A/N: Okay so this one is all from Yuffie's point of view and Cloud goes from whiney angst muffin to the badass we all know and love. Also it's gonna get a little graphically violent here and there's a little sexual content so if these thing offend you I'm sorry. Enjoy! Oh and please R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Squareenix's characters or places nor do I own Blow me away by Breaking Benjamin
Chapter 3
They form a line,
One at a time,
Ready to play,
(I can't see them anyway)
No time to lose,
We've got to move,
Steady the helm.
(I am losing sight again)
Yuffie and her team moved like shadows through Junon Forest. The bandits had evaded her for weeks so she'd gone back to Junon to hire some help. They were good, her team, with their help she had quickly picked up the bandits' movements and now they were closing in on their campsite.
Yuffie smirked. She enjoyed life as a bounty hunter, especially when compared to being the Wutaian princess. She had abdicated in favor of an older cousin after the first six months. Her father had been furious.
As the light from her marks' campfire came into view, Yuffie signaled to her team and then steeped from cover and strode boldly into the bandit camp. A few looked up at her entrance, some of them smirked, none of them looked surprised to see her standing in their midst.
"Something's wrong..."
Then everything went black as a heavy cloth went over her head. She felt a sharp pain in the back of her skull and then oblivion took her.
When Yuffie awoke, everything was still dark and she had no idea of how much time had passed. She heard voices nearby and tired to listen in as her head began to pound.
"…stupid girl just walked right up and hired us in the market square, no questions asked!" a voice said laughing.
"Pretty little thing, too bad we'll have to kill her."
She never had a chance did she? Never figured on facing twelve former members of SOLDIER, eh?"
Yuffie then realized why the bandits had never been caught and why "her" team had found them so quickly; Shinra trained their army well and members of SOLDIER, even Third Class, were the best of the best. Yuffie cried out as the air was suddenly blasted from her lungs by a vicious kick.
"Look boys, she's awake!"
The cloth sack was ripped from her head and she stared defiantly through her pain at her captors. The one who had taken the sack off placed his rough, dirty hand on her cheek.
"Like I said, it's a shame we have to kill one so prett-arrgh!"
Fire your guns,
It's time to roll,
Blow me away,
(I will stay in the mess I made)
After the fall,
We'll shake it off,
Show me the way
Yuffie had turned her head and bitten down on the man's fingers. She bit hard tasting blood and the man's companions came forward quickly and began kicking and pummeling her until she let go.
"You stupid little BITCH! I'M GOING TO GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!" The man she had bitten screamed, drawing a long serrated knife.
"Wait. Let me have a little fun first." Another of the bandits stepped forward, a cruel gleam in his eyes. The others looked on in anticipation. Only when the man unbuckled his belt did Yuffie understand what he meant by "fun". Even though she knew she wouldn't get far, she tried to struggle to her feet, to run, but she was merely knocked back down into the dirt. She couldn't help it, Yuffie screamed, in rage and frustration and fear.
"Go ahead, scream little girl. There's no one around for miles. My friend is gonna have his fun then you're gonna die and there's nothing ANYONE can do to st-"
The man's tirade cut off abruptly in a gurgling, liquid sound. All eyes in the clearing turned towards the man and took in his surprise as he gazed at the two feet of steel standing out from his chest. The would-be murderer sighed and sighed and came apart like a ragdoll.
Only the strongest will survive,
Lead me to heaven when we die,
I am a shadow on the wall,
I'll be the one to save us all.
A tall figure stepped over the gore and into the light, his glowing blue gaze as hard as diamonds as he surveyed the scene before him. Yuffie instantly recognized her rescuer and thanked her lucky stars while wondering what the hell he was doing here.
"If you leave now, I'll forget I ever saw you; the exception being you." Cloud said pointing at the man who still had his belt and pants undone, his voice as cold as ice.
"Fuck you." A smirking warrior came forward, drawing his sword, the man's own mako infused eyes glowing a sinister green in the dark. The rest of the squad followed suit, either brandishing weapons or preparing to use materia. Cloud shrugged and tightened his grip on his sword.
"I gave you your chance to run."
The men charged, opening fire or swinging weapons with various degrees of skill. Blocking a sword thrust, Cloud kicked the weapon from a gunman's hands while pushing the swordsman off balance. Cloud then swung his Buster Sword once, just once splitting the swordsman from head to groin. Dodging attacks from tow spear-wielders, Cloud danced back to the gunman, kicked him in the gut and then dodged out of the way as the spearmen skewered their own comrade. They didn't last much longer; one was dead before he could free his weapon, the other was sliced cleanly in half after a foolish charge, his severed arteries gushing.
There's nothing left,
So save your breath,
Lying in wait.
(Caught inside this tidal wave)
Your cover's blown,
Nowhere to go,
Holding your fate.
(Loaded I will walk alone)
The other six were much more cautious now, circling Cloud. The two remaining gunmen opened fire side by side, hoping to catch Cloud in the wide bursts, but he moved, far too fast to follow and there was a sudden screeching metallic sound as Cloud's blade sliced cleanly through both guns and their wielders.
One of the remaining bandits tried to flee, but a yellow light flashed from one of the sockets on Cloud's bracer as Cloud called out the word "Beta". A rotating vortex of heat slammed down on the man, cooking him in his own skin.
While Cloud was distracted, three green flashes went off behind him, but before Yuffie could call out the Fire, Ice and Bolt spells crashed down upon him, raising a mammoth cloud of dust. One of the three sighed in relief.
Fire your guns,
It's time to roll,
Blow me away,
(I will stay in the mess i made)
After the fall,
We'll shake it off,
Show me the way.
"Dear God! We finally stopped him. He was a fucking monster…."
The bandit trailed off as Cloud walked out of the dust, slightly singed and with ice crystals clinging to his clothing, but otherwise unharmed.
Only the strongest will survive,
Lead me to heaven when we die,
I am a shadow on the wall,
I'll be the one to save us all.
Wanted it back
(Don't fight, back off!)
"No way!"
"Oh shit!"
"RUN!"
Cloud cut them down like a blade scything through grain. When he looked at his final opponent, his eyes tightened in anger. The man held Yuffie up, a gun pressed to her temple. Cloud shifted, ready to charge but stopped as the man cocked the hammer.
Only the strongest will survive,
Lead me to heaven when we die,
I am a shadow on the wall,
I'll be the one to save us all.
"Tch, tch, tch. If you as much as think about attacking, I'll splatter her pretty little head all over the ground. Now put that big ass blade on the ground and back away slowly."
Cloud complied, backing away from his Buster Sword, as he did so he subtly palmed the serrated knife one of the bandits had dropped as he fell... All he had to do now was wait.
"Alright then," the man said to Yuffie, confidant that he had the situation in hand, "where were we?"
The hand that wasn't occupied by the gun snaked up Yuffie's waist to cup her breast, Cloud didn't wait another second, he hurled the knife with all his might. The former SOLDIER's mako enhanced eyes didn't see the throw, but they did manage to glimpse the tip of the blade just as it buried itself in his forehead. The bandit was dead before he hit the ground.
Save us all!
Yuffie was stock-still as she watched Cloud stand and walk towards her, concern written across his face. She saw his lips moving but couldn't hear what he was saying. Yuffie felt herself falling sideways, but before she hit the ground, oblivion claimed her.
Yuffie woke but kept her eyes closed. She had just had the most wonderful dream about flying and she was trying to recapture the feeling. It was then she realized she was moving. Opening her eyes she found herself wrapped in a blanket, cradled in Cloud's right arm as he drove Fenrir, slowly, left-handed. She shifted slightly and Cloud looked down.
"Hey, how're you feeling?"
I'm okay, I guess, you know considering…" Yuffie shuddered remembering the cause of his concern.
Cloud pulled Fenrir off the road and onto the shoulder and started a fire. He wasn't much of a cook but the supplies from Fort Condor were easy to make. Over their meal Yuffie and Cloud swapped stories about why they were traveling; Cloud shaking his head at the thought of Yuffie as a bounty hunter and Yuffie nearly killing him with a sympathetic hug after he recounted Tifa's last words to him.
"So where are we anyway?"
"About a week out from Junon. I'm headed there to catch a ship to Costa del Sol."
"Aw, no fair! You're gonna go to the best vacation spot in all of Gaia, where you have a massive house by the way, and not invite me?"
"Well, if you really wanna go…"
Letting out a wild shriek, Yuffie nearly broke his ribs with her celebration hug. The night however, stole her excitement. She woke from nightmares about the clearing and what would have happened if Cloud hadn't shown up when he did. Her screams woke Cloud who held her and did his best to comfort her, whispering "Everything's alright Yuffie, I'm right here, it's alright."
The nightmares continued every night until they reached Junon. Yuffie felt terrible about keeping Cloud awake until the small hours of the morning, but he just waved it off, smiled and told her he was fine.
Their stay in Junon was short, just long enough to visit Priscilla, the young girl Cloud had rescued four years ago and to book passage and storage space for themselves and Fenrir. When it came time to board the ship Cloud handed her a small box of pills labeled "Tranquilizers" with a grin plastered to his face.
"I know how your stomach gets."