A/N: I suppose this is the writer's curse. Being hounded by some utterly random idea until one is forced to write it and work it out. This particular experiment is based on a single picture I ran across randomly one day. Just look up "Tifa Lockhart SOLDIER" as an image search and it should be one of the first things you see. I began to ask questions: Why would such a thing happen? How would it affect the story? How would it affect the character? And before I knew it, I was tracing a line through the entire game.

There are a million other things I should be working on. Instead I started this. Enjoy.

"... Death, volent death, and painful wounds / Upon his neighbour he inflicts; and wastes / By devastation, pillage, and the flames, / His substance. Slayers, and each one that smites / In malice, plund'rers, and all robbers, hence / The torment undergo of the first round / In different herds..."

- The Divine Comedy (Hell or the Inferno) Part 5, Canto X, by Dante Alighieri

The Mako fumes were thick tonight, wreathing the faint stars in a smoky haze. Those bright motes of far light floated above Midgar, distant and placid, a stark contrast the noisy, bumpy freight train below the ex-SOLDIER's booted feet. Glowing eyes looked up at the colorful lights, which shone blue, red, yellow, purple… like materia stones placed in the void by some impulsive deity.

Dropping their gaze, the ex-SOLDIER saw the massive, smoking structure growing larger ahead of the train as they approached. The Shinra logo was painted in huge blocky forms, marking Mako Reactor 1 as the property of the company. Like so many other things in the world. Like me.

As the train pulled closer to its destination, it began to slow. The Ex-SOLDIER shifted the Buster Sword, redistributing it's still-unfamiliar weight across their shoulders. Most people could never wield such an oversized weapon, certainly not with any real effectiveness, but the Mako infusions given to SOLDIER increased their strength enough to make using the sword a devastating possibility.

With a long, drawn-out screech and a shower of sparks from the metal wheels, the freight train ground to a halt. From their current vantage point, the ex-SOLDIER could see two members of AVALANCHE leap off the vehicle before it had fully stopped. A pair of Shinra soldiers guarding the platform started at the unexpected intrusion. One guard attacked the nearby male terrorist, who neatly threw the uniformed soldier over his shoulder. The other attacked the red-headed girl and was rewarded with kick to the stomach fierce enough to send the soldier flying back to the ground. He did not move again.

A third AVALANCHE terrorist stumbled from the train. A chubby male who did not look cut out for this line of work at all. Their leader – Barret – was the complete opposite, a strong built dark-skinned man with a gun grafted onto his arm. He jumped out from between the engine and first car, large and in charge. Barret glanced up at where the ex-SOLDIER stood and gestured impatiently with his gun arm.

I hesitated, the former SOLDIER thought. Stupid. Making up for her earlier lapse, she vaulted from the train car and landed acrobatically. For effect, she threw back her long, chocolate hair as she straightened.

"Yeah, yeah, impressive," Barret grumbled. "But this ain't no fashion show. Follow me, newcomer."

The woman rolled her glowing crimson eyes. Whatever. She didn't need to be friends with the big man to earn her fee. And she'd show him not under-estimate her just because she was a woman. The four AVALANCHE operatives had already disappeared around the corner, and the woman followed at a fast jog. Two figures appeared from the corner, Shinra soldiers. The woman didn't hesitate this time. She drew the Buster Sword and swung it laterally without slowing her forward motion, bisecting the two grunts before they had even lifted their weapons.

There goes any possibility of me rejoining the company, she thought with a grimace. The flicker of regret lasted only a moment. Her recent memories of the Shinra military weren't pleasant ones. These two were only the start of her efforts to even the score.

Climbing the stairs at the end of the platform, she found the three AVALANCHE members – sans Barret – crouching at the North entrance of the facility. The two men stood guard while the girl worked to open the thick door.

The athletic-looking man turned to her as she approached, a grin appearing on his face. "Neat work. You were a SOLDIER, all right. AVALANCHE was lucky to find you."

"SOLDIER's the enemy," the red-head – Jessie – reminded her compatriot Biggs. "I don't know what she thinks she's doing here with us."

Biggs lifted his hands palms out, throwing an apologetic glance at the dark-haired woman. "Hey, hey, wait a second. She used to be SOLDIER, but not anymore. Now she's one of us, right…" He fumbled for her name, which he'd clearly forgotten.

She didn't even look at him, her crimson eyes fixed on Jessie's continuing work. "Tifa," she said shortly.

"Right! Tifa," Biggs repeated. "My name's – "

Tifa shook her head. "Don't even tell me. I don't want to know who any of you are." She speared Biggs with a glare. "And I'm not 'one of you'. As soon as this job is over, I'm gone."

Heavy footsteps came from the right and Barret rushed up, angry as he always seemed to be. "What is this, a goddamn tea party? I told y'all not to move in a group. Now get going to the North Mako Reactor. We'll meet up on the walkway out front." He paused long enough for Jessie to finish her work and the heavy door ground open. "Move!"

His three flunkies rushed through the door. Tifa made to follow, but Barret held out his gun-arm to block her path. His broad, bearded face peered over his shoulder to catch her eyes. "We're paying you good money to help us out, but don't think for a second I trust you, ex-SOLDIER. I don't give a damn how highly Johnny recommends you." With that, he charged off.

The long-haired warrior watched him go, her lip curling down into a grimace. "Great idea, Zack," she mumbled under her breath. "'Let's be mercenaries', you said. 'It'll be fun', you said." She let go of her annoyance with a huff of breath and ran off after the group of eco-terrorists.

She wound through the lanes and avenues snaking around various support structures built around the towering reactor, which seemed to lean over her and threaten her with its bulk. In gaps between the buildings, she caught occasional glimpses of the others finding their own path through the shadows to their destination. The group met up at a fork on a narrow catwalk built in front of the Mako reactor. One branch led to plate section adjacent to this one, Sector 8. The other led into the power plant. Barret gestured to the fat man – Wedge. With a nod, the overweight terrorist took up his spot guarding the path to Sector 8. The remainder of the group dashed into the maw of the reactor. Tifa hesitated only a moment before following.

They were a ragtag group, but AVALANCHE had at least planned their assault well. The five of them had arrived during a shift change, explaining the relative lack of patrolling soldiers. It wouldn't last forever, though. Someone would discover the bodies of the Shinra grunts cooling next to train and the alert would go out. Tifa hoped they would finish the job before then.

The terrorist trio was waiting by another locked door, Barret standing with arms crossed, glaring at her. "You ever been inside a Mako reactor before?" Tifa gave a nod, not trusting herself to elaborate. Images flashed behind her eyelids: the body of her father, a long sword, silver hair, Jenova. She clenched her fists, forcing the memories back. The big dark-skinned man didn't seem to notice her internal turmoil. "Well here's the deal… Mako energy is being harnessed all over the Planet. People in Midgar use even more than people everywhere else."

The red-eyed warrior lifted one hand to stifle a yawn. Bad move. Barret leaned forward, angry, his one remaining hand closed into a big fist. "It's the lifeblood of this planet, Tifa! And the Shinra keeps sucking the Planet's blood with these fucked up machines like some kinda' corporate vampire."

"If you're trying to win a convert, you can save your breath," Tifa said, unmoved. "I'm not here for your cause, I'm here because you're paying me."

"And you damn well better be worth it," Barret snarled. "'Nuff of this. You're coming with me. Biggs!" he called over his shoulder. "Get this door open." Silently, Biggs did as he was ordered. Jessie did the same to the next door and led the way to a nearby elevator. Tifa, Barret, and Jessie each picked a corner of the small box, and Jessie pointed to the control panel near where the ex-SOLDIER had chosen to stand. Tifa pressed the button and the elevator began to descend, deep into the ground where it was easier to extract Mako energy.

Barret was still seething, his arms crossed again, glaring at the crimson-eyed woman. "What do you think'll happen if the Shinra processes all the Mako energy? That'd be it for the Planet."

"It's above my paygrade," Tifa said, glancing away. She remembered the Nibel mountains near her home. Her mother had once told her they were green and fair, covered with lush pine trees. The only way the ex-SOLDIER had ever seen the peaks, however, was bare and empty of natural life, looking more like broken and rotted teeth. The transformation had happened after the Mako reactor had been built. She wouldn't admit it, but the big man might have a point.

"Money ain't no good on a dead planet," Barret reminded her.

Tifa's mouth quirked in a sarcastic smirk. "I'll keep that in mind. For now, all I care about is getting out of here before security finds us."

The big man turned away, shaking with rage at her lack of concern. The elevator came to an abrupt halt, causing Jessie to stumble into the nearby wall. "Let's go," Barret growled. "Jessie, you're coming with us."

The red-head looked confused. "Don't you want me keeping our escape route open?"

"I'm more worried about putting the mission in the hands of some rookie," Barret said, inclining his head to indicate Tifa. "I want you to keep an eye on her. Hold her hand if she needs it."

A hard laugh burst from the ex-SOLDIER's throat. "Sorry I'm not what you hoped for," she said with a cold smile. "I'm not a man, and I'm not falling for your party line. Too bad." She stepped forward to jab a finger into the big man's barrel chest. "But you'll eat those words before this is over, and you'll realize you got me here at a bargain." She swept through the opening elevator doors, her long hair billowing out behind her.

She kept a tight hold on her righteous anger, needing the steel it put into her spine. As soon as the doors had opened, the Mako smell – already strong – assaulted her senses, nearly making her ill. The long scar tracing from her left shoulder to her right hip itched and ached.

"Phew," Jessie said from behind her. "It's like a physical presence."

Tifa glanced over shoulder at the red-head, who was jogging to keep up with her long strides. Barret was bringing up the rear. The ex-SOLDIER didn't respond for a moment, struggling between her desire to stay aloof and her need to give vent to the feelings and memories the stench of the power plant gave rise to. The two descended a long staircase leading even further into the bowels of the earth under Midgar. "I hate this smell," she said at last.

"Well it's your company making it," Jessie said, her tone challenging.

"They're not 'my' company," Tifa bit out. "I have no more love for the Shinra than you do, believe me."

"You're wearing their uniform."

Tifa glanced down at her clothes; sleeveless cerulean turtleneck and pants, accented with metal and leather. The crimson eyes shifted to the slightly shorter woman now marching alongside her. "If I wasn't, would you all still have hired me?"

Jessie's shoulders hunched slightly, but she didn't answer at first. "Probably not," she admitted. "You don't really look suited for… things like this."

"And how do I look?"

Another hesitation. "Like a barmaid," Jessie said meekly. Tifa actually barked a laugh at the answer. "Well, I mean… if barmaids had biceps like yours." The ex-SOLDIER looked aside to see Jessie staring at her upper arms and felt her cheeks warm a bit.

"Lifting a sword like this'll do that," she explained lamely to fill the awkward silence, one hand raising to close around the deceptively narrow hilt of the Buster Sword.

"I bet," Jessie snorted. "And about a million push-ups, I'm guessing."

Tifa didn't quite smile. "Something like that." As they approached another sturdy iron door, there was a commotion from behind them, past the stairs they had just finished descending. A pair of grunts and… "A sweeper!" the ex-Soldier growled, fixing her red gaze on the bulky robot. It was roughly human shaped, but it's headless, rectangular body was hunched forward, supported by reverse-articulated steel legs and framed by two boxy arms. The arms were the dangerous parts, each one housing a gatling gun capable of pumping out over a thousand rounds a minute.

One of the Shinra soldiers charged to attack. Tifa didn't even bother to pull the Buster Sword free, she simply closed the distance and punched the guard in the face. He staggered back, hands raising to his bloody, broken nose, and the long-haired warrior followed up with a roundhouse that sent the uniformed grunt spinning off into the darkness under the stairs.

Just like Zangan taught me, Tifa thought with a surge of pride, an emotion quickly buried under melancholy. She turned back to the sweeper, which was lifting its arms to fire the built-in guns at her. Before it could attack, however, it was showered with a hail of bullets from above. Tifa glanced up to see Barret leaning over the railing of the stairs, firing down at the robot, cursing all the while. The ex-Soldier drew the massive sword hanging over her back and lifted it over her head, leaping towards the sweeper. Barret stopped firing as she approached, giving her an opening to slice down with her blade, cleaving through the joint between body and arm. That limb dropped to the floor with a clang.

It was still active, already turning to bring its other arm to bear. Tifa jumped back, opening some space between herself and her opening, lips tightening in annoyance at the persistent machine. She didn't bother to raise her sword again, choosing instead to run her thumb over the green stone placed near the hilt, activating the materia and channeling its energy. Static caused strands of lusciously dark hair to float around her face as a lightning bolt tore through the dark cavern of the reactor, striking the sweeper and detonating it. Tiny bits of stinging debris struck Tifa's exposed skin, but she barely noticed, already turning towards her final opponent.

Jessie was grappling with the remaining soldier, staying too close for the guard to use his machine gun, striking with hands and feet when she had an opportunity. Even as Tifa approached, the Shinra grunt shoved the red-head away, lifting his firearm to mow the terrorist down. There was a burst of gunfire. Jessie winced, but it was the soldier who fell, shot from behind by AVALANCHE's leader.

"You two all right?" Barret asked, stomping down the remainder of the metal stairs.

"Just… fine," Jessie said between deep breaths. Tifa just nodded.

The big man considered the ex-SOLDIER with a critical eye. "Okay, I guess you're pretty strong, after all," he said grudgingly.

For a girl, you mean, Tifa thought, keeping herself from rolling her eyes with an effort.

They descended into the depths of the power plant together after that, climbing down ladders and walking on exposed pipes to reach the lowest catwalk at the heart of the reactor. Before them was a dead end, the path terminating in a pressure valve that Tifa knew was the main artery through which the Mako energy flowed up to be processed in the plant proper.

"Okay," Barret said, rubbing the fingertips of his left hand together eagerly. "If we set the bomb up here, this whole place ain't gonna' be nothin' more than a hunk of junk." The big man nodded to Jessie. "Plant it." The red-head grinned and knelt at the base of the pressure valve, producing the explosive device from the pack on her back.

Tifa turned away from where the terrorists went about their business, checking to make sure no one was approaching. A gasp slipped from her lips. Standing on the path just in front of her was a little boy of about eight or nine with spiky blond hair. The ex-Soldier brought a hand up to her palpitating heart, feeling heat behind her eyes.

- Be careful… this isn't just a reactor! -

"I know," Tifa said, her breath shallow.

"Who're you talking to?" Barret asked from behind her, making her jump and glance at the big man. "What's wrong?"

The dark-haired woman shook her head, turning back to the catwalk to find… no one. The boy was gone. "It's nothing."

"I'm finished," Jessie crowed, rising to her feet. "Now let's get the hell out of here before – "

Even as she spoke, red warning lights began flashing and an alarm klaxon hooted through the structure.

"Watch out," Barret said, bringing his gun-arm up defensively. "Here they come…"

Minutes later, it was over. Tifa stood triumphant over the remains of the Guard Scorpion robot Shinra had set to protect this reactor, Buster Sword hanging from one hand. She was still shaking from the adrenaline rush, but she was otherwise unharmed.

The same couldn't be said of Jessie, who had taken a bullet to the thigh. She leaned heavily against the guardrail, leaning over to bandage the bleeding wound. The ex-SOLDIER approached while Barret covered them with lifted gun-arm, wary of additional security. Tifa knelt to examine Jessie's condition. Crimson eyes glanced up at the red-head, who was pale and sweating. "Can you walk?"

Jessie grit her teeth. "Not fast enough. There are only a few minutes before the bomb goes off." She took a deep breath. "Go on, I can't make it like this."

"Ain't no way," Barret said over his shoulder. "We're all gettin' outta' here together."

Tifa gave a firm nod. "He's right. We're not leaving you behind." She flashed a quick grin to the wounded eco-terrorist. "Time to put those biceps you like so much to the test."

Color returned to Jessie's cheeks at those words. "Wait, what're you gonna… whoa!" Before the red-head could object, Tifa scooped her up in her strong arms, cradling her like a child. The shorter woman let out a hiss of pain. "Hey, watch your hands!"

"Sorry," Tifa said. "This probably isn't going to be a smooth ride." With that, they were off, Barret leading the way, Tifa jogging behind with Jessie in her arms. They climbed back out of the Mako reactor's heart without too much difficulty. The few remaining guards seemed more panicked by the strident alarms than angry, and the few who did try to stop them found themselves on the wrong end of Barret's gun-arm.

They reached the relative safety of the elevator and the big man slapped the "Up" button with more force than necessary. The car began to rise, not nearly fast enough for Tifa's taste. The sound of their heavy breathing filled the small box. "How are you holding up?" the ex-SOLDIER asked her charge.

Jessie mustered a weak smile. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Afraid I'm going to drop you?"

The smile faded. "I'm slowing you down. You should have left me."

Tifa shook her head. "We'll make it. Be strong."

After what seemed a small eternity, the doors slid open again. Biggs was waiting on the other side, his eyes widening when he caught sight of Jessie. "Shit! is she…?"

"She's fine," Barret snapped. "But we won't be if you don't get those goddamned doors open!"

Biggs was frozen for a moment longer, then he turned and tapped in the code to open the security doors leading back outside. They all charged out together, Tifa still cradling the wounded red-head. Ahead of them, the reactor's exit yawned open. "How much longer?" Barret shouted over his shoulder.

"Two minutes, maybe?" Jessie said, holding up the corresponding number of fingers. Their feet pounded against the metal of the bridge, making for the fork that would lead them to Sector 8. Even as they reached the intersection, there was a series of concussive booms behind them, and the entrance to the power plant belched flames like a huge dragon roused from slumber into enraged wakefulness.

"Goddammit!" Barret howled.

They ran faster, outpacing the flames, diving through the door being held open by Wedge and away from the building explosion. The chubby AVALANCHE member closed the divider, mumbling prayers under his breath just as the detonation reached its peak. Even through the thick barrier, the noise was overwhelming, making Tifa's ears ache. A blast of heat and a shockwave of displaced air kept them all pinned to the ground.

Silence followed. Then a single word.

"Oops," Jessie said.

A/N: You know... the damnable thing is that this was actually really fun to write. Why can't my attempts at doing original fiction be as fun?

Anyways, I don't know how long I'll go with this. The intent as far as the story is concerned is that it would not be a one-to-one retelling, but it would diverge from the events of Final Fantasy VII and become its own thing... to an extent, at least. Still, that's a lot of material to cover and, as I said, there are other things I should be doing. I guess it depends on how I feel and the kind of reception this gets. We'll see.

The Dante quote is a bit pretentious, but when searching for a fitting name for this story, I realized the Seventh Circle of Hell is actually quite relevant to Tifa's mindset in this reality. So l figured "Why not? Let's art this thing up!"

Oh, and... yeah, the momentum of this story leads to it being a femslash piece. Fair warning.