~*~
The moment Zell and I left the elevated track and the training center, I had a bad feeling something wasn't right. I didn't want to listen to the instinct screaming in my ear, because it meant that the completely awesome day Zell and I had shared that far was going to very quickly go away. I didn't want that to happen, so I ignored my instinct and just giggled and laughed as Zell told me something funny about his last trip to Deling Garden, not really hearing what he was saying while spending all my concentration just listening to his awesome voice.
But then my instinct wouldn't be shushed any longer. Of course, when I saw and felt the tension in Zell's body, my own caution and awareness shot through the roof. Zell's eyes darted from my face to a group of about six men leaning against the corridor wall or standing somewhere near. They were half-way down the corridor talking amongst themselves in low voices.
"Heads up," Zell said in a voice only I could hear.
And the last thing I wanted to do on my day off was what I was afraid was about to happen. My lips drooped, and Zell's fingers tightened slightly on my hand. I found myself hoping against hope as we drew closer that they would see our Visitor's badges and just let us pass. But Zell was a very recognizable guy; that and he never did back down from a fight. So, when the eyes of the guys looked our direction, Zell of course didn't look away.
That in itself was a dare for them to do something.
One of the guys--a taller one with red hair and dark eyes--stepped away from the cluster sporting a dangerous smirk. A Seifer-like smirk before he had become Head of Garden Network Security. A smirk that made me know without a shadow of a doubt that this guy was a bully. Plain and simple.
He moved to stand in our way. Zell didn't let me stop until our toes were touching his.
Zell looked up at him and didn't say a word. He only scowled.
"We've got a ballsy one here, guys." He snorted. "Or else he's just stupid."
My hand tightened on Zell's as my brows lowered. I really hate it when they call him stupid!
Zell didn't even blink. He only continued to hold the guy's gaze. Not a word. Not a twitch. Not even a slight intake of breath.
One of the other guys chuckled. "I guess he's stupid."
I stepped toward the guy with a sharp retort of "He's not stupid", which was cut short with a somewhat sharp jerk of Zell's hold on my hand. I halted and clenched my jaw, my eyes flashing as I held the other guy's gaze until he shook his head and chuckled while looking away.
"So what are you trying to prove with this?" Zell asked. "Because you sure as hell ain't scaring anyone."
The man's smirk twitched. "You're right. He's stupid."
"Stupid?" Zell scoffed. "Like hell. I went to school with Seifer Almasy, the Disciplinarian himself. You think I'm going to be scared by a collection of shitheads like you? Hell no." Zell shoved the guy back with one hand. "If you're going to try and copy Seifer, try pulling yourself out of this hole you're digging."
The man brought his hands from where they had clenched behind his back and slowly straightened his black trenchcoat as he regarded Zell with darkening eyes. "Boys, I think Mr. High-and-Mighty needs a lesson in respect."
"From you?" Zell actually snorted. "Sally could take you on herself."
My eyes swept the cluster, gauging and processing possible skills and threats--Then I focused on the leader again.
"All six of us?" the man pressed with a menacing grin. "Maybe. But sure as hell not in the way you think."
Zell scoffed and shoved the guy aside yet again as he moved past, pulling me along behind him--
The guy reached out for my arm, but I reacted with my training and grabbed his wrist instead, twisting it until I heard a snap. The other men straightened and took a step forward, stopping only when Zell lifted his arm and pointed at them.
I held the leader's shocked gaze. "Don't touch me." And, believe it or not, if I'd heard me say that to me, I would have been very scared. Then I released him, giving him a hefty shove backward in the same motion. He tripped on his own feet and stumbled into the arms of his buddies.
"Give her a reason," Zell said when another guy made a menacing step forward. He halted. "Just give her a reason to send you to the Infirmary."
The man didn't move. He only gritted his teeth and glared at me as I calmly stared at the leader while aware of every single guy in the cluster.
Zell focused on the leader again. "You want to be an angry bastard your entire life that beats on the little guy for kicks? Keep it up. Deling will eat you up and spit you out. You want to make something of yourself? Like Seifer and Fujin? Then you pull your head out of your ass." He gave my hand a tug. "Come on, Sally. Let's blow this place."
I continued to stare at the cluster of men as Zell dragged me along behind him, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Their lives could have been so different.
"Don't look back, Sally," Zell instructed in a voice I hadn't heard him use since our first days of training. I turned my head to focus on him. "You can't fix their lives for them. They've got to do it themselves. SeeD has always been about that. You make your choices and then live by it."
I wordlessly nodded as I moved my focus to the floor. How many times had I already seen the changes that simple philosophy could have?