AN: Updating again! I missed writing this. Happy Christmas if you celebrate it, even though this is far from Christmassy! Also, if you like this please review, so I'll know it's being read and will continue writing.
Warnings: Violence, torture and cruelty.
Hojo stood still for a few more moments, watching the way they rested, looking eerily contented. No signs of earlier injuries and wounds, and instead the two of them were cuddled together, Vincent's left arm stroking those silver locks that even he could not persuade the boy to let him touch.
He coughed slightly, smirking as the boy jumped at the noise, eyes wide as he saw Hojo standing there. He couldn't resist a smirk as he watched the child's fear, and the way the boy tried to hide the affection he had just been showing. The man's eyes had opened and he glared up, red eyes blazing with anger.
Hojo shrugged, flicking the scalpel around in his fingers. Vincent might hate him, but they both knew he was totally powerless compared to the scientist.
"I have decided on the forfeit for your loss earlier." With that he signalled for them both to follow him into another lab.
He strapped the adult's left arm down onto one of the tables, turning away and murmuring to himself as he shuffled around bottles and containers of different solutions, creating the mixture he would need. Sephiroth moved closer to Vincent, nuzzling against his free hand, trying not to shake in fear. He didn't know what was going to happen. Vincent gently ruffled the silver locks, giving a fake smile. It seemed to reassure the boy, but he moved away when the scientist turned around. He didn't want to cause any more trouble.
"Here boy!" Hojo called out, smiling as the child walked over. He handed over two black gloves. The boy was meant to wear them when in ceremonial dress, but they made writing more difficult so he really bothered. Sephiroth slipped the gloves on. "Put your fingers in the glass."
Sephiroth did so, shaking a little in concern that whatever this liquid it was it would hurt him. A strange smell filled the air, but he didn't feel any pain. He frowned as he placed the scent. It was burning leather, as though his gloves were on fire. He moved his fingers away when Hojo nodded, dipping them in the cooling water next to it to clean them.
Hojo handed Sephiroth a scalpel.
"Here. You are to cut this…" He paused, drawing over Vincent's skin. First the Shinra logo over the back of the other's hand, then his own name. At the area closer to the elbow he wrote 'Sephiroth did this to me.' He turned to his son. "You see? Cut over it with the scalpel." The boy nodded and began his work, trying to make himself deaf to the occasional hiss of pain from the other man. The sooner he got the work done, the sooner it would be over. He kept the cuts relatively shallow, but deep enough that they wouldn't heal closed while he was still making the carving. His grip was firm and the cuts were clean, but tears trickled down his face. He could tell how hard Vincent was trying to mask the pain, and in a way that just made it worse. He was suffering, but trying to protect him from knowing that.
Eventually the complex pattern of cuts was completed and Sephiroth stepped away, shivering a little in concern. He hadn't wanted to do that, and now his friend was hurt. At least the forfeit was over. Hojo glanced over the cuts, smiling in pride. They were perfect.
"Now Sephiroth, use your fingertips to smear the liquid into the cuts."
Sephiroth's eyes went wide, and he was about to shake his head when the other man stared at him. He looked down, cowering and giving in, walking over and picking up the jar, then dipping his glove back in the liquid. The smell of burning leather got heavier, making him cough slightly. He pressed a fingertip against the first cut, jerking away as the other screamed out in pain as the thick liquid burned into his skin, destroying its regenerating capacity on the places it touched. Sephiroth stared in horror at the wound, trembling.
"Carry on Sephiroth, all of them. It would have been you if you had lost, this is only fair." Sephiroth turned to Vincent, seeing the pain etched across his face, tears of pain and shame marked across his expression. Vincent stared into his eyes, silently willing him to understand. 'This isn't your fault Sephiroth. Just do it, or you'll get hurt too. Please don't get hurt.'
Awkwardly Sephiroth continued, trying to ignore the other's screams and thoughtless pleas. He tried not to care that the other was begging for the pain to stop. It didn't matter, it would be over soon. After almost an hour, he had to go slow to ensure that he didn't mess up. If he had done it wrong then Hojo might have made him repeat it on Vincent's other arm. Tears dripped onto the others burnt skin. Vincent had given up trying to communicate, it wasn't achieving anything, not when Sephiroth was too busy being upset with himself to listen.
"That will do. Sephiroth, go to your room." The boy whimpered and left the laboratory, leaving Vincent in pain, arm still strapped down on the table, acid still burning into his skin.