A/N: Thanks to all you guys who keep leaving reviews, it means the world to me! Seriously, you're the best!
It was clear that Angeal definitely had the depression issues Zack had mentioned - which were understandable, after he failed to reason with Genesis. Given the situation, no one blamed him, with the exception of Angeal himself. And unfortunately, as he was continuing to get weaker, there was little more to do than think.
Given that Angeal had arguably been the strongest of SOLDIER in raw power, even weakened he was still ahead of a good majority of SOLDIER, but it was obvious he was nowhere near what he had been. While he hadn't tested it, Zack had a feeling that he was definitely stronger than his mentor was now. With circumstances as they were, it didn't come with any feeling of victory.
Hojo certainly didn't miss Hollander, but he really did wish the man had untangled more of his mess before leaving. The fact that he'd made no attempt to even stop Genesis with sedatives they had on hand was inexcusable, but not worth the time to gripe about it. He had more than enough on his plate just trying to work with what he had left. Thankfully Rayleigh was actually useful; if ShinRa survived this, he'd see about moving her permanently to his labs. There just weren't enough competent people these days.
The single benefit to Angeal being weakened, he supposed, was that Ifalna's daughter could finally join them and they could get more tests done while discussing things. She didn't have a mind for science, no, but she was fairly observant, and often put things together in ways Hojo wasn't inclined to for that very reason.
"He's having a lot more subdued reactions to me," she observed, moving away from the room he was currently resting in to come back by the rest of them. "And he feels different."
"Has that initial sense of wrongness remained?" Hojo asked.
"It's still there, yes, but…" Aerith frowned, searching for words to explain the feeling. "There's definitely something terrible there, but it doesn't feel like a threat to me personally anymore. And he's not reacting like he's ready to fight me either."
"I'd noticed and documented the difference in behavior, yes," Hojo said. "If it doesn't feel like a personal threat to you, what sort of threat does it feel like?"
"It's… more of a conflict inside, I think," Aerith said. "Like the presence has turned against him."
"Presence." Hojo swiveled his stool to face her, frowning. "You've used that term before, but referring to his presence. Now you said the presence, identifying it as separate. Explain."
"It's different this time." Aerith frowned, thinking about what she felt. "Maybe it was always that way and I didn't know because I had nothing to compare it to. I'm not saying there's necessarily something thinking with the other presence, but there's a level of will. Purpose."
"Autonomy?" Sephiroth suggested quietly. He hadn't spoken much so far, currently corresponding with Lazard to try and figure out a way to get himself and ideally Zack deployed in the search for Genesis. It didn't help that he'd been feeling unsettled ever since Genesis' attack, unable to get any good sleep; he knew he wasn't the only one, Zack was looking worse for wear himself and was consistently low key despite his efforts to stay positive. Things didn't look good, and everyone felt their time ticking away. "The freedom and ability to act by oneself I suppose is what I was getting at."
"The ability is the bigger thing here, I think. That it can act on its own - autonomously, as you said - whatever 'it' is." Aerith shook her head, a hand moving to play with the bangle she'd been given. "Jenova, maybe."
"Which would be another vote for the 'Jenova isn't dead' idea," Zack muttered. "I'd keep a tally, but 'uncomfortably likely' is the gist of it right now, isn't it? Jenova, whatever the hell else it is by your scientific categories, is alive. Enough to pick and choose how to act. Because even if it's instinctive, that's still alive. Parasitic, sure, but alive."
"I'm not sure if it counts as a parasite, but your point is noted," Rayleigh said. "Still, the Jenova cells are entwined enough with Angeal and Genesis' DNA that you can't just cut it out."
"What about replacing it with something else, then? Fill the void," Zack said, rolling his eyes at the collection of odd looks he got. "I get it, I'm not generally the brains of the operation. But I did some research, based off of some of the Professor's comments, and that's something you mentioned - gene therapy does that. Get a virus to carry in copies of healthy cells to map over the bad ones, basically. You were even considering it before."
"I did also point out the problem of the fact that the Jenova cells aren't creating your typical cellular disease; neither do they fill that sort of function, nor do they leave much room for that sort of tested therapy to even be reasonable as something to spend time on." Hojo arched a brow. "I will say, however, that I am impressed you took away that much from the conversation. If the other members of SOLDIER were so inclined to listen and be cooperative, we'd all be better off."
"Hey you're the genius here, Professor; none of this is typical, the whole field is skewed." Zack shrugged. "But it's your field. And you've never had a problem trying crazy things before."
"If by 'crazy' you mean unconventional and never before done, and 'trying' you mean after extensive testing to create a viable solution, then yes." Hojo turned back to his work, flipping through his notes. "There is a theory that may merit looking into, and I will question Angeal on it after I decide on the best wording. Unless, of course, you would work with me, Sephiroth?"
"I've been working with you, Hojo." Still, Sephiroth looked over to meet his eyes. "What do you want of me now?"
"You're going to have to close off your soft hearted response to your friend if you want to help him," Hojo said. "I will have him hooked up to another set of monitors, in addition to his current ones. And you will go in and demand that he tell you where Genesis is going."
"He doesn't know where Genesis is going," Sephiroth said. "That's a waste of time and will make him believe that I don't trust him. It's counterproductive to everything I've done to encourage a stable head space for him since his return."
"Yeah, I'm on team 'that's a bad idea' too," Zack said. "For the record."
"I am aware of what you both think and feel, and I have my reasons for this." Hojo stared at Sephiroth, expression somber. "You need to do this. There is no one else it can be."
"Only me," Sephiroth said, frowning as he considered the order. "Why?"
"Expectations will taint the results, Sephiroth. All you need to know is that your task is to go in and demand Angeal tell you where Genesis is headed, until you get an answer." Hojo's smile was a crooked, mirthless little thing. "I have a theory he'll surprise you both, if you press him long enough."
Sephiroth's frown deepened. "You believe he'll have an answer."
"I have reason to believe that if there is an answer to be had, you will be able to get it out of him," Hojo said.
"But only me."
"Only you," Hojo agreed. "There's reason to think you may get a response, if you can get him out of his habit of over thinking it."
"The Jenova cells," Sephiroth said. That was the only reason he could think of. "Yet you've always said I'm not like them. That this was not in my future."
"And I hold to that statement; their future is not yours, Sephiroth." Hojo shook his head. "But you have a way of convincing people that you're the leader. You always have. And he has responded to that before."
Sephiroth nodded slowly, considering it. The last thing he wanted to do was play mind games with Angeal, but if there was a way to find out where Genesis was going, a way to save them both…
"I'll do it."
Hojo smiled, marking his place in his notebook and rising. "Excellent. I'll get things ready."
Angeal was waiting for Sephiroth, hooked up to a variety of monitors and obviously concerned. "Sephiroth? What's going on? Did Hojo find something?"
Sephiroth stared at him a long moment in silence, really taking in the changes. Exhaustion was obvious, as was tension - it was all over his body language, just like the desperation in his eyes as he was being stared at. Angeal had been many things to Sephiroth throughout their friendship, but he'd never looked so weak, in such pain. He wasn't giving in, but it was sheer willpower keeping him together at this point. And faith.
"Sephiroth?"
Faith in him, and in their friendship. He needed him, Angeal needed Sephiroth like Sephiroth hadn't realized he needed the two of them until they'd gone, even more than that now while his body was failing him.
"Sephiroth, what's wrong?"
He sounded so damn concerned, and it was hard to believe that it took something like this to see it.
"Sephir-"
"Where is Genesis?"
Angeal only blinked at him a moment, confused. "Where… Sephiroth, I've told you everything I know."
"Where is he?"
Angeal frowned uncertainly. "Sephiroth, I don't know. You saw the feed, he didn't tell me anything."
This felt so wrong. He wanted to explain himself, it was obvious that Angeal was upset, but Hojo had been very clear that he wasn't to explain anything. Just ask.
"I need you to think." Sephiroth braced himself against the confusion and distress he was causing his friend, continuing to push. "Where is Genesis, Angeal?"
"I don't know! And I don't know why you think I suddenly do." Angeal frowned, looking him over like there could be some clue. "Did Lazard say something?"
"This isn't about Lazard, this is about finding Genesis." Sephiroth crossed his arms, staring his friend down, expression as impassive as he could manage, the mask he'd learned to let down around his friends firmly in place once more. "Tell me where he is."
"I don't know where he is!" Angeal insisted, wings flaring out at his side. "I wish I did! Do you think I wanted to see him go? I wasn't in any condition for a fight, Sephiroth, I did what I could! And I regret not trying more, yes, but I don't know anything else!"
Sephiroth frowned, meeting Angeal's eyes and holding his gaze. Hojo had said he had a way of convincing people, and Angeal had responded well to his authority so far. This time, he put a note of command in his voice. "Tell me where Genesis is, now."
Angeal stiffened, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know. And I don't appreciate you coming in and acting like I do."
There was something on the edge of his senses now, building as Angeal shifted where he sat, wings trembling. "You may have missed something."
"I didn't! I've thought of nothing but this mess, and what went wrong!" Angeal glared at him, eyes brightening as adrenaline pushed his Mako level forward.
"You know where he is," Sephiroth said, tone leaving no room for doubt even as he wondered if this would do anything but hurt his friend. It was the last thing he wanted to do, and yet he couldn't deny he felt something. "Tell me, Angeal. Anything. A city. A continent. A direction. Where has Genesis gone?"
"I don't know!"
"Don't lie to me." It was almost physically painful to say it, when he wasn't sure himself. What was Hojo waiting for? What did he expect? The pressure in the room had continued to build, and he noticed abruptly that Angeal was panting like he'd been doing far more than arguing. But no one had come in to interfere, no monitors had signaled alarms, so he pressed on and hoped whatever was going to happen would be done with. "Tell me where Genesis is."
"I don't know!"
"Tell me." Sephiroth took a step forward with the command, watching with fascinated horror as familiar green ringed Angeal's eyes again, sweat beading on his brow. For a moment, fear and anxiety that wasn't his sent chills down his spine, pain spiking through his head.
Angeal winced with him. "Sephiroth…"
"Tell me!" He commanded, using every ounce of authority he could weigh his tone with.
"I don't… I don't…" Angeal panted quietly, eyes losing focus as he stared at Sephiroth, wings shaking visibly. His mouth worked silently a moment before he gasped, curling in on himself. "H-he's… to the… the west..."
The monitors blared several alarms, almost drowning his words out, and only Sephiroth's superhuman reflexes allowed him to make it in time to keep Angeal from pitching over onto the floor. "Angeal!"
A groan was the only response, the older SOLDIER limp in his arms, skin damp with a cold sweat. As Sephiroth gently laid him back on the bed, he noticed a smear of red, blood beginning to trickle from his nose.
"Lay him down and get out of the way." Hojo had come in at some point, the alarms turning off as he moved around to check Angeal's readings, making a thoughtful sound.
"What happened?" Sephiroth demanded, staying out of the way but refusing to leave. Not after this; he needed to know what had happened, what he had done that caused this.
"You were able to get an answer, and his body stressed accordingly by accessing the information." Hojo turned, looking back in time to accept a tray from Dr. Rayleigh. "Get out of the doctor's way, he'll be fine. Hypertensive urgency is the last thing that's going to kill him."
Hypertensive urgency was not a phrase Sephiroth was familiar with, but he was familiar with many of the monitors. Enough examination showed that his blood pressure had spiked drastically, which was likely part of the culprit. Still, better to let them work no matter how much he wanted to pull Hojo aside for questions. For now.
He would get answers this time.
