A/N: Thank for the reviews for the last chapter. I haven't been answering any questions, because…well the answers are on the way. But please keep them coming! Thanks again!

'The hunt for Silver'

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

16:40

Squall followed Seifer down the busy shopping high-street, keeping his gaze away from others that looked their way. He disliked the attention that they drew from the unsuspecting public, just as much as Seifer revelled in it. He watched the blond man grin at a group of young girls, sending them into fits of giggles and deep blushes. Squall rolled his eyes and continued to walk.

Created as warriors in their own world, they seemed cut from another cloth compared to the domestic man walking the same street. Like fighters fresh from the battlefield, their muscles were primed ready to react. Their skin free from blemish, and their movements purposeful, they drew an enviable eye from most, wishing they could move with the same confidence.

"Would you stop eyeing up the female population?" Squall said disapprovingly as he caught up with Seifer.

"Hey, the one in the skirt is fit," Seifer retorted, turning back and giving her another smile.

"She also looks about twelve," Squall said. He dug his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. The wind was picking up, and within it he could feel the start of rain.

"You're just jealous. Let's all be celibate forever, excellent plan."

"I didn't say that," Squall replied annoyed. "But we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves."

Seifer stopped in his tracks and turned to face the smaller man. They had been comrades for longer than he cared to remember, but it didn't mean they had to like one another. Constant arguing had given way of the years to ignoring each other and compromise. But still, Seifer couldn't understand why Squall reacted to things the way he did. Like now, what was his problem?

"We've been here for bloody ages. Face it, we ain't going home any time soon. So what I want to find myself a girl?" Seifer demanded. He couldn't understand why Squall always wanted to keep a low profile. So what if the Bleaks knew where they were, bring them on. He hadn't met anything yet that he couldn't kill.

Squall didn't reply, instead continued to walk. He felt Seifer's question still lying heavy in the air and he knew he couldn't ignore him.

"Things aren't the same as they used to be. Everything's changed," Squall said quietly. Although they had reached the end of the high-street and the crowds had thinned, he didn't want anyone overhearing them. He felt he had gotten Seifer's attention, even if he was looking sceptical. "I think the Bleaks are just the start."

"Start of what?"

"Something new."

Seifer there was little point pressing for further clarity. But in some strange way he felt like he knew what Squall was talking about anyway. Things had started to change. The Bleaks were hunting in bigger groups than normal. There were constant reports on the TV now about suicides, in bigger numbers and geographically closer than usual. Weakened by a Bleak and drained of happiness, victims were often tempted to take their own lives.

Usually they managed to destroy the Bleaks before the people decided to destroy themselves. But recently they had been distracted by the sheer volume and couldn't identify those most at risk.

"We're being followed," Squall said casually.

"By what?" Seifer asked mimicking Squall's calm tone. They continued to walk as before, then they crossed the road to the other side.

"I don't know," Squall replied. "It looks like a man, but it isn't," he said. "There."

Seifer followed where Squall was looking and saw a man with long brown hair, tied back, walking ahead of them. He didn't look their way, instead maintained a steady pace. Then, he ran.

"Come on," Squall said hurrying after the man. They watched him turn down a side street and quickly followed. But as they turned off the main street they found the alley empty, completing in a dead end.

"What the hell?" Seifer exclaimed. "Where'd he go?"

Squall knew he'd been right in supposing that it hadn't been a regular guy following them. The question now being: what was he instead? Someone like them? Or…the something Squall had been worried was coming; a new calibre of foe?

Irvine watched the two men enter the alleyway from the roof of the tall building beside them. It had been a close call, as he had almost been caught by them. Listening to their conversation, it barely had time to register that they were on to him before they were the ones doing the following instead of him. He had moved quickly, but, damn they were fast. Flying past the public without them noticing. He had barely reached the alley when they were on his heels. He'd jumped without thinking about it, just desperate to get away.

Flying up into the sky, the wind and the rain hitting his face and turning his pale skin even colder. Landing on the roof with heavy footing, his normally clear and calculating mind muddled.

It would be a long time before he underestimated anyone again. These two were clearly more powerful than he had been led to believe. He wondered if Foster knew anything about them, or if he was simply interested in the girl?

Seifer gave up wondering what had happened before Squall, by turning and walking back out of the alley. He looked up and down the road for any stunned onlookers. They had moved fast through the crowds, too fast for the ordinary human to see. But not everyone was ordinary.

"OK," he said to Squall. "Point taken. We'll keep it on the low-low from now on."

Squall raised an eyebrow. He'd believe that when he saw it. But regardless of the odd event, they still had somewhere to be.

The shop was empty when they arrived, except for the girl sitting on the top of one of the glass counters. She gave them a grin when they looked her way.

"What took you so long?" Selphie asked, jumping down off the counter and brushing the dust off of her jeans. "I've been waiting ages."

"Where the hell have you been?" Seifer demanded.

"Aww," Selphie said, her hands clasped and pressed against her right cheek. "You missed me."

Seifer saw Squall smile. He knew he'd take Selphie's side, finding her jokes funny. He scowled at Squall.

"Shut up," he said to both of them, walking to the counter and pressing the customer bell. Its ding reverberated through the shop and produced a small and bent-crooked old man from the storerooms.

"Hello," he greeted them with a discoloured smile and crinkled eyes. "How can I help you?"

"We're looking for anything silver," Squall told him. "We'll take anything you've got."

The old man frowned for a second at this odd request. He looked around his shop as he tried to think what he had to offer.

"It has to be genuine, old man," Seifer warned. Selphie shot him a warning look, to mind his tone.

The man looked affronted for a moment, then the promise of a sale seemed to help dissipate his mood. He led them to the side of the room where he had a selection of jewellery on offer. Selphie inspected them with a keen eye. The Pixie race was notorious for it's love of shiny things, and what Selphie didn't know about jewels and precious metals wasn't worth knowing. She seemed pleased with what she saw and that was enough for Squall.

"What about those candelabras?" he asked pointing at a nearby shelf.

"Yes, those are silver," the old man replied. "You want those?"

"We'll take everything."

It was Seifer who had discovered that cheap silver could be found in pawnshops. It certainly kept the costs down. They had had plenty of time to learn how to melt it down and fashion it into what they needed. They also knew how to make a little go a long way. Mixing metals did as well as pure silver, or at least it usually did. The Bleaks they had met recently had required something stronger.

The old man seemed pleased with his sale. As was the man outside of the shop looking in. Irvine had found the girl, now he just had to find the right time to separate her from her friends.