You were perfect
I was unpredictable
It was more than worth it
But not too sensible

The alarm is earsplittingly loud. It repeats, in a mechanical voice: "Science floor emergency. Please evacuate to the nearest exit."

There are only two voice above me though. The back of my eyelids flash red.

"What the hell was that thing?" hisses Tifa.

I try to open my eyes but am blinded by a white, burning, pain. I immediately groan and turn. Her hand touches my face.

"Well, from observation, I would say that that thing was a specimen known as Jenova. As for what that entitles, I am unsure."

Another voice. Low and smooth, distinctly male. There's a chime of metal and a swish of hair. The sandpaper tongue runs over my palm again, a cold nudge at my fingers.

"Are you strong enough to carry her?" he asks.

"Not down fifty flights of stairs," there's an echo to her volume now. I can picture the stairwell, long cascades of the concrete beneath me.

I make a small noise in the back of my throat and grope blindly towards her. I can't quite get my mind around the words, the wind knocked from my lungs. What did happen?

"Aeris? Can you stand?" Tifa asks, her hands clasp around mine. I can feel the raised scar across her left palm.

There's a commotion below us, the distant echo of footsteps. And gunfire.

I'm suddenly hoisted upwards; Tifa's shoulder sets square in my gut as I fall limp across her back. I try to be helpful, but the best I can manage is another small sound.

There's the scratch of claws as we ascend. I bounce with each step, and I can tell she's taking them by two.

"There's no fucking time for that, Spike – now get your ass in here before I leave your skinny tail."

We immediately stop; Barret's baritone ringing clear above the alarm. There's a spray of gunfire before the slam of a door.

"Cloud," Tifa yells. I feel the swish of air as we turn. "Cloud!"

I'm set gently back to an even floor.

"Tifa?" It's Jessie, I know the tell-tale slap of her leather boots. "Oh my god – what are you wearing?"

I try again for my eyes. An emergency light is flashing red, tinting the stairwell; it's suspiciously empty save for us. Jessie is clasped around Tifa in a hug, the ginger haired girl standing on her toes to reach.

Barret is just coming up the steps, a look of relief flooding him as he folds his arms. Cloud is behind his shoulder, smiling.

"You're late," Tifa says over Jessie's head.

Cloud smiles brighter. "Looks like I'm just in time, actually."

She'll spare him that story.

As my vision focuses, I can make out Biggs and Wedge coming up the steps, and the feline creature from the lab sitting up the steps a ways. Barret regards it with his prosthetic:

"The hell is that?"

All heads turn to the beast, its gold eye blinks once – or perhaps winks – before it flicks its tail.

"Who is that, would be more correct," it says.

"It talks," Jessie exclaims, dropping to her knees before the orange cat. She extends her hand.

"He can introduce himself – but he's a friend. He helped us escape," Tifa says.

The cat gives a bemused tilt of his head before touching his nose to the tips of Jessie's fingers. "Nanaki is my name, pleasure. But may I suggest we hold off introductions till we escape?"

"I like the cat already – okay fruits, you heard the furball. What's the plan of action?" Barret addresses the group with authority, surveying each head. He stops on me. "The hell is wrong with pinkie?"

"A rather curious turn of events actually, it appeared that Aeris telepathically-"

"She fell and hit her head," Tifa interjects, silencing Nanaki's explanation. Barret gives her a look but makes no comment.

"The lobby has a mako engine museum," Cloud begins. "When I was in training for Solider, I helped load the vehicles in that room, and I know they work because rookies have to scrub them. They're powered by Materia, so we get them to start up."

Jessie claps her hands together. "That's brilliant, Cloud. We'll ride out of ShinRa tower faster than anyone can chase!"

Barret shakes his head. "Out the front fucking door? Are you shitting me? They'll have an armed guard waiting and blow us to pieces before we get around the corner."

"Actually," Cloud starts again, "it's a show room that faces the main highway; advertising. It can't be more than a ten foot drop."

"You want to launch a car fulla us out a ten foot drop onto a highway – while ShinRa shoots at us?"

Cloud nods. "Sounds about right."

They level each other with a look. Barret's complexion splits open with a smile: "Sounds like fun."

Nanaki is the first to move, bounding from his seat through the group. "Let's be off then," he says, starting down the stairwell.

"Yuffie," I croak. It's the first thing I can get my vocals around, fitting the syllables of her name through the cords. I clear my throat and try to stand. "We can't leave Yuffie."

I look expectantly to Tifa, her eyes already on me.

"The hell?" Barret asks.

"She's still in the cells," Tifa helps steady me by my elbow. "I can't leave her there. They'll kill her."

Cloud steps forward to take my other arm, they hoist me to my feet. "Aeris," he starts, sweeping some hair behind my ear – I stumble once. "We don't have time, we don't know where to even begin-"

"I do."

Both of us turn to Tifa. "I know where the cell block is. I memorized the layout. I know how they work, I can get her."

I think the veins in Barret's neck are going to pop. "Are you out of your fucking mind? We just saved your ass. You're the least qualified person for a rescue party."

Tifa doesn't shy away like the rest of Avalanche. She stands taller, tipping her chin to meet the black man. "I'm the fastest. And I know I can do this better than anyone else. Go to the lobby, I'll meet you there – 20 minutes. Tops."

Barret flexes his fingers, staring her down with dark eyes. Eventually he sucks over his teeth and spits over the railing. "20 Minutes, Lockhart. And I swear, if you screw this up, I'll kill you myself." He sets a large hand on her crown and messes her hair.

Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge take their turn to embrace – at once – in a group hug. "Don't die," they chime collectively.

Cloud simply nods.

As she gets to the exit of the stairwell, I suddenly reach for her, brushing her shoulder with my fingertips. She turns to look at me with scarlet eyes, a stoic expression masking her curiosity. I can feel their eyes on the side of my face, but I ignore it, pushing into her personal space.

I pause, inches from her face – close enough to trace the purple rim around her pupil – and pull dark strands of her hair away from her mouth. And then I kiss her.

Its brief; a simple touch of lips, but I can feel the corners turn up in a smile as I pull apart.

"Don't die," I say. "Please."

Tifa nods once, then exits out into the hallway. And in an instant as tiny as our affection, she's gone. Again.

For those of you who haven't read "Burn" yet, I suggest it as its a novelization of Mona Lisa. I can only assume that if you like this, you'd like that. Anyway, thanks for the feedback - it's always welcome and appreciated.