Leaning on You(FF7)

29

"Something up?" Red frowns.

"Keys," I say over my shoulder, already halfway to the stairs. Up we go...

"Where the heck did I put those dang bullets?" Someone mutters to them self as they walk by the room I'm in. Hiding behind the wall, I unfortunately only see Casper's worker. But he'll have to be eliminated too, right? So taking a deep breath, I swing out around the corner and slash at him before his mouth can open. Blood pours from the stab deep in his chest and I yank my sword from him. The place faced and now dead man falls forward onto his face, gone forever. This is too much like Aeris. This time my nausea actually does take over, only my few crackers from earlier coming up. Great. I've got such a stupidly sensitive stomach.

"I wonder what Kara would think if she knew we were murderers," I mutter to Yuffie even though she can't hear me.

"As do I," I voice interrupts me from my thoughts. Involuntarily, my body goes rigid, my fingers tightening around the hilt of my blade. Why'd he chose today to be sneaky? "Though, if you didn't want your children to know, why did you kill in the first place?" Did I just hear a gun click?

"Dunno. Didn't think I'd ever have kids maybe?"

"Well that's stupid," he chuckles.

"Yup." For once, I have to agree. I drag myself to my feet.

"Finally maturing, I see," he raises a brown eyebrow. "That's a good thing. Sucks that we have to meet again under such circumstances."

"Doesn't it?" I reply flatly.

"It's quite unfortunate that you have to end this way, cousin."

"We'll see," I scowl.

"Yes, we shall," he eyes me again before aiming his gun at me and shooting.

I roll out of the way and block his shots with my sword. Then I swing at him, only to miss and already have one thick arm around my neck in a chokehold. My heel meets the space between his legs and he grimaces, loosening for just the fraction of a second that I needed. Slipping out of his grasp, I knock him backwards with the hilt of my weapon and push him into the wall.

"Seen enough?" he growls.

"Not quite," I glare back, the edge of the fusion swords on his throat. Just get it over with, Cloud. You've killed before. This is nothing. He hurt Yuffie.

"Well I have."

Something cold and metal is on my neck before so realize it, searing pain through the skin there and the darkness taking over as I drop to my hands and knees. Everything is numb except for the warm flow running down from my neck to under my collar. Casper kneels in front of me with a victorious smirk.

"Nighty night, Cloud."

~|~|~|~|~

When I open my eyes, everything feels too bright. I can see a face above me, but it's all too fuzzy and white to make out any detail. But I can tell that they're beautiful, whoever they are.

"An angel?" I whisper to myself.

"Far from it," the voice almost makes me laugh. I would've too, if it didn't hurt to use my throat.