AN: I really like how this one turned out... it just sorta came to mind one day... it's a lot shorter than my standard but whatever I'll live... review please!!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters... yeah I wish...
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"Tifa," He mumbled. "You have to understand, it had to be done," Rude paused as the rain fell in Gongonga, "It was either his life or min." Rude wished he could say that Cloud had been a friend of his, but that would have been a lie. Rude had killed him, and that was that.
On her knees and sobbing, Tifa snapped, "Better the hero lives than the assassin."
Rude knew she was right, completely and totally right. "That's not how it works, Tifa." He was right too. It was dog-eat-dog. Everyone was for themselves and no one in the real world actually gave their lives to save another.
"You killed him," Tifa sobbed, "You… you killed him."
"I know, but I didn't have a choice," Rude explained.
"You pulled the trigger didn't you?" Tifa demanded, "So you did have a choice. You didn't have to kill him."
"Tifa," Rude began, "I'm a Turk. I kill people for a living. Do you think that someone who gets paid to do that would think to give up their life for a hero's?"
"You killed him," Tifa repeated, sounding angry.
"I'm a Turk damn it! Don't you get that?" Rude fumed. "I'm a killer, that's what I do."
"So what, I'm supposed to understand and stop being mad because it was all in the line of duty?" Tifa got to her feet and looked at Rude, "I'm supposed to think you're a great person because you're responsible and actually do your job?"
"I didn't want to kill Cloud," Rude muttered under his breath.
"This isn't about weather or not you wanted to do it, this is about having actually done it. You killed him!"
"You think I don't know that? You think I don't see every person that dies because of me? You think I'm not haunted by every scream that escapes their lips?" Rude did not look angry, he didn't look sad. He had no expression.
Seeing Rude so calm angered Tifa. How could he just stand there, no sign of emotion on his face? Tifa stopped crying, finding that she had no more tears to let fall.
"I have to go," Tifa said, crossing her arms, "I have to tell the others."
"Don't," Rude breathed, "Don't leave mad."
"Well I'm sure as hell not leaving happy," Tifa said sadly. She no longer was angry, she just sounded hurt.
Rude nodded, "I understand."
Tifa walked away, the tears falling silently down her face and all Rude could do was watch. At the INN in Gongonga that night, he replayed the scene in his head, and he realized, just how many people he had killed, and how many more people he had hurt in the process and he would never be able to forgive himself.