Just Payin' the Bills

[Gwydion Nefarine]

((before reading this, see "Hungry!!!" in market district.))

So Cloud made it to the arena and looked around to spot a likely opponent. His eyes scanned the crowd. There seemed to be people from all over the world there, at the arena. They had all kinds of different weapons and armour. Cloud finaly spotted someone he wanted to fight......
((Ok at this point, anyone who wants to fight me can jump in, hopefully someone I can beat but I guess I'll fight someone that can beat the snot out of me too, lol))

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Cloud tried to advance toward the warrior, but he couldn't quite get through the crowd. He struggled on through the mob-like crowd. He finally emerged, but the one he wanted to fight wasn't there. He gazed at the crowd, hopeless of finding the once-soon-to-be-foe. Miraculously, Cloud spotted the warrior. At the top of his lungs, Cloud shouted, "I challenge you......."

((again, anyone can jump in))

[Gwydion Nefarine]

" I challenge you Vincent!" The human assailant was about six feet tall. He wore a long, red cloak, a leather shirt, and leather pants. He turned around an smirked at Cloud. His five daggers gleamed brightly on his belt. They had obviously been used with skill before. This man looked familiar to Cloud for some reason...... Anyway, after a long silence, Vincent answered ,"Very well, but, how do you know my name?"

((oook, ill make up a character ))

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Cloud had seen a few "WANTED!" posters outside the arena. He barely glanced at them, but he saw enough to know that this man, according to the poster, Vincent, was a known criminal, but Cloud knew that he had seen the assassin before. Although, where and when was a mystery to him. That didn't matter now, though. He would fight and capture Vincent and turn him in. That way he would be able to earn enough money for a few more hot meals. After all, for him, his survival was the #1 priority. Cloud igored Vincent's question and said, "Well, are we going to fight or stare at each other all day?"

[Gwydion Nefarine]

"I'd rather fight, myself, how about you?" the assassin said.

"I agree," Cloud said. To prove this, he pulled his sword out of its sheath.

The announcer had heard the entire conversation and quickly yelled, "OKKKKKK, will the crowd please disperse and let Cloud Strife and this assassin fight?" The crowd had mixed feelings about this. Some people booed and cursed the annoucer, but some roared their approval and shouted at the others to keep their mouth shut. So, the crowd, both willingly and reluctantly, fell back to the arena seats. The fight was beginning!

[Gwydion Nefarine]

When the crowd had gone out of the fighting grounds of the arena, Cloud noticed that Vincent had drawn two of his five daggers. Cloud prepared himself for an intense battle. He held his sword at the ready, waiting for his opponent to make the first move. Apparently, Vincent had the same idea, because he was standing at the ready with his two daggers. The crowd's noise had long ceased. Every spectator was watching the pair intently.

Cloud decided to strike first. He lunged forward at his foe, but Vincent parried with his daggers. Cloud slashed again and again at his opponent, but every time, Vincent would block him. Cloud was starting to get tired. Vincent had a mischeivious smile on his face....... He was enjoying this! He wasn't the least bit tired. Suddenly, Cloud changed his direction. He made his sword sweep downward, bt then swung it sideways and struck Vincent' side. The assassin gritted his teeth, but supressed a cry of agony. Vincent had underestimated this opponent.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Vincent was angry. He charged at Cloud, slashing wildly. Cloud sidestepped and brought the broadside of his sword down on the assassin's back. Vincent fell on the ground. Cloud moved his swordtip toward Vincent's back, signaling a relatively clean victory over his opponent, but before he could get his sword to his back, Vincent had sprung up. Cloud was startled. The assassin had incredible speed. However, before he had much time to ponder over this, Vincent was slashing at Cloud. Cloud tried to block all of his swipes, but he was unsuccessful. Vincent's knives cut into Cloud's flesh repeatedly. Luckily, Cloud was not beat yet.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Cloud was getting frustrated. He couldn't take this much longer. He couldn't let himself get killed. He jumped back before one of Vincent's slashes, sidestepped, and stabbed forward. This time, the assassin did unleash a small cry of agony. Cloud's sword had hit home. He had struck Vincent's once-unwounded side. Vincent fell again. This time, Cloud's sword touched his blood-stained black cloak. He had won! Not without injury though. He had cuts, gushing blood, all over him. The crowd roared, despite the horrific spectacle.

[arrucard]

((Wow!!! I never thought FFIV could be so Awsome xD!! Great JOB!))

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Vincent was not to be outdone. He had never lost a battle, and he wasn't about to start. He slowly got up. "Fool!" he said. "You will PAY for that!" Cloud turned around. Vincent was now retrieving his two daggers from the ground. Cloud, even though immensly tired and on the verge of fainting of blood loss, was ready to do what was neccesary to defend himself ad the crowd. Vincent hurled the two daggers he had just picked up at Cloud. One found its mark. It buried itself in Cloud's right shoulder. The other, Cloud parried. Cloud winced. This wasn't helping his blood loss problems any. The crowd was panicing now. They were running everywhere, except the fighting grounds, of course. The announcer was speechless. The other challengers and the arena medics were forcing their way through the crowd to help Cloud. Vincent was also about to collapse. But before he did, he drew his other three daggers and held them in one hand, handle up. He threw the three at Cloud, one by one. This time, two missed. As before, though, one found its mark. This time, in Clouds left thigh.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Cloud blacked out. He'd never felt so much pain in his life. He couldn't take it any longer. He woke up later. Was it a few minutes later? A few months later? He didn't know. He heard voices. "Will he live?" said a stranger. "I think he might, but he has lost a lot of blood." That must be the medic, Cloud thought. "I can't believe it. Why did the idiot challenge Vincent? He's a wanted murderer. How did he get in anyway? He should've been seen." It sounded like the stranger again. "I don't know, but the kid's got spunk," the medic said. Cloud didn't hear anymore. He went unconscious again, then.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Cloud drifted in and out of consciouness for a long time. When he awoke, an old man was staring down at him. He wore a white coat, black pants, and a tie. He also wore half-moon spectacles. What little hair he had was grey and wild, as if he never brushed it. "Well, you've had a nice nap, havn't you," the man said. He wa the medic. "How long was I out?" Cloud said. "About a week," the medic said, matter-of-factly. Cloud didn't know what to think about that. It had seemed like months. He was laying down in a nice matress bed. I must be in a healing house, Cloud thought. He sat up in his bed, and immediatey lay back down. He was in extreme pain. He now noticed he had bandages all over his body. "It appears I should have told you about your injuries." The doctor smiled. "Your thigh bone was almost broken. Your shoulder wasn't that bad. Every other injury was relatively minor." Cloud felt like that last statement held little truth in it. "I can tell," Cloud said sarcastically.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Suddenly, Cloud remembered how he got there in the first place. "What happened to Vincent?" Cloud asked. "They arrested him. Another medic worked on him. I refused to work on that murderer." There was a small pause. "Unfortunately, he'll live," the medic said coldly. "What will happen to him now that he's arrested?" Cloud questioned. "Knowing him, he'll probably bribe the judge into only giving him about six years in prison. That's definitely not enough. He should be executed one hundred times for the cruel crimes he's commited." The doctor didn't seem to like the assassin. Cloud understood. He wasn't exactly crazy about him either. "How long will it take for me to heal enough to be able to walk normally again?" Cloud wanted to change the subject of Vincent. Plus, he really did want to know how long it would be before he could get back to the resteraunt and pay. PAY! What about the prize money? "You'll be okay in about four more days or so. And don't worry about your prize money. You'll recieve it before you go," the medic said as if he had read Cloud's thoughts.
"Thank you," Cloud simply said.

[arrucard]

((Hahahaha! I love it xD!))

[Gwydion Nefarine]

All through the next four days, Cloud lay in the hospital bed. He was bored out of his mind, but he had no choice. The doctor had him take an assortment of remedies and medicines each day. There was still no way he could walk, though. Finally, after the four days had passed, he tried to sit up in his bed. No pain so far, Cloud thought. Then, he slowly stood up. His legs were a little wobbly, but as the doctor had predicted, he could walk. He walked around the room carefully. When he had gotten used to that he started walking faster, normally. While he was walking, the medic came in the room. "Well, I see you're fine now," he said cheerfully. "Yes I am, thanks to you sir." "You still have a few scars, but they will heal in time. You're lucky. Most of Vincent's victims don't survive......" The medic's demeanor had changed. He was grim again now.

He slowly drew two daggers out of his pocket. "These are the two daggers the murderer threw at you. I'd say their yours now." He gave them to Cloud, handle first. Cloud held the in his hand for a moment, and stared at them. A few days ago, these blades had almost killed him. "Thank you. For everything." The doctor nodded. "I'm just doing my job," he said. Cloud began to leave the room. "Ah, wait just a moment," the medic said. "Your prize money." He handed Cloud a small bag of gold coins. "I appreciate everything you've done for me ,sir," Cloud said. "I must leave now. Take care." "Farewell, and be careful," the doctor said. "Once Vincent gets out of prison, he will come after you. And there will be many more than one, next time." And with that, Cloud departed.

((read the "Hungry!!!" thread for the conclusion of "Just Payin' the Bills".))