Chapter Twenty-Three:
A/N: In case you haven't figured out the "blonde woman" is, this chapter answers that question, while raising a slew of others. R&R!
Tamarani: Squall and Seifer, huh? Tessa would so hate to hear that :)
Baron Lundgvist: Thanks for pointing out some of my problems. As for the research, I do this for fun and, as such, am not going to kill myself to make it look "professional." Call me lazy, 'cause I am. Besides, Tessa admitted that she didn't know what she was doing, remember?
Pixie-Stixs: You want another chapter with Blondie? Well, here it is. (However, It's the last one until the end, but other "villians" show up, heh heh.)
Rakunya: A filler? Kind of, but I wanted some character interaction, since Rinoa plays a significant role later in the fic. And besides, who didn't love the butt-beatin' momma in Timber?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Where are you?" Tessa asked herself as she walked down the street in the direction of the two people she had seen. When she reached a staircase leading down to a pub, Tessa hesitated and stood at the top. Either they had gone done down to the pub, or they were continuing down the street to another train station.
Deciding that the pub would be the most likely place, Tessa jumped down the steps three at a time. She pushed her way past people walking up, and reached the end of the stairs where there was no one else.
On her left was a small souvenir stand, which was manned by a bored-looking teenage girl, and her right was nothing more than a giant pile of trash. Tessa walked to the girl and pulled ten Gil out of her pack. "Did a man and woman in suits come through here?"
"Yeah," the girl said after Tessa slammed the money on the counter. "Why?"
"Nothing," Tessa said as she walked away. She pushed open the door to the pub and a large quantity of smoke poured out. She slipped in unnoticed and looked around, not seeing the subjects of her search. She didn't know how, but Tessa had a feeling that the man she had come to refer to as "Sunglasses" and woman she knew only as "Blonde" were connected.
She's kicked my ass every time I've seen her, Tessa thought as she cautiously sidled up to the bar and sat down. I'd better be careful.
"We don't serve kids here," a woman said when she came over to Tessa. "Get out."
"Just tell me something," Tessa asked her as she sat on a stool. "Have you served a man in sunglasses today?"
"Girlie, I've served a lot of people today. Try to be more specific," the woman said as she took a rag that was flung over her shoulder and wiped the bar. "And why do you want to know?"
"He was traveling with my mom," Tessa lied. "She has blonde hair and they were both wearing suits."
"Didn't serve anyone like that," the woman said as she slung the dirty rag back over her shoulder. "People use this place as a shortcut to the TV station, though. Maybe you can find them there."
"Thanks," Tessa said as she jumped off the stool. "Where do these people go?"
"Through the door in the back," the woman told Tessa as she pointed to a door. "If you do find your ma, tell her to stop by the Auphora Pub for a drink."
Tessa walked to the door and eased it open. She heard people talking and poked her head out. Blonde and Sunglasses were standing in an alley and it was obvious that Blonde was upset. There were two trashcans by the door, and Tessa ducked behind them as she closed the door behind her.
"I saw the girl," Sunglasses said unemotionally. "The SeeD, Xu, told me that they had been attacked by a pair of crazed men and that the girl was talking about taking samples of the dead woman's body. It's a good thing we removed it before she could."
"How did they get on the train, anyway?" Blonde asked angrily. "It was your job to take care of them. The bosses gave me the girl."
"And you've done a great job with that," Sunglasses said. While there was no change in his voice, Tessa could obviously tell he was being sarcastic.
"Don't change the subject," Blonde responded. "You let that subject get loose and it killed two people. Luckily we got both of them, but nobody has been able to find the subject."
"We don't have to worry about that,"' Sunglasses said calmly. "The SeeD said that the girl threw it through a window, it's dead now."
"Well, we have to retrieve it somehow," Blonde said furiously. Tessa risked a peek around one of the trashcans and saw Blonde pointing a finger at Sunglasses. "So get to it."
Tessa felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at a man in a dark blue suit. He had light skin and his brown hair was in spikes. Her eyes widened as he said, "What have we here?"
The man easily yanked Tessa up, knocking over the trashcans in the process. The commotion caught the attention of the two talkers. Blonde's eyes grew wide in surprise before narrowing in thought. "Where'd you find that, Reno?" she asked the man with spiked hair.
"Right here, Elena, with the rest of the trash," Reno said as he shook Tessa. She was too shocked to think of trying to get away. "What should I do with it?"
"Let me take care of it," Elena said with a grin spreading across her face. She pushed a stray lock of her blonde hair behind her ear with her gloved left hand. Tessa finally came to her senses and began looking around for an out. The man named Reno was blocking the door, but there was a staircase behind Elena and the man in Sunglasses.
"Let me go!" Tessa yelled as she started to fight Reno, but his grip was too strong. Elena began walking toward Tessa, pulling out a pocketknife. "Please!"
"No can do," Reno said. "This is business, not personal; and, as I'm sure you know, the business world is a cutthroat world."
Reno and Elena laughed at the joke, but Tessa took advantage of the situation and kicked out. Her foot met with an empty beer bottle, which flew up and hit Elena in the face. Then Tessa drove the back of her head into Reno's face. He let go and she grabbed him by the arm and threw him over her shoulder into the trashcans. She grabbed the door to the pub, but it was locked.
"Shit!" she yelled as she backed up into a wall.
"You've really pissed me off," Reno said as he stood up. He pulled a red rock out of his pocket and it began to glow. "Do you know what this is? This is Summon Materia, and it houses Shiva. I think you need to cool off."
"Oh, God," Tessa pleaded as the Materia in Reno's hand glowed much brighter. Tessa covered her eyes and, when the light abated, she lowered her arms and saw Shiva standing before her.
Shiva was in the form of a tall, pale, blue woman. She had yellow hair and her clothes were dark blue and revealing. She raised her hands and a large amount of snow and ice began forming over her head. Her eyes were narrowed and she showed no emotion.
"Stop!" Tessa yelled as she raised her right hand. A small flame leapt out of her palm and hit Shiva with no effect.
"A Fire spell?" Elena said with a laugh. "That won't save you!"
Shiva thrust her hands down and Tessa turned her back to the pale blue figure. She felt a cold wind bite into her and pieces of ice, large and small, hit her in the back of the head and shoulders. Tessa fell and the cold abated.
A hand grabbed her and lifted her back up. She was spun around and slammed into the brick wall. Reno laughed and punched her in the face before he wrapped his right hand around her neck. Reno began to choke Tessa and gagging noises emitted from her as she fought to stay conscious. He laughed and told Tessa, "You're lucky that Shiva is one of the weaker Summon Materia."
Tessa grabbed at Reno's hand but couldn't pry it loose. He raised his other hand and punched her again. When he withdrew his hand, it had blood on it: her nose was bleeding. She kicked at his feet but it did no good.
"Save some for me!" Elena said. Reno let Tessa go and she slid to the grimy ground, sucking in a grateful lungful of air. However, before she could do anything else, Elena grabbed Tessa by the shirt and threw her into the trashcans.
"So you think you can burn me and get away with it?" Elena screamed as she hit Tessa with her gloved hand. "Tell me, does revenge taste better cold?"
Tessa shoved her right hand into Elena's face and a bolt of lightning shot out of it. Elena reared back and shrieked as Tessa slapped the bird-shaped pin on her shirt. It glowed and Elena fell back from the light. As the light lessened a large, fiery bird flapped its wings and blew Elena and Reno away from Tessa.
Grabbing the bird's wing, Tessa pulled herself up. Elena and Reno easily stood up and stood behind Sunglasses. Elena grabbed his arm and hissed, "Get her, Rude!"
Rude, the man in the sunglasses, smiled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out another red rock, a Summon Materia. He smiled but spoke with the same flat tone he had used in his conversation with Elena. "I'm told that you tried to save yourself with a similar trick the first time you met with Elena. This attempt will meet with the same fate."
The bird looked at Tessa and she managed to choke out a response. "This is Phoenix, it won't."
"Well, this is Bahamut," Elena gloated. "It will."
The Materia glowed and Tessa averted her eyes. When she opened them again, a large black and blue winged dragon was looming high above them all. It snorted and glared at Tessa, who shrunk against the bird in fear.
"Not so high and mighty, now are we?" Elena laughed.
Bahamut reared its head black and sucked up a large amount of air as Rude dropped all expression from his face and his comrades laughed. Tessa looked again at the Phoenix. It took its head and tipped her onto its back. It spread its wings and flapped above Bahamut and the three suddenly angry people.
"Get her!" Elena yelled at Rude as she pushed the arm holding the Materia. It fell from his grasp and clattered to the floor. Just as Bahamut was about to fire at the giant bird, it fizzled and was sucked back into the rock.
"Now look at what you've done," Reno yelled at Elena as Rude picked the Materia up and slid it back into his pocket. Phoenix flapped its immense wings and carried Tessa away.