Chapter Four
Stages Set
Squall stood near the fountain, one hand on his hip, staring off into space and doing his best to ignore the stinging pain in his left bicep where the bullet had grazed him earlier. Splashing a Potion on the wound had been a quick fix—cauterizing it in a sense and stopping the bleeding—but the wound had not healed completely. It still pained him, though just enough to be an annoyance, not enough to actually hinder him. Had he been doing something other than stand here he'd probably not even feel it.
Yet the three of them had been waiting around in this square for at least a half hour or more now with absolutely nothing going on—other than that dog bugging Seifer. Even that lost it's amusement after a while. At the moment the mutt was vigorously scratching at a flea that was apparently attacking his head.
The squad leader himself stood leaning up against the corner of a near-by building, Hyperion balanced on his shoulder as he glared out at the mountains in the distance. Inwardly Squall echoed his annoyance. He didn't like doing this baby-sitting job any more than Seifer did. How did being placed as far away from the real action as possible prepare him for real combat? More like they were training them to sit up, pay attention, and follow orders like good little soldiers, Squall corrected with a scowl. Like dogs on a leash.
Zell paced back and forth on the other end of the fountain, his hands stuffed into his back pockets. He hadn't looked back in the alley since they'd left it. Squall couldn't necessarily blame him for it. Zell had earned a small measure of respect for himself after his display of skill, as well as the very human reaction afterward. Squall decided that he wouldn't mind being paired up with Zell again in the future, if that's where fate led them. Apparently the rumors were true, and the blonde really did know his stuff.
All three of them tensed as a bell tower near by suddenly began tolling out the hour. Squall sighed heavily at the fifth ring. They had been here for over an hour.
"Nothing," he announced bitterly.
"Still keeping us waiting?" Seifer muttered. Then he let out a growl and sliced the air with his gunblade. "That's it! I can't take it anymore! What is this, some sort of dog training?!" he finished bitterly, echoing Squall's own thoughts of a moment ago.
All of a sudden the mutt suddenly took off around the fountain. Squall's brow furrowed as it suddenly skid to a stop in front of the side street, then tipped back and began howling. Squall was confused as to what had gotten into the otherwise mild-mannered dog, then gasped when he heard the thunder of boots on pavement. He and Zell both dived behind the fountain while Seifer merely turned and disappeared behind the corner of the building. The dog scampered back in their direction just as a whole troop of Galbadian soldiers come trotting up the street. They made silent hand gestures to one another and then turned down another side street, apparently going for stealth.
In moments the troops had passed, and Zell and Squall slowly stood again.
"It's the enemy," he murmured. Zell cocked his head to the side, expression confused.
"Where the hell they goin'?" he demanded. Squall turned back to watch Seifer slowly come from back around the building, noting that Almasy's gaze was focused on something above them. They turned back forward and then all three of them noticed a tall, lone tower rising above the rooftops off in the distance in the direction the Galbadians were heading.
"Hey, what's that up there?" Zell questioned aloud. Seifer chuckled.
"Our next destination," he answered, pointing with Hyperion. Zell turned back to him immediately, expression aghast.
"But that's against orders!" Seifer scoffed.
"Weren't you just saying how bored you were?" Zell just gaped at their leader for a moment, then turned to him for support.
"Squall!" He turned away.
"I stand by the captain's decision," he replied blandly.
Seifer turned to him, brows raising. "Captain's decision?" He approached, then Squall tensed when Almasy suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder. "You want to wreak some havoc too, don't you!" Squall threw him off, then turned and a rare smirk appeared on his face.
"It's a good opportunity to test my training. Thanks to you I feel like I can take on anyone." His smirk widened. "Even if they do fight dirty like you." Seifer grinned back, then turned away and sighed.
"You'll thank me when the time comes."
Zell turned back and forth between them, eyes wide and expression utterly confused. "What the hell . . . I thought you guys didn't get along? You're like, all buddy buddy now." Neither Seifer or he deigned to dignify that with a response, so eventually Zell moved on. He motioned angrily. "Listen. This ain't no ordinary battle. It's an exam, an important one. I'm tellin' ya, we have to stick to orders."
Seifer sneered and turned away, Hyperion back on his shoulder. "Then stay here," he snapped coldly. "I don't need any boy scouts." Squall just snorted under his breath as Zell took the bait; hook, line and sinker. He stepped back into a fighting stance, fists shaking.
"What was that?!" he snarled. Squall just rolled his eyes.
"Don't take him seriously, Zell," he snapped in a bored tone, then turned to Almasy. "Seifer, if we're gonna go, let's hurry."
Seifer turned toward the tower. "The enemy is heading for the facility," he announced. "We, Squad B, are to secure the summit. Move out!"
"Alright," Squall quickly agreed. Both turned to Zell, who sighed loudly and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Tch . . . fine."
The three of them moved out down the side-street after the Galbadian troops, leaving the sandy-colored mutt behind them—which moved no farther than the edge of the square before sitting down and whimpering.
Squall made his way across a long bridge leading away from the town and into the mountains, the street lights beginning to flicker to life as the sun began it's downward decent toward the horizon and dusk approached. They trekked their way into the mountain paths, moving cautiously. Several bodies littered the area, all of them wearing the blue and green colors of the Dollet regulars.
They started up a stone stair-way, then they tensed when something suddenly flopped from behind a rock. Squall's hand eased away from the handle of his gunblade however when he realized it was a wounded Dollet soldier. He apparently noticed their presence at about the same time, because he jerked and then inched backward.
"Aaah! W-W-Who are you?!" he cried.
"Don't worry," Squall called tonelessly. "We're SeeD candidates. We've been dispatched by Garden." The man slumped with relief. Seifer came forward and motioned toward the summit with Hyperion.
"So what's going on up there?" he demanded. The soldier leaned up against a rock and fought to catch his breath. Blood mixed with spittle on his lips. Squall quickly scanned the man for his injuries, then inwardly sighed. Several gunshots to the stomach. The man probably wouldn't be alive in another two or three minutes.
"The Galbadian soldiers have entered the Communication Tower," the man heaved after a moment, revealing what exactly they were heading toward. "On top of that . . ." the man coughed, the sound watery. Squall glanced at Seifer, who's expression didn't betray any sympathetic feelings their blonde leader might be feeling for this guy's imminent death. He remained sternly focused, green eyes intent, eager to learn what was really going on apparently. Eventually the guard continued. "That place has always been a nesting ground for monsters," he announced heavily. He lifted his head and met Squall's stare steadily. "If you guy's are goin' up, be caref—."
All of a sudden the man was grabbed by something behind the rocks and yanked away, almost in the blink of an eye. Squall jerked, stunned, and fell back a step at the man's scream of "Help!" Yet that was quickly cut off again by a loud crunching noise, and then a gurgle.
By now both he and Seifer had pulled their gunblades and were moderately prepared for the enormous cobra-like snake creature that suddenly slithered out from behind the rocks and shot itself at them, huge fangs bared.
Seifer swung Hyperion out and caught the beast in the face, metal clanging off the fangs and deflecting them from sinking into his shoulder. The Anacondaur reared back with an enraged hissing shriek, then shot forward again, this time at Zell. The martial-artist didn't have any weapons to keep the beast at bay, and soon found himself twisted and coiled up with the enormous snake. He kept his arms at his sides and looked to be fighting the crushing effect, though his face was quickly turning an unhealthy shade of blue. Squall attempted to jump in but only managed a glancing blow off the snake's tough hide before the tail whipped around and caught him full in the chest. He went sailing backward and ended up landing in a heap on the ground several feet away.
Squall sat up after a second of being dazed just in time to see Seifer raising his free hand and the eddies of magical power begin to swirl around him.
"No mercy . . ." he murmured, then, "Fire!" The spell shot from his fist and hit the Anacondaur full in the face. The snake reared back and dropped Zell—who fell weakly to the stone with a great gasping breath—hissing and spitting. Seifer darted in for the kill, Hyperion raised. "Cross!" Spinning around for more impact, Hyperion audibly sliced through the air and then launched the Anacoundaur's head from it's body. Both fell to the ground with a squishy thud, blood splattering the surrounding area. Seifer hit his feet again slightly beyond the corpse, then straightened, blood dripping from his blade. He absently slung it a little, removing much of the gore.
"Monsters, huh?" Squall suddenly commented dryly, getting to his feet. Zell did the same, coughing a little.
"That sucks," the blonde muttered. Seifer just grinned.
"More fun for us. Come on."
Their leader turned and took off up the steps. Zell just shook his head. "Fun?" he demanded angrily. "Pu-lease!"
Squall just smirked, shaking his head slightly, then both of them took off after Seifer. They all three moved up a cobble pathway, then arrived at a summit that looked down onto the entrance to the Communications Tower. As they arrived the heavy doors suddenly slammed open. Immediately they ducked down behind the rocks and boulders lining the path. Squall and the others watched as three Galbadians exited the tower and saluted each other.
"The generator is up and running!" one of them announced proudly. Another nodded.
"No problem with the boosters!"
". . . the hell they doing?" Seifer whispered, expression one of intense concentration and faint confusion. Squall had no answer, and they continued to watch the men below.
The third Galbadian snapped to attention. "Cable disconnection confirmed! Beginning exchange process." The soldiers turned and then ran back inside, the doors closing behind them. Squall turned to Seifer who lay in the dirt beside him, his eyebrow quirking.
"Repairs?" Seifer scoffed, then got to his feet again. Squall and Zell followed suit.
"Who cares," their leader finally announced at length. He pulled out a few rounds from the pocket of his trench coat and began reloading his gunblade. Squall followed suit, but hesitated when he noticed Seifer suddenly staring at him, a strange half-smirk on his tanned face. "This must be your first real battle," he suddenly mused. Squall shrugged. "You scared?"
Squall sighed, turning back to loading the bullets into his blade. "I don't know," he finally admitted after another moment. "I try not to think about it."
Seifer made a few experimental swipes with his blade after reloading. "I love battles," he announced after a slight pause. "I fear nothing. The way I look at it, as long as you make it out of the battle alive, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream."
Squall turned to pin him with a disbelieving stare, stunned at the relatively fanciful drivel spouting from Almasy's mouth. "What?!" he demanded. "Your dream?" Inwardly Squall wondered at the game or angle he was playing now. It seemed Seifer was always playing one angle or another.
Seifer gave him a chuckle. "You have one too, don't you?" Refusing to be pulled into this game, Squall turned away with a snort.
"Sorry, but I'm gonna pass on that subject."
"Yo!" Zell suddenly demanded, stepping forward, expression eager. "Let me in on it too." Seifer shook his head with a sneer.
"Mind your own business."
Zell threw a few punches with a low growl, scowl black. "Frickin' hell," he snarled. Seifer just chuckled.
"What's the matter, Zell? Swatting flies?" Squall just sighed and rolled his eyes as Seifer turned and began moving farther down the path that would lead into the clearing. Zell crouched with an enraged snarl and slammed his fist down into the cobbles at his feet. Squall's eyebrow twitched when the stones cratered under the force. He definitely wouldn't want to be on the other end of one of Zell's punches.
"Damn you!" he growled with his futile fury. Before Squall could tell him to calm down again, another voice suddenly called out from above them.
"There you are!"
Both he and Zell whirled around and then Squall blinked in surprise as he saw the tiny girl who had run into him earlier that morning outside study hall standing on the rocks above them. She waved, then started to move down. Unfortunately her boot slipped and the female ended up tumbling ass over tea kettle all the way down the slope until she landed on her knees in front of them. She lifted up slightly with a pained grimace, then stared up at them with a grin, one hand pushing her short-cropped chestnut hair out of her face.
The bundle of energy soon recovered from her tumble and hopped up to her feet, then turned to Squall. "Are you Squad B?" At Squall's nod she continued eagerly. "I'm a messenger. Name's Selphie, from Squad A. The squad captain's Seifer, right? Where is he?"
Right at that moment Seifer suddenly ran past their position below in the clearing. Squall sighed blandly and pointed. Seifer motioned with his gunblade at them.
"One of these days," he yelled up, "I'm gonna tell ya 'bout my romantic dream!" And then Seifer ran into the tower by himself. Soon after they heard the faint sounds of yelling and gunfire.
Selphie slumped slightly with a heaving sigh that seemed to come from the toes of her boots. "This sure is tough," she complained. Then she turned around and jumped off the cliff, half-running, half-rolling down the much larger slope to the clearing below. She ran forward after recovering. "Captain!" she yelled. "Wait up!" Then all of a sudden she turned back and stared up at them. "What are you waiting for?!" she demanded, exasperated. "Come on! Come on!"
Squall and Zell exchange a look, then Zell shrugged. Squall lead the way down the pathway, circling around the cliff and then emerged out into the clearing. They found Selphie standing with her hands on her hips, boot tapping impatiently.
"What took you so long? It would've been much quicker if you'd just jumped." Zell let out an incredulous bark of laughter.
"Much quicker?" he demanded. "Pu-lease. You wouldn't normally jump off a cliff, ok?! Ain't that right, Squall?" Squall shrugged, finding this whole conversation pointless.
"Yeah, I guess so," he muttered, bored. "You wouldn't normally jump that."
Selphie put a finger to her chin, considering their words. "Hmm . . . I don't know." Then she shrugged and turned back to the tower. "Well, anyway, let's get goin."
They approached the tower, and Selphie and Zell took a moment to tip all the way back to nearly falling backward in an attempt to see the top.
"So this is the Communication Tower?" Zell murmured, awed.
"Sure is big," Selphie seconded, her tone just as breathy.
They were interrupted by especially loud screams of fear just before the doors slammed open and the three soldiers they'd seen earlier came tearing back out, being chased by Seifer.
"Cowards," he announced disgustedly, swiping Hyperion. Selphie brightened and hopped in place.
"Hey!" she cried. Completely ignoring her, Seifer turned on his heel and then headed back inside. She pouted. "The Captain's getting away!"
Selphie hurried after him and after exchanging another look, Zell and Squall entered as well. They did just in time to see the lift in the back of the room lowering back to the floor.
"Did he go up?" Squall questioned and Selphie nodded vigorously.
"Heeeeey!" she yelled up pointlessly, cupping her hands to her mouth and causing Squall to wince. "Squad B Captain!" Squall started to point out the uselessness of screaming at the top of her lungs, then shook his head, realizing it would do no good.
"I think we can take this lift up," was all he said.
The guys followed the chipper female as she rushed up onto the lift and then began pressing buttons.
"Wow, this lift is pretty cool!" she exclaimed as it began to rise up off the ground. Zell snickered.
"Don't get too excited or you'll fall off." Selphie whirled to stick her tongue out at him.
"Like I'm really going to!" she scoffed, offended. Zell stuck out his tongue back at her, and Squall put his face in his hand with a loud sigh, feeling as though he'd embarked on a mission with a couple of five year olds.
On the top of the tower Seifer crouched down below some rigging, watching silently as a red-suited Galbadian officer bent to an electrical box, apparently re-wiring it. A blue-suited soldier suddenly ran up and gave him a salute, one that was completely wasted on the man who still had his head stuck in the box.
"Major Biggs!" the officer barked officiously. "There has been a report of a monster-shaped shadow on top of the tower." The soldier stood at attention for a full minute, but when he didn't get a response he cleared his throat and tried again. "Major Biggs!"
"Be quiet!" Biggs snapped angrily. "This goes like this," he grumbled half-under his breath. "And . . . geez, what's with these crappy old tools?" he suddenly demanded, throwing a rusted welder from him. "And . . . and . . . why do I have to make all the repairs?! Ahh!" he finished in a growl of inarticulate annoyance. The soldier cleared his throat again in uncomfortable confusion, then snapped to attention again.
"Sir! I'll check around while the repairs are being done!" Then he trotted off to do so. Biggs continued to make his repairs.
"Let's see . . . Hmm . . . Put this here . . . and . . . This goes here and . . ." Seifer's gaze was taken from the Galbadian officer when the lift suddenly appeared with his two squad members and that loud-mouthed female on board. The officer was completely clueless as he reconnected another wire and then sat back with a triumphant laugh. "There! It's complete!"
Squall and the others all stared around them in confusion as the tower began to rumble to life. Lights and gizmos began blinking and whirring on. Seifer himself sat tensed, Hyperion at the ready as a thing that looked very much like a gun suddenly shot out of the top of the tower and then pointed west. Squall threw his head back and stared up as well as the thing continued to unfurl. When it shot out into a metal disc, Seifer relaxed. Sure enough, it curved upward and the enormous satellite was finally finished setting up.
Squall whirled to the officer. "What do you think you're doing?!" he demanded sternly.
Biggs jerked and whirled, a comical expression of confusion on his face. "Huhhhh?" he murmured, then scowled and got to his feet. "Likewise, mister! What do you think you're doing?!" It was then that the officer finally realized that there were three armed teenagers up here—as Seifer himself was still hidden. "H-Hey! What happened to all the soldiers down below!?" He motioned with his arm. "Wedge! Take care of these twerps!" When he got no response, the idiotic Major glanced around him and slowly realized that he was completely alone. "W . . . Wedge?" The man gulped, then gave a nervous chuckle. "I . . . ah . . . I seem to be done here, so I'll just be on my—,"
Seifer tensed, but too late the man reached behind him and then pulled out a pistol. Almasy muttered a curse under his breath, then got to his feet and slowly made his way around the others, blocking what would no doubt be the Galbadian's planned path of escape.
"I-I'm leaving!" he announced, motioning with his pistol, to which Squall and the others grimly raised their arms. "Move it!" he snapped, beginning to side-step his way toward the lift. "Move!"
Seifer chose that moment to leap out of hiding and with one quick swipe of Hyperion he launched the gun out of the Major's hand and sent it skittering over the side of the platform, to crash to the rocks far below them.
"Sorry to crash the party!" he quipped, amused as the Major fell back, clutching his hand.
"Ah, Ahhhh . . . AHHH! Are you crazy?!" Biggs demanded in a loud whine. Seifer scowled.
"Just shut up!" he snapped, annoyed beyond endurance by this guy's incompetence.
Seifer moved in to immobilize him, but was stunned and forced to duck when the guy abruptly pulled out another gun and nearly shot him in the chest.
"Prepare for the worst you brats!" The others were forced to take cover as well, and Biggs backed up a couple of steps to take some cover himself as Seifer sat up a little and fired a few shots from Hyperion. The other soldier, Wedge apparently, chose that moment to run back up.
"Major Biggs!" he called as he neared. "Have you finished with the repairs?" Everyone paused in disbelief while the guy's head moved back and forth like a dog watching a tennis ball match before he suddenly pulled his sword. "What is the enemy doing here?!"
Biggs let out another inarticulate snarl. "Wedge! Where were you?! No pay for you this month!"
Wedge groaned, then moved forward to cross swords with Squall. "I should've just stayed home."
The SeeD candidates traded a few blows back and forth until, finally, they backed both of the Galbadians to the edge of the tower. Wedge had been divested of his sword by Squall, and Biggs had wasted all of his rounds trying to shoot Zell and Selphie—who couldn't sit still on a regular basis, never mind when they were actually trying to avoid someone. A quick lash out by her enormous red Flail nunchaku had the officer's second gun launching out of his hand.
They both backed up another step, looking nervous. And then, out of nowhere, a massive tornado spell suddenly launched them both in different directions. Seifer and the others took cover as an inhuman roar rumbled the ground around them.
Apparently the owner of that "monster-shaped shadow" had arrived to get in on the action.
Seifer blinked, stunned, as a huge purple-skinned demon-looking thing suddenly winged down to their level. It had a huge orange chin, matching horns, enormous red paws, bat-like wings and then the lower half of it's body looked like a jagged chunk of earth.
"What the hell is it?!" Zell demanded. Before anyone could answer him the beast reared back and roared again before launching itself at Selphie first.
She nimbly dive-rolled out of the way to avoid those massive claws. Zell pounced in and delivered two stiff punches to the monster's midsection, allowing her time to roll back to her feet and recover her weapons. Then she motioned with them and pulled the chain taut.
"Thunder!"
A thin stream of lightening shot down out of the sky and struck the monster for a direct hit. Yet the creature barely batted an eyelash, instead shoving Zell aside like one might swat aside a bug. It then summoned a mini-tornado spell that had Selphie lifting up off the ground with a startled shriek and then slamming back down into the metal grating with a bone-jarring thud. She didn't get back up right away this time.
"It's got high defenses against magic!" Seifer called out as he leapt forward. "Don't bother casting, concentrate on using physical attacks!"
Squall leapt at the same time, so that they managed a sort of scissor attack from two different angles—Squall catching the flying demon thing in the chest and Seifer catching it in the back. They both pulled their triggers at the last minute and the air was split with the roar of their combined gunfire.
The beast roared again—this time in pain. Before it could recover Selphie had gotten back to her feet and with a fierce snarl she let loose with her Flail in a combo that had the thing falling to the metal grating, dazed. Squall took advantage, stepping forward and taking aim with his Revolver. Both he and Seifer then emptied their entire clips into the thing's face. It twitched with each blast, then went completely still.
All four of them stood there for a moment, heaving for breath, attempting to recover from the sudden, unexpected battle. Selphie recovered first and hopped over to place herself in front of Seifer, who immediately scowled.
"Squad B Captain? S'cuse me! I have new orders!" He sighed and motioned for her to get on with it. She drew in a deep breath, and then, "All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours. Assemble at the shore!"
Seifer scowled down at her, furious. "Withdraw?! There are still enemies around!" She shrugged, unperturbed under his wrath.
"I know, but I'm just a messenger." Seifer let out a low growl. Squall stepped forward, expression stern.
"An order to withdraw takes priority," he reminded him needlessly. "I don't want to miss the vessel."
Seifer waved him down with a roll of his eyes, then hesitated and turned back to Messenger Girl. He scowled.
"What time d'you say?" She sighed heavily and made a frustrated motion with her arms.
"Like I said! All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours. Assemble at the shore!"
Seifer's frown deepened, reaching to pull up his coat arm so that he could see his watch. "1900 hours . . ." His eyes widened. "We only have 30 minutes!" He met the others' stunned looks with a glare. "You got 30 minutes to get down to the shore! Better run!" Then he turned and began doing just that.
Behind him he heard the Messenger Girl let out a wail. "Heeey! Wait for us!"
Zell growled, "Who the hell does he think he is?!" Trust Squall to give the toneless, smart-assed answer.
"Why don't you ask him? Let's go."
All four of them piled onto the elevator and then took it down.
Above them Biggs slowly dragged himself over to the controls that had dropped to the ground during all the commotion. He lifted himself up, then punched in the security code. "Those little twerps are the targets," he wheezed. "Now go! Go and destroy them!"