Hey, second chapter up! I'll try not to make this one as short as the first.
FANART ON MY PROFILE
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but Rin.
I assumed it was the next morning when they woke me up, as there are no windows in my cell. It had been so nice, sleeping in a bed for once. Floating in a tank gets boring after a while. And I had a dream! Even though I can't recall any of it, I know I had one! The assistant that woke told me to get up and follow him. He looked very impatient.
Slowly sitting up, and rubbing my eyes, I yawned. Standing up, I even smoothed my clothes just to spite him. He rolled his eyes and exited the cell. Smiling inwardly, I followed. He led me to a spiral staircase that looked very old. We climbed it, and came out of a hidden door in the wall. We went down some hallways and came to a room. This wasn't like any of the rooms I've ever been in. The walls were decorated, with a white ceiling, and carpeted floors. There were bookshelves, pictures on the walls, and comfy looking chairs and tables scattered around the room.
"You will wait here. I will be back with some food soon." The assistant said quickly.
And with that, he left, and I went to sit in a chair. I looked at the pictures framed on the walls. They were of people I've never seen, landscapes unfamiliar to me. Then again, I have no memories of anything except this mansion. I can't even remember anything of my parents, or where we lived.
Mindlessly, I combed my fingers through the mess that was my hair. I did this whenever I was bored. Whilst untangling my hair, I examined they couple of bookshelves in the room. I got up, and walked over to one. Skimming over the book titles, I realized they were all scientific. Smiling, I picked one. The title read 'Explanations of Dreams and the Thought Process of Humans'.
Mmmmmm, psychology. My favorite...
Psychology is awesome. I like science in general, but psychology, biology, and physics will always be on top. I also would like to read a couple of books on fighting, swords, and other weapons one day. I grew up around nothing but science and violence. Besides fighting, reading is the only other thing I really like to do.
Sitting back down in the chair, I opened the book. I skipped to the intro to the section on dreams and subconscious organization. I read a few pages, but then the assistant returned with food. He had a bowl of something that resembled soup, and a cup of water. He set it down in front of me, and glanced at the book I was reading.
"Hmph, good luck reading that." he said, skeptical.
Glaring at me, he left, slamming the door behind him. I just blinked. I wondered why people are mean to others, when they haven't even gotten to know them... It made me angry, because most of the scientists and assistants act that way, like everyone else is beneath them. Ignoring the food for now, I glanced back at the book, and smiled. Skipping ahead to the thought process section, I indulged myself.
After about ten minutes of reading, I put it back on the shelf where I found it. Returning to the food, I drank the soup and water quickly. But something wasn't right. After I downed the food, I began to feel dizzy and lightheaded. I slouched back on the chair, holding my head, before passing out, and falling out of the chair.
When I awoke, I was in a glass tank, filled with nothing but air. Apparently, I was in a large lab area. There were a few more glass tanks, and one had another specimen in it. It was a large, lion-like creature with red fur, and tail with a flame ending it. There was 'XIII' tattooed on his shoulder. However, he was asleep in ball, and I doubt he could hear me through both tanks.
A man walked in. Even I knew who he was. He wore a white lab coat, and had black, long, greasy hair tied in a ponytail. Glasses made his eyes appear small, and he looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Well, well, well," He said in a nasal voice. "Awake, are we? Now I can proceed..."
He trailed off, going over to the large desk, and sitting down. After clicking something on his computer, he yelled for some assistants. They came over and opened the tank. I jumped out, and they beckoned me to follow them. Hojo got up and followed also. We went into another room, a surgery room by the looks of it. All of a sudden, one big assistant, or bodyguard by his strength, just picks me up, and drops me on a surgical table. He straps me onto it with little difficulty, even though I was struggling. He then steps back as Hojo steps forward.
"There there now, calm down. Only a simple injection for you." He said, annoyed.
I still struggled, though it was useless. He grabbed my bare arm, and held out his hand to an assistant.
"Second dose of Jenova cells." He demanded rudely.
The assistant handed a syringe of green liquid, then backed off. Hojo took it, and carefully selected a vain. Sharply jabbing it into the large vain in my arm, the liquid flowed inside me. I screamed, it burned, and I could feel it running through me. Screaming once more, and struggling even more violently now, I managed to loosen the straps a little. But there was still no chance of escape. Finally I ceased my struggling, and passed out.
Normal P.O.V.
"Injection successful. Put it back into its tank, and tell Sephiroth to meet me in my office in an hour." Hojo ordered. He was feeling quite cheerful that her body, once again, didn't reject the cells. This made everything so much easier.
Two hours later…
Sephiroth walked up to Hojo's laboratory. He got a message to report to his office, which puzzled him.
Why would that bastard want to see me, right after I got back from a mission? It better be important...
As he walked into the labs, Hojo's secretary told him to go into his office. Sephiroth entered, without knocking, like he always did, and slammed the door just for fun. This startled the professor, and Hojo glared up at him.
"Finally here, are we? Half an hour late... Just as expected."
"I had a mission. I just got back. What do you want?"
Hojo grinned up at him. "Take a seat, boy." Sephiroth sat, in the chair opposite him, eyes narrowed.
"Well?"
All he wanted to do was go back to his quarters, and sleep for a few days. Hojo will defiantly cause some headaches...
"Five years ago, we received a child from two Turks, who both died on a mission in Wutai. It was two years old, so I decided to use it for Experiment R. It consists of an initial Jenova cell injection, and periodic mako treatments. We taught it literary skills, but more importantly, fighting skills. This was done over a period of five years, and phase one of the experiment is completed. So we moved it here, to complete phase two."
Sephiroth was listening with his arms crossed, and looking at the desk in between them.
"And this concerns me how?" He asked, in a toneless voice.
Hojo grinned. Not good.
"Phase two consists of another Jenova cell injection, which I administered myself, once she got here, and sparser mako treatments. Also, her physical training in the art of fighting will be...intensified. Properly trained, so to say."
Sephiroth's eyes narrowed again. He did not like where this was going.
"You better not mean by me..." He said in a dangerous tone.
Hojo only grinned, and chuckled slightly.
"Why, who else? She will become your apprentice. It's a learning experience for both of you. She learns how to fight properly, and I get to see how you behave around children. Hehehehe..."
Sephiroth's eye twitched slightly, but it was so slight Hojo didn't see it. A child... a girl?
"Why would you choose a female infant?"
Hojo's expression changed to a somewhat annoyed one.
"She was the only infant who accepted the Jenova cells. If a male had, I would have used it. But that doesn't matter."
He pushed up his glasses, a sign that meant he was about to drone.
"Besides training, you will bring her along on all your missions, and she will reside in one of your quarter's guest rooms. I have had studying material prepared to continue her education; you must make sure she completes it. As for mako treatments, just bring her along when you come for yours. I will perform a physical examination, and a series of fighting and written tests to see if her intelligence and strength has improved." Hojo looked at him critically. "And if it doesn't, you will remedial training as well as the specimen, so I suggest you put forth your best effort."
Though his expression did not change, Sephiroth's mind was reeling
Me, take care of a child? An apprentice? I've never even had an assistant... Well, this can't be permanent.
"I know nothing of child care. Don't I have any say in this?" Sephiroth asked, with a slightly angry tone.
"Why, no, you do not. I'm sure you can get your SOLDIER friends to help you... Hewley and Rhapsodos, aren't they? They should know more than you do..."
"Then why not give them the girl, instead of me?"
"Because you are the hero, not them." He said simply, grinning.
"Will she go to school? ShinRa's Academy?" He spoke with an indifferent tone, but he was hoping the answer was yes...
Hojo frowned at this. "I wouldn't suggest it. It's not a normal child, but it could have its benefits…" Hojo seemed to be talking more to himself than the silver haired General. Finally, he said "I'll consider it. Let it wait a month or so..."
"What about SOLDIER?" The scientist glared at him before replying.
"When I deem her ready! Shouldn't be more than a few years…"
"You expect me to watch her for that long?"
Now it was Hojo who narrowed his eyes.
"Stop being so worried, boy. She will receive her own quarters when she's old enough." He pushed his glasses up again. "You may leave now. I will call you up again when she awakens."
Sephiroth got up slowly, and left, heading back to his quarters, still trying to soak in all of the information.
He didn't even tell me her name, the bastard. I'm not going to deal with this… I'm going to find a way to get rid of this pest as soon as possible. No one will make me suffer the humiliation of child care!
If anyone wants to beta for me, I'd love them forever!