Hojo's lip curled as his gaze fell on the young boy sitting opposite him in the back seat of the elegant, black, company vehicle. The boy showed no sign of movement, but even in his sstillness there was still a sense of raw power about him, like the tension in a coiled spring. Hojo could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the perfection her had created. The boy was well-trained and he could not wait to take this opportunity to show him off in front of Hollander's failed creations.

Sephiroth didn't speak. He was curious about what was happening, where they were going - he had never been out of the labs before and the professor had told him nothing of what was going on. That was nothing new though - it was not his place to know.

The sleek, dark car pulled smoothly up outside a small house in Banora, and the silent chauffeur opened the door. Hojo exited the vehicle first, Sephiroth scrambling to follow him as the tall man strode ahead. He blinked around, his feline eyes taking in the details of their surroundings - ever alert, ever watchful. A small wrinkle appeared in the perfect skin of his forehead, his usual expressionless mask broken. There were so many cars here, so many people. Was he being shown off? He knew Hojo was proud of the achievement he represented for the scientist. He followed the greasy-haired, sallow-skined figure up the path as his labcoat streamed behind him.

Genesis watched, face wet with tears as the mourning procession finally paused to lower the coffin into the ground. He wasn't even allowed to say goodbye; he was that much of a disgrace to his family. The blackness of despair enveloped him. He had never felt lower. He didn't even have a flower or some way to show his grief. He didn't deserve it, even if she had been the only one who had ever cared for him.

Sephiroth blinked as Hojo shook the hand of a large man with a bushy beard, the false joviality obvious even to him. Hojo called him over and he went and bowed.

"It is nice to meet you Sir."

Hollander gave him the briefest of acknowledgements and turned back to Hojo, who dismissed him with a curt nod.

Unsure where to go, or what to do, Sephiroth wandered through the house, eventually finding a door to the garden. He wanted to make the most of the chance to get fresh air before he was returned to his diet of the stale recycled lab atmosphere. He blinked once he was outside the house - there were so many people, all with flowers, and so many tears. He hated tears, they were a sign of weakness. As he looked around his eye was caught by a redheaded boy who looked to be about his own age. The boy was crying too, but he didn't have a flower. This grated on the silver-haired boy's sense of order and symmetry of everything - some idiot had probably forgotten to give him a flower. He couldn't let it stand, it was simple enough to rectify after all. He looked around and walked up to a nearby rose bush. He picked a dusky bloom and carried it over, handing it to the boy.

"Here. Do not cry. It is weak. You look like you should be strong, so don't cry."

Genesis blinked tearily up at him, trying to say thank you but unable to speak, grief blocking his throat. He swallowed and finally managed to whisper his gratitude in a barely audible murmur as he swiped the tears away with the back of his hand, holding the flower close.

Sephiroth smiled stiffly at the other and petted his shoulder. He jumped as a sallowed hand landed on his own shoulder and looked up to see Hojo. The scientist's lip curled as he sneered at the redhead.

"Come, Sephiroth. You should not be associating with this... failed creation. This monster."

Genesis visibly flinched and turned away, while Sephiroth followed obediently, returning once more to the cold sterility of the labs, the memory of the outside world becoming nothing more than a dream.