Part 1

Chapter 2: Mission Debrief

It had been a short but painful ride back to Balamb Garden after this disaster of a mission, if it could even qualify as that. Between the lookout falling asleep on the job and the getaway driver spilling the bottles of healing potion all over the car, Quistis didn't know which of the two lackeys who had accompanied her was more incompetent. OK, so maybe she could take some credit for the first bottle since she was screaming at the driver at the time but she'd be damned if the second one was her fault.

With one hand holding the rail and the other hugging her torso, Quistis went as fast as her ribs would allow to the infirmary. She paused briefly to throw up in a potted plant, which sent her entire abdomen into revolt. It felt like she was getting stabbed internally by a thousand tiny splinters. Fortunately, she had 24-hour access to the medical facility as an occasional assistant to Dr. Kadowaki. The two had been close ever since Quistis ousted her from the Card Club and Quistis offered her services whenever she was available and Kadowaki was in need. With the swipe of her card, Quistis entered the infirmary and made a beeline for the Hi-Potions. She downed one before leaving a note for the good doctor and headed back to her room.

She could walk with a normal gait now that her bones had mended, but she was still incredibly sore. Undressing was a major chore and it was particularly painful trying to take her sports bra off. She got it stuck partway up her shoulders and after several minutes of struggling with her arms in the air and the bra in her face, she had resigned herself to calling Xu for help when she got the idea to catch the bra on a towel hook and lower herself down. Mercifully, that worked and she was able to remove the rest of her clothes without much incident and take a shower.

She threw on a robe and set out to dry her hair when she noticed the very distinctive bruises on her neck from where Seifer had grabbed her. Rummaging through her makeup drawer, she pulled out her compact. "Quistis, most girls do this to hide hickeys." She mused aloud to the mirror and began covering the finger-shaped marks with concealer. "Looks like you had a fun night. -Oh, you know, just some light choking. -Ooo, kinky." She inspected her work to see if the bruises were still visible and gave herself a deadpan look. "This is why your friends are worried for you." She sighed, snapped the compact shut and finished getting ready.

She had hoped to get some sleep before the morning's debriefing but everything had taken so much longer with her injuries that she didn't have time. Unable to get a hold of Squall (typical), she signed out one of the company vehicles and headed into town. The client for this particular debacle was a fairly new entity, known colloquially as 'SORga', and Quistis was about to meet with its head.

In the peaceful but hectic years following the Second Sorceress War, some people were of the opinion that it might not be a bad idea to forge a more positive relationship between sorceresses and ordinary people. Thus, the Sorceress Organization for the Promotion of Peace and Harmony, or SORga, was born. It had a meteoric rise during the two years of its existence, appearing quite out of nowhere, consisting of only a handful of energized and idealistic individuals at its infancy before giving way to the much larger organization it was today, known the world over.

It had managed to pass some serious legislation, too, such as the Anti-Sorceress Discrimination Act, but it was the organization's primary focus to give sorceresses a new and better image. Essentially, it was a glorified PR firm. As the only known sorceress on the planet, Rinoa was a crucial part of this rebranding. Equally eager (if not more so) to dispel some of the fear and misconceptions the public had of her, Rinoa traveled around the world participating in SORga-sponsored charity events and generally showing everyone what a wonderful human being she was.

In order to raise its profile and revenue stream, SORga had even contracted some of the other heroes of the war (who conveniently also happened to be Rinoa's best friends), capitalizing on the popularity of the Balamb 6, as they had come to be known. Selphie and Irvine reunited onstage again, performing as a two-person band and Zell had become a bonafide pro-fighter, taking part in a bunch of title matches. They toured in every major arena, in every major city around the world, all in between their day jobs as mercenaries, of course, and all in the name of SORga. Squall was too busy running Garden to be bothered, though he did show up on occasion to hang on Rinoa's arm. Quistis was the only one who refused to get on board, deeming it an unworthy distraction from her very serious, very important job as a SeeD (though this had earned her some public ridicule, speculating that perhaps she just didn't have any other talents). She would only avail herself if SORga was in need of her mercenary services, which, at the present moment, it was.

She pulled up to the Balamb Hotel, which SORga was currently using as its headquarters, renting out the entire top two floors for its base of operations. This had been a very cost-effective way to stay close to the sorceress, without inserting themselves in the middle of Balamb Garden. After checking in with the receptionist, Quistis headed up the stairs to the top floor where she found herself standing in front of the honeymoon suite, staring at a plaque with the name Envy Sherridan, CEO etched into it. She adjusted her high collar, hoping that it covered what the makeup did not, and knocked on the door.

A moment later it opened and Quistis was greeted warmly by a commanding presence. "Aw, Quistis Trepe, welcome! Come in, come in." Quistis entered, holding herself with a practiced poise that didn't suggest she had just spent the last few hours fighting a losing battle with her clothing. She glanced around the luxury suite turned office before her eyes landed back on the woman herself.

Envy Sherridan could be considered an attractive woman, although her eyes were somewhat unnerving, as if she could see right through you. She had luscious red hair and a face that looked like it was sculpted out of marble which, despite her middle age, had not a fine line on it. Perhaps because her default expression was one of unflappable tranquility but for the fact that she was quick to laugh and smile. "Are you hungry at all? I can have something sent up."

"No, thank you, I'm fine. Should we wait for Commander Leonhart before we begin?"

"No need. Commander Leonhart's away on personal matters and has given us his complete confidence to conduct this without him."

'I'm sure he did.' Quistis thought to herself.

"And from what I understand, you've done quite a few of these yourself. Maybe even more than he has." Envy winked and smiled at Quistis. "So come, come. Sit down. What do you say we discuss the mission over a game of Triple Triad?"

She gestured for Quistis to sit down at the table. Quistis looked at the deck of cards and the 3x3 grid lying there. "How unorthodox." She said slowly, thrown by the news of Squall's absence and now this.

"That's right, Ms. Trepe, no need for formalities here. We're just a lowly special interest group after all. Nothing like your prestigious Balamb Garden."

"SeeD Trepe." Quistis corrected automatically.

"Oh, of course. How sexist of me." Envy waved off her oversight without too much concern. "We women have to work so hard for our titles only to have everyone dismiss them. Well, you can call me Ms. Sherridan or Envy, whichever you prefer." She sat herself down and picked up her cards. "Now, shall we begin?"

Quistis nodded, taking out her own deck before sitting down. "Envy's quite an unusual name. Is it short for something?"

"Envious. My parents had a twisted sense of humor." Quistis raised an eyebrow and Envy laughed. "I'm kidding, it's just Envy. I think they just liked the way it sounded and didn't think too much about the implications. Though with a name like Quistis, you're no stranger to unusual names yourself."

"No." Quistis said while shuffling her cards. "And I couldn't tell you anything about it."

"Well, it suits you." Envy gave her deck a couple taps on the table before she began shuffling. "Now, you're the superior player here so how about I get to name the rules?"

Quistis shrugged. "As long as I get to dictate the trade rules."

Envy smiled. "That's fair. How about we go Random, Plus?"

"How Trabian of you." Quistis commented, without looking up from her cards. "Let's keep it friendly then. Why don't we go Direct?"

"Fine with me." Envy said, pulling a coin out of her pocket. "You call it." She flicked it up in the air before catching it and covering it with her hand.

"Heads."

Envy removed her hand revealing the shiny face of King Zebalga. "Heads it is. You go first." They each picked 5 cards off the top of their deck. While Quistis considered her first move, Envy said conversationally, "So tell me how the mission went."

Quistis placed a Blood Soul card, blue side up, in the upper right corner of the grid and began reciting the events of the night like she was on autopilot. "We arrived on-site at approximately 0100 and pulled into a wooded clearing to avoid being spotted from the road. I entered the house via a window on the side-"

"Pardon the interruption, but I'm curious as to why you decided to enter through a window instead of the front door? Wouldn't that look more suspicious?" She asked as she played a Turtapod in the square to the left of the Blood Soul, flipping it red.

Quistis answered, unperturbed. She was used to having to explain simple matters to people not in their line of work as she had come to learn that there was nothing obvious about what they did for a living. "Visibility wasn't really a concern since there were no neighbors nearby and I can force open a window without causing any damage in a matter of seconds. An open window also draws less attention than an open door and makes for a smoother getaway."

"So, you know what you're doing." Envy concluded in amusement.

"I'm a SeeD." Quistis said simply, placing the Quistis card in the upper left corner.

Envy leaned forward in surprise. "Ohh, the Quistis card, how delightful! Let me see, a 9 on top, 10 on bottom and a 2 and a 6 on the sides. Good at climbing the ranks but not so much with lateral thinking, perhaps?" Her eyes twinkled as she pinned Quistis with an impish grin.

Quistis just sat back in her chair, gazing at her cards. "I once asked the Queen of Cards how they came up with the numbers and she said they use a different algorithm for each level to ensure that no card has the same permutation."

Envy played the Chubby Chocobo card below the Blood Soul in the center right. "You know, there are some who believe they can see their fates in the cards."

Quistis glanced at the Chubby Chocobo before placing her Chicobo card below it, flipping it blue. "Then I might be opening a chocobo farm in the future."

Envy laughed. "Better than breeding Blood Souls and Turtapods." She returned to her initial tangent. "The Shumi, for instance, are too superstitious to play Triple Triad. And they resent the fact that there's a card made of them. How does it feel for you, I wonder?" She played the Rinoa card in the center square, turning the Chubby Chocobo back to red.

Quistis eyed it before looking up at her opponent. "I've always been driven to achieve and I discovered long ago that that comes with a certain amount of recognition. While fame was never something I sought out, I've accepted that it's the price I have to pay for my accomplishments."

"And how do you think she feels about it?" Envy asked, nodding towards the Rinoa card.

Quistis measured her words carefully. "I think Rinoa jumps into things with her whole heart. And sometimes that gets her in over her head." She played a T-Rexaur card in the bottom left corner.

"And sometimes it gets her everything her heart desires." Envy countered.

Quistis let out a dry laugh. "Yeah, that's her real magic ability. Forget the sorceress powers."

Envy joined her in a chuckle before looking at Quistis meaningfully. "You know, you remind me a bit of myself, Quistis. Thank you for that bit of insight. It helps a lot, truly."

She smacked the Bahamut card down in the bottom center square with an extra oomph and looked at Quistis triumphantly. "I believe that triggers the Plus rule on all 3 sides."

Quistis leaned forward to get a better look. "Wow, you don't see that everyday." She said, looking impartially impressed. "Even the wall side adds up to 12."

Envy excitedly turned the T-Rexaur and Chicobo cards over, changing them from blue to red. This meant that all the cards were red now except for the Quistis card and only one square left. It wasn't the most auspicious square, as it was surrounded by the Quistis and Rinoa cards, both with a value of 10. The T-Rexaur card below it had the most promise with a meager 4 but even if she did beat it there would be no chain reaction since the Bahamut card tied it with a 6.

"Oh darn, you shouldn't have played the Quistis card so soon." Envy said in feigned sympathy, practically frothing at the mouth now that her win was in sight. "Oh well, maybe you'll get lucky."

Quistis looked at the last card remaining in her hand. "Guess not." She said flatly, laying down the Forbidden card. Every value on it was lower than the ones on the adjacent cards. Even the T-Rexaur beat its measly 3. But the fact that the two values that touched the face cards were both 6 meant that the Plus rule was triggered, turning the Rinoa card and by extension the Chubby Chocobo card blue, leaving her 4 blue cards to Envy's 6 red. "Oh well, at least I end up with a sorceress." Quistis said with a shrug, holding up the Rinoa card.

Envy's usually impenetrable mask came down briefly, showing her dismay. She clearly hadn't considered the Direct trade rule until now.

"Well, what do you know? Envy suits you too." Quistis said, flashing her own impish grin.

Recovering with admirable speed, Envy looked at Quistis with newfound respect. "Why, Quistis, I do believe you out read me. I misjudged you. I thought you were a rigid perfectionist but you're not afraid to take risks. Nothing like Caraway- he was so focused on winning that he lost his own daughter in the process. You've taught me a very important lesson today. I can't thank you enough."

"Don't thank me just yet. We still have to finish going over the mission." Quistis said, gathering up her new cards and pocketing her deck, before crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap.

"Oh yes! I forgot all about that. Let's see, where were we? You'd just broken in through the window."

"Once inside, I headed upstairs where there was a small bedroom and bathroom. After a thorough search I was unable to locate the artifact so I headed back downstairs where I searched the kitchen and then the living room, but the artifact was nowhere to be found. It was at this point that the target entered the premises through the front door."

"I understand that you then engaged in hand to hand combat with SeeD Almasy, is that right?"

"Mr. Almasy."

"Hmm?" It was the first time Envy sounded caught off-guard.

"It's Mr. Almasy. Seifer never made SeeD."

"Oh, that's right. I believe you were involved in that somehow." Envy murmured distantly, studying Quistis as she spoke. She shook it off with a laugh. "Well, in the end I suppose he managed to make General without it, didn't he?" Quistis didn't find that funny. "But never mind that. Why didn't you just leave when he returned home? Weren't you already near the window? What happened to smooth getaways and all that?" Envy wagged her hand in the air to punctuate her point.

Quistis had to do her level best to not raise her voice. "Leaving became my primary objective the moment he showed up but when Seifer doesn't want you to get away, he can be very persistent."

"And yet, you did get away. How do you explain that?"

Quistis faltered here. "Over the course of the fight, he managed to unmask me and I think it was his shock more than anything that allowed me to escape."

There was a heavy silence before Envy leaned forward, folding her hands. "SeeD Trepe, honestly, given your resume and reputation, I'm a bit disappointed. I was expecting nothing short of excellence and not only did you come up empty-handed but you blew your cover as well?" She shook her head to emphasize her disappointment.

Quistis crossed her arms. "While it's less than ideal that I was compromised it amounts to nothing more than an inconvenience to me personally. Seifer has no way of knowing that SORga was involved in any way so the only guilty parties here are myself and Garden by association. And as far as coming up empty-handed, I'm not entirely convinced that the artifact was even in the house in the first place. With the information you gave me, I wouldn't be surprised if you got that wrong too." It was here that Quistis stood up and placed her hands on the table, bending down to be level with Envy's face. "You wanted to keep this informal? Then let me give you a few pointers on how to run a mission. The intel you provided was outdated and the idiots you sent me were completely useless. The floor plan I was given was a one-room shack and nothing like the two-story, multi-room house I walked into. Seifer was supposed to be away in Galbadia for the week but he showed up on the first night. OK, so things change. That's why we had a lookout at the docks to monitor his whereabouts. That would've given me more than enough time to cover my tracks and get out of there before Seifer returned home from the harbor. But the tricky thing about being a lookout is that you kind of have to stay awake. And the driver wasn't much better- he was just going to leave the car out in front of the house which would've been as good as posting a flashing neon sign that we were there. And then I would've had to contend with a pissed off Seifer and his gunblade. There are only a handful of people in the world who could've walked away from the situation I was just in and there's only one who could've walked away from Seifer with his gunblade. And his low-energy ass couldn't even be bothered to be here today!"

Envy stared calmly at Quistis during the whole tirade, remaining in her chair. She sighed when it was her turn to speak. "Quistis, of course, we appreciate how difficult your job was. This is why we hired a SeeD of your caliber in the first place. Seifer is a highly-trained killer. We couldn't send just anyone to break into his house. My boys aren't trained in covert ops, they're ad-men and communication majors." She snorted at the ridiculous thought. "And they may be idiots but they're my idiots. As a top Triple Triad player you should know that it's not about the cards you have, but the way you use them that matters. Plus, you always have time to build a better deck."

"That's where we fundamentally disagree. I believe it's more important to preserve the integrity of the deck rather than inflating it with a bunch of low-quality cards. But in the meantime, while you're building a better deck, why don't you keep your communication majors at home and send me out with my own people?!"

"While I can certainly understand your plight about being the only trained member on the team, it could hardly have been otherwise. You SeeDs come at a hefty price."

"But you have no problem hiring us out for music concerts and prize fights?"

"Why, Quistis," Envy's voice became silk, "those more than pay for themselves. Maybe after last night's challenges you won't be so quick to balk the next time SORga offers to sponsor you in some Triple Triad tournaments." She paused here and gave a slight grimace. "You would be expected to actually win those though."

"Oh, I should be able to manage. I have your sorceress card now, remember?" Quistis said, getting up from the table and walking to the door. "I'll see myself out."

Envy inclined her head towards Quistis, making no move to get up from her seat. "Does that mean you'll reconsider?"

"Nope." Quistis said, without turning around. She opened the door and shut it behind her. She got to the stairs and paused, looking back towards the suite. 'What the hell was that?' She thought before composing herself and heading back down the stairs. 'And what was Squall doing that was so damn important?!'