The Fight
Cloud stepped out of the Highwind, his Ultimate Weapon ready, and looked out for Kevin Dexter. Shortly after him Tifa followed, her hands clenched to fists. "Tifa, I want you to stay in a place Dexter can't see you." Cloud ordered her. "When you see that he's about to defeat me, get out and beat the hell out of him." Cloud knew that this was an unfair trap, but Dexter didn't act fair at all ever since the first attack of him. "Okay Cloud." Tifa agreed. "I didn't know you could be so naughty." she added with a slight smile. Cloud smiled back, then he gently kissed Tifa. "Let's get ready." he ordered.
Cloud walked into the city of Wutai, looking for Kevin to show up. "Okay, asshole!" he yelled. "Where are you?" Suddenly, Kevin stepped out of a dark alley. "Right here, Strife." He grinned evilly, readied his gun and shot into to blue – or at least it seemed so. Shortly after the shot rang, Cloud heard a muffled scream, and Tifa fell from one of the surrounding trees, holding her right shoulder. Blood trickled out between her fingers and stained the white T-shirt she wore. "Tifa!" Cloud cried out in sheer agony. He started to run towards her, but suddenly Kevin tackled him and threw him to the ground. The two men ended up in a tangled mess, while Tifa crawled away with an expression of terrible pain on her face. Somehow Kevin managed to end up sitting upon Cloud, his hands around his neck. While choking the blonde warrior, he growled: "You really thought I'm foolish enough to walk in here without knowing that you'd set a trap for me? Your really thought that?" The last word he underlined with a punch right into Clouds face. There was a sickening crack when the hero's nose broke, and blood started to flow. Cloud reached upwards in one desperate move and tried to throw Dexter from him. Dexter just laughed at his rather useless affords and punched Cloud again. "Give up, Strife. You will die like the dog..." Kevin was interrupted by a heavy stone crashing down onto his head. He fell forward unconscious and landed on Cloud, who wasn't able to move away fast enough. "Shit" Cloud murmured while he struggled to get out. Two strong hands reached out and pulled Dexter away from him. "Thanks." Cloud looked up, and his eyes grew wide. "Yuffie? I though Dexter kidnapped you!" "Ha!" Yuffie answered contemptuous. "Do you really think a simple cage could hold me, the best thief in the world, for a long time?" "No." Cloud grinned, although his still bleeding nose hurt when he did so. "Thanks Yuff. I would've been in great trouble without you." "No problem, Cloud." Yuffie answered, also grinning. Clouds face grew all serious, and Yuffie asked with a surprising gentle voice: "You are worried about Tifa, aren't you? Dexter shot her." "Yeah, he did. Where is she?" "Don't worry, she'll be fine. Cid and Red are taking care of her." "CID? I doubt that she'll be fine if CID HIGHWIND takes care of her!" Cloud suspected. Yuffie chuckled. "Yeah, you could be right with that. Let's get to the Highwind before Cid kills Tifa with his help." Both laughed and walked on to the Highwind, Yuffie dragging the unconscious Kevin behind her.
"OW!" Tifa cried out while Cid tried to clean up her wound. To Tifa's luck the bullet had gone right through her shoulder without hurting bones. "Cid, what do you think you are doing?" Tifa asked the pilot with anger in her voice. "You are supposed to take care of me, not to kill me!" "Yeah, Cid, if you harm my poor Tiff, I'll kill you." came Clouds voice from behind. "Cloud, thank God you are here." Tifa sighed in relief. "I thought Dexter would kill you." "He would've killed me, if Yuffie hadn't come." Cloud explained. "She knocked him out and saved me." "I see...but where is Yuffie now?" Red asked. "She's tying Dexter up in the chocobo stables." Cloud explained while Cid fixed the bandage around Tifas shoulder. After this was done, the pilot turned to Cloud. "I'll have to set your nose, otherwise it'll get @&%$ crooked." Cloud moaned and sat down on the next chair. "Do it Cid, and do it fast. Besides, since when are you a doctor?" Cid grinned. "Since Shera had a crash with Tiny Bronco. I had to fix her up coz our doctor was ill. Now hold still." Tifa closed her eyes, but the cracking sound and Cloud's painful moan reached her ears. Tifa dared to open her eyes again, only to see a Cloud with tears in his eyes and Cid who patted him on the shoulder. "Oh, poor Cloud." Tifa walked over to her partner and hugged him tightly. Suddenly, one drop of dark red blood fell to the ground. Tifa could hear Cid gasping, and then Cloud slumped into her arms unconscious, his white shirt staining red with blood from his bullet wound.