FF7: Project C
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Am I...Human?
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The child lay wrapped in a blanket the colour of the sky, his bright, inquisitive blue eyes gazed up at the woman smiling down at him. "He's beautiful." Said another woman, this one wearing a white coat and was wiping her freshly washed hands on a towel, she smiled and moved close to the woman sitting in bed. "What are you going to call him?"
The new mother looked up, tears in her exhaustion filled eyes. "I will call him Cloud."
"That's a lovely name." The mid-wife replied, bending a little and stroking the babes fine blond hair.
At that moment there was a knock at the door, the midwife turned with a frown before moving to open it. At the door were two smartly dressed men in dark blue suits flanking a hump backed man in a white lab coat. The new mother's grip automatically tightened on her child, her own blue eyes were wide as fear settled into the pit of her stomach. She knew these men only by sight, she had lived in Nibelheim all her life and had seen Professor Hojo on many occasions as he came and went from the old Shinra Mansion. She had no idea why they were there, her skin prickled as Hojo's small, evil little eyes moved down to the boy clutched in her arms. "He is the one." The man said, smiling in a way that sent chills through her weakened body.
"Wha-what?" She breathed as the two men in suits moved towards her, she held her son tightly, despite the fact that he had begun to struggle with discomfort. "No! No! Y-you cannot take my son!"
"Ma'am, please, we're not here to fight you. Just hand the child over to us and we will return him as soon as possible." One of the men said calmly, she looked at him and away quickly, her eyes moving around the small room as if searching for an escape. Her eyes landed on the mid-wife who was stood in a corner looking afraid.
"Help!" She screamed and leapt from the bed, her sweat and blood stained night dress flapping around her ankles as she stumbled. She was still too tired and bruised from the birth, unable to move fast enough as the other man, the one who had not spoken, moved to prevent her from rushing the door. She backed away, holding Cloud to her breast, he began to make a soft snuffling sound that warned her he was going to cry. "Please, I beg you, don't take my baby! I-I'll give you anything! I-I don't have much money b-but what I-"
"Woman, we do not need your money." Hojo said coldly from where he still stood by the door. "Hand over the child and no one will be hurt."
Her eyes moved towards the bedroom's only window, she swallowed in terror as the thought of leaping from it entered her mind. But she knew that the baby would not survive such a fall, her lips parted, perhaps it would be better for him? Hojo was well known in these parts, people whispered fearfully behind their hands about his sick experiments. She could guess why they wanted her Cloud. As she contemplated her next move one of the men moved and snatched Cloud from her arms. Her scream shattered the sleepy silence of the town, she felt something hit her in the back of her neck and her legs gave way, she collapsed and sank into darkness as the screams of her son followed her down.
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"Sir?"
"Not right now, boy, I am incredibly busy!" Hojo snapped from where he was stood beside some sort of small container that emitted a glow. He turned to glare at the six year old boy standing by the door of the laboratory, he had one elegantly pale hand resting casually on the door frame, his silvery white hair reached his shoulders and he blinked those eerie green eyes.
"I understand that, sir but I heard crying." Sephiroth said softly, moving his head in an attempt to stare past Hojo towards the source of the cries. His face a perfect picture of curious innocence.
"That is none of your business, now leave!" Hojo waved an impatient hand and turned his back. Once again crying filled the room and Sephiroth cocked his head to the side curiously as he watched Hojo jot down some notes into a book, he sighed softly and turned away. In truth he was bored, he hated coming back to the place he had been born, he had nothing to do and was never allowed to even leave the boundaries of the Shinra mansion. He could have read but there were only certain sections of the library he had access to and too many of those were heavy science books that he had little to no interest in. He had asked, when he had been younger, if he could have a play mate and each time Hojo had merely laughed at him. He was not allowed to play with anyone, he was shut away and only spoke to people in white coats. The people who looked after him. He enjoyed his lessons and his training, a sword felt so natural in his hands and his tutor had already told him he was a prodigy. His only concern was that he was lonely, it was horrible watching all his scientist care-takers talk happily about their own social lives, he was jealous. He walked away from the sounds of the crying child, only glancing back once over his shoulder when the crying finally stopped before continuing back up to the upper floors.