Chapter Two

No one really cared as to what the SHADOW Shin-Ra got up to anymore, as long as it wasn't near their backyards. They were happy for the experiments and murders to carry on.

Louisa felt sick to her stomach every time she heard the screams coming from the lab she worked in. She couldn't block out the sounds or the horrid sickly smell that was always lingering in the lab.

Today, it was her job to feed the latest project and she could swear on her life that it actually knew what was happening to it. It's red eyes would look at her when she was doing something else and when she turned round, it would touch the glass panelling of it's enclosure. It wanted to get out, it understood what freedom meant to those who had it and it wanted it.

Louisa refused to make eye contact with the winged creature. Last time she did, she felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. It's eyes, they looked so human. Filled with pain and hurt.

It wore a collar like the rest of the animal experiments in the lab, in case it got out of control and went wild but it was always strangely passive and cooperative to the evil ways of the scientists. The collar sent pain to the animal and could kill it if the order was given. The winged beast had seen some of it's fellow creatures die because of it. It would crawl to the back of it's cell whenever one of the lead scientists would enter the room and stare hatefully at the man.

Today was just like any other day for the poor creature stuck in the cell. It wasn't today that the beast would earn it's freedom, it just needed to wait a few days longer.

The beast was acting strangely today. It sat in the corner, it's wings wrapped around it's powerful lithe frame and it looked as though it was talking or listening very intently at or to something.

"How long has it been like that for?" Louisa pointed to the greyish purple beast.

A male tech looked to where she was pointing and shrugged, "I dunno. About a couple of hours."

"Why?" she asked, she pulled a clipboard off the table and headed for a closer look.

"Maybe it likes you?" the tech joked.

Louisa's attention had been lost to the beast, it's thin lips were moving and it looked to be chanting something over and over again. Whatever it was doing, it had the beast full attention, it's meal sat untouched and still moving in the opposite corner. The lamb bleated meekly, scared of it's new cell mate.

"Turn up the mike will you? I wanna hear what it's saying," the young female doctor ordered.

The male tech shrugged and told as he was told. He wasn't that interested in the beast but he had to admit, when one started to talk or tried to, that was always something of interest.

"He's coming, he's coming, he's coming, he's coming," the beast hissed over and over.

Louisa frowned, she had always assumed that the beast was incapable of speech but here it was. Hissing away to something or someone. But who was the He it spoke of?

The doctor decided to go out on a limb, it might understand her or it might not.

"Excuse me…"

God I feel so stupid. It won't understand me, Louisa knelt down in front of the glass cell, trying to catch it's attention. She placed a delicately manicured hand on the glass and sighed sadly. It was so cold, she noticed for the first time that she could she the beast's breath in it's cell.

The beast stopped chanting and looked at her. Slowly, it unravelled it's wings so it could move but it still looked cramped in the small cell. It's head would probably go straight through the top of the cell if it had a chance to stand up.

"Hi," Louisa smiled weakly and raised her hand as a weak form of a greeting.

The beast crawled to where she was kneeling and outstretched a clawed hand. Louisa gasped as she saw the claw, scars ran down the dark skin and some of the claws were missing. Blood ran from one of the fingertips, the beast must of ripped it off while it struggled against the restraints, the doctor thought sadly.

"Who are you talking to?" Louisa hoped she sounded friendly. She kept her smile steady and kept her own hazel eyes locked onto the beast's red ones.

They look so human, the doctor thought, or is it just me? Trying to justify the reasons for the experiments?

"………he's coming…" the beast hissed, "…..I must be free…"

Her heart leapt into her throat, it could talk. The reports that Professor H. Horton Had given was wrong! If the man had been wrong about the intelligence of the beast, what else was he wrong about?

"Who is coming?" she repeated but excitement tinged her voice. She could barely keep her hand steady as she quickly scribbled down her notes on the beast.

The beast pressed both it's clawed hands on the glass, it's breath making the pane of glass it leant on foggy. It cocked it's head and turned it round partly before returning it's attention to Louisa.

"……Ride the…high…wind…many years…" the beast sounded like it was trying to recall the words. Like it hadn't used them for a long time.

Louisa was about to respond when her attention was taken from her when Professor Horton walked into the lab. The young woman leapt to her feet and ran over to him, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Professor! I've just noticed something about the winged experiment! It can talk!" she rushed out. She pointed to where the winged beast sat, it's red eyes hardened as it spotted Horton. In fact, the beast looked totally peeved at the older professor and rammed the glass cell that contained it.

"I'm sure it can," the professor sniffed and walked to the beast, "What did it say?"

The professor's presence near the beast only angered it more. The drugs that it was usually pumped full of looked like they were failing to sedate the creature. All they were doing to the beast was angering it further. It stopped ramming the glass pen and stood in the centre, breaths coming out in short blasts.

Louisa shook herself out her silence, "It says he's coming and that it wants out."

"Who's coming?" Horton smiled sickly at the beast before tapping the Mako enforced glass.

"He…it wouldn't say," Louisa admitted.

Horton turned away from the beast, "The beast hasn't touched it's meal. Take it away, it won't be getting fed for that little outburst today. Also, prep it for today's tests."

Louisa sighed mentally. He didn't even seem to care about the fact that they may be harming a sentient life form. One capable of thoughts and feelings. She watched as Horton walked out the lab, a trail of junior techs following him. The male tech that was first in looked at her.

"That guy's got it in for the winged one. The pair really don't like each other," he offered her, "I don't really blame the beast either. I'm human and I hate that guy too."

Louisa nodded, "Thanks. What's your name?"

The tech looked like he was caught off guard by the question. Most higher doctors and professors didn't bother with the names of the lower techs. It wasn't the done thing in the new world. The rich kept to them and the poor were always better off not knowing.

"Adrian," he smiled at her and offered his hand.

"……Vincent…" both humans turned to see the winged beast pressed against the cell and looking very intently at the door.

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Well? I know it's a bit of a bad chapter but please, stay with me! It will get better! What do you think so far anyhow? It's not that bad but I think I'm gonna have to be quite original if I want the other guys to spring up. R&R and thanks very much!