FORTY

"Who the hell are you!?" Braddock snarled.

"Just a girl taking back what's rightfully hers," I quipped, hands on my hips. "And opening up a nice can of whoop ass while I'm at it. So… whatcha think, big guy? Eleven outta ten?"

He frowned. "I think you just signed your death warrant, bitch. Me an' Dorian are gonna tear you apart!"

I pointed toward the burning ruins of the shed. "Hate to break it to ya, but he's a little dead right now. Never cross a girl who loves blowing stuff up. You'll get burned every time!"

"I'll kill you myself, then!" Braddock growled.

"Oh, I'd love to stick around and see just how hard I can kick your ass, but I've got what I came for," I said. "Now it's time for the beautiful young heroine to exit stage left. Later, boys!"

I did a low, sweeping bow, then turned and ran amidst a chorus of angry shouts. As I'd expected, a lot of the thugs chased after me while a bunch of others moved ahead to try and cut me off. I let my eyes grow wide as I put on another act, pretending to be hit by sudden panic, and skidded to a halt halfway to the exit. Braddock and his thugs closed in, brandishing clubs, pipes, and knives. And in his case, a wicked-looking wooden bat studded with sharp nails.

He grinned darkly. "Nowhere to run, bitch."

"Shit…" I muttered, still acting.

"That chip's mine now," he went on. "Gotta be what you took. Ain't nothin' else here worth doin' all this for."

I nodded, reaching for my pockets. "Could be…"

"Then I'm takin' from your dead body!" Braddock swore. "Nobody sneaks in here and steals from me!"

"I did," I winked.

Then I took out the coins I'd swiped from the shed and threw them in all directions, where they rained down on him and his goons. Just as I'd thought, half the idiots forgot about me and tried to grab as many of the coins as they could, even fighting with each other over them. In the midst of the confusion, I just laughed.

"Looks like your boss has been holdin' out on ya, boys!" I taunted. "Better grab what you can! Have fun!"

"Get her, you assholes!" Braddock roared.

I gave him a jaunty little salute, then turned and got moving again, sprinting across the courtyard toward the exit as those thugs not trying to pick up the stolen money swarmed at me. Seeing my way out closing ahead of me as they moved across my path, I drew my gun and opened fire, taking down three of them instantly. Then I sprang atop one of the old rusted cars and pulled out another raspberry.

I yanked out the pin. "Catch!"

Then I threw it into the crowd behind me, and it exploded just as I jumped off the car. A deafening, searing blast of orange fire ripped into a bunch of those goons and threw them across the courtyard as I came down on the other side and rolled to my feet. There were more of them here, and I came up shooting, taking out thug after thug as I ran. I kept close to the wall to give myself some cover and limit the ways that they could reach me, and I greeted any of Braddock's men that did get close with a blinding flurry of punches and kicks.

After sending one thug sprawling to the ground with several quick jabs to his gut, I hit another with a high roundhouse kick to his face. A second later, I slammed aside the old lead pipe a third guy swung at me before throwing him over my shoulder. And then I shot a fourth who'd been lunging at me from behind. I just stood there, my eyes narrow as he fell, and his buddies backed away for a moment while smoke wafted up from the barrel and I stared them down.

"What's wrong with you idiots!?" Braddock snarled. "Can't you kill one girl? Don't let the goddamn bitch escape!"

"Too late!" I smirked.

Then I tossed a smoke bomb behind me and ran. While a bunch of the thugs just coughed and yelled, I heard Braddock and several others charge right on through, so I kept moving, slamming another clip into my gun as I dashed into the tunnel. The two sentries rushed at me as I kept running, but I didn't slow down for a second. I shot both of them, the blasts loud in my ears, and sped outside.

As I entered the outer courtyard, I looked around for that patrol I'd hidden from earlier, but it wasn't there. I felt vaguely uneasy about it as I hurried through the winding trails amidst all the mounds of junk and scrap metal, but I wasn't sure why. After quickly rounding a corner and ducking behind one of the trash piles, I stopped to catch my breath for a moment and heard voices on the other side.

"Looks like she got away, boss," one of the thugs said.

"Not yet," Braddock spat. "Fan out. Logan's patrol's still out here, so have him meet me over by the tunnel. That girl can't have gone far yet, and I got an idea. If any of you guys see her…"

I didn't hear the rest of it because they were walking away by then. What was the idea he'd been talking about? What did he have in mind? I wasn't sure, and I didn't wanna stick around to find out. So I crept as quietly as I could through the rest of the junk piles until I finally came back to the road a few minutes later.

It was quiet and empty as I slung my gun back on my belt. I looked around but didn't see anyone, just the soft, glowing lights of the Sector 5 undercity in the distance to the east. Satisfied I was alone, I sighed in relief and headed west, toward home, jogging softly through the gloom and shadows. And I never looked back.

If I had, I'd have realized I was being followed.

I took the long way home, slowing to a walk once I got into Sector 6 and well away from the Vice gang's lair. As I went down the dirt road, I took the chip out of my belt pouch for a moment and looked at it, still a little surprised I'd actually pulled off my mission. It had to have been of the craziest and most dangerous things I'd ever done. But now it was over. I finally had what I needed to finish the bomb for the reactor, and I'd also gotten justice for Lena. All in all, quite a productive night. And now it was time to kick back and unwind.

I moved on, putting the chip away, and got back to Sector 7 around fifteen minutes later. A shiver ran up my spine as I passed by the pillar complex—that thing still bothered the hell outta me—and I kept going without looking at it, deliberately keeping my eyes ahead of me. I could almost feel the weight of it as I hurried through its huge shadow, and I didn't relax again until I'd left it well behind me.

As soon as I made it into the town itself, I went straight to Seventh Heaven. The place was hopping tonight, busy as ever as I pushed open the double doors and strode inside. I don't think I'd ever been so happy to be there. The murmur of conversation filled the air as I went over to a nearby table in one corner of the room, sat down, and put my feet up. Tifa was hard at work behind the bar, same as always, but smiled when she saw me wave at her. After I gave her one of my own, I took out my tablet to do a little work while I waited.

I went through and checked on my work orders for tomorrow, not paying much attention to the sounds of others coming into the bar and sitting down as well. More customers, I figured, not knowing then that they weren't. I was lucky he was watching my back, looking out for me even then. My stomach rumbled, and it was just then that Tifa stopped by to see me, a tray in her hand.

"Hi, Jessie!" she said. "Can I get you anything?"

I nodded. "One of your delicious steaks would be great. You know how I like it. Baked potato, salad, and a Cosmo Canyon to top it all off. Looks like they're keepin' ya busy tonight."

Tifa laughed. "Like always. I'll be back with your dinner as soon as I can. And I'd also like to sit down with you for a minute and chat once I do, if you don't mind. Sound good?"

"Of course!" I agreed. "Looking forward to it!"

Then she left, and I went back to work for a little longer, going over my inventory next. I always kept track of the different parts I had at my shop, especially the more common stuff that I could use for all kinds of jobs. I was just looking over what I had in stock and thinking of doing another scavenging trip to the Sector 4 scrapyards in a few days when I looked up and saw him for the first time.

He was sitting at the bar, a drink in his hand, but he wasn't another of the regulars who came here all the time to get wasted and drool over Tifa's bust. This guy was different and clearly new. He also looked a bit out of his element as he sat so quietly amidst the raucous crowd. What I noticed first were his eyes, those gorgeous baby blues gazing softly at me with, I was surprised to see, concern. His clean, pretty boy face hid it well—it didn't look like he was a guy who smiled too much—but not from me. I knew an act when I saw one.

The guy wore a sleeveless black turtleneck, a studded pauldron on his left shoulder, a wide, brown leather belt with straps like suspenders, a pair of tough black gloves, matching baggy pants, and thick boots on his feet. Hanging point downward from his back was easily the biggest sword I'd ever seen, with a long, slender hilt and a broad blade with an angled tip. And strangely enough, it was almost familiar, as if I'd seen it or at least part of it somewhere before. But I hadn't, not that I knew of. I'd have remembered a sight like that.

And a guy this hot. He was slim and muscular, nicely fit but clearly not one of those bodybuilder types, and his hair was an attractive set of long, soft blond spikes framing that cute young face of his. He also had one studded earring glittering brightly in his left ear, which just added to that irresistible bad boy charm of his.

But what I liked most was his eyes, those bright blue orbs that tried to look so hard and cold but showed a more caring side to him than he let on. It wasn't something that just anyone could see, but pretense and performance were things that, thanks to my skills as an actress, I knew very well. And it made him so much more attractive to me, seeing that soft heart hiding behind the hard edge.

Butterflies swirling in my stomach, I gave him a shy little smile as I looked at him. He nodded to me but didn't return it. I hadn't expected him to, though. I could tell it wasn't really his style. But I hadn't missed the worry in his eyes, the quiet concern for me that he couldn't entirely hide. It was so sweet, even if I didn't have any idea what was bothering him. I felt safe just knowing he was there.

So I went back to my work, tapping my tablet and finishing up my inventories before calling it quits for the night and playing a fun puzzle game for a while instead. Just fitting block segments together into rows and clearing them out to get as high a score as I could. I'd gotten pretty good at it, though the higher levels were pretty tricky with how fast the blocks came down. Still, it was a blast, and it kept me busy and content until Tifa came back with my dinner.

"Here you go, Jessie," she said, carefully setting the plates and glass down in front of me. "Anything else?"

I put my tablet down and shook my head, my mouth watering as I inhaled the savory aromas. "Nope! Looks and smells awesome as usual, Tifa. So pull up a chair and have a seat!"

She did just that. "Thanks. So how'd things go tonight?"

"I got the chip," I told her as I dug in. "It wasn't easy, but I managed to pull it off. Worked up quite an appetite, too."

Tifa chuckled. "I can see that. Do I wanna know how?"

I sipped my drink. "Probably not. But I guess you should. I stole it, Tifa. From the Vice gang. Snuck into their hideout and swiped the little thing right out from under them."

"You did what!?" she gaped, her eyes wide.

"They stole it first, I just took it back," I went on. "Also pissed them off in the process, but what can you do?"

Tifa frowned. "You could've been killed, Jessie! I don't think I need to remind you how dangerous they are. Why didn't you tell me before? I'd have gone with you if were set on this."

I sighed as I ate. "I know, and I'm sorry. It's just… it was something I had to do alone. And I didn't wanna put you or anyone else in danger to get this thing. Barret asked me to handle this project myself. Though I know this wasn't what he had in mind."

"No kidding," Tifa agreed. "And I appreciate you looking out for us like that. But we're a group, almost like a family, and you need to let us look out for you, too. Remember the sewers?"

"How could I forget?" I quipped.

She went on. "Something like that could've happened again, only I wouldn't have been there to help you."

I nodded. "I hear ya…"

"I just don't wanna lose you, okay?" Tifa said.

"Yeah," I told her. "I understand, Tifa. And I promise I'll try not to do anything that crazy again."

She smirked. "At least not without including us."

I grinned. "Deal! So now that we've got that outta the way, how was your walk? See anything interesting?"

"As a matter of fact, I did!" Tifa smiled. "I ran into an old friend of mine over by the train station. He just got into town today, I think. So I brought him here to visit and catch up. I'd be happy to introduce you to him if you want, Jessie. You'd like him."

"I'd love that, but I'm kinda bushed," I said. "So I'm gonna head on home and crash as soon as I finish eating. I'll swing by in the morning, though, and meet him then if that's alright."

She nodded. "Of course! I'll be sure to let him know."

I kept eating. "Thanks. Food's great, by the way! I really appreciate you helping me refuel tonight, Tifa."

"Anytime, Jessie," she chuckled. "Have as much as you want. But in the meantime, I'd better get back to work. Crowd's getting a bit restless, you know. See you tomorrow morning!"

Then she got up and went back behind the bar to make some more drinks. As for me, I just relaxed and ate for a while, laughing to myself as I realized just how famished I was. I just about put Wedge to shame. Nothing like a brush with death to make you hungry for life. And a hot plate or two of Tifa's delicious food.

By the time I was finished, I'd cleared mine off nicely. I'd have stuck around for dessert, but I was too full and tired for it tonight. So I drank the last of my Cosmo Canyon, stood up, and put my tablet away. Then I brushed myself off and left Tifa money for the meal and a sizable tip. After giving her a smile and a wave, I headed over to the doors, opened them, and left, strolling casually outside across the wide wooden patio and down the stairs into the front yard.

I yawned and stretched my arms out for just a moment as I walked down the road. A few small clusters of people hung out here and there near Seventh Heaven, just mingling and talking amongst themselves as others watched the outdoor TV nearby and the few streetlights glowed warmly in the night as I slowly made my way home. In the distance not too far behind me, the doors to the bar opened again, but I didn't think anything of it, guessing it was just more customers and simply too tired to look around and see for myself.

Feeling my eyelids drooping, I decided to take a shortcut through a narrow alley that wound between two high mounds of scrap metal. I'd used this way a few times before, but not often, and the only light came from a streetlamp across the way and another past the far end, neither of which did much to chase away the shadows. Still, it was safe enough, or so I'd always thought. So I went in.

I didn't hear the thugs until it was too late.

They caught me almost before I realized they were there, grabbing me and throwing me against the wall. I cried out when I struck it, pain exploding through my back and head, but couldn't get away at first as a heavy lead pipe smashed into my abdomen and I sank to my knees. As I looked, I recognized my attackers as more Vice brutes. How had they found me here? I sprang to my feet and brought up my fists, more than ready to kick their asses like I had the others.

"Never thought I'd see your ugly faces again," I taunted. "Braddock still being a sore loser? Or is he just desperate?"

The biggest of the men, a muscular thug with a nose ring a lot like Dorian's, snorted. "He sent us to kill your ass and get that chip back. So you got two choices, bitch. Hand it over and we beat the shit outta you, or don't and we still beat you, then take that chip from your body. And it'll be me, Logan, that gets the reward!"

I smirked. "Price on my head, eh? I hope it's high!"

"Ten thousand gil," Logan grinned.

"Is that all?" I snickered. "Guess I'll just have to annoy the son of a bitch even more. I gotta be worth at least fifty."

He hefted clenched his fist. "Hmph! You got quite a mouth on you, bitch. I'm really gonna enjoy breakin' it. And you. So go on and put up a fight if you want. But I'm still takin' your head back to the boss to get that reward. Your body can rot right here."

"I'll pass, thanks," I quipped.

I drew my handgun, but Logan was faster, seeing what I was doing and grabbing it by the barrel before I could bring it to bear on him. He quickly wrenched it outta my grasp while slamming me in the stomach with his other fist, and I doubled over, groaning in pain. I looked up to see him take my gun in both hands and snap it in two like a twig. Then he let the broken pieces fall to the ground.

"Nice try, girl," he sneered. "That all you got?"

I glared at him. "Like hell it is!"

Then I moved, driving Logan back with a flurry of punches before spinning aside and catching another of the men with a swift kick to his gut. There were eight or nine of them, though, and at this close range, I knew I couldn't evade them for long. My only chance was to get out of the alley and make a break for Seventh Heaven. Tifa would gladly back me up if I could just get to her in time.

I gasped in pain and cried out again as another lead pipe smashed against my arm. Knowing I had to try and escape, I hit one goon with a backward thrust kick to the stomach, then backhanded another one in the face. A third thug suddenly grabbed me by the ponytail and yanked hard, whipping my head back and making me practically scream as my neck and shoulders erupted with pain.

Gritting my teeth, I swung my arm around and smashed a fist into the thug's mouth. He yelled and instantly let go of me, dropping to the ground with blood pouring down his chin. But before I could get away, I staggered and fell as another goon's pipe suddenly hit me in the back. One of his buddies tried to slash me with a knife as I went down, but it just bounced off my breastplate.

Then I curled up, pain everywhere as Logan and the rest of his pals closed in on me, kicking and punching anywhere and everywhere they could reach—my chest, stomach, arms, legs, and even a glancing hit to my head that left me dazed. My armor softened some of the blows, but not very much—it wasn't terribly thick because I'd made it lightweight, and I wasn't sure if it would even stop a bullet. Normal ones, probably, but not anything much heavier than that.

When those thugs had finished beating me, they picked me up and threw me against the wall again. And then two of them grabbed me by the arms before I could get away, each ugly brute holding one wrist in a cruelly tight grip. I stared at Logan defiantly as he pulled a big knife of his own, strode up to me, and pressed it against my throat. If this was it for me, I was gonna go on my feet. I wasn't gonna give this bastard the satisfaction of seeing me whimper or beg.

"We gonna teach ya not to go stealin' from us, missy," he said. "You gonna pay us back, you will. One way or another."

I smirked. "That's funny. I thought you stole it first."

Logan slapped me across the cheek, making it sting. "Like I told ya before, you got a pretty smart mouth on you, girl. We gonna make you squeal like a rat. In more ways than one."

He gave me a lewd grin, and I shuddered, knowing exactly what he meant. I'd blow myself up with one of my raspberries along with them if I could before I'd let them violate me like that. I swallowed, my heart pounding in my chest, as Logan's other hand started to drift downward toward my chest, and I didn't know whether he was gonna grope me or hit me. Had my luck finally run out?

"Don't count on it," a new voice said.

Logan whirled around just as a familiar figure suddenly leaped out of the shadows, his slim, muscular arms swinging that huge sword as if it were made of plastic instead of heavy steel. It was the blond guy from the bar! Those baby blues of his glowed fiercely as he slashed Logan all the way across his chest from shoulder to hip in a single brutal cut that tore right through him with hardly an effort.

Logan fell apart.

The two thugs holding me just gaped in disbelief for a minute, and I couldn't help doing it, too. Logan had been huge, as big as Braddock, but this guy had just taken him down as if he were nothing. The rest of those goons all glanced hesitantly at each other, then attacked him. Big mistake. He was more than ready for them.

When I felt the grip on my wrists loosen, I quickly tore myself free, rolling forward as the two thugs who'd been holding me grabbed at me again but missed. Then, while my rescuer easily held off the rest of the goons, I sprang to my feet, brought up my fists, and stood back to back with him as my attackers closed in around us.

I smirked, so glad to see my rescuer. "You've got incredible timing, you know that? I thought I was a goner for sure!"

"Not happening," he swore.

"Wow!" I gushed, my heart skipping a beat at the determination in his voice. "Talk about heroic! You got a name?"

He frowned. "Save it for later. We've got work to do."

"Right, sorry," I agreed, nodding. "Let's teach these bozos a lesson. They're sure gonna regret crossing us!"

The thugs all rushed us at once, yelling and brandishing their pipes and knives. I ducked under one swinging arm, then laid into its owner with a chain of quick punches followed by a high roundhouse kick that sent him flying into the dirt. At the same time, my rescuer blocked two hits in rapid succession before cutting another of the thugs down with a barrage of slashes followed by an overhead chop. Even in the midst of my own fight, I still couldn't help admiring just how utterly amazing he was. He didn't just kick ass. He destroyed it.

As if he hadn't already impressed me enough, my tough new friend took a moment to concentrate after being nicked with a knife and then unleashed a blast of magical lightning that slammed into the goon that had attacked him and left him a charred, smoking ruin on the ground. In the meantime, I drove back the last of the Vice thugs with a series of hard jabs to his ribs, and when he tried to rush me, I sidestepped, then grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

And that was it. After the dust had settled, the goons who were still alive slowly got up, bruised and bloodied, and took a good, long look at us. My rescuer stood alongside me, his huge sword resting easily on his shoulders, and glared darkly at what was left of my attackers. And then he beckoned to them, the corner of his lip curling up ever so slightly as I smirked at them, my fists raised and ready.

The thugs all turned and ran.

When they were gone, I lowered my arms and let out a long sigh of relief, smiling and glad to be alive. "Whew! Guess that'll teach me to be more careful about where I get my supplies."

"You okay?" my rescuer asked.

I nodded, watching as he hung that huge sword on his back. "Yeah, thanks to you. I've never had anyone just come to flying my rescue like that before. You were really amazing!"

He shrugged and looked away. "It wasn't much."

Although I'd been helped when I was in danger before—Kunsel on the plate, helping me escape to the slums, Tifa fighting to protect me in the sewers from the sahagins and keep me on my feet and alive—there was something different about tonight. I'd been alone when those Vice thugs had sprung their ambush, and this brave, wonderful guy had just jumped in from out of nowhere to save me. It was so sweet and heroic, like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

I laughed, a little giddy as butterflies swarmed in my stomach, and gazed at my rescuer. "Ha! Humble, too. I like it. But anyway, would you tell me your name? I… I'd really like to know."

"Cloud," he said. "Cloud Strife."

Here ends BOOK ONE: DESCENT.
The story continues in BOOK TWO: ASCENT.

After spending two years in the slums, Jessie has a home, friends, and a cause to fight for. Then, one fateful night, she's rescued by a brooding ex-SOLDIER mercenary. His arrival brings her adventure, romance, and a desperate fight for survival that will either seal her fate or change it forever…

Author's Note

And here we are are at the end of Book 1! Thanks to all of you who've followed Jessie's story this far and to those who've given their feedback. It's greatly appreciated. Jessie still has many more adventures awaiting her in Book 2, so stay tuned and keep reading. Her journey to her fateful stand in the Sector 7 pillar is only beginning!