Cloud spent the next two weeks familiarizing himself with Reno's routine. He was surprised that the man wasn't picking up women in bars anymore…was he serious about his marriage to Tifa? Cloud had felt a little guilty at first over his plans for Reno, since she would be hurt, but then he reminded himself that Reno had stolen her from him, and she was no longer any concern of his. Sephiroth had been right, she was just another of those slutty teases Reno loved so much. What he was going to do to Reno, he was doing for Marlene's sake as much as for himself. Tifa and Reno could never adopt Marlene once Cloud had broken him like he had done to Cloud. It would be his wedding present to the happy couple. Just another week or two, and everything would be in place…anyone seeing the smile that spread over his face would know that Cloud was hanging on by a thread.

Reno went to Aerith's church to see if reports of Cloud's presence there were true. He hadn't told Tifa because she was afraid Cloud was going to hurt him. Reno knew it was possible, after all, the man had bested Sephiroth multiple times. And Reno wasn't into fighting over women, there were too many available ones. But for Tifa…he was willing to let Cloud get in a 'lucky' punch once or twice and call it good for his wife's sake. It wasn't new for him, not with Elena being totally unforgiving at finding out that she really was an unwitting homewrecker, and Tifa herself had needed time to adjust to their relationship was real, but when she had…Reno smiled at the memory. They were having dinner at his place, and when he had kissed her, she had responded so eagerly it surprised him. She had told him that she and Cloud were not lovers, but he hadn't believed it until then…Tifa had left him positively drained that night, and he had fallen into an exhausted sleep as a happily married man. "Cloud, are you here?" Reno called out.

"You weren't supposed to be here yet. But I shouldn't be surprised, you just like to spoil things for me, don't you?" Cloud had easily snuck up behind the distracted Turk, and poked Reno's back with the tip of the Buster sword. "Now turn around and face me like the man you're not!" Cloud demanded of him.

As Reno complied, he was disgusted at his lapse and letting someone get the drop on him. Looking down into Cloud's eyes, Reno got his first hint that maybe Tifa was right to be worried about her childhood friend. "I don't want to fight you." he told Cloud in a conciliatory tone. "It's not going to change anything, and…"

"I've got nothing left to lose. I'm dying, you stupid ass!" Cloud said as his hand started trembling…his anger increased as well as his fear. He couldn't have a Geostigma fit now! Reno needed pay for his failure…reaching into the stunned man's pocket, he was somewhat disgusted to find the tube of lubrication still there, just like it had been that horrible night that began it all…"It really doesn't matter what you want." A frightening smile spread over Cloud's face. "Only one of us is leaving here whole."

"Is Cloud ever coming back home?" Marlene asked Tifa hopefully as they ate lunch.

"I don't know." Tifa sighed. "That's up to him now. Would you like to go visit the flower garden?" Tifa knew that Aerith's church was one of Marlene's favorite places to go.

"Yes, please!" Marlene clapped her hands together excitedly.

"It's all your fault!" Cloud kept shouting as he hit Reno again and again, his buried rage having finally erupted in violent fashion. When he realized Reno was about to pass out, he dragged the Turk over to one of the pews and sat him down almost gently. "Did you know it was me that night under Sephiroth's coat?"

"What are you talking about?" Reno struggled to remain consciousness…he had never taken a beating like this before.

"Remember Nibelheim? I was the one Sephiroth offered to you that night!" Cloud exclaimed angrily.

"No!" Reno was disgusted by Cloud's revelation.

"Yes! And you let him rape me!" Cloud barely stopped himself from hitting Reno again, as he finally admitted out loud what happened to him that night. "Now you're going to know what it feels like to lose everything!" Cloud forced Reno onto all fours on the pew and pulled his pants down before kneeling behind him as he undid his own pants and lubed up.

Tifa and Marlene saw Fenrir parked outside the church, and Marlene got excited at seeing Cloud again, and she pulled her hand out of Tifa's grasp and ran inside, calling out his name.

Cloud had sated his anger, and refastened his pants as he thought of how Reno had cried out like a little bitch as Cloud took out his vengeance over and over again on the man, who was now unconscious on the pew. When Sephiroth forced himself on Cloud, he had only cried out the once. So much for the illustrious Turks…suddenly he heard his name being called and turned to see Marlene running happily towards him. Horror washed over Cloud…Marlene wasn't supposed to be here…she couldn't see Reno. "Get away from me!" he snapped at her.

Marlene froze, having never heard him mad at her before. "Cloud? Are you okay?"

Tifa walked in right behind her, instantly realizing an intense fight had taken place. She put her hands protectively on Marlene's shoulders, preventing her from going further. "Cloud…what's going on?" she asked worriedly, feeling a stab of fear as she looked at him. That wasn't the Cloud she knew.

"You're not supposed to be here! It's all his fault!" Cloud yelled before running out the door and Tifa heard him speed away on Fenrir.

"Stay right there." Tifa ordered Marlene, and cautiously approached the pew he had been standing. A terrified gasp escaped her lips as she saw Reno lying there. She quickly pulled his pants back up so Marlene wouldn't see, and looked for some kind of blanket or first aid kit. She found both from where Cloud must have had his 'bedroom'. "You can go play with the flowers now." she told Marlene. Tifa fought back tears as she tended to her husband's broken body, not wanting to get them into his wounds. "Aerith, if you can still hear me, please save Cloud!" she prayed.

Cloud had no real destination in mind, he just had to get far away. He didn't care how fast he was going…the thought of Marlene seeing what he had done made him beyond nauseous. He exited the city out into the wilderness, still going at top speeds. As he was making a dangerous turn, the Geostigma made his hand started trembling again, and he lost control of Fenrir. Suddenly he felt himself falling through the air as he went over the cliff and then his body hit the rocks below, Fenrir landing nearby.

"Please let me die." Cloud pleaded as he looked up at the sky, then closed his eyes, not wanting to ever wake up again.