Fear and Loathing in Balamb
by Uncreativity

"RAGE."

This, her most deadly of curses, Fujin spat to the sky. She glowered at the sun, the kind of glower that wilted plants and melted steel, and she wouldn't have been surprised had it rushed to hide behind the nearest cloud. As the breeze tossed her hair about on top of that rooftop in Balamb, she knew she was in her element. Nothing could stop her; not the arrogant sun that burned into her melanin-impaired flesh, and not the man whom she was hunting. She could stare them both down, and if she went blind in the process, so be it.

Fujin crouched behind a chimney, deciding this should be her stakeout point. She did not like it there. It made her uncomfortable, and she feared she might slip and fall to the street below. Of all the places in Balamb, she decided that on top of the Dincht's residency would be one of the last places she would choose. Therefore, she concluded, it was the best place to hide from someone who knew her well, and though it occurred to her that she was overanalyzing the situation she didn't let it bother her.

It was not a slow task to reload the rifle she had been carrying, although she longed for the familiarity of her shiruken. Within seconds, she lay ready to pounce on her enemy. So all that remained was to wait, and to curse the ungodly heat and disgustingly cheerful sunshine.

As luck would have it, her wait was not a long one.

She spotted movement out of the corner of her eye and aimed accordingly, but pulled back when she recognized the figure dashing down the street as Seifer; hence not a target. Fujin felt that she should cry out to him, warn him of the danger, and yet she hesitated - doing so would only put herself in danger. Besides, her foe was hers alone, and she doubted he would attack the ex-Knight.

She was wrong.

The sniper appeared, perhaps ironically, on an opposing rooftop, and before she even realized it three shots rang out. All of them hit their mark, two in the center of Seifer's chest and the third right between his eyes. He flopped onto his back, face and vest and coat soaked thick with crimson.

She didn't even bother with a RAGE. That which would so honorlessly murder her beloved one did not deserve the honor of a RAGE. Instead she silently pumped all of her ammo into his attacker, who slid onto the street. She leapt down, snatching the gun he had dropped, and aiming her own. "RAIJIN."

The bronze giant chuckled nervously, throwing up his hands. "I give up, ya know?"

"SEIFER."

His eyes widened like a small child's. "I... I didn't mean t'shoot him, honest!" he exclaimed. "Honest I didn't, ya know?"

"LIES." She sneered as she centered the barrel of her gun on his forehead. "GOOD-BYE."

A tug at the trigger. Red splattering. Fujin's lips curling up into a smile.

"Fujin!" The shout came from behind her, an angry voice that reverberated all through Balamb.

She flipped around to face the man who stood behind her, dripping red. "RAIJIN, DEAD," she announced with a quaking voice, pride and fear intermingled. "AVENGED."

He crossed his arms, and tapped one foot. "Would you care to explain why I'm covered in paint?"

"RAIJIN, SHOT," she explained, pointing fiercely to the walking lump of muscle lying on the ground. "I, AVENGED."

"And that would be the same Raijin lying unarmed and quite crimson there on the ground?"

"AFFIRMATIVE."

"Right." Seifer nodded. "After all, all of the evidence points to him even though you're the one with the paintball rifles and he's the one covered in paint."

"GUN, HIS!" she squeaked, eye wide, as she threw his gun back to him.

"I tried to stop her, Seifer, I really did!" Raijin chirped. "But she did it anyway, ya know!"

"LIAR!" Fujin screeched, repeatedly kicking him in the side.

"Stop that," Seifer ordered, and she did. "The people around here are ready to lynch us, since you so literally decided to paint the town red." Fujin started to protest, but he glared at her and she stopped. "10 laps."

"WHAT?"

"Around Balamb. 10 laps. Now."

"BUT..."

"20 laps."

"SEIFER!!"

"30. I'm timing you."

Fujin started to run.

"RAGE."