Written by LeMistressV
Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership to any of the FFVII characters. They belong solely to Square-Enix, so please do not sue me. ^---^ Thank you.
Summary: Two rival organizations have finally come to grips with reality and have decided to come together on a truce. Realizing that they would both benefit one another, they agree on a time of peace, ceasing all conflicts and forgiving all previous wars. But not everyone is happy with this proposition, and with a new organization growing into power, things could get ugly. Now, it's up to two rival agents to prevent their diplomats from being assassinated before the peace treaty is drawn up. But can they both set aside their differences and cooperate on a mission to save both their organizations, or will their hate for one another consume them both?
Prologue
"It's good to see you again."
Lightning flashed, illuminating blue MAKO eyes. "Funny," came the reply as he coughed up blood, "the same could be said to you." He wiped his bloody mouth with the back of his hand, slowly rising up to stand.
There came a soft chuckle as a figure slinked through the shadows and made her way towards him. "I see you're looking well." The voice was soft and gentle.
He winced as the rain stung against his bloody wound. God, he needed a drink! Gritting his teeth, he leaned against the wall and stood up, clutching his shoulder. "Well, I've got you to thank for that." He forced a mocking grin on his lips, ignoring the jolt of pain.
Again she chuckled, her voice almost drowned out by the raging thunder. "You're out of shape. Just what I'd expect from Shinra pigs like you. All talk and no substance. You're all a joke!"
"You know," he growled, an icy glare forming in his blue MAKO eyes, "you're really starting to annoy me." Pressing against his wound, he bit his lip to keep from crying out. With a silent cry, he suppressed the wound with his hand and glared into unreadable eyes. "Fine then. Let's settle this now. Sudden death. No weapons."
A sigh escaped from her parted lips as lightning illuminated her pale face. "You're getting too cocky." She flexed her fingers and balled them into tight fists. "Very well, then. Let's finish this. The sooner I kill you, the sooner I get to sleep." And with that, she moved into a fighting stance, her fists raised before her. "Come and get me."
"Humph, ladies first," he remarked, moving to a fighting stance as well. For a long time he studied her, noting any flicker or trace of movement she made. Although young and possessing a rather thin frame, she was dangerous. He hated to admit it, but she was a formidable foe.
This is going to be tough, he thought, remembering his wounded shoulder. The bleeding had started again, and he was losing a great deal of blood.
She, although sporting a few bloody scratches and bruises around her body, had not been as badly wounded as he. She was going to be difficult to kill with just one good arm.
Suddenly, the world grew still as the rain continued to pelt at them in the darkness. But they stood in the rain completely motionless, eyes locked on one another with a blazing fury. One of them would die tonight.
She smirked. "Losing your nerve already?"
Lightning scorched the sky, and he was nowhere to be found. With a raging speed, he charged at her and kicked, ready to knock her onto the ground. But she was ready for the incoming blow and extended her leg out towards him quickly, countering the blow as she was knocked down.
He sailed across the rooftop and tumbled back from the impact. With a sharp gasp, he spat out blood from his mouth and stood up. But as he moved to take a step forward, a fist shot out from the darkness and aimed for his head. He feinted to his left and dodged the incoming blow.
Glass shattered from behind him as her fist made contact with a nearby window. From the looks of it, the blow would have been a fatal one if he had not dodged it.
Gritting his teeth, he threw his body against the ground and slapped it with both hands. In an instant, his arms went into shock and grew numb. Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling, he shifted all his weight to his arms and swung his legs over into the air, catching her by the ankles.
But the attack backfired, and he found himself pummeling against the metal wall. God! She's fast! he thought as his head slammed against the wall in a sickening impact. In severe pain, he threw his head back and gasped sharply. He was done for now.
"Humph! That's all you've got?" she remarked with a disappointed sigh. Brushing her sopping wet hair away from her face, she walked over to him and looked him over carefully. "That blow should've killed you instantly. With those wounds and that collision, I'm surprised you're still alive."
He gave her no reply. He was in too much pain to sneer at her. Coughing up more blood, his vision began to blur. He was losing too much blood.
"A pity we had to enemies. I would've liked you if we were friends." She sighed and crouched over to him, a hand brushing against his cheek. Slowly, she cupped his face with one hand and shook her head. "I guess this is the end for you…Seven."
Shivers ran down his spine as her fingers brushed against his skin. Her touch was unusually gentle. As his vision began to fail, lightning struck, illuminating a pretty face.
And then the world grew pitch black, and the only sound ebbed forever in his memory was the sound of a gunshot.
Chapter 1
Awakening of the Sleeping Cobra
Tifa Lockhart stirred quietly in her bed and rolled over to her back. Dark brown eyes peeked from underneath her eyelids and winced as the bright rays of sunlight penetrated her window curtains. With a sigh, she moved a pale hand up to brush her bangs aside, revealing a beautiful porcelain doll face. She was breathtaking even in her sleep.
Moaning softly, she sat up in her bed, a tumble of chocolate brown hair cascading down her shoulders. Morning already? she thought quietly, slipping out of her bed. Yawning, she stretched her arms over her head and bent over. Normally, the pain in her muscles would be too great to allow her to move, let alone stretch. But now, she was accustomed to the pain, and hardly noticed her muscles protesting in her morning exercises.
Within a few minutes, Tifa held a satisfied look on her face, and quickly finished her morning stretch. Excited to start the new day, she hurried into her bathroom and prepared herself for the day ahead.
"I see someone's overslept."
Tifa acknowledged the greeting and smiled. Walking down the carpeted stairs slowly, she found a middle-aged man standing at the foot of the stairs, his dark eyes identical to hers. "Good morning, papa," she replied cheerfully, planting a small kiss on her father's cheek as she reached the end of the stairs. "I'm sorry I slept in this morning."
Her father waved a dismissive hand and shook his head. "You're so busy nowadays. You hardly ever come for a visit, and you're always so tired from what I hear," he remarked, watching his daughter move into the kitchen. "I'm just glad you're here. It's not everyday you young people spend time with an old geezer like me."
"You're not that old," Tifa replied, washing her hands in the faucet.
"It's been so long, now," her father said, rummaging through the cupboards and fishing out a few bowls.
Tifa smiled and tapped an egg against the counter. Cracking it open, she placed the contents into a bowl. "It's been…five years, hasn't it?"
A soft chuckle escaped from her father's lips as he scratched his head thoughtfully. "I forget that you've been buried under so much work. It's so hard to keep track of family and work at the same time. Especially what you do," he observed, watching Tifa whisk at the bowl quickly.
For a long time Tifa said nothing, her eyes focused completely on the bowl in her hands. It hurt to think about her father's struggle to remain calm even when his only daughter was in a dangerous position. His support was the only thing that kept her alive and sane. But she knew it was eating him inside.
Suddenly, a frown creased her father's eyebrows, and he rested a hand on his daughter's arm. "You know," he said slowly, "you don't have to make me breakfast. You're here on vacation. You shouldn't be bothering with the chores."
"Nonsense!" Tifa retorted, pouring the contents of her bowl into a frying pan. "You live here all by yourself. I feel guilty leaving you here all alone with no one to take care of you."
Her father shook his head in disapproval. "Who says I need to be looked after? I can take care of myself, you know. After all, I did raise you by myself. And look how spoiled you turned out to be," he teased, whisking the empty bowl into the sink.
Tifa gave a soft giggle and poked her omelet with a spatula. "You couldn't have brought me up any better," she replied, her father beaming with pride. "So stop worrying about me and sit down. Breakfast will be ready in a minute."
He hesitated, still watching her cook.
"I do this for fun, you know," Tifa said reassuringly. "The boys back at work are always hungry. I find myself so busy cooking for them, I hardly ever get any action out in the field." Finally turning to glance at her father, she made a face and poked him with the spatula. "Besides, all this special treatment's making me lazy. We wouldn't want that now would we?"
Her father laughed in amusement and raised his hands up in defeat. "All right," he answered, "I'll leave you to your cooking. You always were too stubborn to convince, anyway."
Tifa observed her surroundings quietly, a strong sense of nostalgia washing over her. Although she would never admit it to her father, she had missed home desperately ever since she had left it. She loved Nibelheim. It had been her home for fifteen years. Her new home in Midgar came nowhere close to her beloved Nibelheim and its towering gray mountains.
Even in her absence, the sleepy town of Nibelheim did not change at all. The well at the center of the town was still standing on a tilt, and the cluttered wooden houses were still in tact. Even the old and abandoned Shinra Mansion still stood at the outskirts of the town, acting as a reminder of the dark ages long ago.
Tifa's spine tingled with distaste at the site. The thought of Shinra made her insides tighten. With her skin prickling uneasily, she turned away from the mansion, eager to keep her good mood for the rest of her vacation. Shinra was not going to ruin her visit at Nibelheim no matter what!
"Tifa? Oh, my dear, is that really you?" a voice spoke up suddenly, breaking the silence.
Her train of thought interrupted, dark brown eyes turned to gaze at a middle-aged woman's face. The woman looked vaguely familiar. Tilting her head to the side, Tifa thought for a moment and scowled slightly. "Um, Mrs…?"
But before she could give a full reply, the woman gave a triumphant cry and clapped her hands together excitingly. "Oh! Oh! It is you!" And with that, she hurried over to each house and wrapped her knuckles against the doors quickly. "It's the Lockhart girl, everyone! She's returned at last!"
Suddenly, the quiet town buzzed with life as people ran into the streets and murmured to one another as they caught a glimpse of the "Lockhart girl."
Tifa fought the urge to raise an eyebrow, a feeling of awkwardness coming over to her. They act as if I'm some prodigal daughter or something, she thought quietly, waving at the gaping crowd. Never in her life did she think she was this popular.
"My, how you've grown! Just look how pretty you are!" someone said in awe, examining Tifa from head to toe.
A hand clamped against Tifa's shoulder. "Are you here to settle down now, little lady?" a gruff voice remarked, shaking her gently.
Tifa gave a nervous chuckle as the man indicated to young man standing over to her right, smiling goofily at her. "Uh, let's not jump into conclusions too quickly," she replied, breaking out of the man's grasp.
"Are you staying long, dear?"
"What have you been doing all this time?"
"Have you been eating well?"
"What's the outside world like?"
As best as she could, Tifa remained with the curious crowd, explaining to her audience as much as she dared for them to hear without alarming them. It was best to give a vague answer than to get into details. She had no intention of disturbing the peace in Nibelheim any further.
For several more hours, the excitement continued throughout the town, Tifa's arrival being the center of every conversation now. Now even strangers stopped Tifa as she walked down the streets exploring. It surprised her how many recognized her from five years ago.
"Feh. Always the popular one," Jessie had mused once.
Tifa shook the thought away, unable to keep herself from grinning. It was good to be back.
Suddenly, an abrupt ringing sounded loudly into the bustling atmosphere. Conversation soon died down as a few people jumped at the abrupt sound. Tifa, accustomed to the noise, gave no indication of shock and calmly plucked out her PHS from her pocket.
"Lockhart…"
For a long moment, no one spoke, all eyes curiously peering at Tifa and the device she held up to her ears.
Brown eyes soon narrowed, and all traces of a smile on her pretty face vanished. She was no longer the "Lockhart girl" the townspeople had been familiar with.
"…Yes…Understood."
Tifa ignored the stares her way and moved quickly away from the public eye. Slipping into an empty alleyway, she glanced at her surroundings cautiously before replying into the PHS once again.
"Tonight? Yes. Right away, then." And with that, she shut off her PHS and slipped it back into her pocket. With a sigh, she jogged back into her father's house, a look of disappointment on her face.
"So much for vacation time," she mused to herself, avoiding any lingering townspeople as she headed to her father's house.
It was time for another mission, and Tifa Lockhart was just the person to complete it.
Author's Note: Hey, guys, I wrote this story a few years ago and never put it up for some reason. Anyway, I've decided to post up 2 chapters of this thing and see if people really like it. If people give me a good reaction I'll post up more. If not, meh, I'll take my time. We'll see. Also, the title is an homage to a certain Visual Kei Group. I'll totally give you props if you can figure out where's it from. I just thought of the title now, since this story's been untitled for the last 3 and a half years. Enjoy.