Part Six: A Narrow Escape
"Hmm," the scientist paused with his thin hand poised deftly over his new specimen, the rooms skylight letting in a pouring stream of brightness that glinted menacingly off of his ready-to-use needle. The sound of the Highwind's engine was clearly audible, the only question was how the failure would make his entrance. Hojo was so sick of that moron. All he ever did was destroy perfectly fine equipment. "Why now?"
The needle suddenly flew from Hojo's hand and crashed to the floor, shattering glass skidding across the wooden floor in a glimmering shower. Confining his anger, the scientist calmly walked around the mess and proceeded to pick up another identical needle.
"So you're awakening?" he whispered in his threateningly calm tone. "It doesn't matter. The failure won't be in time to save you; all I need is one..." he paused for effect, "little... prick..." Even if groggy, the fear that suddenly washed over his specimen's features was pleasing. But, the scientist reprimanded himself, he didn't have time to waste on pleasure. There were more important things going on now, and he needed to finish them quickly.
"You'll..." the specimen's voice was proud even though the sedative still pulsed strong in his veins. He was struggling to regain control of himself and Hojo knew that with a specimen like this you could never be too careful. "Never... defeat me."
Ignoring the specimen's feeble threat, Hojo momentarily stopped at a contol panel on the wall before proceeding. A few codes on a keyboard and the steady "drip drip drip" of the strong sedative that was being fed into the specimen's blood through a plastic tube quickened. It only took moments before quiet was reinstalled in the laboratory, and Hojo was very thankful. Vivid reminders of the capture sprang to his mind calling a shudder through his form. No, with specimens like this you could never be to careful.
The darkness slowly lifted itself from his eyes as it always had. He could feel the Jenova within him attacking the foreign object within him. The bullet wouldn't last long, such a wound was trivial to him. Already the flesh was pulling together, the Jenova boosting the reproductive rate of his cells so that the healing process was visible even to the naked eye. It came as no surprise, afterall, how many times had he wounded himself to study the healing powers of Jenova? Nothing the Jenova could do would surprise him anymore.
As his senses began to come back to him with their enhanced clarity, Hojo became aware of another presence. Struggling to stand, he urged Jenova to hurry. But upon turning, he saw the last thing he had expected to see.
"Son," he could not help but cackling at the hatred visible in those green eyes. Even now, now that he'd been forced to know the truth, Sephiroth refused to acknowledge his father.
"I have no father," his cold voice was strong and hard, the voice of a warrior who had never known friendship. "But I do have a job for you. Mother is nearly ready. Are the preparations complete?"
Hojo reluctantly nodded. He'd known about the consequences before he'd injected himself with Jenova's cells, but he hated to be led around by the nose.
"Then you have the solution?" Sephiroth's voice was void of emotion. His mind purely on his objective.
"Yes, but what do I get out of this?"
Sephiroth's mouth twisted up in a smirk that sent fingers of ice racing up Hojo's spine. His son was so cold, but that had been the way it had been intended. Sephiroth was the perfect soldier, he was not affected by frivolous emotions like everyone else. "Your life," was the cold reply. "Even that you do not deserve; however, Mother has been greatly pleased with your service. She wishes to reward you."
Hojo waited. A reward from Jenova was as good as a reward form Sephiroth, it most likely would do you as much harm as good. But, he reminded himself, she needed him right now.
"I've arranged for a new piece of flesh for your forsaken laboratory according to her wishes. Besides, the fly was becoming annoying."
Could it be? Perhaps he could yet get Jenova under his thumb, but he still needed to be cautious.
Hojo's suspicions were confirmed as an inhuman roar tore through the air around him. All he had enough time to see was the end of a spell before a circle of light opened and a man hurtled through. Sephiroth's cold mocking laughter lingered behind as he disappeared into the same portal he'd created. He'd taken the liberty to retrieve the precious solution himself and left with only a viscously sarcastic farewell. "Have fun father."
Hojo shook himself to clear his head of the memory. It had taken everything he had and then some to captivate the already weakened creature. But, it had been worth it. This was indeed the same species as the previous boy he'd encountered, only, this one was by far more valuable. He was a purebred. It hadn't taken Hojo long to relocate upon discovering heavy genetic similarities with the Ancient female he'd had the privilege of experimenting with years prior. Here, in icicle, there was more information on the Ancient female's mother, Ifalna, than he'd be able to find in Nibelhiem's library. He had been correct of course, and now his theories were being proved. Or would be if the failure hadn't showed up.
Hastening back to work, he carefully set about the business of injecting this specimen with his favorite substance... Jenova.
"Won't the engines warn someone were here?" Gohan's question was painfully obvious, but still the Highwind's course remained unchanged.
"We don't have a choice kid," Cloud answered unemotionally. "This ship can't handle landing on that ice, and the only field near to the village is too far away. We wouldn't get there in time. What we're gonna have to do is parachute out of here right over the village."
As if to prove the point, Tifa and Aeris entered the room giggling to each other carrying four parachutes.
"We'd better get out there, we're almost over Icicle now," Cloud stated, catching a tossed parachute pack as he motioned for the girls to go back the way they'd come.
Gohan looked dumbly at the parachute that'd been tossed to him. "What do I need this for?"
Tifa paused a moment before answering, "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to having someone who can fly in the party." She smiled weakly as she turned to Aeris and whispered something before the two of them ran out of the room together. Gohan shrugged; there was no use worrying about what'd been said, and followed them out to the Highwind's deck.
The hissing of the wind in his ears reminded Gohan of home as he leaned over the railing. There was no ground below them right now, just pure beautiful ocean, but in the distance he could see a gray cliff fast approaching.
"This is it guys," Cloud said thoughtfully. "Everyone equipped? This time we can't let Hojo get away, we need information from him." The girls nodded, checking the various marbles in their weapons.
What was that? Gohan paused a moment to ponder. "Equipped," Cloud had said. That probably meant battle. So, those stones had something to do with battle. Gohan's thoughts raced. These people had been surprised to see him fire a Masenko at that monster back at the beach; they'd called it magic, and they'd also said you needed something called "materia" for magic, so, could those stones be materia? Gohan wondered how those stones worked. Although they were of various sizes and colors, Gohan noticed a few patterns. Aeris was the only one with a white stone for one, and Cloud's stones all seemed to be larger than everyone else's. Also, Cloud's stones were mainly red, while Tifa's were mainly yellow, and Aeris's were mainly green. Did that mean something? Gohan didn't have time to think about it though, because the trip was over. A small, drab-looking village was in sight.
"Everyone ready?" Cloud asked, pulling himself up over the Highwind's railing. "Come over here kid, we need to jump from here or we'll get chopped to pieces by the propellers," Cloud said, motioning Gohan to his side. With their own nods, Aeris and Tifa climbed up next to Cloud and one by one they all dropped from the side of the airship like deadweights racing toward the Planet.
Hojo looked one last time at his precious specimen. It wasn't fair that he had had so little time to test things with this one. Longing filled him, and he was tempted to stay, but he knew he couldn't. That boy would most likely be with the failure, and there would be no way he could fight one of that species in its full power. He definitely needed to escape now. His business was done here; the golden blond hair of his subject had been the last thing he'd needed. His theory was proved. These species were the piece of the puzzle he'd been missing, the missing pieced that had caused him to miss calculate two years seven years ago and proclaim the failure a failure... What had he called himself now? Cloud? It didn't matter, behind the multitude of failed Sephiroth clones was a mistake that wouldn't be repeated. Not now. Now he had the missing piece to his puzzle.
Feeling his body contort in pain, Hojo transformed into the powerful monster his Jenova cells had made of him. Lashing the long, white, snake-like tail of his greatest Jenova form powerfully back and forth, he floated into the air and peered out the sky window. He could easily see the failure parachuting down; it would be too late for him to escape by the front door. But there were no other doors. Angry that he might not escape, he let his mind race. There was nothing left for him in this lab, but he needed to return to Nibelhiem, there was something of immense value there. He needed to get the carefully documented formula he'd left there in his haste to start new experiments. He needed the formula for the solution that Sephiroth had taken; it was the culmination of everything he'd ever discovered, and he couldn't afford to lose it... Then, an idea came to his calculating mind.
Careful not to scream with pain, Hojo began another transformation. He concentrated all of his energy into regressing to his next form. It didn't matter that it was less powerful, or that it was Planet-bound without the freedom to fly like his superior form. This needed to work. He needed to stop the transformation halfway through. If he could accomplish that, he would yet be able to escape. Between forms, his body was weakened, but that didn't matter either, because between forms, his changing cells no longer reflected or absorbed light. Light simply passed through them. In effect, he was invisible.
Hojo couldn't suppress one last screech of pain as he halted his transformation and fell helplessly to the floor. He was almost free. All that was left was to clear the premises before someone literally stumbled onto him. Being invisible wouldn't do him any good if he blew his cover by being tripped over. But none of these thoughts or ambitions helped to return his strength to him. He was powerful yes, but when he transformed the source of that power, his Jenova cells, were the ones that were wearied. It was the only weakness that he'd ever found besides becoming a slave the queen, to Jenova herself.
Putting all of his effort into motion, Hojo crept inch by inch into the deep recesses of the house below the laboratory. If he were lucky, the people wouldn't stay long, and he could remain undiscovered. But, still, all he could do was hope, a thing he was not accustomed to.
Suddenly, the door burst open in a fury of flaming splinters. All the locks in the world couldn't have protected that door from the Flare spell that had shattered it like fragile ceramic. The thundering of boots on the floor boards above Hojo's head announced the arrival of the failure, and Hojo was tempted to hold his breath as silence descended like a deadly predator.
"He's not here," came a voice that Hojo recognized as the Ancient female. "I don't know about you Gohan, but I can't sense his spirit here at all."
Up above, Gohan shook his head in frustration. "No, he's not, but he was a moment ago! I know I felt him here when we were coming down!"
Aeris agreed solemnly.
Tifa let out a sigh of exhaustion, "It looks like he got away, again."
Meanwhile, Hojo's head was spinning. So many theories proved in so little time, this was truly exciting! So the boy specimen did have the powers that he'd hypothesized. And, the Ancient had been able to learn them... Things were all coming together very nicely. But, how had they not sensed him? Could it be that in his various transformed states his energy changed, and so, in the medium that he was keeping himself, he had an energy that was truly foreign to himself? Hojo's thoughts were interrupted by a shout from the boy, and he quickly decided his thoughts were questions to answer some other time. Making a mental note to himself to test the ideas at a later date, he strained to listen to what was happening.
"V... Vegeta?!" Gohan's voice came out strangled. "You guys, we have to get him out of this!"
Great, there goes the equipment, Hojo thought annoyed. It was almost spared... Well, no use in complaining. At least he would get out of here without being detected and detained by these fools.
"What... what is happening?" Vegeta's voice was weak, but it was obvious that he was steadily gaining strength. Apparently, the sedative had been one that wasn't intended to be used long term. "Where am I?"
"Icicle Village," Aeris offered helpfully. The new guest didn't seem to appreciate the gesture.
"Fool woman, leave me alone!" he shouted, gaining enough strength to tear himself free of the confinement that remained.
Eyes filling up with tears, Aeris turned and ran from the lab. Slapping Vegeta with an angry scowl, Tifa hurried after Aeris concerned for her friend. Cloud, standing unemotionally, took in Vegeta with cold eyes.
"Who do you think you are?" he whispered with a SOLDIER-like face of stone. "You're coming with us."
"You will not proceed to tell me what I will and will not do," Vegeta snapped haughtily. "I am the prince of the Saijins!"
"Well, I'm ex-SOLDIER," Cloud returned, his voice making the Great Glacier outside seem like a hot spring. "You're coming with us whether you want to or not, because I said so."
Gohan watched unsurprised. There was no way Vegeta would yield without a fight, and that was not something any of them needed right now. "Vegeta," he said as politely as he could. "Please come, we need you."
Cloud was appalled. Why on the Planet would they need this ass? He probably was nothing more than some stupid new version of a Sephiroth clone! Why did Gohan talk to him like that?!
Vegeta paused a moment. "I wouldn't want to fight him anyway," he finally concluded. "He wouldn't be worthy of battling a true Super Saijin." Gohan sighed. Apparently Vegeta hadn't failed to notice his permanent power up. Chances were that he'd been subject to the same thing as Gohan, and in that case, they might all be in trouble. Vegeta could be stubborn enough as it was normal, but stuck in Super Saijin? Gohan wouldn't be surprised if Vegeta started saying it was on purpose.
Coldly leaving the laboratory, Cloud lead Vegeta out of Icicle. The Highwind would be landed, waiting at that field for them. He hoped that this hot head would be worth the trouble he would surely bring, and they would get the information they needed from him. Maybe, his pride would be cooled by the time they crossed the ice fields and reached the Highwind. The last thing he needed was this guy in the same room as Yuffie...
Note: Yup, definitely the soundtrack! I just got another new one!! ^_^ If I get anymore, you guys'll have all sorts of fanfiction to read!