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FF Odyssey
Fan Fiction
Final Fantasy VIII: Final Call
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(Chapter)
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10
11 12
13 Epilogue |
Squall stood before the fully assembled crowd of SeeDs, and Seifer’s army, then watched as Jasmine came running from the dorms, and settled somewhere in the back, followed quickly by Miles, still buttoning his shirt.
Kids…
“Okay, everyone’s here, so we can begin. First off, I’d like to congratulate our three newest members of SeeD, Miles Animus, Jasmine Farway and Lee Reist. Congratulations all three of you.”
There was a mild applause.
“However, there is no time to celebrate. We have a job to do. Our mission is to take over Deling City. To do this, we’re sending in everything we’ve got, and taking the city from each side. This will be a coordinated, quick strike. Garden will air-drop the teams at every entrance to the city, then position itself over the city itself. With this accomplished, all teams will move in on the signal, and Further teams will drop from Garden into the center of the city. We will spread in or out, depending on where you start, and with the city secure, we will rendezvous at our original starting points for pickup. It is very simple people. Now, team assignments.
“All those with numbers ending in one or two, will be on A-Team. Three and four, go to B-Team. Five and six, C-Team. Seven and eight, you’re in D-Team. Nine and zero, go to E-Team, you’ll be airdropped into the center. As for Seifer’s group, you’ll be given your orders individually.
Squad Leaders are as followed. A-Team: Quistis. B-Team: Xu. C-Team: Zell. D-Team: Nida. E-Team: myself. Alright everyone, get moving!”
Squall watched in grim silence as people flew by him as everyone ran to their posts. Rinoa was on his team, and he wasn’t going to let her go far.
***
Miles cursed.
Doesn’t he know? Him and Rinoa, they’re married, doesn’t he want to be with her all the time. When they go into combat together, does he ever leave her side? Why the hell did this have to happen?
They had been separated. Miles had a number ending with seven, while Jasmine had a nine at the end of hers. They would be separated. Worse than that, Jasmine was going into the most dangerous part of the battle. With another curse, Miles stamped his foot and turned off towards his group.
***
Squall steadied himself in a crouch and watched the SeeDs as they gathered into a small crowd and began to naturally talk with each other about the random on goings of the day. Small talk. Gossip.
Waste of breath.
Squall pushed himself up and walked over to Rinoa, who was standing by the balcony, admiring the view.
“Estimate until deployment is about a half-hour, Rinoa.”
Rinoa smiled, “Since when does the estimate ever get it right?”
Squall nodded in agreement and stepped up beside her, leaning on the balcony also.
“You sure about this?”
“Squall, if you ask me that question one more time…”
Squall simply raised his arms in defeat, “Alright, alright. It’s just that you haven’t seen combat in a while.”
“Fighting is like riding a bike, Squall, once you learn, you never forget.”
Can’t argue with that.
Squall pushed back away from the balcony and surveyed the groups, checking each for proper equipment.
***
Miles stood straight up, leaning slightly on his gunblade as he twirled it around on the soft soil outside Deling City.
“Nervous?”
His habit was interrupted by A stranger behind him, and Miles turned to see Seifer Almasy standing, Hyperion in hand. Miles hesitated at first, then decided it would be better to answer the guy, even if he didn’t trust him.
“Why?”
Seifer laughed, a sickening laugh that spread throughout any area.
“I’ve seen enough nervous habits in my lifetime to recognize them on sight."
Miles nodded and turned back towards Deling, trying to signal his discomfort in the situation.
I just don’t understand it. Squall seems to actually trust the guy. I don’t know him at all, and I don’t trust him. Squall was his mortal enemy, and seems to welcome him with open arms.
Seifer ignored the signal, and stood right beside Miles.
“Kid, weren’t you one of the guys who found me.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re the one who spotted the army.”
Miles looked to his left, Seifer was simply staring straight ahead, presenting all of this as a fact, they weren’t really questions.
“…Yes.”
“That was your test.”
“Yes.”
“Looks like you passed.”
Get to the point.
“Yes.”
“Not one for conversation, are you?”
“Oh, I love conversation, when it IS a conversation.”
The comment served for two points. To point out the futility of Seifer’s speaking to him, and to hint yet again at the desire to be left alone. Seifer laughed that obnoxious laugh again.
“You are a kid after Squall’s own heart, I imagine.”
Was that an insult or a compliment?
Miles simply stared ahead.
Seifer continued, “Why are you nervous? You seem ready for combat.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.”
Seifer grinned and nodded, “Ah… so you’ve got someone out there. A SeeD?”
“Yes.”
“She’ll be fine, I’m sure.”
For some reason, Miles found that reassuring. Unfortunately, the comfort didn’t last long. A few moments afterwards, Nida snapped him out of it with a blood-curdling yell to go. Miles complied, not left much choice by the quickly moving crowd around him, and quickly became part of a human stampede into the streets of Deling City.
Miles thought ahead and moved himself towards the middle, rather than his original position at the front of the ‘herd’. It would be more dangerous at the vanguard. His theory was quickly proven as the first hostility was met. Soldiers leaped into the path of the group, brandishing guns and assorted weaponry. They opened fire, and with a series of loud pops, the first five of the group collapsed to the ground. They didn’t get a chance to fire again, as more SeeDs came down on them, overpowering and killing them. Miles wanted to stop himself, wanted to back out, he had just seen five people he knew die in an instant. Was it that quick? Some force pushed him on, however, and he kept with the pace of the group. Finally, the flow stopped, they had reached their prearranged destination.
Miles looked backwards. Where they had just been was now littered with bodies, mainly of soldiers, but a few of the fallen SeeDs. Those who were not dead, were being treated. Once again, his reflection time was cut short.
“Miles, Seifer and Alex, take the hotel!”
Miles turned, Nida was yelling out directions to clear buildings. He hesitated a moment, and was tapped on the shoulder by Alex, “Let’s go!”
Miles nodded and followed into the hotel, Seifer was already there, and he was intense. Seifer swung his Hyperion to his side, “Miles, Alex, investigate the bar, I’ll take the rooms, meet me up there!”
Miles grabbed Seifer, “I was here the other day. It’s a civilian hold-up. There’s no use.”
“There was no use then, there may be now!”
Without further word, Seifer ran into the elevator. Miles turned, and looked at Alex, who became a SeeD only the year before. He simply shrugged and the two entered the bar without caution.
Miles slowly walked over to the Piano. The aged instrument held a certain aura about it. Something important had happened here many years ago. Alex was over by the tables, paying little attention.
Miles shuddered as a sensation overcame him. The intangible sensations of something being very wrong. He quickly spun back around and caught a shadow move across the bar. He snapped his fingers, and Alex turned to him.
Miles gave a quick point over to the bar. Over there!
Alex mouthed, “Soldier?”
Miles nodded and shrugged at the same time. Most likely.
Miles drew his gunblade, and Alex slowly unholstered his pistol. Slowly, noiselessly, the pair approached the bar.
Too slow.
One soldier came up from the bar, another from behind the curtains, and another from the balcony. They all opened fire, and Miles threw himself at the bar. He barely cleared it, then pushed himself up in a roll, thrusting his gunblade into the soldier nearby. There was a moment of silence, then Miles yanked the blade out, sending the soldier to the floor in a heap with a dull thud.
Meanwhile, Alex was in a firefight with the soldier on the stage, jumping behind the booth for cover. Miles didn’t hesitate. He got up, aimed for the balcony, and fired the gunblade.
The gunblade, although more commonly used as a sword, also has the limited ability of short-range firearms. Which was exactly what Miles was counting on. The soldier grabbed his chest, and collapsed over the side of the balcony without a word. The sound of the landing was sickening.
Alex had already finished the guy on stage, and turned to Miles, “Civilian zone, huh?”
“It was yesterday.”
Seifer came in, obviously in a rush, “What the hell just happened?”
Alex strutted over the stairs, holstering the pistol again, “Ambush, we’re fine, they’re not.”
Seifer nodded and glared slightly at Miles, “The rest of the hotel is clear, let’s go.”
***
Silence is a strange thing. It has the ability to scare, to sooth, and to cast doubt. Miles doubted right now. He had just walked head-on into an ambush, directly after claiming the area to be clear. Although no one outright mentioned to him, he knew what they were all thinking
See that guy? That Miles guy? He fouled up big time. Almost got himself and his team killed.
He had too. Let his guard down… stupid mistake! Stupid rookie mistake! He moped off into a corner and sat down, mentally beating himself up about it. No one tried to talk to him. It was almost taboo.
Moments passed. Various people were locked in conversation, and fingers would occasionally point his way. Eyes locked on him every once in a while, and one even was honest enough to walk up to Miles, shake his head slowly, and then walk away.
Suddenly, conversation turned to silence, and everyone locked their eyes on a figure stepping into the area. It was Squall. He held himself with a silent dignity, a bit of blood staining his cheek, obviously not his.
Nida walked over to Squall, and saluted. They engaged in a brief conversation, obviously a debriefing of some sort, and then Nida nodded and gestured towards Miles. Squall looked over briefly, then nodded, saluted, and walked away.
With that, Nida turned and gave out the order to withdraw; Deling City was back in Seifer’s control. Miles slowly pushed himself up, and then Nida came over to him.
“Squall wants you to stay there, Miles.”
Miles raised an eyebrow, and then reluctantly sat down.
Shit.
Five minutes passed, although it seemed like an hour. Miles’ thoughts raced faster than ever before.
This is it. You’re out of SeeD. You blew it. You almost got your team killed. Squall is gonna ask for your resignation, it’s all over now, man. Way to go…
“Mind if I sit?”
Miles looked up, and Squall stood, cleaned up now, but his clothes still showed the telltale signs of battle. Miles nodded, and Squall sat beside him.
“So, Miles, why’d that happen?”
Miles mused over it, “I screwed up, sir.”
“Some say that. That’s not what I asked though. WHY did you screw up?”
“Let my guard down.”
Squall laughed, “That’s pathetic. It’s an age-old excuse, you know that? I just didn’t see it coming, I let my guard down, I didn’t expect it…”
Miles shook his head, “That’s what happened. I made a mistake and let my guard down.”
“Nope. That wasn’t your mistake. I’m going to let you in on something, Miles. Battle… every detail of it, is mental. The mistakes,” Squall tapped his forehead, “are mental. You make a mistake up in your head, well before you make a mistake physically.”
“Isn’t that my mistake, sir? Mentally letting my guard down?”
“Nope, your mental mistake was keeping your guard up.”
“Sir?”
“Your guard wasn’t up on the right thing though. You were concerned with something else. I shouldn’t have had you assigned with Seifer. That was a mistake. You’ve grown up with stories of his evil deeds, and you were busy worrying about what he might do. Am I right?”
“Partially.”
“Partially?”
“Well, to be quite honest…”
Miles stalled. He shouldn’t say this. However, Squall simply nodded for him to go on.
“Sir, why did you separate us?”
“Separate who?”
“Me and Jasmine!”
“Well… it was random luck I suppose. I chose the numbers fair and accordingly.”
“You love Rinoa, right?”
“More than anything.”
“And what would you do if you couldn’t protect her?”
“Oh… I get it. I had no idea that the two of you were serious.”
“Semi-serious. But serious enough.”
“Well… I’ll keep that logged away. I’ll have to have the two of you on separate teams.”
“What?”
“Miles. If she’s away, and something happens, and there is no way that you could have done anything… it wouldn’t be your fault, and you know it. But what if you two are together? What if something happens then? Would it not have been within your abilities to protect her when you’re together? No… for both your sakes… you can’t be together too much.”
“Sir, respectfully, I…”
Suddenly, the area around them exploded with gunfire.
“THERE HE IS! GET HIM!”
Squall and Miles leaped up, and watched as Seifer ran full-tilt into the plaza, then continued his mad dash towards them.
He screamed, “YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!”
Squall nodded, and then pointed towards Garden. Seifer headed that way, and three soldiers followed him immediately. Squall fired a shot from the gunblade that stopped them in their tracks. One quickly turned and gave some return fire, which flew by Miles’ head. Almost in instinct, Miles wheeled around to the wall behind him, where there wasn’t a single mark.
What the hell? Must just be missing it.
He threw himself around again, and pulled out the gunblade. Together, him and Squall charged the soldiers. Miles body-slammed one, then swung the weapon across, just missing the soldier, who raised his weapon to fire, then collapsed to the ground. Squall stood behind the soldier, and behind him were two soldiers, already downed.
Shit. He is good.
Squall didn’t miss a beat, “They’ll be more of them in a minute, let’s go!”
Miles and Squall broke into a mad dash towards Garden. More soldiers followed, and they quickly numbered in the hundreds, all seemingly after Seifer. Seifer was in front of them, just a few hundred yards out, and closing on garden, and the exit of the city, fast. Unfortunately, the ship was in the air already.
Squall grabbed his radio without slowing down and screamed into it, “GO! GO! GO! MEET YOU AT EMERGENCY POINT 7A!”
With that, Garden began to slowly move away from Deling. Seifer halted and turned, his face suggesting anger. Squall ran right at him, then grabbed him by the sleeve and took a sharp turn right. Miles ran past them, and then halted himself, his shoes squeaking from the sharp stop. He lost his balance and fell, then pushed himself up and stared right into a bright light. There was a revving sound, and suddenly, a convertible, top down, came seemingly out of nowhere and made a short stop in front of him.
Squall was in the driver’s seat, and Seifer on the passenger side. Miles nodded and ran to the back, hopping over the door and into the seat. Squall didn’t waste a second, and the car was soon out of the city limits, and heading towards the rendezvous.
Seifer took a quick look behind them, where the army was tapering off. He sighed, and sat back in the seat. He was obviously beyond relief. Squall looked over at Seifer.
“What the hell was that?”
Seifer hesitated for a moment, “A mutiny.”
Miles jumped in, “A mutiny?”
Seifer became annoyed, “Yes, a damned mutiny. My entire army decided they wanted to overthrow me.”
Miles sat back again.
“Seifer,” Squall continued, “why?”
“I don’t know!”
Squall didn’t push it from there.