Tifa was surrounded. She knew Sector 6 was severely infested with Mako monsters, but she got careless. And cocky enough to leave most of her Materia back at 7th Heaven.

Shit.

She was bruised and tired. She was also a fighter, and she wasn't about to let this psychotic structure get the best of her. Another appeared out of no where, nailing her with a rocket. She was down but not defeated.

Just hold on, the Limit Break is coming, she told herself. She attacked strong and pulverized one Hell House, but it was replaced by a couple of Whole Eaters. Seriously? Is there an infinite supply of these things?

She turned to deal with her new foes, but it gave the Hell House another opening. Boom. She was breathing heavy and desperate for a way out. As she looked around for something she might be able to use, Tifa saw a man in a blue suit running toward her. Rude?

"Are you okay?" he asked raising his fists beside her.

"Me? Never better," she replied sarcastically. They finished off the Hell House easily enough, but not before another pack of Whole Eaters showed up slashing Tifa from behind.

They had done it now.

Her limit break decimated most of the remaining foes as Rude looked on at her finesse and the force behind every blow. She was flawless. He snapped out of it when he felt one of the last creatures attack him. They were still in battle mode.

Tifa turned to Rude and took his hand. "Hold me up. Lock your elbows, okay?" He nodded and tensed his arm while she used him as a lever to deliver mid air kicks to every last creature as they disappeared into oblivion. She let go on the last one to deliver a back flip kick, which she landed with a soft thud.

Perfect 10.

"Rude, right?" He nodded as they both reclaimed their breath. "Didn't know suits ventured to this side of town."

She looked different than he remembered. Tougher. And not just because she had traded the wild west look for a black and white number with armor and combat boots. She wasn't the small town girl leaving the hospital. She was a barkeep in the Sector 7 slums, moonlighting as a terrorist. Half sweetness, half sass, beautiful as ever with the red flush of battle fresh on her cheeks.

"You're hurt," he said noticing a gash on her arm.

She barely glanced at the wound before responding, "It's nothing."

He approached her and flashed his Cure Materia. "May I?"

With the adrenaline dying down, she could feel the stinging and the aching and the throbbing. It was worse than she thought.

She nodded so he activated the magic and in an instant, the cuts and bruises were gone. She looked up smiling while he still held her arm. She was still elated by how well that partner combo worked, and she liked the thunderstorm that raged inside her when she caught a glimpse of his eyes through the dark shades he constantly wore. For a moment, she thought of Cloud. Her childhood friend. Her sworn hero. But he isn't famous and he never saved me and I'm not a child anymore... "Thanks," she said breaking the silence.

Rude thought seeing her again might give him some clarity. It did. It was crystal clear he wanted her even more than he had that day by the hospital. She was beautiful and fierce and... a terrorist. You're a Turk, he told himself. Get it together.

He managed to let go of her arm. "You're welcome."

"Is this a habit of yours?" She stretched her arms over hear head and cracked her knuckles.

"A habit?"

"I mean it's all very heroic, helping out strangers, but I don't usually equate Shina with selflessness."

"Well, you're not exactly a stranger."

"Do you even know my name?" It wasn't a question. More like an accusation.

"..." The hesitation was all she needed, but he tried to save face. "I asked around about you..." It sounded more like a question, as did every other lie he concocted in his head.

"Sure you did," she teased. "Well, thanks for the assist, but I've gotta go. The 7th Heaven isn't going to run itself... but I'm sure you know all about that," she added with raised eyebrows.

"The bar?" He said not realizing he had taken her bait before the words left his mouth.

"Ha! Maybe I'll see you there... stalker." She turned on her heels, leaned back into a turn to look at him and said, "Later."

"..." Funny how close she is to the truth, he thought. As he turned away, Rude added, "Be careful next time."

"Why bother? I've got such a strong stalker to keep me out of trouble." And with a jerk of her wrist she gave him a half salute and bounded off.

As he watched her go he felt confused and aroused, but mostly confused. It was a really weird boner.