Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the Final fantasy series. If I did, there would already be a HD remake.

Disclaimer 2: Just because there is now a HD remake in the works doesn't mean I own FFVII. Although I would like to take full credit for it :D

A/N: I got nothing…

Even if I don't write back, I read and love every review I get and I appreciate every one of you.

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Cloud sat on the counter oiling his Fusion Sword as he watched Hojo sleep on in the exam chair. He had reluctantly taken the bindings off as soon as Hojo stopped seizing. He hoped that wouldn't happen with everyone, it would be a little inconvenient. The scientist had been completely saturated with Jenova cells so he had hope it wouldn't be that bad for everyone. Very few people had that high level of Jenova cells in them.

The Firsts will probably all suffer as well as some of the higher ranking Turks. The lower Soldiers and Turks…hard to say. The everyday people of the world probably won't even know they've been dosed. Cloud sighed, everyone needed to be inoculated before he could act freely. That was a lot of people.

Sephiroth would be the real challenge in the end. He was born with more Jenova cells than human. Unlike the rest, he would need to be weaned off of them instead of being cut off completely. For one, it could kill the Silver Soldier. For another, it would alert Jenova what was happening. She didn't care about the others except how they were of use to her. But Sephiroth was her child in a way, more so than his birth mother. She would care if he was suddenly removed.

It was one of the main reasons he needed Hojo. Only the scientist had the means to spread the cure so far and only he had access to the Soldiers. He was starting to get a little worried at how long it was taking. If Hojo didn't wake up soon, it would throw back his plans. If this didn't work he was screwed.

It has already been two hours since the injection and Cloud was already late for the morning call. He would soon be late for his post, if he could remember what his post was. If Hojo didn't wake he would definitely be in deep chocobo shit for his absence. He didn't remember what the penalty for being absent was but he was positive he didn't want to remember it.

Aerith didn't exactly leave him with a plan B; if this didn't take he would have to wing it. The labs in Nibelheim could work if he had to they had the equipment, but Cloud could honestly say he would rather jump into the lifestream again than use them. There was also the lab Genesis used to make the clones, if he could find it. Avalanche was probably his best bet. He could twist Fuhito into doing his work if he had to.

Cloud snapped his sword together and stared at the only way in or out of the room. To further complicate things, people outside were starting to get curious to what was happening. Their fear of Hojo, and his abrupt behavior to the braver ones, would only stall them for so long. It was only a matter of time before one of them would find a Turk or Soldier to break down the door. He would have to fight his way out and go the terrorist route.

Finally Hojo began to stir and moan. Cloud sent a quick prayer to the planet that this would work and set his sword safely aside on the counter as he jumped off to slowly make his way to Hojo's side. It was with great relief that he could no longer sense Jenova anywhere around the Professor. At least that part of the plan worked.

"Are you in there Doc?" Cloud asked his voice was cold, but soft.

"Oh...my head" Hojo moaned weakly grasping at his temples.

"Yeah, it stings worse than a slaps bite, but it should start to ease up in a bit."

Hojo paused, and laid still his head cocked slightly as if listening for something. After a moment of silence, Hojo carefully sat up and stared at Cloud in shock. Cloud stared impassively back.

"What did you do to me?" Hojo asked softly.

"Feeling a little empty in there Doc?" Cloud asked somewhat cruelly.

"Answer me!"

"I told you before Doc, I cured you."

Cloud leaned against Hojo's chair watching him closely. He'd spent almost entire time the Professor was out trying to figure out how to handle Hojo.

"How?"

"I rid your body of a malignant parasite that had taken you over. I also made it so she could never get a hold of you again."

"She…"

"You call her Jenova."

Hojo's gaze turned sharp at that. The pain gave way to the anger to growing in his eyes.

"Jenova wasn't a parasite! She was an Ancient. A wise and powerful being we could learn from!"

"Jenova Isn't an Ancient, she's an invader! A sentient virus that is trying to take over the world to this day, and if she isn't stopped NOW she will succeed." Cloud all but shouted.

"How could you possibly know that" Hojo spat out as he looked away, his contempt for what he heard obvious. But a slight quiver gave him away.

"Because it's happened before."

"In ancient times perha…"

"Not ancient, now" Cloud cut him off and glared, daring him to argue, " In about thirteen years, give or take a few months, the entire planet will die because of Jenova, unless I stop it."

Hojo stared at Cloud. He could see the truth and conviction in his eyes even if he didn't want to acknowledge it. Cloud knew that Hojo now knew he was telling the truth.

"How do you know this?" He asked again, this time with a touch of true fear. Hojo was many things, but he was no fool.

"Because that's where I'm from." Cloud replied as move away to lean back against the counter. The weight of his still prevalent grief was evident in his tone though his gaze was unflinching as he watched Hojo, "Thirteen years in the future. I was there, I fought Jenova. So. Many. Times. I once thought we had won. But we…didn't. Jenova had mutated into a virus. She infected everyone. First those close to Midgar, or people who were exposed to her DNA, then it spread worldwide. We found a cure, but, it was too little, too late. The Lifestream itself was infected. In a last ditch effort to save itself, the planet grabbed me and sent me back in time. To stop Jenova before she becomes a threat."

Hojo looked thoughtful "Those with her DNA fell first?" he asked softly.

Cloud knew what he was asking, there was only one person on the entire planet that Hojo cared about, "If she isn't stopped, Sephiroth will fall to her and die in little over one year from now. He will be her first victim."

Hojo stared at Cloud for several minutes. Shock and disbelief warring with what he experienced and his own understanding of Jenova, "Who are you?" he finally asked.

Cloud smiled bitterly.

"I'm no one really. Just a Weapon here to fight a war."

Cloud didn't know if Hojo believed in the ancient planetary Weapons from lore, but if he believed in the Promised Land there was a chance he might. Not that it mattered one way or another if he believed Cloud or not so long as he did what Cloud needed him to do.

"Why then did you come to me?"

The wheels were turning faster in Hojo's mind. Cloud could tell things were clicking and reordering in the scientist's brain. He was almost positive that things he never even considered had already passed through Hojo's mind and contingencies have been formulated around them. As much as Cloud hated him, he never denied that Hojo was one of the most brilliant minds out there.

"I wasn't just tossed back here, I was given instructions on what to do" Cloud's voice suddenly turned frigid "Believe me Doc, if I had a choice, I would have killed you instead. It's just our luck that I need you alive, and sane."

Hojo sniffed dismissively at threat then turned and asked "What's your name?"

"Corporal Cloud Strife."

"A Corporal!" Hojo sneered "There are no mako enhanced personnel in the 'regular' army. Unless you became a Soldier in the future?"

"I was never in Soldier."

"Don't start lying to me now boy! I know my own work when I see it!"

"I'm not lying, I never made Soldier."

"Listen here…" "I was your experiment."

Hojo stopped cold and stared at Cloud with an entirely different and far more calculating look. Cloud wasn't sure what it meant nor if he liked it, but he did take a twisted sort of pleasure in making Hojo speechless. If petty vengeance was all he was allowed then so be it.

"You're right Doc; you should recognize your work, even if you haven't done it yet." Cloud smiled without any humor, "What you did to me you will only ever do once. You will never replicate the results. No matter how hard you try. Not in the last lifetime and not in this one. So take a good look!"

The scientist sat up fully in the chair and turned sideways to face Cloud head on. "What did I do to you?" He asked almost eagerly.

"That would be telling."

Hojo pierced him with a calculating stare. Cloud wanted to both shift away and stab him repeatedly. He had a blade within easy reaching distance. He could go with one of the others; the results won't be as good, but it could be worth the sacrifice.

"I'm sure I can figure it out. It might be interesting to reverse-engineer my own work."

Before either of them could say anything further, someone knocked at the door timidly. Cloud grabbed his sword and shifted into a basic battle stance but Hojo waved him down imperiously. Cloud wanted to snarl at him but it seemed like Hojo was cooperating for the moment.

"Professor? Are you available Professor? I'm sorry to disturb you, but we need really your approval before we can begin the procedure."

"Yes! Yes! I'll be there in a moment." Hojo called out caustically. Then turned back to Cloud and in a softer voice asked, "So what will happen now?"

"It's up to you. I can open the door and clear the pathway, but you have to be the one to walk forward." Cloud paused then continued, "I do know that without you, things will go bad. It won't be end of the world bad, not now, if I can finish the other tasks I have, but a lot of people who could be saved will die without you. Including Sephiroth."

Hojo sat in deep thought for a while after that. Cloud wanted to tense up with the thickness in the air as he waited for Hojo's decision. Throwing Sephiroth's life on the decision will hopefully sway the scientist his way. It was the only thing he knew Hojo cared about.

It was only years of pre-battle instinct and Tifa's martial arts training that she inflicted on him that kept Cloud looking relaxed. So much of what he needed done depended on the scientist cooperating. Still, it stabbed him worse than masamune through the chest to have to work with his former tormentor.

At last, Hojo seemed to come to a decision, "Alright, I'll go along with this for now. What do you need me to do?"

Cloud wanted to sigh in relief, "Right this moment, I need you to clear me from duty and have me transferred to your labs." Cloud shuddered, "I also need a reason for looking like a Soldier, and several years older, instead of the grunt I was last night."

Hojo grinned almost nastily at him, "Easily done," he said, "I'll just tell them the truth, you're an experiment of mine."

Cloud looked at him sharply.

"After all, my boy, you ARE my experiment." Hojo cackled like the mad scientist he was.

Cloud just groaned as he pulled out a potion from the cabinet and tossed it to Hojo. He didn't think to bring any materia with him but it would do. He watched as Hojo drank it down and the black eye faded into nothing…pity.

"Another thing coming up will be a retrieval mission to Modeoheim. I'm going to need you to add me to that trip and tack on a trip to Nibelheim. You're not going to like it, but I'm bringing Valentine in. He's completely immune to Jenova and I need him for things I can't do myself."

"Tch." Hojo didn't like that.

Cloud didn't care.

"Come on then" Hojo said making quickly for the door "We have a lot to do, and I have a lot to learn about you."

As Cloud followed him, he wondered if saving the planet would be worth this.