A Promising Young SeeD

Chapter 17

A Dark Tunnel


The apartment door opened with a bang, causing Zell to look up from his laptop. Raijin had arrived back a few moments earlier and was sitting next to him on the couch, arms crossed, so that had to mean Seifer and Quistis were home. Or at least, Zell hoped it was them. Especially after he had sent Seifer after Quistis when she had alerted the panic button embedded into the corseting of her dress. That had only happened twice before, and the other two times it had just been Zell and Quistis.

Quistis entered first. Seifer's jacket curled around her shoulders, making her look extremely frail and small underneath. She didn't say a word, walking silently into Seifer's bedroom, and shutting the door behind her. Seifer paused in the living room, not immediately following her, a strange expression on his face.

"What the fuck did you do, dude?" Zell asked.

"I—" For once, Seifer didn't have a witty come-back or some scathing commentary. Which was strange, because Seifer was never quiet. Besides, Seifer and Quistis must have done something for there to be a literal murder-for-hire taken out on him on the dark web.

"Seriously, dude! There is a hit out for your head. Just got released like thirty minutes ago. Has your address posted and everything. Apparently whoever kills you gets paid 3 million gil!"

That snapped Seifer out of his trance. He turned towards Zell, his confusion morphing into anger. "What? He's trying to kill me already? Well, what did you do about it?"

"Shit, man, I took the call, got a deposit, and am about to become a rich man." Zell smirked, proud of himself.

Seifer snorted. "Good job, wuss. Guess it's time for me to die then." He turned to Raijin and nodded to him.

"Wocher, boss?" Raijin jumped up from his seat, ready to do whatever Seifer told him.

"You know what to do, Rai. Get three of them. Gotta be tonight. I imagine whoever wants me dead isn't going to be very patient. If Zell doesn't off me by tomorrow, someone else will be coming for us."

"Got it," Raijin confirmed, tugging on a hoodie and exiting the apartment without another word.

"Seriously, though, what the hell did you guys do tonight? 'Cause I gotta tell you—" Zell was ready to tell Seifer about his strange encounter with Rinoa, and the new identities she had handed to him.

"I don't have time for that." Seifer jerked his head towards his bedroom door. "I gotta take care of her."

Zell's heckles raised. "Did someone hurt her? I told you—"

Seifer sighed, sounding defeated, an extremely guilty look on his face. "Yeah. I'll take care of it, okay?" It sounded oddly like a confession.

Before opening the door to his bedroom, Seifer reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a USB card. "Laguna Loire gave this to Quis… do something with it. Tonight." Always a command. Always an asshole.

With that, Seifer tossed the chip at Zell over his shoulder without looking, before slamming the door to his room behind him.

"Fucking dickwad…" Zell muttered to himself, scooping the USB from where it landed under the couch and plugging it into his laptop. It was heavily encrypted with a source he had never seen before, but it was nothing he couldn't manage. Selphie would have had this thing hacked in thirty seconds, but it took Zell a good five minutes.

Finally, a video popped up, seemingly the only thing on the card. Squall's face came into view.

"Zell, I assume this is you. You're the only one who would be able to access this file." Squall appeared somber. "Listen, this is for your eyes only. After you watch this, I need you to delete it and destroy the chip. You'll understand after you watch this. I'm counting on you."

Squall sighed, carding his hands through his hair wearily. "I need you to understand what happened back at Garden… and I need to apologize."

"Squall, I feel like things have been off at Garden since they started the infusions. Cid has been acting strangely towards me, you know?" Rinoa played with the hem of her vest, a habit she often did when nervous about an impending conversation.

Reaching out to grab her hand in his own, stopping her nervous movement, Squall pulled her into an embrace. His voice was soft, as if he was afraid someone was listening in. "Rin, something is happening and I don't think it's safe here anymore."

Rinoa leaned back, meeting his eyes, searching them for a moment before frowning. "This has to do with the cannon that Cid is buying from O-Lab, doesn't it?"

"I haven't told Quistis this, but I think the cannon and the GF removals are related."

"What?! Why wouldn't you tell Quistis?" Rinoa was incredulous. Squall trusted Quistis almost as much as he trusted Rinoa.

"I don't know how Quistis has been affected by the infusions, and she is so loyal to Garden, I… Look, you are the most important thing in the world to me. You know that, right? Remember what I promised? That I would always protect you."

"I know, but…"

Squall gripped Rinoa firmly by the shoulders, willing her to take him seriously. "Listen, Rin." His voice was low, he was definitely acting paranoid. "That cannon is a weapon against you. It's a weapon for war, but more specifically to kill a Sorceress. It's why I wouldn't give them Griever. I didn't do the infusions. If my hunch is correct… Garden is about to have the best anti-Sorceress device that ever existed. Using the power of GFs to create a magical cannon—no wonder Garden doesn't need to use GFs or drawing anymore if it has that. Hell, SeeDs themselves will become irrelevant."

Cid's once-friendly demeaner towards her had changed complete after Rinoa inherited her powers. That he was now working to destroy her shouldn't have been a surprise. "What… what do we do?"

"You train. We train. The cannon can't beat you without the power of Griever, and it can't beat you if you are powerful. Cid is banking on the Odine bangles and you being 'obedient'…"

Rinoa shook her head. "But, I promised! I said I would wear the bangles, and—"

"No! Listen to me. We'll go to Esthar. I can make a deal with Odine. We'll be safe there, because of Laguna… but you still need to train. I'm not convinced Garden wouldn't go after Esthar. Cid's gone drunk on power ever since Time Compression and it's just getting worse. You have to trust me, Rin."

She nodded, closing her eyes and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I trust you. You always keep your promises. But… if I'm training and something happens…. Squall, I couldn't live with myself if I hurt people. If you're not there to control me, I—I would rather be in ice now than become some evil Sorceress that everyone fears."

Squall leaned down, kissing her gently on the lips. "I'll die before that happens, Rin. I won't let you become the world's enemy. I promised you in the flower field. I promised you when we got married. Just in case though, Edea told me something once…"

Squall continued his tale. "Rinoa and I were worried, with her becoming so strong. We were worried what she may do without a knight, if something happened to me. The idea came that maybe she should take on a second knight. Edea told me that she had tried that with Fujin and Raijin when she was possessed wanting a second knight other than Seifer, but it hadn't worked. I wanted Rinoa to choose Seifer as her knight. I knew Seifer would die protecting her, and that Seifer knew what it took to be one…"

Zell gasped at that information. But strangely, he wasn't surprised. Rinoa and Squall had, along with Quistis, lobbied for Seifer's release. And Rinoa had never wanted him to go to prison, despite what he had done to her.

"I don't know what happened, or how it happened. But she chose you. She wanted you as her knight. Not Seifer. I mean, you are the person she trusts the most. Zell, Rinoa became a different person when she was practicing her magic. I'm sure you've noticed she… changes when she becomes a Sorceress and really taps into her powers. Anyway… she chose you. And, I'm sorry. We didn't mean for it to happen, but…"

"So, I'm Rinoa's second knight? Is that why she could enter my mind like that? And find me?" Zell mumbled out loud, despite no one being with him.

"If I'm near her, I can keep her stable, but the magic… it's like its own person taking over her body. Like a…"

Like a drug. Why did it always come back to that?

"And I'm the panacea to whatever it is. And if I'm gone… you'll have to be the antidote."

Was it really a coincidence that he and Quistis had ended up meeting up and working with Seifer? Or did Squall secretly have a hand in that as well? Was even Seifer a puppet in this mess? It certainly seemed that way. But Seifer had now just become one of the people Zell needed the most. The only other person who could help him understand what all this meant.

"If you have questions, ask Seifer. You can trust him. Despite how much of a jerk I'm sure he's being. He understands what's at stake, and he understands the bond between sorceress and knight to a fault."

Deep down, Zell knew he would step up and be Rinoa's knight if it was needed. Though he surely hoped it would never come to that. He found himself immensely missing Laney, the library girl. She would know some book that could help him, surely. Then his thoughts turned to the wisdom and wit of someone else: the mysterious Archivist. They would come up with a solution, and make him laugh along the way. But he could hardly tell a stranger about all this, could he? Or maybe he could? An anonymous face behind a computer. A perfect stranger.

"We should have told you more. I know that. I'm doing everything I can to help you all behind the scenes. At the time… everything happened so fast and Rin's life was in danger. When I realized what was happening with the infusions most of you had already undergone them. I'm sorry I wasn't there more, Zell. Give my best to Quistis. I imagine by now she and Seifer are either killing each other or finally got together."

Shutting his laptop, Zell buried his face in his hands and sighed, a few tears of frustration slipping out.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I know you're tired." Seifer appeared in the doorway to the bathroom, as Quistis assumed he would.

Quistis had quickly rinsed away the ickiness of the entire night, scrubbing her skin as roughly as she dared in the shower, before drawing a painfully hot bath to relax in. She just wanted to forget the whole evening, forget the touch of the creepy Prime Minister, forget the fact that Seifer had hurt her.

She knew it was part of their mission. Logically, she knew she shouldn't have been upset. When had she become so dependent on Seifer? When had he come to matter so much? It was terrifying.

Closing her eyes, she dipped her head back farther in the water, nodding imperceptibly at his words.

She could hear him shrugging out of his own clothing, apparently intent on joining her.

"We can't sleep tonight. Gonna be the last time you enjoy this bath, so may as well make the best of it."

The water rose as Seifer gingerly stepped in, hissing as he did so. "Fucking Hyne. Are you trying to boil yourself alive?"

Despite his protests and whining, he still settled into the bath, maneuvering his body behind her and leaning her against his chest, arms encircling her in a loose embrace.

So they were leaving tonight. Whatever Zell had shared with Seifer seemed to mean that it was no longer safe for them. She guessed the Prime Minister, now that he knew Seifer's identity, was likely a big freaking problem. But for them to not even have a night meant it was a lot more serious than she had realized. She had no idea what that meant, or where they would go, but she also knew Seifer always had a plan, and at some point she had come to trust him implicitly.

"I should hate you," she finally managed to say, after a good ten minutes of silence, the only sound the occasional sloshing of water as they adjusted their position.

"Yes. You should."

"But I don't." Strangely, she didn't sound as defeated as she felt.

His voice was right next to her ear, and he gently kissed the shell of it, nuzzling her neck in the process. "No. You don't."

Silence filled the air and she heard Seifer intake his breath a few times, about to speak, before apparently changing his mind.

Finally he spoke. "We were never the good guys, Quis… at Garden. Whoever said we were on the right side, invading Dollet all those years ago? We ain't the good guys now, either… just choosing the lesser of two evils. Will good come of what we do? Sure. But we pay a mighty price, just like we did as mercenaries. You and me may have been enemies before, but that didn't mean you were the pure virtuous hero. Neither of us will ever be good."

It stung. Mainly because it was true. She had always followed Garden blindly. Orders were orders. And paychecks. Who knew what the purpose of half of their missions really was. She never questioned. Always assumed they were on the right side of history. When in reality…

Quistis' hand sought out Seifer's own, lacing their fingers together. "You never warned me. That it would be like this."

Seifer chuckled, an edge of callousness in his tone that she remembered from years ago. "I told you this was going to be ugly, Quis."

"You know that's not what I mean."

She felt him shrug behind her. His voice remained low, but the darkness was gone from his words. "Do you really think I would have warned you off if I had any idea you were going to fall for me? Hell, I would have been trying even harder. For someone so fucking smart, you really are dense as shit sometimes."

Turning in his embrace, she faced him. He looked tired, his voice somber, but there was the smallest mirth in his eyes as he looked at her. Somewhere in that tired face, there was still the eighteen-year-old that kissed her in a supply closet when he thought he was going to play the role of hero for Timber and Rinoa. There was still the romantic in him, despite what he proclaimed about not being any good.

Was she now his romantic dream? Maybe she always had been? Maybe they just didn't remember that this was how it was supposed to be.

Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his. "Make me forget tonight…"

He stiffened against her. "I'm not sure that's the best idea to—"

She cut off his words by pressing herself against him, adjusting her knees so that she could press herself into his lap, his skin surprisingly silky against hers, despite the scars that littered his chest. The tub was uncomfortable and scraped against the bones in her leg, but she didn't care. Pain was welcome, and she wanted him. She wanted him to take away all of it. His body quickly agreed.

Reaching her hand between them, she palmed him as she kissed him, tongue desperately seeking his own.

With a growl, his arms tightening around her, he slid her body further onto his so that they were flush against each other, forcing herself to pull back her hand. Grabbing it in his own, he gently kissed her palm, before lifting her hips and positioning himself beneath her. With no warning, he thrust into her and she slammed her hips down in response. Taking in all of him.

How did it always feel so perfect when they finally connected? All of the rest of the evening was washed away in that one moment, where Quistis could feel nothing but Seifer. His solidity, his skin, his strength. Like he was the only thing that existed. The source of all of her pain and pleasure in one human form.

Her heart ached. She never wanted this to end.

Seifer paused, holding her body still and leaning his forehead against hers, water spilling over the top of the tub and onto the floor.

"How do you always feel so good? Every time… it's like coming home."

And with that, he grabbed her hips roughly and rocked her body on top of his, guiding her to a steady rhythm.

Quistis closed her eyes, getting lost in the moment, letting herself only focus on the places they were touching. She felt so full and complete and… this really was love. It didn't make sense, but she no longer cared. None of it mattered. All that mattered was the feeling of Seifer buried completely within her.

His hand snuck in between them where their bodies were connected, and the pressure increased within her to the point where she felt like she would explode. Gods, the man had incredible hands.

"Open your eyes…c'mon. I want to see you. See when you—"

She obliged, meeting his jade gaze. It was oddly intimate. Even though they were as intimate as could be, this was a new level of vulnerability.

It came quickly, and she welcomed the jump into the pleasurable abyss beyond. Her body a trembling mess, she never broke eye contact with him. Nor did he as he followed her minutes afterwards.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

They stayed that way for a long time. She wasn't sure how long, but the water was beginning to get cold, and Seifer had long softened and slipped out of her. Finally he stood and exited the tub. The floor of the bathroom was completely soaked from their activity, most of the water having been splashed out, but Seifer didn't seem to care, despite the fact that he was normally anal about these types of things. He set a clean towel next to her and quickly dried himself off, before shrugging into a pair of clean boxers and returning to the bedroom.

"Rai! You back?" he barked from the bedroom. Seifer was clearly back in boss mode.

"Wocher!"

She supposed that meant the moment was over, and they had to get moving. Drying herself off and running a comb through her tangled wet hair, she tugged on a robe on that was hanging on the back of the door before entering the bedroom. She was not expecting what she saw at all.

Raijin was dragging a large male body by the arms, dumping it onto Seifer's bed next to a female who Quistis didn't recognize. The motionless pair were dirty and unkempt, and she could smell an acrid stench of urine and decay.

Seifer was crouched on the floor, now dressed, and shoving massive amounts of cash into an army-issue duffel bag from his safe under the bed. He didn't look up as she came into the room.

"Get dressed in something easy to move around in. Something inconspicuous. Give me anything you absolutely want to keep, otherwise everything stays. Including our weapons. An outfit or two would help—again, nothing fancy. We can finish her hair on the train, right Rai?"

Raijin nodded, motioning his head to some open Esthari passports on the floor. Passports that Rinoa had given Zell. She saw what looked like her face, but the hair was shorter, and it wasn't her name, or birthday, or birthplace…

"Fancy becoming a redhead, Quistis?" Raijin offered her a sad smile. "Kind of liked you like this, but… Oh well. Just wear a hood for now."

"I…"

Before she could react, Raijin stepped behind her and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. A flick of his wrist and a knife cut, and the ponytail fell to the floor at her feet, her hair now just only brushing her shoulders. All the platinum hair and extensions lay in a pile beneath her.

"Good, the more DNA we leave the better. We can dye your hair on the train. We gotta move, babe." Seifer stood, hauling the bag on his shoulder and left the room, leaving Hyperion behind him.

Raijin left her as well so she could quickly get dressed and gather a few personal belongings and clothing. She opted for all black, comfortable leggings and a hoodie. A quick glance at the bodies on the bed confirmed they were indeed real human bodies, and also very much dead. With no obvious injuries. But a lot of scars on their arms.

Seifer's voice startled her, as he gathered clothing from her arms, re-entering the room without her realizing. "Junkies. People no one will miss. People no one has even noticed are missing. Forgotten. There's tons of them all over Esthar. Especially in the Cut-throat alleys."

In the living room there was another large corpse on the couch. Zell was standing by the door, laptop in hand and a small backpack on his back, Raijin next to him with a backpack as well and nothing else.

"Like I said… we aren't the good guys," Seifer mumbled.

"Seifer, what are we doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're dying. Got everything set up in here, Wuss?"

Zell nodded and they exited the apartment, shutting the door behind them for the last time.

As the group made their way down the street, Zell and Raijin turned a different way, apparently following a plan Quistis didn't know existed.

Behind her an echoing boom sounded, and a reverberation from an explosion knocked her off her feet. Heart racing, she turned around and stared up at the top floor of the building she had just left… the penthouse… the place she had slept in for months now… the place she had made love to Seifer in, burning in flames. Burning to the point that any bodies inside would be nearly impossible to identify.

But enough bodies that someone on the inside of the Esthari government could give them identities. Could declare her, and Seifer, and Raijin dead. The corpses Raijin had dragged in suddenly made sense—as did leaving behind their weapons. Weapons they would never have left behind if they were alive. Whomever called the hit out on Seifer could think the deed done.

Zell didn't need to be declared dead. Not unless he wanted to be. And apparently, he didn't. Not yet anyways.

Suddenly the passports made sense.

"Now what?" She asked softly, standing and dusting the dirt off of her pants.

"We say goodbye to Fu. And we get the fuck out of Esthar."

Xxx

Irvine was tired. Visiting hours were very limited at the holding facility. He only got to see Selphie for about an hour a day. At times he was sure she was trying to tell him something, but other times she was so sedated he may as well be sitting next to a mannequin. Even when she was "coherent", they were always watched. By the two big orderlies, or by the cameras he had located on the many times he had been there.

He was at a loss. Rinoa and Squall were long gone, with Squall up and resigning out of nowhere and moving to Esthar. Hyne only knew where the hell Quistis had gone. Zell had disappeared too—but given what had happened with Selphie, and then with the library girl, he'd probably gone back to Ma in Balamb and was laying low. Or crying himself to sleep. Or drinking himself to sleep.

Irvine was pissed. Did they all care that little about Selphie? And him? To just leave them like that? Or was he missing something?

Footsteps echoed outside his door and an envelope was shoved under the threshold. A mission envelope.

Who the fuck was sending him on a mission right now? Reaching down, he furiously tore open the paper to find a small card inside with a typed message. He'd had missions like this before… times and locations… targets.

Eight Days. Exactly. Training Center. Be Ready for Sunshine.

Irvine frowned. But something in it made him consider that this might just be the most important mission of his life. Grabbing his lighter, he burned the paper and envelope, something in the back of his mind telling him evidence was a bad thing at the moment.

Sinking onto his bed, he looked up at the calendar on his wall.

Eight days? Eight days…


beta: colobonema