Guilt’s Cost: Part XXX

Confrontation

Tseng had almost fallen asleep when the small pager like device in his coat pocket began to go off. He sat up with a start and pulled his coat over to him retrieving the device, looking at its tiny screen.

"Damn it." He cursed to himself seeing that it was Tifa who had set off the alarm.

He rose up and hastily pulled on his clothes. From within his suitcase he pulled out his side arm. The small gun was nothing near as nice as his brother’s Death Penalty, but it would have to do.

Tseng ran out the front door, looking up and down the narrow street, trying to think where Tifa would be. A distant scream told him to head north. He hesitated for a moment, thinking that he should go get Reno to help him but when he heard the scream again, he decided there was no time.

He made his way in the darkness, giving little regard to his heart as he ran. It wasn’t long before he came upon the scene that Tifa had called him to.

Tifa was pulling on one of Chaos’s wings trying to pry him away from another girl who he was pinning against a wall.

Tifa saw Tseng approach and came to him, desperate for any help. "Tseng, Chaos has got Yuffie!"

Hearing the name of the daughter of the ruler of Wutai made Tseng’s heart beat faster. "Yuffie? Chaos has got Godo’s girl?"

"Yes!" Tifa exclaimed loudly. "I tried to get through to Vincent, but Chaos isn’t letting him hear me!"

Tseng took his gun and fired a shot up into the air. Vincent immediately took a step back from Yuffie and turned around. "Tseng, you aren’t up to fighting me. Go home."

Tseng narrowed his eyes in anger at the thought of this demon ruling his brother. "Chaos, go back into submission! Let Vincent come back!"

The demon sneered and walked toward Tseng. "Go back to bed old man. I will let Vincent come back when and if I choose."

Tseng was growing nervous at the demon’s growing proximity. He raised his gun. "Stop Chaos!"

"You wouldn’t shoot me, Tseng." Chaos growled. "You harm me, and you harm Vincent."

Tseng saw no choice, and fired a shot, intentionally aiming it so it would rip through one of the demon’s wings.

The bullet tore through the outer edge of the wing, shattering the bone that supported it. It instantly collapsed, dragging the ground behind Chaos as he continued to come at Tseng.

Tifa clung to Tseng in terror, as Chaos grew closer. Suddenly a loud crack was heard and Vincent screamed before falling to the ground before them.

Tifa and Tseng looked up from Vincent’s fallen form seeing Reno standing in his pajamas with his electric nightstick held out before him.

Tifa knelt down next to where Vincent lay. The demon’s wings were already gone; a clear indication that Chaos had been knocked back into submission.

Yuffie upon seeing both Reno and Tseng passed out. The experience of being attacked by a demon and then seeing Reno and Tseng who was supposed to be dead took more out of her than she had.

Vincent groaned and attempted to sit up. "Not again…"

Tifa cradled him in her arms. "It’s not your fault. Yuffie’s husband was trying to kill you."

He placed his human hand against the side of his head. "I didn’t hurt anyone, did I?"

Tifa couldn’t help but look over to where Genji still lay on the ground unconscious. Reno had walked over to him with his night staff casually resting on his shoulder, and prodded the man’s side with his shoe.

Tseng helped Tifa get Vincent to his feet. Vincent’s cybernetic limbs were sluggish to react to him as the shock Reno had hit him with had temporarily affected their circuits.

Tifa, upon realizing that Yuffie was laying on the ground went over to her. "Yuffie, are you all right?"

The girl opened her eyes and struggled to her feet. "Where’s Vincent?"

Tifa took her hand, hoping to calm Yuffie’s nerves. "It’s okay, that wasn’t Vincent that attacked you, it was Chaos. You should go check on Genji."

Yuffie agreed and staggered over to her fallen husband. "Genji?"

The man was regaining consciousness. "Yuf?"

She smiled, happy to see him still alive. "Yeah, did you get hurt?"

Genji got up, rubbing his temples from the pain in his head. "Yeah, where’s that bastard?"

Tifa raised her hands, wanting to get his attention. "No, leave Vincent alone!"

Genji frowned down at this stranger. "Who are you to be ordering me around?"

Yuffie stepped up. "This is Tifa, she was in AVALANCHE with me."

Genji nodded knowingly. "I’ve heard of you. But the man you were with, he’s the one who attacked Yuffie a long time ago."

"No, please listen!" Tifa begged, hoping to prevent another fight. "Vincent is possessed by a demon. He hasn’t hurt anyone! It was Chaos! Yuffie, tell him!"

Yuffie’s long standing fear of Vincent wasn’t completely relieved by Tifa’s explanation. "I don’t know Tifa! He didn’t look like Chaos last time…"

Tifa grabbed Yuffie’s shoulders and shook her. "Come on, Yuffie! You know it’s the truth!"

She looked up to her husband. "Genji, we should go."

He took Yuffie’s hand and led her off.

Tifa watched them retreat, hoping that she would get the chance to see Yuffie again before leaving Wutai.

Reno came over to Tseng who didn’t look well. "Boss, you okay?"

Tseng mustered a smile for his friend. "Yes, Reno. Thanks for helping."

He shrugged. "I heard the gunshot, and figured I should see what was up. Angel sleeps like such a damn log that she didn’t even notice me leaving. But you’re sure your heart is okay?"

Tseng nodded, touched by Reno’s unusual display of concern. "Yes, if there is a problem, I will let you know."

Tifa took Vincent’s arm and helped him back toward the house. They were followed closely by Tseng and Reno. No one spoke on the return trip, all being too entrenched in their own thoughts about what had just happened to talk.