Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their respective works.

"What the #(( we doin' here?"

A well-muscled, dark-skinned man vaulted over the back of the seat and into the chair. It squeaked under his considerable weight as he shifted to get comfortable. He glared up at the empty lit stage, flexing his metal hand. His two friends, a blond swordsman and a brunette with melting brown eyes sat down next to him. True, it is a stereotypical way to describe a girl this way, but anyone who met Tifa Lockhart would agree that the first thing they noticed about her was her soft gaze.

They would also agree that Cloud was short and that impressed upon observers the size of the sword across his back. How he could sit down with it on caused the other arrivals to scratch their heads for a split second, then shrug. The woman sitting on his other side didn't think that much of it, merely taking a large draw on her cigarette and leaning her chin artfully on a slender hand as she scrutinized him out of the corner of one green eye.

"Can I help you?"

Though she was surprised at being caught staring, Faye Valentine covered it well. Turning to face him fully, she met Cloud's blue eyes. Whoa…this one is handsome… "That depends. Who are you?"

"Cloud Strife, from Final Fantasy VII."

"Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop," she introduced herself, taking his hand. She held it for a bit longer than was necessary, judging by the direct stare she received from the girl on his other side.

"Tifa Lockhart, same as him." Brown eyes clashed with green over the hapless Cloud as Tifa shook Faye's hand, half smiling. Her gaze could be compared to a lion staring down another about to encroach upon its territory.

The door at the back of the auditorium banged open, interrupting their silent showdown. An ominous wind swept throughout the room, thunder crashed and lightning cracked, the sudden light revealing two silhouettes standing in the doorway.

Biting off a curse, the dark-skinned man raised his metal hand. Various joints and pistons clicked together, transforming it into a large gun. Tifa put a conciliatory hand on it. "Easy, Barrett. They're ominous but from a different place."

"# villains and their # ominous entrances," muttered Barrett, lowering his gun-arm with some reluctance. He glared at the two as they came into the light, revealing a tall, dark-haired young man, twin scars slanting from either side of the bridge of his nose toward the back of his jaw. Beside him walked a younger-looking man who was probably his brother, given how much they looked alike. Indeed, Barrett nodded in recognition. "Oh. Them. The brothers Uchiha from Naruto."

Another figure, shoulders slumped in depression, entered behind them. He had long hair down to his waist with two braids simply tied in front of his ears. On his right hand and leg, bandages wound their way around his skin. When he looked up, Faye immediately recognized his pure silver eyes. "What the- what's Neji doing here?" she muttered half-aloud.

"That's Hyuga Neji?" Cloud's brow furrowed. "I thought he was too hoighty-toighty to come here…"

"Betcha it's girl trouble." Barrett shrugged and glared at the Uchiha brothers who sat in a darkened corner not too far away. "When's this # thing gonna start, Tifa?!" he demanded.

"The flyer said 7 and it's only 6:45."

"The #(( we come early, then?!"

Tifa rolled her eyes, about to reply when the door creaked open once more, to reveal –

"FELLOW ANIME COMRADES! OHAIYO! IT IS MY GREATEST PLEASURE TO BE PRESENT AT THIS EVENT!"

A/N: Can anyone guess who the guy is? Find out in the next installment! Meanwhile, how about a review or two?