My Shinra Heaven
Part 03
By Jupiter: Seifer's Babe

****
Now with enough money to spend, Cloud managed to buy a dozen X potions to heal his and Barrett's wounds.  It definitely took effect as their bodies slowly began to repair magically.  Already a day passed from their escape at Shinra Inc.  Where Tifa was still stuck over there as a hostage.  Cloud knew he was ready to finish Rufus off permanently when he finally faced him…ALONE.  Barrett thought his friend was crazier than he for even thinking in an optimistic attitude like that.
He asked a minute ago, "Cloud, are you high? Cause your hair don't look the same.  It's losing its colour."
"Barrett, I told you once.  I can kick major butt on Shinra.  All you gotta do is hold the Shinra guards off while I go rescue…" Cloud's phone bleeped surprisingly.
"Cloud?" It was Tseng on the line, "President Rufus has a message for you…" The line cracked statically until a female voice reached the tiny speaker on the hand phone.  Cloud recognised it was Tifa mumbling in the background.  Unfortunately he was not able to pick out what the conversation was about.  However the squeakiness in Tifa's voice meant she was in a panicky state.  <If only I could see what is going on> Cloud thought desperately <Come on, Rufus.  What do you wanna say? Go ahead.  Provoke a few shitty words to me…I am still coming to get Tifa>.  A gun cock was the next sound he heard <oh no…TIFA!!!!>.  The forthcoming action the ex-SOLDIER dreaded sadly existed in one minute.  What he did not want to hear was the bullet flying out as the gun trigger moved…and the fearful scream following.

"What's happenin'?" Barrett curiously asked.  His ally would not budge a muscle as he stood still motionlessly on the stool.  His phone balancing on the palm.
"Oops.  Sorry for pulling the trigger." Rufus evilly cackled in Cloud's ear, "the young lady was such a pest.  Constantly crying in mercy while she sat in my office.  Begging me to let her go.  Well, what can I say? I had to shut her up sometime.  Women can be irritating when they are hostages. Ha-ha."
"BASTARD.  YOU'RE GONNA DIE!!" Cloud lost his cool when he shouted down the phone, shocking Barrett who stood by his side.  He pressed the end call button and slammed the phone on his lap.  Sweat commencing to fall down from his forehead.  Barrett noticed Cloud's hands shaking and small tears falling from his innocent eyes.  <I don't need to ask> Barrett could tell what happened sans hearing the sound on the phone.
"We're going." Cloud monotonously walked out of the bar, swinging his sword in circles.  Barrett secretly clenched his fist when he followed <I will avenge ya death, Tifa.  I promise>.

****
Rufus clanged Tseng's wine class in celebration as they cheered happily together.  The first part of the 'Death for Cloud Strife' mission had begun successfully as planned.  Tifa could only watch on in disgust and sit silently on the soft chair, not giving a smile on her sweet face.  Rufus took notice of her and offered her a glass of white wine.  <JERK> In a quick motion, Tifa slapped away the glass in the President's hand.  The delicate cup smashed instantly when it met the wall's hardness.
"Foolish girl.  That wine was expensive," Rufus said, slightly annoyed.
"Don't care," Tifa replied back in anger.  Tseng shook his head disapprovingly at the sight of the hostage's bitchiness.  She surely didn't care if she was a bitch to anyone at Shinra or not.  All she wanted to do was get out of this shit-house and tell the her friends she wasn't dead.  Everything was a plan to lure Cloud and Barrett into their eventual deaths.  Once they were gone, Tifa would be next.  What kind of plan was that? It was a sneaky and nasty idea by Shinra Inc.  Then again, Shinra Inc. existed because they were made to be nasty in the world.  On the one hand, AVALANCHE had been created to protect those who were vulnerable.  So it was all about a balance of evil and goodness.

Losing his temper, Tseng forcefully pulled back Tifa's hair in a frightful grasp, "You should learn to respect the President.  Especially  now that you're in Shinra HQ under *our* control.  Understand?"
Tifa titled her head downward slowly <guess I have to obey>.
Tseng released the handful grasp on the hair, "Good.  Shut your mouth."
"The girl is innocent in the whole mission.  Why not cut some slack?" Rufus mildly recommended, placing his wine glass gently on the table.  He acted as if nothing bothered him at all <she is just not used to this place.  She deserves to have a little encouragement while she's here>.  The President saw Tifa was on the verge of crying in that chair.  Although there weren't any teardrops properly showing yet on her face.
"Tseng, go prepare the guns and guards upon Cloud's arrival.  He will be here anytime." As he spoke, Rufus turned his blue eyes to the hostage.  <He's such an imbecile for drooling over her.  She's the enemy> Tseng diffidently nodded and walked backwards to close the office door, gritting his teeth when he walked down the hall angrily.
 
"Now we're alone." Rufus smiled.
"That's a good thing because…?" Tifa wanted to play with his thoughts.  She knew he wanted to do something sneaky while she was vulnerable in this place.
"You have to forgive Tseng.  He can be selfish when it comes to women.  A typical chauvinist sometimes.  Don't you worry.  I don't have a bigger problem with you as Tseng does.  You're not bothering me at all."
<Damn, I wish I was annoying you.  Huh? He's looking at me directly> Tifa moved her maroon eyes to look up at the President.  That same aftershave ran up her nostrils completely.  It scented marvellously yet was damn strong when inhaled.  A strange image emerged in Tifa's imagination.  The bar hostess had grabbed Rufus' jacket collar and irresistibly smelt the powerful aftershave among his neck and chin.  It was like sniffing a highly dosed drug.  She couldn't stop and wouldn't let her grip go.  The scent reminded her of a well-known perfume she found in the Midgar jeweller's shop <Dammit, Tifa Lockheart.  Snap out of it.  He is Rufus Shinra.  Villain.  Enemy.  Quit imagining dirty stuff about him>.  Tifa found an uncontrollable desire looming around herself and Rufus as he stared at her.  Even sitting up close, she wasn't surprised why other women found him attractive.  He had amazing charms for a President.  There were real advantages for being female, weren't there? Usually when Cloud's presence was nearby, Tifa would always picture herself smooching him.  Of course she saw her childhood friend's body language give out only friendship towards her.  Not love.  Since Aeris died, Tifa didn't care if Cloud wanted to love her or stay as friends.  She was over that whole love triangle thing two months ago.  Tifa shivered slightly when Rufus extraordinarily touched her cheek softly.

"You have wonderfully fair skin, Tifa," Rufus said, "Does any man tell you that?"
"Uh. N-no, sir.  Uh, I mean Rufus.  Not even *he* tells me I'm beautiful." Tifa's voice drifted distantly.  <You shouldn't have said that> She covered her mouth from the last sentence.  Too late.  It was out in the air.
The President looked at her suspiciously, "Who doesn't?"
<Great, now you've given away your secret crush> "Erm…"
Rufus smiled, "I won't laugh, honey.  Come on, who didn't say you were beautiful? I'll kill him in one shot." <Uh, not good> Tifa thought.  Was there a point in telling? The President intended to kill Cloud anyway as soon as he set foot in Shinra Inc.  But she quoted his name anyway.
"Cloud," She said nervously.  Rufus gave the 'I see' expression on his evil facade.  He knew he was in for a fun treat.  Then again, this could result into the opposite side.  Something serious.  That might explain the severe sadness Tifa hid in her sitting position.  It wasn't merely because she was a hostage, it was because she badly wanted Cloud to love her.
<I for once wanna sympathise the girl.  How could a fool like Cloud reject a babe like Tifa?> "Why hasn't he complimented your beauty?"
"I guess Aeris was around at the time." Tifa glared in rage when she woke up in reality, "Hey, you're not my relationship expert. I shouldn't be telling you about my love life.  We're enemies."
"You looked tense in here.  I wanted to make you comfortable." Rufus moved to half sit on his desk.  <You wanted to make me comfortable before I die.  How disgusting> Tifa sighed loudly at the reason.
"Hmm…I won't be killing you in a hurry, Miss Lockheart.  You still have a few more hours left till you die.  If you want to say anymore last words, I'm listening.  Later I'll pass them onto Cloud when he comes," Rufus smirked in the usual evil way again, which in fact did appear quite sexy to Tifa.  She couldn't help agreeing with her senses <he looks kinda hot smiling like that.  Huh? TIFA!! The guy is gonna kill you soon and you're babbling to him on how Cloud doesn't notice you>.  The Shinra President yawned openly and jumped off the desk, making his way to the other room situated further down the office.  That had to be his bedroom, right? (*wink, wink*)

Tifa stayed in her chair as she watched him leave her alone <yeah, may as well stay in the chair till you die>.  After saying how she felt briefly, Tifa had hastily changed her mind on dying.  She DIDN'T want to have a short end to life.  Not now.  Rufus had unbelievably awakened her mind to the real events happening in this precise moment.  He didn't crack up when she said Cloud didn't mention she was pretty.  Now wasn't that weird? Tifa expected the President to laugh hysterically because he despised the ex-SOLDIER.  The current thought she had was to not die so soon.
"RUFUS?" Tifa rashly called.  Rufus turned his back to look at her <She called me...what for?>.  The hostage's eyes began to gleam with more fear and desperation.  What was wrong?
"Don't kill me.  PLEASE." Tifa finally let her tears out, sobbing and gripping Rufus' sleeve as if a child pleading to her father for forgiveness in doing a mischievous act, "I don't wanna die.  I have too much to lose.  Let my friends live.  Leave them alone.  Re-consider my official death is all I ask, President <I don't have the strength to fight back.  This is not like me>."
Rufus looked on in puzzlement.  It was lucky for him that Tseng wasn't here.  Otherwise he would make the decision for his President.  <Man, I do have a soft spot for women.  I don't understand why I consider Tifa to be special> Rufus shook his head and glided his arm away from Tifa, who continued to sob as he went back to his quarters.  Whatever the President has planned *will* happen.  Or could he change his mind?

TBC.
I hope the story is okay so far (I really panic when there's a flame on a review).