Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Chapter 2
"Genesis?"
Blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Genesis took in his surroundings, his eyes finally coming to rest on the form sitting by the bed.
"Angeal." he said.
The dark-haired SOLDIER nodded, a look of relief on his face. "How are you feeling?"
"Drowsy." Genesis said thickly. "My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess."
Angeal chuckled softly, shaking his head as he handed Genesis a glass of water, assuming that was what Genesis meant by 'the gift of the goddess'. "Really, Genesis? LOVELESS, even now?"
"Why not?" said Genesis. He sat up on his bed as he took a sip of his drink. "It applies to all situations, Angeal. Haven't I told you?"
"Told and demonstrated." Angeal replied, smiling. "It's good to have you back. You got us all worried, when Lazard called-"
"Indeed?" Genesis said evenly. "And to whom does 'us' refer to?"
His voice was casual, but there was a hint of bitterness in it that caught Angeal's attention. He spoke with caution. "Well, Lazard, Sephiroth, I-"
"Is that so?" Genesis held out an arm and made a gesture encompassing the room. "I don't see him here, do you?"
Much as Angeal hated to admit it, Genesis raised a good point. Sephiroth had come from the frontlines of Wutai yesterday. He was staying at the headquarters for a few days. The fact that he had not come down yet - it did not bode well for the lingering hint of animosity between him and Genesis.
"I'm sure he has a good reason." Angeal pulled out his PHS. "I'll call him, regardless."
Genesis smirked. "All that awaits you is a somber morrow, no matter where the winds may blow."
Giving him a dark look, Angeal dialed and held the PHS up to his ear.
Sephiroth picked up on the fourth ring. "Angeal."
"Genesis is awake."
The reply was immediate. "Yes. I'm glad."
"You knew?"
"I asked the doctors to keep me notified on his condition."
Angeal frowned disapprovingly, taking a few steps away from the bed and lowering his voice to try and make sure Genesis would not hear. "It is your duty as a friend to visit him. He's upset, Sephiroth. It is not honourable to-"
"I'm sure he'll come around." this time, Angeal could detect a hint of tremor in Sephiroth's tone. His brows furrowed. "Sephiroth, are you okay?"
"Fine." the response was clipped.
"Should I come over?"
"No need. Keep Genesis company." Sephiroth cut the line.
Angeal stared at the PHS, worried. Genesis stared at Angeal, feeling jealousy churn in his stomach. Even now, even here, Sephiroth took priority.
"I think he might be ill." Angeal said to Genesis as he walked back.
"Sephiroth, ill?" Genesis raised a disbelieving eyebrow.
Angeal conceded this with a grimace.
"In any case, I feel well enough to go home," Genesis informed Angeal, getting to his feet.
Angeal nodded in understanding. "I'll see the doctor."
Sephiroth clicked shut the PHS and took up his tab again, continuing the racing game he was playing.
He had taken a week's leave. The blood should be mostly replenished, by then.
The tablet shook in his hand, adding more challenge to the gameplay. He had never had to try so hard to beat a level before.
He felt no real need to visit Genesis. Angeal would make sure he was well taken care of. Besides, Genesis had a tendency to get... competitive whenever he saw Sephiroth. He would feel the need to push himself towards recovery and act completely normal. In his condition, that could not be a great thing.
Not that Sephiroth was the epitome of perfect health at present. He imagined Genesis would be elated. The proof that Sephiroth was not perfect. He had long wished for this. A good reason why Sephiroth did not want to be seen by him in this state - he would not give Genesis the satisfaction. His pride would not allow it.
A shiver ran through him. The tablet jerked, crashing his car immediately. With a soft exhale of mild annoyance, Sephiroth restarted.
"Of course, he can leave." the surgeon was saying. "The main problem was that we could not control the hemorrhage. Now that he has healed, we need only worry about the loss of blood already sustained. We have spoken to the director of SOLDIER. Genesis will not have to take missions for a while. He must be kept rested, however." he smiled. "Can we count on you?"
Angeal returned the smile. "I'll keep him out of trouble. Do we know what caused the temporary healing disability?"
The man shook his head. "We have communicated with professor Hojo. He... was not very co-operative." he grimaced slightly. "It may have to do with SOLDIER Sephiroth donating his blood. He was most displeased to hear of it."
Angeal's eyes widened. "Blood donation? But Professor Hollander had said that he was not viable."
"We had no choice, SOLDIER Hewley. We are all prepared for any complication that may arise, but so far the transfusion has worked well. Better than expected, actually. It may have been the factor that cured SOLDIER Rhapsodos of his healing disability."
Had Hollander made a mistake? "There was an wound in his shoulder. Has it healed?"
"Yes."
Angeal stared at the man in shock. Did Sephiroth's blood possess some sort of healing property they were not aware of? But... how could that be?
There was only one man who could answer this, he thought.
The phone was ringing again. Sephiroth paused his game and took it from the table, scanning the screen. His lips turned down slightly into an expression of mild disgust. Hitting the loudspeaker button and receiving button in quick succession, he set the phone back down on the table and went back to his game.
"You made a blood donation?" Hojo's voice came over the phone.
"Yes." Sephiroth tilted his tablet to make a particularly difficult turn.
"Why?"
"I had no reason not to."
"I told you never to do it!"
"My apologies. I should have said: I had no good reason not to."
There was a moment of silence over the phone. Sephiroth smirked to himself, inwardly.
Hojo had always personally seen to Sephiroth's medical care. To say that he was protective would be an understatement. However, Sephiroth hardly ever listened to him. Hojo had little power over Sephiroth, and both of them knew it. Sephiroth was the single most valuable member of ShinRa company, not including the owner himself. Not to mention most dangerous. ShinRa president was well aware of that fact, which did not count in Hojo's favor.
"You have no idea what you've done." Hojo's voice was trembling with suppressed rage. "You donated to Hollander's specimen!"
Sephiroth looked up sharply. His car hit another and went spinning out of control. "What did you just say?"
"Hollander's experiment! It would have been a complete failure, without your intervention."
"Genesis is... an experiment?"
"Project G." Hojo snorted derisively. "An utter disaster, that's what it was. Left alone, it would have degraded and be destroyed. It would have proved my superiority over that second rate quack. Not that it hasn't been proven a thousand times over already!" he added with a hint of smugness.
Sephiroth said nothing. His mind was whirling, trying to process this new information. "Genesis would have died?"
"Are you concerned? Oh, this is rich!" Hojo sounded amused. "Don't be an idiot, Sephiroth. They're not worth your efforts. The experiment was a lost cause before it has even begun."
"Who's they?"
"The SOLDIERs of type G."
"There's...more than one?"
"Why does your voice sound weak?" The shaky inhalation in between the words had caught Hojo's attention. "How much did you donate? A lot, wasn't it?"
A sudden spell of dizziness had overtook Sephiroth's sense of balance. He shut his eyes, rubbing his temples. "Don't change the subject-"
"Are you actively trying to kill yourself? Get down to the lab, I'll check you over."
As much as he detested medical attention, Hojo was probably his best chance at a quick recovery. "Fine."
And he would get some answers, Sephiroth thought grimly.
So I decided to continue. Thank you to all the lovely reviewers who inspired me to write this!
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Batgirl78: Thank you for the inspiration! Here's a shiny new chapter for you.
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