[Gradius]

Pride 11



The door crashed open, splintering under the force of the body that flew through it.



A short haired blonde woman that quickly shed the blouse of the torn office uniform she wore, displaying a toned, lithe body with a hint of musculature, kicking pointed heels back through the frame. "C'mon!" She shouted at her unknown assailant. "You and me trash whore. Let's end this!"



A topless, long haired brunette barreled through, crashing into the blonde. Arms circled upper bodies, squeezing, pushing and straining against one another. Snarls deafened each other in one ear, before shoving apart. Punches now flew between them, intermixed with the occasional kick and slap. The blonde was taller, while the brunette curvier, both lightly muscular, but with sizeable chests that made for excellent targets. A loud CRACK and the blonde flew over a desk, knocking over the computer and light, with the brunette pouncing on her before she could recover.



"You don't need this!" She snarled, tearing off the blonde's bra and delivering a double axehandle blow to her chest. Scarlet, for it could only be her, screamed in agony and lashed out instinctively with her feet, kicking her attacker in the stomach.



Tifa gave a shocked WHUUFF, staggering back several feet and giving Scarlet a chance to roll back to her feet. For a moment they stared at one another, confused, before rushing back together. Another brief exchange of punches that rattled Scarlet's jaw before, deciding exchanging blows with the powerful martial artist was a bad idea, pressed back in to grapple.



Groaning in effort, the pair staggered back and forth, torsos twisting and bending. In background, screams and gunshots could be dimly heard as well as the occasional explosion from outside. Tottering, they fell over the same desk, rolling over to the far side. Dragging one another back up, Tifa growled horribly and powered Scarlet up against the glass, the blonde screaming as her boobs were squashed. Below them was a scene of carnage, Avalanche cells fighting Shinra openly in the streets leading up to the Shinra Towers.



"This is what you get!" Tifa heard herself growl, shoving Scarlet harder up against the glass, a crack spidering outwards. "This is for Marlene...for Aerith...for everyone you killed in Sector 7. And for what you did to me in Junon!"



"Lower class whore! Can't handle losing to a better woman!!" Scarlet snarled, squeezing Tifa back mightily, making the brunette groan, both women sinking into a squat. "You were lucky all I busted was your tits at Junon. This time there's no rope for you to grab onto!"



Tifa paused, confused, when Scarlet abruptly threw herself backwards, shattering the window. With a scream, Tifa felt herself flung into the abyss, but with a final desperate lunge, she grabbed hold of a handful of yellow hair. Scarlet shrieked, her back torn by the jagged glass and she was pulled along, both women falling. Even in this moment, their hatred led them to continue struggling, if just to ensure they could see the other hit the ground first...



*****



Scarlet shot awake with a gasp. Sweat covered her body and had soaked into the bed sheets. Placing a hand over her chest, the blonde glanced around rapidly and clapped her lights on. The brightness blinded her for a second before she could see again. Immediately the amnesia that accompanied rapid awakening faded and her lips curled in contempt.



"cxnt..." she whispered, falling back onto the bed. Rolling over her hand traced Alexander's chest, her young lover sleeping deeply after doing his best to satisfy her.



Once he would have succeeded. But now, her youth restored Scarlet was reminded of the wild sex with...Rufus. Closing her eyes with a finality, Scarlet brutally squashed those memories and let herself drift back to sleep.



*****



Tifa shot up, panting rapidly, looking around. The memory of the nightmare, the falling, slowly faded and she slumped back down, breasts rolling in time with her breathing. "Bitch!" She muttered, falling back onto the sheets, wet from her sweat. She closed her eyes trying to sleep when she felt a hand running up and down her curves before cupping a breast. Smiling now she twisted her head to stare into Cloud's face.



"Another nightmare?" He asked, slipping the arm under her body.



"Yeah," she admitted, letting him pull her close, their lips meeting again and again. She curled up next to her husband contentedly, stroking his chest, helping him drift back to sleep while sleeping on his back. Only once his breathing became even and arm relaxed did her eyes harden.  Controlling her breathing, Tifa slowly forced herself to relax, drifting off.



*****



A sharp pain accompanied the slap and Tifa glared up at Scarlet. The blonde woman grinned and waved out the accompanying guard. Once he was past the open door Scarlet rocked Tifa with another backhand. "Such a pity you had to wake up those weapons, didn't you." The blonde stated mockingly, strutting around to the other side of the bound brunette. "And such a shame about your little boyfriend. I had such plans for his reprograming..."



She was interrupted by a sudden alarm and the base was rocked by an explosion. Falling to the ground, she missed the key falling from her skirt, focused as she was on the CLANG of the door slamming shut.



"Hey...HEY!!" She shouted, jumping to her feet and banging her fists on the metal. "Open this damn thing!!"



"It's stuck!" Came a voice from the other side. An explosion then ripped the area above them and Scarlet screamed, covering her head. Panting, she forced herself to keep calm, looking up at the sky through a massive rupture. A soft tinkling sound and her eyes came back down. Tifa rose out of the execution seat, staring across at the blonde.



No threats or petty posturing. Scarlet threw herself at Tifa who dodged to the side, grabbing the woman by the hair and tossed her across the execution chair. Getting her feet up, Scarlet kicked the rushing brunette away, up against the sealed doorway. Rushing together, hands dug into hair tugging savagely while kicks rained on shins and thighs. With a powerful shove, Scarlet pushed them up against the pipes in the room, the loud rattling followed by a loud HISS as gas began flooding the room.



Terrified now, Tifa punched Scarlet in the stomach and rushed to climb up to the hole caused by Weapon's attack. Coughing, Scarlet was close behind. Even in this desperate situation they refused to allow the other a chance, kicking and punching as they clambered upwards. The blows continued between them even as they stood, Tifa pummeling Scarlet towards the edge. Scarlet fought with a fury brought on by desperation, the hatred she felt towards the younger woman feeding her strength.



But that strength was rapidly fading. Too much time behind a desk and too little in the gym. Tifa had no such trouble and a cruel smile spread across the brunette's face as Scarlet's blows hurt less and less while the older woman stumbled more and more. A final roundhouse punch knocked Scarlet away, sliding over the edge, shrieking as nails tore from her hands scrabbling on the metal. Suddenly her fall halted, feet grabbing at a projection that jutted out a foot or two from the rolling face.

 

Panting, Scarlet managed to center herself, looking down over the edge, swinging around at a sliding sound. Her face a mask of determination, Tifa slid into Scarlet kicking her over the edge, dodging away from the blonde's attempted grab and watching in satisfaction as she fell, screaming to the ground...



*****



"Hmm..." Schroeder leaned in close, carefully palpating the area around Cloud's shrinking wound. He jabbed his thumb just above the reddened tissue. "Does that hurt?"



"Not as much as before." Cloud grunted, wincing.



"It seems you've managed to placate Bahamut." Schroeder rose to his feet, pulling off the gloves and tossing them into a convenient bin. "Your recovery time is quite extraordinary."



"He's not a fan of weakness, or pain." Cloud remarked, accepting back his shirt from a subdued Tifa. "And a lot of that was filtering through to him."



"I see..." the doctor turned his attention to Tifa. "With your permission, I'd like to take a few moments to examine your...wife?"



For a second something flashed behind Cloud's eyes, the green in them deepening, then it was gone and he shrugged. "Take your time," he replied, getting to his feet. As he passed Tifa by he turned to her, speaking harshly. "Don't disappoint me!"



Remaining clinical, Schroeder examined the young woman carefully, head to toe. She flinched away from his instruments several times, forcing him to hold her steady, while internally shaking his head. It seemed a waste to break such a specimen, but then again, women could be cruel...some more than others.



His want to examine Tifa had little to do with the woman's health. Her, physical at least, injuries had faded with Siren's help. No, his interest lay in how Tifa was now following Scarlet's line. The girl's face glowed with rejuvenated youth, with even a hint of baby fat in the cheeks to highlight her natural good looks. "Flex for me." He ordered, wrapping the tape around the bicep, then around a leg and finally around her chest.



Increased musculature check. Increased bust size...Schroeder gave an involuntary swallow as he ticked that off. He had seen bigger in Elizabeth though, putting away his instruments, right now he couldn't be entirely sure. But the idea of a woman in her thirties with an already sizeable pair experiencing a growth spurt made him shiver. Not out of any kind of arousal, he'd lost those urges decades ago, but rather what Scarlet and Shiva might do if they found out. He shook his head and scribbled himself a reminder to ensure the women's encounter was recorded. If nothing else that would be his last gift...Schroeder suddenly laughed, startling Tifa.



After everything he'd done, he was concerned with making sure what might be the most intense encounter of two of the most well known women in the world was saved for posterity. He wondered if either would be grateful? Anyone that got their hands on recordings might very well be...



*****



With the sound of tearing metal, Titan peeled away a section of the rubble blocking the stairwell. Moving quickly troopers discarded weapons and began welding and drilling, rapidly putting up barriers and makeshift bridges to make the area useable. Off to the side Scarlet paced, the skintight suit distracting more than one soldier there, the steady click click of her heels beginning to wear at the Esper's nerves.



Her initial plan had been to have her fight with Tifa on the cannon itself. Seemed only right in the grand scheme of things. However, that plan was swiftly shot down without any room for argument. Her lab where she'd beaten the fat titted whore was also out. She doubted it was even still there. So now she'd have to improvise.



When she got a chance of course, because it seemed Titan was under orders not to let her into the building. Probably scared she'd restart one of her old inventions, the blonde snickered, turning away as several rocket wearing troopers began disappearing into the void. Seemed Schroeder needed a reminder Scarlet decided, marching to the building's edge, past one of the impromptu welders. The man raised his face shield, staring as she blew him a kiss and jumped.



*****

Back aboard the airship Tifa allowed herself to be escorted back to Cloud's room. Once there, the two guards moved away quickly. Tifa hid a smile. The story of Cloud's temper and treatment had the ship's crew walking on eggshells around him. It seemed odd to her that people that had once tried to kill her, now did their best to avoid bringing her husband's wrath down on her head.



But, considering her relationship with the likes of the Turks now, especially with their history...



"What did he want?" Cloud got up quickly.



"Just did a few tests." She assured him. "Took some measurements and just gave me a once over."



"That's not good." Cloud told her. "If he picked up on the changes Siren is making he might let it slip to Scarlet. And I'm not sure if you were in a condition to notice, but she's looking a lot younger now."



"I noticed," Tifa growled. "She's also a lot stronger too. I imagine she still thinks she's the stronger between us!"



"Thinks?"



Tifa smiled widely, clenching a fist until knuckles cracked. "She'll be in for a surprise when she finds out that me and Siren are fully in sync now."



"Tifa..." Cloud started warningly, before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.



"Relax, I've fought her often enough to know not to take her lightly." She said giving him a peck on the nose and jumping back. "They won't let us off the ship yet, but no one's limited my movement. Gonna make a few laps around the mid decks to keep the blood flowing."



"Keep your head down." Cloud reminded her. "Let them think I'm making you do it. Your outburst already put Scarlet on alert. But if she thinks I've got you cowed again she might lower her guard."



"I know." Tifa said quietly, standing across from him. Cloud's expression immediately turned stricken, knowing what she wanted from him, what they needed to maintain the charade. Swearing internally, bitterly, he hauled back a clenched fist...



*****



Scarlet landed in a cascade of glittering snow. Staring up, she grinned, wondering what the reaction would be once word got back. Stepping through the shattered glass doors of the main lobby, Scarlet took a second, looking around the once familiar interior, now foreign.



Ironically enough Diamond's attack seemed to wreak more havoc on the lower floors than it did the upper. At least looting wise. Pushing open the door to the cafeteria, the blonde woman stared, and laughed. They had literally taken everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink. Chuckling, Scarlet strutted back into the main hall, when Shiva tickled the back of her mind.



They were being watched. She could hear the light shuffle of steps...one...no two.



She didn't have time for this. Channeling Shiva's essence into herself, Scarlet enveloped herself in a swirling cone of cold that raised her hair and turned her lips and cheeks blue. "Stay out of my way." She spoke loudly and clearly, rising several feet off the floor. "I have no interest in you. Do not disturb me and it shall remain so."



Slowly she let the power fade, shivering in euphoria. While doing so she turned to face the elevators and remembered. Remembered ambushing that cute little Wutai ninja and her tasty looking boytoy.

 

Such a pity what Nero did to him. And now Scarlet smiled even wider.

 

Perfect!!



*****



Siren floated above, legs crossed as she studied their location.



The last time they were here had been when Scarlet was captured. Now though...she tasted the mana in the air...there was something there. Something that hadn't been there before, but felt like it belonged. Perhaps something leftover from Omega...



It made the pale Esper nervous somehow. Glancing down she saw Tifa appear on the open deck, make a pair of quick circuits before ducking back into the ship. A smile split her face as the Esper felt the attraction and lust that followed the young woman, drinking it all in. Then she frowned.



A split second of malevolence had just crossed her host's path. That could only be one of two beings...and since Tifa hadn't reacted...



Focusing, she was shocked when she failed to detect Shiva. Clenching spectral fists Siren tried again. This time she detected her rival near the doctor's room before fading away again. "What are you planning?" She murmured, dipping back inside the ship, gliding towards Shiva's location. Only to find her way abruptly barred by a black portal. Just as quickly it faded as she came to a hasty stop. "Diabolos..."



"Your freedom only goes so far." He hissed lightly, taking form slowly. "Shouldn't you be with your mortal? Scarlet might be willing to wait, but Shiva...Shiva wants her mate and might force matters."



"It was Shiva I was following." Siren snapped. "I felt her near that doctor's office, before I lost her trail."



Diabolos frowned, twisting around slightly and focusing. "I don't sense her." He stated simply. "And I've been here for most of the day. You must've been mistaken."



Siren started to protest, then just pursed her lips. With a thrust of her legs she jetted around the dark Esper, heading back towards the cabins. "Shiva is up to something," she pulsed to Tifa.



"No surprise there." Tifa sent back. "Passed by some guys wearing jet packs talking about being sent down to look for, and I quote, that cold blonde bitch. One guess who they're talking about."



"If they're getting ready then so should we."



"We will be ready." Tifa assured her. "I'm more worried about Yuffie right now."



"Perhaps you should be focused elsewhere."



"What do you mean?"



"Attention is away from you...and from Cloud." Siren smiled as she felt Tifa stumble at the realization. "Go to him. Who knows when it'll be thus again..."



*****



Cloud sweated, struggling with his sword, swinging it one handed. Forcing himself he managed fifty curls before letting it drop with a pained curse. Breathing heavily he stripped off the clothes he'd been given, slipping into the shower. The hot water soothed away the pain and helped him relax. The sound of the door opening made him stiffen, before seeing Tifa's outline through the glass. "I"ll be out in a bit," he called, reaching for the soap. He missed his wife's motions, stripping herself. Rubbing soap across his face, he didn't see her carefully slide open the door and stand opposite him until he washed the suds out of his eyes. "Tifa!?"



She pressed a finger to his lips, smiling, pressing her body against his. "No one's watching right now," she whispered, seeing her adoration reflected back in his blue green eyes.



They kissed again, stroking each other's body under the hot spray. She winced slightly, and Cloud stopped. He leaned back, tenderly running his fingers around the discoloured bruise on her face and left shoulder. Marks she made him inflict to ensure their deception continued. To ensure they all still thought he mistrusted her.



He leaned in, kissing each sore mark, avoiding looking her in the face. She could feel his shame and loved him even more because of it. Her breasts squashed against his chest and her fingers found his manhood, stroking it rapidly. "I don't know when she'll call for me." Tifa whispered, flinging back her hair. "Scarlet, she..."



"Shhh..." Now it was his finger on her mouth, then his lips. He kissed her eyes, nose and mouth. Working his way down to her breasts, he suckled on each like a babe before making his way back up again. "She doesn't matter here. No one else does. It's just you and me, Tifa. Just you and me!"

"Cloud!"



"Tifa!"



The glass slowly fogged, hiding two bodies that became one. 



*****



"What're you doing here, Beck?" Yuffie demanded. "Last we saw you and your group were driving off into the desert."



"Desert life's hard don'cha know!" The pot bellied bandit declared, around a mouthful of burnt meat. "When da rock in tha' sky disappeared everyone was freakin' out. Den you had dat big dragon in the sky an' dah monster on tha tower..."



"Sounds to me it would've been safer for you out in the wilderness," Yuffie noted, shaking her head when offered a scorched Chocobo leg. "So why come back here of all places?"



"Cause no one comes 'ere!" He declared as if it was the most obvious thing. He wiped his face of the grease coating it. "After e'rything dats happened dis place's taboo or somethin'. Yah get de occasional hunter, but we's scares them off with our ghostly ooooohhhhsss."



Yuffie rested her head in her hand at the cheer from the ragged group. Still...they could be useful. She sat up again just as another pair came running up. "Boss...boss. We got big trouble!"



"Can't you two numbnuts sees I's talking to our guest?" Beck snapped. "Burt! Get rid o' these two idiots."



Looking a little worse for wear, Burt still towered over most of the other bandits and the two concerned cringed. "Wait, boss. There's something in the lower levels. Looks like a pretty lady, but was all floaty like."



"An' blue!" The other pointed out quickly. Yuffie was immediately alert. "Was glowin' blue for a bit. Tol' us to stay outta her way or else."



"She saw you!" Beck roared, jumping up and hurling a bone to splatter against the face of one. "Yah dimwits. I outta have Burt..."



"Wait, Beck." Yuffie said, walking over to the cringing pair. "This woman...was her hair yellow?"



"When it wasn't white...yeah."



"Beck, I'm borrowing these two." Yuffie turned back to the former...maybe former...thieves. "After that I'm heading back up top. Then I'm going to be back here...and when I do you and I are going to have a serious sitdown. Think of it as your second chance to be a hero."



*****



Even with Shiva gone, Scarlet possessed enough enhanced strength to move through the lower levels easily. Though this was hardly necessary as there was surprisingly little damage done here. Seemed sections under her former control had avoided the worst of the war against Deepground.



 Which gave her a lot of hope.



Following the corridors she eventually found herself back on a familiar platform. Looking down, she relived her testing of the Crimson Mare. Shaking her head in disappointment she made her way to the Combat Simulator. From the outside it looked surprisingly stable. But now for the big test.



Scarlet strode down a maintenance lane, coming up to the massive series of breakers. Several were clearly burnt, so she tore them out, replacing what she needed with the ones that still seemed viable. It was a risk, but Shinra Towers had always stockpiled a massive reserve of Mako in the event of unforeseen circumstances so the building could keep running. The reserve should still be there, she could only hope that the lines had survived everything that had been thrown at it.



Closing her eyes, Scarlet shoved the master switch. And waited...



And waited...



Frustration etched on her face, Scarlet turned...and smiled. The Simulator panel glowed in the dark. Rushing over, Scarlet's fingers flew across the keyboard, opening and closing menus, discarding unnecessary warnings or startups. Cackling loudly to herself she finally hit ENGAGE. With a shower of sparks power surged through her section of the building, lights powering on and consoles restarting.



Her good mood lasted until she got the Simulator doors open and realized the damage.



"Barbarians!!" She growled, horrified, sinking into a squat next to the broken projector. She nudged it gently with a finger before rising upright. "Don't worry. Mommy's home, darlings."



*****



"Sir, we're reading a power surge in the lower levels of the tower."



"Pay it no mind." Schroeder rubbed his temples and reconsidered. "No...cancel that last order, send a pair of our best mechanics down below...with a trio of class Bs for escort."



"You're sending her added help?"



"The sooner she finishes whatever she has planned, the faster we can be rid of a wildcard."

Schroeder replied, taking a second to register his hidden partner rather than the voice on the radio. "If she plans to fight Tifa out of sight then that frees up a lot of resources."



"You were worried she'd want to make a spectacle out of it?"



"I'm not entirely sure she still isn't," the aged doctor shook his head. "After observing her for so long I don't think she can even conceive an...after...when it comes to Tifa. If she loses, she'll chase the girl down again and again. If she wins...she expects Tifa to do the same. And if I'm honest, I'm not sure she's wrong."



"You're heading into dangerous territory, my friend. With the power at their fingertips..."



"I know...believe me I know..."



*****



Lying together, Tifa all but purred in satisfaction clinging to Cloud, who gently stroked her body. He marveled at the changes in his wife, her skin as soft and firm as when they'd been fighting Shinra. His fingers swirled around her thighs, the small scar left by Ultima completely faded. Even her face was fuller, younger looking, like a woman in her mid twenties. Her curves were more defined and her breasts, Cloud leaned over and kissed around the tip, to moans of clear delight. He was no expert but they looked to be in Elizabeth's league now. He felt his excitement growing again, her strokes coming faster as he sucked an orb into his mouth. A knock at the bulkhead had them tense, then it was followed by four more in quick succession. They relaxed. "Come in," Cloud called, wrapping the blanket around them.



Viola stepped inside, closing the door quickly behind her. "I...uh...sorry I guess." she started, looking put out.



"It's okay," Tifa assured her. "We were taking a break. Did you get any?"



"Yeah," Viola stepped forward quickly, dropping a small container of pills onto a side table. "Grabbed a handful and just threw it in there. You really think those'll help at this point?"



"I don't know, honestly." Tifa lifted up the jar, giving it a little shake. "But right now I'll take any kind of insurance I can. I don't have her bag of tricks, so maybe this'll at least surprise her long enough for me to deal with her."



Viola nodded, started to say something, then stopped.



"You sure you're okay with..." Cloud started, only to stop when she raised a hand.



"I wish people would stop asking me that." The redhead snapped, surprising both of her friends. She sat down heavily on the bed near their feet. "I screwed up okay. I thought I could change her. Make her see it didn't have to be all or nothing. That the two of you could just...co-exist. But...there's something driving her. Hate...lust...pride, or maybe she really is just driven to prove she's just the better woman. Whatever it is, she's too proud to just stop now. Too willing to give up everything just to keep fighting you."



"Then you've come to the same conclusion I have on how this ends?" Tifa said, expression darkening. "I'm not going to pretend to wish things had turned out differently. She came after me. I defended myself. It could have ended there. She decided to go and make it personal, dragging you and Elizabeth into it. If I get the opportunity...you know what I'll have to do!"



Viola lowered her head, nodding slowly. "Just...one thing. Please. I know I'm in no position to ask for favors but...if you get your chance...just make it quick. I owe her that much."



******



"I ain't goin down there!"



Yuffie growled in frustration, watching as her two "guides" turned tail and fled. If she could get over her discomfort, surely they could...Yuffie sighed. She'd been spoiled after being around Cloud, Tifa and the others for so long. Grumbling, she jumped into the open elevator shaft, sliding down.



Fortunately she could see where she was going. Count on Scarlet to somehow get the power running in a decade old ruin. Jumping out she quickly ducked into a darkened corner at the sound of voices.



"Why the hell do we need to come down here?"



"Cause the boss bitch said so. She calls and you come, am I right?"



"I'm so going to fuck you up later, you bastard!"



"Why wait? Wanna have a go now? I could do with a quickie."



Yuffie pulled back deeper into the shadows, using her shuriken to work out the rusted screws of  a duct. She could hear whoever it was coming closer. Finally, in frustration, and risking discovery, she sliced her weapon in a pair of arcs, cutting through the bolts and sliding backwards into the thin aperture, before pulling the grate back up with her finger tips. Just in time as the couple in question walked past her location, the man shoving the woman against the wall. "Not here, you fucking shit!" The woman hissed, despite biting the man's lips in her own eagerness. "There's an open room down that way. Got enough space for me to drain your balls."



"As if!" The purple clad trooper snapped back. She couldn't make out his face, but Yuffie's eyes were glued to his waistline, where a pair of tonfa hung.



*****



"Where's Barbara?"



"She went back to the ship for more of your stuff, boss." Veronica responded quickly. She and Carol were busy sweating, lugging Scarlet's desk into a cleared office area. Out in the massive open area that surrounded the Simulator, men were welding guard rails, while a pair in deep blue outfits and thick gloves were tracing and joining wires.



Scarlet herself was busily working on the projector, sparks dancing in front of her face as she worked on repairing the device. Her head rose at the whisper of a sound. "Did you get it?" She murmured softly, casting wary looks outside. Shiva formed at her side, holding up a discolored hand. Scarlet quickly held a vial under it and a clear liquid leaked out of the limb to fill the container. "Beautiful, lover."



"Of course," Shiva replied, running a cold hand along Scarlet's jaw, sitting on the desk's edge. Digging into a bag, the blonde pulled out several vials, these filled with a familiar looking red liquid. Holding up the one with the clear, she teased out a drop onto a slide, putting int under a microscope. "Can you use it?"



"If I can figure out the proper ratio." Scarlet mumbled, eyes glued to her new project. "I just wish I'd thought of this sooner. I don't plan on delaying for much longer. Each time I imagine us...alone, inside there...I just..."



"By the way," Shiva felt her partner's familiar heat. That part of her confused the Esper. How hate and love could become so twisted as to be indistinguishable. "I passed your girl on the way here. I don't think she'll be back for awhile. She and one of Schroeder's men were quite occupied in one of the closets by the elevator shaft."



"Stupid...she can do that on her own time. DIANA!" Scarlet shouted. The blonde underling poked her head out from behind a collection of bags and cases. "Go down the corridor and tell Mitch to get her ass in gear. Check the rooms near the elevator."



"I think you scare them with how you do that." Shiva chuckled. "Probably wonder how you know."



"Good." Scarlet muttered, then smirked. "In fact I think I know the perfect punishment for her! Now let me see..."



*****



Night finally came and most of the workers headed back up. Despite the difficult work, there was little grumbling in the mess. They worked hard, but were paid in good hard currency and fed like the wealthy elite. This kept morale at peak. Few though remained below to keep an eye on Scarlet and her crew. When rotated out to allow them time to rest and eat, they looked distinctly worse for wear than any others, including one supported by the others who taken to the infirmary.



Back in their room Tifa and Cloud slept, worn out after having a day to themselves. However, neither appeared relaxed, eyes beneath closed lids darting back and forth rapidly, Cloud's jaw clenched tight and Tifa making soft whimpering sounds. Cloud's eyes shot open then, suddenly alert. "Yuffie?" He whispered, waking Tifa as well, despite his intentions. A soft scraping sound and the grate above was pulled back and the slim shape flipped down into the room.



"We have trouble." She said, without any preamble, Tifa and Cloud sitting up, the covers slipping from their naked bodies. "Scarlet's down in a basement level. I've...been there before and it holds one of their biggest combat simulators. I thought we...broke it good, but apparently she's working on it as we speak."



"Clever..." Cloud muttered. He glanced at Tifa. "She wanted to fight you on the cannon, like the two previous times. But Schroeder shot that down immediately and firmly. But with a simulator..."



"She's not limited to the cannon." Tifa finished. Cloud frowned, clearly not what he was going for. Tifa kissed his cheek, continuing. "Oh she might still use it. But knowing her like I do more than likely she'll simulate the places where she managed to beat me, like Nibelheim, to try and throw me off."



"That's not all," Yuffie paused, clearly struggling. "She's working on something new. She injected one of the girls working with her and...she went crazy. Started hurling around debris and some of the guys that tried to restrain her. I saw one of them hit her across the back of the head with a two by four and all he got for his trouble was two broken arms."



"She's working on the formula again..." Tifa breathed, glancing over at the desk where a container sat. "Of course she would. I never expected that cxnt to fight fair."



"It's not all bad news though." Yuffie interrupted, moving closer, hesitantly. Tifa's eyes lit up in amusement as the younger woman's eyes were glued to Cloud. More specifically his lap. They lost the look, though, in the five minutes it took her to go through who she found in the lower levels.



"I swear to the Planet..." Cloud muttered, shaking his head. "If I'm honest I'm not too surprised those guys survived. That seemed to be the one thing they were good at."



"They're still afraid of us, if anything. Beck and his bunch went into immediate possum mode when they saw me." Yuffie giggled lightly. "And there seems to a sizeable group with them."



"Really," Tifa said casually, reaching for the kunoichi and gently pulling her between herself and Cloud. The girl's expression became even more desperate, if anything. Cloud seemed a little surprised, but Tifa's nod reassured the blonde man who looped an arm around both women. "How about you tell us how sizeable...after we're done."



"After?" Yuffie turned her now openly hungry eyes on Cloud.



"After," Tifa assured her, letting Yuffie take the lead, the ninja girl pouncing on Cloud, her clothes disappearing off her body to appear on the floor.



Never too far away, Siren felt  the sudden surge in passion from Tifa and moaned. It wasn't the same, but damn if it wasn't as intense. Through Tifa's eyes she watched the sex starved Yuffie ride Cloud in a desperate fury. It then hit her about Tifa's position...and the fact that her partner was also in a pleasure of her own.



"I wonder..." Siren murmured to herself, setting up a barrier and dissipating.



Back inside the room Yuffie's soft, expressive noisess were overridden by Cloud's own profuse grunts from under Tifa. Fondling one another's soft frames, the women felt the pleasure bubble over and Tifa was surprised when Yuffie grabbed her, muffling a scream behind their sealed lips. Coming back down from her high, Yuffie's happy expression turned horrified.



"Don't worry." Tifa chuckled, dazedly stroking her friend's face. "I won't tell Josyyyyiiiiieeeeee..."



Before Yuffie could think, she also felt a powerful surge and drew blood, biting her lip to avoid screaming. Cloud as well bucked wildly under them, thrashing as if experiencing a seizure. They were bathed in a faint green light and Siren slowly formed behind the kunoichi.

 

"There's no fun in holding back," the Esper whispered, biting the whimpering Yuffie's ear and running her arms up the girl's sides to the impressive breasts, bouncing them lightly. "I've sealed us away, they won't disturb us as long as my barrier's in place."



Even through the heat coursing through their veins the words registered and Cloud growled horribly, shoving himself out from under them. Yuffie fell forward on top of Tifa but, before she could move, her friend's arms went around her, holding her in place. Another moment and she squealed at a powerful invasion Cloud grabbing her hips with a hand. Siren wasn't forgotten though, Cloud snatching the Esper with his free arm, pulling her up against him, tongues wrestling as lips locked.

 

*****



Tifa woke up slowly, feeling sore from the previous night. Rolling over, she hugged the blonde figure, kissing the back and shoulders. She heard soft muttering and her lover spun around...and Tifa screamed internally as she found herself snogging Scarlet. "Hmm...morning beautiful." She heard her say. "Quite the night!"



"Hmm...what time is it?" Tifa felt ill, hearing the affection behind her voice. The memories were a jumble, but she remembered a bike ride from a popular club on the upper plates then back to her...no...not hers. Immediately Tifa felt a panic that wasn't just hers. It came from a sound outside. Both herself and Scarlet quickly tumbled out of bed in time for a wild eyed Cloud to burst inside.



 "Cloud...I...this isn't...we..."



His eyes went blank...emotionless and he spun around, stomping downstairs.



"Awkward," Scarlet muttered, gathering up her clothes. "What do you..."



Tifa was already in motion, uncaring of her naked state, catching Cloud at the bottom of the stairs. "Cloud, wait. Please, let me..."



"Let you lie, again! Do you take me for a fool!" He snarled, not even bothering to look in her direction. "My mother and friends warned me about you. But stupid, kind Cloud. Too much of a sap to see when he's being led around. Least you could've done is dump me for another guy. You imagine what it'll be like when word gets out I'm so terrible I made you into a lesbian!"



"You were always working. And I was lonely." She babbled. Shut up, shut up, shut up, Tifa screamed. You're just making it worse. "This was the first time, I swear...I just...I just..."



"You think it's cheap living up here on the plates?" He snapped. "You think I like working late hours security? I was doing it for us...but since you've got yourself a new sugar mama I guess you don't need me anymore."



"Cloud don't..." She reached for him. Grab him...hold him...don't let him go...



"Don't TOUCH ME!" Cloud shouted, shoving her hand away, striding out the door. Tifa screamed and leapt through the door...



*****



"CLOUD!!" Tifa screamed, shooting back up. Immediately Cloud was up, and Yuffie rolled off the bed, hiding behind it. Tifa panted, looking around wildly, before grabbing hold of Cloud. "Don't...don't go!!"



"Tifa..." Cloud's voice was strange and, looking up, Tifa shuddered thinking she was back in her dream, the cool, hostile look in his eyes scaring her. Then it was gone and the look was warm and he held her tight. "Shit...I just had a hell of a nightmare. I was working security for Shinra and...and..."



"You walked in on me and Scarlet?" Tifa added hesitantly. He went stiff and nodded. "I dreamed it too...what the hell is going on?"



*****



Scarlet woke up with a gasp, finding herself sleeping at the desk. Grumbling she pushed herself up, walking out into the open area. She felt warm, the dream feeling so real. Completely seducing Lockhart and watching her reaction to Cloud's arrival.



The dreams were coming more and more frequently now. She would occasionally dream of Tifa ever since their first encounter, even more after what happened in Nibelheim, but never with such frequency. It could be the anticipation of their next...possibly final...encounter, but something made her doubt it.



For one thing each dream, while encompassing a familiar occasion, alluded to different events leading up to it...as well as a different outcome.



*****



"Like what?" Yuffie asked.



"Well there was the time she ambushed me in Gold Saucer." Tifa said, face scrunching as she tried to remember. "But you weren't around and I never met Joslyn. So there was no one there to stop me from...dropping the stone on her head."



"Holy...shit!" Yuffie breathed. "I mean...wow..."



"Did that happen often?" Cloud asked.



"I...pretty much every time." Tifa replied hesitantly. "Not always me though. The time in Shinra Towers, she got to me before Yuffie, and pushed me over the edge while I was too exhausted to fight back."



"That's crazy!"



"That's worrying." Cloud muttered. He looked up and around curiously. Where had Siren disappeared to? He turned back to Tifa. "I've been having odd dreams as well. Some seem to run parallel to yours, but not always as intense. Times I made it into SOLDIER...times we left together, or when we met up differently. But your dreams...a lot of them ends in the same way. Someone dying. Maybe it's a warning."



"You're saying I shouldn't fight her?"



"I'm saying you should be careful. We've been through too much to just brush this off as a coincidence." Cloud reminded her. His expression was deeply uneasy. "More importantly...if we've been sharing dreams...I'd say it's a safe bet that Scarlet's experiencing them too, since she figures into most, if not all of them."



*****



Scarlet held out an arm and flexed, squeezing the muscle there.



Her dream memory was fading but she remembered enough to know that her muscles FELT more defined. But even still no matter how athletic she'd appeared Tifa always came out on top if she attempted to match the brunette's prowess or physicality. But one more thing stood out to the blonde woman. In every single dream so far she hadn't seen Tifa utilize Siren. Or herself Shiva. Which would explain that, in the majority, she always came up lacking against Tifa.



Scarlet frowned. She was under no illusions that when it came down to an actual fight Tifa could easily break her in two if she so desired. It was only because Tifa wanted to beat her and her own game that Scarlet was able to hold her own until their tits came into play. She held up a VR device she'd been working on. It was something she'd been tinkering with in the later days before the Weapon attack. She'd planned on loading it with data from the Turks to try and find a way of cutting into that advantage, but now she lacked the time. Tifa wouldn't wait long and, neither could she.



The dreams only made her desire to fight the woman all the stronger. And, interestingly enough, they also made her question why.



She hated losing. She hated being second best. Scarlet's entire life was one long string of successes and petty vengeance. As far as she was concerned everyone and everything else existed to be used by her. The only exceptions were Rufus and Viola...the only two people she'd ever deferred to. Tifa was the exact opposite. The only person, woman, to ever defy her and a decade later still doing so. In the past she'd use her position to ruin anyone that challenged her, she chuckled darkly remembering Heidegger's constant failures.



But Tifa never backed down and drew Scarlet into something she'd not experienced before. An actual physical fight. With their tits even. And despite lo...los...losing to the bitch's better conditioning, the act had woken something in the older woman. Instead of dealing with it like normal, she made it a personal crusade. She WANTED to be the one to humble Tifa. Her first attempt backfired badly...but the second...



Even before Nibelheim, she would admit to obsessing over Lockhart. But she'd never found another woman sexually attractive, even now she still didn't think Tifa could compare to herself in looks or in bed...but at the same time the memory of them on the ground, pounding their bodies together until...until... Scarlet shook her head and wiped away the offending drool. The look of agony on Tifa's face after those shared orgasms and how it appeared to weaken her made Scarlet moan loudly, nails clawing at her desk.



Dominance. That was what it was about. She wanted to dominate Tifa. NEEDED to dominate her. To finally have it understood, if just between them, who was the better woman. And in her pursuit of that Scarlet knew she might've gone too far.



She'd never thought of death. In her mind the idea that Tifa would consider that option, no matter her blustering, was just that...bluster. Neither did she want to kill Tifa, that one time on the cannon notwithstanding. It was far too final. She wanted the girl to suffer under her heel, to regret ever challenging Scarlet in any way. Once she got bored...Scarlet shrugged. But then, in her sleep their fight was always to the finish, without hesitation. She rubbed her neck, Tifa's hands around it in the latest nightmare, leaving a residual phantom pain. Scarlet shrugged. It was too late to worry about any of that now. She would never run from Tifa any more than she'd run from her. Because, despite the little bitch's claims to the contrary, she wanted this as much as Scarlet had.



Now...Scarlet cracked her shoulders, glancing across at the room where Barbara lay in chemically induced slumber. All she had to do was figure out the proper dosage. And a means of delivering it. She frowned, looking around.



Now where was Shiva with the next delivery?



*****



"Stay away from us!" Shiva snarled, entire body radiating a cold front that had those on the deck of the ship and roof of the building shiver.



"I have not been anywhere near you or your bitch!" Siren replied tartly, wings flapping rapidly in irritation. She forced a toothy smile. "And I find you out here, meddling with Tifa's dreams again. The next time I find you doing that I'll bury you so deep in her subconscious you'll even forget your own name!"



"I already showed her how little she matched up against me. I have no need to repeat the lesson!" Shiva hissed, spitefully. "But I know you've been showing Scarlet images of what will happen when Tifa gets her hands on her. So I'm warning you..."



"No I'm warning YOU!" Siren flared, swelling her presence. "You may have come first, but never forget which of us is stronger. While I was merciful, I just returned you to your stone. Push me any farther and I will ERASE you, Shiva. Consequences be damned."



"No, you will not!!" Lightning flashed between the two irate Espers, immediately causing them to lower their energies. "I was going to stay out of it, but I see now that if I leave you two to your own devices you'll destroy each other and yourselves."



"This doesn't concern you." Both shouted, angry at the interruption.



"As the first, it damned well does!" The voice thundered. "I forbid the two of you to engage directly. Aid your champions if you wish, but the two of you will not engage AS Espers. If you desire to face one another your will do it on the physical plane alongside your partners. No powers, no mana. If you do..."



The threat was left hanging as his presence faded. Siren and Shiva merely glowered at one another, before fading as well.



*****



<Three days later>



"Two days?"



"Yes, based on the most current report." Schroeder sat behind his desk. Cloud, Alexander, Titan, Diabolos and Scarlet stood on the other side. " They're expected to be here in three to be exact. I thought we'd have more time, but it seems we were spotted during the time Siren incapacitated the entire ship."



"Hard numbers?" Scarlet now asked.



"Unknown, but they're readying at least three large Airships as well as at least a dozen smaller gunships. And since they're in Wutai we can expect Dragon riders as well." The doctor steepled his fingers. "They're coming at us with everything they have."



"So shall we start getting the men back onboard?" Titan leaned back, watching him shrewdly. "In the time they've had they must've properly bonded with Seraphim and the others by now."



"No, we stay." Schroeder looked around, seeing shock on some faces and relief on one. "I can't explain it in detail, but we have to be here now. If we leave we won't have a second chance."



"Why so cryptic..." Cloud's eyes narrowed, something seemed off. Was it his imagination or did the doctor look older. "If you're going to have fighting a lopsided battle you could at least tell us why."



"I can't because I don't know." Schroeder snapped. The tone change had everyone recoil, the normally calm doctor's temper clearly frayed. "This is something bigger than me. Like you follow my orders, I follow another's. And he demands we stay and defend our position."



"Your mysterious voice." Scarlet observed. She alone, had no problem staying. What she did want was to know how much longer she had to prepare. "So how long till whatever he's waiting for happens?"



"Interestingly enough, within the same time frame." Schroeder, rose from behind his desk. "Fortify the building. Use the surrounding wreckage to position ambush teams. They won't risk heavy weapons so all we have to is whittle them down and make them hesitate. Alexander...husband your energy. You will be our last line if it comes to that."



"I would rather not harm any of our kin, if we could." Titan said, hesitantly as the others strode out.



"I understand my friend. But as it stands we may not have a choice." Schroeder, walked past the giant Esper, resting a hand on his arm. "You in particular will be targeted greatly for your successes the last time they came after us. So, you will have your chance if you so desire."



*****



Siren floated high above, away from the building. Despite the concern over her confrontation with Shiva she had a bright smile on her face as she road the air waves.



After just two days she finally understood now what Maduin had felt. Truly understood. Love, in her mind, had just been a deeper form of affection. Like caring more for one friend than another. Now she fully understood just how deep it went and why Tifa clung to it so strongly. Why Cloud reacted so powerfully at the possibility of betrayal.



On a whim, she caressed her midsection. The woman Maduin wedded had given birth to a child...so it was possible. But there had never been any occasion of a female Esper giving birth. She looked forward to finding out if it was possible... "Why are you here!" She demanded coolly. There was a hesitancy in the air, then slowly Alexander formed.



"Neither you nor Shiva were with us earlier." He said hesitantly. "I was just making sure you two hadn't...hadn't..."



"Hadn't wandered off to settle things privately?" Siren snorted. "Even if I was willing, her corruption at that woman's hands wouldn't allow it. But you would know that if you didn't only think with your new parts."



"That is quite...what's the term...funny, coming from you." Alex retorted. "Considering your past, as well as actions with your current host."



"Go away Alex!" Siren snapped, twisting away from him. "You are a child that's discovered a new toy. Unaware that you're not the playing with it. It's playing with you!"



"I..." Alexander started, only for her to dive lower, clearly having nothing more to say. Spectral fists clenched before he turned, darting back to the docked Airship.



*****



"This should do it..." Scarlet muttered to herself, injecting a small dose into the captured ravager. Fools had ignored her offer and started slinking around, spying on her, probably planning more. Scarlet smirked. She almost wished one of them would've tried something. The woman squirmed in fear and screamed, her arms swelling to half again their previous size, beating her head against the table, before giving one final shriek and going limp. Scarlet rested a finger against her throat and grumbled in irritation. Reaching for another gun she injected a hefty dose of steroids. Several seconds later her subject came to with an explosive gasp. Grunting, Scarlet wandered back to her desk, sitting down in time to catch Viola's approach.



"Another failure?"



"Unfortunately," She replied sourly. Viola came across to watch her with interest. "I've watered down the formula as much as I dare, but still it proves far too much for a body to handle."



"Maybe you should give up on...whatever you're doing," Viola suggested, sitting down. "Maybe try a different angle? After all you've got a lot more time now."



"What do you mean?" Scarlet looked up from a small device she was working on. It looked something like a watch, the redhead decided, only without a face.



"Well, I doubt you could be ready in a day. Unless you plan on just trying you luck and going at her as you are now."



"Two days." Scarlet corrected her. "I have two days to make my plans. And then..."



"...you plan on fighting her while we're under attack?!" Viola stared at the busy Scarlet. "Are you crazy? Wouldn't you be better off using Shiva to help in the defense?"



"Use your head Vi," Scarlet stood up, gently putting down what she was working on. "If you were Tifa and knew Cloud would be busy fighting against their friends, who were in turn trying to break their way in...what kind of a state of mind would you be in?"



"I thought you wanted to beat her at her best Scarlet." Viola snapped, shaken.



"I imagine she'll start doing that after I knock her on her ass a few times." Scarlet chuckled, then turned back to Viola, face serious. "This is your fault Vi."



"My...fault?"



"Yes, you kept hammering the point that Tifa could, if she wanted to, turn me into a pretzel. And right now I imagine that's at the forefront of her mind." Scarlet sat back down and picked up her soldering iron. "So...I'm using my advantage. My brain. Keep her distracted until it's too late and she's weakened enough that we're on an even playing field. And then..."



"And then..."



"Well, all that assumes I get this working in time." Scarlet frowned and shouted. "Carol! Veronica!!"



Both blondes were at the entrance in seconds, standing nervously while Scarlet scribbled two notes. "Take these up to the Airship. You, get this from Inventory, and you to the armory. If you get any hassle, drop my name. If they still give you a problem let them know Shiva will be most disappointed!"



*****



"So she is that crazy?"



"Determined, is the word I'd use," Viola replied into her pillow. Her voice was low, but Yuffie up in the vents seemed fully capable of hearing her words. "She's more focused than I've ever seen her. She must be drawing heavily from Shiva because she hardly ever seems to sleep...or eat."



"If we're lucky that'll work in Tifa's favor. And it means that Barret and the others won't need to worry about Shiva's ultimate attack like the last time." Yuffie said, hiding a concern of her own. Tifa and Cloud had also been avoiding sleeping. The dreams and nightmares continuing. Yuffie was beginning to notice some of her own. Not dramatic or disastrous, but they were clearly showing her things that hadn't happened. "I'll let them know. Anything else?"



"She's still working on her formula, but hasn't seemed to be able to make much progress. She sounded...frustrated." Viola muttered. She heard what sounded like an affirmative sound then she was alone. Tired and conflicted, the redhead closed her eyes and, as always, hoped something would happen to make everything better when she woke up.



Meanwhile Yuffie worked her way through the vents other to Cloud's cabin. She moved carefully, not wanting to interrupt if they were...busy. But there was no noise and as she looked down, she could hear them talking softly. "I'm back," she whispered, pitching her voice so they could hear it and carefully pulled away the grate.



"Anything new?" Tifa asked. "Cloud's been telling me that the others are coming."



"Well for one thing Scarlet seemed to be having issues getting her new formula to work. Viola says she's currently working on something else." Yuffie started. "Also seems that she's been avoiding sleep as well. Cloud might've been right."



Tifa's face immediately twisted in disgust at the idea. "I don't like the idea, but maybe you're right. If it was just fights I could handle it. But the other stuff..."



Cloud shuffled over to Tifa's side, his arm around her immediately. He knew what she was talking about. "It's like we're been showed what could have been if our lives had deviated even slightly." He muttered to Yuffie. "What about you?"



"Only snippets." The kunoichi shook her head. "Maybe it's because I'm from Wutai. All this only started we came back to Midgar."



"Maybe," Tifa sighed, then looked up. "What about Beck and the others?"



Yuffie frowned.



"Yea!" Beck shouted, gleefully, hefting a metal desk over his head. Off to the side, Burt clapped his hands together and shoved over a pillar that people typically had to duck under to get through. Yuffie stood to the side, holding the pills Viola had supplied. As expected, Beck's group had been reluctant to the idea of fighting, many proposing hiding or outright running. But in typical bandit fashion if you provided them with an edge...



"They're...enthusiastic?" She said slowly, shaking her head. "You remember how Beck was. So long as I'm the one holding the cookie jar, so to speak, I can control and direct his impulses."



"Doesn't feel right relying on people like that," Cloud grumbled. "They're a stopgap at best, cause as soon as they run into any of the tougher guys up here, they'll scatter."



"So long as they can distract for long enough to allow Barret and the others to get close it'll be worth it," Tifa reminded him. She started to say more, then yawned widely. She shook her head hard. "I...I'm fine."



"No you're not." Cloud growled. "You've been working out nonstop to distract yourself. If you drain Siren then you'll be at a disadvantage."



"But if I sleep..."



"You'll have to risk it.' Cloud said, gently, stroking her face. "If it'll give you even the slightest advantage it'll be worth it. I'll head down and see if I can stir up Scarlet a bit."



"You don't need to..." Tifa yawned again. "I..."



"SLEEP!" Cloud hissed, voice sibilant. Tifa's eyes went wide, then shut and she fell onto her side. "Such a stubborn woman. Though you have surrounded us with many like minded mates."



Yuffie felt a familiar sense of awe in the dragonlord's presence, Cloud's eyes now slitted as he regarded her. "Watch over her while we're gone."



*****



Scarlet rubbed her eyes, holding up a metal plate. Lips curling into a bright smile, she gently applied it to a larger, more rounded one and sighed as it clicked into place. "Perfection," she whispered, holding it up. Then she did something odd, Twisting around to face the mirror she placed it against her upper body, just under a breast, shifting to and fro. "Hmmm...perhaps some silver or maybe...oh!"



A warning from Shiva. A warning that turned into an explosion of delight and sudden mindless pleasure. She chuckled, strutting out from behind her work station to face Cloud. "I'm surprised. I thought we weren't seeing you again until the big day."



"I like to protect my investment." He replied shortly. In a move that shocked her, his hand changed, claws erupting from fingers, swiping at her. Scarlet gasped, but made no move to shield herself...clothes to fall to the ground, shredded. She simply smiled eagerly, remembering how quickly Shiva's pleasure had exploded. She moaned as his other hand grabbed breast, squeezing and manipulating the heavy gland, making it's way down to massage and poke at her...completely flat...belly. "Hmm...perhaps."



"Shall we skip the foreplay?" She whispered hungrily, hands running up and down his chest, fiddling with the belt buckle of his pants. The effect this would have on Tifa. Scarlet fucking her husband only a day before their fight. "Shiva not enough for you anymore?"



"I'm just here to make sure you can provide the entertainment I was promised." Cloud gave the woman's nipple a pinch, her yelp switching to a moan. While his face remained impassive, his mind was racing. While still smaller than Tifa, Scarlet was very close, if not matching, Joslyn's measurements now. He never got the whole letters game the girls had when it came to their bust sizes but this would mean Scarlet would've been equal to Tifa back during their Avalanche days. More to the point, it disturbed him how much the blonde's boobs resembled his wife's in shape and depth. "You appear passable enough. But to be sure I've eased my handling of her. I look forward to seeing what the two of you do to one another."



Scarlet was panting, her legs weak when Cloud released her boobs and walked past her. She nearly fell, but her pride wouldn't allow that. Instead she trotted after him, uncaring of her nudity. "I hope you don't mind not being there personally." She remarked casually, resting herself on his back, tongue flicking out to delve into his ear. "But this time I don't want any doubts as to how she lost to me."



"Hmm...confident. That's good." Cloud's mind was racing, eyes flickering left and right rapidly, taking in all he could. A centrifuge whirring as it spun rapidly, shining red fluid in the beakers. Two odd knobs of metal and...Cloud reached over, massaging the fabric. "You're not...?"



"Oh no." Scarlet grinned. Finally tiring of the delay she reached around his body and yanked his pants down. "That's for her!"



*****



"Are you sure you want to do this now, doctor?"



"Yes," Schroeder nodded, moving slowly, movements uncertain. His face looked decidedly more lined than it had been just a day before. "I've already completed my task."



"This still seems wrong to me." Diabolos hissed. "You laid all this ground work. Surely..."



"All I did was follow his advice and clues. Nothing more." Schroeder gestured to Alexander, the young man clearly unhappy. Titan's expression was similar as he assisted the aging doctor onto a table. "My body is already at it's limit. I've already taken a sedative. Enough to even put you out. I won't feel a thing."



Only Titan managed a brief chuckle at the attempt of levity. Alexander stood over Schroeder, arm raised, watching as the doctor's breathing gradually slowed. When it finally stopped he slashed down, a blade of light around his fist, slicing open the skin around the midsection. cutting through the muscle and tissue he drove his hand into the prone Schroeder's body, pulling a rock half the size of his fist. It pulsed rapidly, burning off the blood and fluid that coated it. Alexander quickly thrust it to Diabolos.



"You do it." He snapped. Turning back to Schroeder, the Esper attempted to set the doctor's skin back in place as best he could, before searing the gaping wound shut. For once Diabolos didn't taunt his younger compatriot and fell back into a portal.



*****



Yuffie glanced into the room, flipping down from her usual perch. Her internal clock had woken the kunoichi and prepared to make her way back down. Her friends though, still slept deeply. Tifa had agreed to the risk this time around, deciding even a small amount of sleep might provide her an edge, assuming Scarlet wasn't doing the same. She studied them both. Tifa's face was restful, giving the impression she'd managed to dodge the nightmares this time. Cloud was tense however, muttering quietly. Yuffie crawled between them, plating a soft kiss first on Tifa's cheek then across Cloud's lips. "Good luck," she whispered, pulling herself back into the vents.



Five minutes later alarms blared across the ship, a call to arms, shocking the couple awake. They stared at one another for a long second, before Tifa reached over and pulled him into a long, deep kiss. "Be careful," she whispered, pressing their foreheads together.



"And you," Cloud responded. Jumping off the bed, he paused in pulling on his pants. "It doesn't need to be said at this point...but don't underestimate her!"



Tifa nodded, watching her husband dart out. Now all she could do was wait. Siren formed, dropping to sit next to the woman, resting a feathered hand across her own.



Outside, Cloud strode up to the bridge, finding Titan, Diabolos and Alexander there. "Where's Schroeder?" He grunted, stopping before the three Espers.



"He's busy." Alexander stated, looking up from a map on the table. "Orders have already been sent out. Diabolos will be remaining aboard to guide Phoenix. The rest of us will be on the ground."



"You mortals haven't changed much down the years." Titan grinned, glancing out at the sun peeking up over the horizon. "Still fascinated by these attacks at dawn."



"Fair enough," Cloud grunted, ignoring the comment. "Where do you want me?"



"Here." Alexander tapped a finger. Cloud leant over, looking on with interest. "The area between these two reactors is directly in the path of their main forces and seems to have survived the years relatively intact. It should provide an excellent defensive line. Titan will join you when the fighting starts."



"Okay. But where will you be?"



"My responsibility is to protect the tower," Alexander replied shortly. "In the event that you're pushed back all the way. But since you're so confident, that shouldn't occur."



"This all could be misdirection." Cloud grunted, looking up. "Remember, I worked with these people. They adapt quickly, and you hammered them twice already. They won't make similar mistakes again."



"You leave that to me," Diabolos hissed.



*****



Full of nervous energy, Tifa paced the cabin. Needing to act to occupied herself with a series of jumping backs and chin ups. She was beginning to wonder if something had happened when the hatch opened with a loud CLANG. Viola came through, flanked by two of Scarlet's blondes. "I think you know why I'm here." The redhead said, loudly. She held out a small package. "After you put this on, we'll take you to her."



Moving back outside, Viola stood nervously alongside Carol and Veronica, waiting for Tifa to exit. Inside they heard an explosive curse and loud banging noise. Viola closed her eyes.



*****



"They're on their way down."



Scarlet smirked, stepping behind a blind. There were a series of soft clinking sounds and her bodysuit appeared at her feet. Shiva floated softly over the small work area. Linked as they were, both could feel the other's anticipation. Finally, Scarlet stepped out from behind the curtain, clad in a familiar red satin dress. The neckline was extended at accommodate her increased bust size and had the same side slits to allow her ease of movement. She even managed to locate a pair of dark stockings though, for obvious reasons, she abandoned the high heels. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail she tied it firmly, the tail reaching her shoulder blades, and carefully slipped on her ruby earing. "And the final touch..." She murmured, applying a pair of silvery bands to her wrists. She turned to Shiva, their eyes glittering in unison and held out her arms. "Together!"



Collapsing into glittering snow, Shiva fell over Scarlet, their minds melding in shared purpose. Scarlet stood stock still, shivering as tattoos appeared across her exposed skin.



"We brought her boss!"



Shaken out of her reveries, the blonde focused eyes on her target. Tifa marched ahead of the other three, ignoring them with a casual disdain that bespoke a lack of threat. Her expression wavered at Scarlet's wardrobe, then hardened at the grin she shot her. "You look just like you did back then Lockhart. In more ways than one."



"And it'll turn out the same way that time did." Tifa snapped, tugging at the short white tank top that barely covered her chest, with a hand covered in black gloves, accompanied by a short, pleated, mini skirt. Her ridiculously long, dark, hair was even pulled back into the same split ponytail as before. "You could've at least gotten me a top that fits."



"Why? Not like you'll be wearing it for long." Scarlet chuckled darkly, eyes narrowing. Then she smiled and turned, marching up to the Simulator and tapping away on the keyboard. With a rush of cooled air, the doors opened. "After you."



Tifa stared at Scarlet, blonde and brunette glaring hard at one another, before tossing her hair and striding into the machine, the pair of split toed tabi she'd worn while captured at the base up North making no sound.



"Pity I couldn't get the footwear right. The rest of you can head back up top and see what help they need." Scarlet said, pressing a button and stepping onto the walkway. "We'll be awhile, Tifa and I."



"You sure about this Scarlet?" Viola asked quietly as the blonde stepped into the device. "Really?"



Scarlet seemed to hesitate and gave the redhead a cocky smile as the doors started to close behind her. "I beat her before, I can do it again." With a hollow definitive CLANG, the Simulator closed shut and a loud hum began as it powered up. Saddened, and with a terrible guilt, Viola followed the other women back to the elevator. One way or another, she was going to lose a friend before this was over.



*****



Tifa glanced around, extending her senses, yet could feel no trap. No trickery. She turned at the slam of the door shutting, both women facing one another silently. Emotions never far from the surface, roiled behind the blue and brown lenses, only exacerbated by forces contained within their lush frames. A deep primal loathing made it difficult to breath, held only check immense willpower in one and martial discipline in the other. Scarlet broke their staring contest, raising an arm to her face, talking into her bands. "Run program zero, zero, three. Nibelheim. Main street!"



Tifa steadied herself as the room began to shift around them. Metal rose from the floor in thin stalks, meeting and melding to form a water tower. Around her buildings shimmered into existence, forming a facsimile of the center of the village. "Typical!" She hissed at Scarlet. The blonde woman sneered at her through the legs of the Tower. "You think this'll make a difference?"



"It did back then," Scarlet taunted, reaching down her dress and pulled at the slits, freeing her legs even more, leaning over to present her cleavage. "And back then I didn't have a rack like this!"



"You think that'll make a difference?!" Tifa snorted, tearing her tank top at the neckline to give her tits room to breathe. She stalked her yellow haired enemy, who moved with her, keeping the facsimile of her home's water tower between them. "You surprised me a few times with how petty you are. Since then it's been loss after loss after loss. But this time, humiliating you is the least part of what I have planned!"



"If all I've been doing is losing how did we end up here?!" Scarlet snarled, feeling Shiva tearing at her controls. Through the Esper's eyes she could see Siren floating within Tifa, empowering the girl just like Shiva did her. She licked her lips in anticipation. "And you don't get to talk about petty, acting all innocent when we first fought. You knew exactly what you were doing. I just proved, like anything else I put my mind to, to be a fast learner."



"Yeah, from drugging yourself to sending other women after me. Oh, I don't doubt you have some new trick up your sleeve to give you an edge. That's how you fight." Tifa barked a laugh, turning her body to the side, presenting her profile to the older woman and running a hand over her jutting breasts and raised a fist. " Me? I'm more straightforward. I let THESE...and THESE do the talking."



"How about I show you how straightforward I can be?!"



"Why don't you try, blonde granny!"



With a bellow of long suppressed fury, Scarlet bounded towards Tifa. With a piercing scream, Tifa charged towards Scarlet. Throwing themselves together they wound up a wild tangle that spun them away from the center of town. Fists thudded into thinly covered bodies, hair yanked and torn out, breasts thrust and pushed into voluptuous opposites. Shoved away, Scarlet reeled from a vicious backhand, dropping into a crouch to respond with aimed punch to Tifa's gut.



The girl grunted, swinging a knee around to smash into the blonde's cheek, sending her rolling to the side. Scarlet continued the roll to avoid Tifa's foot that raised sparks as it smashed down, jumping to her feet. Lashing out with kick, Tifa responded in kind, meeting high in the air between them. Spinning around, Tifa kicked out again, only to look up in surprise when Scarlet caught her foot. A look of supreme glee on her face, Scarlet spun, Tifa in tow, and smashed her up against the image of the old inn.



Unimpressed, Tifa snapped her legs together, intending to trap Scarlet's hand, but the older woman quickly released her hold and jumped back. Landing on her feet Tifa was on Scarlet in an instant, ducking under a fist, running up the blonde's body to send her into the air with a flip kick. Recoiling from the painful blow, Scarlet snarled in fury and darted forward punching Tifa in the chest as she started to come down. With a surprised "Unngh!" Tifa rolled across the ground, eyes wide as she caught sight of Scarlet, flipping back up at the same time the blonde's foot landed where she'd previously been.



*****



"Targets spotted!!"



Cloud grunted in acknowledgement, moving between the soldiers assigned to him. It was small group of ten, but he could tell these weren't run of your mill troops. He squinted up at the sky, sharp eyes picking out the dots that had to be the approaching airships. Right on schedule. "Load 'em up," he ordered, leaving others to slip rockets into the old launchers they'd found. Stripped from wrecked Shinra mechs the weapons were still viable after a few adjustments.



Cloud frowned, leaning against a broken wall. Schroeder's disappearance bothered him. The man had been adamant about digging in his heels...so why had he been absent? Could he have run? Cloud immediately shook his head. The man inspired a fanatic loyalty in those under him. If it had all been for a moment like this where he'd make his own escape then the man was either a psychic, able to predict the future, or a genius at reading and manipulating people.



"Something's wrong..."



"What?" Cloud glanced over to his side, where Titan ducked under the broken door. "And why aren't you with your team?"



"I'm getting a weird feeling." The Esper muttered. "It's familiar, but it's been so long I...no! MOVE!!"



"What are you..." Titan's arms went around Cloud and four others, charging out of the broken building, quickly followed by the remaining six. Before Cloud could protest further, there was a loud rumbling and building they were in sank into the ground. "One of your friends?!"



"There aren't many of the earth like me." Titan declared, dumping those her carried to the ground. Linking his fists, body swelling to twice it's normal size, Titan smashed the ground around them, cracks splitting the earth in all directions till a section exploded and what looked like a boulder with arms erupted outwards. "Golem. It's been too long, brother."



"Were...it...under...better...circumstances." The odd looking rock stuttered. One trooper immediately leveled a portable rocket launcher at the being, only for it to be snatched out from his hands by Titan.



"No. I will deal with him." The humanoid Esper declared, cracking knuckles that now resembled stone. "The rest of you move to the alternate locations."



"I...know...I'm...no...match...for...you." Golem slowly, and simply, stated. It stomped it's feet, sinking back into the earth. "And...I...have...already...accomplished...my...goal. The...others...come!"



"Not good!" Titan growled, not wasting his time on chasing Golem. There was a rush of mana behind them and the chopping sound a rotors starting up. "Seems Diabolos has noticed our issues. Let's join your men in falling back."



"Wait!" Cloud focused, body changing as he merged with Bahamut. Without another word he jumped into the hole left by Golem. Half a minute later one of the launchers appeared over the lip that Titan quickly grabbed. Cloud leapt back up, carrying a crate of rocket ammo. "That's the only one that survived the fall. It might not be enough to stop them, but it'll make 'em careful."



"We're heading for the Eastern Reactor!" Chatter over his earpiece declared. Cloud grimaced, looking up at the towering structure and barely visible 4 still on it's side. Then looked south, and felt an odd sense of deja vu.



*****



Scarlet leapt at Tifa, foot extended in a clumsy kick, the brunette swaying to the side in casual disdain. Twisting around as Scarlet landed, Tifa's leg rose in a scything kick only for her face to light up in surprise when she felt no connection. Too late she spotted the crouched Scarlet's smirk as the woman kicked out high, clipping her jaw and sending her tumbling into a wood pile. Face twisted in irritation, Tifa shot up, rushing towards the waiting Scarlet.



Arms raised above their heads slapped together and curled tight. Legs spread and set, heads dipped forward until they were eye and both immediately exerted themselves.



Jaws ached as teeth clenched. Muscles spasmed, becoming more defined with the effort maintained by the two, arms dropping to bend outwards at ninety degrees. Sweat drops ran down Scarlet's face and Tifa's back as they poured more and more of their enhanced strength into overpowering one another. Scarlet took a wide step forward, face contorted with effort, runs splitting her stockings but couldn't feel anymore give in her rival. Instead she felt Tifa strain and herself slipping until she stepped back for leverage.



The scene repeated again and again. One woman exerting herself and pushing the other into retreat, only to have progress immediately halted, and then reversed. Grunting savagely and glaring fiercely, neither would relent, committed to determining, once and for all, which was the strongest. And in this contest, with their youth returned to them and empowered by a pair of vengeful spirit beings a difference emerged a mere five minutes into the contest.



Sweat dripping down her face and outfit drenched, Scarlet strained for all she was worth and felt Tifa slip back an inch. Teeth bared now, the brunette also committed her full combined strength against Scarlet and shoved the blonde to the rear. Snarling, Scarlet tensed her taxed muscles and pushed. But Tifa was like an immoveable rock. The girl sneered at her, face contorting and the blonde took another step back. And another...and another. Scarlet's eyes were wide with what had to be shock and Tifa smirked painfully. "Guess who's the strongest now?" Her glittering eyes asked.



Scarlet bared her teeth in an angry snarl, but still resisted Tifa's push. Gritting her teeth, the blonde forced their arms further out, extending fully from their bodies, bringing them closer together until their breasts brushed up together. Even with two pieces of cloth protecting them, heartbeats increased and nipples swelled at the contact.



Their breasts were, and always had been, the main driving force in the conflict between the pair. While being on different sides and of clashing temperaments, it was Tifa's dismissive remarks towards Scarlet atop the cannon almost a decade prior that had been the trigger. Up until that point Scarlet had viewed the younger woman beneath her notice. Now no matter how many times they fought with their fists, how much hair they pulled out or rolled on the floor, it always came back to their tits. Hissing in spite, Scarlet bashed her heavy, new boobs against Tifa's monsters, the clothing preventing much damage or penetration, but the challenge was laid bare.



Tifa's nostrils flared. She knew it would eventually come to this, after all it was what she's promised. However she had no intention of allowing Scarlet to dictate the pace of the fight...the bitch owed her a debt and first she'd collect the toll. Tifa's boobs slammed back into Scarlet's orbs squashing under the damp clothing, spreading across their chests, but she didn't back away. No, Tifa growled aggressively and shoved with arms and tits, forcing Scarlet back up against a wall.



"Uuuhnnn..." Scarlet groaned, chest complaining against the weight of Tifa's breasts. But after the initial push, they resisted the girl's orbs, both pairs flattening heavily at the tips, but no further. She expected Tifa to release her go for another slam so prepared for the expected sharp pain, aiming to grab hold as she did so. Instead Tifa's knee jammed into her stomach, making her gag in shock. Then, as she bent over, Tifa literally grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and just above the rear and threw her to the side, over a series of planters. With a loud RIIIPP Tifa was left with the bulk of Scarlet's dress in her hand, that she immediately tossed aside, moving to follow the downed woman.

 

However, she paused as Scarlet reappeared, staring.



"Activate program zero, zero, two." Scarlet ordered, tearing off the collar of her ruined dress with her free hand. Breasts were already free as she did this, bobbing gently high on her chest, under which were a pair of red and black metallic discs. Leaving her midriff free, a similarly colored material moved down her body in a V shape to her privates, forming a rude, topless bikini. Around them the scene shifted from a township, to a graveyard. Before Tifa's eyes, the ground Scarlet stood on sank to form a familiar imitation mass grave. She held her arms out. "Aren't you going to join me?"



"What the hell are you wearing?!" Tifa demanded warily. No way Scarlet would wear something so blatant for no reason. Though, she had to admit, unclothed Scarlet looked like she could've rivaled her original size. Absently, she lifted the tank top over her head, tying it around her waist. Her lips curled into a smirk at the brief irritation that flickered in Scarlet's eyes at the magnificent sight. Truly monsters now, her breasts could rival Elizabeth's in terms of mass, though due to Tifa being both taller and slightly broader they didn't have the same dramatic appearance.



"Just something I threw together for the occasion," Scarlet replied airily. Her eyes glittered maliciously as Tifa jumped down into the pit, fixated on the bouncing glands, or rather how little they did. Nodding internally, Shiva's tattoos appeared across her bare skin. Immediately in response a green swirl appeared around Tifa, her hair floating gently behind her, dark and light green highlights appearing within it. "How about WE show you how it works!"



Darting forward, Tifa expected her to go low, try and tackle and get her onto the ground where the fight would be more even. Instead Scarlet came straight on she was barely able to get her hands as they grabbed one another on the shoulder and around the neck. Grunting fiercely the two grappled determinedly, shoving one another back and forth until Tifa, again, got her footing and started overpowering her older blonde rival. Bare upper torsos dripped with sweat, both beauties straining magnificently, but it was now without a doubt that Tifa reclaimed her position as the stronger.



Then there was a soft hiss. It was so quiet Tifa wouldn't have heard it if not for Siren's sensitivity, but the result was something she couldn't miss. Her progress in pushing Scarlet towards the end of the pit slowed...then halted...then her feet began to scrabble in the fake dirt as she was forced back. It wasn't easy, she could hear the effort in Scarlet's grunts and groans, but there was no denying that she was being overpowered. Enraged now, Tifa's knee shot up between them, hitting Scarlet just under her breasts, making her gasp.

 

A second knee went between those massive glands to strike her under the chin and she pushed Tifa away, staggering slightly, raising an arm to block a scything ax kick. "Something wrong Lockhart?" She gasped, shaking her head, swinging a fist the brunette swayed away from. "Not feeling as strong?"



"You planet damned...!" Tifa lunged at Scarlet, swinging a punch that connected with the blonde's side, only for a quick counter to snap her head back. Alert now, Tifa dodged another, and blocked a third, before dancing away. She shook her head, glaring at Scarlet, when her expression turned confused.



"What's the matter? Looking for something?" Scarlet laughed, pulling down her eye's lower lid. "See...nothing there!"



"I know you're up to something Scarlet. No way you just got stronger like that."



"Oh, that. Why it's the new outfit." Scarlet posed, twisting her body around. "Snug, sexy and efficient. Something I'd been working on back before you and yours destroyed the city. Found it when I made my down here and got it working. It draws out a person's latent ability, allowing me to face you at my peak."



"And I'm supposed to believe that at your peak you were a match for me?!" Tifa snorted.

"I don't care what you believe Lockhart." Scarlet snarled. "YOU...don't matter. Your only worth is the use I'll get out of you, when we're done here!"



Staring Scarlet straight in her still blue eyes, Tifa turned her head to the side and spat. Raising her fists, she inclined her head, daring Scarlet to come at her. Eager as ever, Scarlet threw herself at the waiting brunette.



*****



Standing on the bridge of the Phoenix, Diabolos surveyed the area in his view.



There was a loud rumbling and a section of housing crumbled. There had been no explosion so more than likely that was Titan keeping an eye out for infiltrators.



Cloud's group had made it to the reactor and were currently launching rockets at the smaller gunships harassing their location to distract from the larger ships. And speaking of which...



"That one..." He said, loudly enough for the pilot to hear him. The mortal spun the wheel, the Phoenix shifting on it's axis far faster than a ship it's size had any right to. No doubt those aboard the Airship he was targeting were panicking at the sudden move. "Fire..."



A series of loud THUMPS and half a dozen rockets streaked through the sky. Judging by the trajectory and the slow turn the enemy airship was making four of the six would hit. Not enough to finish it, unless they got lucky. "Reload...quick. And what's the location of the other two?"



Before he could get an answer the sky was full of explosions. "It's too soon." Was his thought, turning back to the viewport. Every missile had detonated, but visibly well before they'd reached the intended target. And as the fire faded he could see why. A winged humanoid figure and smaller, doglike creature. Unnoticed, red streaks ran down his face and incisors lengthened. "Seraph...why? I told you to..."



"Sir, tubes are reloaded. Should we fire another salvo?"



Diabolos hesitated, watching as the two other Espers retreated back to the Airship, staying close. His features hardened. "Tell the loaders to expect me. I'll be making some adjustments to our missiles. Be ready to fire on command."



"Yes sir!" The reply crisp as Diabolos dropped through a portal in the floor.



*****



"Go, go, go!!"



"Wait," Yuffie ordered, holding back Beck and his group as another set of five troopers jogged out the door. She couldn't be sure just how many were left, but that was the last of her worries. Alexander was still here and she knew from experience that he was capable of hurting Leviathan. And supposedly he hadn't even displayed his full power yet.



But even more than that, part of her desperately wanted to go to Tifa. She knew what they'd decided, but damn it, fighting Scarlet at a time like this was downright stupid. Even if it took the cxnt off the board, it would've made more sense for her to help remove the bitch...permanently. Instead Tifa wanted to handle this personally. Yuffie was uncomfortably reminded of how that had turned out last time the two of them fought in this building. But...



"Hey boss..." She was pulled out of her reveries by Beck's insistent jabbing. "You feeling that?"



Yuffie blinked and started. A low rumbling. It couldn't be rocket fire, there's no way the others would allow that.



Another rumble...this one unmistakable as the building shook gently. What the hell was going on!?



*****



Titan scooped up another massive handful of rubble, muscles snapping as he reared back and hurled a cloud of stones, each the size of his thumb, into a group of low flying dragons harassing a defensive position. Two of their riders immediately tumbled off their mounts, one screaming as they fell, while one of the dragons itself spiralled downwards, it's wings pockmarked with holes.



Still, it was testimony to the fact that they were facing elites now that after his first barrage, hitting them was proving troublesome. But their own men were proving up to the task. B ranks were between the 3s and 2s of Soldier classes. He staggered from a tremor. Earthquake he knew, he connection to the earth giving him insight. Then another rumble...this one not natural. He set off in a loping run, each step seeing him grow larger as he followed the source. It was moving, and at the rate it was going it could only be one creature.



With a leap and a bound he soared, coming down directly on the source, crashing his fists into the concrete. The ground around him crumbled and a large serpentine form slithered from beneath. "Brother..." it hissed. "It issss good to sssee you again after all thissss time."



"I feel the same, Terrato." Titan acknowledged his fellow earth Esper. "I suppose it would be too much to ask you to abandon this battle?"



"It hasss been too long Titan." The massive snake like Esper hissed, displaying it's fangs. "I cannot underssstand Ramuh'sss...intent. But my new partner issss sssstrong-willed. I tender to you the ssssame offer. Sssssubmit. You know who isssss with ussss."



"I cannot my friend." Titan shook his head regretfully. "We both know how this will go. I will endeavor to make it as quick as I can."



With a loud hissing noise, Terrato struck, knocked back by a swift uppercut. His skin now the color and texture of stone Titan leapt onto his fellow Esper, arms going around it, Terrato diving back into the earth taking him with it.



*****



Back inside the simulator had moved well beyond what you'd call the feeling out phase. "You like that, bitch!" Scarlet snarled, head barely visible over the edge of the dirt and grass line pit, dragging Tifa up by her hair, smashing her fist repeatedly into the younger woman's face. "You like that!"



Tifa appeared to jump, delivering a teeth jarring uppercut that knocked her free of Scarlet's grip. Another small hop and Scarlet doubled over, gagging from a kick to the stomach before being hefted up by her throat. Two more swift blows to her midsection and now both of Tifa's hands were around her throat, shaking the blonde as she was throttled. Gagging, Scarlet kicked, only for Tifa to merely grunt and eyes narrow to slits.



Eyes!!



Scarlet slashed her nails, sharpened before the fight, across Tifa's face. The younger woman screeched at the sharp pain, releasing her chokehold and stumbling back. Scarlet sucked in lungfuls of air while keeping an eye on Tifa. The brief streaks of blood ceased as she removed her hand, the scratch marks healing shut. As she started to move, Scarlet barreled into her. A fist to the gut doubled Tifa over. An uppercut staggered her and a front kick under the woman's chin catapulted her off the ground. However, even as she fell, Tifa stiffened her legs, both snapping forward to send Scarlet up into the air and back down roughly. As quick she was down Tifa was back up and rushed to where Scarlet had fallen, leaping down, elbow out.



Screams and yelps and the meaty SMACK of slaps bounced out from the pit, the pair emerging briefly to thrash wildly with hands in each other's hair before Tifa shoved Scarlet away, who simply jumped back at her, both falling again. Their fight waxed fiercer now, curses and the harsh sound of punches intermixed. Tifa appeared again, punching downwards, only for a pair of hands to grab an odd looking pair of winglike protrusions from her hair and pull the girl into a headbutt.



Scarlet re-emerged, hair white, clawing at Tifa's face again, nails extending. Tifa yowled in clear pain...and sudden rage. She grabbed Scarlet's head and banged it into the artificial turf. Two, three, four. After the fifth, Scarlet's elbow came back cracking across Tifa's face. The girl staggering, Scarlet grabbed her hair and dragged her, through the air, to land back up at ground level. Two targets she'd been looking forward to getting her hands on in front her face, proved too much a temptation and Scarlet flexed her hands, both set of nails growing, and dug them into the ample titflesh in front of her.



Tifa's shriek was earsplitting...literally. Scarlet fell back, hands over her ears, deafened temporarily. In the few seconds it took for Shiva to repair her eardrum, Tifa was back on her feet. Grabbed by the hair it was now Scarlet's turn as she was dragged out of the pit and slammed against a tombstone. As she fell Tifa grabbed her again, drilled a knee into her gut and punched her to the ground. Retching, Scarlet looked up through watering eyes at her younger rival. Tifa's green hair flowed and rippled as if in the wind, but it was the murder in her eyes that Scarlet focused on. She smirked.



Good!



Tifa's foot reared back, but Scarlet was already in motion, rolling into the other woman's legs. With a grunt Tifa fell forward onto her hands. Crawling away from the expected attack she heard Scarlet call out. "Run program zero zero one!" The scene shifted again to the service platform beneath the Sister Ray. Tifa gave an unladylike snort, recognizing the location.



"I have to admit. I thought you'd at least put us up on the cannon itself." She sneered.



"Limitations my dear. Much like your intelligence." Scarlet snapped back, leaping at Tifa, fists once more flying between them. "Considering how you ended up here I propose to provide an alternate ending."



"I doubt that very much!" Tifa snarled, a sharp jab snapping her head back. Grimacing, she was temporarily defenseless whereupon Scarlet grabbed her in a headlock, pummeling her face repeatedly. Grabbing the woman around her waist, Tifa reared, falling back in a rude suplex. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she staggered upright, moving towards the rising blonde. "You're lucky this is just a hologram. Cause I'd be tempted to chuck you off myself."



"Oh, scary!" Scarlet hissed. While still on her hands and knees Scarlet surged up and forward, wrapping her arms around Tifa's waist and bearing the younger woman back. Tifa grunted, driving her fist into the small of the woman's back, twice, before driving a knee into her chest that caused Scarlet to stumble back. Rushing in Tifa quickly jumped back from a kick, which gave the buxom blonde a moment to collect herself before attacking again.



While lacking Tifa's prowess, Scarlet made up for it with a viciousness in brawling rarely seen. Wrestling tightly together she bit when she could bite, scratched when she could scratch. She slapped and punched and tore hair from the hated younger woman's scalp. She stomped on her feet and kicked her shins with stiffened toes. Shoving her to ground where they thrashed back and forth across the platform before getting back to their feet.



Forced into a close fight, Tifa let herself go and fall back into what she knew. She drilled punches into Scarlet's ribs. A sharp elbow to the left side of the woman's face dazed her and Tifa's knee shot up into her sternum, forcing them apart for a few seconds. A roundhouse kick sent Scarlet stumbling across the railings and Tifa pounced, pressing her shoulder up against the blonde's throat. But unable to restrain her hands she had to give up the hold when Scarlet's fingers aimed for her eyes again. Once more they grappled together, falling to the ground where they brawled ferociously, trading knees and bites before getting to their hands and knees.



Sweating profusely, Tifa wiped a streak of blood from her lips. Gasping heavily, Scarlet knuckled away the blood dripping from her nostril. Magnificent chests hung delectably to the floor as they crawled together, sharing a brief exchange of punches before hands shot forward to grab one another about the throat and shoulder. Knees shuffled on the damp floor, heads tilted back, glaring at one another out of the corner of an eye. "Program...zero...zero...nine..." Scarlet gagged out. The room shifting around them was not enough to cause either to relinquish or lose their hold. However, sinking down to her thighs in the mud pouring in from apertures that swung open, was enough to throw Tifa off and with a despairing groan slipped to the side, dragged along by a growling Scarlet.



Tifa gagged, finding herself face first in deep mud. "Impossible!" Was her first thought. They'd used the simulators on the upper levels before and had never encountered holograms that integrated actual scenery into the program. But as quickly as that thought entered her mind, it left. It didn't matter what she thought, she could taste the mud and how it obscured her breathing. Pushing herself up, she was just as quickly driven back down by a weight falling across her upper body, head dragged by her hair.



"I'll admit, I felt uncomfortably jealous when Shiva told me how she dealt with you." Scarlet's breath tickled her ear, the blonde's voice husky. As her vision cleared it was now filled with the Grasslands swamp. "How desperately you fought her in the mud here until she flattened those boobs of yours. How she got interrupted before moving onto the second course. I can relate you see. Every time I've beaten you something's denied me my ultimate prize."



Tifa growled, bucking furiously before finally rearing up and falling back completely, both women disappearing. But the ripples in the liquid muck made it clear what was going on beneath it's surface.



*****



Diabolos growled, focusing. The trio of missiles streaking towards the opposing airship vanished into the portals he opened, to appear behind the shield Carbunkle had raised. However, Seraph had been prepared for him this time, getting up one of her own. But the explosion still rocked the ship, causing it to tilt and drop dramatically, before recovering. Swinging around to the other side, he raised another black hole to absorb gunfire from the second airship.



"How's it looking?"



"It's time consuming...but manageable." He replied to Alexander's question. "If the third airship joined them I might be hard pressed, but it's maintaining it's distance."



"Safe guess that that's where our friends' hosts are. Titan's already run in Golem and Terrato."



"Carbunkle and Seraph are up here as well. Perhaps there shouldn't have been a delay on their bodies." Diabolos grumbled, the dark Esper directing fire at a smaller gunship that wandered too close. "Still, you have to wonder where Odin is. He's never been the kind to be subtle."



"Better question would be how many other of our friends have turned against us."



Diabolos cut the connection. That last remark didn't warrant an answer.



*****



Borrowing a mask from an injured gunner, Cloud stood at the forefront, drawing attention and deflecting what he could from several dragonriders. It might be low tech, but their arrows were made of some material capable of even punching through armored vests.



But all in all, this seemed very half assed. And not the kind of plan Barret would think up.



Godo maybe...or perhaps Andrea. He had been adept at misdirection with how long he avoided detection. He was distracted by his team, that had managed to get a machine gun set up and it now chattered loudly, causing the small dragons to bob and weave. Still, this was getting tiresome. Before they could do anything Barret and the others would need to commit.



"Can you do something about them?" He pulsed. He felt Bahamut well up inside him, reaching out. At first nothing happened, then the dragons began bucking, going wild and fighting their riders. Swinging about they flapped wings strongly, aiming to get as far away as possible. "Thanks."



*****



Tifa gasped in shock, hefted into the air by Scarlet. The blonde held her there for a long second, slamming her down across her knee. Tifa screamed, her spine buckling, hanging limply across the white haired Scarlet's knee. "Pathetic!" She sneered, shoving Tifa's head down into the muck, while slamming her other fist into the younger woman's soft stomach. Tifa gurgled, barely able to get her lips up to suck in a few precious sips of air, but each punch had the mud covering her face bubble. Lashing out wildly, her knuckles dug into the side of Scarlet's right boob, the woman wincing in clear pain. Feeling the hesitation after the attack, Tifa aimed there again fist sinking deep into the older woman's titflesh. Scarlet cried out in frustration and delivered one final elbow to Tifa's midsection and shoved the bitch off, rolling away and grimacing.



"You bitch!" Scarlet growled, glaring across at the gagging Tifa, on her hands and knees, massaging her side. Getting to her feet Scarlet staggered over to the kneeling woman, hands grabbing her matted, filthy locks, tugging eagerly. But the younger woman reached upwards, grabbing hold her face and pulled. With a loud squall Scarlet flew over her head, lips pulled back in a snarl as she sailed past to land with a dramatic SPLASH. Scrambling back to their feet neither hesitated to resume their fight.



Tifa lunged forward like a spear, fist connecting with Scarlet's mid section. The blonde gurgled, but fueled by the rage and jealousy of two beings, absorbed the blow and delivered a vicious two handed strike to Tifa's back. The younger woman stumbled but, with Siren and her own fury feeding her, shot back up, butting Scarlet just above her bouncing boobs. Panting, Scarlet twisted with the blow, clawed hand grabbing a firm hold of filthy, scraggly hair and pulled. Tifa gasped, growled and reciprocated, yanking the shorter haired woman back and forth.



Feet kicked, spraying sheets of mud that only thickened the coating both wore, but little else as much of the force was lost. Feet sloshed in the mud, bodies tilting as first one, then the other shoved strongly or pulled powerfully. In this contest it was only natural that their boobs came into play. Dense glands, now bare, slammed together heavily with increasing frequency, nipples swollen with blood and arousal playing with havoc with pillow like tits. Gasping, Scarlet shifted her hands, trying to pull Tifa into a hug.



With a low growl, Tifa slapped the mud caked blonde, twisting around throwing Scarlet over her hip. She went down with another impressive splash that doused Tifa enough that she lost sight of the woman while cleaning her face. Scarlet, however, was back up quickly wrapping her arms around the younger woman's waist and heaving them backwards to disappear back below. Seconds later they emerged, completely covered in oozing filth, hands scrabbling for purchase through the thick muck.



Scarlet moved her hands to Tifa's hair, jumping back, high into the air with a wild kick that hit the girl's thigh. Unbalanced, Scarlet pulled hard, throwing Tifa onto her ass. However she also lost her balance, rushing her attack, falling to her knees in front of Tifa, who wasted no time in grabbing her.

Fighting in this arena seemed to awaken something primitive in both women. Much like when Tifa fought Shiva, or when Scarlet wrestled Vicky, battling in the muck and mud eliminated any sense of decorum.



Or skill.



Slapping, or in Scarlet's case, scratching they assaulted faces, chests and shoulders. When they weren't wrapped up tighter than a pair of mating Zoloms, swaying back and forth or in a circle, they pulled hair to full extension, screams and shouts accompanying the sound of locks being pulled from scalps. Tifa dipped her head below the mud level, butting Scarlet just above her private and flipping the woman over onto her back. Twisting around she sprang back on top of Scarlet, banging her head into the muck.



Scarlet swung a wild fist, catching Tifa on the side of the head. Getting back to her knees she grabbed the girl by the neck and knocked her beneath the surface with a harsh slap. As she re-emerged on her hands and knees Scarlet pounced onto her back, arms going around her neck, aiming for familiar targets. Tifa yelled as her breasts were pulled but quickly responded, twisting her head to the side and sinking her teeth into a filth covered arm. It was now Scarlet's turn to scream and jump away, But not far enough as Tifa crashed into her, both falling over into what seemed like a shallow area.



Thrashing over and over they fought so wildly they both ended up on their backs upper bodies level while legs kicked in opposite directions as they rolled apart. Getting back to her knees Tifa glared up at the risen Scarlet, wiping filth from her eyes and spitting. Surging up to her feet Tifa grabbed the older woman only to drag her back down again. Brawling savagely, they paused long enough for Scarlet to drag Tifa up before slapping her down again. Jumping onto her back, Scarlet brought her full weight down on the younger woman, undulating to do it again. She reached for her hair, but Tifa had already rolled, the slickness of their bodies sliding Scarlet off. Before she could react Tifa was back on her.



Once more the wild tangle made it's way across the simulator. Angry grunts and furious yells mixed in with the sloshing of the mud, splat of slaps and screams that follows bites or scratches. Boobs pumped together with increasing frequency, neither pair displacing the either in any significant manner. This only increased the anger and frustration of the two women, which led them to, in turn, fight with greater ferocity. Suddenly they hit an obstruction. Her back feeling as if against a wall, the red rage in Tifa's brain faded enough to let her know they'd actually hit up against the Simulator's inner wall.



Snarling, Scarlet continued to push against Tifa, thrusting her boobs down at the younger woman. She felt Tifa's arms, around her back, curl upwards under her pits. The move barely registered to the former mature until Tifa grunted and Scarlet felt herself being forced up, off of Tifa and onto her knees. Needing a better grip now, she shifted her arms around Tifa's neck, still thrusting at her, but was suddenly made aware that Tifa was not interested in a titfight. Instead Tifa pushed her over onto her back and...



PAIN!!



Scarlet's eyes went wide when Tifa's knee connected with her pussy. She screamed when the girl did it again, trying to roll away. "No you don't!" Tifa snarled, repeating the move a third time. She rose slowly, stepping away from Scarlet, ever wary of the tricky woman playing possum. When it appeared that this wasn't the case, hate turned her face ugly, she grabbed a foot...only for the other to slash across her face. "Gah...planet damned...I HATE YOU SO MUCH!!"



"Preaching to the choir slum bitch!" Scarlet remarked coldly, getting painfully to her feet. If Shiva hadn't been here that would've been it, she knew...and it enraged her. Losing to Tifa again...she'd have to risk it. There was another hissing sound and Tifa glanced around quickly, not putting it past the shitty blonde to have some monster in here under her thrall, then swung back to Scarlet, fist cracking against the side of her face that staggered the woman. With ferocious growl, Scarlet sprang back with a blow of her own that shocked Tifa. That the blonde could still hit like that, after what had been done to her. A second blow alerted her to her position and Tifa lashed out grimly, both punching furiously.



After a minute Scarlet pummeled Tifa up against the wall, the younger woman dodging frantically, eating three out of every five blows. The other two stressing the metal of the simulator and the hologram itself.



After three of Tifa's fists thudded painfully into Scarlet's stomach and face, dazing the stubborn blonde who's fists still drilled uppercut after uppercut into her bouncing tits.



After six Scarlet had her back against the wall in a tight clinch, while they took turns pounding fists into each other's ribs. Groaning deeply, Tifa sagged and Scarlet stepped back, delivering a roundhouse punch to the younger woman's face. She didn't respond and Scarlet quickly grabbed her hands, pinning Tifa up against the wall. "Well, well, well..." she whispered silkily, rubbing their noses together, carefully thrusting her tits into Tifa's. She licked her lips, savoring the stunned look on the bitch's face. "Look who couldn't take it. You're mine now Tifa. Just like Cloud is. It's only fair I guess, poor boy felt so backed up last night when he visited."



*****



"A suit?" Tifa's face scrunched up. "What do you mean?"



"I think she'd given up on whatever she was working on with the formula." Cloud said, walking up to her, following her progress as she continued with the pull ups. "But she's been working on some odd looking outfit. Might just be to mess with your head, but with Scarlet, you can never be sure."



"Still though, that's good news...of a sort." She paused, looking down at Cloud. To her surprise he looked away, as if afraid to meet her gaze. Or ashamed.



"Even better is that it seems that Yuffie's correct. She's been avoiding sleep completely." Cloud gave a wan smile. "Guess she got tired of seeing outcomes she didn't like, but..."



"But...?" Tifa dropped from the bar she'd been using, pressing up against her husband. Shame, she decided as it took him a second to accept her kiss.



"No..." Cloud shook his head shame faced, pulling her into a hug. "I don't doubt Scarlet will bring it up at some point tomorrow. When she does, you'll know what to do..."



*****



"You..." Tifa slurred.



"Ssshhhh...quiet!" Scarlet cooed, shifting Tifa around to bring their ample chests fully into contact. "Let us savor this moment. With me flattening these balloons of yours. After that we'll have some fun, then go and check up on the fighting."



"Cloud..."



"Hmmm, oh yes. He was quite enthusiastic." Scarlet smiled widely. "Made me forget completely about sleeping. After a night with a man like that it was the last thing on my mind. Too bad he had to get back."



"I thought so..." Scarlet gave a startled wail as her pussy was once again assaulted, this time by both knees as Tifa took advantage of the fact she was being held up. She staggered, clutching her abused privates. "That's what he'd been talking about. My Cloud..."



"Guh...bitch! I beat you! I..." Scarlet's gagged, this kind of pain shooting lances of fire into her belly.



"No. HE returned the favor!" Tifa hissed, reaching behind her head and tugging at her ponytail. Her hair splayed free as the girl fiddled with the band, finally tossing it to the side. "Just like last time you clingy cxnt. Only this time it's not YOU he's helping."



Her vision clearing, Scarlet saw Tifa tilt back her head and picked up a soft crunch. Tifa stood still, shivering for a moment, head thrown back before it came back down to pin her a stare. A red-eyed stare!



Scarlet rose slowly, walking carefully towards Tifa, hips swaying, boobs bouncing. Tifa too walked, one foot ahead of the other, breasts rolling gently in time with her steps. Their moves slowed even further as their boobs met, pressing into one another. Squashing, squashing, neither woman looking away until they were unable to move any further, orbs flattened dramatically...but not conclusively.

 

Abruptly, Scarlet's fist smashed into Tifa's cheek, while Tifa's elbow cracked across Scarlet's face.



Staggering apart, the older blonde's fist shot out again a straight punch, snapping Tifa's head back. Grabbing an arm Scarlet turned, throwing Tifa through the air. Landing with a splash, in a crouch, she leapt to meet the oncoming Scarlet, feet flashing in a trio of kicks that nearly knocked her off her feet. Getting an arm up Scarlet deflected an open palm strike and delivered a series of blows to Tifa's midsection.



A final blow, aimed upwards, clipped Tifa's chin, only for Scarlet to also recoil from a punch to the side of her face. But her blow also staggered Tifa, sending her up against the wall. Shaking her head, Tifa focused and eyes went wide as she let herself slip down as Scarlet, face contorted in rage, with a blow that saw her hand crash through the wall, disrupting that section of the hologram. Ramming her head into Scarlet's chest, Tifa bore her back causing her hand to come free with a scream as the metal tore at it.



Furiously Scarlet pounded on Tifa's back, but when that got no results, she dug her claws in. Tifa yowled, head coming up to hit under the other woman's jaw, the pair stumbling apart. A sudden noise drew their attention away from one another, back to the new hole in the wall. A low rumbling that grew louder until a rush of white green, foul smelling liquid burst forth dousing them both.



"Structural integrity compromised, program zero zero nine runtime error. Deleting. Replace coolant pod three. Program runtime zero zero seven."



The room shifted around them, the mud flushed through openings, the coolant flow stopped, while power sprinklers in the roof cleansed the area, and the fighters. In less than thirty seconds Tifa and Scarlet now stood in the rec. room beneath Junon. However they only had eyes for one another. Scarlet's hair had gone from white to a light blue and  her lips were sapphire blue.



Tifa's green and yellow hair now waved independent of the air around them, with what appeared to be small vestigial wings. "The site where we crushed you both conclusively." She stated, smiling beatifically feeling a pressure in her back. Not yet, she pulsed. "Fitting..."



"Also the place you gave us Cloud." Scarlet retorted, observing herself absently. The changes were unexpected, but not unwanted. "And how we enjoyed his presence. And him, ours...after we took the time to properly introduce ourselves."



However, instead of flying into a rage like expected, Tifa only gave a mocking smile and raised a clenched fist. A whirlwind of greenish air formed there, covering the fist to form a rough blade. "I think it's time we took a turn."



Opening her hand, moisture gathered in the shape of a rough mace. "I totally agree!" Shiva declared, leaping at Tifa, now Siren. As their weapons met, there was loud clatter, the balls on the pool table scattering. Even as Siren and Shiva dueled, weapons flashing, the table rocked back and forth as if something large was moving about. Gradually a ghostly figure began to form, becoming more distinct, changing into two. Sound began to filter through, a mix of yells and screams. Finally fully manifesting as a punching, kneeing and rolling Tifa and Scarlet.



Not about to let not having access to their bodies stop them, the furious and blonde and enraged brunette had resumed attacking one another upon regaining their senses. With a shocked cry they tumbled off the edge of the pool table, ending up on the same side as their now physical Espers.

 

Rising to their feet, they pulled hair and clawed faces, spinning around in a frantic fury. A knee from Scarlet sent them back down to thrash between the legs of their partners for a minute before pulling each other back up again. Hissing and spitting in fury, Tifa's fist stunned Scarlet, causing the woman to sag, the brunette hefting her up and throwing her over the table. Seeing her temporarily defenseless Tifa gave into her baser instincts and grabbed hold of the blonde's prodigious tits, squeezing tight. Scarlet howled in agony, hands grabbing for Tifa's own pendulous orbs, both women mangling each other's mammaries while Siren pressed Shiva up against the side, bodies parallel, her blade inching towards the Ice Goddess's face before being shoved away at the same time Scarlet kicked Tifa away.



*****



"To the West..." Alexander turned at the announcement. "You're certain?"



"Yes sir." The scout's head bobbed rapidly. "As per the doctor's orders we secured a few recon points between the ruins and the beach. They've spotted a small group come ashore, riding Chocobos."



"Schroeder..." Alex took a deep breath. Even still he looked after them. "Direct Titan to intercept them. And send three S-ranks to help him."



"Sir!" Alexander took his stance back at the massive window overlooking the city, and battle. It had seemed far too easy to repel the early attacks, spread out as they were. He closed his eyes thinking back to the previous reports. Golem...Serpah and Carbunkle...Terrato. That left seven...including the likes of Odin and Kujata. With luck Odin would be distracted by Titan. The rest he could handle himself.



*****

[Gradius]

"I've got to go!"



"Go? Where needs you more than here!?" Cloud snapped, clenching his fist and firing several bolts of lightning that crashed between a pair of weaving dragons as well as several hovering soldiers in helitrooper gear. "We're the most heavily engaged and Bahamut's still fighting my control."



"Not anymore, it seems we've got some rats trying to sneak in the back!" Titan rumbled.



"Huh...makes sense." Cloud grunted, thinking quickly. He could offer to join him. A swift ambush to eliminate their main bruiser would be a step in the right direction. "Need any help."



"No." Titan regarded Cloud shrewdly. "Not that I don't trust you. But I still believe, despite your words, you might hesitate when confronted by your former friends. And, like you said, Bahamut is still resisting you. You won't be of much use in what's to come."



Cloud didn't bother arguing, knowing it would make the Esper suspicious. Instead he merely nodded and turned his attention back to the fight in front of him, while Titan leapt away.



*****



"They use their superior numbers against us?" Diabolos hissed.



"We knew it would be difficult." Alexander's voice was scratchy over the comms. "All we can do is fight on and hope he sends help."



"Hmmph. They fight well, but not anything we cannot weather." The Dark Esper remarked. "Phoenix keeps their ships at bay and the forces on the ground have made little progress."



"True, but don't forget who they still have to play."



"His power is great, but not that threatening." Diabolos scoffed, raising a dark barrier to swallow another rocket barrage. They'd be running out of missiles soon if they kept this up. "If Titan suffers difficulty I could go down and..."



"You're assuming none of the others have joined them." Alex's response was sharp. "We've seen that they can be persuasive. And more to the point, Leviathan hasn't appeared either. Even if it was just the two of them, Titan would be sorely pressed."



"Then keep your ears open and be ready. That's your responsibility. This is mine. And no ship shall get within striking range while I rule the skies!"



*****



Dropping out of the sky, Titan brushed himself off and surveyed the area. Just outside the city limits, there was nothing to hide behind on this side. He squinted spotting five growing dots on the horizon. "Sir...we're here to assist. Where..." He raised a hand to interrupt the trooper.



"Get into cover." He ordered. "Do not waste your bullets on the others like me. Instead try to incapacitate their hosts."



With a crip salute the three warriors retreated back a short distance to the edge of the ruins, ducking behind the rubble.



As they got closer Titan felt the mana of those approaching. Two...maybe three were Avatars of his kin. Only question now was...who was it. The Chocobos kept coming onward and soon he could make out the figures. The sunlight glinted off the head of one, while another was broad enough that his figure extended across his bird's back. One was a woman with long dark hair and, for a second he mistook her for Tifa. Her sister then. The next was a very plain looking older man, with his head tied in a bandana and the last...Titan unintentionally gave a chuckle. A cat sitting awkwardly across a bird's back.



A powerful surge immediately stopped that and Titan got his hands up to grab Kujata's horns, being driven back by the Esper's charge. At the same time he roared at a sharp pain as his back was sliced by a blur of blue and silver. Leaping off their mounts the five mortals marched towards him, a familiar figure emerging above the woman. With a grunt Titan heaved Kujata to the side, sending the massive bull creature rolling. "I'm surprised you're here Lakshmi. You never did care for roughhousing."



"We're not here to talk!" The young woman snapped, dropping into a strange position. Titan cocked his head, confused for second, before realizing she intended to fight him. He glanced over at the others.



"You've met her sister...they're very much alike." The bandana clad man shrugged. Something about him made Titan uneasy. It was similar to something...he should remember. "So I wouldn't take it easy on her. You have no idea how she gets when you do that."



Titan's response was interrupted by a gout of fire that engulfed his face. Blinded he tumbled through the air, heaved there by a returning Kujata, watering eyes catching Fenrir's fang filled smile before the wolf spun rapidly driving him into the ground. Moving far faster than he should, Titan's hand grabbed hold of Fenrir's tail as he attempted to leap away, whirling him over his head, before hurling the beast like Esper back at the mortals. They quickly scattered in different directions, the two that hadn't manifested charging at him.



To his side Kujata bellowed a challenge, also distracting him. "Deal with those two!" Titan roared, spinning around to deliver a punch that snapped off one of the bull's horns before it careened into him. Weapons at the ready, the three S-rank troopers intercepted the two mortals with cat like creature that seemed to be with Fenrir joining them.



*****



"I'll break you in TWO!!" Tifa snarled. Scarlet screamed, thrashing wildly in Tifa's grasp, the ethereal brunette holding the ghostly blonde over her shoulders in a painful backbreaker. However that was not the cause of Scarlet's pain filled scream. To the side Shiva struggled, straining, hands locked over Siren's wrist, who slowly, repeatedly stabbed her with the wind blade. While it left no mark on Scarlet's body, her spirit writhed in agony.



Needing to aid her partner, Shiva pulled a hand away, the mace on the floor melting and flowing back up into it, forming a short sword. It was now Siren that grabbed Shiva's wrist to prevent the Ice Queen from driving her weapon into Tifa's body. In doing do so it allowed Shiva to force her hand away from her stomach. Muscles clenched and strained, arms twisting up and down. Siren's eyes flashed and Shiva shifted quickly, moving away as the green blade abruptly grew, doubling in size and sliding across her side. Scarlet wailed again, even the lightest touch proving dramatically agonizing. Now Shiva focused, the hand holding her weapon at head level, the blade shifting from a sword to a scythe. The blade curved, reaching into Tifa's head and the result was immediate.



Tifa shrieked, releasing Scarlet and clutching her head. Though weakened, Scarlet was not about to miss this advantage to hurt her rival and shot up, hammering a fist across her face, kicking her in the stomach and finally grabbing her bowed head and slamming her face first into the floor. Snatching the eight ball Scarlet leapt onto the downed woman, hammering the solid plastic and resin ball across the back of Tifa's head. Seeing the girl curl up to try and reduce the damage only enraged the blonde further. "HOW DARE YOU!" Scarlet screamed, dragging Tifa up by the hair and spinning her in place. "HOW DARE YOU!! GET UP!!"



Tifa yelled as she was released, tumbling through the air and rolling across the floor. Siren slashed Shiva's arm away, stopping Scarlet cold in her tracks as she arced in pain, both of them hammering with their respective weapons now to little effect. With the terrible pain gone Tifa was on her feet swiftly, sliding across the carpet and shooting up in a run back at Scarlet. A wild bolo punch went over Tifa's head, falling back in a slide under a kick, to pop Scarlet with an uppercut, punch and backhand that sent Scarlet against the pool table. Gasping, the blonde's foot snapped forward, catching the brunette under the chin, knocking Tifa back on her ass. Rising, she dodged left, the right quickly, avoiding a pair of striped billiard balls flung her by Scarlet. The third hit her across the ribs, but she kept moving, leaping at a wide eyed Scarlet, catching the blonde with her arm raised, ready to throw again.



Rolling across the table, Tifa sat on Scarlet's stomach, slaps and punches knocking the blonde's face back and forth. Acting on instinct, Scarlet reached up and grabbed two prominent targets, fingers crushing and squeezing. Tifa yowled at  the pain, grabbing Scarlet's hands in time to be dragged forward and flung over the tenacious blonde. Landing on the floor, Tifa immediately flipped over onto her feet, rising quickly. Rushing forward she screeched to a stop, spreading her arms wide to catching Scarlet who leapt from the pool table into Tifa's waiting arms, sending them both back to the floor.



Rolling briskly, blonde and brunette passed by Shiva and Siren repeatedly, the female Espers still locked in their own struggle. A wind swirled fist clipped Shiva's jaw, a frozen punch shattered across Siren's shoulder. Spinning with the blow, Siren hurled Shiva against the wall and slammed into her. Both froze briefly, reading the emotions of their respective partners, arms quickly making their way over and around shoulders.



"I saw your pathetic improvements," Siren sneered at Shiva, noting the clear discomfort on her face. "Did you think I wouldn't respond? After all you've done! Maybe I should force the issue..."



"Of course you would. Seeing as your girl is too scared to." Shiva mocked, scornfully. She gave a light hiss as Siren's arms tightened, but squeezed back just as hard, boobs jostling over the confined space. "She promised Scarlet a "fair" fight. Coward didn't realize just how much she's...how long we've been preparing for this!"



"She won't win...YOU won't win!" Siren spat, shoving upwards and causing her tits to spring free and drop heavily on top of Siren's. "By the time I'm done, matching tits with Tifa will be the last thing on her mind."



"Think so!" Shiva snarled, straining against the weight on her chest, demonstrating the firmness she's provided Scarlet with. Even with a pair of monsters bearing down on them, the orbs would not give, resisting the weight evenly. She pressed upwards even as Siren pushed down, both women growling and snapping into each other's face before Shiva's tits sprang free. As they flopped back down Shiva thrust forward sharply, driving them deep into Siren's broad tits like a spear.



Siren yelped an pulled away sharply. She glared into Shiva's smirking face for a quick second then twisted herself sharply to the right swatting Shiva's left boob to batter up against her right. The Ice Queen gasped, and stabbed her right boob into Siren's right. Neither was what you'd call an expert at this, their fights always having been more traditional. However, their bodies had the muscle memories of their owners, plus the female Espers own slight experience. Shoving off the wall Shiva hammered Scarlet's preferred weapons against Siren, slamming the green haired bitch back spitefully. At least until Siren swayed away from a heavy swing that left Shiva unbalanced and now she hurled Tifa's guns into Shiva's, the cold cxnt stumbling with each blow until she almost fell, barely keeping her feet.



Grunting and shouting Shiva and Siren heaved the immense, heavy mammaries of their respective partners together to crush in side to side slams. The huge orbs flattened brutally, swelling together and staggering the embattled Espers. Blow after blow rained down on the treasured glands without pause, long and shapely legs wobbling with every impact. But as bad as it was for them, it was worse for Tifa and Scarlet.



The first series of blows had their wild ground fight slow to a crawl. Shiva hammering Siren into retreat had Tifa whine as she was pinned beneath a bright eyed Scarlet, who ground her boobs down hard on the brunette's ample titflesh. Siren's counterblows and smashing Shiva almost to the floor had Scarlet's eyes cross and Tifa slowly, tortuously, force the blonde onto her back, sneering as she bombed her massive glands onto the other's defenseless pair. As the Esper's battle reached an equilibrium, Tifa and Scarlet pumped and thrust their breasts futilely against one another in a slow, hitching roll until they thrust apart.



Scrambling to her feet, Scarlet swung a wide blow that clipped the tip of Tifa's left breast, making the girl moan and the orb jiggle. The brunette's response was a snap kick that clipped Scarlet's right boob as the blonde hastily jumped, knocking it up into her face, bouncing heavily back down onto her chest. Both recoiled, curling up with arms protectively held over their chests. Siren and Shiva's dance possessed a sensuous grace that made both women jealous, despite the intensity of their attacks.



Each hefty boob blow coincided with a mincing, dainty step. Siren's boobs smashed into Shiva's, two quick steps to the right.



Shiva's breasts battered against Siren's, a series of quick hops at a leftward angle.

Hands on one another's hips they alternated slamming their tits in side to side motions and thrusting the orbs to stab into the one opposite. Rather than flat footed they were on their toes, each swing, each thrust having the associated foot give a light jump, resulting in a hip swaying, circling dance.



Tifa and Scarlet, by comparison, were far more brutish and straightforward, pounding the broad, dense glands with violent abandon. At times they planted their feet and shoved the massive orbs together, grinding...working them into each other. Without the agony from the Esper's weapons playing havoc with their spectral forms, blonde and brunette found themselves copying their partner's fight. For Scarlet, this was her desire, to match bodies with Tifa in total and prove her superiority. For Tifa this was an odd choice and a voice in the back of her mind railed against it. But at the same time she badly wanted to come out on top in this type of contest. To be beaten in such a manner, especially by Scarlet...



All four women now moved together, their steps different, but motions similar. As they did so, the violence and intensity of their bosomy duels picked up with each passing minute. Shiva and Siren literally leapt into the air to deliver hefty blows into one another's tits, blue and green nipples slashing burning lines in the taut flesh. Tifa and Scarlet wrapped up in a tight merciless bearhug, breasts squashed mercilessly between them, tottering back and forth.



"I always win!" Tifa/Siren hissed. The former causing Scarlet to scream as her arms tensed, lifting the other woman slightly off the floor. Siren's long hair swirled around her, coinciding with a skipping slam that had Shiva stumble against the wall with a loud wail, starting to slide to the floor. "You were never a match for us without your tricks."



"That's what the suit is for!" Scarlet/Shiva snarled. A growl rising from the pit of her stomach, Scarlet's arms tightened, her strength suddenly increasing, slowly bending Tifa backwards, the wide eyed brunette fighting back frantically as her breasts were pushed back into her chest. Shiva shot off the wall, hovering in the for a second before coming down on Siren, smashing her boobs directly on top of Siren's. The Air Queen went pale and screamed in genuine agony, slipping down to her knees.



But as fast as an advantage was gained, it was lost. Grimacing, eyes watering, Siren glared at the smirking Shiva and shot up, returning the favor and knocking Shiva back into the air. Catching herself Shiva clutched at her battered boobs, hovering in the air. At the same time Scarlet's eyes went glassy from the surge of pain and her grip slackened enough for Tifa to push back up to an equal footing. With a straining scream the brunette went one further and forced the injured blonde back until her back hit the wall. In the same time, Siren had joined Shiva up in the air, arms a blur as they hacked, slapped and punched at one another.



A slash to the face opened five welts on Siren's face and had Tifa wince. A fist to the gut caused Shiva to gag and Scarlet to stumble. As suited her single minded nature, Scarlet stubbornly refused to let go of Tifa, glaring hard into the busty brunette's face, locking her hands firmly in the small of her back. Tifa struggled at first, badly wanting to sink her fist into that hated face, but whatever Scarlet had done had so equalized their strength that her arms wouldn't budge. Finally she switched her offensive, squeezing her arms around Scarlet again. Despite the groan it drew from the older woman, the smirk she shot Tifa said it all.



Back above, Siren suddenly realized the bulk of Shiva's strikes were directed at her chest and after small fists burrowed into those glands a couple more times, the enraged Esper spun in the air and delivered a kick to the back of Shiva's head. Stunned by the blow, Shiva's arms hung limp for a second. Which was all Siren needed, delivering a pair of uppercuts to Shiva's, left then right breast, and a kick that knocked her flying back against the wall, sinking into it.



"Warning...Warning...fuel line ruptured. Replace immediately!" Immediately the room flashed red as more fluid ran down it, this time green in color, seeping to the floor to gather beneath where Tifa and Scarlet strained against one another, cursing bitterly. Shiva felt energy seep back into her and sniffed the liquid. "Ma...AAAAHHHHHHH!!" She howled as Siren crashed into her...tits first. The result was immediate.



All four females screamed with the impact, the agonizing pain in the resilient, but still sensitive, parts of their anatomy causing Tifa and Scarlet to stumble apart. Siren fell back into the pool of gathering mako, clutching her massive mammaries. Shiva floating down to land on her hands and knees. Then Tifa stumbled into Siren. Scarlet across Shiva.



Thump...



Tifa shuddered, her body flickering. Siren arched, nerves suffused with power, screaming up at the ceiling.



Thump!



Scarlet's entire body shook, teeth gritted. Shiva's eyes glowed, the liquid beneath her freezing over.



THU-THUMP!!



A spark and once more all four screamed, this time in an unrealized joy, Tifa and Scarlet disappearing and Siren and Shiva enveloped in a green and blue light that filled the surrounding area.

*****



They all felt the surge of mana.



Wrangling Kujata to the ground, Titan and the bull both paused in their struggle, heads turning slowly towards the Shinra Tower.



High above Diabolos hesitated in his movements, missing a pair of missiles that still very nearly got through as both Seraph and Carbunkle's barriers faded from their distraction. While down below Cloud's gaze turned back to the center of the city, concern etching deep lines in his face. "Now Yuffie," He whispered softly. "Now!!"



Alexander felt the building shudder and shake, glancing about in irritation. It had been a mistake to allow them this level of freedom at this moment. He wasn't entirely sure what they were thinking, but he had been adamant that the women be allowed to do as they would. "Sir!!" He raised his head, jerked out of his personal musings. "We've got a problem down below!"



"This is defense team Alpha. We're at the elevator leading to the first floor..." The voice coming through was scratchy, probably from the disturbance. "We're under attack. They came out of the rubble, dozens of them. We're falling back to the elevator. Requesting permission to use..."



"We lost the signal," The operator, quickly adjusted the dials, tapping furiously on the keyboard. "Re-routing..."



"Don't bother, you won't get through." Alexander cricked his neck left, then right and spun around.



"Order the rest of the defenders to the top levels, they'll just get in the way. I'll handle this, personally."



*****



"Hyahahaha...on 'em lads." Beck chortled, following the other raiders...not too closely of course. Hence he was in the ideal position when several swung down to cover their fellows with a barrage. Up front Burt stomped on the ground, raising a section of the floor to provide cover. Butch and Burke popped up from behind, to hurl debris, rocks, metal slabs, whatever was handy. One of the troopers fell, rubble bouncing off his helmet, before being helped back up by the others.



"Fall back...fall back!" Came the call. "Get to the upper levels."



"Cowards!" Beck shouted, posing on top of the raised floor section. "Get back 'ere an' fight like men!"



"Beck!" The tubby smaller man gave a yelp and rolled down the rubble, rubbing his head at Yuffie's appearance. "I need you and your people to get back. Out of the building would be best."



"What?" The four men turned their eyes on her. "This's our home now. You expect us to..."



"You need to listen to me." Yuffie snapped, unhitching her shuriken. "There's something coming. Something I don't think I can stop. If you stay here now, you...will...die. Understand?!"



For quite possibly the first time in his life Bert felt the sobering weight of reality. This girl wasn't just saying this. He could see the fear on her face. If whatever was coming scared her..."Rightio, we getting the hell out of here. Butch, you go get the others. Time to skedaddle."



Moving back as Yuffie took up position by the elevator Beck didn't look behind him until her felt a touch on his shoulder. Burt stared at him from behind his mask. "You heard her. Whatever is coming down is too much for her. Best we get as far as we can as fast as we can. It's what we've always done and it's how we survive!"



*****



Back down in the bowels of the building, the Simulator was silent. However, that silence was swiftly broken by a booming crash and a gleaming blue flash, Shortly after the entire floor seemed to shake with a piercing scream and shimmering green blaze.



Back inside the device was a madhouse ice chunks and frost shards, of green shaped blades and rapid gusts. The reason for the machine being de-powered was obvious with low pool of mako covering the floor from several dripping, fist and foot sized holes. In the center of this chaos, punctuated by the sudden and flashes of color was a bright green, winged figure and a rapidly darting blue-white character.



Tifa and Scarlet. Recognizable, if just barely.



Crashing together in flurry of punches and kicks, Tifa delivered a downward punch that Scarlet rolled with, flipping over to deliver a savage axe kick that knocked Tifa splash into the floor. Dropping from the air, Scarlet aimed for the winged woman's back, but Tifa's wings blurred pulling her away from the massive splash and displaced mako. "I could get used to this." Scarlet smiled up at Tifa, flexing her fingers, spike heeled, knee high booted feet rising out of the liquid. Icicles protruded from her wrists, protecting the bands. Her hair, remained blue, had grown in length, held in place by a cone of ice in a high ponytail that still reached the small of her back. "How does it feel Lockhart? To finally face an equal."



"You are not my equal. You never were." Tifa replied coldly, her voice lighter and higher pitched. Her wings, golden green, fluttering across her back held Tifa steady in the air. Flapping strongly she flew into Scarlet, bearing the woman against the wall with a violent CRASH! Rubble crashed around them, splashing mako across their bodies. Golden bands ran across her feet, protecting them in a pair of boots that blocked Scarlet's kick, while gauntleted fists crashed across Scarlet's face and chest. Green hair fluttered and whirled around Tifa's head, strands coming together to appear like wings in their own right. Which were grabbed by Scarlet who spun them around, shoving Tifa against the wall and delivering a series of blows to the girl's midsection.



Booted feet pushed her away, sending Scarlet twirling in the air, where Tifa joined her, fingers linking as they shoved each other back and forth from wall to wall, driving one another deeper and deeper into the structure. The device had been built to Scarlet's specifications, designed to test her war machines and Shinra's soldiers. It had been built to take a beating. But this was too much for it to take after years of neglect. Shoving Tifa up against the wall, Scarlet hauled back a glowing blue fist and hammered it where the Tifa's head had been. A elbow slammed across her face and Tifa grabbed her ponytail, hurling her up against the ceiling. Scarlet got her arms up as Tifa flew towards her, then stopped short, horror crossing her face. With an almost human groan the Simulator collapsed, caving in on itself and the fighting women.



*****



"What was that!?" Yuffie staggered as the building shook. This one felt more localized and immediately her eyes went to the elevator shaft to the basement floors. Concern hammered away at her conscience, demanding attention. She didn't need to get involved...so long as Tifa was winning...but there couldn't be any harm in just checking up on them. Right?



She took a hesitant step then immediately flipped up into the air, throwing her shuriken from the ceiling, before pushing back down. At both of her former locations glowing knives stuck out, fading slowly. Her weapon was in flight and came back to her hand with several spokes dripping red.



"Oh...it's you." Alexander advanced from on her from the same shaft the troopers had evacuated to. His head turned slowly back and forth, a bright red slice running just below his eyes, surveying the area. "Strange, I was informed that my men were under attack by dozens. And instead I find you here alone."



"Never heard of the Wutai Ninja?" Yuffie bragged, puffing out her chest. "We can be everywhere and nowhere all at the same time."



"Amusing... Leviathan's sealed herself away I suppose. It's the only way you could've gotten this close without me sensing you."



"Heh, I told her she could take a break." Yuffie growled, focusing inward. Not yet...not yet. "For what you people did to Cloud, I wanted to handle this personally."



"What is it with you women that he surrounds himself with?" Alexander shook his head baffled. "And I have done nothing to him. He chose to fight alongside us of his own free..."



Alexander raised a glowing shield to block another throw, pinning the kunoichi in an annoyed stare.



A pair of bright short swords manifested in his hands. "I won't kill you." He stated simply, relaxing his control slightly, letting her get a glimpse of what she was up against. "But I can't promise not to injure you. I still have hope that Leviathan'll come to her senses."



Yuffie gulped, and readied herself. And she had to do was distract him, hopefully long enough for the others to get close enough.



*****



Back in the basements the rubble of what was once the Simulator still shook and flashed. Spikes of ice exploded out of sections in some areas, while others were flung away by gusts of air. Blows that shook the entire mass followed by angry screams came faster and with greater frequency as if they were fighting their way up from the bottom until a green haired Tifa exploded out from the rubble in a wild tumble. Similarly green wings spread to halt her high in the air. With a strong flap she flipped over a rushing Scarlet, emerging from below...hands grabbing for her, and rammed her shoulder into the woman's back, increasing their momentum until they hit the roof.



Groaning, Scarlet went limp, starting to fall, only for Tifa to kick her back into the roof. Twice she did this, when Scarlet's eyes flashed blue and a fist cracked against Tifa's face to send her crashing down into Scarlet's former work station. Tifa coughed, shaking her head, glaring across at Scarlet who landed carefully before her. Getting to her feet she tensed, when Scarlet did something odd. Aiming at a spot between them to the right, she fired off a trio of spikes from her wristbands. Immediately there was a loud HISS of escaping gas and red mist formed between them. Tifa recoiled instinctively, muscle memory shrieking loudly, wings flapping to blow it away from her. Scarlet however, to Tifa's horror, simply stepped into the cloud.



"What's wrong Tifa? Afraid to lose control again...afraid you'll lose again?" She purred, breathing deeply of the berserk. This was a risk. She could feel it tearing at her body and mind. Feel Shiva working furiously to keep their merged form from succumbing like all her test subjects had.



She could already feel the single dose of berserk she'd kept for herself fading, her new body burning through the pill rapidly. She remembered not only how their last fight in Midgar went...but also how the one in Nibelheim ended. "Be ready..." she pulsed to Siren, taking a breath, and stepping into the cloud. Immediately she doubled over, coughing violently. It attacked her body...it attacked her mind. This wasn't...it was...



"Did I forget to mention this was a brand new formula!?" Scarlet cackled loudly, throwing out her arms and inhaling a fresh lungful. Her eyes went red and she retched violently. Her body began to swell and in the back of her throat of deep growl emanated, echoed by the twisting shape across from her.



*****



Yuffie twirled horizontally in the air, grabbing hold of a rusty pipe to pull herself higher, away from the beam of light. Flipping down, she slipped into a split, going under Alexander's double handed sword strike, slicing her shuriken across his midsection. Light blazed, blocking her blow and she rolled away from his hammer blow, sinking deep into the flooring.



"Hah...hah..." The kunoichi panted, sweating from the effort...and the fear. With Leviathan suppressed the primal fear of a predator made her entire body run cold. It was taking all she had not to just turn tail. In fact...Yuffie stared hard at white haired young man, twirling his weapons absently. He hadn't moved from his spot in pursuit of her. As if...waiting?



Shaking her head she growled, gesturing, the blue materia in her shuriken glowing bright and globe a water formed near him, before exploding. "Yah!" She grunted, pumping a fist. But her joy lasted only so long as the mist faded and Alexander re-appeared. Unbothered.



"A worthy effort." He stated, his presence swelling in her vision. She scrambled back as he leapt at her, falling onto her rear, mewling pitifully in sudden terror. Now he advanced on her, clearly at the end of his patience, merging his two smaller swords into one larger one. "But not good enough. Now...this WILL hurt."



"Levi..." Yuffie started when slab of concrete flew over her prone figure to smash into Alexander.

 

"Up...up..." Butch grabbed her elbow, hauling the ninja girl to her feet. She stared at him dumbly as he snapped his fingers in her face. "Anyone home in dere?"



"I'm...what're you morons doing here? I told you to run!" Yuffie flared, embarrassment at needing to be rescued overwhelming the fear. And by Beck's crew of all things.



"Yeah, well Burt didna' like the idea of leavin' a girl behind ta fight alone." Beck appeared at her other side grumbling. Burt's towering frame came up next and through his mask he appeared to be blushing.



"Well, that's good an' all but..." Yuffie started when Alexander emerged from under the rubble. He glared around, focusing on her new following.



"Ah...so you weren't alone." He growled, entire body glowing now. "Good. Because right now I feel a need to just let loose some frustration!!"



"No, all of you get..." Once again, Yuffie was interrupted. Beck, Butch, Burke and Burt were already scrambling for cover when the floor beneath them exploded outwards. The four ex- bandits saw nothing, but Alexander and Yuffie both froze at what emerged.



*****



Tifa roared, powering Scarlet into the floor, punching and slapping.



Scarlet bellowed, grabbing her enemy's throat and sending them up, through the ceiling several floors before their momentum was stopped and they fell apart. Snarling she charged at her tormentor on all fours, the two of them smashing together with enough violence to shake the surrounding area. Jumping apart, the two searched for something to throw before turning their attention back to one another.



Tifa had shot up almost a foot and a half in height, her figure more voluptuous than lithe now. Red and yellow feathers that covered her privates and supported her breasts, and also gave her a crown of hair that extended up as much as down her back. While her body appeared monstrous, it radiated a sexuality and her face remained human and beautiful, intelligence glimmering behind her blood red eyes. "What have you done to us!?"



Her skin now grey and squeezed into a bright blue bikini formed from her suit as well as a pair of thigh high boots and elbow length gloves, Scarlet snarled back. Bone white hair floated behind her as she circled her rival. More human looking than Tifa's new form and face possessing a cold, cruel beauty made only more stark by her crimson eyes. "Wasn't entirely what I was going for. But I am loving the thoughts of what I can do to you with this."



Growling, Tifa flew at Scarlet, spinning to unleash a kick that probably would've taken the woman's head off it she hadn't met it with one of her own. Scarlet grinned over at the furious, feathered woman, launching her own kick that now Tifa blocked with her own. Feet began moving faster and faster until they blurred, both changed women standing on one foot as kicks flew between them. Warm and cold air flowed between them, meeting and clashing, small clouds forming with small flashes within their depths. Scarlet didn't tire, but her face lost the smirk as she gave a small hop backwards, then another.



Tifa's expression was all concentration as they kicked, feeling the slight slowing in Scarlet's efforts. She might've been granted greater strength, speed and coordination...but all that was no mattered little in a battle of skill. With a satisfied grunt, she hooked a foot around Scarlet's, forcing it to the ground. Knowing she'd expect another kick, Tifa instead leapt into the air and came with a punch that went over the Ice woman's guard and across the top of her head. Scarlet wailed, but to Tifa's surprise, she didn't dwell on the sharp pain. Instead she threw her arms around Tifa and propelled them upwards, through floors until they crashed through the ground floor.



Tifa caught a brief glimpse of a surprised looking Yuffie and a stunned Alexander as she got her arms free, and shoved against Scarlet's shoulders, pushing them back into a rubbish pile. A punch to her face and kick to her stomach had her stumble back away from Scarlet, the two women wrapping up tightly in a fierce grapple, ignoring their wide eyed audience.



"Tifa!" Yuffie shouted, her friend cursing from a punch into her ribs and across her face.



"Sister!" Alexander called, the pale woman doubling over from a kick to the stomach and then being hurled past them into the elevator shaft.



"WHOA!!" Beck and Burt leapt out of the way as Tifa flew past, running into Scarlet's foot, clutching her face and the other woman pouncing back on her. Spinning around wildly, Scarlet's ass hit Butch, knocking him to the side, Burt grabbed both women by the shoulder only to fly towards the entrance from a double shove from the outraged pair. Alexander immediately retreated warily, but could do little else as the viciously fighting fused femmes now stood between him and his targets.



"Stay...back!" Tifa warned, growling at punch that dug into her left tit, butting Scarlet and yanking her hair.



Holding each other by the throat and hair Tifa and Scarlet staggered drunkenly across the room towards the doors, a dazed Butch giving them a wide berth. They occasionally released a grip to drill a punch across one another's body or kneed or kicked. Spinning around Scarlet slammed Tifa into a pillar, focusing and forming a pair of manacles that held her up. Stepping back she unleashed a barrage of punches to the trapped woman's stomach and chest until Tifa gave a piercing shriek that sent Scarlet tumbling away before getting her footing. By that time however, Tifa had pulled herself free and unleashed an uppercut, lifting Scarlet into the air and followed it up with another scream that launched Scarlet upwards at an angle to crash through the roof and out the building. Spreading her wings, Tifa leapt into the air after her.



"What in the world..." Alexander remained motionless, staring up at the hole in the ceiling , shaking his head and bringing his attention back down. "Now then, we...?"



Looking around he found himself alone, Yuffie and the others having taken the opportunity to flee. Glaring around in irritation the young man relaxed and moved back to the elevator. He had to warn the others they had a rogue serpent wandering the battlefield. As well as a pair of pair of free agents.



******



Titan grunted, hauling Fenrir off his back and slamming the wolf into the ground. Raising a massive fist, he spun around rapidly, catching Kujata's charge by the horns. The powerful bull stomped it's hooves and lightning flashed down striking Titan who flew back from the shock. "...Ow..." He shook his head, catching Fenrir by the throat and throwing him into the charging Kujata. This was starting to get out of hand.



Grunting he staggered upright, hearing a shout. Off to the side, one of the supporting troopers was struggling against Tifa's sister and the cat creature. The large bald man and shorter, fat, one with an axe were going after the second while the third. The third was already on his back, dead or incapacitated with the bandana clad elder giving him a look. Again, Titan felt a sense of unease. What...as one all four Espers turned their gazes to the sky. "SCATTER!" He heard the greybeard shout as a loud whistling sound preceded the explosion.



"Ugh..." The creature that crawled out of the crater bore only a passing resemblance to Shiva. It looked in surprise at Titan swinging it's gaze around until it landed on Joslyn. A cunning smile crossed it's face, gesturing over in the young woman's direction. "You'll do..."



"NO!" Lakshmi dove in front of Josy, blocking a freezing beam of energy...or trying to as it froze the scantily clad Esper's arms solid. She screamed as they shattered, the creature unleashing a cackling laugh as the others dove for cover as she fired wildly before it took aim at Joslyn again. As she fired something landed in front of Jo, a heat enveloping her that dissipated the ice in a cloud of steam. Gasping heavily, the young brunette struggled to breathe while her savior darted away. More yells now as she crawled out of the mist, clothing sticking to her sweaty frame, emerging in time to see the Shiva look alike being dragged skyward a feathered, feminine form.



"What happened?" She coughed. With a sudden start, she dashed over to her partner, holding Lakshmi while she slowly regenerated her arms.



"Titan ran off while we were all distracted." Nanaki growled, padding in close and sniffing to make sure she was unhurt. "I think...yes, Fenrir says that was Shiva. Scarlet..."



"Well what drove her off?"



"I think...I think that was Tifa." Zangan said hesitantly. "It looked like her...but it didn't fight like her."



"Tifa has...history with Scarlet." Jo started, hesitating, debating how much to tell him. "And sis...has a bit of tendency to meet her enemies on their level."



The look Zangan shot her made it clear he'd want more details, but before he could ask anything there a crackling on their radios. "We're here."



"We just caught sight of a trio of bogies leaving your area. Guessing you couldn't keep Titan locked down?"



"We had him, but then we got...interrupted."



"Got inte...wait, spotted two again. Might be that same that..!. What the... Is that...!"



*****



"Stay away from my friends you Planet damned cxnt!"



"Make me, slut!"



Darting back and forth the two monstrous women slammed into one another again and again, their meetings generating rumbles of thunder from forming clouds. In the back of her mind Tifa couldn't help but marvel at the change in the air after almost ten years of no smoke pouring into the sky. Only to have her attention quickly snap back to the matter at hand when Scarlet flew into her, dodging a kick and trio of ice spears. Darting in Tifa threw her arms around Scarlet, disorientated her with another scream, and forcing them into a dive that landed them in a demolished civilian district. Grunting, Tifa held Scarlet around the throat, slamming her head into the ground repeatedly. Hauling back a fist she was pre-empted by the white haired woman who slashed a clawed hand across her face. Tifa leapt away, avoiding the worst of it, but Scarlet took advantage and surged upright into her.



Once more they staggered across the devastated landscape, punching, kicking and shoving their prodigious chests together. Tifa quickly realized that Scarlet was focusing on the latter, pushing her back and threw arms firmly around her rival and pulled her backwards in a face to face suplex. However, at the apex of the fall, Scarlet's arms also wrapped tightly around Tifa and locked tight, flipping her legs to land on her toes. Trembling violently, bent like bows with only toes and hair touching the ground the pair bridged, refusing to let go. They could scarce see one another around the bulging titflesh between them, but suddenly Scarlet relaxed her hold, allowing Tifa to fall onto her back.



Quick as a cat, Tifa flipped over, only to find Scarlet on her back, arm around her throat. "Got you," she whispered, shoving a tongue into a feathered ear, Tifa shouting and struggling wildly. Pulling her up, Scarlet grabbed a breast, digging her fingers in. She chuckled at her rival's scream. "You know you love it. I saw it in our dreams. How you submitted to me right in front of Cloud!"



"That...was not...ME!" Tifa shouted, throwing back her head, feeling the soft give in Scarlet's nose and the nasal shriek. Spinning around, she grabbed the bent woman, trapping her head under the elbow, pumping her knee into the midsection. "Whoever that was it wasn't me!"



"Sure looked...like...you!" Scarlet gasped, gritting her teeth and lifting Tifa up, running her through a wall. Then a building. And another wall. Tifa grabbed her hair and jammed her knee under Scarlet's chin, going into a flip. Scarlet however, only growled and went with the momentum to slam a punch into Tifa's chest as she came down from the flip to slam up against a raised section of road. "And I'll bet she tastes like you to. I'll find out after I've finished you off. And after they've dealt with your friends, I think I'll ask for your sister as payment. Then I'll have the full set."



"Keep talking bitch!" Tifa spat. "You're not going anywhere near Josy. I'll see to that, personally!"



Scarlet frowned, not getting the response she wanted, but hastily raised her guard when Tifa's wings spread behind her and the woman dove into her, carrying them up again. Kicking free, one arm wrapped around the other while the free one punched and pulled and squeezed. Their flight path was wild and erratic. Tifa screamed as Scarlet's teeth sank into her shoulder, feeling that all too familiar loosening of her self control that only three women could manage. Only this time, she didn't bother fighting it, but embraced her wild side and bit down savagely on Scarlet's ear.



Spiraling through the air, they passed between the Phoenix and another Airship, Diabolos cursing as his pilot pulled sharply away out of reflex. Aboard the other ship, Barret pulled the radio mic away from his mouth, staring in shock as he watched Tifa and Scarlet fly past. To the others it was a blur, but to him it was almost as if in slow motion, able to make out his missing friend when they rotated such that she was facing his direction. Then they were past. He glanced across at Jessica and Elena who nodded silently. They'd made out Tifa, as well as who she was fighting.



Corkscrewing wildly, Tifa delivered a punch that knocked them apart, but not for long. Scarlet was on her again quickly, hammering away at Tifa with powerful, but amateurish blows. It was difficult to evade, however, her mind having trouble adapting to the concept of fighting in the sky where she could do more than move left or right. Still, she easily connected with upwards of three blows to every one of Scarlet's and as they continued to exchange punches and kicks she could feel the woman weakening. See the small tic under her eye that signified doubt. A punch to the top of her head, spun the younger woman over, but also had the heel of her foot crack sharply on Scarlet's shoulder.



Her cry from that blow was telltale, and the first sound of genuine pain from either of them. The affected arm hung limply at her side and she stared at Tifa in shock. Then her gaze hardened and, with a pull and twist, she reset the limb. Tifa now floated in shock, again feeling herself surprised by the woman such that she was barely got her arms up when Scarlet flew into her again. Arms scrabbled, seeking advantageous positions, ending with both of them trapping the other's left arm.



Still battering each other furiously, Scarlet winced at a blow to the side her breast, responding by dragging her fingers into the crease where Tifa's boobs and chest meet, gouging her nails into the looser flesh. Tifa gave a pained grunt, delivering an elbow to Scarlet's ribs, the two now cartwheeling through the sky. At the end of one spin Scarlet caught sight of something that made her smile. Grappling with the furious green haired beauty she altered their flight path ever so slightly. Tifa, punching and kicking, for once failed to pick up on her actions focused as she was on just inflicting as much pain as possible. It was only after they flew past a helitrooper that Tifa realized something was wrong.



"Too late!" Scarlet crowed, cackling again as they crashed through the Reactor right above the still, clearly legible, number 5.



_____________