Professor Hojo
30 years ago she was excavated by professor Gast from the northern crater, a surviving cetra who was named Jenova. The scientist Hojo offered himself along with his assistant Lucretia to be the occupants who would give birth to a being with Jenova's powers- and Gast spearheaded the procedure using Jenova's cells into the womb with the foetus- the result was Sephiroth, a man with unparalleled strength who became a member of soldier, Shinra's elite.
Ifalna- one of the last surviving Cetra- told Professor of his mistake, that Jenova was not a Cetra but in fact a being much more terrifying- something not of their world that had survived as virus' strive to in order to contaminate and consume. The meteor she had arrived on had injured the planet- which was when she saw the life stream doing what it did best- and she moved to attack all those who could stop her virus infecting this life stream and the people of the planet- Centra- who eventually sealed her in the crater whilst sacrificing themselves.
Horror struck Gast- who had more morals than normal scientists within Shinra. But Gast doubted his word would deter shinra, who used Jenova's cells to enhance their soldiers and make them stronger without knowledge of the side effects- or without the care.
After Sephiroth's disappearance- his death, professor Hojo- who had taken over from Gast- continued the research. It was then that he conjured the infamous Jenova Reunion theory- that all Jenova cells would be impelled to return to Jenova- that all those with high levels of Jenova cells in them would gather where Jenova's body was being held. To test this theory, Hojo took people from his research teams and the survivors of the Nibelheim attack and experimented on them, infusing them with unordinary high levels of Mako- condensed life stream.
Zack and Cloud were two of those taken, the main project of Hojo's torment due to the loss of his 'son' Sephiroth. For 4 years the two were experimented on using the cells of Jenova. But Zack had already gone through this and was a soldier- whose strength came from haw he had succumbed to the Jenova cells in the first place. And yet, of the few who were eligible to try out to be soldiers, Cloud had failed and had rejected becoming a soldier- not in his mind but his body. So who was the true strong-was it the boy who had been strong enough to be his weak self, or the soldier who had also fallen to Sephiroth?
They both reacted to the cells differently. It had little effect on Zack- just the normal- infusing him with too much cells drained him and made him tired and then bought him to the brink of destruction. Whereas Cloud reacted to the cells like a normal person would do to life stream- he became empty and disorientated- he seemed to recede further into himself to reject it- instead of his body now being too weak to stabilise it –which it still seemed to be- it was like the cells were following him and reaching out to him like a virus confused and yet he ran from it.
Hojo seemed just as confused. A different kind of 'strength' that Jenova cells were not used to recognising and had never come across before. Strength or human irregularities? Either way, a battle was going on inside the boy which he tried to fight against- and how fascinating it was to be a 'witness' to it- though he only had outside visual and taken evaluations and tests. And soon Zack became nothing more but a way to compare to Cloud's reactions and pain- the black headed warrior looking on drowsily from his liquid container at the suffering of the boy who went from panic to torture to lifelessness every day. And soon the procedures became identical- utterly endless and exact until Hojo was used to visiting for a short while and then leaving- was he monitoring Jenova and the other clone's activities to make sure they did not get any of the side effect that the boy had.
So why now did Cloud suffer? What answers could possibly be taken from this? Was he being kept for future reference or was he a showboat for visitors and most probably, for Hojo himself? Scientific delight. But if Cloud was so weak like the others- wouldn't everyone react this way? This was just continuing the failed process of not being able to make someone a soldier.
So Cloud was being made to fail and witness his weakness every day. And yet, this new force in which Jenova's cells spread, Cloud's body would not let them through- they infected and were then pushed back. Jenova's cells acted as a virus- if they could not infect the strong or the weak- due to natural defences, they developed. This was one theory, that this boy was developing the cells because he could defend against Jenova's virus as quickly as it could develop. But was it needed or worth it- even if cells were made that could make others even stronger- Zack himself had felt some of the new and improved cells- what was it doing to his friend?
Zack half wished that Cloud's body would give in and be contaminated by the cells. But either by weakness of body or by his own body's refusal, Cloud would never attain such rest. It was by no small wonder that Cloud- with perhaps even more Jenova cells in him than Zack- than a soldier 1st class- had not gone insane like Sephiroth. And Zack blamed Sephiroth for this too. Despite how weak Cloud was- he had driven Sephiroth away and he was still alive now despite lashings of Jenova cells- and some way Zack had to save the boy.
Freedom.
After so much suffering, was this finally their choice? To either die free trying to escape or live as experiments and be contained as lab specimens? He did not remember it himself- one moment he was clawing away at his container- a glass tube much like Jenova's- full of breathable water- and the next minute he was on the ground panting and surrounded by it and shards of glass. A malfunction- was his beatings on the glass finally enough- though he doubted this due to a lack of his own strength and the thickness of the glass. Or was their escape down to a rogue scientist or aide in Shinra appalled by the experiments?
But all that mattered to Zack was finally being free. He found his sword quickly- it had been looked at with little conviction by the scientist Hojo and put to the side- and he used it to smash open Cloud's container and take the boy still lifeless body in one arm.
Where could they go- but Zack knew that he could not lead them to his home town- and the most unlikely place? Back to Midgar, of course- they could hide in the slums where Zack's girlfriend lived- though by now she probably felt he had abandoned her- it had been a long time- he felt it- though he didn't know exactly how long. He looked to Cloud- did he feel it too? And Cloud said nothing, his eyes were still glazed over- but Zack knew he was still there somewhere.
"Yes," he grinned suddenly, "well it has been too long for both of us, so let's get out of here".
What the hell!
Did Cloud see what he was seeing- he hoped not. Nibelheim- fixed and renewed as if nothing had happened- and for a moment Zack had to assure himself that it actually did happen- no he was still real. Surely those that came from other towns saw that the people were different- did no one know what had happened!
A nearby person looked them over sceptically- who were they? Zack drew in a breath, suddenly in understanding. They were all placed by Shinra- they were all on Shinra's side, purposefully obstructing the truth! Nibelheim had been completely restored but the people had been replaced! That was so like Shinra, all that mattered to them were materials and buildings- not people.
No one on the outside knew any differently- it wasn't like Nibelheim had many visitors- none who knew more than one family who could have moved by now- and with all the fake Shinra 'employees' vouching for one another- the tragedy would remain secret. Thankfully, none of these actors seemed to know that they were escapees. Did they even know about Sephiroth or the experiments of the Shinra mansion at all? And so he just had to ask the suspicious 'villager' how long Shinra had been in the town of Nibelheim- after explaining that he was a weary travelling warrior on the way to rocket town.
4 years. What! 4 years! He could not hide his shock! That bastard Hojo! What was it all for! The villager stood back and Zack grew in apprehension- he had to think about the little guy, of getting him…back home. He was then silent in sadness…but then- what about a new start? And he smiled in subterfuge to the employee and nodded- his wounds were playing up on him again- to which they calmed in understanding. He now knew that there was no way to rocket town on foot through Nibelheim- so he had to go back.
Zack then proceeded to drag Cloud towards the exit of the town despite his own weariness- but with each step he gathered his bearings, as if his body were grateful for solid ground and wholesome air and was reacting to it positively. And then looking back quickly he found that there were those from the mountains who were back in the vicinity who Zack did not wish to be united with- Hojo himself along with many imposing people in black suits with 'cool' sunglasses on- or rather- that they thought looked cool.
Zack knew instantly who these men were, they were the organisation TURK who worked mainly for the president of Shinra and the military section but also moved out to offer their services to other parts of Shinra. And Hojo looked irritated- yes- but as much as much as Zack wanted to see the look on his face as he saw tat his 2 test subjects had escaped- coupled with the obvious restrictions he was getting from Shinra for the lengthy research without result to benefit Shinra- as much as he longed to see that face- he was more interested in getting away as quickly as he could, round pass the village's only inn and out of sight- but not for long- and Zack looked around and grinned- a TURK motorbike- yes- that would do.
As he heard Hojo's deafening shriek for the last time- too much like that of the man's frustration and vigour during experiments to his reluctant assistants, such as- 'use more of it- I don't care what the limit is- we're scientists and we don't listen to such frail limits if the subject reacts to it'.
Zack plopped Cloud on the motorbike apologizing- they were going to be face to face for a while- hugging like women- but he had to make sure the blonde didn't fall off.
Pursued.
And then, just as the roaring engine engaged, the scientist full of horror ran into view with the TURKS who were all bearing sheepish expressions as Zack looked back and flashed them a quick grin before kicking it into high gear to speed of- leaving dust behind him. And Hojo then shrieked to the unimpressed TURK members who looked around helplessly- there was nothing around fast enough to catch up with them with except- which was when the red head and baldy- in turn- looked to a one person scooter with little conviction, but were both just as quick to leap on together and try it out- after all, they were TURKS, no matter how hard it was, they had to do their job.
Zack looked over his shoulder briefly to see the small gap between Nibelheim and the plains obscured now by the canyon- and in the distance, laughed at the tiny scooter that rumbled along at 30 mph. which was when he reared up on the black bike and jumped on the ledge of the river leading to Cosmo Canyon- how would they get across THAT- like Zack was about to do?
"Hold on Cloud," Zack called over the prevailing wind that would grant them passage.
From the canyon, Zack and Cloud were chased across the continent by the TURKS, with the mysterious Tseng leading them the whole way with navigation due to a tracking device on Zack's bike. And in that time, Zack kept his friend near and looked after him, even when they had no place to rest or eat- even when patience and energy seemed thin- through tight scrapes with Shinra and even tighter scrapes with the TURKS- even though their enemy's influence seemed absolute and they had no way to make it to their destination- it was still better- and on numerous occasions Zack swore he saw a familiar glint in his friend's eye as he was watched battle numerous foes.
Costa de sol- one boat ride and they were across to the continent Zack had called home, where they would never be found or suspected so close to the enemy. And now that Zack had abandoned Shinra's precious bike, he had to cross on foot carrying the boy. Which was slowing him down- but he wasn't one to leave a comrade behind. There was just one problem- in the form of two TURKS who had discovered their precious vehicle by the ferry of Costa de sol and had the two unsuspecting young men trapped on home soil- a continent swarming with soldiers and Shinra. Junon village- where those who hated Shinra resided, they knew those on the run when the saw them- they had pointed Zack to the chocobo ranch where they could get a lift from 'Bill' for the right price.
This meant a trek inside a cave, outrunning the Midgar Zolom- not a very talkative or pleasant creature who thought that Cloud's hair was like a chocobo- it wasn't the only one- and chased poor Zack with even more ferocity. And all the while Cloud remained vacant and unaware of his surroundings- occasionally he would look directly into Zack's eyes when the ex-soldier would go right up in his face- but soon their pleasantries would end and they would be found- all at once as they reached closer to the home soil of their enemy in a hope that this would not be expected- those following them grew ever closer- and then you know the rest.
