Note: German Shepherd's were called Alsatians during WWII. Since Gaia has no Germany (Neibelheim and such doesn't count) I've called them Alsatians.
Also: AU. As time goes on there will be mansex of the Angeal/Sephiroth/Genesis.
K9
"We've only seen something like this a few times in two months it took for him to go through puberty. That was when he was ten," Hojo said, flipping through the pages inside a manila folder he held cradled in his arms. Sephiroth's files weren't generally kept in hard copy, but he'd pulled the relevant data from the system for the president's benefit. The man didn't even have a computer, which was, supposedly, one of his many oddities. The man was a hippie at heart.
President Shinra himself sat behind his large desk, scanning one particular page. A graph that showed Sephiroth's aggression levels through the years. Beside it was a line graph that detailed just how unstable the SOLDIER was becoming. The aggression rose with each and every spike of lapse in sanity.
"So what is your explanation for it this time?" Shinra asked, looking over his desk and down to Hojo.
The scientist looked up at him, a glint of light from the window behind Shinra blocking the sight of his eyes. "The war, of course. Sephiroth is highly advanced in terms of instincts. We can't even fathom what he's capable of just yet. At the moment he's displaying a kind of long-range precognition, similar to what all SOLDIERs experience that allows them to doge and deflect bullets. Rather than slowing time down to allow them to react, they calculate probablities in a manner of split seconds to guess the outcome. Subconsciously, Sephiroth is seeing that something is about to affect him."
Hojo paused and Shinra gestured impatiently for Hojo to continue. The scientist huffed a little, perhaps irked that he had to explain thing in such layman terms. He'd spent most of Sephiroth's childhood grooming him out of the bad habit of such a thing, purely so he didn't have to deal with that shit on a day-to-day basis.
"It happened when we moved him from the labs and into basic. Shortly after he woke him from his induced coma, he threw tantrums that often left people injured. His instincts are primarily based on self-preservation, but the reactions he emits as a response vary. He simply blacks out each time he's due for a lab stay these days. Protecting his mental state further, I suspect. Replicating his time spent in a coma before he was moved to the barracks-"
"What is your solution to his growing destruction of Shinra property?" the presedent interrupted, voice booming and echoing around the room. "He has utterly destroyed three VR rooms and killed numerous staff. Whether or not he remembers the incidents is none of my concern. My concern is the money all this is costing me. We're still unsure if he's going to lead us to the Promised Land or not, and I won't be wasting this much until I'm certain he's worth it."
Hojo snorted. "Of course, he's worth it." He snapped his manila folder closed. "The boy just needs a pet or something to keep him from having so much free time and working himself up about it."
Shinra stared. "That's your solution. A pet."
Hojo tipped his head down, stared at the president over to rim of his glasses. "For all he looks to be in his twenties, sir, he's only fifteen. He has been trained all his life to listen to his instincts to survive, to win, to lead us. A little balanced distraction, a dog, perhaps, will suffice. Otherwise he'll go in the completely wrong direction. He's an exact science, unlike the other SOLDIERs."
Shinra ran a hand through his hair and then scratched his chin, rolled back in his chair. "Alright, I'll take it into consideration. That is all."
Hojo's eyes narrowed, his lips thinning into a white line. Nodding, he turned on his heel and made his way from the president's office, handing his file to the secretary before he left. "Burn this and whatever documents the president received from me at the end of the day."
"Yes, Professor."
In the elevator on the way down to his own level, Hojo rubbed at his forehead and ducked his head to hide his smile from the camera in the corner of the ceiling.
Give the boy a pet, let him get attached, then take it away.
It would make him more unstable, more susceptible to Jenova's call. Then all that remained would be to get Sephiroth back to Niebelheim and let his instincts do the rest.
Once he was sure he could control himself, Hojo pulled his PHS from his pocket and flipped it open, did a quick search for the PR department's number. He had to be careful in how he manipulated this situation lest he end up the subject of Sephiroth's fury, instead of the company itself.
There had been some other important figures there from smaller departments, but they had very little to do with Sephiroth's little slice of the company. There had been a woman from PR, Tseng of the Turks and one absolutely terrified dog breeder. The others were the usual heads of department. Heidegger, Scarlet, Lazard.
At first it had apparently started as idle conversations in the PR department about how to change the image of Shinra while still maintaining the functionality of the Shinra Army. Tseng had gotten involved at some point, who had spoken with Lazard, who had spoken with Scarlet who had spoken with Heidegger.
And now here they were, leaving the conference room and making their way to the elevator, each furiously ignoring the other. Interdepartmental cooperation only went so far, even if Scarlet and the PR woman were in the midst of a heated discussion about...something. Sephiroth waited by the door to the conference room, waiting for Lazard.
"General," Lazards said, looking up at him when he exited, halting for a moment. "Were you waiting for me?"
"Yes, Sir."
Lazard gestured him back into the conference room and placed his papers-riddled with notes-on the table and took a seat in one of the plush leather chairs. Sephiroth sat caddy-corner to him and leaned back into his chair, pensive.
When it was clear that Lazard expected him to spill, Sephiroth cleared his throat and met the director's gaze. "I have my reservations about this."
Lazard, pen still in hand, leaned back in his chair and swivelled a little to face Sephiroth, clicking his pen once, twice.
Sephiroth's eye twitched, and he placed the pen down, removed his glasses and began to clean them instead. "I think it would aid us quite well, General. After all, the regular army hasn't the skill of the SOLDIERs when it comes to tracking."
"I'm not objecting to that. I'm...concerned about the proposition that SOLDIER take on a unit of it's own hounds. Is it really necessary?" After all, canines only had one small advantage over SOLDIERS and that was range of smell. Otherwise, in battle, they would only be a hassle. They'd cause emotional strife.
Lazard slipped his glasses back on and folded his hands in his lap. Sephiroth knew that look all too well. It was one that booked no argument. This wasn't, after all, something that Sephiroth had direct input into. During the meeting he merely represented his SOLDIERs, while Lazard represented him. Sephiroth was not a diplomat, after all. For all he was a genius, it did little in the bureaucratic world. "I would think that SOLDIERs are the ones who would most benefit from this adventure. Specifically yourself, Sephiroth."
Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that, Director."
Lazard smiled softly, and while Sephiroth had expected to see some sort of patronising glee there, he only saw compassion. It threw him. "I have your logs, Sephiroth. You get into work early, leave late. You take three hours around midday to train, to be with your men. You spent all weekend in your apartment, Gaia, Sephiroth-...Seph, you never go anywhere. When was the last time you laughed?"
Sephiroth couldn't answer that. He merely sat, expressionless and still as a statue. Lazard noticed he hadn't blinked in some time. It wasn't the first time Lazard had called him that.
They had...history. It hadn't worked out.
Lazard shook his head. "You need a friend, Seph. Someone who loves you unconditionally. Regardless of who you are, what you do or do not know about yourself."
Thoroughly put in his place and yet still pensive, Sephiroth returned to his apartment an hour and a half later. Finding door already unlocked and a pair of red heeled boots just inside his door, he could only sigh. Hanging up his coat, he tilted his head in the direction of his kitchen and whistled sharply. The tension in his shoulders eased at the whistle he gained in return. Definitely Genesis.
They'd learned in brief missions over the last few months that there were many ways to lull a high officer into a false state of security when they were in their home-space. The whistling was a precaution to be sure it was really Angeal or Genesis. Sephiroth allowed no one else into his apartment, but it didn't mean others hadn't tried to gain access, right down to the stray temp receptionist.
Assured, Sephiroth set his blade on the rack by the coat stand and set to removing his boots.
Genesis came wandering towards him from the kitchen, glass of wine in hand. "You're late. Well, later than usual."
"I needed to think." His boots were set beside Genesis'. "What are you doing here?"
Genesis toyed with his bright hair as Sephiroth straightened, then shot him an annoyed look. "It's Friday."
Oh. So it was.
Sephiroth's eyebrows drew down slightly in a frown. Apparently he didn't get the choice of declining this time.
"Angeal will be here soon. He's finishing up with his student," Genesis said, sniffing and then sipping from his glass. Utterly shameless about the fact that he was stomping all over Sephiroth's private space and time.
And drinking his wine.
Bastard.
Sephiroth rubbed at his eyes and then blinked at Genesis. "I need a shower," he said, walking past his friend, very aware of the eyes on his ass. He was too irritated to comment on it for the moment.
While in the shower he heard the distinct whistle of Angeal, short and sharp, then Genesis' reply of long and musical. He whistled himself, briefly, the sound echoing around the tiled bathroom. Sephiroth went back to washing his hair, letting his mind drift as the deep tones of Angeal and Genesis speaking reached him over the sound of water.
Then realised he'd been staring at the wall, motionless, and frowned. He cut the water and wrung his hair out. Perhaps Angeal and Genesis would have an opinion. He could officially tell them now that everything had been approved and the canines were already bought and paid for. Rather than telling them on Monday morning, he'd tell them tonight on their Friday night tradition of alcohol and other apparent friend-related activities.
After he'd dried his hair and slipped into loose cotton pants, Sephiroth wandered out into the kitchen.
Angeal looked at him, then sighed. "Alright, what's wrong?" He crossed his arms over his chest.
"Get off the counter, Genesis," Sephiroth said, giving the man a sharp look. Genesis snapped his worn copy of Loveless closed and huffed, but remained on the counter stubbornly. Sephiroth shook his head, irritated.
"Seph," Angeal prompted.
He shook his head again as he pulled a cup down from one of his cupboards, careful to not grip it too tight. "I had meetings most of the day concerning canine units within both regular army and SOLDIER."
He'd turned his head away, so he couldn't quite see their reactions, but he could hear the intrigued sounds well enough.
"And?" Genesis prompted.
"We're getting mako enhanced Alsatians," he summarized.
"War dogs." Angeal sounded quite pleased, which surprised Sephiroth. He looked up from the vodka he was spiking his tea with.
"You agree with this?"
Angeal shrugged his shoulders once and looked thoughtful. "I think it could be quite interesting. Before Shinra conquered a great deal of the planet they used to be quite popular."
Sephiroth resisted mentioning that he knew. Somewhere in his old laboratory issued educational books was a small, short book on animals used in war. Chocobos and canines, wolves, had been the most prominent.
"Some say dogs are man's best friend. I used to have that dog, do you remember, the brown one?"
Angeal nodded, looking at Genesis. "Used to steal Dumbapples off the trees and eat them."
Laughing lightly, Genesis leaned back and looked up at Sephiroth's scorched ceiling. "Dogs are quite companionable. Loyal to the last second. She died protecting me from some sort of unsavory creature. I forget what exactly. Such a shame..."
Sephiroth blinked. "I've only known of canines in a military context." He didn't dare admit that'd he'd never actually seen or touched one in person. Angeal and Genesis knew he'd been overly sheltered, but he tried to hide just how much he'd been sheltered from them, since the looks he got in return seemed like far more of a punishment than it should have been.
He picked up his cup and moved into the living room, trusting his friends to follow him. "They want to give me one," he said, sounding quite unhappy about it.
"Really?" Genesis said, and Sephiroth could practically hear him sharpening his claws.
He made a non-committal sound and sat on his couch. Genesis slid onto the chair beside him and Angeal, rather than taking up his usual place on the couch beside them, instead sat on his coffee table, blocking his view of the TV.
"Do you want a dog?" Angeal asked, resting his elbows on his knees.
"No." He didn't have the first clue about how to care for them. "It would only slow me down."
Genesis stiffened a little at that, but said nothing, sipping at his wine after a sharp look from Angeal.
"In battle?" Angeal asked, tilting his head.
Sephiroth blinked. "Yes."
"You could just keep it as a mascot," Angeal suggested.
Genesis snorted. "Sephiroth is our mascot."
Sephiroth turned his head and frowned at him.
"Well, you are! You're on all the posters already. You've only been General for a year!" The green fire of jealousy was easy to see in Genesis' blue eyes, and for a moment Sephiroth thought of whether he should address that now or later and instead looked at Angeal. The other man shook his head, and so he said nothing.
As a-and this was Genesis' terminology-'emotional retard', Sephiroth had very little understanding of complicated emotions like jealousy, let alone the reasoning behind them. Their relationship wasn't one that included feelings and the ability to freely air them between each other in order to sort things out. It was just who they were.
"Lazard said I needed the unconditional love," he blurted, then looked down at his tea suspiciously. How much had he put in there? Too much, apparently. But he hadn't even really had a sip yet.
Did he just fish for advice?
Angeal made a small sound, and that drew his attention. The man looked a little uncomfortable. "He's right. We're all military men, Sephiroth. There are parts missing from us, something that allows us to excel in this place as much as it has. Aside from the mako, that is. Dogs don't have that."
Genesis was terribly quiet beside him, so much so that Sephiroth almost forgot him. Instead he was focusing on Angeal, watching the man move through several forms of emotion.
Parts missing? Sephiroth related to that far, far too well.
"When do you get the dog?" Angeal asked, eventually.
"Six months," Sephiroth said, shifting as Angeal took up place beside him.
They said nothing more on it. Genesis reached for the remote and turned on the TV, they spent the next few hours in silence.
Sephiroth couldn't help but note that Genesis had strewn a leg over one of his, and that Angeal was seated closer than usual, or what he would have once considered a polite distance.
This was a very strange day.
Shinra took every single opportunity to splash its wealth and success to every continent of the planet, and so that included every channel on the television too. This meant Sephiroth was brought, once again, to an official ceremony marking the creation of the SOLDIER and regular army K9 units. He had three pages worth of speech, his left breast ominously devoid of ribbons and medals.
Most were gained for arbitrary, PR purposes. He'd said that once he'd done something worth noting, then he would display them.
He stared out at the sea of media personnel, met eyes with the three television cameras as he waited for the applause to die down. He hated this, most of all. Deluded applause. 'He's General, so he must be some sort of great warrior' he could hear with every snap of skin on skin. Not yet. He'd make himself worth that applause, and they would have their hearts in it then. They'd be clapping because they wanted, because he was worth their praise.
Puppets to the Shinra machine would look to him and see an icon. They would follow him, rather than the company's image of glorified war campaigns.
He was a natural leader, Hojo had said once. Well, perhaps. But only for his reasoning. Not Hojo's.
"-venture has been seven months in the making and is the culmination of the entirety of Shinra Electric Power company's efforts to work together to bridge the gap between SOLDIER special forces and regular Shinra Army. As General, I'm pleased to announce that today marks the first day of the training program. Twenty troopers and four SOLDIERs received their canines today and will begin training-"
Sephiroth twirled his remote, pressed a button, then on seeing his face on the next channel, pressed the same button again.
"-next eight months will be spent spent living with their canines twenty four hours a day-"
And again.
"-myself will be receiving an honorary canine-"
And again.
"-to Wutai during upcoming negotiations concerning the installation of reactors-"
Then he hit the power button. His TV flicked off obediently, plunging his living room into silence.
His head rolled back until he stared up at his ceiling, grey suede couch cradling his head. There was a steaming cup of tea by his knee on the coffee table before him.
Negotiations.
Bullshit.
The moment he landed on Wutaian soil, he'd be doing nothing but waging war against Wutai for the right to own their land. Then they couldn't object to Shinra sucking the life out of their country as well, since it would then be Shinra property. Lord Godo had already stated that if he so much as stepped on their land every single recourse the country had would go towards destroying the Shinra empire, if not destroying their ambitions in Wutai, and the rebels within the rest Gaia were welcome to aid them.
Sephiroth's door beeped, Shinra's version of a knock. One didn't knock on Sephiroth's door, since it was soundproofed. Kept him from having to hear things on his own floor he'd rather not hear. As well as the floors above and below. Listening to Genesis and Angeal fuck was enough, he didn't need to hear the rest of the barracks doing to same.
Standing, he made his way over to the door and looked through the peep-hole. Zack's distorted grin was all he managed to see before he grunted and pressed the button to have the door side open. "Zack," he greeted, eyes dropping to the cart the SOLDIER had with him.
One of the boxes was making strange noises.
"Hey Seph!" Zack greeted. He wheeled his cart in, forcing Sephiroth to stand aside as he passed. There were two boxes in total, along with a large bag of dog pebbles. "I've got a special delivery for you, you lucky bastard. Everyone else was too terrified to bring her to you."
Sephiroth sighed and pressed the button to close the door. "I doubt I would call myself lucky in gaining yet another drain on my income."
Zack chuckled and flopped down on Sephiroth's couch, took the smaller box from the front and held it out towards Sephiroth. There were airholes on the sides. A tongue was licking at one of Zack's thumbs, followed by one single tooth and a black muzzle.
Curious despite his reservations, Sephiroth sat in the plush chair beside the couch and set the box on his lap. It shook and lilted to one side as the puppy moved around inside the white cardboard. Gingerly, he unhooked the two flaps on the sides and separated what was fashioned into a handle.
His hands were attacked by a tongue immediately, the rhythmic sound of a tail thumping against the box quickly annoying Sephiroth. He picked the puppy up with one hand under its chest and shifted the box to the floor, spared a brief glance at Zack. He was grinning from ear to hear.
"Hello puppy!" Zack said, cooing and clucking at it. He stood and came to Sephiroth's side.
It was light. Her ribcage filled the palm of his hand while her pelvis rested on his forearm. "Is it meant to be this colour?" he asked, setting her down in his lap. She turned on him immediately and began licking at his hands, his stomach, gnawing on his fingers.
She was pure black, looked like she'd gotten electrocuted shortly before being stuffed in the box. Black hair stood out in every direction, half the length of his smallest finger. It was the longest at her neck. Sephiroth looked at Zack suspiciously, noting the resemblance. Mercifully, her eyes were blue, at least. That would be the mako's doing. Sephiroth was the only SOLDIER with any colour other but blue.
"Well, she's from a different litter than the others. She's supposed to be larger, and apparently her line has a good health and obedience record." Zack rubbed at her head, sending her floppy ears bouncing. Her tail swung back and forth violently, far too close to Sephiroth's crotch for comfort. He handed her over to Zack who cooed and flipped her over onto her back in his arms, rubbed at her belly.
Sephiroth went to the cart. He picked up the large bag of pebbles and carried into his laundry, set it down by his washing machine, came back into the living room to find Zack laying on the floor giggling as the puppy skirted around him, licking, and then crawled up and onto his chest. She flopped and staggered, seemingly unused to her own legs. It had Sephiroth pause and frown.
He needed to do some research on that.
Turning his attention back to the other box, he ripped it open.
It drew Zack's attention. "Oh, there's bowls, collars and other stuff in there. Leads, toys, a book from Hojo-ow!" Zack covered his ear with his hand and pushed at the puppy playfully. "No nipping!"
Sephiroth smirked. "Good girl," he purred, and amusingly, she looked up at him and pounded over to him, started sniffing at his bare feet and sweat pants.
"That's totally not fair," Zack complained, standing.
"Perhaps she might be of some use after all." Sephiroth turned his attention back to the box. He drew two ceramic bowls out, along with a collar and lead, set them down on the floor by the cart. The puppy was there in an instant, investigating.
"What are you going to call her?" Zack asked, tossing toys onto the floor as he pulled them from the box and watching the puppy chase after each new one, only to see another land near her and go after that once instead. Most were balls but there was various squeaky toys and ropes as well as a string of plastic sausages.
She disappeared behind the couch with the sausages, head high and smiling red plastic meat trailing between her legs.
Sephiroth paused. He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Dog," he said.
Zack frowned. "Oh, come on, man! You can't call her that."
Sephiroth blinked. "Why not?"
"Because it goes against every rule ever! Come up with something else, you've got plenty of time."
Zack stayed long enough to help him set things up for her. He'd gotten two collars, one that he could have used as a bracelet around his own wrist that still seemed to be too big around the puppy's neck and another that looked large enough to wind around his thigh with room to spare. It went without saying that she tripped not one step into her very short journey when Zack looped it around her neck.
Sephiroth frowned and pulled it off her gently, watched her rub to the other toys, stepping on several things and making them squeak and caw.
"For when she gets older," Zack explained, taking the collar from him. Sephiroth noted the SOLDIER symbol on them both, as well as the blank name tags. The collars themselves were black, but reflected blue in light. It would make finding her in low light easy despite her colouring.
They set up her food bowls, and Zack explained the puppy milk, and large bag of cut up meat he'd stuffed Sephiroth's fridge with. Sephiroth was one of a few who had a small balcony attached to his apartment so Zack placed a square metre of fake grass out there. "For her business," he said, grinning, as if he already knew that toilet training dogs was hell.
She didn't have a bed, but Sephiroth thought she looked just fine at the foot of his couch, trying to gnaw holes in the smiling fake sausage and the thick white rope that linked that sausage to the next. One ear even managed to stand up straight for a moment as she returned his gaze.
He picked her up as Zack left, making sure he'd closed the door before he set her down again. She sat, looked up at him blankly.
"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Her tail waged a little and her mouth opened, tongue lolling.
Sephiroth sighed. "I don't know what to do with you."
She attacked his hair, snapping at what hung down temptingly, barking in small and weak little sounds.
He groaned.
Re-directing her attention was easy, Sephiroth discovered. Roll a ball at her and she immediately went after it. He took the chance to disappear into his office and close the door. There was too much paperwork around for her to be in here. Besides, all of his armour and spare everythings were in here as well. It wasn't the neatest room in the apartment.
He went on the Internet, did a quick search. Finding himself looking for more detail, he went looking for various specialty and advice sites. Sephiroth had excelled in everything he'd ever put his mind to on his own. It was his own drive, his own determination, that pushed him on. The hope that one day he'd understand his reason for existing was his main source of drive.
But the puppy? He hadn't a clue how to deal with her.
Yet, he'd be damned if she wasn't anything less than what the old war dogs had been like in the past. She would reflect his skill. His power. She would be obedient and inspire awe and fear, just as he hoped to following Wutai.
A loud crash distracted him.
Well, perhaps not just yet. She needed training first.
He left his office and went to investigate, found her in his kitchen licking a broken bottle of sauce off the floor.
Rather than scolding her right away, he tilted his head. The red tomato sauce had sprayed everywhere in a rather inspiring parody of arterial blood spray. She was licking it up happily, having not noticed him just yet. Her paws were covered in it, plastic sausage link abandoned by the fridge.
"Soldier," he said aloud. Her head rose immediately. She came to his side, mouth open and tongue lolling. It looked like she was grinning.
He crouched and she pawed at his thigh as he scratched her neck, trying to balance herself on her back two legs as she licked his wrist. "I'll name you Soldier.
Thoughts would be appreciated, as well as names for the other three SOLDIER dogs.