--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authors Note; I've often theorized that SeeDs would be able to move a lot like 
the charecters from;"The Matrix"-much faster and through "bullet-time".This
would explain Speed Junction and Evade Junction.So,i'd like to thank the writers 
of "The Matrix" for a great film and an inspirational idea.I also wanted to put
this note in to explain how Quistis and Zell move in the coming scenes.See if 
you can stop the little tribute to the film in this fic...
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CHAPTER TWO;"Insurrection"

Quistis allowed time to slow in front of her and launched her body clear across
the room,rolling to a stop but getting back into a ready position as soon as
her body was ready.The bullets that had been meant for her sliced through the
air toward Rinoa.Upon contact with her body,the bullets vapourised.The Power of
the Sorceress would not allow its bearer to be killed,even in this weakened
state.
"Christ!" shouted Selphie,amazed at Quistis dodging."How the hell can she move
like that?!"
"She's a SeeD!" answred Cid,still firing."They can all move like that if they
want,by Junctioning magic to their bodies natural abilities.Thats why they're
such good fighters!"
Bullet after bullet screamed through the air.Quistis backflipped and 
somersaulted any which way she could.She lept straight up,onto the various
machines.As she sprung between them like a cat,they erupted into flames,flames
started by bullets missing their destined target.
Quistis found herself about to be cornered if she did'nt think of something
fast.Looking back,she could see the lift-shaft was empty again.The lift must
have gone back up,probably for reinforcements.Now was her chance.
Upon reaching the cave-like wall,she bounded up it as high as she could,
then flung her body through the air,soaring majestically over the room as the
bullets continued to miss and miss,firing up and into the walls,leaking holes,
the mysterious blue liquid dripping down like a light rain.
Quistis was aiming for behind the group,and hit the ground running.
Squall anticipated her movements,and he too sprinted towards the lift doors.
Quistis lept between the open doors,over the oil pit to the narrow ledge on
the other side.
She was totally unprepared for Squall,who landed beside her.Snarling,he
grabbed her and held her over the oil-pit,striking her repeatedly.He stopped
when he heard the soft rumbling sound from above.They both looked up.
The lift was coming back down.
Squall turned Quistis round,holding her back by the arm,but but using his
other arm to force her over the edge.He was planning to use the lift to
crush her.Quistis could'nt even look up in this position.She could'nt even
see how far the lift was from her.
"Do you hear that,Instructor Trepe?" said Squall,ignoring her squirms."That
is the sound of your death.That is the sound of...inevitability,Instructor Trepe."
"My name..." she said,building up her strength"...is Quistis!"
She brought her leg up into Squalls crotch,causing him to groan and release his
hold on her.At this,she flipped him over in a classic judo-throw and flung him
out the doors.She looked up and gasped when she saw the lift was almost right on
top of her and jumped out through the doors.She stumbled and rolled across the 
floor.When she came to a stop,she attempted to get to her feet,but was halted by
the sound of Irvines voice;"Dont even move a muscle,Quistis" he ordered.
Irvine was standing there,leading a platoon of SeeDs.All pointing guns at her.
"Do as he says,Instructor" ordered Cid.
There were guns to right and guns to her left.No chance of dodging this time.
She let her whip drop to the ground and put her hands behind her head...
Selphie stepped forward and placed a pair of locking-braces on Quistis' arms.
Quistis could have easily taken out Selphie,but there were far too many guns
for her to consider trying anything stupid.
Squall and Irvine watched her being marched into the lift and taken too the
upper floors to receive her fate.
"You done good." said Squall,toneless.Irvine did'nt bother to reply.
"It can't be easy for you." said Squall,lighting a cigarette."Being among 
them,i mean."
Irvine saw Rinoa,lying on the ground in a state.He spun around in anger.
"You promised,no,you SWORE to me none of them would be hurt!" he raged.
Squall smoked the cigarette premptorily."None of them have been harmed." he
said."Suppression fluid also blocks nerve endings.I can assure you that 
Sorceress Rinoa has felt nothing.She may end up with a few operation scars
but nothing that will put her out of a swimsuit competetion."
"What about Quistis?".This wase'nt a question.It was a statement.
"Instructor Trepe?She was an unstable element.She was fortunate you arrived
when you did."
Irvine watched as the SeeDs injected Rinoa with a sedative.They then began
to fill her lungs and stomach with suspension fluid again.
He could'nt bear to listen to her muffled cries as the tube was forced down
her eosophagus again,so he tried to get as far out of earshot as possible and
closed his eyes and ears.
"I'm sorry" he said,under his breath.
           *           *             *         *           *           *          *
Zell was getting good at this,ducking and dodging through the corridors.He'd 
been doing it for about forty minutes now,and was impressed with himself,
considering he had'nt really even paid attention during Stealth classes.
He had begun to realise that just about everybody in Garden was wearing SeeD
or Student uniforms.Odd,considering people were entitled to wear civvies,
especially on weekends.So he'd sneaked back to his dorm and dug out his SeeD
student uniform.I have'nt worn this thing since that Dollet mission 6 months
ago,he thought,but i better try to blend in as best i can.
As he walked through the halls,unnoticed,he searched for Quistis.Nobody paid
him nevermind,as his mother would say.They were all busy,all with work to do.
Then he found Quistis.
She was being marched towards the brig.No doubt these imposter goons had 
something nasty in store for her.Well,there was no way he was gonna let
that happen!He'd busted her out of a prison before,he could do it again.

A half-hour later,he was crouched in front of an access panel,pretending to
repair a damaged conduit.
He saw one student exit the brig,and promptly followed the guy.He rounded a corner
and ran on ahead,then stepped out in front of the student,almost knocking him over.
"Student."he boomed,doing his best tough-as-a-dragons-nuts military voice."State
your business."
"I'm to courier the prisoner monitoring reports."
"On who's orders?"
"General Thrax."
"General Thrax sent me to replace you."
"No he did'nt!I would have been informed."
"I'm informing you,dumbass!"
"Where's your authorisation,then?!"
"I got it right here."Zell feigned reaching into his pocket,then instantly
brought his fist up in a dazzling uppercut.The student fell back,sprawling onto
the floor."Authorised." he said,flatly.He grabbed the student by the legs and
dragging him into a conveniently placed storage closet. 

Moments later,Zell entered the brig.He looked to his left,and saw Quistis through
a narrow latch in her cell door.She was lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling,
most likely lost in thinking.There was only one SeeD guarding her.Time for the
military talk again.
"I've come for the prisoner,on the orders of General Thrax."he boomed.
"To take her where?"
"That is none of your business.Whats your authorisation,buttwipe?"
"Alpha-Beta-Black-Two" leered the guard."Whats your's?"
"..uh..Alpha-Beta-Black...uh,One!Yes,alphabetablackone,that'll do."
"There's no such thing!"
"There is now.Got a memo from the D.O.E about the C.W.S over the G.V.E.Came all the
way from the S.A.I.N himself."
"What the hell are you talking about?!?"
"Ah,COME ON!You obviously are'nt even aware of the new protocols!"
"....uh..."
"What?Do you think i'm just some pain-in-the-ass SeeD who just waltzed in here and
started spouting a fine line of warm bullcrap in a vain attempt to distract you so
i can spring the prisoner?"
Zell did'nt even give him time to answer.He punched the guy square in the chest,
sending him sprawling into the wall where he hit his head on the concrete wall.
Zell stood in front of the cell door and pounded into the metal frame with his
fists.The metal was too tough,even for his Ergheiz gloves.But the banging alerted
Quistis.She got up and stood in front of the hatch.
"Zell!They said you had concussion!"
"They were doping me up with sedative.Besides,you're gonna believe the words of
a bunch of people who are'nt even who they look like?"
"Good point."agreed Quistis."But i'm not sure about the looking-like part."
"What do you mean?"
"Well,it would take too much to go through the trouble of cloning the entire
faculty,student body and resisident SeeDs.Besides,what would be the point of 
it? Cloning everyone and filling the whole Garden up with them? Irvine looked
at me like he knew me.If Irvine was a clone,he'd never have met me.And anyway,
why are'nt there clones of you and me?"
"..uh,Quisty,you've completely lost me..."
She continued,not hearing his interruption."I think they all or almost all of
them are possessed somehow.And it must have happened when we were away from 
Balamb Garden."
"HEY!"
His shout silenced her babbling."I get it,ok?They're all possessed and we're 
not.I-GET-IT,ok? So,what do we do?"
"Well,getting me out of this cell MIGHT be a good idea,uh,MAYBE!!!!"
"Alright,alright.I'll see if i can open the lock."
He tried the combination-code lock on the panel next to the door.First,he
tried his own personal code.
Nothing.
Next,he tried his old student ID number.
Nothing.
Out of despiration,he even tried his access codes to the Garden mainframe.
Nothing.
In fury,he smashed his fist into the panel,receiving a nasty shock to his
system.His hair was probably standing up more than normal,now.
However,the electric shock had overloaded the magnetic seal on the door.
Quistis lept out of the cell and threw herself onto Zell,wrapping her
arms and legs around him.She planted a kiss on his cheeks.
"Thanks!"
"...uh,thats a bit much to do for a `thank you`,dont you think?"
"You deserved it."
This was an odd moment of happiness,considering they were the only two
people who were still themselves in a complex full of possessed people
with nefarious ulterior motives,but still.
Zell and Quistis had begun to grow close to each other since the end of the
war.Squall and Rinoa were almost always together,and Irvine and Selphie were
hard-pressed to keep their hands off each other.So that had left Zell and
Quistis.But they had'nt developed a lot of feelings for each other during the
war.They had stayed friends,that's all.Zell had tried to find a relationship
with some other girls.He'd floundered a relationship with the girl with the
ponytail,mainly because the two primary's had been so nervous they'd hardly
been able to say two things to one another.
Quistis was a consumate professional.She'd never try to get involved with
a student or a member of her team.But,her and Zell had been on quite a few 
missions alone together.They'd begun to notice things in each other they
had'nt seen before...
But now was not the time nor the place for such things.

Quistis got back on her feet and went into professional-mode again.
"Okay."she said."We have to figure out how who's got our boys and girls
possessed,and how to get them all back to normal before we get ourselves
killed."
Zell was a little disappointed to see her return to professional again.She
had this quality about her.She was as tough as old army boots.She'd grown
up that way,abandoned by her family,she'd let a solitary life.She'd raised 
herself to be self-reliant and tough...but she also had this quality.Behind
her tough facade,she had this sweetness.An untouchable heart,as fragile as
anyone else's.It was matched by a radiant beauty you could only expect to 
find on an angel..-No,Zell,you cant think of her like that.Not until you
can be sure she'll welcome feelings like that.Now stop thinking like this.
What if you find yourself thinking like this on a battlefield and someone
dies because you were'nt paying attention.No,stay your feelings,buddy.

"Agreed."he said."But how do we defend ourselves against this enemy?They're
inhabiting the bodies of our friends.They can kill us but we cant kill 
them? Sweet deal,that is if you're on their side."
Quistis smiled at the sarcasm.She usually could'nt stand it,thought it was
the lowest form of humour...But Zell had this quality about him that she'd
noticed.They'd spilt the same blood in the same mud but she'd always just 
thought of him as a fellow soldier.Then,it was like she'd woken up one morning
and realised that he had always been the one who had always been there,always
by her side.She'd begun to look at him in a different light,and had found
herself wondering if he had ever had similar feelings.But now was not the time
for such things...

"How about tranquiliser darts?" she suggested."This is the military,after all."
"Great idea!" cheered Zell."Then once they've had a nap they'll be up in time 
to kick our butts."he joked.
Quistis smiled."Lets get to the armoury."
            *             *             *           *          *           *        *
About 10 minutes later,they were peering around the corner of the wall towards 
the armoury.
"So,Kadowaki was sending our files to someone OUTSIDE Garden?" asked Quistis.
"Yup." replied Zell."She and Selphie were speaking Galbadian,too."
"Nobody speaks Galbadian anymore." stated Quistis."But at least that gives us a
clue to who's possessing our people."

There were two SeeDs running the armoury,where all the weapons were kept during
peace-time or off-missions.You needed a personal code to retrieve your own weapon,
and a command-code to withdraw other armaments.
Quistis and Zell were spotted and stopped almost the instant the approached the
counter.
"Hold it!" barked the SeeD in front of Quistis."This area is off-limits on the
orders of General Thrax."
Quistis looked at Zell."General Thrax?" she queried.
"Very popular guy,i understand."
"Oh,really?"
"Yeah."
With that banter out of the way,they both lept over the counter and knocked the
guards out stone-cold.
"I've a feeling these guys might be Galbadian military."mused Zell,searching for
a good rifle."They're incompetant enough."
"I'm not so sure.Galbadia is too weak to start another conflict.Besides,seizing
this Garden was the worst thing they could have done." explained Quistis."They'd
be nuts to take over a Garden of SeeDs commanded by the son of the presi-"
She stopped her searching and looked up.
"What?" inquired Zell.
"That's it!" she yelled."We send a message to Esthar,explaining the situation.
Laguna will send about twenty platoons of soldiers to seize the Garden!"
"Good idea!" remarked Zell."How do we do that?"
"Lets get to the comm-room." she advised.
They slung their rifles and began to make their way to the auxiliary staircases
that led to the comm-room...
            *           *             *           *         *              *
The two students who sat at the main terminal never knew what hit them.They heard
the whistling in the air,saw the red-tipped darts sticking out of their shoulders,
and fell to the floor.
"Watch the door." ordered Quistis,as she stood in front of the channel.
Zell aimed his rifle at the door,ready for visitors.
Quistis cycled to the radio system as best she could with what she knew.Radio signals
had not been used for 17 years,so it had'nt been part of her training.Eventually,she
found an Estharian frequency.
"This is Instructor Quistis Trepe of Balamb Garden to anyone who can hear me.Our 
Garden has been taken control of by a hostile force.They have taken possession of the
bodies of populace.If you can hear me,try to get this message to your president as
soon as possible.When seizing this Garden,do NOT use lethal force,i repeat-"
          *           *            *             *          *          *         *
Squall looked up at Rinoa being attached to the wall.The suppression fluid was not
working as well this time around.The Sorceress was sending him telepathic messages.
~Why are you doing this to us?~ she pleaded.
"I have my reasons."
~No reason can justify these acts by one person to another.~
"You are not a person.You are a Sorceress.You're not even mortal anymore."
~I am a human being!A person!The love of the owner of that body you're defiling.~
"And what will happen to this love in the future?"
~Squall and i are meant to be together.Our destinies are eternally intertwined.I
have looked into the future path our souls will take and have found this to be true.~
"And what will happen between you years from now?You think a SeeD will marry a
Sorceress?"
~It worked for Edea and Cid.~
"What about even further than that?Do you plan to have children one day?"
~...i..of course i would want a baby one day.~
"And what if you are still a Sorceress when the first child is born?If its a girl,
and it WILL be a girl,she will have the power of a Sorceress from birth.She will
constitute a grave danger to the world,and SeeD will have no choice but to-"
~STOP IT!~
Selphie spoke to Squall,interupting the psychic conversation."Sir,someone is
making an unauthorised communication to Esthar.It's Instructor Trepe and the
other SeeD."
"Terminate them." ordered Squall.
          *           *            *          *           *          *          *
Quistis snapped off the radio.
"Well,what did they say?"asked Zell.
"I was patched through to Laguna.He had a feeling something like this had happened,
so he had a shipfull of soldiers standing by in case it was confirmed.They'll be here
in about 10 or 15 minutes." reported Quistis.
"Great!" exclaimed Zell."So we're gonna be okay."

They dived for cover as a hundred bullet holes blasted into the door.
"-Or not." announced Zell.
"There's no way outta here!" shouted Quistis above the noise.
"There's the window!" Zell shouted back.
"Are you nuts?!?!"
"Depends who you ask!"
The door blew off its hinges and in stepped Irvine,followed by Nida,who's gun was
still fresh with smoke.They pointed their weapons at Quistis,not being able to see
Zell.
"Come out of there slowly,Quistis." ordered Irvine.They kept their guns trained on
her as she emerged.
"Who are you?" asked Quistis,looking right at Irvine."All these others are strangers,
but you seem to know me.So,who are you?"
"I'm afraid i cant say." answered Irvine.
"Besides,its none of your business!" barked Nida."Not that you'll have any business,
anymore-ever.Bang-bang,you're dead." He aimed the gun right at Quistis and pulled
the trigger.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Zell lunged out of nowhere,throwing himself in front of Quistis,receiving the deadly
bullet in her place.
Irvine grabbed Nida's gun and punched him unconscious,muttering;"Sonofabitch promised
me none would be hurt." under his breath.
Zell slumped to the floor,blood oozing from the wound near his right shoulder.
Quistis could'nt tell if he was unconscious or dead.
She heard the sound of a platoon of students rushing up the hall towards them.She
looked up at Irvine.He'd heard them too,apparently the next move was up to her.
It pained her to leave Zell like this,but he had saved her.Sticking around to get
killed was no way to honour his sacrifice.
Placing her arms in front of her head,she lunged out the window,exploding through
the glass and sliding down the smooth polished marble exterior of the Garden in a 
rapid,uncontrolled descent.
She was going to fall of the side,hundreds of feet to the sea below if she did'nt
think of something fast.
She hit a bulge in the side and fell off into air.
She cracked her whip and breathed a sigh of relief as it wrapped itself around a
mooring mast.She was left there,dangling like a worm on a hook,clinging to the
whip for dear life.

Irvine looked down at Zell,then he heard the shouts.Apparently there was an 
Estharian ship full of soldiers on its way here.He looked through the smashed
window and saw a ruby-red flash of light on the horizon.He looked back at Zell.
Realising what he had to do before the mission was scrubbed,he holstered his
gun...and picked up Zell,hoisting him over his shoulders."Much as it pains
me to do this," he explained to Zells unhearing ears "I cant allow any of you
to be hurt."

The students and SeeDs were in a panic.There was a ship full of soldiers alright.
It was the "Behemoth",a "Ragnarok"-class warship.
The soldiers appeared out of nowhere,infiltrating the corridors.As soon as the SeeDs
and students saw they were cornered,they seemed to give up and slump to the ground,
unconscious.

Quistis felt a shadow loom over her.Looking up,she saw Squall was balancing on the 
mast.He was brandishing a knife and a look of extreme rage on his face.
"You plauge me!" he hissed through gritted teeth.
He began to cut through her whip.
"No!" she cried."Squall!Whoever you are! Don't do this!"
He ignored her,sawing the whip.
"I know you're possessing his body,and you dont know a lot about him,but i can
GUARANTEE you that if you do this,you will regret it big-time!"
No reply.
"Next to Rinoa and Ellone,i'm the most important thing he cares about.When he
wakes up,if he finds me dead,he's gonna want your blood!When you get back to
your body,you better kill yourself because when he catches up with you,he's
gonna take his GODSDAMN TIME!,YOU HEAR ME?"
She began to swing the whip,then swung herself up,right over the mast,looping
the whip around it and kicking Squall off it.
She grabbed his arm as he fell.Now they were both needing the whip to stay alive.
She dangled from it as she hung on to him.
"Now,tell me-WHO ARE YOU??"
He looked at her,an evil grin on his face."You have no idea whats begun here." he
stated.Then his head fell limp,unconscious.
She looked up at the whip,the cut Squalls possessor had made was beginning to
widen.It was gonna snap in a matter of seconds.
Squall reawakened,and almost yelled in surprise and alarm when he saw he was being
suspended over 50 feet in the air above the sea.
"What the hells going on!?!" he shouted.
Quistis had no time to reply as the whip finally surrendered to their combined weight
and they plummeted to the ocean below...

...and soared back up into the air,lying spreadeagled on the tip of "Behemoth"s nose.
          *             *             *           *              *           *
Zells eyes opened into two tiny slits.
He'd been aroused from his sleep by the sounds of voices.Voices speaking in...Galbadian?
No,plain Balambese....no deja vu then.
His eyes began to focus on a shape.The morning-cateracts of his eyes began to vanish,
and his sight became clear.The first thing he saw was the face of the most beautiful
woman in his world.
Smiling her beautiful smile at him.
"...Quisty..." he said weakly.
"Zell." she said,full of joy."Glad to see you're back with the living."
"..did we stop them stop them?..."
"When the soldiers arrived,they all seemed to voluntarily lose consciousness.When they
woke up,they were themselves again,with no memory of what happened."
Selphie appeared behind Quistis."It seems whoever was possessing us buggered off back
to wherever they came from."
"They were trying to gain information on Sorceress anatomy and our classified personal
files.We dont know why.They used our Junction Codes to access our minds."
"...Junction Codes...?"
"Sort of like a frequency of a persons brainwaves.They found out our frequencies,and
junctioned their minds to the part of ours thats normally reserved for the GF's.Thats
why they were'nt able to Junction,themselves.They already were.
We've changed the codes,so it wont ever happen again.They must have a had a turncoat
or spy within our ranks to give them the original codes."
"...what happened to me?..."
"You got shot,taking a bullet for me.Whoever was possessing Irvine saved you."
"...Irvine?..."
"We found him lying on the floor.He must have brought you here,to the infirmary,put
you into stasis,then lost consciousness.The real Irvine cant remember a thing of
it."
"...Rinoa..and Matron?"
Quistis moved,allowing Zell to see the bed to his right.Rinoa was lying there,smiling
and talking to Squall,sitting by her side.
"They'll be fine.Rinoa and Matron are the only ones who know what really happened.We'll
talk to them when they're ready.In the meantime,we'll let them rest...and you."

He watched her leave.Maybe she does have feelings after all,he thought.Or maybe she was
just concerned for the life of her comrade-in-arms.Either way,she was beautiful.
And he slipped back into another sleep,dreaming a little dream of her...
           *            *            *           *          *            *
Balamb Garden sailed on into the night.Following the takeover incident,it was a little 
worse for wear,but no real damage.It had survived an attack by yet another enemy,not
the first and definately not the last.The enemy was somewhere out there,in parts
unknown,continuing to draw it's plans against the SeeDs and Sorceress.
The SeeDs and Sorceress now had to be eternally ready for the challenge that lay ahead
like the distant horizon.
The enemy was out there,and,one day....


                       ....they will be coming.


                            


                                        THE END