Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot line in this story and my oc, River Strife.
Chapter 1
As they walked down the path the screams got worse.
Who was screaming bloody murder? The four men didn't know.
Angeal Hewley had been the first to hear the cries of pain and had suggested they go find out after twenty minutes.
Zack Fair looked at Angeal worried as he said "I hope whoever has been screaming isn't hurt bad."
The other three nodded in agreement.
Suddenly the screams stopped.
After about ten minutes of searching Angeal yelled "Guys, over here!"
The three ran to him and stopped in the their tracks.
Angeal was leaning over a child that was covered in blood. The boy's clothes were ripped and shredded.
The child was unconscious and scarcely breathing. "We need to get him home. We don't have any Cure materia with us right now. If he's not healed soon he could die." said Angeal looking up at the three men.
"Come on. Let's go then." replied Sephiroth.
Angeal picked the child up in his arms and followed the others.
Angeal laid the boy on the spare bed in one of the unused bedrooms of the mansion.
Genesis came in and handed Angeal the healing materia then left.
Angeal gently took the boy's shirt off of him. There were many cuts and to his surprise stab wounds covering the child's chest and torso.
Angeal saw hand and finger prints on the boy's pale neck. Red marks covered his back.
'The poor thing. Who would do something like this to a child?' Angeal thought as he cleaned the wounds with a warm wet rag.
After cleaning the wounds Angeal was surprised to see multiple bruises littering his pale frame.
As Angeal further examined the dark red haired boy he noticed his left wrist was swollen. He checked it and found out it was broken.
Angeal shook his head trying to calm the anger he felt rising.
Angeal casted a Cure spell on the boy. All of the wounds healed except the broken wrist. It would have to heal on it's own.
Zack opened the door and walked in. "Here 'Geal. These are the smallest of the clothes I have." he said handing a white t-shirt and black sweatpants to Angeal.
"Thanks Zack. I'm sure these will work." replied Angeal, taking the clothes from Zack.
Zack looked at the child laying pale on the bed.
"Is he going to be alright?" Zack asked.
Angeal looked at Zack and said "I'm sure he'll be okay. I just wonder who on Gaia would do such a thing."
Angeal was quiet for a minute before saying, "Zack could you get the wrist brace from my room please?"
"Okay 'Geal." Zack replied and left.
A couple of minutes later he was back.
"Thank you, Puppy." Angeal said.
Zack was about to leave when he remembered something. "Oh Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis went back to where you found him. They wanted to see if they could find out who did this." he said. He then left the room.
Angeal sighed as he turned back to the unconscious child.
What were they going to do when he woke up?
The child probably would be terrified of them.
Angeal Hewley was very gentle as he put the shirt and pants on the red head. After he was done he pulled the comforter up to the boy's neck. He then placed both of the boy's hands on his stomach.
As Angeal walked out of the room, he hoped the child would wake up soon.