FFVII Crisis Core – The Gemini Project Failure

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Crisis Core (boy would I love to though!). I'm merely borrowing the ingenious plot, characters, and the story, adding a bit of my own and my boyfriend's ideas to it.

A/N: Yes, this takes place during Crisis Core, Zack Fair's and Sephiroth's stories before it becomes Cloud's in FFVII. However, this is not completely about them. It certainly has them in it and I know how people hate when others add new people into the mix, but I first came up with this idea for support of the other characters. The new people added are there to hopefully be viewed as supporters for Zack, Cloud, and just the whole plot of bringing down ShinRa. If you don't like new people added, by all means, please don't read it. No reason for someone to read something they won't like. Rather silly in my opinion. For those who do decide to give it a chance, please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


Chapter 1 Escaping ShinRa

Pale green eyes looked around the barren room. The whole room was white in color, nothing but that single color. That alone was enough to drive one mad. Try living in that room for seven years of your life. The first five had been spent into another room of only white, but machinery filled it from wall to wall. Machines that seemed like they could do anything from create life to ending it in the most painful ways. Tanks full of sick looking liquids large enough to fit people inside. Compared to that room, anyone would take the barren white room.

There were bunk beds shoved in one corner of the room. In another corner was a toilet and sink. That was everything inside the room other then the owner of the pale green eyes and one other person. Both shared the eye color as well as a good many physical features. Both looked eerily similar to the great legendary 1st Class SOLDIER Sephiroth. There were however, big differences with these two people.

The one currently looking about the room had long lavender hair that could match Sephiroth's silver hair to a tea, but she was a female. It traveled down along her back in a matted mess unkempt and not taken care of. She had nothing to take care of it with and Hojo didn't care. That is, unless she began to listen and do what he wanted her to do. Then she would need to look like a real person. She wasn't one, or at least, Hojo told her that over and over. He would stare down at her over his large nose and those stupid glasses with nothing but a cold gaze. No emotion could be found in his eyes. She didn't care about his opinion, it didn't matter to her. It never did. Only one person's opinion mattered and that person was who she shared this cell with.

The male's hair was the complete opposite in color and length then the female and even Sephiroth. His hair only came to his chin and was pitch black. However, he wasn't all that much better with Hojo. He was just as defiant even if he was eager to learn more about fighting. He sat on the lower bunk bed looking bored. There was nothing for either one to do.

Both were twelve years old, just children living lives that prisoners would. They were prisoners, prisoners of the ShinRa Electric Company. All they had were each other, no toys, nothing. Their knowledge was very limited, they had not been educated in anything but fighting. They could tell you how to kill a man in many different ways, but they couldn't tell you the color of the sky. They didn't know what a tree looked like. They had never met other kids their own age.

The girl looked over at the bottom bunk as she sat on the floor. "We've got to try again," she stated.

Frowning, the boy looked over at her arching a brow. "Again? We can't, you know what he said after we did it the first time. You know what he did…"

"Just because Hojo said it, doesn't mean he did it," she stated firmly glancing down at her left arm. It looked perfectly normal, nothing appeared to be wrong at all. "I only said I woke up to him pulling a needle from my arm."

He shook his head, "We can't run the risk, we can't."

"I can't stay here, I can't! I want away from here! I hate it here!" she burst out pounding a fist onto the floor. "I don't want to be here anymore! We could be free! We could be like other people! We tried before, it didn't work. We were too young, but we can try again."

The dark haired boy pulled in a deep breath before letting it out as a sigh lifting his gaze to the ceiling. Could they possibly be able to do it? There had been no planning last time, it just happened. They hadn't made it very far before they had been caught. There had been deaths, but in the end, it hadn't made a difference. Here they were still.

The lavender haired girl took on the appearance of a little girl as she looked at him. She looked lost, run down, beaten. "Please?" she asked softly.

Swallowing, the boy looked at the floor. He didn't really want to stay. As much as they were learning to take care of themselves, it wasn't enough. She wasn't happy however with their life here. To be honest, he wasn't exactly happy either. He enjoyed the training they received, but he wouldn't go so far as to say he enjoyed his life. Slowly he lifted his head and nodded.

The girl relaxed, closing her eyes a little at the thought of being out of ShinRa all together. What did the world look like? How many people were outside the building? Just how big was ShinRa? She didn't know the answer to these questions, but she wanted to find out. She WOULD find out. What would it be like to be… normal? She had heard Hojo say a thousand times probably that they were not normal nor would they ever be.

The boy looked off to a wall a little curious as to what was out there. He didn't want to be stuck behind walls, a prisoner for all his life. If they were going to train them, he wanted to be using his skills. You couldn't do that behind walls. So why were they stuck in this little part of hell? Why couldn't they go out and do things like those bastard scientists? Not that he thought Hojo did anything anyway. He no doubt didn't go outside himself. The man was a monster. If only he could just lay his hands on that man. Just get close enough without being disoriented and drugged. Hojo wouldn't be so brave then. He would get what had been coming to him for years. All the pain they suffered.

"How are you both today?" asked a high pitched voice devoid of any emotion through the speaker high on the wall with the door that could never seem to open whenever they had tried.

A face wasn't necessary for either child to know whose voice it was speaking to them. It was Hojo. Both could picture his face as he spoke, long black hair tied a the nap of his neck, big round glasses covering emotionless dead eyes perched on top of his long nose. He was so thin, lanky and that laugh of his… it would send chills up your spine.

The girl was the first to answer snarling at Hojo, "What do you care? You keep us locked up in here unless you plan for us to train or… or…"

He simply laughed at them.

Both kids didn't flinch, but the girl's skin was crawling. She certainly wasn't afraid of Hojo unless he started drugging them. Then it meant there would be nothing but pain to look forward to.

The boy's eyes looked toward the door as if expecting the man to open it and show himself. Of course that wouldn't happen until the room filled with smoke or whatever else Hojo cooked up for them to go through. That would only be the beginning. The next step would be some form of experiment, an operation. Days filled with pain and torture.

Hojo's cocky voice filled the air, "I am the reason you exist, never forget it Specimen B."

That was when the girl jumped to her feet, lavender hair fanning as much as a matted mess could. Pale green eyes sparkled with hatred glaring right at the speaker, "My name is Hotaru!"

Hojo snorted, "Still using that ridiculous name you asked that no good assistant about? What about you Specimen A? Are you acting the same?"

The boy's eyes narrowed. He couldn't honestly think that they would always be called by 'Specimen A' and 'Specimen B' their whole lives, could he? "I'm only going by Xavier."

"It hardly matters, neither of you will see the light of day with how you are acting. You most of all Specimen B," came the steely voice from the speaker as it shut off.

Hotaru glared at the door, seething with rage. The man hated her, she just knew it. There was no other word to describe it. Why that was, she didn't know and didn't care. The only thing she cared about was getting out of this place.

Xavier glanced at his twin, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you think he was being honest?" he asked.

Hotaru turned to look at him putting a hand over her face. She knew Hojo was being serious unless they could find a way to get out and away for good. "Yes," she answered.

Xavier said nothing as he laid on his back staring directly at the bed above him. He would not be confined to a room for the rest of his life. Hadn't they gone through enough experiments and tests? Shouldn't they be ready to go out among the other people who worked for ShinRa?

Hotaru pulled in a deep breath climbing to her feet as she jumped onto the top bunk lying down too. What did the world look like outside of ShinRa? Certainly it must be a wonderful place. Nearly anything would be an improvement over this place. Sleep came as she let her mind wonder imagining just what it might look like.


Two weeks later, Xavier found himself alone in their room. He faintly remembered gas filling the room before he woke up lying in the middle of the floor. Hotaru had been missing which left him thinking that she had been taken alone for something. Hojo couldn't possibly… no, he refused to think that the man was getting rid of her. They had always been together. Getting rid of Hotaru would only serve to make Xavier reel more. Surely Hojo would know that, right? She could be being punished for her words yesterday…maybe. Just so long as she came back here so he wasn't alone.

Suddenly without warning, the door opened. It never opened before he was knocked out because of the chance he could get away. What could be going on?

Hotaru's face appeared from the doorway smiling at her twin. "Xavier! Quick! Come on!" she said waving an arm toward her.

He arched a brow watching her from where he sat on the floor. "What?" he asked. What was going on here?

"We're leaving! Now come on, before someone suddenly shows up. It seems ShinRa is having lots of problems!"

"Having problems? Leaving?" He was greatly confused as to what she was saying.

Hotaru dashed into the room grabbing his hand and pulled him onto his feet already heading for the door. She was met with mild resistance, but he had never made her come to a stop. He was still trying to process what she had told him. They were going to get out of here!

At once the twins were moving fast along the hall with Hotaru in the lead still holding on to Xavier's hand directing him past all the doors that ran along the hallway. He was glad that she knew where she was going because he certainly didn't. One door loomed ahead, the very door they were going to as Hotaru felt as if the world had finally given them the chance to be free. She threw open the door.


In another part of ShinRa while Xavier had been unconscious on the floor of the room he shared, Zack Fair, 2nd Class SOLDIER was in his room packing a few of his belongings. It had been two weeks since he had come back from Fort Tamblin in Wutai with Angeal, who hadn't been heard from since. This upset and confused the young sixteen year old man. Angeal was his mentor, the man he looked up to. Where was he? Had he deserted ShinRa as people were beginning to claim? No, he refused to believe it. Not Angeal, he valued his SOLDIER pride above everyone he knew. The spiky ebony haired man pulled in a deep breath before he closed his suitcase. He was going on a short vacation to his little home in Gongaga. He hadn't been sent on an assignment for two weeks. ShinRa thought it best to give him time off to get rid of some of that restless energy he had.

The door opened as he cast a look over his shoulder to find Kunsel there. The other SOLDIER smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Heading home for a little rest huh?"

"Better there then stuck here doing absolutely nothing," Zack said, seeming a little irritated. It was of course by no means due to his friend, but of everything that didn't make sense to him. "Besides, I am missing my parents a little. It's been a while since I've seen them last."

Kunsel nodded, walking into the room placing a hand on Zack's shoulder. "I know how you feel man, believe me. You deserve the break after going to Wutai. That was amazing. I'm sorry about Angeal though."

Zack simply nodded, turning toward his suitcase again as a wave of sadness washed over him. Where was Angeal? What was he doing right now? He wouldn't have deserted ShinRa, never. Though… what about Genesis? He didn't know the man well, but he disappeared with a bunch of 2nd and 3rd Class SOLDIERs before they had even gone to Wutai.

Kunsel looked up at the taller man, "I'll e-mail you any information I can gather while you're away, I promise. Rumor or fact, you'll know it as soon as I do."

"Thanks Kunsel, it means a lot to me," and it did.

He nodded stepping outside the room while Zack grabbed his suitcase following after the other SOLDIER, closing and locking the door. "Tell your folks I said hi."

A smile spread across Zack's face as he nodded waving with his free hand heading down the hallway. Well, he was on his way to a week's worth of relaxing. Well, maybe not relaxing, but at least he could see his parents. He was looking forward to it. He got into the elevator stopping as he thought maybe checking in on the last second in the Briefing Room might not be a bad idea. He punched the button, exiting the elevator once it had come to a stop. He had barely gone down the hallway when the door to the Science Department opened up.

Hotaru came to a dead stop staring up at the tall man before her with wide eyes. This couldn't be… they were going to be caught and thrown back in that room! They would be punished for this harshly by Hojo, she just knew it.

Zack blinked, looking at both kids completely taken by surprise. "What… what are you kids doing in there?" They looked like they were abandoned and uncared for. They were wearing what barely made the word rag and so dirty. On top of it all, they looked like they could be Sephiroth's younger brother and sister.

Xavier immediately pulled Hotaru behind him glaring up at Zack ready to strike. "Stay back!"

Zack jumped a little, quickly looking around as he 'shhhed' them. "Quiet! Do you want to be caught? You shouldn't be in there!"

Hotaru peeked around her brother looking up at Zack as her head tilted to the side. This man had no idea who they were. He didn't know they had always been behind the door. Also, she couldn't explain it, but she felt that he knowing of them meant they were safe. They had no reason to fear him at all. "We've always been here."

Xavier sent a hard look back at Hotaru not backing down from his battle stance. "What are you talking to him for?! He could be with Hojo and then we'll be caught and punished!" his words were harsh enough to surprise anyone.

Hotaru's reaction however, had been a cold look that said she wasn't about to back down from what she had just done. "We can trust him Xavier, I know we can."

"How do you know that? You don't, because we don't know him," Xavier spat back.

"It's a feeling I have!" she shot back.

Zack took this moment to intervene, "Woah, woah, I'm not with Hojo. I don't even work with the guy. I don't work in the Science Department, I work with SOLDIER."

The twins turned to look at him with blank looks as if they had no idea what he was talking about.

Ok, maybe that didn't help all that much, but standing here in the hall gave him the impression that these two kids would be in danger. He grabbed a hold of the two pulling them quickly down a little ways and pushed them through the door. Setting his suitcase down, he grabbed two 3rd Class SOLDIER uniforms and handed them to the kids. "Put these on and fast. Make sure to secure the helmet and don't let your hair be seen," speaking more to Hotaru with the last bit.

Neither argued, after all, he was helping them wasn't he? With the clothes he'd given them, no one would know who they were.

As they changed, Zack turned his back. "Why have you two always been in the Science Department? That doesn't make any sense."

Xavier gave Zack's back a glare still not fully trusting the man. His sister might, but he didn't. He saw no reason to trust a man they had just encountered. He might not work with Hojo, but he worked for ShinRa and that in his mind gave him enough reason not to trust Zack. "We were created in there, what else?"

Zack thought that he couldn't possibly be serious. Hojo had created a human being? It would be two human beings since there were two standing there with him. He didn't think that kind of technology existed yet. However, he never really gave it thought either since science was not something he really scared about. It of course had advanced him, but he still didn't really think about it.

"Don't be rude Xavier! He doesn't have to help us at all," Hotaru gave her brother a look. "Hojo created us… he said twelve years ago I think. You're older, aren't you? A lot taller too."

Zack turned around once he heard no more rustling around signaling that they were completely dressed. It turned out Hotaru was having issues with her hair and he helped her tucking it securely under the helmet. "Well," he began, "I'd have to say that sounds about right for your age. Twelve sounds right and yes, I am older then you two. I'm sixteen years old."

"That means you're… thirteen… fourteen," she began counting with her fingers.

Xavier glanced over at his twin crossing his arms over his chest, "He's four years older then us."

"Right!" she agreed looking at four fingers.

Zack arched a brow looking down at the pair, but didn't comment. He had to get moving and the faster, the better. He'd talk to them about it later. "Anyway, we better get moving. I'd say you two don't have anyone who would be able to take care of you?"

Xavier stuck close to Hotaru as they exited the room glancing around the nearly empty hallway. They had been lucky it actually had been empty before or they might not be standing there right now. "No, otherwise we wouldn't be here in the first place." Wasn't that obvious enough?

Zack had the feeling the boy wasn't very trusting and didn't like him. Call it a hunch. "Just leave the talking to me if anyone stops us. I'll take care of things."

They continued on their way getting inside the elevator.

Hotaru wished she had more then two eyes with everything she was seeing. She had never seen anything like this before! Who knew that this was possible? This… tiny room was actually moving! It was taking them farther away from their prison cell! Her heart was racing hardly daring to believe her eyes.

The three exited, walking to the right heading for the staircase. Zack was only half a step ahead of the twins who stood on either side of the taller young man. They went down the steps. So far, so good all three thought to themselves at the bottom heading straight for the front doors. Moments later they found themselves outside the building of ShinRa and walking away toward Sector 8.

"Wow…" Hotaru spoke up finally looking every which way nearly jumping as they continued on their way.

Xavier simply looked around, making no comment. He was certainly amazed by everything, but not nearly as excited as his twin. That is were they differed greatly. Hotaru behaved more like a five year old where Xavier would be seen as a mini adult.

Zack smiled as he looked at the two, leading them past the fountain. "It is amazing, isn't it?" He had never really thought about it himself really, taking it for granted. The girl's reaction had made him think about the world around him. "Oh," suddenly he remembered that he only heard Xavier's name, but not the girl's name, "Your name is Xavier, but I never got your name." He had looked from Xavier to Hotaru.

Hotaru looked over to Zack suddenly, tilting her head to the side. "Oh yeah, you only heard me call Xavier by his name. I'm Hotaru!"

Zack nodded slightly pointing to the stairs they were nearing. "I'm Zack, Zack Fair. I'm heading home to see my parents and they'd be glad to take you in. After we go up those steps, we'll get to a train station and we'll get on the train. We'll be taking an airship to get to where I live because it's pretty far away."

"Far away?" Hotaru repeated smiling brightly. Far away was a good thing. That meant maybe then they would never be found! "Great!"

It was only minutes later that the three were watching the train pull in, unload passengers before they board it glad to be leaving ShinRa far behind them.


A/N: End of chapter one, please give me some feed-back so I know what you all are thinking as stated above. Not sure when I'll post chapter two, but maybe in two weeks. Just depends since I'm about to start classes next week again.