"You're going to have to hole up here for awhile," Seifer stated to the resistance group gathered in their room. "We want Rueday to think you're dead, so you're going to cease the activities for a while." Quistis nodded her agreement. "We do need someone to join us though, preferable someone who Rueday has never seen or doesn't know the name of. Things are easier with three people."
Paige stepped forward. "I will. Rueday might know my name, but he doesn't know who has that name."
"All right," Quistis nodded, wondering why Paige wasn't the leader if it was mainly her Rueday wanted dead. Joe stepped in front of Paige. "No, I will."
The redhead glared at him angrily. "What are you doing?"
"Saving your ass," Joe responded through his teeth. "Do you really think Rueday doesn't know who you are?!"
"I don't need to be saved!" she exclaimed, neatly sidestepping the question.
"That's what Rinoa always said and you know how true that was!" Joe shot back. A long silence ensued.
"I'm not Rinoa," Paige replied finally. "But I don't need to tell you- any of you-that. I thought I'd be doing you all a favor, getting out of the way," Paige added, emotionlessly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Joe demanded.
In response, Paige stepped around him to stand in front of the SeeDs. Seifer and Quistis watched curiously as she silently withdrew a knife and sliced a wound on each hand. Joe's eyes grew wide and he lunged for her, but she quickly placed her bleeding hands on the SeeDs, one on Seifer and one on Quistis. Joe was knocked to the ground by an invisible wall. "No, Paige! Don't!"
Uneasy now, Quistis tried to move away, but found herself frozen in place by the girl's hand. Seifer didn't move, just watched through narrowed eyes as Paige bowed her head and murmured something. Abruptly the wall disappeared and Paige stepped back. "It is done." Her eyes flickered and she tightened her fingers around her wounds, hissing through gritted teeth, and Quistis reached out to Cure, but Paige drew back. "I'm fine."
"Let's go," Seifer said abruptly, turning and exiting the room. Quistis turned to follow, intent on finding out what the hell had gotten into her squad leader, but Joe reached out a hand.
"I'm going too."
Silently Quistis stared at him. She saw the worry, the fear, and something else in his green eyes…something familiar, but not really. Maybe it's the color, she told herself. They are the same color as…Coldly, she nodded and left the room, uncomfortable with the feeling that had washed over her.
"I can't believe you did that," Joe said, his back toward Paige. Slowly he rotated his head to look at her.
She shrugged and offered a careless smile. "I'll be fine."
"That's right." Joe smiled too. A yes-I've-won smile that made Paige's gray eyes narrow. "I'm going with you."
"No!" Her hand shot out to brace herself against his back, and she desperately whirled herself around him. "No! I don't want-Nothing bad can happen to you!"
"Why you, Paige? Why you?"
Paige drew back. "Don't worry about me."
"You aren't going alone." Joe gave her a high-five. "We have to keep Rinoa's plan in action. She was the founder and we have to keep it alive!"
She shut her eyes, opened them, and forced a smile. "Of course!" Though every emotion in her body protested it, she smiled bigger and quickly left the room, Joe right behind her.
* * *
"We need to contact Garden," Quistis whispered urgently. "We need help. We're not risking the lives of two young people who haven't had any military training!"
"Especially Puberty Girl and Puberty Boy Junior," Seifer smirked, shooting a glance at the two behind him. Joe grinned, obviously not bothered by his comment, but Paige's eyes flashed and she quickened her pace. "Besides, they volunteered."
Callous jerk. "Seifer, this is serious!"
“No faith in me, Instructor?" Seifer mocked, hurt by the contempt in her eyes, but he shrugged. "I already contacted Balamb, while you were story-telling." He frowned. "Funny thing, though. Squall seemed to know what Rueday is up to." Excluding the drug, he added silently. "He's sending reinforcements if we need them. Heard that both Rinoa and Selphie had a psychotic episode that both said reminded them of you." He sidestepped the swing aimed at his jaw. "Careful Instructor, you could mess up my handsome face. Anyway, Squall wants us to contact once more before he comes."
"Squall's coming?"
"With Rinoa, Selphie, Irvine, and Zell," Seifer snorted.
"Why so many?"
"I assume cause he expects a tough fight. I did tell him everything."
“Excluding the drug," Quistis chimed in, giving him an arch look when he glanced at her. "Such an easy read, Seifer. At least when you've been watching people as long as I have." They continued walking in comfortable silence.
Suddenly Seifer turned and slammed her against the wall, but blocked the impact of her body with his strong arms. His face lowered close to hers, eyes blazing as her own widened, and he whispered harshly,"Not quite, Instructor." And continued walking.
Blue eyes glazed over with ice and another feeling, Quistis glared at the gray back of Seifer, then caught Joe's eye. He was grinning, and even Paige was trying to hide a smile. "Such an easy read, Instructor," Joe quipped, and her eyes hardened as she transformed into the ice queen.
"I suggest you concentrate on our plan, instead of worrying about the problems of others," she smiled regally, blond head held high, before turning and striding after Seifer.
"Love?" Joe asked Paige out of the side of his mouth.
"Definitely."
* * *
Lila pushed her dark hair out of her face and watched the four continue down the street. Her hazel eyes were wide with hurt and betrayal, and she hugged herself hard, trying to ward off the oncoming cold, the cold that warned her of her temper. How dare they! How dare all of them!
She whirled around and entered a hidden door that descended into the Eyes compound, a compound that stretched under all of Timber. She needed to figure out a way to operate the stairs near the station without causing train problems or people would get suspicious. Like Zell and Rinoa.or Seifer and 'Instructor'. Entering her pass code, Lila retreated to her room with the excuse of a headache.
Why didn't she want to tell her brother?