Author's Notes:
A thousand apologies for the length of time it takes me in between updates! In this next chapter, the tournament continues while Cloud and Aerith discover the price of strength. There is a lot of anxiety in this update and for those who are still reading, I thank you! Hope you enjoy this next part of the story.
WHAT A STRONG BLOW TO THE HEAD! THAT ONE'S GOTTA HURT!
Kotch was giving his commentary on the last attack that made contact with Tony once Cloud was able to slip from his subdued position.
The leader of the Powerhands had gone from gloating over his nearly defeated opponent to standing in an evenly matched position as Cloud regained his strength from the spell he had been hit with earlier.
"You won't fool me again; I'm ready for you now. It's time to finish this…..."
As the mercenary studied his opponent's glare from their side of the ring, he made a realization that Aerith was still fighting both of her enemies and was holding her own against the two foes that kept trying to hit her with attack after attack.
And then it happened, just as Cloud's fear returned about the two of them being separated. There was a magic spell he didn't recognize.
The flower girl had cast a sizeable black orb towards the man opposing her on the left. The mighty fighter was hit by it and screamed in pain from the power of the magic.
Tony spun around to see his ally get hit and was now incredibly pissed off at the situation his team was now in. This was a complete reversal of fortunes as the commentary from Scotch sounded over the arena.
WOW! WHAT KIND OF SORCERY IS THIS?! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AERITH TAKES NO PRISONERS!
The spell did not appear to explode or cause any kind of external damage; instead, the power the materia had was used against the metal armor the Powerhands were wearing. Once it made contact, the effect appeared to be that the orb had caused gravity to increase on the defensive equipment that the man was wearing, and he could not get it off of him, so he hit the ground with a large thud.
The first of three Powerhands was disabled on the ground, struggling against the magic that held him facedown against the arena floor. He became immobile, and he was powerless to help his allies. It was now a two on two fight. The man did not appear to be hurt; he was just disabled and shouted to his partners with a muffled voice.
"I'm alright, but I can't move! Finish the match!"
Tony had resumed slashing his swords against Cloud, who was defending the attacks like he did earlier and had learned from his previous mistake. The duel had taught him to be prepared for the unexpected, and the lesson was well learned as Tony tried to hold him at bay with one sword and cast a lightning spell with the other.
Cloud was ready for this now; he struck the buster sword into the ground before swinging off of the handle and connecting with Tony's arms just as the spell was about to cast. The other SOLDIER had to block, and the strength of the bodyguard's roundabout kick made him fall back to the ground as the crowd cheered on the back and forth match taking place.
WHAT A MOVE BY CLOUD! HE IS ALL OVER THE FIELD TODAY!
The commentary cheered on the mako-eyed fighter's ability to improvise as Tony jumped back up and removed his wrist and forearm attachments.
The two short blades fell to the ground as Cloud pulled the buster sword up and stopped in his tracks. He stared open-eyed with confusion at the situation.
("WHAT?!")
The shock was short-lived as the leader of the Powerhands started shooting with two pistols that were hidden beneath the weapons he was using earlier. Removing the armor attachments and blades had also made Tony faster. The blasts were regular bullets, but that didn't mean Cloud was out of the woods yet. He dodged and ducked each shot and blocked with his blade as he tried to get closer to his opponent.
After emptying both chambers in his pistols, Tony went to reload, and Cloud made his move.
The buster sword was close to making contact, but Tony was ready for the onslaught of slashes and melee attacks. Perfectly countering the swinging offensive with his guns being used as shields, the other SOLDIER sacrificed one of his pistols for the ability to reload the other while dodging in midair against another horizontal swipe from Cloud.
The attack missed, and Tony landed on his feet and pointed the gun at Cloud, who had no chance to block or dodge the weapon's aim in time.
"Die."
The bullet connected right below Cloud's left arm. It hit his lower left side and felt like it bounced off one of his ribs.
OUR FAVORITE SWORDSMAN JUST TOOK A SHOT. THAT ONE MIGHT HURT A LITTLE BIT!
The crowd was cheering from the back and forth attacks that the two SOLDIERS were using on one another. This match almost felt like a one on one battle to the death as the onslaught continued.
Wincing in pain, Cloud leaned up against his sword when he finally caught a break. A fireball neither he nor Tony was expecting came barreling over the bodyguard's shoulder and struck the other fighter's chest at full speed before anyone could see what was happening.
The armor Tony was wearing cracked as the enemy team's leader flew back and hit the wall from the attack's strength.
Cloud spun to look back at the magic's source.
Aerith was standing with her rod pointed towards Tony from her spot on the other side of the arena. The other member of the Powerhands was standing up slowly, but she looked a little worse than Cloud had noticed her from earlier. She was probably getting the wrong side of Aerith's magic as her other ally had already been disabled.
Tony regained his footing and walked back towards Cloud with his gun in his hand. The enemy was remarkably calm for the situation as Aerith resumed her fight against the other team's woman. Carbuncle had been dismissed as the battle continued in one on one fashion away from where Cloud and Tony were dueling.
"…I should have known it was going to be like this."
Tony held his gun in his hand and spoke over the crowd's noises and commentary as Aerith and the other fighter battled each other away from the two SOLDIERS'.
Cloud nodded while feeling the amount of damage the gunshot wound had done earlier. He felt lucky because the shot may have only been a minor sting. He spoke back to the other fighter.
"You sure you don't want to surrender? Sorry, we can't give up. I have a friend that needs my help. I can't abandon her."
Tony scoffed with a weak smile as he watched his ally fight against Aerith far from where he was standing. The girl in the pink dress was winning, and it would only be a matter of time before she teamed up with her boyfriend to finish him off. He had to get a move on.
"We all have loved ones and family to help, I'm afraid. I wish you luck in saving your friend, but I must help my people, and I cannot fail. One of us is going to let someone down; either way, I am sorry to decline your offer."
Cloud picked the buster sword back up as the match continued. The opponent threw his gun away and removed another blade hidden in a sheath at his side. This appeared to be the final weapon attached to his armor.
"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"
Corneo had resumed the act of shouting profanities in his giant leather chair while throwing his ashtray across the room and screaming insults at his lackeys for the turn of events he was witnessing in the arena below.
"Sure, you don't want us to open the blinds, boss? A live view might suit you better because the action is so fast-paced down there."
An assistant was conferring whether Corneo wanted to watch the action in person rather than on his television in the suite.
"NO, YOU IDIOT! I CAN'T CONDUCT BUSINESS IF I'M WATCHING THE MATCH IN PERSON!"
The Shinra Turk that stood nearby asked a simple question.
"You seem nervous. Weren't you going to bet on the new couple the last time we talked about them?"
Corneo put his hands to his forehead as he sighed with great strain in his voice.
"I WAS TOLD THE POWERHANDS WERE A LOCK! REST ASSURED! THE PERSON WHO GAVE ME THAT AWFUL ADVICE WILL PAY FOR THEIR STUPIDITY!"
The man in black showed no emotion or care that Corneo would lose a lot of money on this match but shrugged in response as he studied what was happening on the screen.
"You win some, you lose some. It's the truth every time you gamble. Doesn't matter what the game is…just a fact of life."
The Don was not in the mood for life lessons.
"Pish Posh! That's the case for everyone else, but I am above such nonsense."
The crime lord pulled out his cell phone and was calling the pit crews below.
The answer came immediately on the other end.
"Yes, boss?"
Corneo was quick and to the point.
"Get me a line patched over to Chocobo Sam. Tell him he owes me a favor."
The Turk from Shinra was curious.
"What are you thinking about now?"
The smile on the ugly man's face grew wider as he waited for the Chocobo vendor to get on the other end of the line.
"That it's time for plan b."
The warehouse outside the sector six tunnel was a building full of possibilities. The wagons that pulled citizens all through the streets of Wall Market were serviced on a rotating basis with care and precision to prevent breakdowns from continued usage.
Inside of the large structure, tools and experiments were also housed that belonged to a particular criminal warlord. This man owned a majority of the black-market inventory that passed through shady enterprises as the ride service manager answered the office phone at the sound of the nearby ringing.
"Chocobo service station. Main street location here, how can I assis-"
The Don speaking on the other line, jumped into the conversation without delay.
"Shut up and get your boss now!"
The manager immediately jumped up with an apologetic tone to Mr. Corneo as Sam was summoned to the telephone hastily.
"This is Sam."
The instructions were quick.
"Come to my suite at the arena now!"
The line had been disconnected. Corneo did not wait for the response on the other end of the call.
Chocobo Sam sighed as he hung up the phone.
The manager noticed the behavior of the owner and wanted to know what was wrong.
"Anything I can do for you, sir?"
The bearded man in the cowboy hat smiled as he walked over to the building's exit. He politely shook his head before heading out.
"Nah, I'm afraid an old debt of mine will have to be repaid soon, but it's how luck goes in this town sometimes. Watch after the birds while I'm gone."
The other man nodded in understanding as the indebted owner walked into the streets of Wall Market. He was headed towards the coliseum, where all the action was currently taking place.
Several Nights Earlier:
Tifa looked down at the floor of the Chocobo carriage that was taking her out of sector seven. She had decided on her own to visit Don Corneo to get to the bottom of the espionage taking place around Avalanche. It was only a matter of time before Shinra discovered the group members in the slums and where their hideout was located.
Before any of that could happen, Tifa needed to determine why men were investigating the group from other sectors in the slums. If she could get straight answers about the situation, Barret and the others could use that information to their advantage. They wouldn't have to play defense all of the time against Shinra's underground network of information and spies.
The best tactic would be to pretend to audition for a role with Don Corneo as a potential bride. It was the only way to get close enough to speak with him one on one. Tifa wasn't worried about becoming picked for that part either. If she was selected, it would give her the means she needed to manipulate information out of him, and she could return to the rest of the gang with the priceless knowledge being sought out.
As the hazel eyes stared down in defeat, Tifa reminisced about the events from mako reactor five when it exploded. The blast had been powerful, so impactful, so full of force that it caused Cloud to fall. He fell to the depths of Midgar. Never to return, she would never understand why.
("I'm so sorry, Cloud. That should never have happened to you. We should never have relied on you to come with us.")
The gate to sector seven was opening in the background. Tifa held her head down in the blue dress she wore to impress the criminal warlord in sector six. There were specific characteristics the Don wanted in every woman that arrived in his mansion. Knowing the risks and understanding what was required had caused Tifa to change her apparel before leaving the bar. The selected choice of an outfit revealed her legs and arms as the soft-mannered girl kept her face pointed towards the ground.
"Tifa!"
That voice. No, it was not possible.
Cloud was running up to the carriage and jumped on the back to talk with his childhood friend.
The martial artist was beside herself in shock and surprise.
"Cloud! You're alive! I thought we lost you!"
She needed to keep her thoughts together. There would be more time to talk with Cloud later. For now, there was another task to complete. An essential one that would require all of her strength and skill to overcome.
The confused friend didn't know what was going on.
"What are you doing? Where are you-?"
Tifa put a finger to her lips to quiet the concern.
"I don't have a lot of time to explain. Right now, I am on my way to see Don Corneo. You should go back to Seventh Heaven and meet up with the gang. I'll be fine on my own."
Cloud was not ok with this. Tifa could see a girl she didn't know jogging behind him in the background. She wore a pink dress and was incredibly beautiful. Who was she?
The SOLDIER was about to protest.
"But-"
The hazel-eyed girl reassured her friend.
"It'll be fine! You've seen how much ass I can kick."
There was a slight smile on her face as Tifa put a hand over her heart to show Cloud she wasn't afraid.
The mercenary nodded as he looked back towards her eyes.
"I have."
Following his acknowledgment, Cloud let go of the rail, and the carriage pulled further away to enter the outskirts of Wall Market.
Tifa found a bounce in her emotions as the wagon stopped in front of the large mansion at the end of the trail. Seeing her friend alive brought her out of the depths of her depression. The soft-spoken warrior could proceed with her plan now.
"Follow me."
The driver had signaled for the raven-haired girl to walk to the front gate.
("Time to pick up my game. I cannot fail. There are too many lives at stake.")
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE BEEN SPOILED TONIGHT! WHAT A BATTLE!
Scotch and Kotch were both elated from the length and quality of fighting as Cloud and Tony once again traded blows. Both warriors' swords were striking against one another repeatedly as the stalemate continued.
The issue was not Cloud's strength or speed. The opponent he was matched up against equaled him in every category, but there was one problem that had not been figured out yet.
("How did they know about our fighting styles? How did they know about Aerith's magic?")
Cloud kept that concern in the back of his mind as Tony lunged forward to thrust his saber into the mercenary's chest.
The bodyguard blocked the attack and swiped back at the other SOLDIER, who was too quick to hit the counterattack.
Far behind the dueling men, the women of the match were fighting on the other side to the crowd's cheers and shouts.
"Get her, Aerith! Use your magic!"
Whatever spell had been used on the third member of the Powerhands must have been permanent because the man had stopped protesting and shouting against the gravity spell's effect. The armor must have forced him against the arena floor like super glue. The man simply could not get up and was useless for the remainder of the match.
The woman from the other team was formidable but was losing her ground. Aerith had mainly played defense when it was two against one. Now that the odds were even, the flower girl had started firing everything she had at the other female opponent, and the power of her attacks were taking a toll on the other foe.
"Tony! I can't hold her back much longer!"
The shout could be heard on the other side of the fight as Tony clashed with Cloud for what must have been the thousandth time the two had traded attacks.
The Powerhands were highly skilled in the areas of fighting. Cloud was worried in the beginning about being outmatched but never took Aerith's incredible magical prowess into consideration. She had many spells in her repertoire he had not seen before, and the flower girl never backed down from a fight. As their time together progressed, he realized she would be the key to them winning this tournament.
The other team leader decided to change strategy and slashed at the ground in front of Cloud. After the dirt and rocks splashed over the bodyguard, he realized too late that Tony was running full speed towards Aerith.
"Aerith! LOOK OUT!"
Cloud had followed in full pursuit. The two fighters charged full-throttle towards their allies, and Aerith could see the enemy closing in the distance. The opposing swordsman was close and raised his weapon to dispose of her or at least knock her staff out of her hands.
The Cetra wasn't afraid as another new attack was shown that got the entire arena once again on their feet.
Tony was hit with a purple crystal at close range. The spikes from the attack had stuck to his remaining armor, and before he could respond to the damage, the crystal exploded gloriously.
The crowd was in a frenzy as Kotch shouted over the cheers.
"THAT WAS THE COOLEST ATTACK I'VE EVER SEEN! IS THAT MAN OK?! THAT ONE MIGHT HAVE DONE HIM IN!"
When the smoke cleared, Cloud moved over by Aerith to see Tony on his back; most of his armor was now broken and scattered across the arena floor.
"Let's hope that keeps him down. He's very powerful."
Aerith nodded at Cloud's words.
The last member of the Powerhands was fearful as she shook her leader's body with worry on her face.
"Get up, Tony. You are way too strong to go out like this."
The sentiment was indeed true as the leader opened his eyes and stood up slowly. He picked up his sword and looked back at Cloud and Aerith. There was a rage in his eyes; he was slowly losing his calm nature and was being ushered towards anger and frustration as the fight continued. His ally stood at his side with her weapon in her hands. She appeared ready to follow her ally, even if it meant death.
The enemy looked at the power couple and was processing how the battle was taking shape. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
("How?... How are they so strong? We can't give up…We won't.")
The fight continued as Aerith cast another fire blast towards their opponents, and Cloud ran forward with his buster sword.
Tony deflected the fire spell with his weapon and was trading strikes with Cloud once again when Aerith had finally overtaken her opponent.
There was a cry of pain as the woman on the Powerhands had been hit with a lightning strike and went to the ground. Tony backed away from Cloud to kneel over his ally. Aerith walked up to Cloud's side as they both showed no sign of letting up. The formidable duo stared Tony down as the mercenary spoke over the sounds of the arena once again.
"It's two against one now. Give it up. We don't want to hurt you."
Aerith echoed Cloud's words with her expression; she had great concern on her face. It was usual for the flower girl to show care and kindness to all living creatures, but she felt great apprehension at the people they were fighting. These warriors were stronger than most of the men, women, robots, and monsters they had met before now. They were fighting for something important, just like the power couple that requested they stop the battle now.
THE MATCH IS NOW TWO AGAINST ONE! CAN THE POWERHANDS OVERCOME OUR BLOODTHIRSTY COUPLE?!
Scotch was shouting his commentary to the action. Tony was talking to his weakened companion.
"You're going to be ok. I'll keep fighting. I won't let them win. Just stay down…... ok?"
The woman was in tears, she didn't want to stop fighting, but she was beaten. There was hardly any energy left as she held her leader's hand with her own and let go in protest. Tony stood up and walked over to stare down Cloud and Aerith.
"To hell with this... I have not had to fight to the death in a long time, but I can promise you both... I will never surrender. You are going to have to kill me. I will throw everything I have at you, and even if you win…..."
The enemy's eyes glowed brilliantly with anger as he held his sword with every vein pulsing in his arms as the grip tightened on the handle.
"...Your victory will feel more like defeat by the time I am done. You are about to feel my wrath."
Cloud slashed at his opponent's form as the two once again traded blows. Aerith was sending shots of magic at Tony as the match continued. The crowd resumed their shouts of cheer for the glorious spectacle taking place in the arena.
Some time ago
"Wait here until the Don is ready to see you. Do not go anywhere or touch anything in this room, or you will regret it."
Tifa was now standing in the personal office of Don Corneo. The room showed a certain flair of magnificence as the raven-haired fighter studied all of the art, weapons, furniture, and contraband surrounding her in the ample space.
("He certainly lives an extravagant lifestyle... I wonder what kind of person he is behind all of this.")
The thoughts were shortly considered as Scotch and Kotch walked through the double doors nearby to present the obnoxious man himself.
"Presenting! The man, the myth, THE LEGEND! Don Corneo!"
There was no applause as Corneo waltzed into the room with a triumph of self-importance. He stormed up to Tifa and giggled menacingly when he saw her after he entered the room.
"My! My! My!"
The Don was smiling and practically licking his lips as he scanned Tifa's body up and down without permission. He was standing dangerously close, and the soft-spoken girl tried not to shake in disgust as she was being sized up by the disgusting figure that hovered around her.
"Oh yes...yes indeed!...what a sweet thing... I think you will do nicely!"
Tifa had enough and needed to say something to interrupt the perversion that was annoying her to no end.
"Gracious Don Corneo, I am honored to make your acquaintance. If it pleases you, I have a favor to ask."
Tifa reached out a hand in politeness that the Don was more than happy to take as he kissed the top of her hand and held it in his own without letting go.
The criminal gangster smiled a wicked smile of arrogance as he ordered his lackeys to exit.
"Leave us; I wish to be alone with my new bride. There will be no auditions this time around. This is the perfect flower for me."
Scotch and Kotch laughed before they walked through the doors and closed them behind their departure.
"Now, my dear, I believe you had a favor to ask me?"
Before Tifa could speak, the Don interrupted; he was probably used to telling others what to do on a consistent basis.
"But before you do, let me tell you, it's not normal for me to pick a bride right off the bat like this. You are one extremely lucky lady! I can't wait to take you around my room tonight! Oh, yes, we are going to have so much fun together!"
Tifa was trying not to vomit as she held her cool. She could not freak out about the situation she was in. Being alone with Corneo was the perfect scenario for discovering more about Shinra's underground network. The martial artist was in disguise and had to play everything correctly to find out more. The closer she got to the disgusting person in front of her, the better Avalanche would be.
"That does sound like fun; I can't wait for you to show me all of it."
("If he tries anything, ... I'll have to dropkick him in the face.")
The fighter for Avalanche repressed a sigh as Corneo led her deeper into the heart of his mansion.
"Keep your distance. This isn't over."
Cloud instructed Aerith to stay back as he traded swipes with Tony again. The flower girl nodded as she supported their skirmish with healing spells for her partner and small shots of magic thrown at their opponent.
Tony was in over his head as he had to fight Cloud with renewed energy and a magical spellcaster that was out of his reach. The opposing SOLDIER was strong, but there was only so much he could do against such a power couple that would overwhelm him at any minute.
It was time for a drastic course of action.
The last fighter for the Powerhands slashed at the ground again to scatter rocks and dirt into the air. The shrapnel worked as a kind of smokescreen when Cloud realized too late what his strategy was.
The bodyguard spun around in horror when he realized what Tony was trying to achieve. The maneuver was brilliant. The other fighter's speed was unreal as he met the spellcaster in the blink of an eye.
Aerith's staff was knocked out of her hands before she could counter the assault. She then tried to throw a punch at her opponent and was knocked down. The flower girl was powerful with magic, but hand-to-hand combat wasn't her specialty.
Tony picked her up by her hair with one hand forcefully and held his sword to her neck with the other. He was standing behind Aerith with his eyes on Cloud, who stared at him with a furious gaze and shouted as the crowd gasped in close attention.
"WHAT A CHANGE OF EVENTS! WHAT WILL CLOUD DO?!"
"Let her go!"
Tony shook his head as he held the blade dangerously closer to Aerith's neck. The Cetra tried to pull away from his grip. She couldn't get out of his grasp; the opponent's hold was too strong. He would not let go of her.
"Throw down your weapon."
Cloud immediately dropped the buster sword and raised his hands in the air.
"If you hurt her, I will not only destroy you. I will kill both of your allies and make you wish you never walked on this planet."
The words were weak, and Cloud knew it, but he had to put up a front against this level of blackmail. This enemy needed to move forward in the tournament, but Cloud and Aerith were in a similar predicament. He had to get his partner out of danger first; he was worried sick about their situation.
"Don't listen to him, Cloud! Please! Keep fighting! Don't worry about me!"
Tony held his other hand over the flower girl's mouth, and Aerith instinctively bit his hand. The other SOLDIER winced in pain before smacking her over the head.
Cloud was furious. Aerith took a nasty blow and wasn't able to fight back against her captor.
"STOP IT!"
Tony wasn't in the mood to listen to either of them.
"Surrender, or she dies! I HAVE HAD IT WITH BOTH OF YOU!"
Cloud would never put Aerith in danger on purpose. He would listen to Tony before he let anything happen to her. The blonde's hands remained up in the air to show he wasn't trying anything sneaky or stupid.
"Ok... I'll surrender...just let her go...please."
The enemy shook his head.
"NO! I wasn't born yesterday. Walk over to the door and leave the arena, or she'll die, and I'll kill you next!"
Aerith was still conscious as the crowd gasped at the scenario. Scotch and Kotch were speaking softly because of the tension in the air. None of the actions taking place were against the rules. Tony was well within the event boundaries to use Aerith as a prisoner to force Cloud to surrender.
The situation was helpless.
Cloud started to walk towards the gate when Aerith looked at him and shook her eyes to either side. She was trying to signal something, and he did not know what she was going to do. He wouldn't listen; either way, he loved this woman more than he had ever loved anyone. If Aerith died, he would lose more than his fighting partner. He would lose so much. The tournament was not worth the risk. They would have to find another way to reach Tifa; it would be ok.
"Aerith and Cloud look down for the count. Can they overcome this obstacle of fate that lies before them? Ladies and Gentlemen, what a match."
Kotch had spoken at an average volume over the soft atmosphere as everyone was on the edge of their seats in quiet anticipation to see Cloud walk over to the gate.
Don Corneo was chuckling with glee as the current fight had finally started going his way.
"HA HA HA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW THEY WOULD WIN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER! THAT MAN IS INCREDIBLE! GIVE HIM A BONUS AFTER THIS ROUND!"
The Shinra Turk at Corneo's side kept his arms crossed as he studied the screen.
"The fight is still not over yet."
The Don was not impressed.
"Please. There is nothing that spiky-haired boy can do now. Love is never something worth fighting for."
The man in black responded.
"Sounds a little heartless for a man that gets married every other day to say out loud."
The criminal warlord chuckled as he lit another cigar.
"I am a man of many talents. My brides are just playthings that I turn loose when I'm done with them."
There was a knock on the door. A nearby lackey went outside to see what was going on. The lackey returned and announced a visitor to the room.
"Chocobo Sam has arrived, boss."
Corneo was chuckling with approval.
"Excellent! Please send him in."
Sam was not happy about visiting the Don personally, but he always did as he was told when the big boss summoned him to his side. The Chocobo vendor removed his hat and waited for his orders.
"Anything new around these parts, boss?"
Corneo took a puff of his cigar and returned the question with an answer.
"I need you to do something for me, my good man."
The Don was neither upset nor happy with his Chocobo supplier. The two had pretty much decided to have a mutual business relationship, and it so happened that Sam owed Corneo a favor. The Don was more than happy to cash in favors when the situation called for them.
Sam casually looked around the room. The tournament below was in full session, and this was probably going to be a favor to increase the Don's odds at winning a match below.
"Whatever you need, just let me know."
The large man smiled as he gave his orders.
"Your armored bots will need to be handicapped in the next round. We won't want them to win their match. The crowd will have all of their bets on Cutty and Sweepy. I will have my Gil on the other team, whoever that ends up being."
Chocobo Sam was not happy about this; he needed to keep those bots running smoothly for future projects, and if they were damaged in battle, that would hurt his bottom line.
"But surely you-"
Corneo gave Sam a deadly glare.
The vendor gave up his excuse and nodded in understanding.
"Fine then, I will make sure they don't win their match."
The Don nodded and spoke over the concern.
"Yes, you will do as you are told, and don't forget who makes the rules in this sector. You may own the birds, but I own the roads and the people who use them. You have done us both a good service tonight."
Sam had already walked back towards the door and put his hat back on before turning around. There was one last parting shot he needed to take.
"This makes us even. Neither of us owes the other any favors anymore."
Corneo took another puff off of his cigar.
"Well, I can agree with that. Don't let lady luck fail you tonight. We are both going to need her before this tournament is over."
The bearded man was about to leave when the Don had one last message.
"And Sam."
The cowboy turned around to look at the big boss one more time.
"Yes?"
The cigar was still in the large man's mouth.
"We will need you in the arena for a coin toss later."
People in the crowd were protesting the results and shouting encouragement towards Cloud as he approached the gate.
"Don't let him win, Cloud!"
"Don't give up! Aerith doesn't want you to give up!"
"He's fighting dirty! Give him a taste of his own medicine! Use your sword against one of his allies!"
The last suggestion was interesting, but Cloud would not resort to such cheap tactics. The Powerhands were formidable, and Tony was one of the strongest men the mercenary had ever fought. The enemy had Aerith in his clutches, and the SOLDIER from Nibelheim was powerless to continue unless she got free.
("It would take a small miracle to get out of this, but we will find another way. I'm sorry, Aerith... I can't let you die.")
Just as all hope seemed lost, Cloud looked back at Tony's hold of his partner. Aerith wasn't giving up. She fought to reach a hand horizontally, and her staff was summoned into her grip again.
("WHAT?!")
Cloud didn't have time to think about it. The crowd was going nuts as the other SOLDIER tried to hold the flower girl down when another blast got the entire coliseum roaring with cheers.
THAT GIRL IS A TICKING TIME BOMB! WHAT A SPELL! CAN SHE GET AWAY?!
The blast was similar to the earthquake/lighting strike that touched down against Beck's Badasses in the last round. Tony shouted with frustration as Aerith escaped from his clutches, and the fight continued.
Cloud was running faster than he ever had in his life as Aerith fell to the floor. Her jacket had been ripped getting away from the other fighter, but she appeared to be ok. The flower girl of sector five immediately sent the most enormous fireball Cloud had ever seen at their opponent and didn't stop with just one.
Several blasts of incredible size and magical ability were raining down on the other fighter, who was doing everything in his power to deflect and avoid the magical bombardment. Cloud had stood next to Aerith's side in a defensive position as the onslaught continued. The Cetra had looks of frustration and fury in her eyes as she cast spell after spell at the last opponent.
After the chain of attacks finally subsided, the enemy was battered with a blast that knocked him to his knees. The crowd was screaming, Aerith and Cloud were running up to Tony's weakened position, and the fighter from sector seven held his blade over the opposing leader's arm as he tried to pick up his weapon.
Aerith pointed her rod right at Tony's face as the battle had finally finished. Scotch and Kotch were screaming the results to the crowd, and the entire coliseum roared with excitement at the end of what was the most fantastic match that had occurred in the tournament of champions.
"It's over."
Tony looked back up at Cloud and reached for his weapon. This was a stupid move.
Cloud swiped down at the saber when Tony had lunged for it. The blade broke, and the Powerhands sole remaining fighter held a broken sword handle in his grip now. He was still on his knees as Cloud held his buster sword up in anger because the enemy just wouldn't quit.
"Please don't!"
The woman lying on her back shouted as she turned her head to look at Cloud and Aerith. She barely had the energy to speak as she had been struck unconscious earlier and was just starting to hold her eyes open after the beating she took in the middle of the fight.
"He's just trying to save our village. Tony couldn't give up. I know he hurt you both, but this tournament was everything to us. It was our last chance to rescue our people. Please...show mercy. I know you are both good people... don't kill him."
The woman's words appeared to have softened Cloud's anger. The buster sword was lowered.
Tony scoffed in disgust at Cloud's reaction. He spit blood out of his mouth as he looked up at his opponents.
"You're too soft...the battle isn't over YET!"
With one last act of defiance, Tony's weapon was thrown point blank at Cloud's face as the bodyguard's eyes widened in shock at the final act of insanity. The fight was supposed to be over; the power couple had won, and this attack was beyond pointless.
Cloud barely had time to block the throw with his sword, but a cry of pain caused the mercenary's heart to drop in his chest.
Turning in shock and frustration, Cloud saw that Aerith was holding her arm. The ricocheted broken handle had bounced off of the buster sword and hit her near the shoulder. The wound drew blood as the flower girl looked upset but otherwise, she was ok.
Rage...Fury...Red hot anger that boiled over Cloud's emotions pulsed through his body as he stared down the defeated SOLDIER that looked at him with cold, dead, mako eyes. The man on his knees mocked his opponent.
"I look forward to seeing you in hell...brother."
Aerith held her hand up too late when Cloud lifted the buster sword and swiped at Tony's head with full force. No one was close enough to stop the attack.
The decapitation caused the crowd to roar in approval as Cloud and Aerith received a standing ovation now that the match had finally finished.
The flower girl had a sad look on her face as she stared at her partner with disapproval.
("Cloud...")