Everglow - Chapter Twelve
Sephiroth was immobile, the shock of seeing her alive paralyzing him. His heart beat quickly, and his breathing was rapid and shallow.
"I…" he stammered, looking into Aralyn's bright, living eyes. Her head lolled to one side for a second, still recovering from the massive amounts of sedatives she had been given. "But…you're dead…"
Hojo chuckled, an annoying sound, and walked over to the glass, tapping it playfully. "Are you watching, my dear specimen?" he taunted.
Back to Aralyn's side. There was something silver there – he placed it around her neck. Hojo looked back to make sure Sephiroth was still struggling against the window, then pulled harshly on a strap attached to the metal. Aralyn's back arched as she tried to gasp for air. Hojo let her hands free so they could claw her neck, attempting vainly to free it.
"No!" Sephiroth screamed.
Hojo did not release her for several minutes, until she had passed out and left him with no choice. There were marks on her pale neck, blood dripping from where the straps had frayed away her flesh.
Hojo rammed a syringe into her jugular, and Aralyn jolted awake, screaming. Sephiroth cried out in alarm and futilely tried to break through the glass that held him back from saving her.
"Is that real enough for you?" Hojo sneered. "Because if you still don't believe me, I can continue for as long as it takes…indefinitely, even."
"Stop! Please…just…"
Hojo withdrew the needle, not bothering to slow the trickle of blood that flowed from the wound. Aralyn's back arched again in reaction to the substance, and her breathing was almost out of control.
Hojo let Sephiroth feel the silence, let the shock roll over him in crippling waves.
"That poison," Hojo continued, speaking to the General, who was bent over, expression anguished, physically weakened and quite incapable of a reply, "has one antidote. I designed it myself. Naturally, I'm the only one that knows. In addition, I do not keep it in my lab; so don't even try to look. The second before she fades away, I will mix only the exact amount of antidote needed and administer it. We have put a tracking chip in her arm, which you will be unable to remove unless you carve out half of her arm and sever the wires that we welded to the marrow of her bone. You will not be escaping. We will find her, and if you do manage to keep her away from our sight for too long, she will die and I can promise you," Hojo paused briefly for emphasis, "it is not a painless or rapid death."
Sephiroth was breathing just as heavy as Aralyn, and he was shaking even more. He opened his mouth many times, but closed it, unable to find the words. Hojo let the silence ring, letting him wallow in his agony.
"What is it you want of me?" Sephiroth whispered, finally understanding the reason behind Aralyn's revival.
A/N: This is the darkest chapter I've ever written. I'm getting chills...and I wrote the thing!
Special thanks to Tehn, who helped with this chapter.
I promise the next few will be less...heart-wrenching? We have had a few in a row...time for a tea-break! Figuratively speaking, that is.