The Shinra laboratory was extremely lively; livelier than it had been in a long time. The professors, scientists, doctors and pharmacists were rushing around checking complicated machines and jotting down notes. Dr. Black, the leader of the current operation, was standing on the platform, staring into an enormous cylinder-shaped tank.
Inside the tank, an unconscious man was floating. His long silvery hair shimmered and swayed in the water. Probes and wires hung from every inch o his naked body.
"It's been 18 years," Dr. Black muttered to himself. "It's been 18 years since we last saw you, 18 years since you left the earth, 18 years since the world witnessed true power, 18 years since we've been working on this project. But we won't screw up this time," he ran his fingers down the glass. "Not while I'm in charge,"
It had indeed been 18 years since the man inside had tried to take over the world. 18 years had passed since his downfall. Many more years ago, the company 'Shinra' had tried to create an ultimate life form, an exact copy of the perfect being, the ancients. Their project succeeded, and their result was a man named Sephiroth. Sephiroth had almost unlimited power, both physical and magical, and through hunger and greed, seeked more; the complete control of the planet.
He seemed so helpless, drifting in the tank, as though he couldn't even resist the force of the gentle water. His bright blue eyes were closed sensitively and his pale lips were straight and lifeless.
"Sir, Sephiroth is still in the same condition, our machinery is going off the charts," Dr. Black was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the skinny, young blonde doctor until she spoke. He jumped and whirled around. "If this continues, we my have to abandon the project all together. We may not be able to control him, and you know what happened last time we lost control of him," Dr. Black took off his spectacles and cleaned them on his laboratory coat, frowning.
"Try your best, there's no way we can let this project fail,"
"But sir-" She began.
"Look at him," he interrupted. "He's a miracle, isn't he?" the atmosphere seemed to quieten, or maybe it only seemed this was because of how softly he spoke now. The only sounds that could be heard were the beeping of the machinery and the faint bubbling of the tank. "Look what 18 years of hard work and craftsmanship can produce. Do you realise it took us 5 years just to produce one tissue sample?" his voice sounded floaty and dreamlike, as though this whole situation couldn't possibly be happening.
"But sir, if he breaks loose, we may not be able to capture him again, and the whole thing will be a failure. If you'll just let me give him the drug, it'll lower his medical values to more regular digits,"
"And destroy his power? We haven't been pumping Mako into his bloodstream since he was a foetus for nothing, you know. He was created with the ultimate power. Why waste it all?"
"But last time, he had less power than he has now. He's grown stronger; twice, maybe three times as powerful as he was before,"
"But you're forgetting that our technology has grown much greater. This place is inpenetratable and inescapable to any living thing,"
"Sephiroth isn't just any living thing," the woman said firmly with a final tone of voice. She left the platform and went elsewhere, to leave the man with this thought.
Dr Black looked at his watch. It was very late, and he hadn't had any sleep in 24 hours. He was so excited about this operation, that even if he wanted to sleep, he couldn't.
"I'm going home for some sleep, I'll see you in a good six hours or so," He yawned as the doctors and scientists all showed signs acknowledgement in some way. He grabbed his jacket and briefcase, and left the laboratory to go home.
It must have been two hours or more after he had left, when the woman, Dr Vynn, had noticed unusual numbers pouring out of the machines rapidly..
"I told him it would get worse," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I just knew it. I'd better do it before it's too late," She grabbed a syringe and a small bottle of blue liquid. She stabbed the needle into the bottle and withdrew some of it's contents. She knew that she shouldn't really have done this without permission or consulting Dr Black, however she knew that she had to do something. Perhaps a small dose would lower his rate just a little so it wouldn't be noticed. She shook off her coat, and pulled a snug wetsuit over her clothes. She took a mask, breath-piece and hoisted the cylinders onto her back. She paused a moment to brace herself, before slipping into the tank. Most of the scientists were watching now, all with expressions of surprise on their faces.
It was icy cold and trying to get to the bottom without snagging any of the wires, pipes and cables was a problem. At last the tips of her feet touched the smooth surface of the glassy bottom. All the scientists outside the tank stopped to watch with anxiety, their figures blurry through the water.
She gripped a piece of flesh between her thumb and forefinger, and with her right hand steadied the syringe to inject him. The needle was inches away from his skin.
It was all too sudden; Sephiroth's cold blue eyes opened like the blinds of a window, as in a blur he grabbed her wrist with his left hand. He tightened his grip and twisted, so that she dropped the syringe. A harsh force made a heart-stopping 'crunch', and he let go as she cradled her broken wrist.
The entire tank shattered in an explosion of glass and water, launching pieces of glass everywhere. The people who didn't have the common sense to dive to the floor were plastered in fragments of glass.
Vynn ran straight into the equipment room, beckoning the others to follow her, but they were all too scared, and told her to close the door and save herself. She reluctantly slammed the door and hid in a pile of empty creates.
Sephiroth has stepped out from where the tank used to be, and was walking slowly and awkwardly along the metal grate floors, his feet slapping against the floors, and water running from his skin and hair.
One doctor leapt onto his back as a brave attempt to stop him, but he picked him up and threw him as though he were just a doll. Without consideration or thought, he trod over the doctor as he lay lifeless on the floor.
Another scrambled to her feet and pulled down a huge leaver. Alarms and sirens went off and orange lights flashed. He growled angrily and picked up a large piece of glass. He plunged it into her neck, and let her drop to the floor, a spatter of blood spraying as she fell.
One other doctor sat cowering in the corner, muttering what sounded like prayers to himself. He trembled as Sephiroth walked slowly towards him, and grabbed him by the neck. He lifted the man by his neck and pushed him to the wall, his feet dangled as he struggle to breathe. He lifted the man up as far as he could, his arms and legs flailing around like caught bird.
"Where's my things?" he said in a firm, chilling voice. He tilted his head sideways like a coiled snake, eyeing its prey.
"D-Downstairs i-i-in the closet," the man said nervously, his voice rough from the choking. He turned away and went in the opposite direction, and the man sighed with relief, clutching and rubbing his neck.
Sephiroth lit a match, and set fire to everything in the room, the documents, the equipment and the priceless technology was smashed, burned and completely destroyed. He cackled madly before leaving the room and jogged down the corridor. He passed nurses and assistants who gasped and dropped what they were carrying, but he carried on, ignoring the attention and went down the stairs. By the time security had arrived, he was already in the closet retrieving his possessions.
His clothes fitted just as he remembered- black leather trousers, and a long, black coat over the top. Two buckles went across his chest, and one belt went around his waist. He attached his shoulder pads, and span around, admiring himself. He routed through most of the boxes, most of them containing worthless things such as jewellery, uniforms and confiscated items. He finally found a long, dusty box hidden behind everything else, marked only with a reference code. He opened it, and inside was his treasured sword; masamune.
He ran his fingers along the edges of the razor-sharp blade, which was still spotless after 18 years. A wicked smile spread across his face. He jerked his hand back suddenly- as the blade had sliced through his glove and cut his fingers. He held his hand upside-down and watched the blood drip like a red meteor. He was so lost in his own happiness that he almost didn't hear the dozens of footsteps at the door.
Somebody kicked the door down, the hinges tearing of the wall. It landed with a loud thud on the floor at Sephiroth's feet. He leant on his sword lazily, and pretended to look for marks on his gloves.
"Come quietly and we won't harm you," one of them said. His face was hidden by a reflection on his helmet, his gun was raised, the laser-sight beam circling Sephiroth's chest. "Don't worry, co-operate you'll be fine," Sephiroth smirked and for the first time, turned his head slightly and glared in their direction. Some of the soldiers were rather shocked by this, and gasped.
"It's not me I'm worried about," He drew his sword with lightning speed; his whole arm becoming a black and silver blur. At the exact same time, half a dozen gas bombs were flung into the room. He slashed at the first guard, his sword sliding through the body-armour. All that could be heard was a swish of metal and a scream. There was heavy gunfire, but the only sounds were that of bullets ricocheting off the walls. By the time the cloud of hazy smoke had disappeared, Sephiroth had gone.
Almost halfway around the world, an 18-year-old boy sat up in bed.