Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. This collection is mine, as is McCallister. More lovely prompts, enjoy!
..:-X-:..
118 – Will Set You Free
For raiko. EXE
"Hm…This is highly unusual." Hades tapped his chin, walking around Tifa, who stood in the middle of his 'office', fists clenched. "You're not due here for another six decades or so."
Tifa bit back the murky chill of the Underworld. Everything was so dank and dark down here. She had been in the Underworld before, but only for the tournaments, where there were at least certain rules to follow. Surely, even death had its rules.
"I didn't come here to…to be reaped." She said quietly, almost in a hiss.
"Well, I figured that much." Hades had that eerie, unpleasant grin of his, too much mouth and not enough teeth. "What brings you, sweet cheeks?"
"Information." She asked, steeling herself. "About the dead."
"Definitely my neck of the woods." Hades chuckled. "What, family, friends, old boyfriend, eh?"
Tifa kept her eyes narrow and her guard up. This snake never helped a soul unless he had something in it for him. "A woman."
"Oh ho ho." The lord of the dead's eyebrows went up. "Some swing one way, some swing the other way."
"Not like that," Tifa growled, fists clenched at her sides. "Rinoa Heartilly."
Hades drew up straighter, looking at Tifa sideways, as though in a different light. She couldn't tell if she had struck a chord or if he was sizing her up. Damn his poker face. She gathered her nerves back together.
"She's important to someone close to me. I want to know if she's dead or still missing." She asked.
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, sister." Hades said, holding out his hands. "And what do I get outta this little tidbit of trivia that you're wanting?"
Ah, there it was.
Tifa pursed her lips. "My undying gratitude." She snapped.
"Eh, close but no cigar. How about a deal, yeah?" Hades tempted. "I'll tell you, but you don't tell ol' loverboy."
"Wh—" Tifa sputtered. "There's no 'loverboy'."
"Hey, I been around the block a teeny bit more than you, babe, I think I know." He lifted a spindly finger, "Now…deal?"
Tifa exhaled heavily through her nose, "Fine. You tell me if she's alive or not, and I won't tell…my friend."
Hades shook her hand roughly to seal the deal. His skin was clammy and had a weird electrical feel to it, like a low humming current. She took her hand back quickly.
"Rinoa Heartilly is still alive." He immediately let loose. "Out there and healthy as a horse. But, this is easily remedied." He pressed his fingertips together.
Tifa leaned away from him. "What?"
"I can…remove her from the equation." He gestured vaguely with his hands. "Open the door for you to—" He swung one hand down, "—swoop in and get loverboy."
"You mean…kill her." Tifa said, narrowing her eyes further.
"You say potato…" He shrugged. "Either way, you just gotta do me one tiny little favor and he's all yours."
"No." Tifa folded her arms, stepping away from him. "You won't hurt her, not for me, not for him. No deal."
Hades frowned, "Then you'll always be sloppy seconds to a ghost."
"He thinks she's dead anyway." She turned to leave, "I just wanted to know for me."
"In case she shows up on your doorstep." He taunted.
Tifa reached the door and paused. "Will she?"
"Hey, I don't write the story. I just give 'em all a happy ending!" He chuckled.
Tifa had seen the well of souls. She doubted anyone would call that 'happy'.
"I'll keep my end. I won't say anything." She grunted, leaving the cavern.
Hades didn't look too put off. This was a small fry deal, she figured. He had bigger fish.
That didn't sooth the sudden weight in her chest.
..:-X-:..
119 – Hide and Seek
For justagirl8225
Tabaeus McCallister looked up from where she'd been stationed for the past two hours in Major General Leonhart's office. An all-morning mission followed by a meeting with the Council had forced him to push most of his paper workload onto the private. It was eerie, being alone in his office, and she had almost been giddy to sit behind his desk. It was one of those big, wide, corporate desks with paneling around the sides. It seemed too…fancy for her superior, she thought, but who was she?
Nobody bothered this office unless they absolutely had to, so she'd worked for two hours in quiet and privacy. Until now, apparently.
Brigadier General Lockhart's office was directly across the hall from the Major General's, and Tabaeus had seen her share of why this was a good idea and why sometimes it was a bad idea…particularly when either of them decided to get mischievous…like now.
Lockhart had come back from a mission roughly half an hour ago, seeming inordinately springy and cheerful. She'd glanced into Leonhart's office, seen Tabaeus, winked, and slipped into her own office. Back to quiet and—
With a tuck and a roll, Lockhart ninja-ed into the office, like it was some sort of secret chamber she had to break into. Tabaeus lifted an eyebrow as the Brigadier General straightened.
"Good afternoon." The woman said with a smirk.
Tabaeus's eyebrow stayed up. "Good afternoon, ma'am." She looked at the paperwork on her desk and back to her superior. "The Major General is in a meeting—"
"I know, I know." Lockhart waved her off. "They just adjourned downstairs." She started scoping out the office.
"Ma'am?" Tabaeus asked, setting her pen down. "Do you need something?"
"Just a good hiding spot." She remarked offhandedly, turning in a small circle.
"A hiding—" Tabaeus frowned. Sure, jumping out and scaring someone could be a fun trick, but there were certain people who would probably accidentally shoot you for it. She had always mentally put the Major General in that box.
"Yeah…oh!" As though she'd heard some super-human sound, she ducked under the desk beside Tabaeus's knee.
"Ma'am—" Tabaeus was starting to get exasperated. "Brigadier General Lockhart, I'm not sure this is—"
"It'll be funny." Lockhart patted her leg, hidden from view of the doorway. "Between you and me, he needs to loosen up anyway. Act natural!"
Tabaeus sat up straight, absently making the final marks on the last bit of paperwork. How on Radiant Garden was she supposed to 'act natural' with one superior officer hiding behind a desk and another one about to come up here and get pounced on?
Right on cue, the Major General walked through the door, and the private's insides twisted. She'd been an intern for Leonhart for two years before reassignment, and had been working under him again for the past six months…She could tell he was already suspicious. His back was straight, shoulders squared, eyes on her, but somehow scanning the entire office at the same time.
"McCallister." He said flatly. Beside her, Lockhart didn't move.
"Sir." Tabaeus straightened the stack of files. "I've finished the—"
He lifted a hand and she quieted, watching him walk into the office. He knew the Brigadier General was in here? Of course he did, he had that freakish instinct like that. When he seemed satisfied that no one was hiding behind the furniture or the door, he stepped toward the desk.
"Run a diagnostic on Enchanted Castle. The Council wants—"
Lockhart pounced then, moving out from behind the desk and in a full tackle before Tabaeus could process that she'd moved at all. She remained locked in her chair as the Major General, as though he'd anticipated this, side stepped the attack and made to put her in a headlock. Lockhart had none of that and twisted in the air, hooking one leg around his middle.
Tabaeus blinked, sighed, and stood, straightening the stack again. Both of her superior officers hit the floor, still grappling. She had heard of this 'strike without warning' training that some of the squads were using…but she didn't think it reached this high in the department…It looked more like wrestling to her.
"I'll get right on it, sir." She remarked, stepping out them and toward the door.
Briefly, the Major General pinned Lockhart to the floor, not looking up. "Good, McCallister. Dismissed. Tap out." The last bit was for the Brigadier General.
Her response was to skillfully reverse the position with a sharp elbow to his ribs. She wasn't a combat master for nothing.
"You tap out." She grunted.
Tabaeus exhaled, stepped out of the office, and closed the door behind her. She wasn't getting paid enough for this.
..:-X-:..
120 – Auron's Two Cents on the Matter
For raiko. EXE
That was definitely Tifa's Gummi, but she was nowhere near it.
"She's not up here."
Leon turned toward the voice, near the entrance to the Underworld. This guy had to be Auron, the swordsman that Sora and his friends had mentioned, a defected servant of Hades. And he'd just said…
"What?" Leon asked. "Who?"
"The woman who arrived in that." The older man gestured to the ship. "She's not up here."
That left…the Underworld. Why would Tifa in her right mind go down there alone? Not that she couldn't handle it, but was she nuts? Leon pulled his Gunblade out of the door of his own ship and stepped toward the entrance.
"Hold on." Auron lifted a hand, "She went down there for her own business."
"And I'm going down there for mine." He made to walk past him.
Auron stepped in the way. "And what is your business with her?"
It was a nosy, aggravating question, and Leon halted. "What?"
The corner of Auron's mouth quirked. "You look like you've got quite the story, kid."
Leon glared, but soon deflated. This man didn't seem aggressive, but he was delaying Leon from getting to Tifa, who had wandered willingly into Hades' midst, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.
"Who are you looking for?" Auron asked.
What a stupid question. Leon didn't have time for this man's nonsense.
Auron chuckled as though he understood what Leon was thinking. "I only ask because a woman like her won't be won by constant rescuing, especially when she doesn't need it."
"I'm not rescuing her…and I'm not trying to 'win' her." Leon felt his neck getting hot.
"Then why are you here?" The other man smirked, but immediately sombered. "Just because you didn't save the first one doesn't mean you have to save the second."
Leon drew up short, suspicion prickling at his shoulders. "What?"
"The Underworld may be a place of ruin and despair," Auron looked at him evenly, "But the poor souls always bring in knowledge of the world above." He remarked. "I've heard of you, Squall Leonhart, on this quest to find your lost love."
Rinoa. Her name still hurt to think it.
"You're looking in the wrong direction." Auron continued.
Funny, Leon thought Sora had said this guy was a man of few words.
"I'm not looking anymore." He replied.
"Then why are you here?" The other man asked again. "Because this sure seems like a quest." He nodded toward the Underworld.
Leon stilled. "You're confused. Tifa is not my—"
"Your story isn't complete. One chapter has ended and you're refusing to let another one begin." Auron cut him off. "You're still half of a whole, kid." Again with the smirk. "So is she."
There was movement along the path leading to the Underworld.
"Leon?" Tifa emerged, looking slightly pale but unhurt. "What're you doing here?" She noticed the other man. "And who—"
"No one important." Auron said quietly, turning and abruptly walking away.
Leon stood there, feeling like he'd been slapped in the face. Tifa tilted her head at him.
"I…Your Gummi signal went out over Olympus, so I—" He started.
"—thought you'd swoop in and rescue me." Tifa snorted, "I swear, Leon, you've got a Batman Complex." He could tell she was distracted, but so was he, so he didn't push it.
"Was that the Auron guy that Sora and the others talk about?" She asked.
"Yeah." He responded as they walked back to the ships.
"What did he want?"
"Just…gave me some advice."
"Like…"
Leon paused, glancing toward the Underworld. He knew what the swordsman had said, and it had a ring of truth to it that was both annoying and relieving. He made a mental note to search him out the next time he was in Olympus.
"Damned if I know."
..:-X-:..
A/N 118: Ah, Hades. I hope I got his manner of speech decently. I haven't written much with him.
A/N 119: I think Tifa came off a little Yuffie-ish in this, but I was going for playful, and playful I think will always have a Yuffie element to it.
A/N 120: First time ever writing Auron, I admit. While I think I missed the mark on his 'words of wisdom' style, I think I did okay in his abruptness. This was written as a connection to 118.
Keep the prompts coming! These have been so much fun so far, and I'm really wanting to stretch now. If you've got a nice and challenging prompt, lay it on me. Thanks!