Summary Continued: When we last left off, Kadaj and Keely were embarking on a whole new chapter of their lives. Before, Kadaj was left scared and confused many times, and his life continued on in the same direction as he couldn't choose which way to go. Due to certain events, he finally decided to join Keely, her sisters, and his own brothers into a whole new step in making their lives what they've always wanted. They say...Shin-Ra can give it to them. And so Kadaj unknowingly set his life before the hands of the before thought "evil" corporation. Without a thought of regret he handed over Mother and with renewed determination he decided that what he most wanted in the world was to be with his friends and family...but normal. With guaranteed nods of approval, the Shin-Ra agents Keely and her sisters temporarily worked with told them that in exchange for their trade they would set work on the family immediately. They said they'd keep their end of the deal.
Where things were once rocky, and the truth yet still uncovered, now there seems to be a mutual understanding between Keely and Kadaj. They agreed there was no turning back. Being suddenly forced into this whole new world of science and testing, Kadaj has his doubts, but everything he feels he doubts as well. They say...they say he can't trust himself in these stages...but he knows there's something up. Something here...is definitely wrong. Kadaj knows he isn't going insane. Yet he wonders...why did once dreaming of a better new life suddenly turn into a desperate struggle for survival...?
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Kadaj: Experiments Reloaded
The Sequel to Kadaj: Emo Chronicles
A Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Fan-Fiction
By Princess454
(Things are only going to get more Emo from here...)
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Kadaj:
I swung my legs over the medical bed, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. The familiar beeps and sounds from monitors around the room didn't bother me anymore. They were, as I just said, familiar.
The moment I passed by a certain section of the wall, a whoosh sound could be heard and I jumped. Yet...I still wasn't used to that.
"Today's breakfast: Bagel with cream cheese," A female voice erupted around the room.
"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, picking up the bagel and tossing it once before taking a bite out of it. "Why can't I have bacon for a change?"
"Ba-con...isn't healthy," The voice replied.
"You say that everyday," I muttered, swiping my bangs from my eyes. I walked over to the closet and changed into clothes for school.
"Good bye Kadaj."
"Later," I said, pressing a red button for the room to shut off. The sliding door opened with a whoosh sound, much like the bagel coming down the food chute. I hoisted my backpack over my shoulder and began walking down the busy hallway of the sleep-in ward.
"For the last time! Why can't I have chocolate nut crunch bars? It's the same thing!" I heard a familiar voice shouting above the usual hubbub of chatter in the hallway.
I had arrived at the intersection of the female sleep-in ward, and already heard Keely complaining about something else.
"You must have berry. It's just better for your diet," A nervous looking doctor was telling a steaming Keely.
I came up to them, and upon seeing me Keely just thrust the crunch bar at the doctor and began walking away, taking my arm for me to follow.
"What's wrong with the food this time?" I wondered casually, taking another bite of my bagel.
Keely growled. "Those stupid doctors. I usually like berry nut crunch bars, but I'm this close to blowing one of those doctor's head off!" Keely replied angrily.
"If you usually like them, why are you complaining?" I wondered.
Keely gave me a pist-off glare. I understood immediately. She was getting close to her period, and was acting nasty again. "Here, if it makes you feel any better," I handed her the rest of my bagel. I wasn't much in the mood for it anyway.
Keely sighed, taking it. "Thanks," She mumbled, sadly ripping off a piece. "What does a girl have to do around here to get a decent piece of chocolate or something, huh?"
"If I told you, I'd probably get a warning ticket for using naughty language again," Another voice joined us, and I turned to see Keely's older sister Lucy. I stared at her, and not because she was strikingly attractive (well...that too) but also because her hair had changed.
"Lucy!" I exclaimed, and I guess she noticed it was her hair I was making a fuss about. She giggled, twirling about and fluffing up her short hair.
"Wonderful, isn't it? Oh, I've been waiting forever," Lucy said happily.
Keely stared in awe at her. "Oh, Lucy," Keely said in wonder. "It's beautiful." She reached up to touch a lock of Lucy's shiny new black hair.
"I know!" Lucy laughed, then she smiled gently at Keely. "Don't worry Hun. Your time will come." Lucy patted Keely's still silver head and walked off, saying something about not wanting to be late for work.
Keely pulled at a strand of her own hair, looking at it disgustedly. "Stupid, silver hair. Why won't you go away?" She sighed.
"I've grown quite used to it. Why do you mind it so much? It's just hair," I replied.
"It's not just hair Kadaj; It's a mark," Keely spat as if in having silver hair, she was ugly and putrid, not worthy of being viewed by anyone else. I didn't think so. Keely, like her sisters, was still as attractive as always; with or without silver hair.
However I didn't tell her that. Unlike before, certain compliments I wasn't allowed to give out. Keely and I aren't really back together again. Since joining the Shin-Ra science department, we've never really talked about our relationship or even about how it was back then. At first I understood; Keely and I were quite busy getting acquainted to the place, and getting set up. During the first week we hardly even saw each other. But now, things have gotten to a fairly normal everyday kind of pace, and we always walked to school and back together. We hung out during school too, just like before.
But during those times, it never really occurred to me we weren't dating. It just felt good being with her; considering what could have happened. I didn't care that we were just friends. She seemed happy too, and I wasn't going to press her. Things were fine the way they were.
We walked out of the front doors and took to walking down the long path that lead all the way to the very front gates. It was at least a ten minute walk; Mako reactors surrounded the place and it took awhile by foot to reach the city.
"They should have little carts or something," Keely suggested, looking around. I usually didn't look around, it wasn't really a pretty sight to see. I looked ahead and nodded, though I didn't exactly hear what she said. My mind was always wandering off in the morning.
"They can't make everyone who works and lives at the headquarters walk all this way, every day," Keely complained, swinging her backpack impatiently.
"Uh huh...," I said, just to let her know I was listening, even though I wasn't. When Keely was in this time of the month, she usually ranted on more than usual. Some days, everything was perfect. On days like this, she questioned and complained about everything. Like her, it wasn't my favorite time of the month either.
"My stupid math teacher is going to ask once again for an excuse on why I didn't do the assignment. What do I tell her?" Keely wailed, tugging on her side bangs in distress. She turned her glowing green eyes towards me. "Well?"
I yawned. "Um...your dog ate it?" I tried.
"I don't have a dog. All I have are annoying doctors telling me to sleep at a certain time even though I didn't finish homework, and a pathetic friend who can't come up with anything better to say other than 'My dog ate it'," Keely snapped.
I laughed. "Thank you," I replied and she rolled her eyes.
"Thank you, Kadaj. You're a lot of help."
"That's why I'm here," I replied, and tugged on one of her long pigtails playfully.
"Ow! Hey," Keely yelped and punched me on the arm.
"Hmm, no more dumb excuses for you. Come up with your own," I replied, rubbing the spot she punched.
"Mine would probably be better anyway," She huffed.
"Probably would." I smiled at her and she rolled her eyes again. We finally got to the gates and started walking to school.
♡♡
After school, Keely didn't show up at our usual meeting spot. I didn't carry a cell phone, so I couldn't reach her. I figured she was probably in detention for that math assignment. I waited twenty minutes more, and could have waited longer if the weather wasn't looking so bad. I decided to return to headquarters without her and hoped she didn't get too mad.
After school is when I'm most busy at the department. I don't even have time to finish homework, and it's put as the very last thing on my list. That explains why Keely and I usually get late assignments.
I have a whole range of different doctors and professors assigned just for me. The first session is with my health and physical doctors. This is the session I hate most, and dread every time I come back from school.
My health doctors are always asking me weird questions about me, and mainly about what I ate and should eat. The doctors are real nuts about food around here. Maybe it was just around me, since I used to have a pretty serious eating disorder.
It depends on the day, but those doctors are always making me feel uncomfortable. They ask me things and lecture me and it feels like being in science class all over again but ten times worse; sometimes I seriously have no idea what they're rambling on about.
After they fuss over me, they hand me over to my therapist. I quite like him. It's sometimes weird when we talk about silly things; like, he primarily asks me about my dreams and stuff. It seems whatever I tell him, he always has something to write down on his clipboard. But he's not fussy like the other doctors, and he doesn't make me feel too uncomfortable. And I can deal with his wacky questions at times. But the thing is with the folks around here is that they ask too many questions. I'm wondering, well, they're studying me aren't they? Or, whatever their doing. I don't quite understand it yet. But shouldn't they get the clue by now that I don't know anything? Anything related to their "studies" anyway.
All I know is that they are trying to make me better. Normal. Like they promised they would. At first I didn't know how having all these exams and tests, and eating certain stuff they gave me would change anything. I've also been through a few operations already. I was pretty sure whatever they were doing...it wasn't working. I was still the same. I still am in fact, except I don't quite have the same outlook on life as I used to before I came here. I don't question things too much anymore; and my doubts are very mild.
For the first time, I'm actually sure about stuff. That's what I think has changed. That and my health; they say I've improved. I don't much care but I feel proud anyway.
Anyhow, I know things gotta be working. Lucy just left with her hair all colored; and she says her eyes will be ready in about a week. Things gotta be working then...right?
But no more questions. There wasn't any use for them...I didn't have any answers. I walked in to my therapist's office after the other doctors dismissed me.
"Hello again Kadaj," He greeted.
"What's up, Doc," I replied, then took my seat on the client couch. It was very comfortable, and sometimes I just wanted to sleep right then and there.
"Have you been taking your pills, Kadaj?" My therapist asked me. He asked me this everyday.
"Of course," I replied as usual.
"Good." He shuffled through papers and dug out his clip board. "Do you have any particular thing in your mind today, Kadaj? Anything you wanna talk about?" He asked.
"Not particularly. I've just been wondering about the food here...," I reflected, remembering at least one of Keely's rants.
"The...food?" My therapist inquired, pushing his glasses up farther on his nose.
"Yeah. How come I can't eat what I want to eat?" I wondered.
"There's a simple answer to that. The things you might want to eat just aren't healthy for you," He replied.
"But what about once in awhile? Surely that wouldn't do any harm. Like, my best friend Keely, she gets kinda mean this time of the month, and she really wishes for chocolate. Her doctor wouldn't give her any though, not even a little bit to calm her down," I explained.
"Well, why don't you buy her chocolates from a store outside of the headquarters?" My therapist suggested. This was what I liked about him. He sometimes let me get away with things.
I sat up. "That's a good idea!" I exclaimed. But I couldn't leave the headquarters now that I had come in. I should do it tomorrow.
My therapist laughed. "Of course. Buying gifts for friends is always a splendid idea. We encourage things like that here," He replied.
"Yeah," I nodded, "Yeah. So, is that all for today?"
"Not quite. You know me; lets discuss your dreams young man," My therapist said.
"They're not that interesting anymore, really," I protested, but I went on to tell him about the one I had last night.
"Such exquisite detail; it's a wonder how you remember all this. Usually people forget what they dream about," My therapist said for about the tenth time. He usually said this.
"I'm just...special I guess," I murmured.
"Yes, that you are. You're very special Kadaj."
♡♡
I didn't talk to Keely yesterday, after my therapy session or any time after that. I figured she came back while I was in a session, and wasn't allowed to leave her ward. The next morning though I came up to her like always.
"Good morning Keely," I greeted her.
She spun around and smiled at me. "Oh, hey Kadaj. Good morning."
"Where were you yesterday after school? I waited for you," I told her worriedly.
She shook her head. "I got detention for that assignment I told you about. Can you believe it?" She said.
"I guess you didn't come up with a good excuse after all," I teased, and she gave me a wry smile.
"Yeah, yeah," She mumbled.
We walked to school and I secretly didn't tell Keely anything about the chocolates. I thought it would be a good surprise.
After school, I lied and told her I had to return something to the public library.
"Alright, I'll see you at the headquarters then," Keely told me, waving.
I waved and headed off to the nearest candy store. I got kinda nervous and dug in my pocket for my pills. They usually calmed me down. I popped them in my mouth and swallowed them; almost instantly feeling more relaxed.
I picked out the chocolates I thought Keely would like and bought them. I almost rushed home after that. Though, I was going to wait for much later to give them to her.
You see, Keely and I have this secret tradition no one knows about, not even my therapist. Keely made me swear not to tell anyone or else we'd get in trouble. After dinner, boys weren't allowed in the girl ward, or vice versa. It was your traditional 'strict' place rule.
Hardly a month into the experiment, and Keely found a secret way through the halls so we could meet after hours. Now, this wasn't for something extreme or anything; during our first weeks there Keely and I just had trouble sleeping. At first it was hard getting used to place, and if you've ever been there, you'd know why.
We'd meet up and talk so we would get tired. Sometimes we didn't even talk; we just slept there, because that's where we were used to sleeping. It was an underground room that just served as a passageway towards more underground rooms; such as boilers and stuff.
You got there by going down one of the janitor holes. Janitor holes were circular shafts in the ground that enabled janitors to go underground or to other floors. Only they had the keys to open them, however Keely found a rugged one that was always loose. It lead straight down towards our secret passageway.
I was headed there now, Keely's chocolates under my arm. I had to turn off my room so the voice in it wouldn't set off the alarm or something; I wasn't even sure she could do such a thing, but I figured this place was fancy like that.
The hallway was empty. I ran silently down it until I came to the intersection hallways, where the wards were uni-sex. I didn't see Keely so she was either early or late. I had told her earlier to come by our secret room.
I opened the Janitor hole slightly; enough so I could slip in. Once I rested my feet on the pair of stairs below, I let go of the door gently. I climbed down in darkness until I could jump off into the floor. Dim lights filled here, so you could at least see a few infront of you. Normally Keely and I had flashlights but I forgot in my haste.
I found her sitting atop a big metal pipe, only half of her face un shadowed. The lights under here gave off the type of eerie light you'd usually find coming from the moon. Therefore I usually reflected these lights as "moonlight."
So, bathed in the moonlight, Keely looked mysterious and stunning. I hurriedly popped more pills in my mouth.
"Kadaj," Keely said once she heard me walking towards her. She shined a flash light at my face just to be sure. "Why the sudden meeting?"
"I have a present for you," I told her, and handed over the chocolates.
She took them and gasped lightly. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Keely ripped open the package and automatically popped one in her mouth, a pleasured moan escaping her lips. "Thank you!" She added again with her mouth full.
I laughed. "No problem," I replied.
Swallowing, Keely said, "You don't know how much I've been craving chocolate. How can I repay you? What do I owe you?"
"You don't owe me anything. It's a gift from me," I told her.
"Oh. Well, I'll give you something anyway," Keely replied and hugged me hard.
I stumbled back, laughing. "Keely, it's alright. They're just chocolates."
"Nuh uh! They're good chocolates. And they're a mark," She explained.
I turned to her head on my shoulder puzzled. "Mark?" I questioned.
"Yep," Keely gave me a final squeeze and backed away to smile at me. "A mark of our friendship, no?" She proposed, and handed me a chocolate. Keely then laughed evilly and dug in to another one of hers again.
"Yeah," I replied chuckling, eating the chocolate. I'd feel guilty about it afterwards, seeing as how I wasn't allowed to have chocolate. But what was the harm? So Keely and I stayed up in our secret passageway...and we ate our secret chocolate.
