Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Resurrection - Rebirth of a Foe ❯ A Close Shave [part two] ( Chapter 11 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter Eleven - A Close Shave [part two]
"Hurry Instructor!" Seifer urged, still holding her by the hand as they continued to run blindly in the dark hallways, their every step pounding against the cold, hard floor like a hammer to the heart.
"Wait, slow down Seifer. . ." Quistis said breathless from their run.
"No, we can't stop. We can't. . . ah hell, that thing's still after us?!" he said, half in agitation and half complaint.
"Aura," Quistis said to him, her voice hoarse from the running.
"Aura? No, Quistis we-"
"Degenerator might work,"
45 seconds remaining
It'll take at least fifteen seconds at least to charge up, fifteen seconds we're not gonna have if we don't move now, fifteen seconds we can't afford to waste. Confused and perplexed, Seifer regrettably cast aura on the girl and saw the yellow-orange colours engulf her. X-ATM092 soon came into view, it's strange fixed gaze visible in the dark. That thing is something else, Seifer thought casting a triple dose of Ultima magic that sent the eerie eyes a few metres back, the metallic monster crashing against the side walls as it fell back.
To his own surprise, Quistis had not selected the Degenerator attack. Instead, the crack of a flurry of bullets filled Seifer's ears as they pummelled home, into the body of the crawling beast: Gatling Gun. X-ATM092 crashed further backwards, only when the flicker of the red lights that served as its eyes, disappear did Seifer once more grab Quistis' arm and run like crazy in the direction of sunlight, away from the nightmarish hellhole.
You have 30 seconds remaining.
"See them?" Selphie asked anxiously.
"No," Zell said miserably, slumping in his seat.
Come on Quistis, Squall silently pleases. Appear now.
"Hey, wait!" Zell said. "Oh, no it was nuthin'"
"Grr, what did she go and do that for?! Taking that chance, it's suicide!" Irvine exclaimed, taking his hat off to fan his face. All of a sudden the atmosphere in the bridge had become very tense.
"They're doomed!" Zell wailed.
"Don't say that!" Selphie snapped her face frightened.
"They're not gonna get out safely now, are they?!" Zell stormed.
"Arguing amongst ourselves is not going to help," Squall spoke in a struggled calm tone.
"Squall, I'm being realistic. They've got 20 seconds to get outta there. We need to get outside the radius of the blasting zone. No matter how fast the Ragnorak goes, we're gonna get caught in it if we don't get the ship up in the air and outta the way within. . . five seconds." Zell said.
We're not going to make it, Quistis thought running as fast as her legs could. I should have listened, should have realised. Now it's too late. Rounding up a corner, a glimmer of hope shone for the two of them. Taking on a burst of speed, Seifer ran like he had never ran before, hearing the speakers announce that there were 12 seconds remaining. Hurtling themselves into the sunlight, Quistis caught sight of the Ragnorak taking off.
11
"Wait!" she cried out, waving her arms madly above her head to catch their attention on the ship.
"Selphie, hold up!" Zell said, spotting the pink of Quistis' clothing and the blood red of the cross-sword on Seifer's coat. "They're here, they're coming."
10
"Faster, faster!" They've got to move faster!" Irvine said. "Selphie, get the ship up,"
"Man, they're coming! Just wait!" Zell said pushing Irvine roughly by the shoulder. "The hell are you trying to do Irvine, you wanna leave them there?"
"We're gonna get killed Zell if we don't get moving," Irvine bit back.
"Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!!" Selphie shouted to them. "Where's Squall, where did he go?"
Down below, Squall had ran to the hanger and slammed his palm against the emergency latch. The ramp opened and extended just as the Ragnorak began to slowly lift up into the air. Flinging rope down, he saw Seifer and Quistis.
9
"Here, grab on!" he yelled over the thrum of the Ragnorak's engine. Throwing himself forward, Seifer reached to grab hold of the end of the rope.
"Quistis!" Seifer called to her. Without warning the Ragnorak ascended further up into the air and feet or so.
8
"Seifer!" Quistis screamed her arms outstretched to take hold of his. "Don't leave me!"
"I won't. Squall, lower the rope a bit!" Seifer yelled to the other boy. "Quistis, grab my hand!"
"I can't reach!" she said, her voice frantic. 7, 6. . .
In a last act of desperation, the blond boy entwined the end rope around his ankles, leaving him suspended - upside down, his trench coat upturned and thrashing wildly about in the wind created by the take off of the ship. His hands found and held onto hers just when the Ragnorak was properly clear and lifted from the research facility's heliport, and racing away as fast it could, the lives of six young people depending on it.
The calm female voice only fell to the vast emptiness of the deep-sea research facility and to those of inhuman ears. One by one, the red eyes of X-ATM092 flicked on back to life, the mechanical beast oblivious to the fact that in five seconds it would be nothing more than a pile of useless metal junk, soaring endlessly up into the stratosphere and into orbit.
You have five seconds, four, three, two, one. Activation of the self-destruct mechanism, now.
A circuit that ran the whole depth and width of the research facility connected to the triggering system. With a clap that could have easily been mistaken of the sound of heavy thunder rumbling, and in an earth-shattering wave of tremors and sound, the deep sea research facility exploded.
Simultaneously other devices went off; computer panels in the deserted laboratory of Doc. Odine and security locks. The huge glass casement cracked into a million pieces - shards of glass flying haphazardly all over the place. Rock and concrete crumbled into dust, the floors giving way coupled by large fireballs rising high up into the air. X-ATM092 did not feel the slow tremor that gradually developed, and neither did it feel its self be decapitated at the head, and it's body convulse and erupt in the forceful blow. It's limbs separated from the rest of its body flailed helplessly as a surge of energy sent it and the remnants of the research facility shooting into the serene, early afternoon blue sky.