|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Wedge:
Lifestream
All
right, I guess I have to put this here, but you know that all you fanfic folks
should be nice and not use my work as your own and all that good stuff. If you like
what you see, please let me know. Maybe we can set up a link or fic exchange,
especially if yours is a fic about Wedge. All the Final Fantasy characters
(yes, even Wedge, although they don’t really give him as much game time as he
deserves) are copyrights of Square, the loveable folks that make all of this
possible. And remember, though Wedge is a rolemodel for small impressionable
children, please don’t try this stuff at home. Thanks!
Chris
Mikesell (aka: The Wedge Fan)
Chapter 14: The Cleanup Crew
“That Wedge!” Aeris was up
to her elbows in suds as she scrubbed the dishes for the meal. “Where is he? He
usually cleans up after himself. He’s probably still out with that Dwain
character.”
“Now, now, I’m sure he’s
going to come back any minute, Aeris.” Maria was trying her best to comfort
Aeris as she rinsed the soapy plates. “He’s probably teaching him a lesson on
how not to pick on people. I’m pretty sure Wedge was provoked, so I guess it’s
understandable.”
The pair in the kitchen
heard Ultros’ screech from the rafters, and jumped. “I completely forgot!
Maria, that thing is still up there!”
“Oh
dear! We have to hurry! He might get loose any second!”
They rushed out of the
kitchen, through the lobby, and into the main theater area, where they met Leo running
through the aisle. They were surprised to see Relm, Dwain, and Wedge on stage
already, surrounding a slimy purple mass with tentacles.
“Wedge!” Aeris panted. “What
happened?”
“I cut him down. Don’t
worry, he’s not going to try and pull anything on us, right?”
“R-right. Whatever you say,
Wedge.” Ultros swore he saw his hand spark with energy for a split second,
telling him that Wedge wasn’t kidding. He wasn’t even going to try, because he
knew he would have to fight all six of them at once. Wedge or Relm alone would
be hard enough.
“What are we planning on
doing with him, Wedge? We can’t just leave him on the impresario’s stage
forever...” Leo was the first to actually climb onto the stage and think about
this.
“My question is, where is
the Impresario?” Wedge suddenly remembered that it was too quiet around the
Opera House. “The last time I saw him was at breakfast time.”
“Yeah, where is he? He’s got
to around here somewhere...”
Wedge heard the mechanical
noise of gears churning overhead, and he looked up to see a bright rectangle of
sky opening into the ceiling. “I’ll bet that he has something to do with THAT
up there.”
He was answered with a
bright and lively fanfare from above as a shadow covered the opening in the
roof. The recorded orchestra with a speedy tempo pumped music into the
amphitheater as a rope was lowered to stage level.
“Some way to make an
entrance.” Wedge couldn’t decide whether he was impressed or annoyed at the
grandiose presentation.
A fleeting shadow slid down
the rope and landed on the stage with a thump. The shadowy man looked up and
stood. He was a man that had luck written all over him. He wore a long black
trenchcoat with many pockets, containing various unknown articles for Wedge to
guess at. His long, silvery hair hung over the back of his coat, coming down to
the back of his knees. He had an inviting face that hid behind a small gray
mustache, and made a showy bow to the group that was staring at him.
“Did someone call for pest
control?”
“Who are you?” Wedge was
mystified by this man who looked old but didn’t act it.
“Ha! I am Setzer Gabbiani,
co-pilot of the Falcon, the only Airship in Lifestream! Can you believe I’m
getting paid for this?”
Wedge heard the Impresario
overhead. “Well, you’re not getting paid to stand around and talk! Wedge, are
you down there?”
“Yeah!”
“Could you give us a hand
with this?”
“Great idea, Impresario.”
Setzer turned to Wedge. “Well, let’s get to it. You look like a sturdy enough
guy to me. On three, you lift him and I get the rope under him.”
“Okay.. But you need to be
careful with him He’s a sneaky one.”
“I know. Right, Relm?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“One, two, three!” Wedge
only had to exert a small amount of force to lift the purple slimy beast off
the stage. Setzer moved quickly to tie the makeshift harness. “Hmm. You make
that look too easy.”
“What?”
“That thing must weigh at
least six hundred pounds.”
“Hey! Don’t you know it’s
rude to refer to someone present in third person?” Ultros protested. “And it’s
only four hundred, I’ve been watching my diet.”
“Whatever. That’s not
normal, though.”
“What are you talking
about?”
“Well, you don’t exactly
look like the kind of guy that can lift 400 and make it look like twenty.”
Wedge dropped the octopus.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“No offense intended.”
“Hmm. Sounded like it.”
“I apologize.” Setzer looked
to the small rectangle of blue in the air. “We’ve got him! Start lifting!”
“I, I know I look kind
of...roly poly...but that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Just forget I even
mentioned it. Say, have you heard of a guy named Sabin? He’s the only other
person I’ve seen who’s got that kind of power.”
“Really? Why do you ask?”
Wedge remembered the conversation he had with Relm earlier.
“Well, you kinda look like him, only a
bit shorter and chunkier. Sorry, that just slipped out there....”
“You didn’t answer my
question.”
“Well, a guy like you could
learn a lot from Sabin. He was one of the only students of the great Duncan.”
“Well, I guess you’ve just
met another one.”
The old man gaped. “What! No
way!”
“Hey! I’m a good enough
fighter.”
“It’s just that-”
“Wait. Let me guess. I don’t
look like the kind of guy that Duncan could teach, is that it?”
“What? No, no, the last
thing that I heard was that he was looking for a new successor ever since he,
Sabin, left. And that means-”
“What exactly does that
mean?”
“That you’re coming with
me.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’ve got somewhere to get
to, fast!”
“How did you-”
“I owe him some favors.
Duncan used to be part of my staff.”
“I see.”
“Here. You catch a ride on
the octopus up to the ship while I take care of some business. I’ll meet you up
there.”
“Mom! Dad! I’m home!” Wedge stood in the open doorway of his parents’
house, holding his house key. He limped inside and took a look inside. It was
just as he remembered it, the rug from Mideel, the old TV, the stairs. He
slowly made his way up to the second floor and found his room almost exactly
how he left it: immaculately cluttered. A few bags of old materia lay on his
bed, the ones he had forgotten to bring aboard the submarine. He quickly dusted
his old bookshelf and picked out a book at random. His hand just happened to
stop on his marine biology textbook, and he remembered Biggs.
“What is he getting himself into right now? I hope I didn’t get him
into too much trouble...”
“Mail!” They still had the same letter carrier he remembered when he
was a kid.
“Coming!” Wedge stumbled out of his room and slid down the banister,
landing on his good foot.
“Well, I remember you. You used to be tiny when you were a kid, and,
well, look at you! You’re huge! What do they feed you over there?”
“Hey, great to see you again. It’s always nice to see a familiar face
around here.”
“Man, you must be, what, eighteen by now!”
“Nineteen, actually.”
“Whoa! You’re a man now, Wedge! Taking care of the house?”
“Just got here.”
“Hmm. You don’t say. That’s kind of funny, considering how much mail
has been coming for you. Have you seen it yet?”
“As a matter of fact, I haven’t. I’d better check it out.”
“Hold on, you monster, you’d better take today’s mail with you. Nice
seeing you again. You got a lot of meat on your bones there, Wedge. Just try
not to hurt someone too badly, you big bruiser. See ya.”
“Bye! Thanks!”
Wedge took a look at the bundle of envelopes he held in his hand. He
ripped open a letter from Horace. “Dear Mom and Dad: How is everything? I got
promoted twice in the last month. Wedge got demoted, but I recommended him for
a Turk opening. He did so well, I managed to get promoted again to a job in the
Shinra Space program. He probably hasn’t written yet. Well, I’m going to write
later, okay? So, bye. Horace Palmer.” Wedge crumpled the letter and threw it in
the trash.
The next letter was from Biggs. “Dear Wedge: I hope you get this letter
because I don’t know if you’re back yet. Well, I’ve kinda found out more than
we really wanted to know. It turns out the Underwater Reactor is not what we
think it is. Remember those forms you told me about? Well, I dug a little
deeper and found out that Shinra’s drawing resources from their biochemical
warfare division and synthesizing new, poisonous Materia. They’re also testing
it in Junon Harbor. According to these classified reports, most species of
aquatic life died but the resistant types actually mutated. They’re
multiplying, Wedge. If these sources are correct, you’d better get the heck out
of Junon, and FAST! Shinra has a timed release of their specimens any day now,
and you don’t want to be there when it happens. Get who you can out of the
city, and go inland. If you can, take my sister with you. And remember, we will
meet up somewhere, I just haven’t figured out where. I’m on the run, so don’t
try to find me just yet. Your best bud, Biggs.”
Wedge quickly searched through the stack. He found a postcard from his
parents in Costa del Sol, which explained why they were missing. There was one
other envelope addressed to him that read from Shinra Headquarters. “To Wedge
Palmer: We request that you come to Midgar as soon as possible to discuss
certain matters. Due to the security measures needed by our division, we cannot
divulge specific reasons about this appointment but it is imperative that you
come at once. This is a very urgent matter. Sincerely, Professor Hojo Garek,
Shinra Employee Records, Shinra HQ, 38th floor, Midgar.” As he took the letter
out of the envelope, he saw some paper fall to the floor. Wedge picked up two
tickets for a zeppelin scheduled to leave for Midgar....in two hours?!?
“Boy, when they want you fast, they’re not kidding!” Wedge popped an
aspirin into his mouth from a nearby cabinet, gathered some things out of his
room and stuffed them into his pack, and ran out of the house, locking the
door.
“Hello? Is anyone back
there?” Setzer was looking for a particular someone.
“As a matter of fact, I am,”
Maria stepped out of the darkness, “Setzer.”
“Well, for once, you saved
me a lot of trouble.”
“Yeah. Nothing like having a
stunt double, eh, music man?”
“Look, I know you’re mad at
me-”
“Mad?! MAD?! You’d better
well believe I’m mad! You decide to waltz in and KIDNAP me, throwing a monkey
wrench into the entire production, and you expect me to be happy?”
“Well, I never actually
successfully....”
“You almost did! I was lucky
that Celes showed up in time! You ended up whisking HER off the stage!”
“Look, I just came here to
say-”
“Then, you come again, and I
had to hide in the LOUNGE so you wouldn’t get any ideas when you cleaned up the
mess from that dragon!”
“Could you just-”
“Then, you come here again!
Ugh, if you didn’t already know-”
“I’m married, Maria.”
“I’m...You’re what?”
“I just came here to tell
you that and apologize. You don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
“You’re married? Who’d marry
you?”
“Daryll. She was my first
girlfriend.”
“Why didn’t you do that in
the beginning?”
“Because she died...a long
time before I met you. If you want, you can meet her. She’s waiting on the
airship...”
“Thanks, but, no. I plan on
staying here.”
“Fine with me. Good bye,
Maria.”
Wedge ran through the streets, ignoring the subsiding pain in his ankle
while he rushed past his old elementary school, past the apartment buildings he
walked past as a child, and came to a small house between two large buildings.
“Jessie! Jessie! Come on!”
Inside, Jessie was reading a new book she had borrowed from the Junon
Library on Materia linking. “Just a minute!”
She opened the front door of her sleepy, white house and saw Wedge
panting on the porch. “Wedge! What are you doing here? Where’s Biggs?”
“Look, I’ll explain later, but, how would you like to come to Midgar
with me?”
“Midgar?! But, Wedge, Midgar’s a huge city! I couldn’t possibly-”
“Well, according to your brother, we may not have a choice. I just got
two tickets for a fight there, but it leaves in two hours. If you’re going,
let’s go!”
“But, I need to get-”
“Just GO! Pack your things and run! We need to get to the port!”
“Okay, okay...” Jessie quickly ran into the house, her ponytail
flapping in her wake. She came out with a pack that rivaled Wedge’s in size,
and they both rushed through the urban sprawl.
“Did you get everything?”
“Yeah... Why are we leaving?”
“Shinra’s releasing some mutated fish into Junon harbor, and Biggs
thinks they could attack the town itself! I was just lucky to get these tickets
when I did.”
“What’s going to attack?”
“We don’t know yet. Shinra’s been testing some strange new materia,
and-”
A sharp scream cut off Wedge’s explanation. It was followed by a deep
bellow from the shore. “What was that?”
“That’s probably them! We’d better get out of-” Suddenly, a shadow
passed through the sidewalk in front of them and they heard a clatter on a
rooftop to their right. They looked up and saw a large, blue, crab-like
creature, with six legs and two gigantic claws, the left one larger than the
right. It started to foam out of its mouth, and stomped one of its feet.
Unfortunately, the roof it was standing on was made of tile, and it went out
from under the beast as the tiles slid to the ground, taking the crab with
them. Wedge and Jessie stopped, unsure about whether it was dead or not until
they saw a claw rise from the rubble. The crab crawled out of the debris as
Wedge drew his blaster. Jessie rooted through her pack.
”Jessie! I’ll move around it, you cover me!”
“What?”
“Didn’t you- What are you doing?!”
“Just shoot at it already! Look out!”
Wedge wasn’t paying attention to the crab, and it jumped on him by
surprise, knocking him down. It was quickly shoved aside before it could do any
damage.
“Let’s get out of here, Wedge!”
“I agree with that, but that thing probably doesn’t see it our way!”
“In that case, get back!”
“What?”
“Now!”
“But-”
Jessie fit a few stones to a device on her wrist. “You don’t want to
get in the way when this materia goes off!”
“Materia!? I didn’t know you had any!”
“Haven’t you learned anything in our ten years together? There’s a lot
you don’t know about me!”
“Well, whatever, just do it fast!”
“Got it! ICE!” The Materia crystals she placed in the slots of her
bracelet contraption started to glow violently, giving off a discharge of blue
energy. The salvo surrounded the crustacean, swirling and contracting until it
dissipated. What was left of the crab was now frozen solid and covered in ice
crystals.
Wedge shot the blue creature, shattering it into tiny pieces. “I never
did like sashimi.”
“Welcome aboard.” A friendly
voice called from above as Wedge climbed into the cargo bay. “This is the
Falcon, the only airship in Lifestream, and I’m piloting. You are?”
“I’m Wedge Palmer. Nice to,
um, hear you. Where are you?”
“Oh. Sorry. I’m using the
intercom right now. Hold on while I get the video link.” A panel in the roof
slid open as a screen was lowered into the room. The picture flickered for a
while, then the snow cleared to reveal a woman in a flowing jacket similar to
Setzer’s. She wore her dusky hair in a queue behind her head, and she looked
toward the camera in her room. “Wow! What do they feed you guys down there?”
“Um, I take it we can see
each other....”
“Ha! You’ve gotta have a
sense of humor packed into that muscle, there. You need it on this ship.”
“I’ll try to keep that in
mind.”
“Hey, why don’t you come up
here and meet me in person? Setzer told me everything.”
“How?”
“Not another
musclehead....We have radios, you know. Come on, and take that box with you.”
The chamber was empty. “What
box?”
Wedge heard a metallic clank
behind him, and he saw that a small chest had been dropped from the ceiling.
“That one.”
“Man, what am I, the labor?”
“Wait!” Wedge skidded to a stop in the middle of an empty helipad at
the port. “We’ve got tickets!”
The Shinra officer didn’t look too enthusiastic. “Hmm. That one’s
probably still waiting for you...”
“Could you please tell us where it is? And hurry!”
“Well, let me check my map...”
Wedge knew what this guy was going through. “Here’s a hundred Gil. I
know how much you guys get paid.”
“It’s the huge airship to your right. You can’t miss it. Hurry!”
Jessie gave Wedge a “What was that?” look.
“I used to work that rank. Believe me, the pay’s not great.”
“Used to?”
“I got promoted, then demoted back to where I started.”
“Used to?”
“Something about this tells me that I won’t be doing much work anytime
soon.”
Somewhere inside the hollow
mountain named Koltz, metal clanked against metal while some chatter was going
on.
“Mr. Thou! Mr. Thou! Why dyu
pull something you can’t move?”
“I’m working out. I do this
every day an’ (grunt) I always have to give you the same (grunt) explanation.
You have to (grunt) lift weights to get stronger, Gau. (Grunt) See?”
“I no get it. It no go
anyplace. Why you pull it? Don’t make sense. Rather pull pigs. You eat pigs
later. No eat this weight.”
“Look, you’re starting to
(grunt) make me hungry, and I hate being hungry (grunt) in the middle of a
workout.”
“Mr. Thou hungry pulling
weight. I go get pig food. Pull pig, no hungry.”
“All right, all right. Go
and get us some lunch, Gau. And I’m NOT Mr. Thou! It’s Sabin, remember?”
“Yes, yes, Mr. Thou says he
Sabin and pull pig food.”
Sabin let down the weights
heavily against the carpeted turf of his miniature gym. He sat up from his
lying position on the bench and took deep breaths. Sabin was a towering man,
even sitting down. His electric blond hair was cut at a flat angle, and he kept
a small lock of hair braided at the back of his neck. He sat there, wearing his
sweat soaked shorts and socks, dripping perspiration onto the bench and the
floor as he watched Gau leave.
“That’s about it for now, I
guess.” He stood up, rubbing his sore muscles as he stepped into his shower
room. It was basically engineered to sprinkle water reserves straight from the
mountain reservoir and drain them quickly. Since no one was around, he didn’t
bother shutting the door as he opened the valve, letting the cool water spray
downwards. He undressed, planning to use his own ki to dry the clothes. The
shower was so loud that he could only feel a power approach. “It’s probably
just Gau. I should get into the tub.”
Sabin hefted a massive
bucket of water and poured it into a tile pit that he built for this purpose.
He jumped in and warmed it with a slow wave of energy.
“Ahh... nothing like a nice,
hot, relaxing bath to calm the nerves...”
He soaked in it for a few
minutes, gradually letting himself slip into the water. He sat, fully immersed
in the hot water for about a minute, and then sat up to get some air-
-and all he got was a
mouthful of water. Sabin’s great strength was useless while he was unfocused
and panicked, and he could only thrash about in the water until suddenly, he
forgot to breathe....
“He’s unconscious. Pull him out.”
Vargas made sure he wasn’t
going to get anywhere before he pulled Sabin out by his huge arms.
“He’s....Sabin...”
“I don’t care who he is.
Just collar him, and we can deal with him later.”
“Yes sir.” Sabin was jolted
awake when the collar sealed itself around his neck. He heard his own voice
inside his head, screaming at him.
“AARGH!” Sabin’s wet body
twitched as the collar took its hold on his mind. “Who are you...”
“I’m your new master, and
you’re just another piece of meat for me to use.”
“NO! No! No.....”
“See? You can’t resist it.
Just make this thing easier for both of us and surrender yourself quickly. “
”I won’t do it!”
“You’re not...weakening....”
“Grr....Ugh....I....”
“Or maybe you are. You can’t
move, now, can you?”
Sabin’s muscled body lay
still on the tiles, but his mind was fortified against almost any attack. He
summoned his last ounce of free will to scream for help. “GAUUU!” Then, his
face fell limp. His mind had lost.
“What do you have to say
now?”
“My name is Sabin, and I am
now your servant.”
Wedge Chere smirked as he
looked at his new trophy. “Good.”
Going back to the previous chapter?
Take me
back to the main page!