Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Resurrection - Rebirth of a Foe ❯ A Close Shave [part one] ( Chapter 10 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter Ten - A Close Shave [part one]
"By Ifrit," Squall whispered his mind boggled by the sheer enormity of the machine that dominated the majority of the very large and well-lit room. Extinguishing the flame to the torch, Squall took a hesitant step forward into the room that was filled with assorted machines and computer panels with more flashing LED's.
The huge machine that was the centrepiece of Odine's private laboratory, was approximately the same height as Ultima Weapon. At the core, a transparent cylindrical casement made of metal that could hold an extremely tall person caught Squall's attention. He had no doubts - judging by the size of it - to who Odine had kept in there.
"Whoa!" Zell gushed; hurrying over to where the machines and computers were, but then turned to see what everyone was looking at with interest. "... The hell's that?!"
"Ultimecia's cage," Seifer said softly. Hearing it coming from him, it almost sounded. . . poetic?
"Then where is she?" Irvine asked. "'Cos I don't see no sorceress inside."
"Squall, do you see Rinoa or Matron anywhere?" Quistis asked, moving to one side of the vast room to search for them.
There's nothing here but machine, computers and remnants of Odine's junk! I don't see him, Rinoa or Matron. Forget Ultimecia! If she poses as a real threat, then I'll start to worry.
"Over here!" Selphie's shout rang into Squall's mind and he found himself running towards her.
Selphie stood before a similar transparent casement, this time the size of a normal human being and this time someone was inside. Squall wasn't sure how to react. Should he puke and make an even greater mess of the current situation, or rant and rave like a childish brat? Either way, it wasn't going to ease the problem, help anyone, and least of all help Rinoa or Matron. Standing close to the think glass casement, Squall let out a sigh of regret and helplessness, his breath causing the glass to condense. Rinoa. . . what have I done? You're. . . He couldn't bring about the words in his mind, let alone say them.
Her eyes gazed back at him a hollow distant manner, and Squall felt himself blink back the tears that threatened to spill any minute now. Seifer was not happy at all because it was Ultimecia he was after, and they were wasting time by dawdling around like sitting Chocobos!
"Awesome!" Zell's enthusiastic voice broke both their thoughts, when he caught sight of a huge mechanical spider lying dormant amongst piles of metal and other bits and pieces. "Hey, kinda looks like. . ."
Yes, Squall knew what Zell was going to say. Déjà vu was occurring all over again. X-ATM092, Squall thought. The great huge metallic monster that had chased Squall, Zell and Selphie during their efforts to get down to the beach, when an announcement was made that the ships would be leaving within thirty minutes - this was during their field exam in the town of Dollet - on the Galbadian continent. Seifer, who had not bothered to stick around and wait for them, high tailed it back to the beach before any of them, and so was fortunate enough not to fight the X-ATM092 monstrosity.
The mechanical creation had been relentless to let them escape and had ran after them even when they were all frantically running down the beach and towards the ships. In the end, Squall owed it all to Instructor Trepe, who from the ship had eliminated the mechanical spider in a flurry of rapid fired bullets. She, Zell, Selphie, Seifer and himself stared at the hunk of metal now that lay so peacefully, reminiscing on those memories. Squall was surprised he still remembered them. Although he had not used the Guardian Forces as frequently as he had thought he would, Squall however did feel that he would be calling upon the assistance of Quezacotl, Shiva and the rest of the other GF's they had acquired over time. All the memories of the past were very precious to him, to all of them. He hoped that those very memories would not be lost, because that was all he had to recall by.
Turning to face where Rinoa-Edea was self-contained, Squall drew out his gun-blade and hacked at the lock - it was not computerised. The glass confinement slid open easily, causing the body inside to fall forward, Squall catching the body of the person he loved, and another who had acted as a mother for him for a fair amount in his life. Holding her in his arms, Squall was about to tell his team to move out, when the sudden burst of alarm bells startled everyone and stopped him from speaking. No! The lock - it was connected to the alarm system! Of course anyone with the key would have avoided triggering it.
Amid the frenzy of the unbearable ringing noise, a cool female voice began speaking in monotonous tones - the source coming from a number of fitted speakers in the laboratory. Each word was pronounced clearly and concisely, that none of the SeeDs made no mistake in doubting what had been said.
The self auto-destruct mechanism has been activated. Please evacuate immediately using the emergency exits, or process deactivation. You have five minutes. The self auto-destruct mechanism has been activated...
Ah, shit! Squall's thoughts whizzed inside his mind. They had five minutes to get the hell out of the research facility or else be totally obliterated to thousand pieces and be blown up into the ozone.
"Grab Rinoa- Edea, ah just grab her and let's get outta here!" Irvine shouted over the deafening sound of the alarm that seemed to increase in volume each time.
"Guys, wait! It said we could deactiv-" Zell shouted before being yanked away from the computer panels by Quistis.
"Zell, we don't have time," Quistis said, the expression on her face betrayed her usual cool exterior.
"But if I can find the computer that handles the self-destruct mechanism-"
"Argh! Forget about deactivating it, let's go!" Selphie wailed. "C'mon we only got-"
Three minutes - the speakers prompted her.
"Go, go, GO!!" Irvine yelled, raising his voice in panic. "I'm not gonna die like this!"
"Irvine, didn't think you had it in you to disclose your coolness," Seifer commented. Whilst there was pandemonium wreaking everywhere, he still couldn't help provide a little light humour to the situation.
"Can't disappoint all the ladies, can I now?" Irvine said with a smirk and tugged at his cowboy hat.
"Uh, I think we have a problem," Selphie's flat voice said, upon reaching the door.
"Problem?? We don't have time for a problem!" Zell said hopping madly about.
"The - the doors locked. Guys, we're sealed in!" Selphie said, her green eyes widening in fear and fright.
Three minutes twenty seconds.
The clank of metal distracted the six of them for only a brief moment. The clank was followed with a distinct sound that could only be made by a mechanical or robotic object.
"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Zell asked refusing to turn around to find whether his assumption was correct or not.
However Seifer did not hesitate and spun round with a deep frown on his face. They were locked deep inside the research facility and were going to be blown up. Nothing more worse could happen, could it?
"Oh. . . SHIT!!!!!" Seifer cursed loudly, watching what used to be a dormant X-ATM092 come to life. The mechanical beast flexed its metal claws in a menacing manner before taking any real notice of the pensive humans at the front entrance. "Hands up for those who wanna fight that thing?" No raise of hands. "Just between you guys and me, I'd rather be blasted up in the sky, than be annihilated by the robo-spider." Hurling an Ultima spell on the sealed door, Seifer grinned at Selphie and Quistis. "Hey, ladies first."
"I'll rev up the Ragnorak!" Selphie said running on ahead. Quistis however shook her head and took a step back.
"No," she said. "All of you, go ahead of me."
"Instructor!!" they all objected.
"Instructor - Quistis, don't-" Squall said, from the corner of his eye he could see the red lights on the mechanical spider flick on.
"Squall, all of you, don't - don't make me angry," Quistis said her voice shaking as she spoke, but her blue eyes blazing.
"Just do as I say and get onto the ship." She instructed.
Two minutes fifty seconds.
"Go. . . NOW!" nobody complained, Squall still carrying the body in his arms stared at her, his own blue eyes wavering.
"Squall, please," Quistis begged.
"C'mon Squall," Zell said urgently from the door. With one last glance, Squall and Zell left followed shortly by Irvine. Only she and Seifer remained behind in the laboratory with X-ATM092 and the blaring of the alarms. Quistis did not notice until Seifer spoke up.
"Seifer Almasy, what do you think you are doing?!" she demanded, hands on her hips but surprised at the same time.
"I'm nineteen Quistis, not seven," Seifer said lazily. "You think you can beat X-ATM092 all by yourself? I don't think Squall would like his instructor blown to pieces, or any of the others?"
Fighting her tangled up emotions, Quistis grimaced in anger and tightened her grip on her Save the Queen weapon. What are you doing Quistis?! Look at you! Do you think risking your life for the ones you love will prove anything, will do anything for you?! Hanging her head in submission, Quistis let a solitary tear slip down the side of her cheek and onto the floor. It did not escape unnoticed, and for once Seifer was unsure on what he should say.
Express my sympathy for her?! Oh geez, nobody has died in her life! Put an arm around her shoulder? Dammit, we don't have time for this!! Seifer thought angrily. Giving her a side glance, Seifer opened his mouth to say a few words to make her feel better - but that was before he saw the large metal claw raise above her, rushing down to crush her to a pulp.
"Instructor!" Seifer yelled lunging forward to tackle her to the ground and out of harms way.
"Seifer, what on earth are your trying to do?!" Quistis said angrily, pushing his body to one side, her eyes glittering in rage,
2 minutes 15 seconds
"Saving you from being Spidey mash," Seifer indicated at the large claw, which had created a large indent on the concrete floor. The mechanical beast was having a hard time pulling its metal limb out, Seifer took the opportunity to haul Quistis back onto her feet and tug her towards the only exit in the laboratory.
"Let go of me!!" Quistis shouted, shoving Seifer away from her. She did not have the GF Quezacotl, but she did have the spells Thundaga, Ultima and Meteor all stocked up to their maximum capacity of 100, for such an occasion as this.
Hurling all the spells that she had at the struggling beast, Quistis put all her years of experience as a SeeD and teacher to this one foe. Seifer watched her with disbelief - he had never known Quistis to act like a manic, it was a totally different side to her, he had never seen before. Loose from its hold, X-ATM092 used its in-built tracking device, and targeted its attacks on the sole person its inhuman eyes were trained on: Quistis. Seifer read the signs, and just when Quistis was about to throw another wave of magic spells at it, he held onto her raised arm, fast.
"No, no, NO!!" he said. "Leave it Quistis, you're out of your own league."
"I wouldn't be if you helped!" Quistis retorted.
"If it's an argument you want, we can do that later. Right now we'd better. . ."
There are 60 seconds remaining before the self-destruct mechanism is activated. 60 seconds. . .
"Yes?" she said impatiently.
"RUN!!"
Clutching the sides of the arm rests; Selphie squirmed in the pilot seat of the Ragnorak. "Ooh, where are they?!"
"They'll come," Irvine said.
"Try saying that with a bit more confidence," Zell said sarcastically, pacing back and forth on the bridge of the Ragnorak. "Man, they have about a minute left to get outta there."
"Yeah, what about take off? We'll get caught in the blast," Irvine pointed out.
"We'll all make it," Selphie said.
Somehow not everybody was convinced. Squall gazed worryingly outside the window of the ship, praying that the movement of two figures running madly outside of the research facility would soon appear.
It was a trap. A trap devised by a cleverly, but no doubt insane doctor, who's plans and tendencies stilled remained unclear. Odine had tried to kill then all, knowing that they would come after the Forest Owl leader and Orphanage owner. His plans will not succeed, Squall vowed to himself. I'll kill that man if Instructor Trepe dies, and. . . Seifer? Squall did not know about Seifer. Where had Seifer gone to anyway, he was meant to be following behind Irvine? All the time they had been through - since they had re-met at Timber - Seifer had become a handy ally. . . almost a friend. Was Seifer's motives true, to seek revenge against Ultimecia? Squall could not answer that, nor did he have the answer to it. Only Seifer knew the answer to that question, but would he live, wherever he had disappeared to, to say it to Squall's face? Perhaps. Right now the time was ticking seconds away for Quistis and Seifer, and all hope that they would make it out on time began to dwindle.