Final Fantasy VIII [2nd Instalment]
Grace Barton
Chapter Nine
The three SeeDs entered the final room and headed for the exit. Before they could reach the stairs, the room started to shake. Selphie and the others stopped and looked around them in alarm. Somewhere deep below, machinery rumbled.
"Huh? Heeey!" said Selphie, her gaze darting about. "What was that noise?"
Even as she spoke, the rumbling stopped. Selphie looked questioningly at Zell, who just shrugged. Irvine walked past them and went over to the door, which was already open. After taking a quick peek, he motioned for them to come over. Selphie and Zell did so, and they hurried outside.
Outside, the base was in chaos. All of the soldiers had abandoned their posts and were now fleeing for the exit. The main gates were open, and those who could took to their cars and drove out of the base as fast as they could. As a group of soldiers piled into one car, one soldier picked up a cowboy hat that was stuffed into the back of the car. Without giving it a glance, he threw the hat out of the car. The car revved and headed for the exit.
Those soldiers who were not fortunate enough to get in the vehicles were forced to flee the base on foot. All sense of order was lost as dozens of soldiers took to their heels and ran out of the base, heading for the hills. No commanders took charge to organise the evacuation. It was every man for himself. The only thought on their minds was to put as much distance between them and their doomed base as possible.
With all the soldiers around, Selphie and her team were forced to wait until the coast was clear before making their way towards the main gates. Once the last of the soldiers had run by they left the building and hurried towards it.
As they were crossing the car park, the ground started to shake again. The three SeeDs stopped at once and turned to the launch area. As they watched the ground opened up, and the missile launchers they had seen below rose out of the ground. Selphie ran to the fence and thrust her arm through the hole, but there was nothing she could do. The launchers tilted and then fired. A large cloud of smoke spread out across the base, covering everything.
The missiles fired high into the sky. They left a trail of smoke in their wake, scarring the otherwise clear sky. Now they would begin their long journey across the land and the ocean, heading towards their target: Balamb Garden.
Seeing those missiles, Selphie, Zell and Irvine sagged in dismay. They could not believe it. Even after all their efforts, they had failed to stop the missiles. But now was not the time to succumb to despair. The base was now eight minutes away from destruction. There would be time to worry about Balamb Garden later. They had to get out of the base while they still had time.
They headed towards the gates. Before they could reach them they were forced to stop once again as a large vehicle drove up and stopped in their path. It was the vehicle they had seen in the storage bay, hidden beneath the tarpaulin. In the base's last moments the vehicle had been brought out to face the ones who had caused the base's destruction: one final stand from the Galbadian Army.
It was the BGH251F2, or the Iron Clod, one of the Galbadian Army's strongest armoured vehicles. Standing more than ten feet high, it was a colossal metal behemoth of destruction. It was mostly block-like in shape and had six towering engines, three on either side of it. It was covered from head to foot in thick armour that looked impregnable. A large red 'eye', probably some form of weapon, marked the front of the vehicle, along with a multi-barrelled machinegun. Electricity crackled on the front of the machine, and on top of the engines vents opened to release clouds of hot steam.
Standing in front of the Iron Clod was the base commander. When he saw Selphie and the others running up he turned to face them.
"There's no way I'm letting you all live!" he shouted, and he jabbed a fist at them. "It would be inexcusable to Sorceress Edea! I don't want to suffer her wrath!" He turned to the Iron Clod. "Are you men ready?"
From inside the control room, the voices of two privates called back: "Yes, sir!"
The captain nodded. "Alright, let's go!" He ran over to the rear of the MRV and climbed through an open hatch in the back. When he climbed in he pulled the hatch closed, sealing himself inside the vehicle.
Before the Iron Clod, Selphie and the others drew their weapons and held them ready. Did these soldiers have death wishes, they wondered, fighting when their base was about to be blown up? Was their fear of the sorceress so great that it transcended their fear of death? Whatever the reason, it seemed they would have no choice but to fight their way through.
The engines of the Iron Clod powered up, releasing more steam. The large wheels started to turn, groaning under the weight of the vehicle. It started to move forward at a slow pace towards them. The triangle-shaped machinegun turned and the vehicle opened fire, releasing a powerful volley of bullets.
Selphie and the others dived away from each other, spreading out across the car park. Zell leapt backwards, dodging the bullets as they fired towards him. He dodged and weaved and then thrust out his hands. A spark of light formed in his palm and then spread, forming a protective barrier over him. The bullets hit the barrier, which rippled on contact, but not a single bullet passed through.
After a few moments the bullets ceased, and the bullets stopped turning. During this brief reprieve, Selphie darted forward. Time was ticking away; they had no time to waste in holding back. With that thought in mind, Selphie stopped running and raised the Crescent Wish high. She closed her eyes.
"Summon! Quezacotl!"
The girl whipped her nunchaku. A current of electricity flowed along the bar and then shot from the tip, firing up into the sky. Dark clouds formed in the clear sky, and thunder rolled within them. Lightning flashed from within those clouds and then shot down to strike the ground. Selphie braced herself for the shockwave of electrical energy coming from the bolt, which made the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stand on end.
From within the column of lightning Quezacotl emerged. He grew larger and unfolded his great body, spreading his vast wings. The GF raised his head and looked at the Iron Clod as it ploughed across the ground towards him. Lightning began to flicker throughout Quezacotl's body, and the very air around him became charged with energy.
Even at the sight of the GF, the soldiers did not slow the Iron Clod down. So supreme was their confidence in the Iron Clod that they believed it could withstand anything, including the might of a Guardian Force.
Quezacotl drew back his wings and then surged towards the MRV. As he flew forward the electrical currents in his body drew towards his mouth. He fired and released that energy at the base of the vehicle. The lightning exploded and made the ground tremble. It lifted the MRV off the ground and pushed it back. The vehicle crashed onto the ground with a groan, its engines heaving in protest.
The GF flew over the mech. With a tilt of his wings he turned and soared up, before turning and beginning a second pass over the Iron Clod. He fired another bolt of lightning and hit one of the vehicle's six engines. The Iron Clod shuddered as its metal armour was covered in a thick layer of flickering lightning.
Finishing his second pass, Quezacotl turned his wings again and soared upwards towards the sky. The clouds parted for him and he vanished inside, disappearing with a flash of light.
The clouds faded. The Iron Clod settled back onto the ground. Electricity still flickered over its body. Smoke started to pour from the engine that Quezacotl had struck. When the soldiers tried to move the MRV forward something inside the engine burst. Electricity swarmed over it. Seconds later the engine exploded, sending a pillar of black smoke billowing into the air.
"AHHH, Captain!" called one of the soldiers inside the mech.
"It's only one," the captain retorted, "don't worry!" He ordered his men forward, and the MRV heaved into life. The vehicle shuddered and then moved forward. The captain looked at the screen and put his hands on his hips. "Stand by for the beam cannon!" he ordered.
"Yes, sir!" the privates replied.
They brought the Iron Clod to a halt. They strapped themselves into their seats as they made their preparations for the most powerful weapon in the Iron Clod's arsenal: the Beam Cannon. The soldiers too were not messing around. They were going to give everything the Iron Clod had to the fight.
The 'eye' in the centre of the Iron Clod opened up. It started to glow red-hot as it powered up. Waves of coloured energy started to flow around the 'eye', drawn towards its centre. When all the energy had gathered it then fired out in a long-wide beam.
The beam hit the ground and exploded. The explosion ripped the ground apart. Large chunks of rock went flying across the car park, falling like deadly shrapnel onto the ground. Smoke and flame swept over the ground, covering everything.
Selphie lowered her arms. She peered through the smoke, searching for her friends. Through the smoke she saw Zell getting to his feet, but she could not see Irvine anywhere. She called his name and, after a moment, she got an answer from somewhere inside the smoke.
She heard the sound of gunfire, coming from the Iron Clod. Even with the arena covered in smoke, the soldiers were determined to keep on attacking, even if they were fighting blind.
Suddenly she heard an almighty explosion, and through the smoke she could hear the confused and angry cries of the Galbadian soldiers. An icy cold wind blew, blowing away the dark smoke. Again Selphie shielded her eyes, and when she opened them the smoke was gone, replaced by a cloud of ice crystals.
The GF Shiva stood on top of the Iron. Her arm was extended to the side, and more ice crystals were floating around her fingertips. Next to her, another of the MRV's engine towers stood half-broken, with more smoke pouring from it. Shiva placed her boot on the tower, and ice spread out over it. The GF smiled and then stamped her boot. The tower crackled and then exploded. Ice spread around Shiva's body and then shattered, and the GF disappeared.
Selphie stared up at the MRV. With two of its engines lost, the vehicle began to shake. Inside, Selphie heard the Galbadian captain shrieking orders at his men, trying to bring the MRV under control. Realising that the engines were the key to bringing down the vehicle, she turned to Zell and Irvine.
"Destroy the towers!" she ordered.
The others nodded. At that point the soldiers got the MRV under control and opened fire again. The group were forced to separate, dodging the gunfire. Selphie dived to the side, and Zell once again guarded himself by using Protect.
While the others protected themselves from the bullets, Irvine ran around the side of the Iron Clod. He skidded to a stop and raised his gun, aiming at one of the four remaining towers. He channelled Thunder into his weapon before he fired three shots at the tower. The magic-enhanced bullets pierced the Iron Clod's armour, and the electrical current running through them transferred to the engine. The tower shuddered as its workings were short-circuited, and then it exploded, sending more shards of metal into the air.
Once again the Iron Clod's engines roared in protest. Inside the soldiers were working furiously at the controls, trying to keep the MRV going. A siren was going off, and warning lights were flashing all over the control console. On the engine meter, three of the lights were out.
"Let's just get outta here!" one of the privates called to the captain. He then cried out, as part of the console he was working on exploded and began leaking smoke.
But the captain shook his head. "Can't let them seize this MRV!" he responded. He shoved the private out of the way and took the controls himself. He pressed buttons and then grabbed hold of the joystick, pushing it forward.
The Iron Clod groaned and then rolled forward. Even with half of its engines gone, the vehicle still had enough power to keep on moving. With an angry cry the captain opened fire and released another volley of bullets into the car park, covering the area in a deadly sea of shrapnel.
It was all Selphie and the others could do to protect themselves from the volley. It seemed as though the Galbadian captain had gone mad and was releasing everything that the Iron Clod had, all to bring them down.
Selphie and the others kept on moving. It was all that they could to protect themselves from the bullets. The Iron Clod turned to follow them. With three of its engines gone the Iron Clod was slow in responding, and by the time it turned they had already gone.
Zell ducked beneath the gunfire and charged up to the Iron Clod. He ran around its side towards the rear to where the hatch was. He ran up to it.
The hatch opened as he approached. The captain emerged and he thrust out his hands, with flames circling his palms.
"Fira!" he shouted.
A fireball burst from the captain's hands. Zell braced himself. He was thrown away from the vehicle, swathed in a sheet of flame. The fighter hit the ground. He rolled over the ground, batting his skin and clothing to put out the flames.
The Iron Clod started to turn, and its machinegun started to turn. Zell looked up and saw the vehicle turning towards him. He started to get up, but he moved too late. The Iron Clod opened fire.
A figure dropped down in front of Zell. The bullets struck this figure, and Zell heard the clang of metal on metal. Zell looked up.
In front of him stood a minotaur. THE Minotaur to be exact: one of the two Brothers whom they had obtained at the Tomb of the Unknown King. The GF had his arms crossed in front of him, and there was blood leaking from wounds in his arms where he had used them to block the bullets.
Zell got to his feet. He turned to Selphie, thinking she had been the one who had summoned the GF. The girl shook her head and gestured next to her.
Next to her was Irvine. The gunman smiled at Zell and then tipped his hat. Standing beside Irvine was the GF Sacred. The GF had his mace in his hands and was tapping it into his large palm. He looked at Irvine, who nodded and pointed towards the Iron Clod. Sacred nodded and his lip curling into a menacing grin. Then he GF charged forward, heading towards the MRV. After a moment Minotaur left Zell and ran alongside his brother.
Seeing the two minotaurs charging, the captain jumped. "FIRE!" he shouted.
The Iron Clod opened fire. The two Guardian Forces jumped above the gunfire and descended upon the Iron Clod. Minotaur landed next to the MRV and swung his mace in a large circle. He brought it crashing onto the machinegun barrel, smashing it into pieces.
Sacred meanwhile landed on top of the Iron Clod. He landed with a heavy thud, and his weight caused the roof of the MRV to bend inwards. The minotaur ran across the roof to another of the engine towers. Swinging his mace with all his might, he brought it crashing into the tower. The mace smashed through the metal plating protecting the engine, exposing the engine. The GF swung his mace once more and this time he smashed right through the engine. Sacred swung his mace again and again, continually striking the engine.
One of his blows severed the engine's fuel pipes. Precious engine fluid leaked into the broken engine. When the fluid hit the current it started to crackle. Sacred leapt away from the engine just as it exploded into flame.
The Iron Clod shuddered. More warning lights began to flash on the consoles as even more of the MRV's power slipped away. The soldiers again began to work frantically, trying to keep the MRV together.
"Keep attacking anyway!" the captain ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
With the machinegun destroyed, the only weapon left was the Beam Cannon. The soldiers did not wait for it to charge up, and fired with whatever power they could get from their wrecked machine. The beam fired but with less impact than the first time, and the companions dodged once more.
The strain of using the Beam Cannon caused something to burst inside the Iron Clod. The remaining engines started to quake, and the Iron Clod trembled. A loud siren went off inside the Iron Clod. One of the soldiers held desperately onto the controls, trying to keep the vehicle going. He was failing.
"I can't control it!" the private shouted to the captain.
The captain turned to him. "What!" he started to shout, but then stopped as a violent explosion then ripped through the Iron Clod. Flames burst from the consoles, and smoke filled the cabin.
Selphie and the others watched as the MRV shook and quivered. Smoke began to pour from every orifice, and they could see the hot glow of flames coming from inside the engines. Behind them, Sacred and Minotaur clapped their hands together before disappearing into the earth.
The Iron Clod's engines roared. The vehicle started to almost dance on the ground as explosions ripped it from the inside. It retreated and crashed into the fence, causing it to bend. Another loud explosion sounded, and smoke engulfed the machine. Selphie and the others started to lower their weapons, but they then raised them again as figures came running out of the smoke.
The two Galbadian privates came running out first. They coughed and spluttered, batting themselves as they put out the flames that had caught them. They stopped and faced the group, raising their swords. After a moment the Galbadian captain also emerged, his body ablaze.
"AWWW HOT HOT HOT!" the commander cried. He dropped to the ground, rolling across the dirt. When the last of the flames were out he got back to his feet and turned to the MRV, which was still billowing smoke behind him. "That piece of crap!" he cursed.
"What now, captain?" asked one of the privates.
"It needs repairs, sir!" said the other.
The captain spat on the ground and turned his back on the burning vehicle. He faced the three SeeDs. "We'll kill 'em first!" he said, and with a cry he charged. The soldiers hesitated for a moment before they lifted their swords and charged after their commander.
Raising their own weapons, Selphie and the others charged at the soldiers. The two groups met, and the sounds of battle filled the air. Neither side held back as they gave everything they had to overcome their opponents. They had no time to waste holding back: the unseen clock was still ticking away. The countdown was almost up, and it was now barely minutes before the base was gone forever.
At last the victors emerged. The base commander and his two privates stepped back away from the SeeDs. Their weapons slipped from their fingers, and the soldiers fell to the ground, defeated. Sheathing their weapons, Selphie, Zell and Irvine turned and ran towards the exit.
Except that there no longer was an exit. The gateway, the only exit to the base, was closed. In the midst of the battle, the last of the Galbadian soldiers who escaped had closed the gates, trapping those still inside. Selphie banged her fist on the gate and called out, but there was no one around to answer her.
In desperation the group turned and ran back across the car park. They scanned the immediate area, trying to locate some other way out of the base.
There was none.
They returned to the centre of the car park. There they stopped, breathing hard, and stared bleakly at the gate.
…Are we locked in? Selphie asked herself.
She looked up at the gate, and the high wall that surrounded it. Perhaps they could climb on one another's shoulders and climb out… But no, she realised. The walls were just too high, and there was no time left.
As this cold, harsh fact settled in, Zell and Irvine sank onto their knees. Only Selphie remained standing, though even she was beginning to accept that they were defeated. They were trapped inside the doom base, which was now just over a minute to destruction. Selphie felt her legs start to buckle and she let her head fall onto her chest. She folded her arms and rubbed her shoulders, feeling suddenly cold.
Squall will take care of the rest, right…?
She took a deep breath. She let it out slowly and sank onto her knees. She looked down at the ground before her. Reaching out, she placed her fingertips on the dirt.
It's all over…
Behind her, Zell got to his feet. He turned his gaze to the cloudless sky. "I've always thought about when this day would come," he said. "Living a life full of battles… I guess you could say I was prepared… But when I think this is really it…" With a cry, he slammed a fist onto the ground. "Damn, it pisses me off!"
The fighter knelt again and fell silent. Behind him, Irvine raised his head. His hat, thrown out by the Galbadian soldiers while they were fleeing, lay just a few feet away. The gunman reached out and picked it up. It was covered in dirt and rock. The gunman brushed the stones and soot away and then looked down at it, his blue eyes soft.
"Squall…" he said in a low voice. "He didn't trust me. That's probably why he put me on this team…" He sighed and then put the hat on his head.
Selphie, listening to their words, raised her head.
…What are you all saying? …Squall chose us because he believed in us. I'm sure of it! We can do it. That's what he thought when he made this team.
A small smile touched her lips. Selphie turned her gaze upward, watching as the trails of smoke left by the missiles drifted across the sky.
Isn't that right, Squall?
The ground beneath her started to shake. Selphie got to her feet, as did Zell and Irvine behind her. A series of loud rumbles sounded from below, followed by an earth-shattering explosion. The nearby hangers were blown apart, sending a cloud of smoke and flame sweeping across the base. The cloud swept over Selphie and the others, who braced themselves as they were swallowed up inside the smoke.
And then… the Galbadia Missile Base exploded.
[End of Part Four]
[Coming Next: Part Five: The Truth of SeeD]
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS
This is just a response to a recent review I had, which I couldn't reply to personally. Yes; one of the difficult things to remember when writing these is to remember to mix up the party selections. I typically use Squall, Selphie and Rinoa, and personally can't see how I'd survive without this combo. Well, Rinoa is optional but Selphie is essential (god bless Full Cure). I have tried to mix up the party selections as best I can and not stick with my favourites. But specifically for this, the Missile Base Mission, I chose Rinoa and Quistis to return to Garden for specific reasons. One, for the extra FMV you have if Rinoa is with you, and two, because I wanted Quistis to be present when the headmaster made a comment to Squall about something she had said about him. I suppose there is also the option of 'deepening the bond' between Squall and Rinoa by having them stay together, but that is a sub-reason. Irvine I knew would definitely be going to the Missile Base simply because of Selphie, and though you do get a comical scene with Zell at the cafeteria if he goes to Garden, I felt Quistis was a more practical choice.
And also a reminder to readers about the poll that is up. If you can't recall: the poll is with regards to the Garden Festival, and whether you want the Eyes on Me version or the Irish Jig version. Please remember to vote for the scene you want to see! Eyes on Me is currently in the lead, so if you want that to change you'd better vote! Or if you want to make sure it stays on the lead, then vote, vote, vote!