Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever own any rights to anything within the Final Fantasy VII Compilation. It is unfortunate, but it will remain that way throughout the story.
A/N: I have said for several weeks now that I will be putting this off, but it just didn't want to wait. I am not giving up on any of my active stories and I even have one more that I will probably start in the next couple of weeks, so please bare with me while my brain is still in story start overdrive. I am sure it will settle down eventually and I'll be able to focus properly. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy the fruits of my torment, or also known as my stories that I really do love writing :)
Chapter 1
The sound of a woman's screams still echoed around the room when another woman in a white lab coat lifted the child and moved to clean it. The first woman could again be heard quietly sobbing in the background, but no one was paying attention to it. The few people in the room had gathered to see the child that had been created. He was smaller than expected and the wisps of white hair that barely covered his tiny head were unexpected. Otherwise he looked like any other average child.
The woman handed the boy to a man that had been waiting by the door. "Professor, he seems normal except for his hair."
The man laughed an ugly laugh as he took the child. "His hair is of little concern. He will be the key to unlocking exactly what I want."
They were interrupted by a loud cry from the woman that had been weeping. The female that had been holding the boy went to see why she was screaming again and was surprised to see another head had started to appear. She immediately jumped into action as she called out to the others. "There is another one coming!"
The male that was holding the child walked over with curiosity. "Twins? I did not see twins in my examinations."
"Well, there is definitely a second child." The female scientist barely had time to grunt out her response before the second baby entered the world with a piercing cry. She cut the cord and held the child up for the scientist to see.
His eyes widened before he grinned. "Unexpected, but the possibilities have increased." He turned a glare to the woman holding the newborn before he continued. "Wash her and bring her to me. I want to test them both immediately."
The woman gave him a nod as he carried the boy out with him. She took the girl that she was carrying and handed her to one of the other scientists. "Clean her up and take her to Professor Hojo. I'll make sure Professor Crescent is taken care of."
The man gave her a nod as he took the child while the woman moved to the bedside. She looked down at the scientist that was still crying softly and felt her heart lurch. If fate had played out differently, it could have been her in that bed and crying for the loss of her children. Hojo had given strict instructions that Lucrecia was not to be allowed to hold them.
She shook off her morbid thoughts and quickly worked to help Lucrecia finish delivering the afterbirth and then helped to clean her up as much as possible. By the time she was finished, the male had already left with the second child and it was just the two of them left in the room. She hesitated for a moment, but knew if it was her, she would have appreciated at least an update. She sat beside the woman on the bed and took up her hand.
Lucrecia had started to doze off but opened her eyes at the feel of another hand on hers. She gave the woman a confused look and the woman squeezed her hand again before she spoke. "You had two healthy babies. Twins. One a boy and one a girl. They both look beautiful."
It took Lucrecia a few moments to understand what she had been told. The exhaustion from the birth still had her head wrapped in fog. When she realized there were twins, her eyes widened. "Twins? We weren't expecting that. I only have a name for a boy."
The scientist gave her a sad smile, but she still managed to speak. "I am sure that naming them will be the last thing on the Professor's mind. Do you have a preference?"
Lucrecia grimaced at the mention of her husband. She only knew part of what he had planned, as he refused to share the rest with her after she lost her temper when she found some of his plans. That little bit was still enough to make her blood run cold when she thought of it happening to her children. She was drawn back to the present when the girl gave her a worried look. She pushed her worry back for the moment. There wasn't anything she could do yet anyway. She took a few moments to think about it before she spoke. "The boy will be called Sephiroth. I am sure that is already written down somewhere. You said the other is a girl?"
When the other scientist nodded, she fell into contemplation again. Finally, she looked up with a sad smile. "If that is the case, then she should be named Seraphina. Sephiroth and Seraphina." The woman gave her a nod and got up to go input the two names. Once she was gone, Lucrecia turned her head into the pillow and wept. Her voice was barely heard in the empty room. "I only hope their names can help guide them to a better future than the one I have seen."
It was several days later that Lucrecia was finally able to make it out of bed. She had not yet donned her lab coat. She could barely stand the sight of it. When she left her room to walk around for a bit of exercise, she found that there were very few scientists left in the old mansion. She thought she was alone at first, until she caught sight of someone leaving the room that had the entrance to the basement. She called out to the woman before she got too far. "Wait! What happened here?" When the woman turned, Lucrecia was surprised to see it was the same woman that had asked about the children's names. Thinking about them instantly made her feel as if someone had stabbed her in the chest, but she managed to not show it while she waited for a response.
She wanted to cringe at the sympathetic look the woman gave her but didn't. She could hear the worry in the woman's voice as well. "Professor Crescent. I didn't realize you were well enough to be up." She paused and looked around nervously before she spoke again. "Everyone else has already gone back to Midgar with Professor Hojo. Evan and I stayed behind to clean things up before we join them as well. He has asked that we close off the basement and leave most of it. We are only taking back the important things."
Lucrecia gave her a surprised look. "Everyone has already gone? The ch-" She stopped before she could finish her sentence. She already knew the answer in her heart and didn't want it confirmed.
She was surprised when the woman walked to her and gave her arm a squeeze before she spoke again. "We were just going through some of the reports. Professor Hojo also left several of the experiments in the basement, but I believe they are only the ones he considered failures. I am supposed to lock the door down there and put the key in the safe, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I'm pretty sure I left it in the sun room."
Lucrecia gave the woman a confused look. She had no idea why the girl was telling her all of that. She didn't care what Hojo did with his experiments. Before she could say so though, a thought struck her. If he put all the failed experiments down there, then it might be worth checking into. It was at that moment that she realized that was exactly the reason the girl had mentioned it. Her eyes widened, but she kept her voice calm as she responded. "I will do my best to stay out of the way while you two finish up. I may come down at some point and see if I can help, but that will depend on how I feel."
The girl gave her a smile before she let go. "We would be happy for any assistance. Will you be going back to Midgar with us?"
Lucrecia gave her a contemplative look. "I am not sure yet."
The other scientist nodded her understanding. "Well, we will be here for several more days at least. You have time to think about it. I am sure if you decide to go back, there will be something for you to do."
Lucrecia felt her heart tear again. She knew the girl was only trying to be kind, but it served as a reminder that even if she went back to Midgar, Hojo would never allow her to see the children. Knowing they were so close and being unable to see them would likely end in her loosing her mind. She didn't speak those thoughts though. She managed to give the girl a half-hearted smile before she turned and headed back to her bed. She did want to see what Hojo left behind, but she needed rest first. She was still easily fatigued.
The next day Lucrecia managed to make her way down to the basement. She had found the keys in the windowsill in the sun room where the other scientist had said they would be. When she got to the door she was directed to, she had to take several deep breaths. Knowing Hojo, there was no telling what would be in the room. She finally pulled her courage together and opened the door.
She had to repress a shiver when the dim light from the cave only barely illuminated several coffins. She held the door open wider and felt around for a light switch, all without taking her eyes off the caskets. She was ready to run if one of them even moved.
It took her several moments to find what she was looking for, since she wasn't watching her hands, but once she found it, the room was filled with light. She nearly turned at left at that point. The light did very little to lessen the creepy vibe of the scattered coffins. Her gaze was drawn immediately to the one in the middle. It was the only one that was chained and locked closed. Somehow, she knew there was only one experiment that Hojo would be that worried about getting out.
She slowly made her way to the center of the room, all while trying to make as little noise as possible. She was aware that the others weren't necessarily empty, and if they did have occupants, there was no guarantee they would be deceased. By the time she made it to the one in the center, she was covered in a fine sheen of sweat from her nerves. She eyed the chains balefully for a moment while she tried to work out how best to remove them without a lot of rattling. She finally settled for sitting on them so they wouldn't rattle across the top and gently lowering them one by one once they were unlocked.
Once that was done, she felt a little more confident about not being bothered by an unexpected addition. Despite her efforts, the chains had still made a considerable amount of noise in the silence. She only hesitated for a few seconds before she pushed the lid back. It was heavier than she expected so she wasn't able to get it all the way off, but it was far enough back that she could see the person inside.
What she found made her gasp. She had been expecting Vincent Valentine, and he was the one inside, but he did not look the same as the last time she saw him. He was pale and his hair had grown enough to be slightly shaggy. The strangest thing though was the fact that he was not wearing his uniform. Instead it was replaced by a tattered red cloak that was moving like there was wind blowing it. There were no breezes in the room. All of that had her worried about what Hojo might have done while she was bedridden before the birth, but what really made her tears start was the fact that he didn't seem to be breathing.
She reached out to brush the hair off his face without thinking first. She never made contact. Her eyes widened in shock when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. She nearly fell over, but he had an iron grip as he sat up. It was at that point she noticed that his arm had been replaced. He had a golden prosthetic that ended in claws. She had to fight the urge to try and break his grip and run when he finally looked her in the eye.
His voice was cold. "Why are you here?"
She sobbed at the sound of it and she wasn't entirely certain if it was because she had no idea of the extent of the things that had been done to him, or because he was staring at her like she was a stranger. Either way his grip tightened slightly until she finally answered. "I was told Hojo left many things behind here when he left me and took my children to Midgar. I hoped that I might find you."
His eyes narrowed but he stood and brought her up with him. He stepped out of the coffin before he spoke. "Children? I thought you were expecting a son."
She felt the tears flow faster at the thought of every minute of torture her children were likely to be enduring with the madman she had married. "Yes, twins. It was unexpected, but it makes no difference. Hojo has taken them and refuses to allow me to even see them."
He finally released her and took a step back. She choked on a sob at the sound of his voice. "What does that have to do with me?"
She was nearly screaming when she was finally able to answer. "What does it have to do with you! Everything! You asked me once if I was sure, not how dare I, but if I was sure. I told you then that if it only involved me then yes, I was certain, but it isn't just me. I wanted you to stand up for me then, for us, but you never did. You walked away like it had nothing to do with you." She stopped at that point and had to take a few breaths before she could continue. Her voice was nearly inaudible. "It has everything to do with you though. I had hoped you finally understood that."
She had turned away from him at that point, so she didn't see his widened eyes. Neither of them moved for several minutes. Finally, Vincent touched her shoulder. She gasped and turned to face him. His face was a mix of pain and confusion when he spoke. "You married Hojo."
She sighed and cast her gaze down. "Yes, and it is something I will forever regret. I did it because I was scared. I know I pushed you away when we first got close; I was so guilty over your father's death, but by the time I realized you didn't hold it against me, you had already reverted to being distant again. I know it is my fault, but please understand that I made a mistake, and I want to try to make up for it."
By that time, he had taken her arm in a tight grasp again. He no longer looked confused, but his anguish was clear. "The twins, they are not… they aren't Hojo's?"
The look she gave him mirrored his torment when she shook her head. He instantly pulled her into a crushing hug and his voice was low and rough when he spoke. "I should never have believed him."
Lucrecia's voice was just as broken. "He knew. He knew they were not his and he was jealous of you. He didn't shoot you because you confronted him. He shot you when you confronted him because he is human too, even if he refuses to admit it. It was a convenient excuse." She hugged him tighter and took a moment to clear her throat before she looked up and continued. "He has our children. Gaia only knows what he plans, but I cannot let the visions I saw come to pass. Please help me."
Vincent started growling and his face contorted in physical pain. Lucrecia wasn't sure what the problem was, but she wasn't letting him go, not even when he opened his eyes and they flashed gold. He tried to push away from her, but he didn't get far. He grabbed his head with his armored claw and bent nearly double. Lucrecia tried to help, but he wouldn't allow her close. It was several moments later that he finally calmed and stood straight.
The look he gave her was pained, but also angry. "We can discuss our issues at another time. First we need to find out where our children have been taken."
She gave him a nod. She still felt his distance like a knife to her heart, but he was right; they needed to help their children first. Unfortunately, it would not be easy. The Shinra headquarters was the most secure facility in the world, plus they had the Turks there and a budding private army. The Soldier program was still young, but the things they had seen mako do already were phenomenal, if still slightly unstable. All that meant that it would take time and planning. The thought sent her into tears again, as every day Hojo had them could be the day that breaks them.
Vincent must have understood part of what was on her mind as he closed his face off and walked to the door as he spoke. "It will take planning, and time. We can only hope that Hojo will save the worst parts for a few years at least."
She choked when he said years. She had expected weeks, maybe months, but not years. "Surely we can get them back before that." She hated that her statement was more like a question, but she had been unable to hide it.
She shrank back when he turned his cold eyes to her. "Do not be surprised if he moves them continuously once he finds out we are looking to get them back, and he will figure it out. He may be a madman, but he is intelligent. Do not let despair win before we have even started." She hated his words, and hated him for saying them, but she didn't dispute them. They were truth. She tried her best to harden her heart as he had. It would be the only way for them to get through, for them to have any chance of saving their children from the fiery future she had seen.
A helicopter had just landed on the pad at the top of the Shinra building and several people in white coats scrambled out. Two of them were holding small bundles. Those two immediately headed inside and to the 67th floor. The rest worked to gather their belongings and equipment. They had most of it ready to be hauled in when a single man stepped out of the helicopter. He was still watching the door where the first two had disappeared with a contemplative look.
He was pulled from his thoughts when an older man walked out to greet him. "Hojo. I didn't expect you back for some time. Did you get tired of the provincial life?"
He gave the approaching man a smile that anyone could tell was fake and his grating voice did nothing to hide his disdain. "Professor Gast, it is good to see you're still doing well. As for the project, it has gotten to the point that it would be better served to be here. We have need of the best facilities."
Faramis Gast knew that his position was precariously balanced. Not that he worried about his own projects, but he knew the man in front of him would stop at nothing to get the recognition he felt he deserved. It was one of the reasons he was glad the man had returned. It would be easier to watch him if he wasn't halfway across the globe. None of this showed when he responded jovially. "Well, I'm glad to hear it is going so well then. Were those two bundles the product of your experiments so far?"
Hojo knew the nosy man would find out eventually. He didn't yet have the power to keep it from him. That would change as soon as the two started to grow. He had already determined from their blood that they were extraordinary. They had bonded with the Jenova cells completely. Injecting them in vitro had been genius, even if most people condemned it as heinous and unstable. It worked in the end and that was all that mattered.
He barely managed to hold onto his smile when he finally responded. "Yes, they were twins. Unexpected, but both show an extraordinary resilience and have adapted completely. We will be running deeper tests over the next few weeks. Once that is done, we will have a better idea of their strengths and how to best use them."
Gast had to bite back on a scathing retort. As much as he hated the fact that those two human children were being treated like nothing more than disposable experiments, there was nothing he could do about it. Even though he was head of the science department, he had limited power unless it was the President's will, and the man was completely behind what Hojo was doing. He even approved of the ones that Hollander had conducted, even if they were not on par with what Hojo had accomplished. The best he could hope to do would be to keep an eye on them and make sure anything done was as humane as possible.
At that thought he finally noticed that Lucrecia Crescent was not among the scientist and he gave Hojo a curious look. "Where is your wife?"
Hojo did finally sneer at that. "I am no longer married. I found out that I am not suited to be tied down in such a way."
Gast almost thought he saw a hint of rage before the man covered it again, but he didn't press. There seemed to be more to this than he thought, but he wasn't going to get to the bottom of it standing outside. He motioned for Hojo to follow him. "Well, why don't we get some rest for tonight. I'm sure you will want to get started first thing."
Hojo looked as if he were going to argue, but finally shrugged. "The two specimens have already proven to be hardy. I'm sure they will hold up under further experiments, but you are correct. As scientists, we need to keep our minds sharp. I will see you tomorrow." He didn't give Gast a chance to reply after that. The Head of the Science Department watched him go with a bitter taste in his mouth. He had a feeling that this was only the beginning of something very bad.