Tifa Strife Or Tifa Shinra?
Part 04
By Jupiter: Seifer's Babe

Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns the characters.  Damn, we wanted Rufus to ourselves.
AN#1: Thanks encore une fois to everyone who reviewed My Shinra Heaven and Tifa Strife or Tifa Shinra.
AN#2: I've decided to make chapter 5 the final chapter, which should be longer than this one, ok? If NOT, gomen nasai.  My writer's brain may not have listened to me.

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"YOU'RE FINISHED, RUFUS SHINRA!!!!" Cloud screamed as Ultima Weapon headed deathly closer to its enemy.  The blade shining at its sharp end.  The anger had begun to possess the ex-SOLDIER'S conscious to a greater stage inside his body.  All Cloud visualised was the permanent end to Rufus' life.  He despised him for so long because of the trouble Shinra had brought to the world.  Creating the Mako Reactor was the main thing plus there was Sephiroth to deal with at the time.  After all this time, he neglected Tifa's love and recently accepted it in return to please his friend.  Now suddenly through moving time, the one person he thought he would marry had changed after the ongoing war in the past.  Tifa had moved on from helplessly loving Cloud to falling for the charms of the enemy, Rufus Shinra.  <Why Rufus? Why not me?> Cloud agreed he *must be* jealous because Tifa had chosen Rufus and he silently blamed himself for this to happen.  If he did pay more attention to Tifa and perhaps not Aeris, they would have begun a relationship long ago.  Should he blame Aeris for the sadness in Tifa? It sounded mortifying to him.

The angry emotions melted away when Cloud snapped out and viewed Ultima Weapon.  Hoping it struck the opponent.  Instead, the bright blade was neatly sandwiched between two hands.  Rufus' hands to be very precise.
"What the…? How did you…?" Cloud couldn't understand how the strike missed.  It should have stabbed the bastard through the torso, far enough to not go near Tifa's body.  Those tempting images of Rufus dying were a distraction, dammit.
"Never strike aimlessly with your weapon, SOLDIER.  Especially when anger takes severe control." Rufus slapped his hands toughly against the blade.  Cloud tried to pull back to free the sword out of the Shinra President's hand grip.  Not a bad hold for two bared hands.  Rufus' blue eyes glared pointedly to the pissed off figure standing forth <he isn't worth killing at all and I don't want to upset Tifa>.  His attention altered when he noticed another incident taking place and allowed the sword to go.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get off!" Tifa complained as Barrett grabbed her arm and escorted her away.
"Tifa, it's too dangerous for ya out here.  Let Cloud handle him." Barrett looked at her apologetically, "sorry for doin' this." He pushed her into the changing room then used a long wooden plank to lock the door shut.  Ignoring the fistful bashing and demands to open the door.  He did say sorry, didn't he? Wasn't one apology enough? Tifa wasn't satisfied one bit, judging by the violent banging on the door.
<Gotta deal with other business now> "Ya didn't think I'd miss out on the fun, would ya?" Barrett joined Cloud's side.  The sword finally out of Rufus' grip.  <Darn, I don't have my gun> Rufus felt for anything worth using as a weapon in his pockets.  No sword, no knife, nothing.  What shit timing for an unnecessary fight.  Rufus knew the two AVALANCHE members wanted to finish him off in a big hurry and bring Tifa back to her senses.  He wasn't controlling the girl at all.  It was part of…love.  No drugs or magic tricks had any connections to the outrageous attraction he and Tifa had for each other.  Even she could sense the weird heat going on between them when they were together in Shinra HQ.

"You should be dead, Rufus," Cloud taunted, "ruining our lives like before isn't gonna continue.  You're not taking Tifa either!!"
"Oh, heartbroken, are we? Too bad, Cloud Strife.  She chose ME.  Didn't you know it's your fault she came crying to me? You hurt her heart so much." Rufus disgracefully pointed to the ex-SOLDIER.  <he's right.  It's my fault she was hurt.  It was MY fault she was captured in Shinra HQ and fell in love with this stupid jerk standing here.  Oh why?!?!?!> Cloud lowered the immensely strong rage fill his muscles as he hatefully heard Rufus also agree he was to blame for everything, which happened to Tifa.  His guard was leaving him slowly if he didn't wake up in a minute.
"Barrett, leave us, ok?" Cloud ordered, "keep an eye on HER." (AN- He refers to Tifa)
"Sure thing, boss." Barrett trod away from the two begrudging faces staring each other to death.  Rufus commenced into a sprint to stop this unneeded supervising of an innocent girl, "Let her be.  She doesn't need security.  Tifa is a victim of this."

<You're not going anywhere> Cloud omitted the plea, pulled Rufus back by the coat collar and used his sword handle to jab in the lower chin.  Hearing the two jaws jam together loudly.  Rage had gained full control over Cloud's body as he pummelled the Shinra President severely.  Not noticing where he was hitting or whether there was blood flowing.  Guilty thoughts recurred many times in his mind.  Again, he couldn't help blaming himself for things turning out wrongly for himself and Tifa.  Yes, it was true about the wedding being too early.  It was HIS idea in the first place.  He thought he could let Tifa go free when she left him with those Shinra guards back in the Shinra HQ.  Where she became a hostage under Rufus.  Where things ended up into a wacky romance.  A romance Cloud could despairingly dislike or envy in his life.  Rufus must have used persuasive tactics to get Tifa to like him.  He did have irresistible charms no woman could refuse.  Wasn't it his fault and not only Cloud's? He ruined the friendship and brief love Cloud and Tifa was beginning to develop before the elopement.  Invisibly, Rufus' tactics had caused the fiancée to lose love in the soon-to-be husband on the actual wedding day.  Damn right the President deserved to get some blame.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT FOR LOVING HER!!!" Cloud protested through each blow to Rufus' body, "you destroyed our friendship!!!"
He kicked into the stomach more than ten times, laughing inside his throat at the blood leaking from Rufus' mouth.  Another punch to the face worsened the mouthful bleeding. <Why isn't he fighting back?> Cloud wondered <he's worried about Tifa, isn't he? Well, so am I>.  Rufus' body weakly dropped down to the floor, coughing out more blood per minute.  The skin below his blue eyes turning into dark black bruises.  The handsome face most people were familiar towards was a mess with the blood stains (AN- no, no his face *gasps frantically*).  Cloud couldn't be anymore surprised to see his enemy reluctantly refuse to attack.  Include the fresh slashes or cuts he received to the stomach and arms.  Wow, he just stood there to take the hits and didn't flee like the last time these two fought.
<Rufus, do you truly love Tifa? Is this why you're not fighting back?> The ex-SOLDIER shook his head then raised his sword, "I'll end your pain.  See you on the other side, Shinra." Rufus shut his eyes to endure the incoming pain.

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Tifa threw the wedding dress onto the stool while she changed back into her fighting gear.  The wedding was pointless.  How could she let herself think it was a real commitment? Cloud wasn't the one for her after all, was he? <It's his fault for being a blind fool.  He couldn't see I loved him in the past.  He deserves to be jealous, right? And that Aeris…damn, I wanna rip her head off if I could.  She knew I had a crush and did anything to split Cloud and I up> Tifa threw her fists into the door once more to expose her anger and sadness.  She didn't deserve to suffer this dilemma <Cloud, I'll kill you if Rufus dies.  The fight is worthless>.
 
<Give up, ok? You're gonna lose ya strength> Barrett hated to see his friend lose her energy under all those stressful strikes to the door.  The wooden plank was excellently placed so that she couldn't escape.  Well, yeah she would have to come out eventually or else she'd be suffocated inside - when things settled outside.  Barrett's attention diverted more to the unlucky girl trapped unreasonably to not watch the nasty beating one person was giving to another <I wanna help Cloud but he bravely insists he'll handle stuff himself.  He gets the credit in kicking Rufus' ass and I have the baby-sitting job>.  His back leant against the door firmly in time when the noisy banging quietened.  <Huh? She must've stopped cause she finally understands> Barrett thought proudly <Good for ya, …ah>.  The pride suddenly vanished as a swift kick broke the door's wooden surface and also broke half the wooden plank.  A leather gloved hand grasped round the door handle.

"Tifa, don't be naughty.  Cloud's gonna kill us both!" Barrett alerted warningly.  The bar hostess ignored him and used her entire body to break down the door successfully, knocking Barrett down unconsciously.  Tifa caught the bloodcurdling scream on the other side <Oh no…>.  Lifting her leather boots up, she ran to see Cloud take out Ultima Weapon, which had a much heavier stream of blood surfacing the blade. The next thing she saw frightened her.  Rufus' body curled up as if in the recovery position, his grey jacket stained with the blood he had lost from the insides.  She barely recognised the attractive face she fell in love with.

"What h-happened? Ohmigod, Rufus!" Tifa exclaimed as she knelt down to hold the President's tired face in her hands.  Her hands sliding against the slippery blood on his skin.  <How could you permit this beating? Why?> She found herself crying.

TBC.
Damn, Cloud.  How dare he beat the crap out of Rufus? Oh well, there ya have it.  I'll update with chapter 5 as soon as possible.  R & R kindly.