Disclaimer: me do not own sadly, or Quistis would be gagged and bound somewhere in D-District, Seifer would be my awesome gunblade weilding body guard and Squall would be his partner in crime. Griever would be my pet dog XD and maybe I'd put Zell in rehab 'cos of his obsession with hotdogs...just eww.
Warnings: Quistis bashing. Suspicious OC. Squally having bad dreams. Seifer playing detective.
A/N: Yatta! See I told you I'd update :) Anyway nothing much to report other than I think I broke the keyboard typing so much XD Oh well. Read and Review and tell me what you think! Thanks to all who has reviewed, I send you all hugs! *starts packaging hugs*
Enjoy!
Seifer glared at the personal sheets in his hand, he had argued with Quistis for over an hour to get these papers, which she was lucky she survived as he was still very much pissed at her. He had to suspect it was an inside job, and he was instantly suspiscious of the Security as only they had access to the cameras and knew when and how to shut them down. The report from Security office was that they had no idea who disabled the camera's considering at the time the Captain was the one watching and he was the one to report the fact to Quistis in the morning.
Nevertheless, something had Seifers hackles rising and he was determind to find out what it was. The whole thing reaked of on inside job, right down to the last detail of a bloody crankshaft being found in the Training Centre. Dr. Kadowaki had become a CSI for the day an tested the blood against her medical records, no surprise it came back as Squalls. It had been two days and they had only just found a clue. The good Doctor had checked for finger prints but found none, so whoever had kidnapped Squall had worn gloves. The Balamb police was helping too, sending guys to do the forensic work instead of a Doctor which Kadowaki had been pleased about as she had many injured cadets to look after.
Though the whole Garden was on high alert, normalcy had be resumed and classes had begun again, though no cadets were going out for training missions and the like as every available SeeD except Instructors were out looking for Squall. Seifer snorted, the others were at this moment in time going through a faze of deep depression, mumbling to each other that they would never find Squall, it often ended up with the blond having to give each one of them a prep talk. Really, Seifer felt like he was their father or something. They were all SeeDs and they were talking of giving up!
Some friends they are. Seifer throught as he threw the personal file of some SeeD in security on the floor, unbothered by the fact that the papers slipped out of the manilla folder and slid across the floor in a mess. He picked up another, reading the name on the top.
Captain Fredrick McEvoy.
Seifer flipped through the pages, snorting at how clean the guys record was. It was all praise from Cid for the countless mission the man had done, there were recommendations from both Balamb and Galbadia Garden for the man to be promoted, however he stayed on security. A little note was stapled underneath from McEvoy himself saying that the protection of the students was all he cared about.
Seifer snorted again, suspicious of such a saying and carried on to read through. McEvoy hadn't been in any fights, hadn't got any speeding tickets or other minor crimes like under aged drinking on Garden premises. Hell the man hadn't even got one detention! He was squeaky clean to the point Seifer was tempted to pour ink on the mans file just so he would have something damaging on his file!
He was interrupted from his thoughts when a knock sounded at his door, muttering for them to come in, he was vaguely pleased to see it was McEvoy. The man stood an inch smaller than himself, his SeeD uniform immaculate, not a crease anywhere. His brown hair was tied back neatly and his face was clean shaven. Seifer waved his hand boredly towards the chair oppisite him, raising a brow when McEvoy took it, sitting down with his back straight and professional.
"So, can I help you, McEvoy?" The man frowned minutely, confusion shining in his brown eyes. Seifer smirked, waving the mans file in the air. McEvoy tensed slightly, it was barely obvious however Seifer saw it and in his mind placed McEvoy in the suspicious box.
"You're looking through SeeD files? Why? What good is that going to do to find the Commander?" McEvoy asked, a hint of curiousness in his voice though mostly sounded flat. Seifer shrugged.
"Well, obviously it's an inside job. No one outside of Garden knew the codes to the cameras, never mind Squall's room. So it's easy to see that someone in SeeD had been watching Squall through the camera and memorized the code and then planned the kidnapping." Seifer said sounding as if he wasn't really all that interested, flipping through a few more pages, though his attention never left McEvoy who was at that moment grinding his teeth together. McEvoy snarled, standing up and slamming his hands down on the desk. Seifer raised a brow, a small smirk on his lips.
"How dare you accuse the Security of doing such a thing! I'm outraged that you would say that, ex-knight!" McEvoy spat the last thing out, feeling his anger rise when Seifer smirked smugly, sitting back in the chair and folded his arms over his chest.
"Whoever said I was accusing the Security of kidnapping the Commander?" He asked with mock innocence, watching with glee as McEvoy's face paled just slightly and he seemed to flounder for words. The Captain of Security huffed and stormed out, leaving a very satisfied Seifer to sit there with arrogance as he picked up his phone and dialed Fujins number. After a few rings, the woman answered with a curt greeting.
"Hey Fu, I want you to gather as much information on Fredrick McEvoy, his SeeD code 7714326. I want everything, when and where he was born, when he left home, where his parents are living now. Everything." With that he hung up, calling Selphie to see if the copper haired female would be up to doing some sneaking around McEvoy's room. The bouncy girl readily agreed, sounding more chipper than she had a few hours ago. The bouncy woman and Rinoa had become new members of posse after the incident in Squall's meeting room, following any order he gave them.
He threw McEvoy's folder on the floor after reading it a little harder than necessary, ignoring how, just like the last folder, it spread across the floor, adding to the mess. He picked up another folder only to chuckle with happiness as he read the name across the top. He knew Squall would be pissed when he found that Seifer had gone snooping through his file but Seifer couldn't bring himself to care as he flipped the first page open and saw Squall enterance form into Garden. The next page was a list of achievements, the brunette had quite a few, the first the achievement for mastering the use of a Gunblade, the next was mastering magics and so on. He flipped the next page and raised a brow at the list of displineries Squall had gotten by the Garden Faculty and higher members of SeeD. Most were for being after curfew in the Training Centre, which was mainly Seifers fault as he had often goaded the man into having a spar with him after curfew.
One was for a fight that Seifer had started and gotten the brunette involved. However not all of them had been caused by the blond, in fact a few were quite recent. Displinery for using foul language at a diplomat of Galbadia. Displinery for threatening war against Galbadia diplomats for the dismissal of capture and trial fo- Hyne, Squall you got all these displineries for me? It was true the most recent displineries against Squall and tarnishing his SeeD record was because he refused to allow and sign a document stating that Balamb Garden would aid in Seifer's arrest and trial. Seifer flicked through Squall file, frowning deeper and deeper at the notes posted here and there stating Squall future retirement from the military because of his actions towards the fair and legal warrent for Seifer to pay for his crimes.
Seifer felt a little guilty towards all the hate Squall was suffering because of him. At this rate Squall would be forced to step down as Commander of Garden and appoint someone else in his place which was ridiculous in his eyes as there was only one person who could rule over Garden and that was Squall. The brunette might have been forced into the position but he did his job well.
Sighing and closing Squall's file he gently placed it to the side, knocking some cadet reports to the floor. He wondered how Squall could sit for hours on end just looking at paper without getting bored, though he realised most of the work on Squalls desk was about him, reports on how he was living in FH, statements from the mayor of FH complimenting on Seifers good behaviour. He noticed that while Squall had been aloof at their last meeting a couple of months ago, the brunette had been keeping a real close eye on him. Like the good friend he was.
He thought he would be annoyed at the other Gunblader babying him, but he just felt relieved, inwardly happy that besides all the crap Seifer put the other through in the war, the torture, Squall was willing to risk his career, his life for him. It made Seifer feel...cared for. He hadn't had that feeling since before he left the Orphanage when Matron would give him her warm, mothery hugs and smiles. He barely heard the door opening.
"Squall has really been sticking his neck out for you." Seifer jumped, feeling his skin crawl and looked up at Rinoa who was leaning against the doorframe casually, her arms folded over her chest. Angelo was by her side, licking his paw while keeping a close eye on everything. The Sorceress walked in, plopping down in the chair and huffed out a sigh.
"I asked him once why he would do all this for you, no offense but you were our enemy. You know what he said?" Rinoa looked bemused and Seifer shook his head, he had a hard time wondering what Leonhart was thinking, never mind what the other had said way back when. Rinoa laughed.
"He said and I quote 'He might have been a pain in the ass and a bully, but he had the best intentions at heart before he joined the Sorceress. Besides, he deserves a second chance at life now that he's learned from his mistakes.' I had just scoffed and stormed out. But now I think back on it, he was right. You have learned from your mistakes and look at you now, you've changed so much."
Seifer blinked, trying process what she had said, feeling a flush creep up his neck at the knowing look in her eyes. She had confessed before that after the war she hated him for a while, but got over it, knowing she couldn't keep grudges forever. It just wasn't in her, so she reminded herself of all the good things Seifer had done for her and regained faith in second chances. Seifer had been truly surprised at how warmly most people greeted him at Garden, with the exception of Zell who had just glared and continued to ignore his existance. Which was fine, it wasn't like Seifer liked Zell either. Clearing his throat, Seifer gave Rinoa a raised brow when she gave him a look of suspicion.
"I hear you asked Selphie to snoop round McEvoy's room, why?" Rinoa had tilted her head to the side, a curious expression on her face.
"He's suspicious. I don't like him. He hit the roof when I mentioned that this kidnapping was an inside job. He shouted at me for accusing the Security team did it." Seifer answered with a chuckle. Rinoa frowned.
"So?"
"So. I never mentioned accusing the Security team for it, I just said I was looking through SeeD files." Rinoa scowled then, tapping a finger against her lips, looking thoughful but angry at the same time. She was suspicious too, now. She had always thought McEvoy was a nice guy, however it wasn't like him to make quick assumptions like, and the only reason he would was if he was hiding something.
She was about to open her mouth when both Fujin and Selphie burst into the room, both panting and looking serious. They both spoke at the same time.
"We have something!"
Squall gasped awake, feeling his heart pound in chest and tears well up in his eyes as he finally escaped from the dream he'd been forced to have. It had been days since he woke up in this place though it seemed like weeks. Ellone had been putting him in dreams of the past, of his past. Memories he had been very careful not to remember were being ripped from his subconscious and he was forced to relive them. What Ellone was looking for, he didn't know but he was sick of being rendered unconscious and waking up feeling weak and disorientated, finding a tray with a glass of water and porridge lying next to him. At least his Kidnapper wasn't making him starve, though it would be nice if she had put strawberry syrup in his porridge.
He sat up and glanced at the water, his kidnapper had reassured him that she had no need to drug him to get her answers but he still checked it before he drank a drop. After deeming the water fine to drink, he took a sip and ran his gloved hand over his face, memories swimming around in his mind, scrambling his thoughts. It was then the Intercom clicked on and Squall found himself listening to an arguement between his kidnappers.
"He knows something, that wretched knight knows something!" It was a males voice this time and he sounded haggard, stressed. The female kidnapper just sighed.
"How could he know something by looking through SeeD files? He's not that smart. Now calm down my dear, rest and dream of your family-"
"No! We need to do something! We need it now! We can't delay any longer or we will be caught!" Squall's brows furrowed as there was a pause, if he wasn't confused before, he was now. What were they looking for? And how did he come into this? Squall groaned quietly so not to alert his kidnappers that he was listening. Eventually the woman spoke.
"It is not long now, his mind is a maze of sealed emotions but we are nearly there, a few more dreams and we'll get our answers. Have faith, our decoy will keep Almasy busy." Decoy? What decoy? Squall felt his chest tighten in panic, wondering if Seifer really would be all right, but then his mind clicked back into Commander mode and he realised that his kidnappers knew of his dreams, did that mean they had Ellone too? Were they forcing her to use her powers to make him relive his past?
"I do not trust her! She was one of those who defeated you! How do you know your magic won't falter on her!" The woman laughed, causing a cold shiver to go up Squall's spine and memories of a dark castle looming in the sky, chains surrounded by strewn dead White SeeD to fill his mind.
"Because I'm not controling Quisty completely, just enhancing her dislike towards Almasy, slowing him down." Squall froze, feeling all colour to drain from his features. The way the woman spoke, it reminded him of how Ellone would speak, calling them by their nicknames. She also mentioned that she wasn't controlling Quistis, just making the womans hate stronger, but how? Was his kidnapper a Sorceress?
'Face the truth, you know who this is.' His conscious whispered, but he ignored it. Trying to understand what his kidnappers were looking for with in his mind, however he came up empty.
"...Fine, I'll trust your decision for now, Mistress. But any sign that Almasy is on to us, I'm getting us out of here. Your protection is my only concern."
"Of course, my knight. Come, rest and dream of your family." Squall heard the door close through the intercom and breathed out a sigh of relief, relaxing against the wall. He tried to get this new information in order, trying to understand it all but before he could even attempt to, the sound of ringing filled his ears and he was forced to abandon thinking for curling up into a ball, his head hurting beyond belief as he was forced to dream.
As he fell into darkness for what seemed like the millionth time, he failed to notice how his Griever pendant glowed dully around his neck...
A/N: Ha, I left you with a cliffy in the middle of the story! What did Fu and Selph find out? Well, you'll just have to wait! :) And what are Kidnapper A&B looking for? I can't tell lol, and what's up with Squall's pendant? Ah, so many questions and still no answers lol. I think you know who kidnapper B is XD Anyway, tell me what you think by Reviewing! I'll send you more hugs if you do!