Disclaimer: All characters belong to SquarEnix. Can't be helped...

Note: Special thanks to The Final Hikari, for editing the chapter!

Chapter Two: Monster

Genesis sat on the operating table, cross-legged, and silently read through the book he held in one hand. All the while flapping his black wing in a manner you would tap your finger on a desk if you were bored. He was the only one in the laboratory, for most of Hollander's assistents had been fired and the scientist himself had to take care of other experiments since Shinra had declared his project finished and if he wanted to stay at the department he had to make himself useful.

The soft humming of a few computers was the only sound that could be heard. Blue light shone from the different monitors and brightened up the room. Just as the SOLDIER turned a page, the heavy door slit open and Hollander marched into the laboratory, smiling at the other man. Genesis didn't acknowledge the scientist in any way. He simply continued reading as if he were still alone in the room. With a sigh Hollander walked over to one of his desks.

"So have you been reading all day?" he asked in a light tone, while preparing the injection pistol. When Genesis didn't reply he turned to him and looked at his back, noticing that the SOLDIER had stretched his wing. Its span was enormous, almost covering half of the length of the laboratory. It was at least twice the SOLDIER's size.

Hollander wondered if it exhausted Genesis to move the wing or even carry it around, for it certainly was linked to his own muscles. But then again, most cells of Genesis' body were composed of mako anyway, so what was another giant muscle of mako to him? It suited his body structure perfectly, but still the scientist questioned the meaning of just one single wing. It couldn't possibly be used to fly. So what was it for?

"Does it still hurt?" Hollander went on, waiting for a reaction from the other man. He got none, and with the pistol filled with stagnant-mako in his hand, he approached Genesis from behind.

The moment he was within reach of the wing and wanted to grab a handful of the black feathers, Genesis suddenly flipped his wing against him, hitting the injection from Hollander's hand. The scientist hissed and backed away quickly. Genesis slammed his book shut. With graceful ease he leaped from the table and turned around, careful to lift his wing over Hollander's head while he did so. His eyes were filled with anger.

"What's wrong with you?" Hollander demanded sternly, although fear was creeping through his voice.

"What's wrong with me?!" Genesis shot back furiously. He tossed his book on the table and slowly advanced on the scientist. "I have a demon wing! That is what is wrong!"

"It could be an angel's wing," Hollander suggested, smiling nervously.

"It's black! Angel wings are white!"

Hollander made a face. "Where did that came from? Loveless?"

Genesis' eyes narrowed dangerously. When he came to stand directly in front of the scientist, he noticed the pistol lying on the ground and instantly put his foot on the object. It cracked slightly. Hollander winced at the sound of it.

"What are you doing? You need this!" he gestured wildly to the broken injection at the SOLDIER's feet. The green substance slowly flowed out of it and diffused on the floor.

"You promised me to find a way to stop it," Genesis could not bring himself to vocalise what would happen to his body. It would begin to fall apart. Deterioration. Degeneration. Whatever it was called, he wanted it to stop. He needed it to stop.

"I know, I know," Hollander held up his hands in defense. "But it's not as easy as you may think. Trust me, I'm working on it. I will stop the whole process once and for all."

Genesis turned his head.

"In the meantime... why don't you go out and do some training or whatever?"

"I can't fight with this thing on my back"

"It's a wing, Genesis."

"It makes me a monster."

Hollander sighed. "But you can't just hide in here forever. What will the others think?"

Genesis smiled coldly. "What will everyone think if the First Class SOLDIER shows up at the military base with a monstrous wing on his back? What will they think?" The smile fell from his lips. "They will think that I'm a monster!"

He turned away from the scientist outraged and strode through the room. "A monster! Not worth of being a hero anymore! I will never be one! If I go out there, I will lose my dignity! They'll shoot at me! I can never keep up with Sephiroth like that! He'll laugh at me!"

The SOLDIER came to a halt. He pointed at Hollander. "I'm not going out! I will stay here until you have fixed everything!"

"Okay, I was just asking. Calm down." He went to lift up the broken injection pistol and put it on his desk, to where several others were lying. He took a new one and filled it with stagnant-mako.

Genesis leaned on the operating table, resigned. He knew he had no choice. And no time. But he was determined to make the best of it. He wouldn't give up. He would turn everything to his advantage. He didn't need his body's strength. The hero of „Loveless" hadn't needed it either. People could be beaten by words. He could make them fall, all of Shinra, without having to use his sword once. The plot was already set. In his mind he picked out the main players, making sure to put himself in the role of the hero.

"Turn your head," Hollander told him. Genesis did and when the needle pierced his flesh he flinched slightly. Once again, the mako was flowing into his body, steadying his cells and muscles.

"Should I send Angeal down here at least? He worries about you." The scientist didn't look Genesis in the eyes while asking and instead turned to his desk again, to put the injection away.

"No, I'll be fine. But could you get me my sword? It's still up in my room."

"It won't be much use here," Hollander protested.

"Just get it for me, will you?" Genesis said in a demanding voice.

The scientist knew better than to argue further and silently made his way out of the laboratory.

Genesis positioned himself on the table again, picked up the book and continued to read it where he had left off.

On his way to Genesis' room Hollander came across Angeal and Sephiroth. The black haired man walked up to him, followed by the silver haired.

"How's Genesis?" the First Class SOLDIER asked without greeting. He had no desire to be friendly to the man who betrayed and hurt Genesis so badly.

"He's fine. No need to worry."

"Then why isn't he coming out of the lab?" Sephiroth threw at him.

"He simply doesn't want to," the scientist answered nervously. "he is embarrassed about his wing and he told me it's preventing him from fighting. I guess he can't manage to coordinate its movements like he wants to yet. It irritates him. He would only hurt himself if the wing was in his way, while wielding a sword."

"But he could train his wing, couldn't he?" Angeal had still hope.

Hollander nodded. "Sure. But my laboratory is certainly to small to do training in there. Especially when his wing is so big. He needs to go out. Or at least into the training room."

"Then let me talk to him."

Hollander considered this for a moment. "Okay. He asked for his sword. So if you go to him, please bring it with you."

Angeal nodded and moved on towards where he had originally been heading for, Sephiroth following close behind. But instead of going to their rooms, they went to Genesis', picked up his red sword and left for Hollander's laboratory.

Halfway though, Sephiroth stopped in his tracks. Angeal turned to him.

"I don't think that he would want to see me."

The black haired crossed his arms over his chest. "Guess, you're right. How about you go ahead and wait in the training room for us?"

Sephiroth just smiled and left into the other direction.

When the door opened this time, Genesis actually looked up from his book, expecting Hollander with his sword. He froze. It was his sword, but it was Angeal carrying it to him.

He closed the book and lay it aside.

"Why are you here?" he asked his friend in a cold and distant voice.

Angeal handed over the sword, never looking at the wing once.

"To talk to you."

Genesis took it and turned away.

"I have nothing to say. Leave me alone."

Angeal shook his head. "I'm not going to leave my friend."

Genesis' eyes narrowed. "There are at least two things untrue about what you just said."

The other lifted his head, challenging. "Oh, yeah? What?"

"Firstly, you left me alone when I needed you the most--"

"That was on order. I couldn't disobey!"

"Secondly, how can you possibly be a friend to a monster like me?!"

"You're not a monster!"

"Yes, I am! I have lost my pride, and my dreams!"
They both fell silent and stared into each other's eyes.

"How can you say that?" Angeal breathed, a disbelievingly look on his face.

Genesis lowered his eyes to the ground. "It's true. But you will never understand." He looked up at Angeal. "You don't have to walk around with a huge wing on your back. Your body is not slowly falling apart. I turned into something that I never wanted to be."

"Genesis…," Angeal reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder, but the other backed away.

"How can a monster like me become a hero?"

Angeal didn't respond. He knew that it had been Genesis' dream since they had known each other.

"It can never be. I've lost my dream."

The black haired man understood. But still, he couldn't imagine his friend to give up like that. He knew that deep down some pride must have been left.

Angeal grabbed his arm and made Genesis face him.

"So are you saying you're giving up?"

"No, I'm adjusting to the new situation," hissed the SOLDIER in red and freed himself from the other's grip.

Angeal smiled at this. Just as he'd thought. Genesis wouldn't let himself be defeated by fate. He'd rather take it in his own hands. Little did he know, that Genesis intended to control the fates of many others, too.

The one-winged SOLDIER seemed to have come to terms with himself and sighed.

Suddenly something was being thrown at him, but he managed to catch it easily. Genesis observed the red object in his hand.

"How about adjusting to it in the training room?"

He looked up from the apple to Angeal.

"Sephiroth is waiting."

A smile showed on Genesis' lips. "Can't await his downfall, can he?"

Angeal smiled back at him, not knowing that his friend's words had more meaning to them than it seemed. Genesis took a bite from the apple and headed for the door of the laboratory.

When both First Class SOLDIERS entered the training room, Sephiroth turned to them. His eyes met Genesis'. There was a mutual understanding between them. No word of what had happened the day Genesis had gotten his wing. Sephiroth never would have taken advantage of him when he was at his weakest. So he didn't bring up the matter. He could only imagine what Genesis must have felt when he had learned about everything. It must have been hard to cope with it.

"You look good," he told him with a small smile on his lips.

Genesis nodded. "I've had enough time to make up my mind."

"And to what decision did you come?"

"I still want to defeat you, Sephiroth," he told him with a grin, pulling out his sword.

"I thought so." Sephiroth drew his sword as well, but Angeal had to interfere.

"Slow down, guys. You can fight when Genesis has learned how to use his wing effectively."

"And you two would be the ones to teach me, I assume?" Genesis asked in a rather sarcastic voice and put his sword down again. He couldn't stand a chance against Sephiroth anyway, if his wing was in the way.

"Well, we'll try to help you as much as we can," Angeal suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Genesis agreed. "So I'll be jumping around here, trying not to stumble over my wing, amusing you to death?"

Sephiroth let out a short laugh. "How about you try to fly?" He pulled out his handy and taped something into it. A few seconds later they were no longer in the headquarter building of Shinra, but at Junon; on top of the giant cannon.

"Sephiroth, has it ever occurred to you, that one needs at least two wings to actually fly?" Genesis asked, while heading for the edge of the cannon. He looked down onto the ocean as if he really considered to jump.

Sephiroth walked up beside him and also stared into the deep. "Isn't there a chapter in Loveless talking about wings?"

Genesis turned to the silver haired man. "Yes, there is."

"Well?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you going to quote from it?"

Genesis smiled. "Wings on somebody, may they be ever so small, are a certain sign for that person's wish to be free."

"What do you wish to be free from?" Angeal asked, stepping up on Genesis' other side.

"Shinra." Genesis whispered and without a warning jumped over the edge.

"Genesis!" Angeal screamed, leaning forward.

Sephiroth did as well, for he wanted to see Genesis drop into the cold water of the sea. When he saw that Genesis fell all the way, his wing clutched to his body, his lips curled up into an evil smile. However, just before he connected with the water, Genesis spread out his wing and effectively stopped his fall. He directed himself up and flew straight ahead over the waves. He flapped his wing a few times to gain height and soon was on the same level again, as the top of the cannon.

Angeal cheered for him, waving happily at his childhood friend, while Sephiroth just watched, unamused.

Genesis took his time and curved around the heads of the other two, clearly enjoying the unique feature he possessed. But at the same time he remembered how it brought so much pain over him, how it took away so much from him. While he flew over the roofs of Junon he mourned his lost dream, knowing it was out of reach forever.

But he had already decided to follow a different path. If he couldn't become the hero, he would just have to be the monster then.