Monsters Make the Best Pack
Chapter One: Blame Game
A.N.- So for this story to flow the way I want it to I have messed with timeline a bit. Professor Gast was not killed right after Aerith was born and Hojo was too busy with things in Nibelheim to go after Ifalna and Aerith. Tseng and Cloud are both older than I think they are in the actual game.
Despite his training and extensive practice in the face of boring board meetings and psychotic scientists, Veld could not contain the sigh that escaped him at seeing who, exactly, was waiting in the board room he had been called to by President Shinra. He was honestly surprised not to see frost creeping up the windows from all the professional (and personal) jealousy, anger, and disapproval pouring from the room.
Enough times facing down guard hounds and hostile board rooms had Veld's self-preservation instincts kicking in before he entered the room in order to locate the biggest threat in the room.
President Shinra sat at the head of the board room table, glower dark enough to cause a griffin to doubt attacking a herd of chocobo. Veld winced at that one, knowing that the majority of that glower came from the fact that all of the information on this case had been wiped from every server in the building, and was continuing to be wiped from the servers by a virus that Information Technology (IT) and the best hackers in the Turks could not find, much less stop. On top of that, Veld's newest agent, that he had personally brought into the Turks had disappeared off the face of the Planet the same night that the pertinent information had disappeared.
Sitting down the table on President Shinra's left and right respectively were Professors Hojo and Gast, Veld felt lucky that neither Professor seemed to have any materia equipped or their glares might have resulted in more than just figurative sparks and frost.
Veld also praised the Planet that Ifalna was sitting to Professor Gast's left with her hand on his arm, not that she was able to diffuse the tension in Gast considering how tense she was. But at least she gave Gast something to focus on other than jumping across the table and killing Hojo with his glasses.
Less encouraging was the fact that a few seats down from Hojo sat Professor Hollander gazing at Hojo with an admiration and devotion that one would normally see in a fledgling chocobo looking at its parent.
Veld took one more fortifying breath before entering the board room fully.
"Do you mind explaining to me how it is you have managed to lose not just one but all four of our leads to finding the Promised Land of the Centra and are still no closer to finding who has taken them?" growled President Shinra, hands steepled in front of his face and piercing gaze locked onto Veld.
Veld fell easily into a military at ease stance, looking just over President Shinra's shoulder, "Three weeks ago Reactor Alpha in Nibelheim, Northern Continent exploded. Searches conducted by the Turks have shown no conclusive evidence as to whether Project S, named Sephiroth was taken by the same group that sabotaged the reactor as there has been no evidence of a struggle occurring to indicate that Project S left unwillingly and security cameras show Sephiroth in his room until 0500 where he then disappears off of all cameras without once moving from his bed. The Turks have been all over the Shinra Mansion and seen no evidence of an outside party entering or an inside party leaving, as all assigned works were present and accounted for."
"Humph," snorted Prof. Hojo cutting Veld's report off, "useless per usual, inferior specimens that your Turks are. Sephiroth would not leave the lab of his own will, so your men must have missed the evidence of whatever means was used to subdue him. And obviously the lab security cameras were hacked, people, even ones as genetically advanced as Sephiroth, do not disappear without leaving a trace."
"Maybe if you did not treat the child as a science experiment to be poked and prodded, the belief that he left willingly would not even be viable," stated Gast, leaning across the table as though closer proximity would give his words greater impact.
"That boy is not something to be coddled and protected as your insipid wife insisted on doing while you were present in MY lab,' yelled Hojo, standing and slamming his palms down the table, attempting to use his height to intimidate Gast, "besides your daughter has disappeared just as my project has, except yours walked out right under your nose!"
"You.."
"Gentlemen, please this arguing is not getting us any closer to finding out what has happened to the children. Whether they were taken or left willingly does not matter until we have them back and can figure out what happened to make them leave in the first place." Stated Ifalna, standing and placing her hand on Gast's arm, attempting to push him back into his seat from where he had jumped up to confront Hojo. "Please continue with what your men have found, Commander Veld."
"Thank you Mrs. Faremis. Two days after the destruction of Reactor Alpha and the disappearance of Sephiroth, Miss Aerith Faremis disappeared from outside of the home/observatory of Professor Gast and Mrs. Ifalna Faremis. Turks sent to the house found no evidence of a struggle and no evidence of footprints leading too or from the garden Miss Faremis was working in. When questioning the locals, no one new was seen in Icicle Inn either before or after the event," Veld took a moment to take a breath, "Three days after Miss Faremis' disappearance and five days after Sephiroth's disappearance. There was a singular event in the Underground Mako Cave of Banora Village. Eye witnesses from the village and orchard state that the ground caved in over where the statue of the Goddess resides and a blinding light emitted from the area. Once the tremors had died down and an account was taken in the village it was discovered that Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, the 'participants,' Veld could not bring himself to say that phrase without some skepticism, "in Project G had disappeared in the chaos. No evidence has been found that they were taken and none of their things were missing as though they had run away."
"And in not one instance but three, four if you count the reactor as a separate event," the skepticism in Hojo's voice was evidenced on his face, "have your agents been able to locate, find, or even generally be useful in any way shape or form. And in the midst of their being phenomenally unhelpful, one of your own men has disappeared off the face of the Planet and managed to wipe all your, useless to begin with, data about the situation off every, supposedly secure server in the building and is SOMEHOW, still managing to do this even though you cannot figure out how he is doing this or where he has gone."
The look Hojo directed at President Shinra showed just as much contempt as his voice, "Your so called elite security force has not been very effective, I suggest you let me have whichever unfortunate they finally find. I am sure my methods will be much more effective than whatever these idiots are trying."
Veld held his position, but he could still see the look of contemplation that President Shinra was giving Professor Hojo. Professor Gast and Ifalna, while looking horrified with the thought of willingly allowing anyone into Hojo's hands, still seemed to be considering Hojo's offer in order to get their daughter back. And Professor Hollander was still giving Hojo the same disturbing stalker-like gaze of admiration.
"Very well, Commander Veld when you finally find a suspect, you are to hand them over to Professor Hojo so that we may get some answers as to how a group of people have manged to collect all of our resources for finding the Promised Land."
"Of course President Shinra," stated Veld, giving a bow of his head in acknowledgement and turning to walk out the door.
"And you will start with that young Wutainese man that has managed to hide things so well."
"As you say, President Shinra." Veld could not completely contain the slither of dread that passed down his spine as the door closed behind him.
In the distance, a solitary wolf howled.