Summary: Well, here's the deal. This is a FF8, Cowboy Bebop AU crossover.
That means, that characters and themes from both are in this fic, but in
an AU setting. This is mainly a Squinoa, but also a Spaye, that is, A
Spike/Faye romance. You don't have to see the anime to understand this
fic, but if you haven't you really should. It's a work of art. I know
this is kind of a turn-off for some of you, but please bare with me. I
think you'll like it.
Disclaimer: FF8 characters and locations belong to Square Enix, Cowboy Bebop characters and locations belong to Yutaka Nanten, Hajime Yatate, Shinichiro Watanabe, and Sunrise Inc.
Session 1: Song of the Seraph
Scuffed black boots tapped lightly on the gold marble floor, tracking rainwater and dirt in from the streets outside the revolving glass door. The lobby of the building was a huge, open space, with tall white pillars, and a large, extravagant chandelier hanging down from the center of the high ceiling. Sofas and chairs with plush, red velvet cushions dotted the polished white walls, and stone dragon statues guarded the front desk.
The boots stopped in front of one of the statues, as the wearer studied the fierce visage and glittering ruby eyes of the Oriental-styled dragon. At the desk next to it, an older woman typed feverishly at her computer, never pausing from her work even to speak.
"Can I help you, Miss?"
"Yes," a soft voice answered, walking closer to the desk. A pair of warm chocolate orbs studied the woman. She wore silver-rimmed glasses, with golden hair pulled into a tight bun. Lines branched out from the corners of her eyes and lips, and she had a stern, no-nonsense look about her. "I'm here to see Mr. Spiegel."
The woman's hands stilled above her keyboard immediately. "There is no one by that name working here."
The woman in front of her sighed, running a hand through her long, raven locks of silk. "It's okay. I know who he is. I just need to get in to see him. Just tell him Rinoa Heartilly is here to see him."
The receptionist said nothing for a long moment, her mouth tugging downward into a scowl. "Where's your badge?" she asked quietly.
"What badge?"
"Don't play stupid, child. Your SeeD badge. You know, you're not the first young, ambitious agent to wander in here, thinking that you would single-handedly arrest Mr. Spiegel, and become a hero. Well, you've got the wrong place. He doesn't work here."
"So this isn't the Red Dragon Syndicate Head Quarters?" Rinoa asked.
"Of course not."
"Then surely, you'll have no problem with just calling up there and asking anyway. If you have nothing to hide, that is."
The woman smiled, unpleasantly. "You have three seconds to get out of here before I have security-"
At that moment, the elevator doors slid open with a small 'ding' and a tall, lanky figure stepped into the sparkling light of the lobby. "Hey, Margie!" he waved a long arm in the receptionist's direction, before shoving both hands into his pocket, and heading for the door with a calm stride and slightly hunched shoulders.
"M-Mr. Spieg-" Margie squeaked out in shock, before covering her mouth with a thin, wrinkled hand.
"Spike!"
The man turned in the direction of the voice just in time to see a blur of blue and black running at him, before jumping into his arms. He stumbled back a bit, laughing as he caught the young woman. "Rinoa?" he asked, once he'd finally regained his footing. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, that's certainly not the warm welcome I was expecting," Rinoa pouted. "I've come to get a job here." Her attempt at seriousness faltered, and she broke into a joyous grin. "I've finally decided. I'm not going to stay with That Man anymore. I'm going to live my own life. And you're going to help me!"
Spike ran a hand through his wild green hair that seemed to poke out in every direction but down. "I don't know. you shouldn't get involved here."
"Please? I can do it! Just give me a chance!" Rinoa pleaded. "You remember what it was like, don't you? To be locked in your room for hours at a time, to be constantly yelled at, and abused. I can't live that kind of life anymore, Spike."
"I guess the general hasn't changed any," Spike murmured, mostly to himself. "Figures. Well, okay. I'll give you a little test job tonight. If you can pull that off, you're in."
"Thanks!"
He laughed, his two-toned eyes dancing with carefree humor. "Hey, no problem. What else are big brothers for? Now, the first thing you have to know about working for a syndicate. stay away from SeeD, obviously. Oh, and of course. never get involved with bounty hunters."
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"Eighteen counts of being out after curfew. five counts of causing another student physical harm. twenty-five counts of gambling on premises. three-hundred counts of smoking violations!" Cid pushed his glasses up his nose and blinked. "This student should be expelled!"
"You're probably right, sir," the young, light-haired woman standing next to him replied.
"Then please explain to me, Ms. Trepe, how she became a SeeD?"
"She's quick, strong, and intelligent," Trepe replied. "If she would obey the rules, she'd make the perfect SeeD agent."
"And this one," he said, pointing to a picture of another student. "This one isn't even old enough to be a SeeD!"
"Yes, sir," the woman answered. "Still, despite her age and strange behavior, she is a brilliant hacker."
Finally, Cid moved on to one last file, and studied it closely, squinting his eyes in concentration. "This one seems accident prone. Not very becoming of a SeeD."
"I agree. His only fault, however, is that he tries to hard. I certainly couldn't fail him for that. He gets too nervous sometimes, and just. well, you can see the report for yourself, sir."
"Whatever the case, we can't afford to have any accidents on our next mission."
"That's why I asked to talk to you, sir. You know as well as I, that the process of firing, or expelling SeeD agents is a long, tedious one. We don't have time for it. Our operation goes into affect in less than a month. Therefore, in order to get these three agents out of the way, I thought we could send them on a separate mission. away from here."
He chuckled. "Quistis, dear, whatever mission we might send them on is bound to be a doomed one. I doubt it would keep them away long enough."
"Yes, but if, for some reason, they were to fail this mission, and let's face it, they will, then that would be grounds for immediate termination. without all the paperwork and red tape normally involved."
"In other words, we send them on this impossible mission of yours, wait until the inevitable takes place and they screw up royally, then fire them so we can get on with our own mission without having to worry about these slackers messing things up?"
"Well, when you put it that way." Quistis began.
"I like it," Cid announced. "Let's do it."
On the other side of the thick, oak double doors that led to Cid's office, a beautiful, violet-haired woman sat on the Headmaster's side of the desk, a deck of cards fanned out in her hand. She gazed over the top of her hand to her opponent, a young man with wide eyes, and sweat beads forming on his forehead. He ran a hand nervously through his dark hair as he stared at his own cards.
"This one." he murmured, reaching for a card. "Wait, no! This one!"
The woman across from him shook her head, a cigarette hanging precariously from her ruby lips. "Just go already," she growled, her smooth voice slightly muffled by the stick of nicotine. "I told you, it's just a friendly game. Nothing to lose."
The man bit his lip, before grabbing a card and slapping it down with a worried sigh. The girl studied the card with curious, jade-colored eyes. It was one she had never seen before, and being the card shark that she was, she had seen all of them. On the front of the card was a lovely, pale young woman with dark hair and make-up covering her face. There were two A's, one at the top, and one on the right side, proving that it was a high level card. A spark ran through her eyes as she stared at the card, but decided it would be easier for her if she didn't draw attention to it. Instead she discretely reached up her sleeve, pulling out one of her high level duplicates and replacing it with a low-level beast card that she had drawn because of the random rule.
She slammed down the celebrity level card, taking advantage of the exposed three on his mysterious card. The card turned in her favor. "I win," she said, her lips rising into a grin. "So, as my prize, how about I take this card?"
"No way! That's my best one!" he exclaimed. "You said it was just a friendly game!"
Before anything more could be said between them, Cid and Quistis entered the room. "This isn't the place for cards!" Cid bellowed at them.
"Y-Yes sir!" the dark-haired man squeaked out as he stood to salute. She took this moment while he was distracted to gather up the cards and slip his 'best one' into the inner hem of her sleeve, before handing the rest of his deck back to him.
"Ms. Valentine, how many times do I have to tell you, there is no smoking on grounds? And what the hell are you doing in my chair?" Cid demanded.
Valentine put her cigarette out against the polished wood of his desk, moving to a chair on the other side. "So sorry," she replied apathetically.
Cid turned red in the face, opening his mouth to scream in rage. Quistis' hand on his arm reminded him of their plan, and he calmed down long enough to take a deep breath. "Ms. Valentine, Mr. Tivrusky, Mr. Uh, what was your last name again?"
"Just call me Nida!" Valentine's opponent screeched as he eagerly saluted the headmaster once more.
"Calm down, son. Now where is Mr. Tivrusky?"
Valentine rolled her eyes as a small, thin figure with long, flailing limbs pounced into the seat next to her, nearly causing it to tip over. "Edward's a girl," she corrected.
"Edward is Edward!" the girl exclaimed.
"Right." Cid replied. "Never mind that. Faye Valentine, Edward Tivrusky, Nida. um, Nida. you've all been called here for a mission."
"Itchy, itchy, Edward is itchy!" Ed sang, squirming around in her stiff SeeD uniform.
Cid sighed, shaking his head. "The three of you will be going to Dollet for a covert operation. You will be accompanied by Quistis Trepe, who will oversee this mission."
"What?" Quistis hissed as she turned to her superior.
"If we let them go without any guidance whatsoever, they're likely to destroy the whole city," Cid whispered back. "Anyway," he began again, "You will go to the docks and rent an old fishing boat, something small, that could pass for abandoned, but with enough space for at least three of you to live in. You will park the boat near dock C, which is believed to be under syndicate control. Edward, you will be the team's hacker. Be sure to bring your computer, if you have one."
"Roger!" Ed called, jumping down from her seat and running about the room, arms out straight like the wings of an airplane. "Edward gets to ride a ship! VROOM! VROOM!"
"Quistis and Nida will stay on the ship as supports," Cid continued, trying to ignore the deranged teenager. "Faye. you will attempt to join the Red Dragon Syndicate, and gather information from the inside. All of you be careful, and don't get caught! You leave tomorrow morning," he finished, before heading back into his office.
"You heard the man," Quistis sighed. "Go and get ready. Oh, and Faye."
"Yeah?"
"This is a mission. Not a chance for you to steal money. Also." Quistis waited until the room was empty, save for the two of them. "I hear that the head of the syndicate is an awfully charming man. We can't have you falling for the target. Understood?"
Faye rolled her eyes. "The only thing I'm interested in is getting this mission done so I can get paid for it. No man will ever get over on me."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)
Rinoa's grip on the strap of her backpack tightened as she turned the corner and started down the infamous 'Venus Ave.'. Her brother's instructions echoed in her head, as she tried to act as casual as possible.
"This should be easy enough," he had told her. "SeeDs, and cops tend to avoid Venus Avenue. It's a hot spot for syndicate, and gang members, as well as bounty hunters. cops prefer not to head into hostile territory like that. It's a bit more than most of them can handle. Watch yourself, though. Aside from other Red Dragon members, you don't know who you can trust."
"Bounty hunters?" Rinoa repeated.
Spike laughed. "So long as you don't have a bounty on your head, they couldn't care less what you do. I don't suggest stopping to talk with them, though. They aren't always the nicest of people."
No one on this street looked nice, or friendly. They stared at her, knowing that she wasn't like them. Dressing the part was easy; playing the part was another matter. She tried to ignore them, and keep going, her eyes searching the numerous neon signs for the one she'd been instructed to go to.
She finally found herself standing in front of 'Flying Dragon Tattoo and Piercing Studio'. She peered inside the window, noticing that the place seemed mostly empty.
"You should always be careful when dealing with a customer," Spike had said. "But this one is trust worthy enough. He and I have been doing business for quite some time. Just go in, give him the bag, let him check it out, then take the money and leave."
Rinoa took a deep breath as she placed her hand upon the door, her heartbeat thundering uncontrollably in her chest. The instructions were so simple, and yet. the more she thought about what she was doing, the more she saw prison life in her future.
"No turning back now," she murmured, pushing open the glass door, and nearly leaping from her skin when a little bell over the door jingled to signal her arrival. A tall blonde-haired man was standing in the front room, peeling latex gloves from his hands. What really caught her eye, however, was the slightly shorter man standing next to him.
"How long until I can take the bandage off?" he asked, grabbing a white shirt from a sofa and starting to pull it over his head. Rinoa could only stand there in silence, eyes taking in every perfect contour of his muscular chest until it was hidden once more from her eyes. He had shaggy brown hair that fell softly into his face, and what appeared to be a scar on his forehead.
"Not long," the blonde answered. "Just keep checking it."
The brunette nodded his thanks, before both men turned to look at the silent intruder. "Can I help you, Miss?" the blonde grinned, eyeing her.
She bit her lip slightly, heat flooding her cheeks as she struggled to remember what it was she was supposed to say. The tall one watched her carefully, but she hardly noticed. Instead she was painfully aware of the feeling of the brunette's icy blue gaze upon her. "I-I. I was thinking of a. red-eyed angel." she choked out. "A tattoo." she added helpfully.
"I see. Excellent choice. My name is Seifer, by the way," the bigger man announced. He shot a look at his most recent customer, who was now staring at the ground, shaking his head.
"Amateurs," he mumbled.
Seifer broke into a laugh. "Hey, didn't the last bounty head you caught have a tattoo of a red-eyed angel?" he asked of the man.
"B-bounty." Rinoa stammered.
"Yeah, sure did," the other man replied as he grabbed his coat. "A young woman, too. they're always the easiest to catch."
With that he brushed past Rinoa and left, a delightful scent lingering in the air around her, even after he was gone. She took a deep breath, hoping to calm her nerves, before she cautiously approached Seifer.
"So, a red-eyed angel, huh? That's just what I was thinking too," he said, his eyes settling on her navy backpack. She slid it off her shoulder, wordlessly, and handed it to him. He unzipped it and peered inside, a smile crossing his face. "Red eye, and angel dust. Just what I ordered. I'll have some very happy customers, thanks to you."
She just nodded. "The money?"
"Oh, of course, my dear. Follow me."
Hesitantly, she did as she was told following him into a back room filled with packaged needles, ink, and boxes of gloves. He tossed the bag behind a large box toward the back, before wheeling around and pinning Rinoa to the wall.
"Let go of me!" She screamed, struggling and starting to cry at the same time.
He grabbed her by the arms and held her still. "Is that all you got? Too easy," he whispered next to her ear, before placing a short kiss on her cheek. With that, he let her go, and shook his head. "Spike really did send an amateur. That's not like him."
"You. you were just testing me?" she demanded.
Seifer nodded. "Yeah. It was for your own good. First lesson of delivering 'merchandise': never allow your customers to lead you into unknown territory, if you can help it. And, in the event that something does go awry, which will happen often, you should be prepared. Do you even know how to fight?"
"Of course," she shot back in defense. "I've known ever since I was little!"
Seifer just shook his head once more. "You better be extra careful with that pretty face of yours," he warned. "Maybe you should just go find you a decent job somewhere?"
"I can't do that," Rinoa replied quietly. "But I can do this! I have to!"
"Well, you have a long way to go before you master this career. In the mean time, this job's not gonna be kind to you," he told her as he led her back into the front room. He stepped behind the counter, and opened up the cash register, taking out a stack of bills and handing it to her.
"That man that was here." she began hesitantly, attempting to change the topic, and dig for information at the same time. "Who is he?"
"Trust me, someone like you, doesn't want to get involved with him."
"What do you mean, someone like me?"
"Just take your money and hurry back before it gets too dark. Tell Spike I said 'hi' if you get the chance."
Rinoa left without another word, falling into a sulky mood. "No one seems to think I can do this. not even Spike. I'll have to find some way to show them, that I'm not a little girl anymore."
Her feet came to a sudden stop on the sidewalk, and she found herself looking around for a foreign, yet familiar face. "Who was that man?" she wondered aloud. "Why do I feel. like I have to see him again?"
**
See ya space cowboy.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)(*) A/N: *cringes* Fireproof suit now?
Next session: Secrets, lies, and a tale of tragedy untold... an enigma, hidden beneath the winter frost. To awake, as if from a dream, and stare into the eyes of a heavenly stranger... reality, or just a deathly fantasy? Session 2: Bounty Hunter Blues
Disclaimer: FF8 characters and locations belong to Square Enix, Cowboy Bebop characters and locations belong to Yutaka Nanten, Hajime Yatate, Shinichiro Watanabe, and Sunrise Inc.
Session 1: Song of the Seraph
Scuffed black boots tapped lightly on the gold marble floor, tracking rainwater and dirt in from the streets outside the revolving glass door. The lobby of the building was a huge, open space, with tall white pillars, and a large, extravagant chandelier hanging down from the center of the high ceiling. Sofas and chairs with plush, red velvet cushions dotted the polished white walls, and stone dragon statues guarded the front desk.
The boots stopped in front of one of the statues, as the wearer studied the fierce visage and glittering ruby eyes of the Oriental-styled dragon. At the desk next to it, an older woman typed feverishly at her computer, never pausing from her work even to speak.
"Can I help you, Miss?"
"Yes," a soft voice answered, walking closer to the desk. A pair of warm chocolate orbs studied the woman. She wore silver-rimmed glasses, with golden hair pulled into a tight bun. Lines branched out from the corners of her eyes and lips, and she had a stern, no-nonsense look about her. "I'm here to see Mr. Spiegel."
The woman's hands stilled above her keyboard immediately. "There is no one by that name working here."
The woman in front of her sighed, running a hand through her long, raven locks of silk. "It's okay. I know who he is. I just need to get in to see him. Just tell him Rinoa Heartilly is here to see him."
The receptionist said nothing for a long moment, her mouth tugging downward into a scowl. "Where's your badge?" she asked quietly.
"What badge?"
"Don't play stupid, child. Your SeeD badge. You know, you're not the first young, ambitious agent to wander in here, thinking that you would single-handedly arrest Mr. Spiegel, and become a hero. Well, you've got the wrong place. He doesn't work here."
"So this isn't the Red Dragon Syndicate Head Quarters?" Rinoa asked.
"Of course not."
"Then surely, you'll have no problem with just calling up there and asking anyway. If you have nothing to hide, that is."
The woman smiled, unpleasantly. "You have three seconds to get out of here before I have security-"
At that moment, the elevator doors slid open with a small 'ding' and a tall, lanky figure stepped into the sparkling light of the lobby. "Hey, Margie!" he waved a long arm in the receptionist's direction, before shoving both hands into his pocket, and heading for the door with a calm stride and slightly hunched shoulders.
"M-Mr. Spieg-" Margie squeaked out in shock, before covering her mouth with a thin, wrinkled hand.
"Spike!"
The man turned in the direction of the voice just in time to see a blur of blue and black running at him, before jumping into his arms. He stumbled back a bit, laughing as he caught the young woman. "Rinoa?" he asked, once he'd finally regained his footing. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, that's certainly not the warm welcome I was expecting," Rinoa pouted. "I've come to get a job here." Her attempt at seriousness faltered, and she broke into a joyous grin. "I've finally decided. I'm not going to stay with That Man anymore. I'm going to live my own life. And you're going to help me!"
Spike ran a hand through his wild green hair that seemed to poke out in every direction but down. "I don't know. you shouldn't get involved here."
"Please? I can do it! Just give me a chance!" Rinoa pleaded. "You remember what it was like, don't you? To be locked in your room for hours at a time, to be constantly yelled at, and abused. I can't live that kind of life anymore, Spike."
"I guess the general hasn't changed any," Spike murmured, mostly to himself. "Figures. Well, okay. I'll give you a little test job tonight. If you can pull that off, you're in."
"Thanks!"
He laughed, his two-toned eyes dancing with carefree humor. "Hey, no problem. What else are big brothers for? Now, the first thing you have to know about working for a syndicate. stay away from SeeD, obviously. Oh, and of course. never get involved with bounty hunters."
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"Eighteen counts of being out after curfew. five counts of causing another student physical harm. twenty-five counts of gambling on premises. three-hundred counts of smoking violations!" Cid pushed his glasses up his nose and blinked. "This student should be expelled!"
"You're probably right, sir," the young, light-haired woman standing next to him replied.
"Then please explain to me, Ms. Trepe, how she became a SeeD?"
"She's quick, strong, and intelligent," Trepe replied. "If she would obey the rules, she'd make the perfect SeeD agent."
"And this one," he said, pointing to a picture of another student. "This one isn't even old enough to be a SeeD!"
"Yes, sir," the woman answered. "Still, despite her age and strange behavior, she is a brilliant hacker."
Finally, Cid moved on to one last file, and studied it closely, squinting his eyes in concentration. "This one seems accident prone. Not very becoming of a SeeD."
"I agree. His only fault, however, is that he tries to hard. I certainly couldn't fail him for that. He gets too nervous sometimes, and just. well, you can see the report for yourself, sir."
"Whatever the case, we can't afford to have any accidents on our next mission."
"That's why I asked to talk to you, sir. You know as well as I, that the process of firing, or expelling SeeD agents is a long, tedious one. We don't have time for it. Our operation goes into affect in less than a month. Therefore, in order to get these three agents out of the way, I thought we could send them on a separate mission. away from here."
He chuckled. "Quistis, dear, whatever mission we might send them on is bound to be a doomed one. I doubt it would keep them away long enough."
"Yes, but if, for some reason, they were to fail this mission, and let's face it, they will, then that would be grounds for immediate termination. without all the paperwork and red tape normally involved."
"In other words, we send them on this impossible mission of yours, wait until the inevitable takes place and they screw up royally, then fire them so we can get on with our own mission without having to worry about these slackers messing things up?"
"Well, when you put it that way." Quistis began.
"I like it," Cid announced. "Let's do it."
On the other side of the thick, oak double doors that led to Cid's office, a beautiful, violet-haired woman sat on the Headmaster's side of the desk, a deck of cards fanned out in her hand. She gazed over the top of her hand to her opponent, a young man with wide eyes, and sweat beads forming on his forehead. He ran a hand nervously through his dark hair as he stared at his own cards.
"This one." he murmured, reaching for a card. "Wait, no! This one!"
The woman across from him shook her head, a cigarette hanging precariously from her ruby lips. "Just go already," she growled, her smooth voice slightly muffled by the stick of nicotine. "I told you, it's just a friendly game. Nothing to lose."
The man bit his lip, before grabbing a card and slapping it down with a worried sigh. The girl studied the card with curious, jade-colored eyes. It was one she had never seen before, and being the card shark that she was, she had seen all of them. On the front of the card was a lovely, pale young woman with dark hair and make-up covering her face. There were two A's, one at the top, and one on the right side, proving that it was a high level card. A spark ran through her eyes as she stared at the card, but decided it would be easier for her if she didn't draw attention to it. Instead she discretely reached up her sleeve, pulling out one of her high level duplicates and replacing it with a low-level beast card that she had drawn because of the random rule.
She slammed down the celebrity level card, taking advantage of the exposed three on his mysterious card. The card turned in her favor. "I win," she said, her lips rising into a grin. "So, as my prize, how about I take this card?"
"No way! That's my best one!" he exclaimed. "You said it was just a friendly game!"
Before anything more could be said between them, Cid and Quistis entered the room. "This isn't the place for cards!" Cid bellowed at them.
"Y-Yes sir!" the dark-haired man squeaked out as he stood to salute. She took this moment while he was distracted to gather up the cards and slip his 'best one' into the inner hem of her sleeve, before handing the rest of his deck back to him.
"Ms. Valentine, how many times do I have to tell you, there is no smoking on grounds? And what the hell are you doing in my chair?" Cid demanded.
Valentine put her cigarette out against the polished wood of his desk, moving to a chair on the other side. "So sorry," she replied apathetically.
Cid turned red in the face, opening his mouth to scream in rage. Quistis' hand on his arm reminded him of their plan, and he calmed down long enough to take a deep breath. "Ms. Valentine, Mr. Tivrusky, Mr. Uh, what was your last name again?"
"Just call me Nida!" Valentine's opponent screeched as he eagerly saluted the headmaster once more.
"Calm down, son. Now where is Mr. Tivrusky?"
Valentine rolled her eyes as a small, thin figure with long, flailing limbs pounced into the seat next to her, nearly causing it to tip over. "Edward's a girl," she corrected.
"Edward is Edward!" the girl exclaimed.
"Right." Cid replied. "Never mind that. Faye Valentine, Edward Tivrusky, Nida. um, Nida. you've all been called here for a mission."
"Itchy, itchy, Edward is itchy!" Ed sang, squirming around in her stiff SeeD uniform.
Cid sighed, shaking his head. "The three of you will be going to Dollet for a covert operation. You will be accompanied by Quistis Trepe, who will oversee this mission."
"What?" Quistis hissed as she turned to her superior.
"If we let them go without any guidance whatsoever, they're likely to destroy the whole city," Cid whispered back. "Anyway," he began again, "You will go to the docks and rent an old fishing boat, something small, that could pass for abandoned, but with enough space for at least three of you to live in. You will park the boat near dock C, which is believed to be under syndicate control. Edward, you will be the team's hacker. Be sure to bring your computer, if you have one."
"Roger!" Ed called, jumping down from her seat and running about the room, arms out straight like the wings of an airplane. "Edward gets to ride a ship! VROOM! VROOM!"
"Quistis and Nida will stay on the ship as supports," Cid continued, trying to ignore the deranged teenager. "Faye. you will attempt to join the Red Dragon Syndicate, and gather information from the inside. All of you be careful, and don't get caught! You leave tomorrow morning," he finished, before heading back into his office.
"You heard the man," Quistis sighed. "Go and get ready. Oh, and Faye."
"Yeah?"
"This is a mission. Not a chance for you to steal money. Also." Quistis waited until the room was empty, save for the two of them. "I hear that the head of the syndicate is an awfully charming man. We can't have you falling for the target. Understood?"
Faye rolled her eyes. "The only thing I'm interested in is getting this mission done so I can get paid for it. No man will ever get over on me."
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Rinoa's grip on the strap of her backpack tightened as she turned the corner and started down the infamous 'Venus Ave.'. Her brother's instructions echoed in her head, as she tried to act as casual as possible.
"This should be easy enough," he had told her. "SeeDs, and cops tend to avoid Venus Avenue. It's a hot spot for syndicate, and gang members, as well as bounty hunters. cops prefer not to head into hostile territory like that. It's a bit more than most of them can handle. Watch yourself, though. Aside from other Red Dragon members, you don't know who you can trust."
"Bounty hunters?" Rinoa repeated.
Spike laughed. "So long as you don't have a bounty on your head, they couldn't care less what you do. I don't suggest stopping to talk with them, though. They aren't always the nicest of people."
No one on this street looked nice, or friendly. They stared at her, knowing that she wasn't like them. Dressing the part was easy; playing the part was another matter. She tried to ignore them, and keep going, her eyes searching the numerous neon signs for the one she'd been instructed to go to.
She finally found herself standing in front of 'Flying Dragon Tattoo and Piercing Studio'. She peered inside the window, noticing that the place seemed mostly empty.
"You should always be careful when dealing with a customer," Spike had said. "But this one is trust worthy enough. He and I have been doing business for quite some time. Just go in, give him the bag, let him check it out, then take the money and leave."
Rinoa took a deep breath as she placed her hand upon the door, her heartbeat thundering uncontrollably in her chest. The instructions were so simple, and yet. the more she thought about what she was doing, the more she saw prison life in her future.
"No turning back now," she murmured, pushing open the glass door, and nearly leaping from her skin when a little bell over the door jingled to signal her arrival. A tall blonde-haired man was standing in the front room, peeling latex gloves from his hands. What really caught her eye, however, was the slightly shorter man standing next to him.
"How long until I can take the bandage off?" he asked, grabbing a white shirt from a sofa and starting to pull it over his head. Rinoa could only stand there in silence, eyes taking in every perfect contour of his muscular chest until it was hidden once more from her eyes. He had shaggy brown hair that fell softly into his face, and what appeared to be a scar on his forehead.
"Not long," the blonde answered. "Just keep checking it."
The brunette nodded his thanks, before both men turned to look at the silent intruder. "Can I help you, Miss?" the blonde grinned, eyeing her.
She bit her lip slightly, heat flooding her cheeks as she struggled to remember what it was she was supposed to say. The tall one watched her carefully, but she hardly noticed. Instead she was painfully aware of the feeling of the brunette's icy blue gaze upon her. "I-I. I was thinking of a. red-eyed angel." she choked out. "A tattoo." she added helpfully.
"I see. Excellent choice. My name is Seifer, by the way," the bigger man announced. He shot a look at his most recent customer, who was now staring at the ground, shaking his head.
"Amateurs," he mumbled.
Seifer broke into a laugh. "Hey, didn't the last bounty head you caught have a tattoo of a red-eyed angel?" he asked of the man.
"B-bounty." Rinoa stammered.
"Yeah, sure did," the other man replied as he grabbed his coat. "A young woman, too. they're always the easiest to catch."
With that he brushed past Rinoa and left, a delightful scent lingering in the air around her, even after he was gone. She took a deep breath, hoping to calm her nerves, before she cautiously approached Seifer.
"So, a red-eyed angel, huh? That's just what I was thinking too," he said, his eyes settling on her navy backpack. She slid it off her shoulder, wordlessly, and handed it to him. He unzipped it and peered inside, a smile crossing his face. "Red eye, and angel dust. Just what I ordered. I'll have some very happy customers, thanks to you."
She just nodded. "The money?"
"Oh, of course, my dear. Follow me."
Hesitantly, she did as she was told following him into a back room filled with packaged needles, ink, and boxes of gloves. He tossed the bag behind a large box toward the back, before wheeling around and pinning Rinoa to the wall.
"Let go of me!" She screamed, struggling and starting to cry at the same time.
He grabbed her by the arms and held her still. "Is that all you got? Too easy," he whispered next to her ear, before placing a short kiss on her cheek. With that, he let her go, and shook his head. "Spike really did send an amateur. That's not like him."
"You. you were just testing me?" she demanded.
Seifer nodded. "Yeah. It was for your own good. First lesson of delivering 'merchandise': never allow your customers to lead you into unknown territory, if you can help it. And, in the event that something does go awry, which will happen often, you should be prepared. Do you even know how to fight?"
"Of course," she shot back in defense. "I've known ever since I was little!"
Seifer just shook his head once more. "You better be extra careful with that pretty face of yours," he warned. "Maybe you should just go find you a decent job somewhere?"
"I can't do that," Rinoa replied quietly. "But I can do this! I have to!"
"Well, you have a long way to go before you master this career. In the mean time, this job's not gonna be kind to you," he told her as he led her back into the front room. He stepped behind the counter, and opened up the cash register, taking out a stack of bills and handing it to her.
"That man that was here." she began hesitantly, attempting to change the topic, and dig for information at the same time. "Who is he?"
"Trust me, someone like you, doesn't want to get involved with him."
"What do you mean, someone like me?"
"Just take your money and hurry back before it gets too dark. Tell Spike I said 'hi' if you get the chance."
Rinoa left without another word, falling into a sulky mood. "No one seems to think I can do this. not even Spike. I'll have to find some way to show them, that I'm not a little girl anymore."
Her feet came to a sudden stop on the sidewalk, and she found herself looking around for a foreign, yet familiar face. "Who was that man?" she wondered aloud. "Why do I feel. like I have to see him again?"
**
See ya space cowboy.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)(*) A/N: *cringes* Fireproof suit now?
Next session: Secrets, lies, and a tale of tragedy untold... an enigma, hidden beneath the winter frost. To awake, as if from a dream, and stare into the eyes of a heavenly stranger... reality, or just a deathly fantasy? Session 2: Bounty Hunter Blues