THE STRONGER part 2
By Yuffie Valentine
Okay this is now a "What if fic". Cause of the fact that I am bringing characters that were not supposed to meet yet and killing off ones that were alive later in the game. And plus the time is a little off with Barret and Tifa both being in Midgar. So enjoy anyway.
Tifa held her head for a second. It couldn't have been Cloud, he would have told her. I t was just her mind playing tricks making her think the things she wants, not the truth. She looked at the jacket she had on. It was not her own. It was the photographer's from town jacket. He must have put it on her when she was leaving the town. She reached into the pocket and pulled out the picture or her, Sephiroth, and Zack.
"Oh, whose that?" Jesse said pointing to Zack, "He's cute!"
"He's dead. He was killed by him." Tifa said pointing to Sephiroth.
"Isn't that the great Sephiroth?" Jesse said, taking a closer look at the picture. "He's the best Shinra has got."
"He went mad and killed my whole town." Tifa said.
"Oh my god. Let me go show this to Barret for a second." Jesse grabbed the photo and went upstairs. She walked in to see Barret talking with the local flower girl Aeris.
"Listen Aeris, I don't care if he is the nicest man in the world, if he work for Shinra, he scum." Barret said.
"I guess you'll just have to meet Zack to know that for sure. He's the nicest boyfriend I have ever had." Aeris said. She handed Barret some flowers. He smiled and passed her some gil.
"You know, Biggs is a real nice man and he isn't taken. Plus, he fights for the right side." Barret said with a chuckle. Aeris laughed and was about to walk out when she saw Jesse come up to Barret with a picture.
"Barret, it turns out that girl is from the west and she knows a lot about Shinra. The great Sephiroth went mad and murdered her whole town." Jesse said. " Here she is with him and one of the people that was on that reactor trip."
Barret took the photo and looked at it. "Hmm, that's him alright."
Aeris thought to herself 'Reactor trip? Sephiroth? That sounds like the mission Zack went on.' She leaned over and looked at the photo. Sure enough, there was Zack.
"Hey Barret, that's Zack!" Aeris said and pointed to the picture.
"I told you them Shinra was scum Aeris, you better bet your boyfriend there didn't get hurt." Barret said. Jesse face turned pale.
"Jesse, did she say anything about Zack?" Aeris asked.
"She said...she told me... she was there when.... Aeris, I'm sorry, she told me that he died." Jesse said. Aeris dropped her flower basket in shook.
"No, she's lying, he isn't dead." Aeris yelled out in disbelief. She turned and ran out of the bar.
"Looks like the truth hurts. Come on, I want to go talk to this girl!' Barret said. Him and Jesse made their way down the stairs to the basement hideout. Tifa was Just finishing changing her clothes.
"Hey Tifa, this is Barret! He's my boss and the leader of our group." Jesse said.
"Nice to meet ya Tifa." Barret put out his hand to shake. He flinched a bit; this girl had a grip equal to his.
"So, you guys fight Shinra?" Tifa said.
"Yes, we are just starting out." Barret said. "Your a pretty good fighter, ever think about doing something with those skills?'
"If you are asking me to join our team it's a yes. I am going to need some help if I am ever going to get by in this city." Tifa said.
"Damn straight, this city isn't anything but scum on scum its people who do make a honest living are shoved in the Slums. The bastards that make the real money live on the plate. And the fuckers who kill anything live in the Shinra building. Funny, the lowest of creatures lives in the highest of places." Barret said.
"Hmm, well I guess I can fight this. I have to get back at them for what they did to my town and my father." Tifa said. Tears started to build up in her eyes.
"Got your father. Humph, got my wife and town too. Only thing I have left is my friend's little girl. She's the only thing I got to remind me to keep fighting." Barret said.
The secret entrance rattled and a young man in a bartending outfit came down. "Hey guys, whose you your new friend there?"
"Nick, this is Tifa. She is our newest member to the group." Jesse said.
"Well, she certainly is pretty. A pleasure to meet you. I am Nicholas Thomas, I own the bar here." Kurt said with a smile. He was a very good-looking man. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. Something about him was very comforting.
"Well Nicholas, you hardly look old enough to be even drinking at the bar." Tifa said with a laugh. Nicholas's face turned red.
"He isn't. Nick here is 19." Jesse let out a giggle.
"Well, I always wanted to own the bar after mom died. She went before I was old enough, but the Shinra don't care." Nicholas said. "And judging by the looks of it, you don't look like your old enough to be in a bar either."
"I am not in a bar, I am in a hideout." Tifa smirked.
"Well good for you. Looks like you got a little beat up there. Barret, you aren't think of taking her on the next mission?" Nicholas said.
"Nope, she is staying here for the next one. Just to be safe. While we're gone, you can show her the ropes and get her settled here." Barret said.
"It isn't enough you use my bar as a hideout, but now I am training rookies. I have to ask for more rent soon." Nicholas said with a joking tone.
"Just do it!" Barret said. "Come on Jesse, Biggs and Wedge are waiting."
Jesse and Barret left, leaving Tifa and Nicholas to take care of the bar. Nicholas made Tifa a drink.
"You like rum?" Nicholas asked.
"Well, I never had it. And I'm under age Nicholas." Tifa said. She looked down at the drink. It smelled good. She tipped her head back and took a sip.
"Well, let's just keep this our little secret. And call me Nick!" Nick said.
"Okay. So what do you have to teach me?" Tifa said.
"Well, I don't know what Barret wanted me to teach you, but I'll try. First off, if anyone asks who you are; you and Jesse are barmaids here. Biggs, Wedge, and Barret are just some lushes that hang out here. We have to keep it a secret that this is the Avalanche hangout." Nick said. "That's all I can think of."
"Well, okay. As a barmaid do I have to make drinks or just pretend to be one?" Tifa asked.
"You have to be one. It makes it look more real. Plus if I am sick, you or Jesse will have to cover for me. It's part of the deal I have with the group for letting them stay here." Nick said. " So since we have nothing better to do, want to play cards?"
"Sure, what's the game?" Tifa asked.
"Poker, you need to know that one. Everyone in the bar plays it on Friday night." Nick said. He pulled out a deck of cards and dealt them out.
Tifa picked up her cards. Nick was a horrible cheater. Not only was he using a trick deck, he dealt her 2 ace of hearts. She smiled.
"Okay, show them!" Nick said. He laid down a four of a kind. "Like to see you beat that."
"I can, I have five of a kind." Tifa laid down her cards. Nick looked back in forth in confusion.
"Hey, cheater!" Nick yelled.
"How did I cheat, you dealt." Tifa said.
"Well, I guess that's enough cards. Why don't you tell me about yourself." Nick said. She put the cards back in his pocket.
"Well, I just got here. I don't know how I got here; I just kind of woke up here. I use to live in the west as a tour-guide, but that's over. Whole town was killed by a crazed Sephiroth." Tifa said. The door open behind them.
"Well, what have we have here?" Reno said. About five guards and Rude came in behind him. "It appears to be the girl sighted at the murder scene of two Shinra sailors."
"Now Reno, she just got into town. She didn't kill them. And who ever did kill them hurt her too. Look at her ribs." Nick said. He knew Reno well, one of his best costumers.
"Nick, come on. They also spotted those friends of yours there. They were the ones that killed them. Then they took this girl. We have two eyewitnesses." Reno said. He grabbed Tifa's arm. "We are going to have to take the girl in"
"Reno, she didn't do anything." Nick pleaded.
"Come on Nick, it's bad enough you are only 19 and running a bar. Don't start housing murders." Rude said.
"Let me go." Tifa kicked Reno in the stomach. When he hunched over, she brought her elbow down on his neck. Reno fell to the ground out cold.
"That's it, make one more move girl and you're dead." Rude said. He pointed to Tifa and the guards took aim.
"I am not going with any of the bastards that work for Shinra." Tifa ran up to Rude. "BEAT RUSH!"
"Ahh!" Rude went flying out the door.
"FIRE!" One of the guards yelled. Tifa tried to cover herself with her arms as the bullets rang out. The sound of a body hitting the floor was heard by Rude. He looked through the doors to see Nick laying on the floor. Blood was starting to creep across his clothing.
"On no, Not another citizen death. Get Reno and lets go!" Rude yelled to his troops. They picked up Reno and left the bar. The people of the neighborhood edged toward the door to the bar. They could see Nick being cradled by Tifa.
"Nick hold on!" Tifa grabbed her cure materia. "CURE!"
Nick's eyes opened a bit. "Tifa, don't use up all your power saving me."
"Nick, shut up or you'll use all your power." Tifa said. She put the materia in her hand again. "CURE!"
She managed to stop the blood while one of the on watchers ran to get a doctor. The man ran at top speed for Sector 4 where the best doctor in the slums lived. He ran past Barret and the team returning from battle.
"Hey Andy, where you running to?" Biggs called out to his childhood friend.
"Biggs, Turks shot Nick in the bar. I am going to get a doctor." Andy continued to run.
"Nick is shot! They must have been after us. Oh no, they might have got Tifa too." Wedge said. The team ran to the bar to see what happen.
By nightfall in the slums, Nick was in his room resting. He was a fifty percent chance of making it said the doctor. Tifa sat by his bed side the whole night talking to him, even though he was not able to hear her.
"Don't worry Nick, you'll live. And Shinra will die!" Tifa said and held Nick's hand.
Fin
Well this story made it. It is coming slowly, very slowly. But keep reviewing.