A/N: Sorry for a late update – I'm in exam period at the moment, horrible maths exams are stopping me from writing! Still, here's the next chapter!
Thanks to those who've taken the time to review, particularly MoonFox531, Daenis, DevineDragon and Capricorn Chaos. It's reviews that make me write, keep them coming please!
Oh, and a new disclaimer: I'm thankful to say that Hojo doesn't belong to me, but to Square Enix.
Ame ni Matte
Wait in the Rain
Chapter 6: Bars
Yazoo was conscious a long while before he opened his eyes. Part of his small, naïve self believed that if he kept his eyes shut, he wouldn't have to face what lay beyond his eyelids. His body was betraying his thoughts though, unwillingly trembling, and stabbing pains in his left arm. He felt someone's hot breath meet his cheek faintly, and a quiet, calculating voice, muttered, "Out of the three, you had to bring back the weakest…"
Yazoo's eyes fluttered open to see the familiar figure of a skinny man, wispy hair pulled back into a greasy ponytail at his neck, round reflective glasses and somewhat stooped back. Yazoo didn't need to see Professor Hojo's face to know who he was. As the Head of Science at ShinRa, everything and everyone Yazoo knew was under his control, and if there were those who displeased him…Yazoo had heard other scientists speculate about missing colleagues.
Yazoo looked to his left to see a scientist – one whose face he recognised as trying to pick up the three brothers earlier on – inject him with something before writing notes on his clipboard. Judging by his forlorn expression, he supposed the scientist in question had been berated for only bringing back Yazoo. Hojo adjusted his glasses, settling down at a desk and scribbling something down with a pen from his pocket.
"You haven't any idea how much work I have to put in," the Head of Science grumbled more to himself, "these experiments cost a fortune to carry out, and it certainly doesn't help when my specimens are going on silly adventure trips and you money-driven scientists are asking endlessly for pay rises. I'm short on money as it is, there's simply not enough dedicated, genuinely fond of science researchers around to fulfil the scientific discoveries that need to be discovered. And since my most important of all experiments has ran off somewhere," Hojo's eyes flickered to look over at Kadaj's empty bed, "…I don't have much choice but to start a new theory whilst waiting for him to be found."
Yazoo stared up at the ceiling on noticing that Hojo was looking in his direction. He didn't want to look at him, not only because it was uncomfortable, but seeing the Professor again wasn't something that had crossed his mind when he was out of the lab, free with his brothers.
"That's right," Hojo suddenly said rather loudly, evident that he was addressing someone, "I'm talking to you, eh…what was your name…?"
There was a few rustling noises of paper, and the researcher with the injection (now disposing of it absently) said, "This is Yazoo, Professor."
"Oh yes, now I remember…" Hojo adjusted his glasses. "You're the one that my fellow colleagues named as a bit of a joke."
The words stung Yazoo. It was his name, his only true name, and to hear it regarded as someone's idea of a joke…it seemed that he was just an experiment and an item of humour.
Hojo got to his feet, crossing the room with an impressive air of intimidation and haughtiness. Yazoo felt the hot breath again as Hojo bent down.
"This one's a bit weak for someone who's been injected with Mako…a direct clone of Sephiroth himself…" He tapped his chin. "Seems that all…Yazoo…has inherited from Sephiroth is his hair."
A bony hand flicked at Yazoo's silver tresses carelessly. The eyes behind the round glasses were narrowed slightly, looking disappointed and pensive. "Dear dear…it's your clones that are the precedence here, they hold a lot more promise for the future of science…"
"Kadaj and Loz aren't my clones," Yazoo found himself saying with meek defensiveness, "they're my brothers."
"Eh?"
Hojo peered closely at Yazoo, blankly, looking as though Yazoo had just spoken a different language. "…Your brothers, did you say?"
Yazoo recoiled as Hojo began to chuckle to himself, stroking his chin and waving a scrawny arm to his assistant for attention. "Deanes, put this down, put this down – specimen 2-4-A has developed a sense of intimacy and closeness with experiment B and C…caused by social deprivation perhaps…? A yearning for mutual empathy, comfort…" The researcher named Deanes was writing away frantically, "…Definitely not a characteristic of Sephiroth…Yazoo's become far too soft as well as weak…"
"Shouldn't we assess him and create a programme to strengthen him up to be like Sephiroth?" Deanes looked at his superior meekly, and Yazoo, aware that Hojo's eyes were studying him, squirmed uneasily, but at the sight of Kadaj's pristine, untouched bed, felt encouragement. As Hojo ordered for Deanes to make more notes, pacing the room every now and then whilst tidying away his desk, Yazoo was rolled on his side, curled up, far away in his thoughts about Kadaj and Loz, together, free from the pain Yazoo was about to endure.
But so long as they are not back here, I'd take on any amount of pain. I'm not as weak as you think.
When the late evening arrived, Hojo and Deanes packed away to leave the lab. Yazoo lay motionless on his bed, listening with gloom as Hojo murmured, "I'll have to make sure that door's properly locked, it's because of careless researchers like you that they escaped in the first place."
Deanes made his exit quickly, no doubt eager to get away from his uncaring boss. As he did, Hojo, holding the door handle lazily, looked across as Yazoo's passive form, the curtain of silk-like hair hanging limply each side of his face.
"The only thing that isn't artificial in this room is me." A smile flashed across Hojo's face, and it was far from comforting. "…It's impossible for you to have a brother when you're not even human."
The door closed, locking Yazoo away once again, in the dark silence.
---
Having finished his regular dinner of nearly-flavourless soup, Yazoo sat by himself on his bed, aware that Hojo had taken off the restraints he usually fixed on. It was possible that Hojo had done so to give Yazoo a droplet of freedom, but in fact, Yazoo knew Hojo had intended for it to hurt. To be released from his restraints at last, only to find there was no one to hug, no one to sit with or play with.
Swinging his legs off the bed, his bare feet touching the cold floor quietly, He walked over to the single window, remembering with fondness how, when it was Professor Gast who was minding them, Loz's strong arms would offer to lift him up so that he could look out of it at Midgar, how Kadaj would hop from foot to foot, waiting impatiently for his turn to peer out, and how Loz would stare out avidly as Gast lifted him, little Kadaj clutching onto the white coat.
Hojo's chair had to do though, in the absence of Loz. Yazoo pulled the chair away from the empty desk, wincing as it screeched, echoing. He climbed onto it, and through the gaps of four, grey metallic bars, stared down at the flickering city of Midgar. Some of the lights were moving, others were still, some flashing, some a lot brighter than the others. Yazoo wondered to himself which one of those bright, still lights was the light that lit up the room Loz and Kadaj were in, safe together, the opportunity for them to see the bond they were meant to have.
Yazoo stared at the window itself. It was dotted with raindrops that rolled down slowly at first, and faster as it began to shower more. He gripped one of the bars and moved his face closer to the window, his breath forming a little white mist on the glass that wasn't blocked by the metal rods. The bars, Yazoo had once told a curious Kadaj as they both lay on their beds with restraints, were put there so that nothing could come in to hurt them. In actuality though, the bars were there for a psychological effect, to remind them of their confinement, and in a way, to stop them from hurting others. Besides, what could hurt them was already within the bars, dressed in white coats and carrying clipboards and samples.
Hojo's last words to him had struck a feeling of growing admittance that the Professor was right in some ways. It was technically impossible for Kadaj, Loz and even Sephiroth to be his brothers. But the overwhelming care and protection he had for the two…if that wasn't something that made brothers brothers, he didn't know what he was feeling.
Yazoo, suddenly feeling childish and losing his aloof, mature attitude, waved out the window, believing firmly that somewhere, either of his brothers had seen him. He didn't feel so alone anymore. He jumped off the chair lightly, moving it back behind the desk and smoothing the padded seat for any trace of a pair of feet standing on it before retreating back to his bed.
For what seemed like hours, he lay silently, unable to sleep yet not from fear of being back in the lab. His arm was stinging from the needles, and he was oddly alert. Sounds that he was accustomed to seemed unusually louder, his eyes were sharper, seeing everything a lot more clearly.
"Just what have I been injected with?" Yazoo said out loud, sitting up. It was only when he blinked, resting his tired eyes for a moment, that he saw something for the first time. Eyes that were identical to his, green and acute, silver hair that surrounded a long, serious face lightly.
Yazoo felt an unusual desire of hate and anger inside of him, rattling in him somewhere, and he swore he could hear the sound of a blade rushing through air. He brought his hands to his face, covering his ears and wishing for it all to go away. He wasn't what Hojo deemed as important or strong enough to equal that of Sephiroth…what was happening to him? He couldn't become an exact copy of Sephiroth, he was Yazoo, not Sephiroth…
And just like that, with the sheer determination and fright in him, the General disappeared, as did the burning feeling of anger.
Yazoo was sat up, hands grasping clumps of his hair, breathless.
Outside, the rain was still pouring.
A/N: Most of this chapter was just description, though in my defence, it's very hard to write a conversation when there's only one person in the room. Anyways, don't forget to review!
Next chapter: We see what Kadaj and Loz get up to at Elmyra's house.
