Disclaimer: They aren't mine. Don't sue.
Warnings: Yaoi (m/m relationships) rated R however if you want the original story tell me and I'll e-mail it to you.
Summary: 2nd chapter up (yaoi: SxS). In a near future, scientists made experiments to genetically modify humans for military proposes, but the only succeeded experiment, the number 39 disappeared mysteriously. Special Military forces are to find that perfect human.
Number 39: The perfect human.
By Azure Knight
Chapter 2
"This better be a catastrophe, General Caraway. I'm on leave in one day and I don't want to miss my son's third birthday. I've been on training for the last five months without going home or see my kid. I suppose you understand my motives, don't you, sir?" Seifer, Raijin and Fujin had been the first to arrive to the top-secret encounter because of that mysterious mission. And Seifer wasn't a little bit happy with this sudden calling. He knew he was one of the best pilots of the Air Force, but this was his sons' birthday and he wasn't about to break his promise to the kid. He'll be there tomorrow no matter what.
"I'm afraid it is Lieutenant-colonel Seifer Almasy, though I clearly understand your motives. A son is a son." It hadn't been the General giving the answer. The person who did was behind him. When he turned around he was in the least surprised with the man.
"Mister President?!" He said. Immediately after recognition, the three saluted. The president did the same and Raijin affirmed.
"It's a honor to meet you, Mr. President, ya know?"
"Yes. The pleasure is mutual, Lieutenant. I've heard many good things about you and your team, Lieutenant-colonel Almasy. Your references are very, very good. I'm afraid you're perfect for this mission and irreplaceable. But let's wait for the others. They won't be long."
A few minutes passed and Seifer questioned himself about the type of mission to have the president himself into it. He wondered even more when he saw the type of people he was working with when they arrived. The first was Quistis Trepe. He knew her because she was well known inside the secret services and he had worked with her in his last mission there before giving up and joining solely the Air force. She also recognized him because she complimented him. After Quistis a short girl with flipped brown hair entered smiling and giggling. She had the NASA insignia in her suitcase that probably contained some kind of electronic staff in it. Possibly a computer. The only thing he didn't understand was how a schoolgirl with a sailor suit could be helpful in such an important mission. He saw that Fujin had the same suspicion. He was even more bewildered, however, when he saw the bouncing teenager following her. A complete punk. A Texas Ranger followed and sat in the middle of Quistis and Selphie what made the latter giggle even more. A little more time and he would start asking for phone numbers. However, when two doctors of some sort entered and the Marshal with the president started speaking the cowboy's attention focused solely in the mission. The others followed his example.
"Okay. First let's introduce you all" said Marshal Kiros "These," he said motioning to the doctors, "are Doctor Odine and his assistant Mathias Daniels. They are the actual responsible for the SeeD project and they will answer the questions about anything related to it."
And immediately after the Marshal said that, Seifer knew he wouldn't like the mission a bit, especially because he didn't like D. Odine one bit, too. He had a feeling about that man that he didn't like at all. And trusting in his instincts had already saved his life in more than one occasion.
But the Marshal continued, motioning to the spiky blond to get up. "Zell Dincht, L.A. Police. We count on your skills, Sergeant Dincht." The blond nodded and sat down again. Quistis got up. "Quistis Trepe, Secret Services. We're also counting on you." She sat and the cowboy stood. "Ranger Irvine Kinneas from Texas. Please don't mess too much with our girls, okay?" "Can't promise anything, Marshal." He answered. The boys smirked, Quistis snorted and Selphie giggled once more. Then she stood too and Irvine took the time to appreciate her backside so obviously that Quistis glared at him. He shrugged. "Selphie Tilmit, NASA. You brought your suitcase I see. Probably it will be helpful to locate him." It was now time for Raijin's and Fujin's presentation. "Lieutenant Raijin and Captain Fujin. Air Force. You two will be the ones responsible for the transports. Take care. They're not free." 'Which means,' Seifer thought 'that I'm doing field stuff. They don't want me for my recent job; they want me for my years in the Secret Services. Big fish. Really big fish, here.'
"And finally your leader Lieutenant-colonel Seifer Almasy. Please try to make this a team, okay?" Seifer smirked "I'll do my best but I'm not exactly capable of miracles. Just to warn you." Quistis, Raijin and Fujin smiled. They knew him too well. "About the mission, Marshal..." Seifer asked now serious. He wanted this whole thing finished as fast as possible.
"Right. This will be a little confusing, so please pay attention. Please D. Odine."
"Thank you Marshal Kiros. Let's see. Twenty years ago a project was made with military proposes which had as main objective to create the ultimate human. A perfect one. You certainly know that the human race isn't the strongest or the fastest or the most dangerous in physical matters. As you also know humans are capable of logic and subjective reasoning, however this intelligence is passive of errors, what doesn't happen in machines. But as you also know machines have to be programmed and don't have initiative of their own. In a foreign situation, a situation not programmed, machines react according to certain standards, and sometimes not exactly the indicate ones. They don't have intuition or creativity. Now, picture a human with the strength and speed of the most strong and quick animals, able to have intuition, creativity and electronic intelligence. A person who can't be wrong and with an unlimited memory able to retain knowledge of absolutely everything, with capabilities of learn things in seconds. For example, imagine that a person enters a F18. Someone who doesn't have a clue how to operate it wouldn't know what to do. Not this human. This human in two minutes was capable of flying it as your best pilot if he was taught. Alone, it would take more time, but he would do it none less. Everyone following me?!"
Everyone nodded gaping at the doctor, besides Laguna, Kiros and Caraway who already knew the story.
"Good. The project is possible. Or better was. With genetic. It only takes right combinations of genes. We take a gene of strength of a bear, for example, and then we add it to the DNA of the human zygote. Then it's as simple as making an artificial insemination. We put the zygote back in the mother's uterus and the baby develops as a normal mammal. He is born and then we have a normal little baby. (1) But because the genes were badly chosen most of the times the humans weren't exactly...well... humans. They were... mutants."
"Until seventeen years ago when the combination of genes was perfect, a perfect boy was born. I did the perfect human. However, the baby was stolen. The search was unfruitful and we lost the child's track. When that happened, the funds to my laboratory, to this project, SeeD, were cut and I couldn't continue my experiments. Also my assistant of the time, the supposed mother of the child died a few months after the boy was born with a disease brought by some replacing genes of the baby. She burned my notes of that experience too. Raine, her name, was probably the responsible for the disappearance of the boy."
"He was stolen?" Zell asked.
"Yes, Sergeant. Anyway, she had a boyfriend and supposedly he was the one who took 'their son', but I didn't know whom he was. I only wanted the fecundated ovule. The genes would be exchanged anyway. No need to know who the father was."
"Yes. And what has that whole story to do with us?" Seifer asked.
"Well. A few days ago a village was destroyed and the inhabitants killed as to feed something. According to my analysis, the way it was done, it could only be the result of that experience who due to mutations or regressions is equipped with a scaled member and a rest of a human figure. The canines must be also very developed."
"Your mission," the Marshal said "is to stop the killing and nullify that experiment. You will recognize him also by a burning mark: 39, the number of the experiment. Beware, that person is very powerful, that's why the best were chosen. You. Any question?"
"No!" said Seifer.
"Great. Oh and because the nature of this mission his top secret and dangerous, you are to go home, make a will and then meet in two days in Salt Lake City. I repeat. This mission is top secret what means if anyone asks we deny it. You have the time and the place in those sheets that are being delivered to you. The rest will be said in two days. Get plenty of rest. You'll need it."
Then everybody stood and started to leave the room. Of course they had no questions, they had no conscience of what they would be facing and they weren't very worried. They had faced the death before. Surprised with the mission, the situation, the monster, yes. But not very worried. Soon they would see that they had never, never faced something like this before. Then they would be worried and questioning how would they stay alive.
Zell left mumbling something about 'they make the mistakes and we get to solve them. In the end they receive the glory and we stay undercover.'
Glancing at the paper, Seifer wondered something. "D.Odine," he said. "I don't really understand. After all, if this is your perfect human we have to fight and probably kill, you didn't really made the perfect human, did you? So, why the enthusiasm you showed telling us about him? He is a failure as any other experiment."
"I wasn't that excited, Lieutenant-Colonel. It's just these experiments are like my kids...and this one was lost." D. Odine said as a matter-of-factly. However, this explanation didn't convince nor Seifer nor Kiros. The latter was very suspicious of the doctor, when he saw that Seifer was too, he was even surer that Odine was hiding something. And damn if he wasn't going to find out what.
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I arrived Chicago after lunch. My son was probably in the kindergarten so I stopped in my apartment first. I had only one day to pass with my son. Today was his third birthday and my mother certainly made him a party, so if I wanted to know where that was I better show up to pick him up in the crèche.
The apartment was shining as always. My mother always took care of that. After Colby's mother died two years and half ago, my mother turned to be the only women in my house and so we moved here. That house harbored too many memories of Genevieve for me to continue there. During my training months in the Pacific my mother took care of Colby. She left him in the kindergarten and then went to her life. She was always into benefaction actions for everything. Not that's a bad thing, mind you. She liked to make people happy. During my supposed leave now, she was going on Missionary duty to Africa, what I thought was honorable. Though this was a bad time for me. I would have to find someone to look after Colby, when I went in my top-secret mission. I wanted someone I could trust, but who? Not some babysitter. Maybe one of his friends' house. It was for a week in maximum. The parents shouldn't mind. After all I would pay his expenses.
I entered in my room as impeccable as always with that huge bed where I hardly slept even when staying in my apartment. I always slept with my son in his bed in his room.
I took a shower and unpacked putting the dirty clothes in the laundry basket; my housekeeper would take care of that later. I dressed in dark jeans and a wine-colored sweatshirt with a single dark blue stripe. I grabbed my wallet, my Jeep keys and locked the door. I had a present to buy and a kid and a mother to pick.
I arrived at my son's kindergarten 'Sunflowers' ten minutes before they close. I parked my green Jeep near the café-arcade in front of the kindergarten the other side of the street. I could see inside it various students, probably from the High School beside 'Sunflowers'. One of them grabbed my attention for the sheer beauty of his features. A brunet with no more than seventeen years old, drinking some orange juice and eating a toast. He was with another dark haired boy. I decided I could use some coffee myself and entered the place.
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Seifer entered the café when the brunets he had seen were leaving. He sat down a bit disappointed and ordered a black coffee. The two boys passed the zebra crossing and stopped in front of the 'Sunflowers' probably waiting for some kid. A few seconds later the kids started to flow from the gates of the kindergarten to their waiters' arms. Only a little blond stood in front of the zebra crossing, looked to the beacons, looked at the both sides and stated walking through it alone, with his bag in back. Spotting him, his father paid the coffee and was leaving the café...
"LOOK OUT!"
It was then Seifer saw a red sports car running through the street towards his kid in the zebra crossing. The car braked but was running too fast and no way could he stop in time to not hit the kid. All happened too fast. A boy ran towards the kid who was frozen in place, grabbed him and jumped to the sidewalk with the little blond in his arms, not being hit by the car by mere milliseconds.
Seifer ran to the boy crouched on the sidewalk while everybody applauded the boy's action. A police officer also ran to him trying to disperse the crowd forming while fuming because the car had ran away and he hadn't been able to see the plate number.
The kid was crying in the boy's arms while the brunet tried to talk to him.
"It's okay now. Say, what's your name?" the boy looked at the beautiful blue eyes of the stranger with his huge brown ones and stammered.
"C.c.coby." It was then the boy saw a man who was the replica of the kid only his eyes were jade, crouching beside them.
"Colby! Are you okay, little one?" The child looked at the man and jumped to his open arms.
"Daddy!!" he squealed happily. Grabbing his father's neck he smiled at the man, the incident already forgotten. "Yo'e back!" The brunet smiled dusting his clothes, seeing an old women reach the man and kid, hugging and kissing them both. The officer turned to them apologizing for not getting the plate number so they could be indemnified.
"Excuse me? I saw it." Said the brunet. Seifer looked for the first time to the boy's features. He almost laughed. It was the boy that picked his attention minutes before in the café.
"Really?" asked the officer. "Then please come with me." Seifer stood sitting inside the café while the employee gave a glass of milk to Colby, waiting for the officer to release the boy. Meanwhile his mother looked at him with old, wise jade eyes. Her son was looking good now. Handsome as before his wife's death. He had passed through some rough times in the past, but now finally he had left that past and was starting to enjoy life again. She smiled. After two years and a half she was finally starting to see the happy Seifer she always knew. And that Seifer was staring strangely to the boy who had saved his son's life. She always knew his son wasn't exactly straight and that didn't shame her not even a little. Seifer was a perfect son, a perfect father and had an amazing career in the army. She was very proud of him. He was a respectful man. And even if he weren't, she would never condemn him for his sexual preferences. She hated every kind of discrimination. So she said.
"Besides brave and correct, the boy is also very beautiful, isn't he? You always preferred brunets and brunettes, anyway."
Seifer smiled admonishing "Mom... it isn't what you're thinking. You think I'm a pedophile? The boy's a teen."
An eyebrow rose and a smirk appeared in Ruth's face. "Oh! Really? I don't think he's much younger than eighteen." Looking sideways to his mother Seifer spoke at his son. "Say Colby, why don't you go ask the nice boy if he wants to eat an ice cream with you."
"A weally big one?" Colby said opening his little arms as far as they went.
"Yeah! A biggggggg one!!" Colby giggled and went jumping to the boy who was now talking to his friend. They were preparing to leave with another kid at their feet. Colby stepped behind the boy and grabbing the boy's sleeve started pulling, talking to him. The two students started laughing.
While seeing the scene through the glass of the window, Seifer smiled and then turning to his mother became suddenly serious.
"When are you going?" he asked.
"Tomorrow morning." His mother answered.
"I'm going on a mission tomorrow afternoon." He turned to the window again not wanting to see her face. He already knew what she was going to say. But she didn't say anything.
"It should only take a few days. You don't have to cancel your trip. I'll arrange someone to take care of the apartment and Colby."
"I understand. As always is top secret isn't it?" His mother asked. Seifer smiled and nodded.
"Have you made your will already?" she asked. Seifer smiled again. "He's done since the last time. It's in the bank." She patted his head. "I know."
"So what do you pretend to give to the boy being dragged by your son?" she changed the subject. She didn't like this kind of missions and he knew it, but it was his job and she would have to deal with it. She even managed to smile at the brunet who was being dragged by the sleeve by Colby, with his suitcase in the other hand. The other boy was already gone. Seifer chuckled shaking his head and answered while the boy grabbed Colby so he could see the flavors.
"Whatever he wants. They seem to like each other."
"Yes, the boy's very nice and that's why he won't take your offer. How much do you want to bet?" she said.
Meanwhile the boy and Colby were walking towards them, Colby with an ice cream almost as big as his face and the brunet smiling with a little one. They were both lapping at them happily.
The boy sat at their table uncomfortably and the kid jumped to his father's lap almost letting the ice cream fall to the floor or all over him.
"I'm Ruth, this is my son Seifer and my grandson Colby. And you?"
"I'm Squall. I study in that High School." The boy answered.
"Pleasure Squall. I wanted to thank you for what you did today. You saved my son's life. Ask whatever you want. Money, objects, cars... Anything." Seifer said opening his wallet. Squall's eyes grew wide and he said firmly.
"No, mister. Please. You would do the same if in my situation. I don't want anything." Seifer looked at him in the eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mr. Seifer and if you continue I'm afraid I'll leave." Squall said grabbing his suitcase and standing from the chair.
"No, no, please stay... I didn't mean to offend you."
"Told you Seifer." Ruth said. "Say, Squall. How about a job? Could you use some extra cash? I don't know. Young people are always trying to get some to afford that computer they want to buy or that hi-fi, those kind of things. We could give you a few days' job. What do you say?" She asked.
Squall looked suspiciously to them. "Doing what?" Seifer smiled.
"Good idea mom. Well. My mother here is going on a trip and I have to be absent for a few days, a week, something like that." Colby interrupted Seifer.
"Yo'e goin' away again?" he said pouting. "Its just a few days, sweetie. After that I'll stay with you for many, many months okay?" Colby continued sulking lapping at his ice cream at the same time.
"Anyway," Seifer continued, "we don't have anyone to take care of Colby. We were going to get a babysitter and you could do the job. That way I could pay you and you could buy whatever you want or save for College, you choose. You just have to take him to school in the morning and take him with you after school to your house. I'll pay any expenses." Seifer said hoping the boy would accept. He would kill two rabbits with one shoot. Get a babysitter and pay the boy. Of course he would pay more for the job than he would to any other babysitter, but the boy didn't need to know that.
Squall, however, looked suddenly sad. "I'm afraid I can't, Mr. Seifer." Seifer almost snorted. The boy was stubborn. Ruth smiled at her son and then at Squall. "Why not? Colby loves you and he's very picky with babysitters." Colby grinned at Squall, nodding enthusiastically.
"I can't because I'm an orphan. I don't have a home, myself. I'm sorry." Squall said smiling sadly.
Ruth was almost crying. Seifer almost laughed. "That's not a problem. You could live in my apartment and take care of it for me, while I'm gone. My housekeeper's a little clumsy, you know? I trust in you."
"I don't know. It's too much of a responsibility. I'm a complete stranger to you..." The boy said looked at the kid's expectative face.
"Come on. I trust you. After all you saved my son's life endangering your own, didn't you? There's no better proof to me. " Seifer claimed. The boy seemed honest enough and if he didn't have a house of his own he would be having a prince's life for a while in that apartment. He had a feeling that that boy was precious and he could trust him. He would leave on that mission knowing his son was in good hands.
"Pease 'quall, I don wanna nobody else." Colby helped looking at Squall with puppy dog eyes. "See. I'm a desperate father here!" Seifer said with a charming smile. Squall looked at both and at Ruth who was also smiling and said embarrassed. "...okay. When do I start?"
"Yupiiiiii!! Hi hi hi!" Colby said jumping to Squall's lap.
End of chapter 2
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tbc
A/N: (1)- Sounds easy, no?! Squall is OOC but then again I had to make him a sweet boy. His other self will come up later in the story. About Seifer being OOC, let's say he passed through a lot in his life and is more mature then in the game, being also older and all.
A/N 2: To my reviewers:
First, sorry the late posting. I was going to do it on Tuesday but then I would only post the part of the reunion and I thought you probably would like to meet Squall so I delayed it a little bit to add that part. Besides I had to change it to R. Not that had much changing now, because I hadn't got to that part yet.
Anyhow, answering your questions (see if I can have this story make sense ;p ). Seifer is a 'normal' human aged 25 or something like it. He has all those skills because he's like a special agent. Squall is really number 39 and was kidnapped seventeen years ago in 2010. But now in 2026 a new experiment escaped, the number 38. And 38 is more dangerous for two reasons that you'll find out in the next chapter. Any questions just ask and I'll be glad to answer them.
Now to all of you: Bloodstained Tears, Redrum, MistressCorruption, leia3000, Squall-sama, GG and Jo. I'm so happy you like my story. Thank you all for your reviews. Love ya. I'll do my best. Promise.
Special thanks to Redrum, Jo and GG for the support with my other fic, because I love that story but only you people review it and I was a bit sad. Thanks for cheering me up.
Azure
Warnings: Yaoi (m/m relationships) rated R however if you want the original story tell me and I'll e-mail it to you.
Summary: 2nd chapter up (yaoi: SxS). In a near future, scientists made experiments to genetically modify humans for military proposes, but the only succeeded experiment, the number 39 disappeared mysteriously. Special Military forces are to find that perfect human.
Number 39: The perfect human.
By Azure Knight
Chapter 2
"This better be a catastrophe, General Caraway. I'm on leave in one day and I don't want to miss my son's third birthday. I've been on training for the last five months without going home or see my kid. I suppose you understand my motives, don't you, sir?" Seifer, Raijin and Fujin had been the first to arrive to the top-secret encounter because of that mysterious mission. And Seifer wasn't a little bit happy with this sudden calling. He knew he was one of the best pilots of the Air Force, but this was his sons' birthday and he wasn't about to break his promise to the kid. He'll be there tomorrow no matter what.
"I'm afraid it is Lieutenant-colonel Seifer Almasy, though I clearly understand your motives. A son is a son." It hadn't been the General giving the answer. The person who did was behind him. When he turned around he was in the least surprised with the man.
"Mister President?!" He said. Immediately after recognition, the three saluted. The president did the same and Raijin affirmed.
"It's a honor to meet you, Mr. President, ya know?"
"Yes. The pleasure is mutual, Lieutenant. I've heard many good things about you and your team, Lieutenant-colonel Almasy. Your references are very, very good. I'm afraid you're perfect for this mission and irreplaceable. But let's wait for the others. They won't be long."
A few minutes passed and Seifer questioned himself about the type of mission to have the president himself into it. He wondered even more when he saw the type of people he was working with when they arrived. The first was Quistis Trepe. He knew her because she was well known inside the secret services and he had worked with her in his last mission there before giving up and joining solely the Air force. She also recognized him because she complimented him. After Quistis a short girl with flipped brown hair entered smiling and giggling. She had the NASA insignia in her suitcase that probably contained some kind of electronic staff in it. Possibly a computer. The only thing he didn't understand was how a schoolgirl with a sailor suit could be helpful in such an important mission. He saw that Fujin had the same suspicion. He was even more bewildered, however, when he saw the bouncing teenager following her. A complete punk. A Texas Ranger followed and sat in the middle of Quistis and Selphie what made the latter giggle even more. A little more time and he would start asking for phone numbers. However, when two doctors of some sort entered and the Marshal with the president started speaking the cowboy's attention focused solely in the mission. The others followed his example.
"Okay. First let's introduce you all" said Marshal Kiros "These," he said motioning to the doctors, "are Doctor Odine and his assistant Mathias Daniels. They are the actual responsible for the SeeD project and they will answer the questions about anything related to it."
And immediately after the Marshal said that, Seifer knew he wouldn't like the mission a bit, especially because he didn't like D. Odine one bit, too. He had a feeling about that man that he didn't like at all. And trusting in his instincts had already saved his life in more than one occasion.
But the Marshal continued, motioning to the spiky blond to get up. "Zell Dincht, L.A. Police. We count on your skills, Sergeant Dincht." The blond nodded and sat down again. Quistis got up. "Quistis Trepe, Secret Services. We're also counting on you." She sat and the cowboy stood. "Ranger Irvine Kinneas from Texas. Please don't mess too much with our girls, okay?" "Can't promise anything, Marshal." He answered. The boys smirked, Quistis snorted and Selphie giggled once more. Then she stood too and Irvine took the time to appreciate her backside so obviously that Quistis glared at him. He shrugged. "Selphie Tilmit, NASA. You brought your suitcase I see. Probably it will be helpful to locate him." It was now time for Raijin's and Fujin's presentation. "Lieutenant Raijin and Captain Fujin. Air Force. You two will be the ones responsible for the transports. Take care. They're not free." 'Which means,' Seifer thought 'that I'm doing field stuff. They don't want me for my recent job; they want me for my years in the Secret Services. Big fish. Really big fish, here.'
"And finally your leader Lieutenant-colonel Seifer Almasy. Please try to make this a team, okay?" Seifer smirked "I'll do my best but I'm not exactly capable of miracles. Just to warn you." Quistis, Raijin and Fujin smiled. They knew him too well. "About the mission, Marshal..." Seifer asked now serious. He wanted this whole thing finished as fast as possible.
"Right. This will be a little confusing, so please pay attention. Please D. Odine."
"Thank you Marshal Kiros. Let's see. Twenty years ago a project was made with military proposes which had as main objective to create the ultimate human. A perfect one. You certainly know that the human race isn't the strongest or the fastest or the most dangerous in physical matters. As you also know humans are capable of logic and subjective reasoning, however this intelligence is passive of errors, what doesn't happen in machines. But as you also know machines have to be programmed and don't have initiative of their own. In a foreign situation, a situation not programmed, machines react according to certain standards, and sometimes not exactly the indicate ones. They don't have intuition or creativity. Now, picture a human with the strength and speed of the most strong and quick animals, able to have intuition, creativity and electronic intelligence. A person who can't be wrong and with an unlimited memory able to retain knowledge of absolutely everything, with capabilities of learn things in seconds. For example, imagine that a person enters a F18. Someone who doesn't have a clue how to operate it wouldn't know what to do. Not this human. This human in two minutes was capable of flying it as your best pilot if he was taught. Alone, it would take more time, but he would do it none less. Everyone following me?!"
Everyone nodded gaping at the doctor, besides Laguna, Kiros and Caraway who already knew the story.
"Good. The project is possible. Or better was. With genetic. It only takes right combinations of genes. We take a gene of strength of a bear, for example, and then we add it to the DNA of the human zygote. Then it's as simple as making an artificial insemination. We put the zygote back in the mother's uterus and the baby develops as a normal mammal. He is born and then we have a normal little baby. (1) But because the genes were badly chosen most of the times the humans weren't exactly...well... humans. They were... mutants."
"Until seventeen years ago when the combination of genes was perfect, a perfect boy was born. I did the perfect human. However, the baby was stolen. The search was unfruitful and we lost the child's track. When that happened, the funds to my laboratory, to this project, SeeD, were cut and I couldn't continue my experiments. Also my assistant of the time, the supposed mother of the child died a few months after the boy was born with a disease brought by some replacing genes of the baby. She burned my notes of that experience too. Raine, her name, was probably the responsible for the disappearance of the boy."
"He was stolen?" Zell asked.
"Yes, Sergeant. Anyway, she had a boyfriend and supposedly he was the one who took 'their son', but I didn't know whom he was. I only wanted the fecundated ovule. The genes would be exchanged anyway. No need to know who the father was."
"Yes. And what has that whole story to do with us?" Seifer asked.
"Well. A few days ago a village was destroyed and the inhabitants killed as to feed something. According to my analysis, the way it was done, it could only be the result of that experience who due to mutations or regressions is equipped with a scaled member and a rest of a human figure. The canines must be also very developed."
"Your mission," the Marshal said "is to stop the killing and nullify that experiment. You will recognize him also by a burning mark: 39, the number of the experiment. Beware, that person is very powerful, that's why the best were chosen. You. Any question?"
"No!" said Seifer.
"Great. Oh and because the nature of this mission his top secret and dangerous, you are to go home, make a will and then meet in two days in Salt Lake City. I repeat. This mission is top secret what means if anyone asks we deny it. You have the time and the place in those sheets that are being delivered to you. The rest will be said in two days. Get plenty of rest. You'll need it."
Then everybody stood and started to leave the room. Of course they had no questions, they had no conscience of what they would be facing and they weren't very worried. They had faced the death before. Surprised with the mission, the situation, the monster, yes. But not very worried. Soon they would see that they had never, never faced something like this before. Then they would be worried and questioning how would they stay alive.
Zell left mumbling something about 'they make the mistakes and we get to solve them. In the end they receive the glory and we stay undercover.'
Glancing at the paper, Seifer wondered something. "D.Odine," he said. "I don't really understand. After all, if this is your perfect human we have to fight and probably kill, you didn't really made the perfect human, did you? So, why the enthusiasm you showed telling us about him? He is a failure as any other experiment."
"I wasn't that excited, Lieutenant-Colonel. It's just these experiments are like my kids...and this one was lost." D. Odine said as a matter-of-factly. However, this explanation didn't convince nor Seifer nor Kiros. The latter was very suspicious of the doctor, when he saw that Seifer was too, he was even surer that Odine was hiding something. And damn if he wasn't going to find out what.
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I arrived Chicago after lunch. My son was probably in the kindergarten so I stopped in my apartment first. I had only one day to pass with my son. Today was his third birthday and my mother certainly made him a party, so if I wanted to know where that was I better show up to pick him up in the crèche.
The apartment was shining as always. My mother always took care of that. After Colby's mother died two years and half ago, my mother turned to be the only women in my house and so we moved here. That house harbored too many memories of Genevieve for me to continue there. During my training months in the Pacific my mother took care of Colby. She left him in the kindergarten and then went to her life. She was always into benefaction actions for everything. Not that's a bad thing, mind you. She liked to make people happy. During my supposed leave now, she was going on Missionary duty to Africa, what I thought was honorable. Though this was a bad time for me. I would have to find someone to look after Colby, when I went in my top-secret mission. I wanted someone I could trust, but who? Not some babysitter. Maybe one of his friends' house. It was for a week in maximum. The parents shouldn't mind. After all I would pay his expenses.
I entered in my room as impeccable as always with that huge bed where I hardly slept even when staying in my apartment. I always slept with my son in his bed in his room.
I took a shower and unpacked putting the dirty clothes in the laundry basket; my housekeeper would take care of that later. I dressed in dark jeans and a wine-colored sweatshirt with a single dark blue stripe. I grabbed my wallet, my Jeep keys and locked the door. I had a present to buy and a kid and a mother to pick.
I arrived at my son's kindergarten 'Sunflowers' ten minutes before they close. I parked my green Jeep near the café-arcade in front of the kindergarten the other side of the street. I could see inside it various students, probably from the High School beside 'Sunflowers'. One of them grabbed my attention for the sheer beauty of his features. A brunet with no more than seventeen years old, drinking some orange juice and eating a toast. He was with another dark haired boy. I decided I could use some coffee myself and entered the place.
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Seifer entered the café when the brunets he had seen were leaving. He sat down a bit disappointed and ordered a black coffee. The two boys passed the zebra crossing and stopped in front of the 'Sunflowers' probably waiting for some kid. A few seconds later the kids started to flow from the gates of the kindergarten to their waiters' arms. Only a little blond stood in front of the zebra crossing, looked to the beacons, looked at the both sides and stated walking through it alone, with his bag in back. Spotting him, his father paid the coffee and was leaving the café...
"LOOK OUT!"
It was then Seifer saw a red sports car running through the street towards his kid in the zebra crossing. The car braked but was running too fast and no way could he stop in time to not hit the kid. All happened too fast. A boy ran towards the kid who was frozen in place, grabbed him and jumped to the sidewalk with the little blond in his arms, not being hit by the car by mere milliseconds.
Seifer ran to the boy crouched on the sidewalk while everybody applauded the boy's action. A police officer also ran to him trying to disperse the crowd forming while fuming because the car had ran away and he hadn't been able to see the plate number.
The kid was crying in the boy's arms while the brunet tried to talk to him.
"It's okay now. Say, what's your name?" the boy looked at the beautiful blue eyes of the stranger with his huge brown ones and stammered.
"C.c.coby." It was then the boy saw a man who was the replica of the kid only his eyes were jade, crouching beside them.
"Colby! Are you okay, little one?" The child looked at the man and jumped to his open arms.
"Daddy!!" he squealed happily. Grabbing his father's neck he smiled at the man, the incident already forgotten. "Yo'e back!" The brunet smiled dusting his clothes, seeing an old women reach the man and kid, hugging and kissing them both. The officer turned to them apologizing for not getting the plate number so they could be indemnified.
"Excuse me? I saw it." Said the brunet. Seifer looked for the first time to the boy's features. He almost laughed. It was the boy that picked his attention minutes before in the café.
"Really?" asked the officer. "Then please come with me." Seifer stood sitting inside the café while the employee gave a glass of milk to Colby, waiting for the officer to release the boy. Meanwhile his mother looked at him with old, wise jade eyes. Her son was looking good now. Handsome as before his wife's death. He had passed through some rough times in the past, but now finally he had left that past and was starting to enjoy life again. She smiled. After two years and a half she was finally starting to see the happy Seifer she always knew. And that Seifer was staring strangely to the boy who had saved his son's life. She always knew his son wasn't exactly straight and that didn't shame her not even a little. Seifer was a perfect son, a perfect father and had an amazing career in the army. She was very proud of him. He was a respectful man. And even if he weren't, she would never condemn him for his sexual preferences. She hated every kind of discrimination. So she said.
"Besides brave and correct, the boy is also very beautiful, isn't he? You always preferred brunets and brunettes, anyway."
Seifer smiled admonishing "Mom... it isn't what you're thinking. You think I'm a pedophile? The boy's a teen."
An eyebrow rose and a smirk appeared in Ruth's face. "Oh! Really? I don't think he's much younger than eighteen." Looking sideways to his mother Seifer spoke at his son. "Say Colby, why don't you go ask the nice boy if he wants to eat an ice cream with you."
"A weally big one?" Colby said opening his little arms as far as they went.
"Yeah! A biggggggg one!!" Colby giggled and went jumping to the boy who was now talking to his friend. They were preparing to leave with another kid at their feet. Colby stepped behind the boy and grabbing the boy's sleeve started pulling, talking to him. The two students started laughing.
While seeing the scene through the glass of the window, Seifer smiled and then turning to his mother became suddenly serious.
"When are you going?" he asked.
"Tomorrow morning." His mother answered.
"I'm going on a mission tomorrow afternoon." He turned to the window again not wanting to see her face. He already knew what she was going to say. But she didn't say anything.
"It should only take a few days. You don't have to cancel your trip. I'll arrange someone to take care of the apartment and Colby."
"I understand. As always is top secret isn't it?" His mother asked. Seifer smiled and nodded.
"Have you made your will already?" she asked. Seifer smiled again. "He's done since the last time. It's in the bank." She patted his head. "I know."
"So what do you pretend to give to the boy being dragged by your son?" she changed the subject. She didn't like this kind of missions and he knew it, but it was his job and she would have to deal with it. She even managed to smile at the brunet who was being dragged by the sleeve by Colby, with his suitcase in the other hand. The other boy was already gone. Seifer chuckled shaking his head and answered while the boy grabbed Colby so he could see the flavors.
"Whatever he wants. They seem to like each other."
"Yes, the boy's very nice and that's why he won't take your offer. How much do you want to bet?" she said.
Meanwhile the boy and Colby were walking towards them, Colby with an ice cream almost as big as his face and the brunet smiling with a little one. They were both lapping at them happily.
The boy sat at their table uncomfortably and the kid jumped to his father's lap almost letting the ice cream fall to the floor or all over him.
"I'm Ruth, this is my son Seifer and my grandson Colby. And you?"
"I'm Squall. I study in that High School." The boy answered.
"Pleasure Squall. I wanted to thank you for what you did today. You saved my son's life. Ask whatever you want. Money, objects, cars... Anything." Seifer said opening his wallet. Squall's eyes grew wide and he said firmly.
"No, mister. Please. You would do the same if in my situation. I don't want anything." Seifer looked at him in the eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mr. Seifer and if you continue I'm afraid I'll leave." Squall said grabbing his suitcase and standing from the chair.
"No, no, please stay... I didn't mean to offend you."
"Told you Seifer." Ruth said. "Say, Squall. How about a job? Could you use some extra cash? I don't know. Young people are always trying to get some to afford that computer they want to buy or that hi-fi, those kind of things. We could give you a few days' job. What do you say?" She asked.
Squall looked suspiciously to them. "Doing what?" Seifer smiled.
"Good idea mom. Well. My mother here is going on a trip and I have to be absent for a few days, a week, something like that." Colby interrupted Seifer.
"Yo'e goin' away again?" he said pouting. "Its just a few days, sweetie. After that I'll stay with you for many, many months okay?" Colby continued sulking lapping at his ice cream at the same time.
"Anyway," Seifer continued, "we don't have anyone to take care of Colby. We were going to get a babysitter and you could do the job. That way I could pay you and you could buy whatever you want or save for College, you choose. You just have to take him to school in the morning and take him with you after school to your house. I'll pay any expenses." Seifer said hoping the boy would accept. He would kill two rabbits with one shoot. Get a babysitter and pay the boy. Of course he would pay more for the job than he would to any other babysitter, but the boy didn't need to know that.
Squall, however, looked suddenly sad. "I'm afraid I can't, Mr. Seifer." Seifer almost snorted. The boy was stubborn. Ruth smiled at her son and then at Squall. "Why not? Colby loves you and he's very picky with babysitters." Colby grinned at Squall, nodding enthusiastically.
"I can't because I'm an orphan. I don't have a home, myself. I'm sorry." Squall said smiling sadly.
Ruth was almost crying. Seifer almost laughed. "That's not a problem. You could live in my apartment and take care of it for me, while I'm gone. My housekeeper's a little clumsy, you know? I trust in you."
"I don't know. It's too much of a responsibility. I'm a complete stranger to you..." The boy said looked at the kid's expectative face.
"Come on. I trust you. After all you saved my son's life endangering your own, didn't you? There's no better proof to me. " Seifer claimed. The boy seemed honest enough and if he didn't have a house of his own he would be having a prince's life for a while in that apartment. He had a feeling that that boy was precious and he could trust him. He would leave on that mission knowing his son was in good hands.
"Pease 'quall, I don wanna nobody else." Colby helped looking at Squall with puppy dog eyes. "See. I'm a desperate father here!" Seifer said with a charming smile. Squall looked at both and at Ruth who was also smiling and said embarrassed. "...okay. When do I start?"
"Yupiiiiii!! Hi hi hi!" Colby said jumping to Squall's lap.
End of chapter 2
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tbc
A/N: (1)- Sounds easy, no?! Squall is OOC but then again I had to make him a sweet boy. His other self will come up later in the story. About Seifer being OOC, let's say he passed through a lot in his life and is more mature then in the game, being also older and all.
A/N 2: To my reviewers:
First, sorry the late posting. I was going to do it on Tuesday but then I would only post the part of the reunion and I thought you probably would like to meet Squall so I delayed it a little bit to add that part. Besides I had to change it to R. Not that had much changing now, because I hadn't got to that part yet.
Anyhow, answering your questions (see if I can have this story make sense ;p ). Seifer is a 'normal' human aged 25 or something like it. He has all those skills because he's like a special agent. Squall is really number 39 and was kidnapped seventeen years ago in 2010. But now in 2026 a new experiment escaped, the number 38. And 38 is more dangerous for two reasons that you'll find out in the next chapter. Any questions just ask and I'll be glad to answer them.
Now to all of you: Bloodstained Tears, Redrum, MistressCorruption, leia3000, Squall-sama, GG and Jo. I'm so happy you like my story. Thank you all for your reviews. Love ya. I'll do my best. Promise.
Special thanks to Redrum, Jo and GG for the support with my other fic, because I love that story but only you people review it and I was a bit sad. Thanks for cheering me up.
Azure