Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: This is NOT, repeat NOT a Vincent/Yuffie fic. This fic is all about the awesomeness that is Cid Highwind… and Yuffie. If you don't like that, you can go read a different story. I wrote this because I was tired of reading Cid/Yuffie fics that I didn't like, and wanted something that finally portrayed him in my vision. So, read, enjoy, and if you don't like it, don't read it. Constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

4/17/2009 -- resubmitted to edit a few mistakes.

Chapter 1

A Chance Encounter

A low rumble echoed across the night sky, giving early warning to the approaching weather. The dark clouds overhead had long blocked out the sunlight from above, casting the day into a very early dusk. The air carried the musty scent of the ocean as winds began to pick up, grabbing loose and discarded trash from the streets and flinging it violently against the concrete walls of the city. Predictions were that this would be one of the most turbulent nights in years, almost dangerous levels of wind and chilling rain would befall the city of Midgar. Citizens were told to remain indoors or travel at their own risks as the meager law enforcement would be unable to provide assistance.

It was the greatest sign of nature the world had shown in years and it answered the prayers of the devout and non-religious alike.

It had been nearly four years since the defeat of Sephiroth, a time that the world was thought to be doomed. The silver-haired demon had caused so much devastation to the planet that all was feared lost, even with the arrival of the Life Stream's forgiveness.

For years oceans were unnaturally calm, the wind was unquestionably absent, and the skies were eerily calm. Crops withered and died. Herds of animals became lost. Nature all but seemed to give up on itself. Many people blamed Shinra; others even blamed the rebel Kadaj and his kin, marking it as his one last curse on Gaia. It seemed for awhile that the destruction of the people was all but inevitable, Sephiroth and Jenova's final parting gift.

And then the rain came. It began nearly four months before, at a time when the populous had resolved itself to the fate of the Ancients as well. It was slow at first, a few scattered showers, mostly near the coast. But then heavier and heavier storms began to form. It seemed as if the planet were finally regaining its senses, reminding itself that it had to support a collective of living creatures. And with the rain came wind.

Long had the people forsaken Mako Reactors as their power supply. They had learned that to tempt Gaia's wrath would be to suffer her punishment. And now with the return of the wind they looked to alternative means of power. Wind collecting generators were built, followed soon after by Solar Absorption Batteries, and then the electricity producing dam projects began. But the planet would constantly remind its denizens that it was still in control. On a rare occasion Gaia would exert her power and give the people a show of tremendous force.

This night was such an occasion.

A deep roar filled the streets as the rush of air swept through the concrete man-made jungle. Lamp posts rattled and waved in the tremendous breeze, almost threatening to buckle against the natural might. Then the stinging daggers of the cold rain began. It was always a sudden downpour. It never began slowly.

Few people remained outside long enough to hear the wind rush by, and even fewer still stayed long after to feel the cold rain.

Yet a lone figure was there.

A long brown cloak hung loosely around the figure as she ran through the streets, a futile effort to keep the delicate body underneath dry in this raging shower of freezing cold rain and wind. A heavy pant escaped her lips as the young woman splashed through the forming puddles on the streets, each step causing her body to again tremble in the cold as the water danced up to meet her.

Her shoulder length black hair wisped back and forth across her face as she spun her head from side to side; stealing a glance down every alley way and side street she passed. Each path offered the same futile escape route as the last, unable to lead her way to freedom. Beneath her cloak she cradled a small bag in her arms. She hugged it tight against her freezing frame, almost as if to beg the bag itself to save her.

And she could hear them following her.

From the loud splashing it sounded like three, maybe four, men were pursuing her. She could hear them yelling to her, but their words were carried away by the wind. Maybe for the best, given her current position she had doubts anything they said would be nice or even proper. And all because she had just swiped a bag of precious Materia.

Her name was Yuffie Kisaragi; she was a ninja by trade and thief by hobby. Anytime the prospect of wrapping her fingers around an orb of materia arose, she was the first to pounce on it. It had earned her a bad reputation in the past. Mistrusted by her friends and despised by the rest of the world, she relished the idea of being thought of as the greatest thief/ninja of all times. Yuffie found it hard to believe anyone could be so attached to the small crystal balls, no bigger than a tennis ball, that they'd kill over it.

But she was sure that's what these men intended.

She knew swiping the materia would land her into a heap of trouble. But she also counted on being far out of town before the mob-boss came home to find his house ransacked. How was she to know he'd call his vacation off early from Costa del Sol on account of wanting to beat the rain home?

Caught in mid-act, she had no choice but to turn tail and run with only half of her intended goal. And from the looks of it, it was yellow and purple materia to boot. Her tiny nose wrinkled a bit at the thought, knowing she'd be lucky to get bottom gil prices for this batch.

A big meaty hand grabbed for her from behind, snapping the peppy ninja from her daydreams of counting gil. She could sense more than see the hand approaching, finally her ninja training able to pay off. She slid to a quick stop in the middle of the street, her feet finding very little traction in the freezing cold pools of rain. But it was enough to catch her pursuer off guard allowing her to deliver a quick spin kick into his abdomen. A loud grunt escaped his pale lips, filling Yuffie's nostrils with the smell of booze and cigarette smoke.

Finding his accomplices quickly gaining she spun around and again resumed her escape down the dark streets. Many of the street lamps grew inoperable during storms. The primitive wiring available offered very little resistance to shorting out or snapping in heavy gusts such as this.

For a moment the young ninja thought she heard one of men shouting over the roar of wind, but quickly dispatched the idea as the words she 'heard' hardly seemed appropriate for a lady's delicate ears.

Finally confident of her location, she turned her flight down one of the darkened alley ways. She had set up several escape routes before hand, just in case of emergency. And four angry men chasing her in the middle of a rain storm surely counted as one. Suddenly her forward moment was halted as she ran face first into a solid brick wall.

She had turned down the wrong street.

Quickly recalling the blueprint of the city in her mind, her cheeks grew pale. Her little maneuver earlier had caused her to count one too few streets. This alley ended in a dead end with tall buildings on both sides and a third making this choice a lost cause.

No matter, she thought, I'll just hurry back before they catch up and make it out the next one. Spinning quickly she froze before taking another step out. Four dark silhouettes blocked the entrance of the alley.

A flickering street light across the road gave her the briefest of glance at each one wearing a very angry, determined glare before the light itself hissed and popped out of existence.

She found herself suddenly terrified in the darkness. "Now, now, boys," she forced out, steeling herself to be strong, "I know what I did mighta seemed like a bad idea. But hear me out. I've got a starving grandma and if she doesn't get some gil soon, she'll die!" Her voice echoed against the solid walls. Walls that blocked the roar of the wind and would also block her cries for help stood tall on each side of her. Even on her best day she could never climb them fast enough, not carrying her precious sack of materia.

The tallest of the four men, nursing a bruised stomach, spoke up. "Hear that, boys? Not only is our little bitch here a thief, but a good Samaritan as well." This raised a deep chuckle from each of the men. "Now, what do we do to good little ninja girls that cross the boss? Hm? Brucey?" The word 'girl' forced a terrified shiver down the Wutai-native's spine. She was going on her 20th winter this year, and as adorable as she found herself, she doubted these men were here to praise and compliment her stunning good looks.

Another of the men snickered in the darkness and Yuffie could swear she heard the man lick his lips. "We teaches them a lesson? Yeah, that's what we do. Teach it to 'em good and hard too!" This brought all four men to a deep laugh. A laugh, the little thief noted, was getting closer and closer in the alley.

With a sigh of resolve, the dark-haired thief reached over her shoulder. A soft snap rang through the alley as she unhooked her large shuriken from her back. "Alright boys, final warning; stand down now or it's gonna get messy!" Her eyes had trouble adjusting to the darkness of the confined space, but she knew the men had an equal handicap.

"Looky here, boys, the little minx has a pig sticker, neh? I wonder what she plans to do with that." It was a third voice, much higher than the other two. Yuffie thought the voice reminded her strangely of a rodent. And the accompanying high-pitched tittering laugh from the man didn't help the illusion.

The one she had kicked earlier, the larger of the men stepped forward. She could almost feel his hot, stank breath against her cheek. "Why, I wager she has no idea what she's gotten into. In fact," the voice grew close, less than several feet from her face, "I'll bet she thinks we're as blind as she is."

With that her eyes grew wide, causing the quartet of men to burst into laughter. It was true that the only thing she could see was her own hand gripping her shuriken in front of her face, but how could they see that?

She barely had time to ponder the fact as a sudden large fist came crashing into her stomach. It was all Yuffie could do to keep from losing her breakfast, never mind the wind that was forced from her lungs. The bag of materia clanged to the ground and she almost lost the grip on her weapon. Her now free arm wrapped across her stomach as she forced every ounce of her being not to black out.

The voice, now mere inches from her ear, growled at her. "You stupid slut! We're mutates. Our DNA's been spliced with animals BRED to stalk in the night. Our boss is always prepared, and on nights when visibility is low, he keeps us on guard."

Her blood ran cold as again four distinct laughs filled the alley. Gritting her teeth in rage, the ninja forced all of her might into her movements. Quickly she bent her body backwards, drawing her legs up a sharp one-two kick against the man's jaw and flipping backwards, doing a brief handstand before continuing with her momentum and completing the motion. Her ankles throbbed. It had felt like kicking the brick wall she had been forced to run into earlier.

The man simply laughed. "Better do more than that, little lady. That's barely a love tap from some of the brothels I frequent. Surely the kick earlier surprised me, but now I'm ready for ya and your little acrobatics just aren't gonna cut it."

The cornered girl took another step back, knocking into some discarded cans and bottles. "S-So, "she tried to hide the fear in her voice, "I don't suppose you'd just let me off with a simple warning if I gave the materia back, eh?"

For a moment the four men were silent, before the large man nearest her roared in laughter. Yuffie suddenly felt like a cornered mouse being stalked by wild animals. "Now see here, you pretty little thing. We gots strict orders from the big man. Anyone who crosses him dies, ya follow me? And frankly, me boys 'n' me got this problem, see?"

"Yeah, yeah problem!" the high-pitched man spoke up.

The large man reached a hand up cupping his big meaty fingers against the young ninja's shivering cheek. The rain and fear had finally taken its toll on her body.

"Ya see," for a moment, his voice softened to the point of forcing the ninja to drop her guard, "when we have our way with women, we gotsa be extra careful not to kill 'em. If we do, the boss doesn't let us play with 'em for awhile." The three approaching men all chuckled. "But you, you precious little flower", his fingers suddenly snatched back, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head back hard. "You're not one of the boss' ladies. We can do whatever we want and he won't get mad, ya feel me?"

"If she doesn't now, she will soon!" Added one of the other men. The pounding in her ear wouldn't allow Yuffie to distinguish which one.

Her rage exploded at his touch. Her weapon quickly came up, sharp points of her shuriken finding purchase in flesh as she raked upwards. His fingers let go of her hair as he roared in pain, taking a large step away from his prey. The hot splash of blood warmed her cheeks as she spun around, the weapon whistling loudly in the darkness.

She screamed with all of her anger as she let the weapon fly. They're straight ahead of me, she thought, if I can just make a small opening in their ranks I can run through!

The large weapon hummed through the darkness, sounding as if a buzz saw were slicing through the very night itself. Yuffie strained her ears and listened. She was waiting for either the dull thud of contact or the screams of scatter. Either way she would make her way through the opening and escape into the streets again.

A glint in the night, nothing more than a brief spark, shone through the alley. She heard the weapon clatter harmlessly to the ground not but several feet before her. They were armed as well she quickly realized.

The remaining color fled from her cheeks as the rain poured down from the night sky. She was blind, unarmed, and helpless. She was vulnerable to their advances.

"Get her!" the men all cried in unison, forcing a small whimper to escape her throat. A bolt of lightning, the first all night, raced across the sky. It gave just enough light to show Yuffie the four of them advance on her, one crimson from her attack. And then her visibility was gone.

They were upon her almost instantly. She then knew they were closer to her than she initially thought. Her weapon never had a chance to give her freedom. She screamed and yelled as wet hands grabbed for her. She squirmed against their grips, the men easily overpowering her despite the slippery nature the rain gave her. She kicked and punched, her blows finding only glancing connection.

Her cloak was torn asunder and tossed aside. Her shivering body fought against her attackers, but the more she struggled the louder they laughed. Each time a hand found purchase on her, she lost an article of clothing. First her arm bracer, then her shin guards, followed quickly by her straps, and shreds of armor were discarded. Finally the men began to tear at her clothes. Screams and curses flew from her lips. Tears trailed down her cheeks.

And the blows rained down almost as fast as the water from the sky did. Every time the brave ninja raised her head it was met with a sharp punch, every time she twisted to kick she would instead receive one herself. Soon she found her body no longer responded to her wishes. She struggled on but now it was little more than twitching and whimpering.

"Alright boys, I think that's about enough. I like my meat tenderized, not dead." It was the large man speaking. Three sets of hands grasped her, holding her steady as she slumped down to her knees, finding herself in a pool of rain and her own blood.

She could feel his hot breath again brush against her ears, his voice like daggers against her mind. "Now we're going to have our fun with you, whether you like it or not. And when we're done, I promise we'll end it quickly." The last word raised a protest from one of the other men holding Yuffie. "Well, that is to say if Brucey doesn't swallow you whole first."

The men all laughed. "I dunno, how much you wanna bet she could swallow YOU whole?" Again the laughter, but this one brought a sharp red blush across the battered cheeks of the young woman.

"I swear to Leviathan…" she whispered, her voice ragged and hoarse from screaming, "I will bite down on anything that comes near me and nothing short of death with pry me off." She knew it was a hollow threat, as exhausted as she was she doubted she could latch on that tight. But the threat had worked, the men stopped laughing.

A sharp slap across her cheek brought another cry from her lips.

"Fine, if you want to treat us like animals, we'll take you like animals." The man snapped his fingers and the three sets of hands dragged her through the alley. They lifted her easily as if she weighed less than a chocobo feather and forced her face first over a crate left in the alley, her rear in the air as if she were some kind of beast. She was helpless, bent over the wet wooden box as the men tugged and ripped at her last line of defense, her underwear.

The cold night air brushed against her exposed flesh, sending shivers down her pale body. Tears continued to rain down her cheeks as she fought weakly against her captives.

"Man, lookit her squirm!"

"I tell ya, that's almost tantalizing enough to make me wanna take first cuts!"

A deep growl filled the alley. "No, she bled me. Now I'll bleed her. I'm first."

Yuffie closed her eyes tight. Her mind racing in fear. She was helpless to the attack and she hated it. Never in all of her life had she felt so powerless. And worse yet, she was about to lose the one thing she had saved her entire life. People called her greedy and self-centered. But this one gift she had saved for him. Her one true love. The only man she could trust and dream about. She wanted him here now. He could save her, and be so damn cool about it.

Yuffie thought about it, the longing and need for his help. She prayed that he would come at just the last minute, his red cape billowing in the wind. She prayed to hear the triple shot of his Death Penalty rip into the skulls of these beasts, with the final thug being torn to shreds by bare hands. She knew he'd rescue her, just as he always did before. He would stand, cool and collected at the end of the alley-way afterwards. And she would embarrassingly smile at him.

His dark red eyes would take her in and she would futilely try to conceal herself. His big strong arms would enclose around her to keep her warm and safe out of the rain. His gruff voice would sooth her racing heart. She would be his, and she would give herself to him eagerly, even in this alley if he desired it.

But that was fantasy, not reality.

Her lips parted as the hands held her down, knowing the inevitable was soon approaching. Her voice, nothing more than a pleading whisper, escaped her throat as she moaned his name, praying for her dark savior, "Vincent…."

And then the world flipped upside down.

Seconds before, she had known she was powerless to these animals. They would take her and gloat about it. Torment her in her last moments on Gaia. Call her names she dare not consider and do things she dare not have nightmares about.

But then the rush of warm liquid splashed across her bare back. It was hot and natural, but not vulgar. It smelled of meat. It was blood.

The splash was soon accompanied by a gurgle, and then a sickening wet thud as one of the sets of hands released her.

"What the fuck?! BRUCEY!" roared the big man.

A strike of lightning streaked across the sky. Looking down she saw the crumbled body of one her attackers, his head severed from the rest of his body and rolling through the alley to stop beside a trashcan. And then the light was gone.

"You son of a bitch!" The remaining hands let her go and she could hear them backing away from the crate.

Another flash of lightning. Yuffie saw the remaining three men over her shoulder, staring wide-eyed down the alley. And again the darkness filled the alley.

Then her eyes widened in realization. Her dream had come true! Her head quickly turned up to look down the end of the alley at her rescuer, her eyes straining to focus in the night. "Vinc..." she began, before her jaw fell open in shock. There was no billowing cape. There was no tri-barrel gun. There was no red eyed demon to save her.

Instead, hovering roughly six feet off the ground hung a small red glow. Her eyes strained to make it out; trying to see what kind of machinery was producing the light. It bobbled back and forth quickly, as if dancing through the rain that threatened to block it out.

"Alright, you fucking ass-holes," growled a deep voice from just behind the red glow. "Which of you sons of bitches dies next?"

The bare ninja tilted her head in a confused state. The voice seemed strangely familiar, yet she didn't recall knowing anyone with a red dot on their face. Slowly she slumped down off of the box and found herself in a chilling pool of water, fingers darting against the ground to find some shred of clothing.

There was another flash of light, more lightning ripping across the sky. Yuffie's eyes grew wide at the revelation.

The red dot wasn't what she had thought it was. It was a fire, burning on the end of a small white stick in a man's mouth. The embers of a cigarette. The blonde man was visible for only a brief second, the light glinting off of the two pieces of glass across his forehead, his flight goggles. A dirty scarf around his neck billowed in the wind as the man took a long drag from his cigarette, causing the ember to flare brightly.

"You bastard! This didn't concern you!" Roared the leader, his voice heavy with rage. "But you've gone and killed Brucey, now you're meat! We've got the advantage here you miserable human! Get him!"

Yuffie thought she heard the faint sound of a chuckle coming from her long-time friend before running boots splashed cold water in her face, causing her to cower back for shelter.

"Gonna gut you like a fish!" Screamed the high-pitched man, his voice growing more distance as he charged at the entrance of the alley.

"Yeah, you and what fucking army?" Mocked the pilot.

Seconds later the sounds of blows connecting, followed by a loud snapping echoed across the alley. A heavy body splashed to the ground in the darkness.

"You're a thousand years too fucking young to run with my shit, you pole-smoking fashion victims!" Called the gruff voice into the night. Yuffie realized that despite her handicap in the night, her friend didn't seem to suffer the same.

Moments later she heard the gruff voice mutter a single word, 'fire', before the body now laying on the ground burst into flames, shedding light into the entire enclosure. In mere moments her rescuer had dispatched two of the four men she herself couldn't even annoy. She was beside herself with relief and joy.

The hiss of water evaporating as the rain poured onto the fire filled the air. But this was magical fire, not easily doused. Looking up she saw her savior, not the one she had dreamed up, but one she would thank profusely none-the-less. It was the last person she had expected to see, ever. She last saw him two years ago, shortly after the Kadaj incident. He had parted ways from the rest of the group, claiming to know things that the others refused to believe.

In the long time away, she had assumed he would have grown old, tired, ragged looking. Instead he looked exactly the same. His bright blonde hair remained as full as ever, dripping water across his rugged jaw line. The short stubble on his face cast a dark shadow across his features as the fire burned fiercely. His jacket, with the arms rolled up to his biceps, tensed with muscles that remained solid and strong through the years. Even his piercing blue eyes remained as sharp and clear as the day he parted from his friends.

The two remaining mutates, their numbers severely reduced, began to step back. "Hey look, maybe we can come to some kind of agreement neh? Maybe we were a bit hasty…" The smaller of the two men began, his hands fumbling around his waist. Suddenly his arms snapped up, two sharp blades flying through the air right at the pilot.

With a simple twirl of his fingers the spear was up, knocking the weapons aside. They skittered to the ground near Yuffie's hiding place, resting just inches from where her own weapon lay in a puddle of blood.

Then she heard it.

Cid Highwind, pilot of the airship Shera, was chanting something as he took a step forward into the alley. The very atmosphere in the alley began to warm and she could swear she saw droplets of rain, moments before hitting a puddle, stop and begin to actually lift back into the air. Lightning crashed outside on the main road.

And then crashed again.

And again.

Each crack of electricity grew closer and closer, until the final streak landed just behind the pilot himself. His spear drew back over his shoulder, his fingers gripping it in a hurling position.

Finally one last bolt of lightning raced from the sky and landed on the very butt of the spear, causing the weapon to glow a brilliant golden color. "Ramuh damns you to hell, you fucking maggot!" The blonde-haired warrior yelled as the spear was thrown through the air.

The mutates could only stand in shock as the crackling weapon hurled through the alley. The tip finding its home squarely in the chest of the smaller of the two. He screamed in shock and pain. Blood erupted from his wound. He coughed and stumbled.

"Is that….that all you got!" he gasped, a sadistic grin forming across his thin lips.

Cid's cool gaze never left the man. His hand reached up and plucked the now finished cigarette butt from his mouth and flicked it to the ground. "Not even close, you little bitch," And with that, the blonde pilot snapped his fingers.

The energy inside the spear erupted, dancing all along the mutate's body. Electricity coursed through every fiber of his being. It burst his lungs as he tried to scream. It popped the soft jelly of his eyes as he tried to shed a tear. And finally his body exploded, raining red mist across the alley.

The spear clattered harmlessly to the ground.

Yuffie stood finally, throwing her arms in the air, indifferent to her current condition of concealment. "Yeah! You go! I knew…"

Suddenly large fingers gripped around her shoulders, drawing her away from her safe spot near the crate. Looking back she could see the large man gritting his teeth in anger. She could also sense the fear and desperation in his eyes and she allowed a small smirk to cross her lips.

"You hold it right there you little insect!" Roared the man, holding the tiny frame of the female ninja in front of him like a shield. "This shit didn't concern you, and now you've gone and ruined our little fun! My boys are dead and if you take one more step closer, so will this pretty little lady!" Sharp fingernails dug against her tender flesh, causing a small cry of pain to escape her lips.

The pilot regarded the man with cool, unwavering eyes. "Yeah? So what now?" he took another step forward, slowly closing the gap between him and the hostage taker.

"Now you stay right there, and I'm gonna radio my boss for orders." His fingers dug deep enough to cause small rivers of crimson to run down the pale ninja's exposed shoulders. "And you're killing her. Stop right there."

Cid stopped his approach. His eyes slowly glancing back and forth between the ninja and the mutate. His jaw clenched as he narrowed his eyes.

Yuffie could feel a sharp blush dancing across her cheeks. She was suddenly and overwhelmingly embarrassed. She was being paraded about, in the buff, as a human shield. And the cold rain wasn't helping her any either. "S-Sorry old man," She whimpered, her body trembling as she hung weakly in her captors arms. "I guess I just wasn't good enough."

Shock crossed Cid's normally gruff features. "Kisaragi? Is that you ya damn kid? Well, shit!"

The ninja blinked several times, mostly from confusion and then realization. "What?! You mean you didn't come rescue me because it was me?!"

Cid Shrugged. "To be honest, I figured you were a little boy being fucked up by some bullies."

Yuffie fumed, her legs kicking furiously at the pilot who remained just out of reach. "A little BOY?! You old bastard! I'll have you know my breasts are known far and wide as the most sensual in the world!"

This drew a deep chuckle from the pilot. "Sure sure right, whatever ya say ya damn brat. So I guess there's not gonna be a reward for taking a little boy back to his fucking mother eh?" a hand reached up, scratching his stubble. "Damn, I was hoping for a warm bed and warmer booze too. Speaking of warm bed, it looks like you could fucking use one." His rough, calloused finger lowered to point at her chest. "Ding, the damn turkey's done."

Suddenly forgetting her current position, the Wutainian screamed and squirmed desperately to claw the pilot's eyes out. "You damn senile old man! How dare you say that! Can't you see I'm in trouble here?"

"Would you two both shut the fuck up!" The captor suddenly yanked up hard on both of her arms.

Yuffie's eyes grew wide as two loud pops echoed in the alley-way. Fighting against the pain was futile as darkness quickly overtook her. The ninja fell limp in the man's grasp.

"You fucking prick! I'm gonna royally fuck you up now!" Roared the captain, his previous humor gone from his features.

"Oh yeah? You and 'what fucking army'?" the mutate mocked, holding the limp ninja in front of him. "I've got the upper hand here! I've got the girl, you're weaponless, and I'm far stronger physically! You're nothing you little shit!"

A small smirk danced onto the blonde-haired man's lips. "Let's test that, shall we?" His eyes narrowed as he stared the hostage-taker down.

The mutant-man grinned, grabbing the ninja by only one arm now and raising his now free hand to swipe at the weaponless captain. Suddenly he froze, his eyes locking on the deep cobalt pools of Cid's gaze. His body began to tremble as he struggled to maintain his grip on the limp Yuffie.

The exchanged lasted only a moment.

The mutate was staring at him one minute, and the next Cid was gone. Looking down he saw that he no longer had the ninja woman in his grasp. In fact she was now several feet down the alley, lying across the crate they had planned to use to violate her. A dark brown jacket lay across her as a makeshift blanket.

The pilot, now standing beside the crate and far from the burley man had his back turned, staring out into the street. The large spear was resting across his shoulders and behind his head, his arms hung lazily hooked over the shaft.

And then his vision split. A vertical black line formed across his eyes as he stared at the blonde man's back. He opened his mouth to speak, but found his tongue wouldn't move. Or moreover, it wouldn't move together. He soon discovered his tongue, like the rest of him, was no longer whole. Straight down the middle his body had been split, so instantaneously that his brain still had time to think. Moments before his left side separated from his right, the large man had one final thought. Damn…That was fast…

The dull pain in her shoulders forced her eyes to flutter open weakly. The rain was beginning to die down, reduced to a very gentle sprinkle. However it didn't matter, her savior had enclosed his jacket around her to grant her warmth and protection.

Glancing up, she barely made out the silhouette of her long-time friend reach into one of his pockets and draw something up to his mouth. With a flick of his lighter the cigarette blazed to life. The fire he had produced on the corpse was beginning to die, destroying what little vision she had left in the night.

His head tilted slightly, cocking down to look at her shivering frame. She offered a weak smile up at him before her eyes began to force themselves closed again. She barely made out his last words before exhaustion overcame her.

"Don't worry, ya fucking brat, I'll take care of you…"

In her mind, as it began to drift off, it was Vincent who said it. And she smiled, knowing her knight in shining armor would save her all along. Mmm Vincent, my hero…

END OF CHAPTER 1