Chapter Fifty-Four:
A/N: Well, it's here. The return of Shinra to my macabre little tale. But first, it's the death of fledgling romance.
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The radio message had been short, just telling the six to stay put. A scout ship would soon be out to pick them up. Quistis had explained to the three students that Trabia Garden traveled with a series of small vessels and sent them out to make sure it was okay before they docked somewhere. Though why the Garden itself didn't pick them up she couldn't explain.
"We need to talk," Adette tapped Tessa on the shoulder and jerked her head in the direction of the other end of the vessel. The two girls left the other four behind without a word.
"Are you breaking up with me?" Tessa asked with a laugh before pecking Adette on the cheek. "How's your hand?"
Adette hung her head and fingered the bandage on her injured appendage. "It's fine. But what I'm trying to do is..."
"Hey, are you okay?"
"No," Adette looked up and her eyes were shining, like she was about to cry. "I'm not okay. We shouldn't be together. Not now, anyway. I'm still not over the Queen, and you haven't said a word about that Holt guy since I first kissed you. Then, last night, you said that it was fruitless to be happy. I don't know if I can be with someone like that."
She calls her dead fiance "the Queen"? was Tessa's first thought. Shiva was oddly silent, which the redhead was thankful for.
"Tessa, we can't be an item right now. There's too much going on, too much history to get over. It's been less than twenty-four hours since I became a widow, so to speak. Maybe after this is all over, but not right now." There was a hint of a sob in Adette's voice, but Tessa was focused more on the words. Her fists were clenched in anger and she didn't trust herself to speak, so she stormed off.
I can't believe that bitch! Tessa thought angrily as she stood at the other end of the vessel, staring into the water.
Her fiance just died. Can't you show some sympathy?
My best friend was killed in front of my eyes, and I blew my roommate's brains out. Did anyone think to comfort me? Fuck you, Shiva. People die, and that's all there is to it.
Nothing more was said between the two entities sharing the same mind. Tessa just continued to stew until her thoughts turned to Holt, Aili, and Latasha. She didn't really care about the others. She hadn't known Tifa that long, and Rinoa had tried to kill her. All the medic wanted to know was why the world was falling apart around her. Everyone she knew was either dying or trying to kill her. There had been the lawyer in Galbadia City, Macone, after all. Even though the healing spells healed her, Tessa was still covered with scars that disfigured her face. Her right hand was healed, but something led her to keep it bandaged as if it were still injured.
#How are you?# the young man with white hair asked as he leaned next to Tessa. She ran her tongue along the inside of her mouth, feeling the plaque build-up on her teeth. If she ever made it to someplace safe, Tessa felt that she would have to spend an hour brushing her teeth. #I noticed your...# he spat as he said the word #girlfriend dumped you. Are you ready to allow me to show you what a real man can do?#
#I've said it before, and I'll say it again: fuck off , Hunter,# Tessa answered bitterly. #Now is not the time.#
#When will it be my time?# Hunter asked. #When all of the other tocaros are dead?#
Tessa jerked her elbow back, hitting Hunter in the face. He cried out and grabbed his nose, blood flowing between his fingers. She savoured his pain.
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"And we're rescued!" Irvine said happily as he pulled Quistis in for a kiss, making the usually reserved Instructor blush. Tessa rolled her eyes and watched as the sleek, black vessel pulled up alongside their own. Several men and women in SeeD uniforms stood at the railing, obviously hoping to see just who had survived the slaughtering of Balamb Garden.
"I am going to take a shower and see if I can get something to eat that isn't dried," Hunter said nasally, still holding his nose from where Tessa had struck him. "But I shall get this treated first."
The others said nothing as a small bridge connected the two vessel. Hunter was the first to board the new vessel, and one by one the weary survivors walked to safety. Tessa was second-to-last, trailed by a silent Fujin.
"Welcome aboard the Trabian vessel Illarra (A/N: I stole the name from one of the badass villains from Peptuck's amazing fic "Legacy of the Chimera." You can find a link in my profile) of the Trabian Garden scouts," one SeeD as he helped Hunter step onto the vessel. Of course everyone accepted help onto the vessel with the obvious exception of Tessa, who mumbled something about chivalry being a chauvinist pig's milk and honey.
There was a surprising amount of people onboard the vessel, and the six survivors were immediately descended upon as the young men and women asked them questions about what had happened. Well, to be more accurate, Irvine and Quistis were asked questions since they were already famous. The people who too put off by the glowering Tessa and Fujin, and Hunter was doing more flirting than briefing. Adette had managed to retreat to a small section of the vessel where she could be left alone.
It was an hour before Tessa figured out that the vessel wasn't going south toward Trabia Garden, which is the direction that Quistis had said it was stationed in. In fact, the vessel was headed west, toward...
"Junon," she said under her breath. It couldn't be, they couldn't have found them. Why would they even be looking? Surely they believed her to be dead. Then again, Tessa didn't even know why they wanted her. All she had was what Squall had said before he attacked her:
My relationship with Shinra is nothing like yours.
I have a bad feeling.
Tessa share the GFs sentiments, and approached Quistis. The Instructor was the most professional and analytical person she knew, surely she would have some ideas to what they should do. And with what Squall and Shiva had told her about Garden's involvement with Shinra.
"Instructor, we need to talk," Tessa said, grabbing Quistis and pulling her away from an adoring group of SeeDs.
"What is it?" Quistis asked. She seemed very relaxed, very contrary to the nervousness she had shown earlier in the day.
"I think we're heading into a trap," Tessa responded with a whisper and a glance at the nearest batch of SeeDs. "Something is of. I think these guys are under Shinra's thumb."
"Why would we need to fear Shinra?" Quistis asked, apparently not remembering the details of what Tessa had said after Squall tried to kill her.
Unfortunately, Quistis didn't get her answer, as both women were grabbed from behind and needles were shoved into their arms. Tessa pushed her attacker off, but immediately felt woozy. She had been drugged, and fell to the deck unconscious a second later.
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A/N: Another short filler, I know, but hopefully the next (official) chapter will be worth it. I think it's really good, but I know someone will end up hating me for it. If not all of you.