Author's Note: I have to say that as much as I enjoy getting into the heads of characters, writing for Hojo gave me all sorts of feelings of Nope. I hope that I am keeping the portrayal of everyone accurate and developing correctly.

Marken: Thank you for all your feedback. I promise you more interactions with the other SOLDIERs in the upcoming chapters, but Talin has to make it out of Hojo's lab safely first.

Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.

I do not own FF7 or any of its characters. Talin, Unit 28, and other side characters are mine.

Chapter 9

The frost in the General's gaze was still present as their eyes met, and it made Talin shiver.

"Now that we have found ourselves in this situation, please explain how a Cadet makes it into Shin-Ra without a medical report..." The man asked with a slight frown. Talin was hesitant to divulge the full truth but had a feeling that lying would end badly.

"A... friend assisted me. He knew that if anyone from Shin-Ra Medical saw my arms..." He trailed off and gestured towards the door.

Sephiroth heard the unsaid ending to that statement. Anyone looking for a promotion would have turned the Cadet in to Hojo.

"Does this 'friend' of yours, by chance, work for Shin-Ra?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow when the teen actually looked away. It was all the answer he needed. "I see... I won't ask further but after this I expect everything to be by the book. No need to draw more unwanted attention." The last was muttered quietly but Talin still caught it and stiffened.

He didn't want any attention on himself, really. Having the General notice him was a good thing, but still, more than the redhead had expected.

"We better go. No need to provoke Hojo more than necessary," Sephiroth said and motioned for the nervous teen to follow him.

They exited the training room and waited for the elevator together. As they waited, the General spoke again.

"I don't believe I need to warn you not to be alone with the Professor at any point, but it bears repeating," He said with a dark tone, "Hojo doesn't often show an interest in anything but his experiments and research. Try to keep yourself from becoming one of them." The elevator arrived as he finished and Talin felt like he was moving through water.

Every step took him closer to a man he had been taught to fear. Now as he watched the numbers tick up on the elevator, he wondered again if the General would protect him or not. Could Sephiroth protect him at all if Hojo did try taking him? Surely he could overpower the scrawny scientist, but did the silver-haired man have the political power to protect him? These thoughts were enough to swell the panic in Talin to the point that he wanted to run away again, but now there was nowhere to go.

Elevator doors opened to a dimly lit hallway on the 68th floor, and Talin followed mechanically as his Mentor led the way to a door halfway down the hall. The General obviously had limited access to this level as he knocked on the door instead of using a keycard. It wasn't the Professor, as Talin had expected, who greeted them but a young nurse.

She led them to a side room that was a standard medical exam room. The teen was confused at the lack of abnormal equipment or odd-colored vials but followed instructions as the nurse performed the evaluation. It was the absolute basics of a physical and went by quickly.

Sephiroth leaned lightly on the wall by the door as the nurse ran down the list of exam procedures. He noted that she avoided touching any of the colored portions of the Cadet's arms, but that could be for any number of reasons.

Within fifteen minutes the evaluation was over. After a few more notes entered into her tablet, the nurse looked back to Talin.

"Ok, you're all done with me, just need a blood test and you're set." Her smile was more calculating than comforting as she continued, "That door," and she pointed to the one opposite from where they had come in, "Will take you to the Medical Lab. I believe the Professor is waiting for you there."

Talin looked to the General as he stood and quickly moved to his side when the tall SOLDIER walked to the indicated door. Past the doors was the room he had been expecting.

It was several times the size of the previous one, lined with cabinets, a few microscopes, high power lights were on apposable arms from the ceiling, and in the center of it all was an exam chair. It took a moment for the Cadet to notice Hojo standing to one side of that chair or that the nurse had entered the room after them and moved to one of the microscope setups.

"Ah, welcome. I expect your evaluation went well?" The quiet, twisted laughter in that voice chilled Talin's guts. "We just need biological samples from you now and you'll be free to go." The incentive of freedom from this place was the only thing keeping the teen from fighting his way out, and he tried to rein in his anxiety.

The scientist gestured to the chair and that fight for control doubled as he made his way over to it. When he turned to sit, he caught sight of his Mentor, not leaning by the door as he had last time, but standing only a few feet away.

In a way, the man's presence calmed Talin's worries, but in another, it confirmed that he should be. Why else would the General practically hover over him if he wasn't in some kind of danger?

The last thought brought another question to his mind. Was Sephiroth protective of him because he cared or simply to inconvenience the obviously disliked scientist?

A sharp yank on his arm brought him abruptly from his musings and straight back to near panic as his wrist was quickly strapped down, palm up. Restraining a violent reaction, Talin looked up at Hojo in question before glancing at Sephiroth for his response. The scientist was smiling in a fashion that would make the dead run for their lives. His skin crawled at the man's touch and he tried not to flinch each time. The General was silent and still, watching like a wolf ready to strike, but said nothing.

"The straps are only to keep you still while I take a few samples," Hojo said as if he was commenting on the weather. The first two 'samples' were easy, a few hairs plucked from his head and some fingernail clippings that were the same blueish color of his arms. The next two samples were not so easy.

Vial after vial of blood was drained from him, till he was starting to get light-headed. Then, while he was dizzy and weakened, Hojo brought out a scalpel. The previously observant General was suddenly between the two.

"I don't think so," He said in a low voice that would have scared Talin if it hadn't been in his defense. "You have your samples. Anything more is unnecessary." There was a lack of emotion to his voice that again made Talin question the reason behind the man's protectiveness.

"I need this one last sample General, a skin sample. I wish to know why his arms have changed to such a unique color, don't you?" Hojo asked with a sneer. "I will only take a small section of scrapings." Talin wanted to argue against it but Sephiroth answered first.

"Fine, but only a small section." He then looked down at his Trainee and they held eye contact till a painful scratching started on Talin's forearm, caused him to close his eyes. It was a burning pain that spanned only about an inch of skin but it still hurt.

Eventually, the Professor was satisfied and covered the afflicted area with a simple bandage.

"All done, I'll review the results and let you know if I need anything more," He said as he made his way over to the microscope that had been set up by the nurse.

Fumbling for a moment with the straps on his arms, Talin finally freed himself and slowly stood. He was still dizzy from the blood loss but was determined to leave as soon as possible. On the first step away from the detested chair, he stumbled but a firm hand caught him under the arm and steadied him.

Sephiroth was just as ready to leave as his Cadet was but knew the teen would be a bit wobbly after losing so many vials of blood. Ready for the stumble, he quickly caught Talin, holding him up till his legs were ready to try again. Just as the boy gets his balance back and they are about to leave, Hojo stops them.

"I need to see one more thing, Cadet," He called from his microscope before turning to the pair and walking straight to Talin. "I was told your eyes change when you use Mako. Show me." It was an order instead of a request, but at least it was a simple one.

A glance to the General for permission was answered with a nod and he turned back to the Professor. Rest had replenished much of his Mako reserves and he easily reached into that stockpile. Green flared up his arms as the rush of that untamed energy pushed to his extremities.

A painful grip in his hair pulled his head up and he was eye to eye with the lens of a camera.

"Now change them back," Demanded the scientist, tone fascinated and authoritative. Talin quickly cut the flow of Mako and tried not to blink so the test wouldn't have to be repeated. Every instinct roared at him to get away, that this man was way too close. The few seconds it took for his eyes to shift back felt like minutes and the hand in his hair was not gentle as Hojo held him still.

Finally, Talin was released and stepped back almost into Sephiroth. The SOLDIER caught him lightly by the shoulders to stop his backwards momentum. Talin offered a quiet "Sorry, Sir" and rebalanced himself before stepping away.

In the meantime, the Professor had watched the short clip over again and was watching it a third time as he spoke.

"More testing is required, but I believe the reason your eyes shift in such an interesting fashion is that the Mako in your system is unstable," He said with a satisfied smirk and pressed play on the video again.

"Unstable?" Talin asked as his mind shot directly to the concept of an unstable Mako reactor.

"Yes, quite unstable. I must say I'm surprised that you lasted this long. Unstable Mako is very temperamental. Too much, and you could easily have... burst." The last word was said with an almost gleeful smile that made the Cadet cringe. "Effectively, you're a walking timebomb. The other possibility, as we sometimes see in SOLDIERs," Hojo glanced at the General, "is that the affected individual becomes irrationally enraged. Mako madness," He tisked as he set the camera down and moved back to the microscope. "Your Mentor can tell you more. I have much work to do."

Talin was understandably shaken at this news and took a step towards the now seated scientist.

"But, what... what do we do about it?" As much as he feared this man, death or uncontrolled violence were powerful motivators to ask him for help. A strong hand landed on his shoulder, keeping him in place.

"What options do we have, Professor?" The title was spoken in an uncomfortable tightness when Sephiroth asked. He could tell that the Cadet was scared, but wouldn't let him sell his soul to the devil for a possible cure.

Hojo looked up with a thoughtful expression before turning back to the blood slides. "I will test a few things and let you know when I have a possible solution." No further discussion was needed in the older man's mind, and he focused entirely on the intriguing reactions under the microscope, ignoring all others completely.

Talin's brain was scrambled. He was trying to wrap his head around everything he had just heard when the hand on his shoulder pulled him slightly towards the door.

"Come, Cadet. We have time left for some training." He went willingly but still felt slightly numb.

By the time they made it to the elevator, Talin's mind was reeling with questions and lifted his head to his Mentor.

"What did Hojo mean by Mako Madness?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know but asked anyway. A small twitch of the General's face betrayed his annoyance. As he answered it was clear that the resentment was directed at the old scientist and not Talin.

"As was described, it's uncontrollable violence that is only cured by allowing the afflicted to expend built up Mako. It's only happened to SOLDIERs getting their initial dose of Mako. After the first few cases, we now ensure 3rds receive their injections with a higher rank SOLDIER available to monitor them." His gaze had darkened by the time the elevator doors opened and Talin didn't ask anything further about it. I guess even SOLDIERs have worries. He thought and then could have slapped himself for stupidity. Of course, SOLDIERs would have worries and fears. They went to war, handled monsters Talin had never seen, and dealt with all sorts of issues for Shin-Ra.

Safely back in the training room on the 50th floor, Talin tried to refocus on the original point of them being there.

"Now that that is over, the main reason I wanted you here on a Saturday was to give you recovery time before our Monday session." The silver General said as he moved to the center of the room. "I want to see your extremes. How hard you can hit, how high you can jump," He said in a commanding tone. "I want you to use as much Mako as you can to show me exactly what you can do."

"Isn't that what we did before?" Talin asked with a slight frown.

"No. Last time you were running from me or trying to land a hit that I was dodging or blocking. This time I want to see each individual action at full strength." Sephiroth turned to lock eyes with him again. Every time the Cadet didn't flinch away was a small confirmation to the SOLDIER that he had been right to take him as a Trainee. "I don't want you holding back this time, Cadet. All your strikes will be against a combat dummy if that's what it takes."

Talin internally sighed in relief. He knew the General could take anything he could throw but it still felt better to hit something inanimate.

With that concern settled, the General ordered him through a rigorous set of trials. He tested Talin's speed, his hand-eye coordination, dodging ability, even his flexibility with a number of stretches. He was told to jump as high as possible, hit a dummy with several types of strikes at full power, and so much more.

Talin was starting to wonder how much further he could push himself when Sephiroth called a halt to the evaluation. Collapsing to the floor, he tried to catch his breath, doubly exhausted after the day's events. The sound of boots drew his attention and he stood before the General could reach him.

"I know you're still recovering from our sparing yesterday so I'm ending our session early today. I would, however, like to see your arms up close," the man held out a hand and Talin slowly rolled his sleeve up and held out his own hand.

Sephiroth maneuvered the limb this way and that to look at different sections. It was a different experience altogether from the exam done by Hojo. Where the scientist had been critical of every variation in the skin and what it did when poked or scraped, the General was simply curious about his new charge. His hands were firm where they held him, but Talin felt he could pull away at any time. That fact alone relaxed his apprehension.

"Commander Fair said this happened when you were young?"

Talin nodded, "I was about six. Shouldn't have been in the mines by myself..." He trailed of. The dream/memory from yesterday, still fresh in his mind, caused a small shiver of remembered terror to slide down his spine.

The hands-on his arm released him and Talin looked up into those cat green eyes. Unlike Zack's eyes that swirled with Mako, Sephiroth's were almost as still as a normal human iris, almost. Mako was still visible in a molasses slow twisting around that unique slit pupil. They always looked emotionless but, this close, he could see the smallest amount of concern in their depths.

Just as the owner of those exceptional eyes is about to speak again, the doors to the training room open. A very smug-looking Hojo enters.

"I may have a solution for you, or at least a trial version of it."

Both Mentor and Trainee look from the Professor to each other in stunned silence. Sephiroth regains his composure first.

"A few hours is hardly enough time to come up with a viable solution..." A scoff cut him off.

"Regardless of how much time has passed, I have found a serum that reacts appropriately with the boy's blood and I propose a trial. If successful, the Mako in his system will stabilize for several hours. Then we can plan for a complete injection should everything go well." Hojo strode forward as if to try pulling Talin to his lab then and there, but Sephiroth stepped slightly in front of his student.

"And what if it doesn't go well? What possible side effects could this drug have if it doesn't work?" Ever suspicious of anything this man wanted to inject anyone with, the General would do his best to ensure this was safe.

"If it fails, he will only be violently ill, like a flu. Nothing more." The disdain and flippancy in those words only irked Sephiroth more. Such illness could still be dangerous...

Talin was still stunned at the speed of turn around by the scientist. Hojo was either extraordinarily lucky to have found a possible stabilizer so quickly, amazingly smart to have worked out just what to try, or he was lying. The last option felt unlikely but not outside the realm of the 'mad scientist' title Hojo had earned. He could easily feel the tension in the air between the two and weighed his choices as they bickered.

He didn't like the idea of being a walking hazard, but was the test worth the risk? Talin's thoughts flashed to an image that was burned into his mind's eye. A crumpled body covered in blood lying at his feet. He'd been young and had attacked in a fit of rage... had it been an early case of Mako Madness? Bile rose in his throat at the memories but they pushed him to a decision.

"I'll do it," He said softly. The argument died and both turned to the Cadet with very different expressions. Hojo was smug once again and Sephiroth had an oddly pensive look.

"Very good," Hojo couldn't help his excited grin. He had hoped not to have to worry about the General getting in his way, but this was even better. Now the kid was coming willingly. "Come, we can do the test at once," He said and turned to the doors, expecting the Cadet to follow.

"As you wish, Cadet Graft, but I'll accompany you to monitor the treatment," The General's tone was cold but this time Talin knew he had caused the chill. He didn't want to be in Hojo's lab any more than the next person, but he wouldn't turn his back on a possible solution.

The three moved together to the elevator and then into the same testing room in the lab as before. The whole way the Cadet kept glancing at Sephiroth, but the man might as well be made of stone. He felt bad for causing his Mentor's obvious irritation and for acting selfishly. He knew from their previous conversation that the General wouldn't leave him alone if he could help it, but didn't factor that into his decision when he said yes. The Professor moved to a side counter and started prepping something, leaving Talin standing by the silver-haired man.

"You know you don't have to do this now, you could wait." The older man said in a quiet voice, intending only Talin to hear him.

"I could, Sir, but the wait wouldn't change my decision to do the test. If this can help prevent..." He had a hard time thinking of what kind of future awaited him should no cure be found, "I won't risk the safety of others." His thoughts were turbulent as the moments passed.

"It'll hurt. Be prepared for that." Turning, Talin saw Sephiroth was focused on the restraint chair, not on Hojo.

"How do you know?"

"Everything Hojo does hurts..." The General stated bluntly and crossed his arms.

Fear was growing into a living thing in Talin's gut. Fear of this lab, of the unknown, of failure. He wanted to say he wasn't afraid of pain but it would be a lie.

"Sit, and we will begin," Hojo called as he picked up a few items and turned back to face them. A shiver ran down Talin's spine. Bravado would gain him nothing but neither would outright terror. With a last glance to the General, he moved to sit in the chair. Their eyes met as he sat and they held the contact while the Professor strapped both arms, shoulders, and chest to the chair.

"A safety precaution," The scientist said when Talin flinched. The teen's panic was rising. He hadn't thought he would need to be restrained for the test and was starting to regret his decisions.

At the push of a button, the left arm of the chair straightened allowing access to his arm for the injection. His attention was drawn away from Sephiroth at the movement and he saw the items set out on a small side table. An IV kit a few alcohol wipes and a large syringe full of a liquid that was almost white.

"What is that exactly?" Talin could have smacked himself for not asking before. Hojo's smirk almost made him regret asking.

"It's a type of stabilizer we use when making Materia. Since Materia is a crystallized form of Mako, it was first on my list for testing," This was all said as he prepped the Cadet's arm for the IV.

His curiosity had slightly distracted Talin from what was happening but the harsh rubbing of an alcohol pad on his arm brought back a flood of nervousness.

"Cadet," The authority in that voice pulled Talin's eyes away from his arm and up to the SOLDIER who now only stood a few feet from him. For the hundredth time that day, their eyes locked, and Talin was trapped by their intensity. Even the stab of the needle didn't change his focus, he grit his teeth and didn't look away.

A wave of nausea hit him and he fought to continue breathing past it, but still, he watched his mentor. The churning of Talin's stomach got worse and he started to fear that the test had failed. Hojo had said he would be sick like he had the Flu...

Pain suddenly shot up his arm from the injection site and burned through his veins like wildfire. He lost their staring match as his eyes snapped shut. Something firm was shoved between his teeth when he gasped at the IV being pulled out. In the back of his mind, he realized it was a guard to protect him from biting his tongue.

Arms strained against the restraints, his breathing became labored, and sweat dripped from his forehead. Struggling to open his eyes, he could only see a blurred outline of Sephiroth. The man had moved closer and Talin tried to lift his head high enough to look him in the face just as another wave of fire coursed through him. It was too much and everything went dark.