Unfair Advantage

Reno was fixated on Cloud, waiting for him to pop his head out. Rude did a quick scan to make sure there were no other threats, only to see Tifa Lockhart going up the stairs double time. Cloud reacted as she got o his level, popping out, and Reno smiled menacingly.

"Two birds with one shitload of bullets!" he started to pull the trigger. As calm and collected as Rude was, he couldn't countenance this: Tifa had the pussy he wanted most of all. He wobbled the stick, and Reno's fire missed the mark.

"Dammit! You wanna explain yourself, partner?" Reno asked accusingly.

"Uh... Hand slipped."

***

Several floors up, the battle was getting ****. Jessie pulled out the big guns -- she called them mega-grenades, a highly potent version of a standard grenade. She tossed one at the troops accosting her, and two more at the buzzing copters.

"So, how'd you guys rate my latest and greatest design? Eleven outta ten?" Jessie said to herself. One more copter, one more grenade.

"Today's your unlucky day ‘cause I never miss."

But at that second the phantoms appeared, blocking the toss, the grenade rolling back towards Jessie. She panicked as it blew up, the crippling heat accompanied by falling steel beams and concrete that no materia could help.