in on the information they knew and she didn't, he mentally slapped himself for forgetting. He stood, making his way to the CommSphere only a few feet away. Clicking it on, he heard the girl in the background.
"What are you doing? I thought it stopped working?"
Without looking back, he answered, "Only on Djose did it lose the transmission. And I'm going to tell Yuna all that I now know, since she may want to know." Choosing 'Celcius', he waited a couple seconds, getting nothing. Automatically, the CommSphere clicked off, losing the transmission --no, not getting it at all.
"What the-?" He clicked it a couple more times, still not getting anything.
"Maybe it's just temporarily down and Shinra is trying to fix it?" She suggested, trying not to think the worst.
"Maybe…" Nooj didn't care of even wonder about how she knew who Shinra was; instead, pushing the thought aside and mentally reminding himself to ask her later. Removing his hand from the CommSphere, he wondered why it wasn't connecting to the one on Celcius… If they had seen the storm near them, surely they would have flew off at full speed, right?
He stood and walked back to his chair, not even having time to sit as a transmission was coming through the CommSphere. Turning, he walked back, hoping it was the Gullwings…
"Hey! Anyone there!" It was Nhadala, yelling for some unknown reason.
Kneeling beside the CommSphere to get a better look, he saw the Al Bhed, now understanding why she was yelling: a storm was going on over there at Bikanel Island. "Nhadala? Is that-"
"No. It's not the storm. Just a storm. Things got a lil' rough over here the last couple days. We're hoping it'll pass soon." She explained, voice still loud, nearly yelling, but she continued. "I contacted you for a reason, obviously," The screen fuzzed a bit, but still maintained --though not clear-- a picture. "One of the Al Bhed Psyches at Luca contacted me just a minute ago and said that they had a message for you, they just couldn't get connected to Youth League HQ through the CommSphere, nor speak Spirian; so here I am." She took a deep breath. "I don't know if you know already, but the storm hit Besaid just over thirty minutes ago. No one knows if Yuna was there, but several people say that they saw Celcius flying away from the island, and then it…disappeared. I sent a flying machina over there to see if Besaid truly was gone, and…it is."
Nooj, shocked, stood, unable to believe what Nhadala had just told him; but knowing it had to be true. Why would she lie about that?
"I'm sorry I can't tell you good news…" Her voice was low this time, being carried away and lost by the sound of the heavy winds.
"Thanks for telling me, Nhadala. I hope that storm clears up soon." He clicked off the CommSphere after seeing the Al Bhed nod. "Now Yuna's gone… Why the hell is this happening!"
Hearing the girl stand and walk in his direction, he turned to look at her as she spoke.
"Unfortunately, there's no way to stop the storm. And if there were several copies of me, I'd stay in each place to make sure the storm doesn't take another place…but there aren't," her voice grew more stern. "and if you ever want to see your friends again, you'll trust me --completely. Got it?"
Shocked by the sudden sternness in her voice, but recovering quickly, he nodded. "Got it." He could kind of guess what would happen even if he didn't trust the girl a little. "If we are to work together, you must at least tell me your name."
She nodded, opening her mouth as if to speak, but instead, her eyes went wide. And in the blink of an eye, she disappeared.
Widening his eyes, also, he was confused --his mind forgetting that she wasn't human for a split second, then wondering why she would disappear like that.
Quickly brought back to the present by the sound of the doors opening, he turned, a more shocked look appearing on his face. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded, his voice calm and in control, but still letting the person in front of him know he wasn't in the mood for games.
"A person, just like you," the tall, black haired man answered.
"Unlike me, you're not welcome here. Who-"
"You've got awful guards; allowing me to walk in like this."
"Tell me who you are or I'll have you thrown out to the fiends outside," he said, his voice harsher this time.
"Your friend, Baralai, I do believe, sent me," the man walked two steps forward, Nooj standing his ground, wondering where the hell the girl disappeared to.
"Baralai? He sent you? Why?"
Taking yet another step forward, the man smiled, "Because he wanted me to tell you the information I told him; that's all." His smile turning upside down, he continued, "Paine is alive, but not well; for I have seen her myself."
"What? You lie! Paine is in good hands."
"Ah, but how do you know that? How can you be certain that whomever told you that is telling the truth?
Nooj eyed the man suspiciously. "And how do I know you're telling the truth? What if this is a trick, and the enemy is behind it all? What if you work for the enemy?"
Shaking his head, the man sighed. "Such a fool. I came here to help you but you automatically think I am the enemy! Ridiculous! I was merely sent here by the Praetor himself to tell you about Paine. But I see you don't care about this information and someone has tricked you into believing that she's okay, when you know that can't possibly be true."
If Baralai sent him, then…could he possibly be telling the truth? Was it worth the risk?
"If you don't wish to know, then I will leave."
"The exit's behind you." No. It wasn't worth the risk. He had a bad feeling about this guy.
The man was surprised by his reply --it showed on his face. "You don't wish to know the information I have?"
"I'm sure it's…interesting, but I simply do not trust you." Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "When did Baralai send you, anyway? Are you the reason why he went back to Bevelle?"
The man didn't answer, clearly surprised yet again. As quickly as he was surprised, a look of amusement appeared. "What would you do if I told you I worked for the enemy? Shoot me with that pitiful weapon of yours?" He gestured toward the gun that was now in Nooj's hand.
"You want to find out?"
"Pull the trigger. Don't hesitate to shoot me. If you can shoot your friends, surely you can shoot your enemy."
He gasped. "How-how did you know about that?"
Without answering, the man walked to the right, as if he was going to circle the room. "She's so…fragile, when you look at her closely --oh, and when she's knocked unconscious."
"You…bastard! What did you do to her!" Nooj didn't need him to say a name because he knew exactly who he was talking about.
"Such soft skin…lovely hair, too."
"If you've touched her in any way, I'll-"
"What? Kill me? Go ahead, then. I won't stop you." He stopped walking, now facing him. "Shoot me."
Nooj didn't hesitate when he raised the gun in his hand and aimed for the man's head; but he did hesitate when he went to pull the trigger. Something's not right…
"DO IT!"
No, it won't help, the voice wasn't his, but…someone else's…
"I kidnapped your friend! I slammed her against the wall and watched the blood seep from the wound!-"
BANG!
The man fell backwards, bullet through his forehead. As his body hit the ground, Nooj lowered the gun, not surprised at all that he pulled the trigger; the man deserved to get shot.
But when the man sat up, wound gone, he knew the man wasn't human.
"I seemed to have forgotten to tell you one small, important thing: shooting me won't help." The man chuckled, bursting into laughter a moment later. "Humans these days --such entertainment. You can say a couple things, and bring out an emotion of some sort. Or a bullet in your case. By the way, that hurt."
"What are you?" For some reason, all that he could think of was that girl.
"I'm definitely not human." He smiled that crooked smile. "Say hello to your friends for me, will ya? I hear they're having a blast." He disappeared before Nooj could reply, or even blink!
The thunder outside snapped him out of the shock he was in. It sounded like…it was coming from right about HQ. "Oh, no…" It was too late. He was going to have the same fate as his friends. Feeling an ache, he sat down in the nearby chair, left arm on the table. "Paine…what has he done to you? And where could have Baralai and Gippal disappeared to?" Was it possible they were still alive? And well? Perhaps in a nice, cozy room with a fireplace and a soft bed. The things you think in your final moments… Were these his final moments?
The storm…where did it take them? Did it kill them? Well, he'll find out for himself soon.
"I won't let them take you. You're my last hope."
"Huh?" Nooj raised his head and turned it to the right. "Where'd you disappear too?"
The girl lowered her head as if to apologize. "I couldn't let that man see me."
He nodded, understanding. A little. "The storm is already here, it's too late."
"I'll keep them away from you for as long as I can."
"How?"
She didn't even have time to answer --the place shook so hard Nooj actually fell out of his chair, the girl falling to her knees. It was like the roof collapsed on them as everything went black.
A/N: Okay, yet another short chapter, but a good one. Sorry for the shortness. I hoped it wouldn't be short, but…yeah… it's short…just barely over 2000 words… Oh well, at least it's another great chapter (in my opinion). Don't forget to review!
