Disclaimer:
Author's Note: Okay, I'm gonna try to make this chapter longer! Wish me luck! ^_^;;
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Dreams of Tomorrow
Chapter 2
Sephiroth woke up the next morning an hour earlier than usual, only to hear murmuring voices outside his room.
"Professor?"
"Yes, what is it?" came the clearly irritated reply.
Sephiroth frowned…he knew that voice…
Hojo…
"Professor, we have the blood test results of the new specimen…"
"Yes, well?" Hojo asked, growing more impatient by the second.
"The test shows positive. She is a Cetra, as is the mother."
Sephiroth could just feel the sick mirth that radiated from Hojo, even from inside his room. It disgusted him.
A Cetra…? I've heard Hojo mumbling something about that…Wonder what's so exciting about the Cetra?
"Yes, I knew it. Wonderful, wonderful," Hojo spoke. "Leave her in her room. I'll retrieve her when I need her."
"…And the mother?" asked the assistant, who sounded almost nervous.
"Keep her in my lab. I'm not through with her yet."
What a sick man…Sephiroth thought from the confines of his room.
"Yes, Professor," said the assistant, before walking away.
Much to Sephiroth's surprise, the doors in his room opened, exposing Hojo. The young boy instinctively sat up, with a strange look of both loathing and questioning. His Mako eyes glowed a little brighter than usual.
Sephiroth felt like saying "What do you want?" but he knew that he would only get slapped down if he tried. He kept quiet, but his eyes were much more efficient than words.
Before the silver-haired child could react, Hojo marched up to him. Grabbing Sephiroth by his arm, he literally yanked the helpless boy out of the bed, leaving a mess of bed sheets hanging off edge of the mattress. Releasing his hold on the boy, Hojo turned back around and hastily began to walk out.
"On your feet, you good-for-nothing brat. I haven't got all day," he called back apathetically.
It took all the self-control Sephiroth could muster to halt himself from running up and giving Hojo a good punch in the stomach. Instead, he scrambled to his feet, pushing away his pride for the time being.
"Idiot…" he mumbled under his breath, following Hojo out the door and into one of his precious labs.
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Sephiroth hated being tested, poked and prodded like some inanimate piece of flesh. The fact that there was nothing he could do about made him loathe it even more. He almost hated it more than Hojo himself.
Almost.
It always started with the injections. Those were painful enough, and it bothered him that he didn't know what kind of fluid Hojo was putting in his system. It was apparently supposed to make him stronger, but to Sephiroth, all he felt were aching muscles.
Hojo didn't ask him to sit this time, so he didn't. He stood there; leering at Hojo's back while he prepared the shot.
I can't wait until I get away from this place, thought Sephiroth. Maybe I can join SOLDIER and escape once and for all. Hojo couldn't touch me then. I wouldn't let him.
The young Sephiroth's glare soon transformed into a faint smile as he imagined what life away from the ShinRa building would be like. It was quickly wiped away when Hojo turned around, wielding a disturbingly large needle in his hand.
"Give me your arm," Hojo commanded, no emotion in his voice whatsoever.
Sephiroth forced himself to hold out his right arm. He barely winced when he felt the needle roughly pierce into his skin. The young boy was determined to look straight ahead, glaring at nothing in particular. When it was finally over, Sephiroth heard something that surprised him.
"You're finished. Now get out."
Letting his arm fall to the side, he blinked as Hojo turned away and scribbled something down on a notepad.
"…What? That's it?" the words escaped Sephiroth's mouth before he could stop them. He mentally scolded himself for asking such a stupid question.
"Yes, that's it," the scientist replied, the irritability back in his voice. "What? Did you want more?"
"No," came the quick reply.
"Then get out! I don't have time for you!"
Sephiroth tripped over himself walking out of the lab, he was so dumbfounded. When he was out in the empty hallway, he had the strangest blank look on his face.
Okaaay…that was weird…Hojo must be really preoccupied with that "Cetra" girl…
He stood there for a full minute, his mind trying to register all that had happened. A few employees walked past, eyeing him suspiciously. After all, he must've looked strange, standing there in the middle of the hallway, head titled to the side slightly.
Sephiroth's eyes lit up when a precarious thought raced across his mind.
So…does this mean I can walk around…by myself?
Heck, why not? There weren't even any guards to escort him back to his room like usual, so he might as well take advantage of the situation.
Striding down the hallway, he turned his head one way or another to take a peek into passing rooms. Most were empty and dark, and Sephiroth couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Why am I stuck on such a boring floor in this building? he thought helplessly.
Empty room.
Empty room.
Empty and dark room.
Empty room.
Not-empty room.
…Huh?
Sephiroth came to a halt, almost falling over with the sudden loss of momentum. Curiosity got the best of him, and he glimpsed into the small window on the door.
There was a girl there, inside a much better room than his own, and sleeping peacefully on her bed. Her brown hair was strewn out on the pillow, and she looked like she had been crying.
"What's this?" Sephiroth asked no one in particular. He had never seen this girl before; apparently she must be new. But why? Why was she here, in a ShinRa building of all places?
Suddenly, the words he had heard earlier this morning rushed back to him.
"…Professor, we have the blood test results of the new specimen…The test shows positive. She is a Cetra, as is the mother…"
The young boy blinked, still gazing through the small window on the door.
"That's a Cetra?" he said, raising one quizzical eyebrow. "She doesn't seem so special…"
Sephiroth looked up and spotted a nameplate cheaply plastered on a wall next to the door.
Specimen ID: 45-W
Aeris Gainsborough
"Aeris Gainsborough…" he read softly. Turning his attention back at window, he once again watched the girl as she slept. She looked so…lonely. It reminded him of the times when he was isolated in his own room…cold and detached.
Why don't you go in there? the faraway part of his mind spoke. You could at least talk to her. After all, you know what it's like to be alone…
No. That wasn't his problem. People live alone. They had to survive. That girl in there was no exception.
Are you…afraid? his thoughts spoke again, this time in mockery.
Afraid? Of what? This…girl? Of course not! What reason did he have to be afraid? The door would most likely be locked, anyway.
Sephiroth rattled the doorknob recklessly, trying to prove himself right.
Click…!
A wide-eyed Sephiroth stood there and watched as the door swung open…
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AN: Yes, I know; cliffhanger. Mwhaha…I'm evil. :-P Expect an update in about two weeks! I'm leaving on a trip…To Japan!!! For two weeks!! That's good! I won't have access to my ff.net account! That's bad! [goes crazy!!!!]