They didn't know how long they had been imprisoned here. They used to keep a pretty good count of the days, but they eventually started to lose track. Zack guessed it was about nine months but Cloud thought it was longer. Then again, maybe it wasn't that long at all and they were just losing their sense of time. Not seeing a single ray of sun for months on end can do that to someone.

The two of them had kept their spirits up fairly well so far. They recounted funny stories from their adventures and talked about what they would do once they escaped. Which they would, Zack kept promising. Cloud wasn't so sure of that anymore. Every day that passed, they could feel themselves slipping a little more into despair. Conversations that once brought smiles to their faces were now just empty words. They were constantly cold and starving, and they could feel their bodies growing weaker. These days, they barely had enough energy to put up a fight when the guards came for them.

One morning, they found themselves just sitting on their cots waiting for the day's experiments to begin. Cloud was sitting on the edge of his cot with his knees pulled up to his chest. Zack was leaning back tapping one hand idly against the wall. As they waited, a disturbing realization struck Zack. Neither of them had said one word to each other all morning, they had nothing to say to each other anymore. How could that be? They were best friends, surely they could find something to talk about, right? But he couldn't think of anything that hadn't been repeated at least twice in the past few months.

Zack was still deep in thought when they heard the sound of footsteps outside their cell door. He sat up straight while Cloud gripped the side of his cot in anticipation. Cloud noticed that he didn't feel afraid the way he used to anymore. A few months ago, he would cower in fear at this very sound that didn't make him feel anything anymore. He was just tired and faintly angry.

The door opened to reveal Professor Hojo with three orderlies standing behind him. That was strange, the professor never came to their cell personally. Even stranger was the fact that he just stood there, looking at them thoughtfully.

"The hell are you waiting for?" Zack grumbled.

"We're doing something a bit different this morning." Hojo stated in his usual emotionless voice. "I'll only be needing one of you today. So, which will it be?"

Zack and Cloud just blinked at him in bewilderment. "W-what?"

The Professor clicked his tongue impatiently. "Didn't you hear me? I'm asking you to choose which one of you I'm taking."

Cloud felt a hot anger burning through him. He looked up to glare the Professor directly in the eye. "Go fuck yourself." he spat. "We refuse. We're not playing your damn mind games."

The Professor only sneered. "Thank you for volunteering, Mr. Strife."

He waved the orderlies in Cloud's direction, who swarmed the man all at once. He knew that fighting back was pointless against three armed men, but he was really pissed off. He managed to kick one of them away before being incapacitated by a taser bolt. .While he was stunned, one of them grabbed his wrist while another seized him by the collar of his shirt. Zack jumped off his cot and tried to defend his friend, but one of the orderlies shoved him back down. As they started to drag Cloud away, Zack knew what he needed to do.

"TAKE ME!" he shouted loud enough to be heard against the struggle.

Hojo held up a hand to stop his lackeys. Everyone stopped as they turned to look at Zack.

"If you take me, I won't fight you. But you leave him alone."

"No, Zack-" Cloud started to protest.

"Shut up, Cloud!" Zack warned. "I got you into this because I couldn't protect you before. So, I'm doing it now."

"How noble of you." Hojo turned to his lackeys. "Take him."

Cloud watched in horror as Zack was led out of the cell without putting up any kind of fight. He waited alone for hours, his anticipation growing with each passing minute. What were they doing to Zack? Why couldn't he stop them from taking him? The guilt and worry for his friend was unbearable.

After many hours, he could hear movement outside the steel door. He whipped his head up to look at the door as it opened. What he saw made his breath catch in his throat. Zack was dragged across the floor and tossed into the cell, his body completely limp. He was bruised and drenched with blood and sweat.

"Zack!"

Cloud rushed over to his friend and dropped to his knees next to him. He could hear Zack's labored breathing as he started to come around. Cloud put his hands on Zack's shoulders to let him know he was there. He turned his rage on the backs of the guards as they left the cell.

"You sons of bitches, I'll fucking kill all of you!" he screamed. After they had gone, he turned his attention back to Zack. "Zack?! Come on, buddy, say something!"

Zack finally managed to pick his head up. "D-don't worry about me. It's not as bad as it looks." he mumbled weakly.

Cloud helped Zack up to his cot so he could lay down. This was something they had done for each other lots of times, but he wasn't usually the one doing this job. Zack was the older one, the stronger one. Cloud was the weaker one who was always afraid. But when he looked into Zack's eyes, he didn't see any fear. There was nothing behind Zack's eyes but a sad resignation. He knew that if given the chance again, Zack would always choose to protect his friend. Cloud swore silently that the next time, he would be the one doing the protecting.

Why was this happening? Why did Hojo make them choose? But they didn't really have to wonder, they already knew. Not every kind of torture was physical. And in some ways, this was worse.