Exchange My Soul

FF7 Alternate Universe

Disclaimers: Characters are owned by Square-Enix

Warning: Yaoi- SephirothxCloud, Het- ZackxAerith, Abuse, Science, Violence

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Cloud pulled his legs up to his chest in the corner of his cell. He stared at the floor shaking and whimpering. His veins felt like fire and his skin ice cold. His senses were heightened, he could smell the awful smell of tainted makou and hear the mice that ran in the walls.

He wanted to scream, he wanted to pull out his hair, he… Cloud started crying. He wanted to be free. Get away as far as he could, maybe even go back to Nibelheim. He stood up on wobbly legs and walked over to the door and pounded on it.

"Let me out!! Please!!" He pleaded hoping they would hear him through it. He jumped back as the door popped open. He ran to the back of the cell knowing what was next.

Hojo walked in and couldn't help but smirk at the fear the boy was emitting.

"Come now it's been a month, you think you'd be used to this." He walked over to Cloud and grabbed his arm. "Come along. Time for your tests."

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"All in favour of everyone going on vacation say 'aye'!!" Everyone looked at Victoria and she put her hands to her hips. "Oh come on. A month of hell from the SOLDIER branch, missions up the ass, and Hojo. We deserve one!"

"Victoria please refrain from outbursts in meetings." Tseng cleared his throat some and continued passing out reports.

"It seems the rookies still don't get it." Reno smirked and nudged Rude some. The bald man nodded some and looked over his copy of the report.

"We're not rookies!!" Reed glared at Reno from his seat at the conference table.

"Oh yeah, rookie?" Reno leaned towards him. "Wanna try me?" Reed stood up knocking his chair over.

"Bring it old man!"

"Enough you two." Phoebe rubbed her temples some. "This is a meeting, you should treat it as such. Leave your disagreement outside the doors."

"Well said…" Tseng sat at the end of the table. "Let us begin, shall we?" He watched Reed pick up his chair and sit down in a huff. "First order of--"

"How's that kid?" Tseng looked up from his papers to the blond at the end of the table. Tin bit his lip nervously. "I mean… like it's been a month how long is he going to be… you know."

"Could be years… or never at all." Reno leaned back in his chair. "He's going through a difficult process, yo. It's something usually started at birth…"

"Can't we get on--"

"What's going on with the kid?" Trent leaned forward. "Should we have not let Hojo get his hands on him?"

"Even if we tried to stop it… Hojo has higher rank then us." Cissnei shifted in her seat. She felt bad for what her and Tin did to Cloud and she knew it was eating him up too.

"What is he going through?" Reed started to put his feet on the table but stopped by a glare from Tseng.

"Sorry. Too much info for rookies." Reno smirked a tad. Reed growled.

"It's too much information for Turks in general." Tseng interrupted the territorial pissing match. "However when I get any information on the condition of Cloud Strife, I will inform you all." The group nodded collectively. "Now order first order of business is Project N."

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Zack threw a ball at the wall of Sephiroth's office. He was bored and Sephiroth was out. Another mission for the impressive General.

Zack sighed as he caught the ball. Cloud was missing. Official reports say he was kidnapped from the medical facility by the last remaining AVALANCHE but Zack knew there was more to it then that. ShinRa wasn't one to tell the truth of individuals under their employment. Take Genesis and Angeal. Zack had killed Angeal and Genesis disappeared but ShinRa dismissed it as an accident and both killed in action.

He spun in Sephiroth's chair some then stopped and stared at the folders on his desk.

……Maybe just one peak?

He opened up one folder, glanced over it, closed it and went to the next. He didn't know what exactly he was searching for through them but he continued as if he was possessed. File after file, page after page, then he stopped and stared.

"Project Nebula…?" He pulled the file out and opened it. "'Subject found believed to be a new species of homosepien. Tests shall be performed to see subject's response to certain stimuli….'" He put down the folder and frowned. "Another project…. As if Project G and Project S wasn't bad enough… Project N huh…" He looked through the papers and frowned at nothing important. Just some receipts for random items such as gauze and medical tape. "Why do you have this Sephiroth…?"

"Eh hem…" Zack jumped and stood quickly. He looked at the owner of the voiced and sighed.

"Fuck Tseng, don't scare me like that…" He put his hand to his chest.

"I wonder what Sephiroth would do if he found you snooping…" Tseng smiled slightly and walked over. "'Project Nebula' hmm? What interest do you have in it?" He plucked the folder from Zack's hands and looked through it.

"You know anything about it?" Zack tilted his head some as he watched him.

"Just that it's top secret and top priority. How Sephiroth got this folder is beyond me since it isn't supposed to go passed the Turks." Tseng tucked the folder under his arm. "It isn't something you need to concern yourself with Zack."

"Like hell it is!! I've had to clean up the mess of Project G because your little group couldn't do it, I think I have a right to know!" Zack slammed his hands on the desk some. "Spill it!" Tseng looked him over some. Thoughts of his earlier meeting came to mind…

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"…. A possible new species of human was found in the Nibelheim area… It could be false as it could be human, or it could turn out to be just an Ancient. Currently the creature is being subjected to tests to find out the true nature of it."

"A new species?" Reno lean forward. "Is that even possible, yo?"

"A genetic mutation could have been caused by the high levels of makou in the Nibel area… It could just be for that." Phoebe looked over the report in her hands. "There has been talks of even putting a second reactor in the mountains."

"Nibelheim might get more popularity that way, become more then just a hick town." Reed crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"…… It's that kid isn't it?" Everyone looked at Trent, who in turn looked directly at Tseng. "He's the new species."

"How do you figure that?" Cissnei tilted her head some as the older man shifted under everyone's gaze.

"Cloud Strife is from Nibelheim. We handed him over to Hojo. Would only make sense." Tin bit his thumb after finishing his sentence. He felt a little bad but a job was a job.

"I don't know if it is him." Tseng corrected. "While yes Cloud is from Nibelheim, he was taken because of him easily contracting makou poisoning. Something that he should be weary of in this city since makou leaks tend to happen. I believe Hojo is just trying… to get him more immune." Tseng set down the report. "Understand this however, Project Nebula is our top priority to make sure it is completely under the table. It is not allowed to leak to the SOLDIERs or the public, is this clear?"

"Yes sir." Everyone nodded.

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Screams echoed in the lab which caused Hojo to put in earplugs. He frowned as he watched the strapped down boy thrash about for whatever reason. Surely the Jenova cells weren't causing the reaction. They've never caused such an action before.

"Sir the test results of the subject's blood have returned." A Tech stood nervously at the door. "You're… you're not going to believe this…"

"What is it?" Hojo snapped some and turned his attention to the tech. The young man gulped nervously.

"He isn't human… and he isn't an Ancient either…. He's a completely new species…"

"Let me see that." He snatched the paper from the man's hands and looked it over. "Hmm… I've seen this before… a long time ago…" He looked up and peered at Cloud through the glass that separated the computer room from the test room. "Where is the boy from again?"

"Nibelheim sir."

"Nibelheim…" Hojo smirked. "Seems it wasn't a failure after all…"

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Zack stared at his milk shake some. His mind wandered elsewhere as he swirled around the strawberry flavoured treat some.

"Hello!!" He blinked at the soft knock on his forehead.

"Sorry Aerith…"

"You've been so down lately." She rested her chin in her hands. "Is it cause you haven't located your friend yet?"

"Partly… I can't tell you the rest though." He sighed and look around the small little diner. A young couple shared a milk shake, while a ShinRa Manager tried to drown his pancakes in syrup. The jukebox in the corner played a happy upbeat tune while the waitresses walked around in their pink poodle skirts. A part of him wondered what Aerith would look like in one of those.

"Zack… He'll turn up I promise." She reached out and touched his hand with a soft smile.

"Hey Aerith you should work here." She giggled some as he grinned at her.

"You think so? I don't know if I'd like wearing those outfits. I'd never look good in an ascot." Aerith giggled again then took a drink of her own shake.

"… Can I tell you something? It's really serious and has to be our little secret…" Zack shifted and leaned in.

"Ok." Aerith leaned in as well.

"There's this… new species ShinRa found. A new type of human. I can't help but think it's Cloud because the time of the discovery and his disappearance are so close together." Zack scratched the back of his head. "What's worse, is I think Sephiroth figured it out too and might go crazy in trying to find where they're keeping him because Sephiroth totally has the hots for Cloud."

"A new species? Really? That sound interesting." Aerith bit her lip cutely. "You should find where he is and free him though. Being an experiment isn't fun…" She frowned some then sat back in the booth.

"What about the Sephiroth part?" Zack stayed leaning forward. He watched her some as she shrugged.

"That's not our business whether Sephiroth is in love with Cloud or not. It's theirs."

"Ms. Responsible." Zack chuckled and finally sat back. "So no matchmaker?"

"No matchmaker. When Cloud is returned safely then let Sephiroth and Cloud do their own thing." She smiled some at Zack's childish antics with his straw wrapper. He carefully tied it into a series of knots as he thought.

"They're cute. Those two. I think it's the height difference."

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Sephiroth returned from his mission exhausted. He fumbled with his keys to his apartment but soon got his door open. Grumbling about how tired his feet were the pulled off his boots and closed his door. He reached out and flipped the switch to the entry hall's light and stretched to work out some kinks in his back.

Slowly he made his way to his bedroom and grabbed his robe and folders he left on his bed. Making his way to his bath suite he turned on the water and filled his jacuzzi tub before turning on the jets.

He stripped out of his clothes and set his phone down on the edge of the tub. He climbed in and sighed some, the warm water easing the ache in his muscles.

After a few minutes of relaxing he grabbed his phone and hit the speed dial number.

"I'm very busy." the voice on the other end snapped. "Make this quick."

"Relax some Hojo…" Sephiroth responded softly. His body completely relaxed and the snippy voice of his supposed father didn't effect him in his state of zen. "Tell me about Project Nebula."

"That isn't something you are entitled to know about." A brief pause when a scream echoed from the other line. Sephiroth sat up.

"What are you doing to him?" His voice went from relaxed to a growl in mere seconds.

"The subject just managed to break his arm… I have to go Sephiroth." The line cut off and Sephiroth stared at his phone before crushing it in his hand.

That scream was Cloud and he knew it.