Chapter 7 – The Rescue

Kako walked slowly to the school, thinking about the night she had. Fragments of her dreams teased at her from the edges of her memory and she struggled to pull them back. There was something about a bright light and the smell of perfume. That was the strongest fragment she could retrieve. Along with it came the feeling of peace and wellbeing. But there was another fragment, much darker and malevolent. Pale grey eyes flashed before her and made her heart skip a beat. She came out of her reverie and looked around her.

"Where am I?" she asked herself. She looked around her, trying to get her bearings, and realized that she had wandered into the slums of Section 8. All around she could see the children marked with Geostigma. They hid in dark alleys and darted across the open plaza, dodging the traffic. This was the shame of Midgar. The part of town that decent people didn't talk about and the newspapers never covered. Kako had grown up with many of the orphans from this part of town. They came and went, stopping long enough for a free meal or a couple of nights rest in a real bed with clean sheets. Tifa could never get any of them to stay much longer. Even Denzel, the boy who had lived with Tifa and Cloud for a while when she was very young, disappeared into the streets one day, never to return. Tifa searched for him for weeks, but no trace was ever found.

She turned down an alley that she knew took her back towards the school. As she walked towards the far end, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. She slowed her step and reached for her gloves. She continued walking, every nerve at full attention, and pulled on her gloves. As she passed a dark doorway half way down the alley she felt rather than saw a dark figure dart out behind her. Before she could react she felt a strong leather-clad arm wrap around her throat from behind, lifting her off her feet. She felt a scratchy unshaven face on her cheek as the man whispered in her ear.

"Are you lost?" said the deep male voice.

"No," answered Kako. She kicked back with her heel and connected with the man's genitals. She heard a grunt and felt the arm around her neck loosen its grip. She grabbed the arm and spun away from him, turning him around to pin his arm behind his back. He chuckled and twisted his arm out of her hands and turned to face her. She couldn't see his face as they were in the darkest part of the alley, but she could see that he was tall, over 6', and muscle-bound. His white spiky hair was all she could see of his face.

Her training kicked in and she moved into a defensive stance. Her attacker watched and waited for her attack. She didn't disappoint him; she launched herself at him, throwing a flurry of punches at his chest. She was good, but she was no match for his greater strength and weight. He easily caught one of her fists and spun her around, pinning her against his chest, his arms wrapped around her.

"Let her go," said a voice from behind them. Kako heard the sound of metal against leather; it sounded like a sword being withdrawn from its scabbard. Kako's attacker spun her around to face the voice; it was Yazoo!

"Let her go," he repeated. He stood before them with his sword in his hand. His face registered anger and fear; fear for her. The man behind her chuckled.

"You want her? You want her for yourself?" he asked with a sneer. He smashed his fist into the back of her head, knocking her out cold and shoved her to the ground.

Kako came too in Yazoo's arms. Her head felt like it was split in two. A trickle of blood ran down the back of her neck. She groaned and ran her fingers over the back of her head feeling for the hole she felt sure was there.

"Lay still," Yazoo said quietly as he held her gently in his arms. She looked up and as her eyes cleared, she saw his concerned face looking down at her.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"He's gone. He won't be back," said Yazoo. He supported her back as she struggled to sit upright. "How's you head?"

"It hurts," said Kako. The blood drained from her face as she sat and she groaned in pain. Yazoo placed his hand behind her head and slowly lowered her back down on the ground.

"Stay still. You've probably got a concussion." He gently stroked her cheek and brushed her hair away from her forehead.

"Thank you," Kako whispered. Her head was killing her. She was having trouble focusing. She could feel herself slipping away . . .

"Goddamit, Loz, you hit her too hard," snapped Yazoo. Loz stepped out of the shadows in the doorway he had hidden in when she walked down the alley. He looked down at the young girl laying on the group and shrugged.

Yazoo carefully picked her up and carried her through the alley to his apartment.