Tasting the Forbidden Fruit

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"Huh? Hey, back there……Tifa!?"

That was the last thing she heard before a hand roughly pulled her back into the carriage and cupped her mouth before she could yell in protest. The red velvet blinds were quickly drawn in an attempt to hide her from the public eye and to anyone who was against the squalid mansion of the Don and his sordid deeds. Before disappearing from the back of the carriage, she managed to lock eyes with Cloud, her one hope of getting out of the grave she had dug herself in, and before she could even contemplate whether or not he detected the fear in her eyes, her back was easily slammed against the wooden side of the carriage.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Her assaulter was a man who appeared to be in his late 30's. The sight of him made Tifa turn her head in disgust. His face was intimidating to say the least with long greasy strands of ebony locks cascading over his small but shrewd eyes. A thick goatee traced the base of his sharp jaw line, converging at the chin, which he seemed to love stroking. The thought of facing more of Corneo's henchman similar to the one in front of her made her shudder, but she made sure it was anything but noticeable. No matter what happens, she refused to give into their satisfaction by having them know they instilled fear in her.

When she didn't answer him, he trained his impassive beady eyes at her warningly. "I'm telling you, lady. You better not be up to some funny business or else I'm going to have no choice but to 'punish' you…if you get my drift." He gave a wicked snicker and slowly scanned the brunette's body up and down. Her sparkling blue dress definitely did her figure justice with the tight material hugging her sensual curves. The sight of the junction between her ample bosoms alone was enough to make him emit a loud satisfying groan without even the slightest hint of shame. The silky blue material stopped a few inches above her knees, exposing the remnants of her long legs that were adorned by black laces originating from a pair of black stilettos.

Tifa could feel his lustful eyes burning into her body and she could almost see images of herself running through his mind. They made her shudder and for a moment, she considered what could really happen to her if she made the wrong move. Although she was more than capable of disposing the scum before her, she couldn't blow her cover until her mission was complete. Thousands of lives in Sector VII were counting her. After hearing rumors that ShinRa planned on detonating the pillar on the outskirts of Sector VII, she knew she had no choice but to request an audience with the most despicable man in Midgar, only second to ShinRa, of course. Barret reluctantly told her that Corneo was their only source of information and fought against her leave, but what other choice did she have? With Cloud out of the picture, it was up to her and the rest of the members of AVALANCHE to finish their mission.

But when she saw him, the biggest wave of relief swept over her. If seeing him wasn't enough to prove his existence, hearing his voice as well certainly did. Recalling that precious moment suddenly made her flush. He had no inkling of what was going on and she didn't want to give him the wrong idea of why she was dressed in a rather revealing dress, riding a beautiful ornate carriage through Wall Market. She could still hear the hurt, confusion, and alarm ringing in his voice when he spoke those words…but who was he speaking to? When she tried to recall the event that only occurred a few minutes ago, she suddenly realized that Cloud was not alone. There was someone else next to him; it was a lady clad in a pink skirt with the most striking emerald eyes she had ever seen. She didn't get a clear view of the stranger's face, but from what she remembered, the stranger was gorgeous and had a look of pure innocence.

That thought made her frown and an uneasy feeling suddenly replaced the relief. Her heart started pounding slightly against her chest and she could feel her muscles tensing up. She didn't know what she was feeling at the moment. Astonishment and envy were definitely there…perhaps with a hint of bitterness as well. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't even realize that the carriage had entered Wall Market. The loud ruckus taking place in the world outside her confinement seemed to be distances away. Voices did not register in her mind and they left just as quickly, if not quicker than they came.

Her musings came to an abrupt halt when the hooligan brusquely yanked her up to her feet. She nearly stumbled over her heels, being that she was mostly used to wearing shoes that were leveled with the ground.

"We're almost there, sweetheart. Fix yourself up and look nice for the Don." His dirty fingers and hands roamed across her body, smoothing out the edges of her skirt, but they both knew it was an excuse for him to touch her in rather inappropriate places.

Tifa's back stiffened when she felt the tips of his fingers firmly massaging her spine. She tried to steady her trembling body as the hands started to run down on either side of her waists, her hips…

She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to take it anymore. She turned around while simultaneously backing away from him. "Thanks, but I can fix my own dress." It took almost every ounce of energy in her body to retain her composure. Through the loose flaps of the curtains, she could see that Corneo's mansion was only a few feet away. It certainly was a lavish palace compared to the rest of the structures in the slum, but she hated to think where Corneo got the money to create the 'paradise' that was known as his home.

The henchman snickered and playfully threw his arms up in defeat. "Be my guest then, but you gotta loosen up. A pretty gal like you should be used to the attention…and I'm sure you've also been giving some, huh?"

His sexual insinuation initiated a certain type of anger in her that she had only felt once in her life and that was when Sephiroth robbed her of her hometown and family. She clenched the hand that was hidden behind her back into a fist, which she felt possessed to throw at the scumbag that was degrading her by the second. What did he know about her? What right did he have to say that about her or to any other women? Her chest gently heaved up and down from frustration as the fire surging through her body begged to be extinguished by its opposite element. Unfortunately, no such aid came to quell the rage that accumulated with each passing second the lowlife eyed her delicate hourglass figure, chuckling to himself as he watched with pure bliss.

Luckily, the carriage came to a full halt, which suddenly shocked her 'escort' and caused him to stumble over his feet. Tifa let out a tiny satisfied laugh, but the minute humor was hardly enough to prepare her for what she would expect past the magnificent doors of the mansion. She was greeted by two guards who couldn't help but blatantly stare at her alluring body when she stepped out of the chocobo carriage. Tifa caught them winking at each other, exchanging a few words under their breath that was obviously not meant for her ears. One of the guards opened the door while the other one gently took her hand and led her inside.

"Well…I think the Don is certainly going to be pleased tonight, ha!" The one holding the door announced in a suggestive tone. He gave a wolfish whistle as Tifa walked by him with a cold hard look in her eyes.

As soon as she stood before the reception desk, the heavy doors behind her closed. What distressed her the most was hearing the doors lock with a click, preventing her from making a quick escape if she needed to. The mansion vestibule was wide and the floor and ceiling were layered with golden paint that was so expensive that no one in the slums could even come remotely close to affording even a gallon of the sun-kissed liquid. Bold red images of dragons danced across the golden planes, snaking through every possible corners and kanji characters, which were imprinted on every available panel. Tifa recognized some of them, especially the ones that were written on the crimson paper lanterns. The first character that struck her was "God" and there was no doubt that character symbolized Corneo.

She continued to glance around, making sure to shield her eyes from the intense chandeliers that gave off enough bright lift to rival sunrays. The lights made her head hurt as tiny circles danced in front of vision. It took awhile to recover, but when she finally did, she noticed that the structure she was standing in was a two-story one. On her right was a set of golden stairs that spiraled to the second level of the mansion. She assumed the large room in the middle belonged to Conreo since the door was heavily decorated with expensive ornaments while the other two rooms beside it were less aesthetically grandiose. Speaking of the two other rooms, she did not even want to know what lied behind the closed doors.

A woman behind the mahogany front desk looked up at the female who had just entered. She quickly flipped through a few pages in her memo and tapped her pen lightly against the wooden tabletop until she found what she was searching for. "Ah, you must be Tifa Lockheart?"

Tifa jumped slightly, not realizing that there was someone behind her, watching her as she observed the infamous mansion she had heard so much about. The lady behind the counter smiled warmly, a somewhat freakish insane smile. She tugged on her pair of thick black-rimmed glasses that hid most of her terrifying drooping eyes, pushing it back against the bridge of her nose to keep it from sliding off while quickly scribbling some unidentified words on her sheet.

"Yes…I am…" Tifa replied timidly as she watched the lady furiously scribbling away.

"Okay dear…" Finally, she clicked the top of the pen and set the writing device down. "See that left most room on the second floor? Just go and wait in there, OK? There should be someone waiting for you inside."

"Is it Don Corneo?" she asked hopefully. She just wanted to get the worst over with it so she could leave the creepy estate as soon as possible.

The woman got up from her seat and took the brunette's hand, guiding her towards the set of stairs. "Corneo? Haha, he's probably sleeping in his room. It's not wise to disturb him at the moment."

"Wait…what? But I want to see him NOW." She swiftly pulled her wrist back. For a moment, she thought she had offended the receptionist with her rude and abrupt action because she received a cynical and almost sadistic smile in response. However, the cruel smile faded and Tifa silently wondered if she had imagined it due to the tension that was finally starting to take a toll on her.

"Oh, on second thought…he MIGHT be in that little room there. Come on, sweetheart…you're holding me up. I've got q job to do and men to please."

The last line made Tifa sick, but she couldn't refuse her, not when she was so close to interrogating Corneo regarding the validity of the roaming rumors that had everyone in Sector VII panicking. Her fingers trembled as she gave her hand to the receptionist, who was grinning in delight at her persuasion.

"Why are you so nervous, sweetie? The Don is a nice man, really!"

I'm sure he is…Tifa resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the unconvincing comment.

The stairs were quite difficult to walk on. Watching the lights reflecting off the shiny golden marble surface made her dizzy again, but she had to stay focus on just keeping her balance. High heels and waxed floors do not go hand-in-hand. As she passed by the first door on the right, she heard faint moans, giggles, and naughty talk. Multiple people talking simultaneously inside told her that there were definitely more than two people in the room.

Perhaps even four or five…she surmised.

Even though she was no longer next to that door, the voices remained in her head. She could hear every word and every moan clearly enunciated as she walked down the blood-red carpet that was leading her down the road to forbidden territory. The first floor view suddenly looked so much more appealing as she neared the last room. A part of her wanted nothing more to return to the front desk and wait for Corneo there. At least the only thing that separated her and freedom were two large doors that she could perhaps manipulate from the inside to make it open. The spacious vestibule also served as a better fighting field if she had no choice but to defend herself, but the distance between the doors and the golden railings that offered a panoramic view of the manor was no more than ten feet wide. If they backed her against the stairs, she was sure she would lose the fight due to slipping on the marble tiles.

Tifa inwardly reprimanded herself for not thinking about the possible dire consequences before she accepted the receptionist's invitation. She never realized that putting others before herself could hurt her in the end. A cold rush of air surrounded her as she stood just a couple of feet away from her destination. The breeze seemed to have unearthly hands that pierced right through her body, clawing her half exposed back before moving it's lengthy frigid fingers towards her shoulders. She could feel the ghastly touch unite at the base of her neck before the wispy digits clutched her throat, breaking her desperate need of airflow. She was choking inside and out and could feel the colors disappearing from her face, leaving her pale and limp as she leaned against the wall for support. Her heart was racing furiously from the lack of precious oxygen that was being delivered through her body and for a moment, she nearly forgot how to breathe.

The brisk wind slapped her once more when the foreboding door to the chamber opened with a loud creak, almost as if it hadn't been touched in ages. A putrid smell tickled her nostrils as she leaned towards the dark edge, trying to get a better view of the black abyss that she was moments away from walking into.

"What is this place?" Tifa inquired with a frown. Something was not right. It didn't look like an ordinary room and it certainly didn't feel like one either. The walls were clammy and the coolness made her shiver.

"Here you are, Miss Lockheart. Enjoy!"

Before Tifa could protest, she felt the woman nudge her past the door and on to the uneven steps. Tifa quickly whirled around only to find the receptionist giving her an uncanny smile again before sealing the door closed. "Wait!!" she cried frantically as she furiously pounded against the door, hoping by some sheer luck that the lady was still standing on the other side of it. When she received no response, she despondently turned around and gazed at the narrow set of steps that led to the dark pit beneath.

"Ah…we've been expecting you…" A gruff voice echoed throughout the hollow room.

WE? Just how many people are there?

Things were not turning out the way she expected them to. She was now locked in a foreign chamber with God knows how many people waiting for at the bottom of the steps. There was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, she slowly and hesitantly descended down the stairs. There were no banisters to hold on to so the only aid she had was the cold wall. As she felt her way down, she was growing more and more concerned about the atmosphere. She was sure that if she were to scream, no one would be able to hear her through the thick walls and door. She was sure Corneo selected a setting like the one she was in to carry out his…purposes.

A light suddenly flickered on when she reached the flat ground. Although the light was rather dim, she managed to make out an unkempt man giving her a toothy grin. She tried her best to flash him a smile, but it was short-lived when she noticed two more men emerging from the darkness.

"Umm…so which one you is Corneo?" she asked timidly while roaming her eyes around the chamber. The focal point of the chamber was a pewter table with a red cross etched on its rough surface. It stood proudly in the center with a few silver chains and broken weapons behind it. Something told Tifa that they were not used to kill enemies and monsters…

"We can all be Corneo, if you want us to be…" the first man chuckled lightly before turning around to whisper something to the other two behind him. All three of them starting advancing towards Tifa and she had no choice but to back away from them until she felt her back against the wall.

"What's the matter, princess?" The leader waved his hand, gesturing his followers behind him to take position on either side of the female. "It'll be awhile before you get to see Corneo so why not enjoy our company? We can certainly use someone like you to entertain us…and your assets..."

Tifa could feel three pairs of eyes staring at her from head to toe and she was getting very uncomfortable being cornered on all three sides. She wedged a hand between two of the men and made a passage for her to exit the enclosure. She really didn't want to start off the interrogation by killing three men but at this rate, she may not have much of a choice. "Look, I just want to see Don Corneo…please…"

One of the men with flaming red hair snickered at her naivety. "You won't be able to see the Don unless we get two more luscious babes. He takes three gals and selects the lucky one to be his bride."

"You're the first one in the mansion today, babe," informed another man with greasy black hair and a patch over his right eye. Watching her body sway uncomfortably with is good eye was turning him on. He always had a thing for innocent and bashful ladies. "So…why don't we have some fun to kill time?" He dashed past the leader and made a violent grab for Tifa's wrist.

The martial artist cried out in surprise and jerked her arm back with such intense force that it caused her attacker to tumble over. He fell to his knees and let out an angry growl as he eyed his companion and leader behind him. The slightest trace of their seductive grins was wiped off their faces as they helped the victim up to standing.

Great…what did I just get myself into?

The leader reached behind his back and pulled out a small dagger. He easily flicked the sheath off, revealing a sharp blade with a jagged edge that gleamed devilishly beneath the overhead lights. "You got some nerve, Miss. Lockheart. Don't worry…we'll teach you a lesson though. A lesson you'll never forget."

Tifa didn't even attempt to try to talk herself out of the predicament at hand. Neither of them was the Don and there was no way she would lose her dignity by apologizing to the low life scums who wanted nothing more but to use and abuse her body to fulfill their own sexual pleasures and fantasies. She balled her fingers into a fist and immediately engaged into her usual fighting stance. She was relieved that the dress she was wearing only came slightly above the knees, offering her the ability to easily maneuver through the thin cloth. If the worse came, she could easily dispose her evening gown for she had her usual outfit worn beneath the blue gown.

The leader let out a loud peal of thundering cackles as he witnessed the female in front of him actually having the gall to fight and defend herself. Initially, he wasn't planning on harming her. He simply planned on waving the dagger in front of her until she begged for mercy and gave into his sleazy demands, like almost all the women he had encountered in the past. However, this woman certainly pushed his buttons. It was definitely going to be interesting seeing her defend herself from three men. It was going to be interesting indeed…

Before he even took one step towards her, he felt a stinging pain burning in his hand and was forced to drop the weapon as a reflex. He tried to make a grab for it, but Tifa expertly swept her right leg across the distance between them, knocking the blade to the far end of the room and the leader to the ground.

"Bitch. You will pay for that. Mark my word!" the redhead seethed as he lunged forward to deliver a chain of successive punches. To his dismay, each of them was blocked by Tifa's palms, which were moving so gracefully and rapidly that it was almost impossible to see the fingers flying in the whirlwind.

Tifa didn't reply. Instead, she concentrated on executing the right attacks. One wrong move and she could be the one lying on the pewter table with a bloodstained cross smeared over her body. She blocked the final punch and finally decided to shift to the offensive side. She took a step back, making sure the space in between was wide enough for her long legs to pierce through the carrottop's temple. This time, it was Tifa's turn to grin slyly as she dug her long stiletto heel into the warm flesh, causing the wound to weep a few droplets of blood from the abrasion.

She turned around just in time to catch one of the thugs with the eye patch trying to swing a fist her way. She easily crouched underneath the blow and countered with a full uppercut that sent the man propelling backwards into his partner. The leader's snarl could rival a beast as he struggled to get up to his feet. Tifa was stunned that the redhead she had just fought a few seconds ago was now rejuvenated with renewed strength. She could have sworn that her blow was going to knock him unconscious at least for a few minutes.

"Honey, you're messing with the wrong group of men here. We were all part of SOLDIERS at one point in our lives…haha…I'm sure you have some inkling of what elitists from SOLDIERS could do…"

"SOLDIERS!?" Tifa said incredulously, her eyes widening with each syllable leaving her mouth. "So, this is the type of place you end up in after being discharged from ShinRa? I should have known that this place is somehow connected with that horrible empire."

The leader grinned wickedly; even he was starting to recover. "Discharged? Hahahaha…it was more like we…. resigned…"

"Call it what you want, but it doesn't change the fact that ShinRa is a part of this whole mess," Tifa said flatly as she began to slowly maneuver backwards before the group could get a chance to corner her again. Now she was certain that there was a link between ShinRa and the Don. Corneo was the key to all her answers and there was no way she was leaving the mansion without squeezing all the information she needed out of him.

The black eye-patched man playfully taunted her with a wink from his good eye. "ShinRa has done a lot of dirty work…and random sexual encounters had never been an exception."

If they were indeed former members of SOLDIERS, she should not underestimate their abilities and talents. They had to have been even slightly experienced with fighting in order to survive the cut for SOLDIERS. If what they claimed was true, then these thugs could be anywhere as talented as Cloud or Zack…but maybe just a little rustier than them being that it appeared they've been leading a non-military life for quite some time. Still, she had to keep her attention keen at all times.

Before she could even utter a word in response, the atmosphere around her suddenly grew warm. The back of her throat started to burn as she inhaled a gulp of air that seemed to have been poisoned by the strongest toxin in existence-Mako. Her eyes started to water as the stinging sensation managed to seep into her pupils as well, causing her to collapse on the floor and double over in the pain that was smoldering her throat and eyes as if Ifrit himself had just sent her into his realm of Hell Fire. Small tears started to trickle down her cheeks as a result of attempting to open her eyes. Thick white smoke enveloped her, causing her vision to fail the more she tried opening her eyes to the foggy world before her. She heard voices laughing on the other side that was spare from the hazy mist, but their remarks were barely audible. Her ears were ringing as each sound the men made appeared as incoherent echoes that bounced off the intangible walls of the white cyclone she was trapped in.

This…this must be a Mako infused smoked bomb that was specifically manufactured from the ShinRa Weapon Reasearch Facility…

With whatever clear thoughts she could gather, logic told her that she should make a run for the entrance before the toxic clouds consumed all the non-tainted areas left in the chamber. Ignoring her inflamed eyes and throat, she forced her legs up to standing and made a run for the entrance, using the mental map of the area she made as her only guide. Her fingers desperately searched the environment around her for the glossy slimy walls that were implemented on either side of the long narrow stairway.

The three men stood in the clear vicinity of the room, chuckling to themselves as they watched the girl trying to roam out of the deadly fog. It was an amusing sight indeed, parallel to watching a blind mice attempting to finds it way out of a never-ending maze. However, as soon as they spotted the beautiful female making her first step on the steps to freedom, they immediately snapped out of their musings. Don Corneo would have their heads if he ever found out what they've done to his future wife.

"Damnit! Stop her before she makes it to the top to seek help, morons!" the leader yelled, his grin transforming into a nasty glare that made both of his subordinates jump in fright.

Without wasting another precious second, they quickly dashed towards the brunette. The black eye-patched man grabbed her arms back while the redhead tugged on her thick lock of hair, preventing her from taking another step forward. Tifa did not expect them to use such brute force considering that she had faired quite well against them before. However, the tables have now been turned and they were the ones who were calling the shots. She tugged her arms back, trying to resist their seemingly inhuman grip, but to no avail. She felt a third set of arms lift her legs up, suspending her into the air before she had the chance to prove how deadly her kicks were. With a blurred vision, her coordination decreased greatly and the only tactic she could depend on was overpowering the lackeys by somehow writhing out of their grasps. To her dismay, the position she was in plus the deadly grip they had on her, made it almost impossible to accomplish that feat.

"Throw her on the table," ordered the leader in an excited tone. He could already feel the bulge in his pants starting to expand just by simply staring at the defenseless female who was to be toyed with in a matter of seconds.

Tifa let out a piercing yelp when she felt her back slam on to something hard and jagged. The coursing pain was so intense that she didn't even realize that the air around her was no longer thick and venomous. Her throat no longer throbbed as she sucked in a gulp of sweet air that her body was desperately longing for. Unfortunately, her vision did not improve. Upon opening her eyes, the world was swirling in a manner that defied all laws of gravity. Their faces and bodies were nothing more than colorful shapes molded together in a continuous swirl that made her dizzy. Her arms and legs felt limp and numb as she realized her worst fear came true. The smoke bomb was meant to knock her out and have her beg for mercy before the relentless scums, who would inevitably try to steal her innocence, which she had been guarding her entire life for that one special person…for Cloud.

Cloud…

And then the world became black.

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Author's Notes: I decided to further develop one of the most amusing events in the game, by adding in more CloTi action of course. This chapter was originally around 6,000 words long, but I decided to cut the ending out. The ending consisted of a dark semi-rape sequence, but I realized the content would probably fit the NC-17 rating, which is no longer on anymore. However, if you're just curious, feel free to drop me an email and I'll send you the deleted passage. As always, thanks for reading and please leave a review. )