Disclaimer: Still don't own any FFVII characters, but unfamiliar names belong to me. If any pop up that aren't mine or Square Enix's, credit will be given, but keeping that to myself for now ;)

Chapter 4: The New Project

You are special, Efren. You are meant for an important destiny.

The voice was calming to Efren, especially now that he was awake and being stared at through the large glass window at the other end of the room that he was currently in. He didn't recognize any of the faces he had seen, but their feelings were crystal clear: they didn't like him.

They don't matter to you, Efren. They are small creatures with small ambitions and even smaller minds. They fear you because they know you are better than them.

Efren grunted. Better than them? They seemed to know something he didn't. They had an advantage over him.

They only think they have an advantage over you. Truly? They are at your mercy. Never forget your greatness.

Efren arched a brow. There seemed to be commotion outside the window. A new arrival? He turned his head and saw two more strangers on the other side of the glass. For some reason, he instantly felt wary of the man with the red hair, blue eyes like ice.

Genesis. Betrayer.

Yet when he looked at the woman beside him, he felt comfort. Her warm eyes and soft features set him at ease.

Tifa. Loved one but corrupted by the Betrayer.

Efren noted the observations of the voice: the man was despised, and the woman was loved, but not trusted. Interesting. It appeared that Efren would get to see if the voice's feelings matched his own.

Genesis stared at the boy on the other side of the glass. He seemed harmless, but with Sephiroth's eyes staring back at him, he knew the kid would be anything but harmless. He turned and looked at Reeve.

"Any manifestations of his powers?"

Reeve shook his head. "Nothing substantial yet. It's hard to say for sure, but sometimes when you look at him, you can tell he's trying to see into your head. You know that look."

Genesis lip curled and he rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes. I know that look and it's a look I'll never forget."

Tifa was looking at boy through the window. "He seems so…lost."

Justice was standing beside her and nodded. "That's what I thought when I found him. He was all alone in that singular tube of Mako. What a nightmare."

"Cloud told me about being in a tube like that after Nibelheim burned." Tifa shook her head. "What a terrible thing to be put through. The pain of being submerged in that Mako solution…"

Genesis didn't want to feel anything for the kid, but Tifa was right. He remembered the Mako treatments he had endured trying to cure his degradation. He was a man at that point, and it hurt like hell, so for that kid – no. He couldn't afford to see him as anything more than a potential tool for Sephiroth to return.

"Well, what are we going to do with him?"

Tifa turned and looked at Genesis, then Reeve. "Neither one of you better even think about killing him."

Genesis reached out and gently squeezed her hand. "Tifa…"

"It may be what's best." Reeve spoke softly. "We can make sure he won't feel a thing."

"No. We're not going to summarily kill a kid because he might be able to bring Sephiroth back." Tifa shook her head. "I…I don't think he'd even try again."

Genesis grunted. Ah, yes. That damn dream. Very smart, Seph. Very manipulative.

"Is that a chance you want to gamble the fate of Gaia on, though?" Reeve sighed and gently rested his hand on Tifa's shoulder. "The planet is finally starting to show real signs of recovery since Meteor. Flowers are growing again, and not just in Aerith's church. Edge is starting to become brighter. If Sephiroth returns again, the planet may not survive."

"Sephiroth is dead and Jenova is gone from him. We saw him accepted to the Lifestream." Tifa looked back at the young man. "There shouldn't be any Reunion instinct left in Sephiroth to be triggered by any Jenova cells in that kid and with nobody left here on Gaia to trigger Reunion or the Jenova cells in him, shouldn't we take that chance to let him live? And what about Cloud? Has anyone even told him he technically has a son?"

Reeve paused, then shook his head. "No, Cloud doesn't know about him."

"Then we have no business making any decisions about whether this poor kid should live or die until Cloud can have his input."

Much as Genesis didn't like to admit it, Tifa had a point. Cloud had every right to know about him. "Tifa's right. So…who gets to tell Cloud about the kid?"

Reeve sighed and pulled out his PHS. "I'll ask Vincent to talk to him."

Genesis nodded and turned to face Tifa. She was staring at the kid through the window while he amused himself with some kind of notebook. He knew when he had first met Tifa, her heart and desire to look for any good in anyone, including Sephiroth, would be her downfall. Watching her look at Sephiroth's son gave him that same feeling of foreboding.

"Tifa – "

"I know what you're thinking. I'm putting too much stock in my dream and have blinders on to what this boy could be: the new Calamity from the Sky." Tifa turned and smiled slightly. She could read him so well. "It's okay, Gen. I know how dangerous Sephiroth would be if he came back again, set on destroying the world. You and I both know that too well. But…something tells me that won't happen this time. It's just a feeling I have and can't explain."

"Tifa I know you want that dream to be true. You want Sephiroth to finally be at peace and one with the Lifestream. I want that too." He really did. He wanted Sephiroth to finally be free of the of the bullshit he had forced on him. "I'm just concerned because Sephiroth made it perfectly clear that he no longer heard Jenova's whispers in his head. Everything he did after his return…he did with a clear head."

"Was his head truly clear, thought? He still had that damn Black Materia inside him. What if that had some kind of effect on him? Now that it's gone, maybe Sephiroth will finally find the peace in death that he never had here." Tifa squeezed Genesis' hand. "If it comes down to the planet or that boy…I know what we'll have to and I'll get behind protecting the planet. But not before knowing for sure that him living will lead to all our deaths."

Genesis sighed softly and smiled before kissing Tifa on the cheek. "I know when to admit defeat, my darling. You have a bigger heart than I, but if that boy's blood was needlessly on my hands – well, let's just say I'd rather not have yet another needless death upon my head."

"We all have things hanging over ourselves, Gen. You're not alone and you never will be now." Tifa turned and looked at Justice. "Could I talk to him?"

"He's not really talkative, but I bet you can get more than one-word answers from him." Justice smiled warmly. "I think you'll do the kid a world of good, Miss Lockhart."

"Miss? We saw a lot of crap together, Justice. Please call me Tifa." She walked toward the door, but paused. "Does he have a name?"

Justice nodded. "Efren."

Tifa smiled nodded before opening the door and walking through to the next room.

Genesis turned and looked at Justice. "You named him? He's not a pet!"

Justice rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't name the kid! That was his name on the charts."

"He had a name?" Genesis arched a brow. That wasn't a normal practice for Hojo. He preferred numbering and branding his pets like cattle. He turned and looked at Efren. He was a special project, but for who and what purpose? "Private, is Professor Goro still in custody?"

"Oh, yeah." Justice's lip curled in disgust. "We've got that fucker locked up safe and sound."

"Good. I need to have a little chat with him." Genesis turned his gaze back to Efren. The kid was looking at Tifa. Damn it, Seph. Just stay in the damn Lifestream this time.