Disclaimer: These folks aren't mine, I just play with them! ;P I make
no money. I am poor. You sue me, you get nothing. I do have a Canadian
penny, if you want that….
Author's Notes: Alright, I'm typing this before reading the reviews on the second chapter, so I'll just assume they were good. *lights candle and chants in low voice- goodreviewsgoodreviewsgoodreviews* What do you think so far? Let me know if there's anything you want to see, I might be able to fit it in. No promises, though. Thanks lots! Please R&R! (Doesn't that remind you of rest and relaxation? Oh, well…)
Chapter 1
Experimentation
To a passerby, it would have been a cruel form of torture. The small, lithe body strapped to a white examining table, surrounded by objects that had no names, but seemed deadly enough. A drill was held threateningly over the boy's skull, while several doctors walked around him, monitoring his 'progress'. Small tubes were planted in his veins, steadily pumping various chemicals inside of his bloodstream. One tube contained an entirely green, glowing sort of liquid that could only be Mako, while several others contained a translucent sort of blue. These tubes were labeled with intricate detail, resulting in such names as 'Jenova Cell Project A-XB32496: A Test of Blood Acidity in a Controlled Mako-Enhanced Specimen', and so on.
However, if you were to pass by, you would not be looking at these countless words and numbers meant to organize a cruel act. No, instead you would focus on the two piercing green eyes looking out from behind the mass of wires. They might have looked up at you, begging for help, or perhaps death… they were the same in his young eyes. No youthful expression was ever shown on his face, and although there should have been some sort of action that symbolized his age, there was none. The five-year-old boy just gazed upwards helplessly at the ceiling, as if he had already accepted his fate.
If you could go back in his head, you would be able to see the first time this happened to him. How his father, his hero, had come into his room late one night to take him for a trip. How his mother had tried to stop him from going, but why would she want to keep him from going? How the scientists had all come around him and began to take him into a special room. How he had seen other people tied down, and had asked his father to take him back home. How he screamed and begged and pleaded and cried until he couldn't make a sound anymore. How they had hit him, and strapped him down, and cut into him, and smiled all the while, telling him it was all in the name of science. How the first needle had sliced into him, beginning what would take years and years to complete.
Of course, after a little over a year, these tests had become the norm for him. He had no idea that this was not how other children spent their time. He didn't know that he should be making friends, and playing in the park, and getting toys on his birthday. His father was no longer his hero. He barely even recognized his father anymore, besides that continuous voice telling him it was alright, and that it would be over soon.
It had to be over soon. His mother had told him so. When he first left her, she was crying, and he didn't know why. He had asked her, but she had just shook her head and kissed him on his forehead. She had told him to be strong, that he would survive, that everything would be fine. He hadn't understood what she meant then.
He did now.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Footsteps echoed around in the lab, signaling Hojo's never- ending pacing. His eyes darted back and forth throughout his lab, coming to rest on the small figure strapped to an examination table. Hojo sneered, and rolled his eyes. If only the boy would be able to give them better results. Anything was better than what they had now. It was almost as if the Jenova cells were just refusing to cooperate with him. Well, maybe the Mako hadn't reached maximum capacity yet. Even so, there should still be some reaction.
Sephiroth had shown promise in the beginning, but now this lack of results was becoming too irritating to Hojo. If no results came in over the next week, he would have to let the boy go. It would be a waste of time, materials, and energy for the experiment to continue if nothing came of it.
The only fortunate thing about this project so far was that the boy had become resigned. He no longer fought against the doctors who originally had to hold him down and sedate him. Maybe he had already accepted this as right?
In any case, if there were no results in a week, Hojo would let him go… for a little while, at least. Maybe some time spent in 'normal' society would change him to be more susceptible to the experiments. He could only hope.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Lucretia looked out her window for the hundredth time that morning. She had been carefully watching out for any sign of her son ever since she had that phone call from Hojo. She closed her eyes, thankful that he was finally finished with his experiments on him.
It had been the wrong choice, she thought. She should never have let Sephiroth out of her house with him…. She thought she could trust Hojo, since he was Sephiroth's father, but….
Lucretia leaned her head against the window and sighed. How foolish could she have been? She should have done whatever was necessary to keep Sephiroth away from Hojo's experiments. She had already had experiences where someone she cared for dearly was driven away by his experiments. It didn't seem fair to her that everyone in her life besides Hojo should be taken away because of his research.
A wark outside interrupted her thoughts, and Lucretia looked up. A doctor was sitting on a chocobo, holding her son protectively.
Lucretia cried out and ran out the door. "Sephiroth!" she yelled, running towards him. The doctor put him down on the ground, and he ran towards his mother.
"Mommy!" he cried as she lifted him up and held him close to her. He started sniffling, and soon it turned into a full-blown wail that only five-year-olds can accomplish.
"Oh, hush now, hush," Lucretia said, soothingly. "What's this for?" She ran a finger over his eyes to get rid of the tears that were steadily streaming down his cheeks.
"They- they were…" Sephiroth started, but his mind was still unable to grasp what he was trying to say to his mother. He couldn't tell her what had been done to him, how they had treated him, what he had gone through when in his father's care. So he just cried even louder, and hoped that his message would somehow get through to her.
"Now, now, don't cry anymore," she whispered into his hair. The soft silver locks ran across her mouth, and she smiled into them. "No one's going to hurt you ever again."
Sephiroth's sniffling stopped for a minute, and he turned his head up towards his mother. "Promise?"
Lucretia smiled. It felt so good to be able to hold him again, to love him. She could make whatever happened right, she knew it. It would just take a little time, that's all.
"Promise."
Sephiroth smiled and ran a hand over his eyes. "I wasn't crying, you know," he said.
Lucretia smiled and laughed softly. "I know."
"No, really! I was just… pretending, so that it would be okay in case you cried," he said, looking up at his mother again.
"Well, that was very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Seph," she said, hugging him tightly.
"No problem, mom," he said. He was confused when she started laughing, but was content enough to ignore it in favor of her warm arms.
Lucretia thanked the doctor, who handed her a note form Hojo. She put it into her pocket. She could worry about that later. As for right now, the only thing that mattered was that Sephiroth was safe and sound at home.
She led him into their house, and smiled when he ran into his room to jump on his bed. It was almost like nothing had changed.
Then Sephiroth stopped jumping and ran up to his mother. He stood in front of her and looked at her for a minute. Those familiar green eyes seemed to tear right through her, and she was shocked at the amount of maturity she saw in them. She had seen government officials, as well as other people who held a great deal of power, who had eyes like that. It unnerved her, and she would have stepped back if not for the fact that this was Sephiroth, her five-year-old son. How could he harm her?
Since he said nothing, she felt inclined to say something, anything. "So, have you thought about school yet?"
Sephiroth's face became confused. "Huh?"
Lucretia smiled and knelt down, bringing herself face-to-face with her son. "Silly. School. It starts soon, you know. You'll get to meet other children and play with them."
Sephiroth frowned. "I don't wanna leave you again."
Lucretia felt a tug at her heart, and she shook her head. "No, sweetie, this time it will be different." Sephiroth looked uncertain, and she nodded her head. "There'll be toys and games and lots of fun things for you to do. I'm sure you'll make lots of friends."
Sephiroth smiled. "Okay, mommy." And he went back to jumping on his bed.
Lucretia smiled and left his room. Walking back to her kitchen, she unfolded Hojo's note and read it briefly.
Lucretia,
The boy had no relevant results for my research. I'm going to have to retest him when he's older, just to make sure, but for now, I leave him in your care.
Hojo
Lucretia sighed and put a hand over her eyes. 'Retest him when he's older'? How much older? When? Why? It didn't say.
She folded the note back up and locked it in her dresser drawer. For the time being, she would just let him live as normal a life as he could. She could only hope Hojo would forget, or find someone else to use in his twisted experiments.
After all, their son was precious to both of them, right?
Author's Notes: Alright, I'm typing this before reading the reviews on the second chapter, so I'll just assume they were good. *lights candle and chants in low voice- goodreviewsgoodreviewsgoodreviews* What do you think so far? Let me know if there's anything you want to see, I might be able to fit it in. No promises, though. Thanks lots! Please R&R! (Doesn't that remind you of rest and relaxation? Oh, well…)
Chapter 1
Experimentation
To a passerby, it would have been a cruel form of torture. The small, lithe body strapped to a white examining table, surrounded by objects that had no names, but seemed deadly enough. A drill was held threateningly over the boy's skull, while several doctors walked around him, monitoring his 'progress'. Small tubes were planted in his veins, steadily pumping various chemicals inside of his bloodstream. One tube contained an entirely green, glowing sort of liquid that could only be Mako, while several others contained a translucent sort of blue. These tubes were labeled with intricate detail, resulting in such names as 'Jenova Cell Project A-XB32496: A Test of Blood Acidity in a Controlled Mako-Enhanced Specimen', and so on.
However, if you were to pass by, you would not be looking at these countless words and numbers meant to organize a cruel act. No, instead you would focus on the two piercing green eyes looking out from behind the mass of wires. They might have looked up at you, begging for help, or perhaps death… they were the same in his young eyes. No youthful expression was ever shown on his face, and although there should have been some sort of action that symbolized his age, there was none. The five-year-old boy just gazed upwards helplessly at the ceiling, as if he had already accepted his fate.
If you could go back in his head, you would be able to see the first time this happened to him. How his father, his hero, had come into his room late one night to take him for a trip. How his mother had tried to stop him from going, but why would she want to keep him from going? How the scientists had all come around him and began to take him into a special room. How he had seen other people tied down, and had asked his father to take him back home. How he screamed and begged and pleaded and cried until he couldn't make a sound anymore. How they had hit him, and strapped him down, and cut into him, and smiled all the while, telling him it was all in the name of science. How the first needle had sliced into him, beginning what would take years and years to complete.
Of course, after a little over a year, these tests had become the norm for him. He had no idea that this was not how other children spent their time. He didn't know that he should be making friends, and playing in the park, and getting toys on his birthday. His father was no longer his hero. He barely even recognized his father anymore, besides that continuous voice telling him it was alright, and that it would be over soon.
It had to be over soon. His mother had told him so. When he first left her, she was crying, and he didn't know why. He had asked her, but she had just shook her head and kissed him on his forehead. She had told him to be strong, that he would survive, that everything would be fine. He hadn't understood what she meant then.
He did now.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Footsteps echoed around in the lab, signaling Hojo's never- ending pacing. His eyes darted back and forth throughout his lab, coming to rest on the small figure strapped to an examination table. Hojo sneered, and rolled his eyes. If only the boy would be able to give them better results. Anything was better than what they had now. It was almost as if the Jenova cells were just refusing to cooperate with him. Well, maybe the Mako hadn't reached maximum capacity yet. Even so, there should still be some reaction.
Sephiroth had shown promise in the beginning, but now this lack of results was becoming too irritating to Hojo. If no results came in over the next week, he would have to let the boy go. It would be a waste of time, materials, and energy for the experiment to continue if nothing came of it.
The only fortunate thing about this project so far was that the boy had become resigned. He no longer fought against the doctors who originally had to hold him down and sedate him. Maybe he had already accepted this as right?
In any case, if there were no results in a week, Hojo would let him go… for a little while, at least. Maybe some time spent in 'normal' society would change him to be more susceptible to the experiments. He could only hope.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Lucretia looked out her window for the hundredth time that morning. She had been carefully watching out for any sign of her son ever since she had that phone call from Hojo. She closed her eyes, thankful that he was finally finished with his experiments on him.
It had been the wrong choice, she thought. She should never have let Sephiroth out of her house with him…. She thought she could trust Hojo, since he was Sephiroth's father, but….
Lucretia leaned her head against the window and sighed. How foolish could she have been? She should have done whatever was necessary to keep Sephiroth away from Hojo's experiments. She had already had experiences where someone she cared for dearly was driven away by his experiments. It didn't seem fair to her that everyone in her life besides Hojo should be taken away because of his research.
A wark outside interrupted her thoughts, and Lucretia looked up. A doctor was sitting on a chocobo, holding her son protectively.
Lucretia cried out and ran out the door. "Sephiroth!" she yelled, running towards him. The doctor put him down on the ground, and he ran towards his mother.
"Mommy!" he cried as she lifted him up and held him close to her. He started sniffling, and soon it turned into a full-blown wail that only five-year-olds can accomplish.
"Oh, hush now, hush," Lucretia said, soothingly. "What's this for?" She ran a finger over his eyes to get rid of the tears that were steadily streaming down his cheeks.
"They- they were…" Sephiroth started, but his mind was still unable to grasp what he was trying to say to his mother. He couldn't tell her what had been done to him, how they had treated him, what he had gone through when in his father's care. So he just cried even louder, and hoped that his message would somehow get through to her.
"Now, now, don't cry anymore," she whispered into his hair. The soft silver locks ran across her mouth, and she smiled into them. "No one's going to hurt you ever again."
Sephiroth's sniffling stopped for a minute, and he turned his head up towards his mother. "Promise?"
Lucretia smiled. It felt so good to be able to hold him again, to love him. She could make whatever happened right, she knew it. It would just take a little time, that's all.
"Promise."
Sephiroth smiled and ran a hand over his eyes. "I wasn't crying, you know," he said.
Lucretia smiled and laughed softly. "I know."
"No, really! I was just… pretending, so that it would be okay in case you cried," he said, looking up at his mother again.
"Well, that was very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Seph," she said, hugging him tightly.
"No problem, mom," he said. He was confused when she started laughing, but was content enough to ignore it in favor of her warm arms.
Lucretia thanked the doctor, who handed her a note form Hojo. She put it into her pocket. She could worry about that later. As for right now, the only thing that mattered was that Sephiroth was safe and sound at home.
She led him into their house, and smiled when he ran into his room to jump on his bed. It was almost like nothing had changed.
Then Sephiroth stopped jumping and ran up to his mother. He stood in front of her and looked at her for a minute. Those familiar green eyes seemed to tear right through her, and she was shocked at the amount of maturity she saw in them. She had seen government officials, as well as other people who held a great deal of power, who had eyes like that. It unnerved her, and she would have stepped back if not for the fact that this was Sephiroth, her five-year-old son. How could he harm her?
Since he said nothing, she felt inclined to say something, anything. "So, have you thought about school yet?"
Sephiroth's face became confused. "Huh?"
Lucretia smiled and knelt down, bringing herself face-to-face with her son. "Silly. School. It starts soon, you know. You'll get to meet other children and play with them."
Sephiroth frowned. "I don't wanna leave you again."
Lucretia felt a tug at her heart, and she shook her head. "No, sweetie, this time it will be different." Sephiroth looked uncertain, and she nodded her head. "There'll be toys and games and lots of fun things for you to do. I'm sure you'll make lots of friends."
Sephiroth smiled. "Okay, mommy." And he went back to jumping on his bed.
Lucretia smiled and left his room. Walking back to her kitchen, she unfolded Hojo's note and read it briefly.
Lucretia,
The boy had no relevant results for my research. I'm going to have to retest him when he's older, just to make sure, but for now, I leave him in your care.
Hojo
Lucretia sighed and put a hand over her eyes. 'Retest him when he's older'? How much older? When? Why? It didn't say.
She folded the note back up and locked it in her dresser drawer. For the time being, she would just let him live as normal a life as he could. She could only hope Hojo would forget, or find someone else to use in his twisted experiments.
After all, their son was precious to both of them, right?