Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII ❯ Chapter 14 Renegades ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

About ten minutes later, everyone was in the middle of town. Cloud was still crouched on the ground in Aeris' arms. She had been holding ever since he fell. He was still shaking but not as badly as before. He didn't talk, only just muttered things and shook. He was still in shock.
Reno stood close to Tifa, so that their shoulders touched. Yuffie was watching them curiously noticing their closeness. Cid and Vincent stood nearby watching Cloud shiver under Aeris' arms. Cid shook his head and looked at Tifa.
"What the hell happened here?" he asked breaking the silence.
"It was....Sephiroth....." Cloud voice said in a quivering whisper.
"You are hiding something," Vincent said firmly watching Cloud.
Aeris looked down at Cloud. "You don't have to tell them right now," she whispered just loud enough for Cloud to hear her.
Cloud numbly lifted his head from Aeris just enough so he could see his friends looking back at him. "He....pocessed me....and I....killed them...." Cloud went on his voice getting shaker with each word.
"Pocession? He can do that?" Reno questioned surprised.
"Of course he can, he's Sephiroth!" Yuffie answered enthusastically.
"Not exactly pocession, it's manipulation. He gets into people's minds and uses them to do what he commands," Aeris explained. "He did it to Cloud several times in the past."
Vincent nodded to the last part of Aeris' explaination. "I remember," he said.
Cloud shivered to the thought of the past and hid his face from them again. His skin had went pale, as if he had lost a lot of blood. His body shivered like he was freezing. The bloody sword laid not too far away from them. It gleamed brilliantly in the light and for a moment you might of though you could see Sephiroth's reflection in it. As if his soul was inside the very blade, itself.
"Well we're gonna need to get Cloud outta here, the cops will get word of this soon," Tifa said changing the subject.
"Well hell! I ain't got any airships ta lend ya! Cuz you keep blowin the damn things up!" Cid said answering the unasked question.
"Don't worry, I'll get us a ride," Reno said taking out a phone and then trotted away from them.
He dialed in some numbers and then put the phone to his ear. He waited, there were two rings before the person he was contacting answered the phone.
"Yeah?" Rude's voice came from the reciever.
"Hey, it's Reno. Sorry about what I did, I had to. Any way could you do me a little favor?" Reno said.
"Yeah, I guess but whatever it is will have to wait about fifteen minutes," Rude replied sighing.
"I know, you're still on duty right? As a turk?" Reno questioned.
"Yep, unlike you, I obey my orders," Rude said proudly.
"Well, I need you to come pick us up in the center of town. There's been an incident and if the word gets around.....well you won't be hearin from me again," Reno said.
"Alright, but like I said, it'll be about fifteen minutes until I can get there," Rude replied.
"Cool, thanks," Reno answered pleased.
"Yup, gotta go now," Rude finished and hung up.
While Reno was busy talking on the phone Yuffie walked up to Tifa and stood beside her with her arms crossed. They stood in silence a moment. Yuffie got impatient and leaned forward so she could see Tifa's face. Tifa was watching Reno and hadn't noticed Yuffie. Then she stumbled and Tifa turned her head to look at her with a strange look. Yuffie smiled embrassed and then stood up straight.
"So....what's goin on with you and the red head?" Yuffie asked amusment in her voice.
"What do you mean?" Tifa asked looking at her with a fake puzzled look.
"Well, you were standing pretty close to him and you've been watching him the whole time," Yuffie said gesturing with fingers as if she was counting.
"I was not," Tifa denied getting offensive.
"Why are you gettin so tense, huh? It's not like you two are together or anything," Yuffie said putting her hands behind her head sighing in disappointment.
"Isn't it?" Tifa questioned herself and then strode towards Reno as he turned to walk back to them.
She grabbed him by the right sleeve and pulled him further away from the others. Yuffie glanced over and saw what Tifa was doing. She lowered her hands from her head and watched in curiousness, her disappointment had faded. Meanwhle, Cid and Vincent were talking to Aeris and trying to help Cloud stand.
"We need to talk," Tifa said firmly to Reno once she had pulled him far away enough.
"About?" he prompted waiting for her to go on.
"Did yesterday mean anything?" Tifa asked getting right to the point.
"If you want it to," he replied shrugging.
Tifa shook her head in frustration. "No, what do you want Reno?" she said anxiously.
"Me? Well, lemme put it this way, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want it to mean anything," he said with a slight grin.
"But...." Tifa started feeling herself blush.
"If this is about you liking Cloud, don't worry about it. I only did it because you were so nice to me. I just....couldn't resist myself," Reno replied as if it didn't bother him, but it did.
Tifa didn't reply to this, she didn't know what else she could say to him. Her mind just went blank.
"Lemme ask you this, if you didn't want it to mean any thing, then why'd you kiss me back?" he asked just above a whisper.
"I....I don't know," she admited.
"Did yesterday mean anything?" Reno repeated Tifa's first question to her in a whisper.
Tifa looked up at him, blushing slightly. A thin grin crossed her face. "if you want it to," she answered whispering back.
He returned her grin and locked eyes with her. They both knew what Reno was going to say next. "Oh, I want it to," Reno said with great interest in his voice.
Yuffie was hiding nearby watching them with curiousness. So far she had heard everything they were talking about. A few times she had to stiffle a giggle to Reno's comments. Now, however her eyes gleamed with interest. Reno just moved closer to Tifa without touching her. He didn't have to touch her, her hand was already touching his right arm. Tifa put the other hand on his face just over the triangluar mark under his eye, then she drew him towards her.
Yuffie's eyes seemed to get bigger as she watched them. She almost said awe out loud but stiffled it and whispered it softly so they couldn't hear her. For the third time in two days, Reno's lips touched Tifa's gently. This time both of them had put effort into it. Tifa wasn't surprised and didn't resist and Reno wasn't surpried and didn't hold back. He pulled away a few moments later to the sound of a vechile approaching. Tifa released him, as Rude pulled up in a car. Yuffie quietly snuck back over to where the other's were. Rude got out of the car and walked up to Reno and Tifa.
"Alright, I'm here, let's go," Rude said hastily.
"Whoa, what's with the rushing?" Reno asked sounding like himself again.
"Don't wanna get caught, and the cops just got word of this incident," Rude replied.
"Damn, that was fast. Ok, wait here," Reno said turning and rushing towards the others.
Reno dashed back to the others who turned when they heard him running. He stopped before them breathless for a few moments. After catching his breath he stood up and looked at them. "Rude's here, we gotta get out quick. The authorities are on their way," Reno reported gesturing to where the car sat running.
Vincent was the first one to take off towards the car. He did it without a word. Cid cursed to himself as he followed. Yuffie started after them, but turned and looked and Cloud and Aeris. Reno waved her on and said that he'd help the two get out. Yuffie nodded and ran after Cid and Vincent. Reno went to Aeris who was trying to help Cloud up.
"He's still too weak to stand," Aeris said a panic feeling raising in her.
"I'll help, come on we gotta get outta here," Reno said taking one of Cloud's arms on his right shoulder.
Aeris took the other around her shoulder and they helped Cloud limp over to the running car. As soon as the settled Cloud in, Aeris jumped in beside him and Reno hopped in the front seat. Rude slammed on the accelrator pedal and the car sketched back down the road he had drove down. They went south, heading for the only non blocked exit reported. Since the report had been from the northen part of the city, they had blocked all northern exits. This was their only ticket out. Now they were all renegades on the run and wanted for murder of about one-hundred people.