To put it quite simply, Vincent was all business.
Sephiroth glanced at his saviour as they drove toward Wutai. The man, if such he could be called, kept his eyes focused on the road. The gatekeeper had called him crazy for taking a vehicle along the path to Wutai. When Sephiroth asked about it Vincent simply brushed it off.
Sephiroth had noticed the steep cliffs and the relative lack of a decent road, but Vincent handled it all well. Sephiroth also knew not to distract him from his set task at the moment. When he had, they'd nearly gone over a cliff.
"Mind your own business until we are through the valley."
That was all Vincent had said for the last few hours as they drove. And that was the source of Sephiroth's conclusion.
As they crested yet another hill, Sephiroth beheld a field of green. Vincent seemed to relax somewhat, as well. "Can I speak now?"
"If you find it necessary."
"Why is it we are going so fast?"
Vincent put his hand through his hair, "I suppose I should tell you. While you were asleep at the inn at Costa del Sol, I went hunting for Hojo. It was stupid at the time, but I remember that doctor saying he was there."
Sephiroth closed his eyes. He could still see with perfect clarity Anderson's demise. At his hands. 'The bastard deserved it for what he did to me.'
"As it was," Vincent continued, "I encountered some guards and questioned them."
"I see," Sephiroth nodded knowingly, "You killed the guards so they wouldn't identify you, but you are worried that you may have been spotted. Hence our speedy departure."
Vincent turned, surprised at Sephiroth's inherent knowledge of tactics. As he regarded the young boy, Sephiroth suddenly lunged at the wheel. Vincent brought his eyes back to the road. They had just narrowly missed a tree.
Sephiroth laughed a little, "Are you always easily distracted?"
"No," Vincent answered gruffly, "I'm just not used to children acting like adults. You should be more...childlike."
"And how is a child supposed to act?"
Vincent sighed, "Well observe the children of Wutai. See how some of them act. They go and have fun, play. They don't care about tactics or-"
"Killing people?"
"Does it bother you?"
Sephiroth shook his head, "No. And yes. I can't place the feeling I have. A sense of satisfaction of after disposing of him. And yet, a feeling of...remorse for killing him after he had done as he asked. Even after all they did to me. It strikes me as strange."
Vincent nodded, "That is good. If it didn't bother you in the least, I would be worried."
"You would worry about me?"
Vincent smirked, "So it would seem. I imagine it was something Lucrecia did to me in the vision. I normally wouldn't care."
Sephiroth looked at him quizzically, "Why is that?"
"I was formerly a Turk. One of Shinra's assassins. I," He looked at Sephiroth quickly, "I shouldn't be telling you this."
"Why?"
"Because, regardless of what happened and what you have seen, you are still a child. You shouldn't have more twisted knowledge it that head of yours."
"I see. You want me to be more normal."
Vincent nodded. Sephiroth looked back to the road and saw Wutai in the distance. He remembered the city of Junon.
It was still being constructed. He had heard of the massive weapon from eavesdropping on a guard's conversation while on the ferry. It was to intimidate Wutai. Apparently war was closing in.
As they neared their destination, Sephiroth wondered if the people of Wutai were as heated as the people of Shinra. Did they want the war as well?
*
Hojo looked about at his shattered lab. All the technicians. All the doctors. Everyone on his floor was dead. With the exception of the two Ancient specimens.
He stared angrily at them through the glass of their prison. The woman had not given him any information, even after feeling the pain of her refusal. And she knew that Hojo wouldn't hurt the child. At least not yet.
One of the security team members walked up and observed the two specimens. "The security tapes were deleted, sir."
Hojo slammed his fist against the glass. "Damn!" He turned quickly on the guard and grabbed him. "You find out who did this! Or I will make you my next experiment! Do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir!"
The guard moved quickly after Hojo released him. He sneered, "Weak minded fools." Hojo wandered about the lab, assessing the time lost along with capital losses. As he heard the footsteps behind him, he let out a sigh, "This had better be important."
"It is, Hojo." Hojo stiffened at the voice.
"President Shinra, an unexpected pleasure." He turned and greeted the owner of almost all the world. Almost.
Shinra looked about the lab with disgust. "It appears that the security measures you had installed failed." Hojo looked about to speak, "Don't. I don't want excuses. Heidegger is now in charge of security within the tower. You will give him your full co-operation, understood?" Hojo nodded, "Good. Now what is the damage to the program?"
"We have lost six years, effectively. Sephiroth was progressing quite nicely."
Shinra regarded the two prisoners. "And the search for the Promised Land?"
Hojo scoffed, "No progress of course. It doesn't exist."
Shinra smiled, "Of course it does, Hojo. You are just too blind to see. They are our key to it. And Sephiroth was to be our key to power. What will you do now? Can you speed up the program?"
Hojo chuckled, "I happen to have control over time, sir. I can make a child advance as far as Sephiroth."
"Your sarcasm is not amusing. What of Kale? He seems to be the finest SOLDIER."
"He would not be nearly as strong as Sephiroth would. And there could be complications in the process."
Shinra raised an eyebrow, "Such as?"
"Mental instability. Sociopath. Psychotic episodes."
Shinra brought his hand to his chin in thought. "Are these guaranteed to happen? And would he still be...controllable?"
"No and yes. I could even attempt my thesis of Sephiroth cloning and Jenova enhancement." A sadistic grin spread across Hojo's face.
Shinra shuddered at the look on Hojo's face. "What is this thesis?"
The grin faded, "Oh, nothing truly important. Just a little afterthought on the SOLDIER process."
Shinra shook his head, "As long it does not conflict with our goals I don't care. You will receive an increase in your budget. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with the Wutai ambassador."
Hojo glared daggers at Shinra's back as he left. "Go and play your little war games. Your small mind cannot begin to comprehend what is going on. You are a puppet, and I am the master."
The same security officer came into the room and presented yet another report to Hojo. He grabbed it roughly from his hands. "Get this place operational as soon as possible. And find me Kale?"
"K-Kale, sir?"
Hojo smacked the guard across the face. "Yes. Raithe Kale. Find him and send him to my office, immediately."
"Yes sir!"
As the guard left, Hojo began to laugh. Everything was again falling into place. Soon he would have more power than anyone could possibly imagine.
Sephiroth glanced at his saviour as they drove toward Wutai. The man, if such he could be called, kept his eyes focused on the road. The gatekeeper had called him crazy for taking a vehicle along the path to Wutai. When Sephiroth asked about it Vincent simply brushed it off.
Sephiroth had noticed the steep cliffs and the relative lack of a decent road, but Vincent handled it all well. Sephiroth also knew not to distract him from his set task at the moment. When he had, they'd nearly gone over a cliff.
"Mind your own business until we are through the valley."
That was all Vincent had said for the last few hours as they drove. And that was the source of Sephiroth's conclusion.
As they crested yet another hill, Sephiroth beheld a field of green. Vincent seemed to relax somewhat, as well. "Can I speak now?"
"If you find it necessary."
"Why is it we are going so fast?"
Vincent put his hand through his hair, "I suppose I should tell you. While you were asleep at the inn at Costa del Sol, I went hunting for Hojo. It was stupid at the time, but I remember that doctor saying he was there."
Sephiroth closed his eyes. He could still see with perfect clarity Anderson's demise. At his hands. 'The bastard deserved it for what he did to me.'
"As it was," Vincent continued, "I encountered some guards and questioned them."
"I see," Sephiroth nodded knowingly, "You killed the guards so they wouldn't identify you, but you are worried that you may have been spotted. Hence our speedy departure."
Vincent turned, surprised at Sephiroth's inherent knowledge of tactics. As he regarded the young boy, Sephiroth suddenly lunged at the wheel. Vincent brought his eyes back to the road. They had just narrowly missed a tree.
Sephiroth laughed a little, "Are you always easily distracted?"
"No," Vincent answered gruffly, "I'm just not used to children acting like adults. You should be more...childlike."
"And how is a child supposed to act?"
Vincent sighed, "Well observe the children of Wutai. See how some of them act. They go and have fun, play. They don't care about tactics or-"
"Killing people?"
"Does it bother you?"
Sephiroth shook his head, "No. And yes. I can't place the feeling I have. A sense of satisfaction of after disposing of him. And yet, a feeling of...remorse for killing him after he had done as he asked. Even after all they did to me. It strikes me as strange."
Vincent nodded, "That is good. If it didn't bother you in the least, I would be worried."
"You would worry about me?"
Vincent smirked, "So it would seem. I imagine it was something Lucrecia did to me in the vision. I normally wouldn't care."
Sephiroth looked at him quizzically, "Why is that?"
"I was formerly a Turk. One of Shinra's assassins. I," He looked at Sephiroth quickly, "I shouldn't be telling you this."
"Why?"
"Because, regardless of what happened and what you have seen, you are still a child. You shouldn't have more twisted knowledge it that head of yours."
"I see. You want me to be more normal."
Vincent nodded. Sephiroth looked back to the road and saw Wutai in the distance. He remembered the city of Junon.
It was still being constructed. He had heard of the massive weapon from eavesdropping on a guard's conversation while on the ferry. It was to intimidate Wutai. Apparently war was closing in.
As they neared their destination, Sephiroth wondered if the people of Wutai were as heated as the people of Shinra. Did they want the war as well?
*
Hojo looked about at his shattered lab. All the technicians. All the doctors. Everyone on his floor was dead. With the exception of the two Ancient specimens.
He stared angrily at them through the glass of their prison. The woman had not given him any information, even after feeling the pain of her refusal. And she knew that Hojo wouldn't hurt the child. At least not yet.
One of the security team members walked up and observed the two specimens. "The security tapes were deleted, sir."
Hojo slammed his fist against the glass. "Damn!" He turned quickly on the guard and grabbed him. "You find out who did this! Or I will make you my next experiment! Do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir!"
The guard moved quickly after Hojo released him. He sneered, "Weak minded fools." Hojo wandered about the lab, assessing the time lost along with capital losses. As he heard the footsteps behind him, he let out a sigh, "This had better be important."
"It is, Hojo." Hojo stiffened at the voice.
"President Shinra, an unexpected pleasure." He turned and greeted the owner of almost all the world. Almost.
Shinra looked about the lab with disgust. "It appears that the security measures you had installed failed." Hojo looked about to speak, "Don't. I don't want excuses. Heidegger is now in charge of security within the tower. You will give him your full co-operation, understood?" Hojo nodded, "Good. Now what is the damage to the program?"
"We have lost six years, effectively. Sephiroth was progressing quite nicely."
Shinra regarded the two prisoners. "And the search for the Promised Land?"
Hojo scoffed, "No progress of course. It doesn't exist."
Shinra smiled, "Of course it does, Hojo. You are just too blind to see. They are our key to it. And Sephiroth was to be our key to power. What will you do now? Can you speed up the program?"
Hojo chuckled, "I happen to have control over time, sir. I can make a child advance as far as Sephiroth."
"Your sarcasm is not amusing. What of Kale? He seems to be the finest SOLDIER."
"He would not be nearly as strong as Sephiroth would. And there could be complications in the process."
Shinra raised an eyebrow, "Such as?"
"Mental instability. Sociopath. Psychotic episodes."
Shinra brought his hand to his chin in thought. "Are these guaranteed to happen? And would he still be...controllable?"
"No and yes. I could even attempt my thesis of Sephiroth cloning and Jenova enhancement." A sadistic grin spread across Hojo's face.
Shinra shuddered at the look on Hojo's face. "What is this thesis?"
The grin faded, "Oh, nothing truly important. Just a little afterthought on the SOLDIER process."
Shinra shook his head, "As long it does not conflict with our goals I don't care. You will receive an increase in your budget. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with the Wutai ambassador."
Hojo glared daggers at Shinra's back as he left. "Go and play your little war games. Your small mind cannot begin to comprehend what is going on. You are a puppet, and I am the master."
The same security officer came into the room and presented yet another report to Hojo. He grabbed it roughly from his hands. "Get this place operational as soon as possible. And find me Kale?"
"K-Kale, sir?"
Hojo smacked the guard across the face. "Yes. Raithe Kale. Find him and send him to my office, immediately."
"Yes sir!"
As the guard left, Hojo began to laugh. Everything was again falling into place. Soon he would have more power than anyone could possibly imagine.