Author's Note: Ok, I know so far the story hasn't been too
interesting, but some stuff's going to happen in this chapter
which will explain some stuff, such as why Tifa doesn't want
to go home, and why she was crying at the bar the night
before. This is still the same day she met Reno in the
park. Ok, I'll get on with it. Please R/R! ^_^
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine, so don't sue me.
This chapter rated R for language and violence.
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Things Unexpected
Chapter 3: A Change of Lifestyle
It was late when Tifa opened the door to her small one- bedroom apartment. After talking with Reno, she had gone to the grocery store, since she was almost sure they were out of milk. She entered the apartment and flicked on the light.
"Where the fuck have you been?" She heard a cold voice say. Turning towards it, she saw a man sitting on the couch, an empty bottle of vodka in his hand. Other bottles were strewn about on the floor, their contents long gone. The man stood up. His eyes, once a bright blue, were dull and lifeless. His hair spiked out in all directions. Tifa put the bag of groceries on the floor. She was nervous already.
"Cloud. I- I had to get groceries. We're out of milk."
He glanced at the bag on the floor beside her, but did not look convinced. He picked up a small clock that sat on the coffee table in front of him and threw it, hard, at the wall. It shattered with a loud crash that made her jump. He was very drunk.
"It's eight fucking thirty! No one takes that long to get a fucking carton of milk!"
Tifa didn't know how to appease him. There was no getting through when he was like this.
"Cloud, stop! I just went to the park, that's all!"
He took a stride towards her and shook his fists.
"Yeah, right! Where the fuck were you! Tell me! NOW!" He picked up a lamp next to him and bashed it against the table.
Tifa was afraid now. He had never been this bad. Usually he just raised his voice or slapped her, and she usually put up with it, although she didn't know why. But he had never begun breaking furniture, and it looked as if he was getting madder by the second.
"I'm sorry! I'm telling the truth! You have to believe me, Cloud!" She put her hands up defensively. Normally, she would have knocked the crap out of anyone who tried to lay a hand on her, but Cloud. She felt weak around him. She didn't know why, but she could never bring herself to hit him. It was an inhibition she wished she didn't have.
Cloud, on the other hand, did not have any qualms about hitting her. And that's exactly what he did. He crossed the distance between them with two large strides, raised his hand, and slapped her across the face. She screamed and put her hands up defensively. He began attacking her now, throwing himself on top of her and hitting her, hard, all over. Her face, her arms, her chest, everywhere he could manage to get a hit in, he did. He started screaming at her, too. He screamed terrible things at her. Tears began flowing down her face, and her nose began to bleed.
She couldn't take this. She wasn't going to put up with it anymore.
She opened her eyes, and brought the palm of her hand, fast as lightening, crushing into his nose. He yelped loudly and fell back on his knees, his hand over his face. But she wasn't done. She raised her knee so that it nearly touched her chin, and then slammed it into his chest, sending him flying backwards. He glared at her with a look so full of hate, she wanted to break down and cry. But instead, she flew to her feet, opened the door, and was running full speed down the street before Cloud could do anything. He continued shouting things at her as she fled, crying, bruised, and bloody.
Hours later, or so it seemed to Tifa, she stopped to catch her breath. She looked at her surroundings, but didn't recognize them. She had run to fast and so blindly, she had gotten herself lost in an obviously bad part of town. She had no clue where she was, but as long as it wasn't back there, with Cloud, she didn't care.
She began walking, slowly; trying to find something recognizable, but all she saw were run-down apartment buildings and trashy bars. There was graffiti on almost every wall, and there were almost no signs of life to be found.
At least, that's what she thought.
A sudden noise from behind her made her turn sharply. She saw several men, rough-looking men at that, appear from an alley not far away from her. There were about seven of them, and they all looked at her hungrily. One of them, the largest one, took a step towards her. He was about the nastiest looking thing Tifa had ever seen.
"Hey baby, you look scared and lonely. Why don't you come with us? We'll make it better." He motioned to his comrades behind him.
Immediately Tifa hauled ass in the other direction. They followed, of course, and they were much faster than they looked. They were gaining on her, and she didn't know where she could go to lose them.
She turned blindly down an alley, hoping they might be stupid enough to not notice and keep going. They weren't. They followed her as she tipped over trashcans and cardboard boxes, trying to slow them down. She thought she might actually be able to get away, when she saw, up ahead, something that stole every hope of her escaping unharmed.
The alley was a dead-end.
She stopped, terrified, and turned to face her attackers. She didn't think she could handle all of them. Not in the condition she was in. They were all very large, muscular thugs. She would have been able to handle maybe three or four of them at once, but not seven.
They gathered around in front of her whispering to one another.
"Common, babe, you know we'll make you feel real good." Said one.
"Yeah, we know how to handle a lady." Another crooned.
"Get the fuck away from me!" Tifa screamed. It only seemed to entice them. She entered her fighting stance, and tried not to look as frightened as she was.
Then they advanced on her, all at once. One ran up beside her and tried wrapping his arms around her waist. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards her, while at the same time slamming her knee into his gut. He fell, gasping for breath as the others took note. She would not be as easy as they had anticipated. But that didn't slow them down. Two more charged her from the front. She took them down with a powerful roundhouse kick.
Suddenly, the one she had kneed in the stomach appeared behind her, capturing both her arms behind her head. The others saw this and approached more rapidly. She kicked with all her might, catching one in the chin, another in the nose.
"You dumb bitch! Just stay still!" The largest one yelled, and grabbed her shirt, attempting to rip it off. It tore, but managed to remain on its host.
Tifa screamed. She screamed hard and loud, hoping anyone nearby might be able to hear her.
The large one advanced again, this time, pressing his mouth forcefully against hers. She bit down, hard, on his lower lip, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Fuck you, stupid whore!" He slapped her across the face, harder than she had ever been slapped before. The force of the blow made her dizzy. She struggled to remain conscious.
The next few minutes were a blur. She remembered hearing some sort of electric sound, almost like a zap. She heard it several times, and then she saw another person, a much smaller person, kicking the crap out of the thugs. She thought the person was armed, but she couldn't be sure. Then she felt the grip that held her arms weaken, and she fell into something. Or was it someone? She couldn't tell, but she remembered seeing a pair of bright blue eyes looking down at her. Then she blacked out.
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A/N: My goodness! Well, that chapter was much more interesting than the last two, if I do say so myself! From here on the story is probably going to pick up a lot, so don't worry. Poor Tifa, 'eh? Don't get the wrong idea. I like Tifa a lot, but something like this had to happen if she's going to:
Break up with Cloud (Who I also like, but this story isn't about him) Get together with Reno, which is what we all want to see, right? ^_^
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine, so don't sue me.
This chapter rated R for language and violence.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Things Unexpected
Chapter 3: A Change of Lifestyle
It was late when Tifa opened the door to her small one- bedroom apartment. After talking with Reno, she had gone to the grocery store, since she was almost sure they were out of milk. She entered the apartment and flicked on the light.
"Where the fuck have you been?" She heard a cold voice say. Turning towards it, she saw a man sitting on the couch, an empty bottle of vodka in his hand. Other bottles were strewn about on the floor, their contents long gone. The man stood up. His eyes, once a bright blue, were dull and lifeless. His hair spiked out in all directions. Tifa put the bag of groceries on the floor. She was nervous already.
"Cloud. I- I had to get groceries. We're out of milk."
He glanced at the bag on the floor beside her, but did not look convinced. He picked up a small clock that sat on the coffee table in front of him and threw it, hard, at the wall. It shattered with a loud crash that made her jump. He was very drunk.
"It's eight fucking thirty! No one takes that long to get a fucking carton of milk!"
Tifa didn't know how to appease him. There was no getting through when he was like this.
"Cloud, stop! I just went to the park, that's all!"
He took a stride towards her and shook his fists.
"Yeah, right! Where the fuck were you! Tell me! NOW!" He picked up a lamp next to him and bashed it against the table.
Tifa was afraid now. He had never been this bad. Usually he just raised his voice or slapped her, and she usually put up with it, although she didn't know why. But he had never begun breaking furniture, and it looked as if he was getting madder by the second.
"I'm sorry! I'm telling the truth! You have to believe me, Cloud!" She put her hands up defensively. Normally, she would have knocked the crap out of anyone who tried to lay a hand on her, but Cloud. She felt weak around him. She didn't know why, but she could never bring herself to hit him. It was an inhibition she wished she didn't have.
Cloud, on the other hand, did not have any qualms about hitting her. And that's exactly what he did. He crossed the distance between them with two large strides, raised his hand, and slapped her across the face. She screamed and put her hands up defensively. He began attacking her now, throwing himself on top of her and hitting her, hard, all over. Her face, her arms, her chest, everywhere he could manage to get a hit in, he did. He started screaming at her, too. He screamed terrible things at her. Tears began flowing down her face, and her nose began to bleed.
She couldn't take this. She wasn't going to put up with it anymore.
She opened her eyes, and brought the palm of her hand, fast as lightening, crushing into his nose. He yelped loudly and fell back on his knees, his hand over his face. But she wasn't done. She raised her knee so that it nearly touched her chin, and then slammed it into his chest, sending him flying backwards. He glared at her with a look so full of hate, she wanted to break down and cry. But instead, she flew to her feet, opened the door, and was running full speed down the street before Cloud could do anything. He continued shouting things at her as she fled, crying, bruised, and bloody.
Hours later, or so it seemed to Tifa, she stopped to catch her breath. She looked at her surroundings, but didn't recognize them. She had run to fast and so blindly, she had gotten herself lost in an obviously bad part of town. She had no clue where she was, but as long as it wasn't back there, with Cloud, she didn't care.
She began walking, slowly; trying to find something recognizable, but all she saw were run-down apartment buildings and trashy bars. There was graffiti on almost every wall, and there were almost no signs of life to be found.
At least, that's what she thought.
A sudden noise from behind her made her turn sharply. She saw several men, rough-looking men at that, appear from an alley not far away from her. There were about seven of them, and they all looked at her hungrily. One of them, the largest one, took a step towards her. He was about the nastiest looking thing Tifa had ever seen.
"Hey baby, you look scared and lonely. Why don't you come with us? We'll make it better." He motioned to his comrades behind him.
Immediately Tifa hauled ass in the other direction. They followed, of course, and they were much faster than they looked. They were gaining on her, and she didn't know where she could go to lose them.
She turned blindly down an alley, hoping they might be stupid enough to not notice and keep going. They weren't. They followed her as she tipped over trashcans and cardboard boxes, trying to slow them down. She thought she might actually be able to get away, when she saw, up ahead, something that stole every hope of her escaping unharmed.
The alley was a dead-end.
She stopped, terrified, and turned to face her attackers. She didn't think she could handle all of them. Not in the condition she was in. They were all very large, muscular thugs. She would have been able to handle maybe three or four of them at once, but not seven.
They gathered around in front of her whispering to one another.
"Common, babe, you know we'll make you feel real good." Said one.
"Yeah, we know how to handle a lady." Another crooned.
"Get the fuck away from me!" Tifa screamed. It only seemed to entice them. She entered her fighting stance, and tried not to look as frightened as she was.
Then they advanced on her, all at once. One ran up beside her and tried wrapping his arms around her waist. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards her, while at the same time slamming her knee into his gut. He fell, gasping for breath as the others took note. She would not be as easy as they had anticipated. But that didn't slow them down. Two more charged her from the front. She took them down with a powerful roundhouse kick.
Suddenly, the one she had kneed in the stomach appeared behind her, capturing both her arms behind her head. The others saw this and approached more rapidly. She kicked with all her might, catching one in the chin, another in the nose.
"You dumb bitch! Just stay still!" The largest one yelled, and grabbed her shirt, attempting to rip it off. It tore, but managed to remain on its host.
Tifa screamed. She screamed hard and loud, hoping anyone nearby might be able to hear her.
The large one advanced again, this time, pressing his mouth forcefully against hers. She bit down, hard, on his lower lip, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Fuck you, stupid whore!" He slapped her across the face, harder than she had ever been slapped before. The force of the blow made her dizzy. She struggled to remain conscious.
The next few minutes were a blur. She remembered hearing some sort of electric sound, almost like a zap. She heard it several times, and then she saw another person, a much smaller person, kicking the crap out of the thugs. She thought the person was armed, but she couldn't be sure. Then she felt the grip that held her arms weaken, and she fell into something. Or was it someone? She couldn't tell, but she remembered seeing a pair of bright blue eyes looking down at her. Then she blacked out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: My goodness! Well, that chapter was much more interesting than the last two, if I do say so myself! From here on the story is probably going to pick up a lot, so don't worry. Poor Tifa, 'eh? Don't get the wrong idea. I like Tifa a lot, but something like this had to happen if she's going to:
Break up with Cloud (Who I also like, but this story isn't about him) Get together with Reno, which is what we all want to see, right? ^_^