A/N: Thank you for the reviews guys! The story is starting to take shape now I think…I hope… It does all come together in the end I promise! Thanks again!

'Irvine's Mission'

SATURDAY MORNING

02:45

It was early Saturday morning and only one person was on the deadly quiet street. He stopped for a moment and looked up at the dark sky, speckled with stars. Whatever he was looking for he didn't find in the heavens and he continued on his journey.

Irvine was a tall man, with long brown hair tied carelessly back. His face was pale and was only skin on show. From head to toe he protected himself from the sun, with a dark brown cowboy hat, long light brown coat and dark gloves. His legs were clad in tan trousers ending in heavy boots.

He was walking quickly down the road, his shadow growing and falling away as he passed by the streetlamps. A car crawled along the road towards him; it's headlights illuminating him like a spotlight. He slowed his steps, squinting to make out the registration number. Yes he was waiting for someone, but he hadn't expected to meet them on this street. It was the correct car, large, dark and imposing, crawling along at an intimidating pace.

Irvine stopped walking and watched as the window rolled down. A swirl of cigarette smoke drifted out into the cold night air from inside the car. Irvine leant down to peer closer and the door opened.

"Get in," a hoarse voice ordered.

Irvine knew the voice well; it was the stuff of nightmares. He had not wanted to see this man ever again, but times were hard when you were on your own. He'd tried to escape, only to realise that he needed the protection of the syndicate in order to survive.

"Well well, it is a surprise to see that you're still alive," the man remarked as Irvine climbed into the car.

The light in the car was a filtered version of the light outside, creeping around the black sunshades on the windows.

"I don't see why," Irvine said. OK life might be tough alone, but he wasn't defenceless. Far from it. He knew how to take care of himself and he suspected that that was why he was being welcomed back into the fold. They would want something from him in return. Nothing ever came for free after all.

The man simply laughed, a dark laugh of someone who knew it would go unchallenged. The young man beside him might be powerful, but he was no match for him. He could kill him now without the driver of the car even realising anything was wrong.

The man's name was Foster. Irvine didn't know if that was his true name or something he'd stolen from another, nor did he care. Foster was going to be paying his wages from now on and that was all that mattered to him. Or at least he hoped it would be. He didn't want to know the in's and out's of what was going on anymore, he just wanted to survive.


"She's still not back," Squall remarked as he looked out of the window. He could see Seifer reflected in the glass behind him. He was sat on the bed, his legs crossed out in front of him. In his hand was a carton of take away fried rice and in the other was a can of cider.

"I dunno why you care so much," he said setting the can down on the bed beside him and picking up his fork. With a mouthful of takeaway he said, "She'll come back. She always does."

"Whether you like it or not, she's one of us now."

Seifer snorted and took a swig of his drink. He pointed the remote at the TV and flicked through the channels. He hated staying in cheap hotels; the TV channel selection was always rubbish. His actions spoke volumes to Squall. He didn't care at all about where Selphie had gone.

"Yeah yeah. Can't you shut up? I'm trying to watch TV here," he said refusing to look away from the TV.

Squall looked back out into the darkness.

"Are you going to eat that?" Seifer asked nodding towards Squall's share of the takeout. Squall removed himself the window and retrieved his meal, if he left it any longer he'd lose it to Seifer. He hated to admit it but he was probably right, Selphie always came back. It was if she couldn't help it, always being drawn back to them whenever they might be. Even if it seemed she still wanted to be miles away.

Food in hand Squall couldn't help but wander back to the window, hoping to see Selphie walking into the reception of the hotel. But there was no one outside and Selphie didn't need to use the door in order to get into the building anyway. A black car travelled past the hotel, smoothly without any sound as if it was attempting to sneak by. Squall didn't know why but there was something not right about the scene. As if the car shouldn't be there at all.

"Seifer," Squall said watching the car. It had slowed outside of the hotel and was crawling.

"What?" Seifer replied glued to the TV. "Ahh, come on!" he complained. Squall looked back to find that the TV had just lost it's signal and was showing a static screen.

"There's something not right about this…" Squall said looking back outside. The car had stopped now. He felt Seifer's presence next to him, looking over his shoulder. Under their gaze the car moved on down the road and away from their street. As soon as it was gone the TV sparked back into life.


Irvine looked over his shoulder at the road they were leaving. He couldn't believe what he was being asked to do. It was insane and cruel. But he needed the money and if he was honest, he was tired of scratching a living on his own. The syndicate had ideas and did things that he didn't approve of, but it was the only place in the world where he could be himself.

"The girl is the one that I'm after," Foster said as they drove away. "Things are getting boring, I want something to distract me."

Irvine tried to keep the look of disgust from his face. To him Foster looked old, with grey streaks in his black hair, and lines around his eyes. The fact that he was after a young girl made him sick. Not any girl either, one that was lost just like him. Could he really help this creep find her?

"I know that she was with these men," Foster said. "I want her for my… collection."

There was more than one girl trapped in a hell made by Foster? Irvine looked away in shock.

"And then what?" he asked.

"Then I will consider you're betrayal forgotten. But if you fail me, or betray me again…" he made sure he caught Irvine's worried eye. "There won't be another chance. Understand?"

Irvine understood that that meant death. Also that he didn't have a choice here. Refuse and he'd be killed now.

"Alright. I'll find her."