Tifa Lockheart stood near the theater house with Loveless plastered on the wall. She had never seen the play herself, or imagined she would. She wasn't the theater type. Few people she knew were, though. She simply looked over the poster with wonderment. It was amazing that people remained to live their lives with their few times of fun and plays. It was possible, wasn't it? Even in Midgar...

Tifa herself was unlike many people in Midgar. Most feared walking the streets at this time of night, but why should she? She had learned all her life martial arts from a truly remarkable man by the name of Zangan. Training many years had turned her into a powerful fighter, and a great ally to AVALANCHE.

She had been a member of the group since she was nineteen years old. The death of her father had been caused by Shinra's officials. She wanted revenge. Something she had wanted so long to grasp, but it was always out of her reach... too far to have and enjoy. Or was revenge as she wanted it? If she destroyed every last part of Shinra would it help? She thought of this so many times, but she would deny her own thoughts. Shinra was killing the Planet. Killing people. They would pay dearly.

That man.... She couldn't get the young blonde she had seen at the reactor out her mind. He was an Angel, and worked for Shinra, but she was intrigued to know more about him. He was so familiar. Unfortuantly, she had never heard what his name was at the reactor. The other man, Rufus, had said his name, but she hadn't been listening.

And that Rufus... He couldn't have been the Rufus Shinra. The son of President Shinra. She knew he worked with one of Shinra's smaller orgainaziations, but she had no idea it was the Angels. He did not seem like on to work for the Turks, she had to admit. He was the President's son! She had never seen why he had not taken the job as Vice-President of Shinra.

Her mind scolded her to focus. She was here for a reason; to wait for Zack Dragner. She stamped her feet and held her arms to herself, as she was very cold. She fiddled with the gloves she wore on her hands, tightening them and loosening them every now and then. Zack was never one to be late. Where was he?

"Tifa!"

She let out a soft sigh of relief as she saw the young ex-SOLDIER running over to her. Zack was by all means a handsome, young twenty two year old. His skills as a SOLDIER had given him a good name around the Shinra, Inc. employees, but the word of his betrayl was nothing like they had thought of him. Inside, Zack had always known Shinra was wrong. It was perhaps all his years with Shinra that had made him blind to it all.

Was that all? Or was it that other part of him he never revealed to anyone... Deep down, he knew it was all for her. That was all. Her death because of Shinra. He wanted to avenge her. He couldn't let her die like that...

Was it for her? It must be. Zack shook his head. It wasn't time to think about this. His thoughts turned to what had happened shortly after that Rufus person had fallen from the bridge to the reactor.

As they had been escaping, two people dressed in navy blue suits had come up behind them. Zack knew them as Turks, and their names also. Tseng, the leader, and Rude, a senior member and powerful opponent. There had been a brief fight, which the Turks triumphaed in, taking Barret hostage with them. Zack knew what Tifa and he would have to do now. Get into the Shinra Building and get Barret out.

"What's the plan?," he asked Tifa.

She rubbed her shoulders quickly, still shivering in the cold. She couldn't believe how cold it was in Midgar at this time of year. She sighed softly, deciding she had better think more of Zack's question rather than her own problem. She couldn't believe the Turks had gotten ahold of Barret of all people. And worse, they had no idea of how to get him out. She had no plan at all, and had been hoping Zack would come up with something.

"I don't know, Zack," she admitted. "I thought we would go to Don Coreno and find out what Shinra is up to these days, and we'd get some idea of how to get Barret out of their jail."

Zack rubbed his chin, his hand slipping up to his spikey black hair and raking his hand through. He had wanted to go to the Shinra Building now, but it seemed as though getting information would be a better idea, even if it was from Don Coreno of all people. He looked over to Tifa who was watching him with wide wine colored brown eyes, waiting for a reply.

"I guess...," he replied. "Let's just go and get it all over with."

Tifa nodded. Zack led the way toward Wall Market, however far it was.

Wall Market again. Zack had not been here in years, from what he remembered of his lasts visits to Midgar. It was not a clean place, and a dangerous place, especially for a young woman alone, but it was a good center for exchanging and trade. There were several places to buy weapons and armor, along with items and such. Zack needed no such thing. He and Tifa needed to get to Don Coreno's mansion, and that was all. The question was... would the Don tell them anything? Anything at all....

Tifa most have noticed he was wondering about these things, for she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder with a reassuring smile. Zack was by no means releaved by her act of kindness, but it was a good thing to know she cared. He had known so few like that in SOLDIER. Don Coreno was no worry considering all he had gone through in his life as a SOLDIER. His worries weren't anywhere near the thoughts of Shinra, or the Planet's safety for that matter.

Foremost in his mind was what had happened at the reactor the night before. Finding people he had never thought he would see again was an amazing turn of the tides among all this madness that was happening. In the plan, there was nothing showing an actual Angel would appear to fight them rather than a Turk. He knew the Turks had been around much longer than the Angels, and now were looked down upon with the arrival of the Angels. In all, he knew (or thought) that the Angels were only the same as Turks with better suits.

"Come on," Tifa told him.

Tifa tapped her foot impatiently as Zack jogged over to her, slowly as he could go it seemed. She was by all means a patient person, but she did not want to stand around and wait for Zack to stop day-dreaming for the rest of the day. She was in no hurry herself, knowing they would be going to Don Coreno's Mansion, the worst place for any young woman in Midgar other than the women at the Honey Bee Inn. Tifa was disgusted with this type of woman, who could throw her own life away to satisfy a man for one night with no regards later. Personally, there was no way she would sink to that kind of low in her life. She had more to live for.

Zack joined her near the inn of Wall Market, glancing around at their surroundings in this new, dirty area of Midgar. Midgar was certainly a unpleasant place to live when one's home was below the plate, but he knew people could make the best of their lives even in this solitude from the rich, fancy people above. He had known people right in the slums had led better lives.

Tifa continued to lead the way toward Don Coreno's mansion. She could already see the bright yellow lights from how far she stood from it, even with the fog that had settled on the ground. Don Coreno was in there somewhere, and with all access cut off to the plate from the reactor bombing, she hoped they would find a way to the Shinra Building to help Barret out of it. Don Coreno was a dirty, old man, but he had always gotten away with everything and anything with his mounds of money and power. He would be their only chance to the Shinra Building, and to what the Angels and Turks were up to.

She opened her mouth to speak to Zack, but a loud scream filled the air, echoing for a moment and fading. Nothing followed, but Zack had his sword before him and looked quite.... frightened or so. Tifa did not like this look on his face, and as he charged right into the mansion of Don Coreno, she followed with no choice in the matter.

Zack stood as stiff as a board in the the large lobby of Don Coreno's home, his breathing silent and his ears waiting for another sound. Nothing as sharp as the scream came; only a loud ring of metal clashing against metal and a strong voice yelling an attack Zack knew well.

Braver.

Cloud!

He ran up the staircase with little thought if Tifa was following or not. If that was Cloud, he wanted to find him immediatly. He knew Cloud would not enjoy the sight of him with Rufus Shinra dead, fallen to his death, but Zack needed answers, and he wanted them now. In his mind, Cloud was the only that could answer them now.

With more of a frantic look carved onto his face, Rufus searched for where Aeris had been led away to, allowing Cloud to battle off Don Coreno's 'servants.' Both had neatly killed a rather large sum of them, most likely around three, which was a large amount with five or so more running about. Cloud's Buster Sword had not ceased in movement for some time as the men came on, his sword having to doge each bullet they fired. His only hope was he would gain enough energy to let loose with one of his own special attacks, or wait by until they had run out of bullets.

Fortunately, the loud crack of energy filled his ears as one more man fell, a bullet wound piercing his heart from Rufus' great aim. Not once, after all the time Cloud had known him, had Rufus failed to hit a target. Cloud never thought of the soul taking the hit as some killers did. For him, they were not killers or murderers, they were only carrying out their jobs as a daily duty. Only sometimes, as he lay awake in his bed from his harsh nightmares did he think if the man he had killed that day had a family, a job, and a steady living. With his choice of work, he could not think of such things as a man fell from his hands.

"Damn it!," Rufus cursed. "I have no idea where they could taken her to."

He did not want to hear Cloud reply as to of where they could have taken the Ancient to in this type of 'household.' It was nothing more than a place for Don Coreno and his filithy friends to have a slight bit of fun in their dull lives they led. Aeris could be in danger anywhere she was in here, and Rufus knew he had hear her scream.

Cloud allowed Rufus to continue down the staircase they stood upon, he himself turning back to the source of their problem. He watched for more of Don Coreno's follies to come, sword arched to attack. And much to his surprise, someone came, but nearly not what he had been expecting.

Zack.

"Cloud...," Zack's voice trailed off. "We meet again, friend."

Cloud shook his head. "We are no longer friends, Zack. You almost killed my best friend. You're working against me. We cannot be friends any longer... Or ever. I will fight you if that is what you are here for. But I cannot gurantee your safety."

"Neither yours."

With a battle cry, Zack thrusted his blade out to attack Cloud violently. There came a clash, and then a unmistakeable sound of flesh cutting Cloud knew too well. Only... it was not his flesh. It was Zack, holding his arm with a gleam of fire and hate in his Mako Green eyes as he watched Cloud rise the fallen position he had given him. Cloud had no idea what had just happened, for his eyes had been shut at the time he had ran forward to attack.

"Wait!"

Cloud turned to look at the source of the voice. The same young, pretty girl he had seen at the reactor appeared, running up to Zack. He couldn't shake the feeling she looked so familiar to him; where from he had no idea. Weeks ago, his life had been going as well as always, until now, that was. Zack had appeared alive, and his nightmares had been happening more often these days. Nothing could shake his feelings.

For a moment, Tifa's eyes locked with his, and they both stood very still. She knew she had known him from somewhere before, but because of a fall she had taken when she was still a teenager most of her memories were a blur, though some still stayed fresh in her mind as if they had happened that very day. Cloud's gaze fell away from her eyes as footsteps were heard, and he was glad to see Rufus appear, a shaky Aeris with him.

"W...what...?," Rufus murmured. "What is this?"

Cloud shook his head. "Lilith... Let's get Lilith..."

Rufus was about to repeat his question, but this look on Cloud's face was strange to him. He knew he would speak to Cloud later of it, though now was not the time with AVALANCHE members standing before them. He shoved past the bleeding Zack, curious if Cloud had given the wound, but said nothing. The young brunette looked nervously from him to Cloud, until she had seemed to come to her senses and casted a hasty Cure 2 spell on Zack's wound.

Aeris remained behind, looking at the two AVALANCHE members with a look of shock and question. Rufus looked back to see her standing there, looking to the members of AVALANCHE as an idea struck him. He had (in a way) promised he would not allow Elmyra's daughter to be caught by Shinra just now. Slowly, he stopped in full, causing Cloud to stop in front of him and wait patiently.

"Go with them," Rufus told her. "If you continue to follow me, Shinra will catch you and throw you into the research lab. I know they'll do some awful things there. Stay with AVALANCHE, until you get home. I can't say I can remain quiet with you around.... I will have to follow orders."

With that said, he and Cloud continued to get their friend, and leave as soon as possible.