Disclaimer: Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making money off of this.
Chapter Thirteen
Betrayed
"What...?" Hojo stood alone in front of the mirror in the dark bathroom. He had shut the door when he noticed something strange while washing his hands after using the restroom. He hadn't turned on the lights so he wouldn't disturb his wife. The moon that night was full and gave the suite enough light through the windows so Hojo could navigate to the restroom. But it was unmistakable. He turned the lights on, and no difference could be noted. Apparently it couldn't be detected when there was sufficient light, but in the pitch black, it was obvious.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Lucrecia was knocked on the bathroom door. Either she had to go to the restroom as well or had heard the door shut, "I know you're in there. Why don't you have the lights on?"
Quickly, Hojo turned on the light switch so his wife wouldn't see his…difference. Then he opened the door to find his wife standing there with her arms crossed above her round stomach.
He replied, "…Nothing's wrong. Do you need to go?"
"I thought I heard you say something."
"It's nothing, it's…"
"No, I know you. Something's wrong."
Hojo looked away, "I think something's happening to me…"
"What do you mean?"
"…It might be the injections." Hojo gently took his wife's arm and pulled her into the bathroom, "I don't want to frighten you, Lucrecia," he shut the door, "but it's going to come out sooner or later. I'd rather you know now." He turned the lights off.
"Know wh…? Hojo!" Lucrecia exclaimed in surprise as she looked at her husband's face in the darkness, "Your eyes!"
They were glowing, like glow-in-the-dark paper that didn't look unusual in the light, but showed its true nature in the shadows. And now that Hojo had a chance to think about it, he wondered if this would happen to Lucrecia as well.
Lucrecia also thought of that, "You said it might be the injections…"
"Captain Tamrelan, after we gave him the Mako infusions, started to have the same symptoms as well."
"But why would Jenova cells and Mako have the same effect on the eyes?"
"I don't know."
"We need to tell Dr. Gast; he's getting back tomorrow… But, Hojo, we could see Tamrelan's eyes glowing in the light. Why are yours different?"
"I don't know; it may have something to do with the eye color."
Lucrecia bit her lip, "Let's go to bed."
"Everything will be all right; I'm certain it's innocuous."
And he was certain. It had startled him at first, to be sure, but once he thought about it, there was probably going to be no negative results from this change.
The next day…
Dr. Gast appeared a little more sober than usual when he arrivedand the news about Hojo's eyes didn't seem to interest him a good deal. However, he did give Hojo the obligatory interrogation. Did it affect his seeing ability? Did he have anymore buzzing in the ears? Anymore voices? The answers to all of these questions were surprisingly no. Things in Hojo's mind had been rather quiet during the past couple of days. But he didn't expect it to last forever.
Dr. Gast then took the time to examine Lucrecia, and everything was going along smoothly. He told her that she should probably expect to have the same glowing in her eyes in a few weeks, because she had taken her injection only a little while after Hojo. But the baby's heartbeat was still strong and Lucrecia's blood pressure was normal for pregnancy.
Vincent Valentine met them in the stairwell after the three scientists emerged from the secret passageway.
"How did the trip go?" he asked Dr. Gast.
"Uh…It went just fine," Dr. Gast replied, "Mr. Valentine, I actually need to speak with you."
"Okay."
"Alone."
"…All right."
Hojo and Lucrecia went to the kitchen to get some lunch, and Vincent joined Dr. Gast in the secret library. Once they were there and the door was shut, Gast turned to Vincent and spoke, "After Lucrecia's injection, the president sent me some…classified information."
"And I take it I need to know about it as well."
"Yes; I will need your assistance."
"Very well."
Gast took a deep breath and tried to find words to explain the ownership rights, but he couldn't. He said, "Wait a moment," and he fumbled through his briefcase to get the letter and the documents concerning the law. Perhaps it would be better if Vincent just saw it for himself. Then he thought, what if Vincent did react negatively to this? The more Gast thought about it, the more he knew that Vincent could not know about this, or else. Vincent's temper was such that he might wish to do something about it if he thought that Lucrecia and his half-brother were being wronged. And if he actually brought it to the public light…
He put aside his briefcase and said, "No…Vincent, I'm sorry. Something's been brought to my attention. You can go about your business."
Vincent stood questioningly staring at Dr. Gast for a moment, but then nodded and left the library.
Two weeks later…
"Transferred?" Vincent's eyebrows were raised, "What do you mean, transferred?"
"That's what the order says, Vincent," Dr. Gast answered, holding the letter in front of him, "The President wants you back in Midgar. No questions asked."
"But what have I...?"
"No questions asked."
Vincent took the letter given to him and read it, and reread it. It had the president's signature, and his smooth way of putting things. But why would the president himself…? It didn't make sense. And why did the president write it to Dr. Gast and not to him? But he knew he shouldn't be too surprised. The president saw the Turks as nothing but instruments of dirty work and protection. But he had done nothing so far to dissatisfy the president with his work, except maybe a bout with Dr. Hojo every now and then. But that wasn't really significant.
The letter said that Vincent was to leave the moment the truck arrived with the replacement. Dr. Gast had shrewdly waited until the truck came and Vincent came to him asking him why the vehicle was there. Hojo and Lucrecia were in town and unaware of what was going on. Vincent had barely enough time to get his things together.
In fact, Hojo and Lucrecia didn't even know of his departure until they came back to the mansion and met the Turk that the president sent to replace Vincent. His name was Garron Mickleson. He was as tall as Vincent was, but his build was more powerful. He had ashen blond hair and colder eyes than Vincent's. Lucrecia was instantly afraid of him and even Hojo was wondering if Vincent was the lesser of two evils. But Dr. Gast had told them that Vincent had wished to leave. He didn't say why. Hojo and Lucrecia both secretly thought up their own theory. Lucrecia thought that maybe Vincent still had feelings for her and thought it best to leave, and, though it seemed odd, Hojo didn't disagree. The subject was dropped, even though Hojo found himself missing Vincent, just a little. They had a more pressing issue to address. Besides her advancing pregnancy, Lucrecia's eyes had developed a glow as well, not two days after Vincent left.
Shinra Inc. sent a medical doctor to Nibelheim to deliver the baby when the time came. The woman's name was Dr. Alexa Hemin. She was approaching her forties and was an experienced physician. Butthere was nofeeling in her eyes. Lucrecia immediately didn't like her, and, coupled withfear of the new Turk,was feeling more and more insecure. Hojo promised that he would make sure that nothing happened to the baby, but he didn't take to the new doctor either.
"They don't know, do they?" Hemin asked Dr. Gast when they were alone in the library.
Dr. Gast had been measuring out a chemical when his colleague spoke. He slowly put down the bottle and test tube and sighed, "How do I tell them?"
"Since when did you become so soft..."
"They're human beings..."
"...And grow a conscience?"
"They're not animals! You know I never wanted to treat a human being as such!"
"And what's the difference between a human and an animal...?"
"Don't start! They're...They're my friends..."
"They're the property of President Shinra, and they will be treated accordingly. And if you don't like it, you can take it up with the President, and I think we both know how that could turn out. Shinra is beginning to dominate. Soon, they will rule the world. We cannot go against the President's wishes. And besides, this is the opportunity of a lifetime."
Gast bitterly spoke, "I see they've picked the perfect person for this."
"What do you mean?"
"The heartless task of taking a child away from his parents."
"You have done nothing to prevent it, so you can keep your righteous talk for yourself. I've no use for it."
Gast said nothing, but looked away. What had he become? True, he had been guilty of coldness in the past, but he could never bring himself to think of his own associates as the same as the animals in the glass cages in the Shinra laboratories. His conscience had been weighing heavily on him during the last few months. Perhaps...Perhaps he shouldn't have been so cruel to the animals. Maybe he could have seen this coming easier, and maybe he could have had the courage within him to warn the Hojos of the dangers and help them escape and face the consequences himself. No, he knew what he was now: a coward, plain and simple. And Hojo and Lucrecia would hate him. And maybe even Vincent Valentine would seek vengence on him. Gast realized that he was only becoming more fearful; but what choice did he have? He had no cause to be brave, nor did he have the will.
At the beginning of winter...
"Lucrecia," Hojo turned over after being awakened from his sleep by his wife's movement; it was about one o'clock in the morning. He asked, "Are you all right?"
Lucrecia was definitely not all right; at least, not in the normal sense. She was curled up, her legs coming up as far as her distended stomach would allow. She was firmly clutching her pillow and the bedsheets. Hojo could hear her strained breathing.
"The baby's coming..." she gasped out.
"...Is this your first pain?" he asked while turning on the bedroom light. He could then see how red Lucrecia's face was from the contraction. He put his hand on her back, and he could feel the sweat through her nightgown.
"No...it's about my third or fourth."
Hojo's eyebrows raised, "Why didn't you wake me?"
"I didn't want it to be a false alarm..."
"Well, never mind. Just relax..." Hojo started to get out of bed and grabbed his glasses off of the nightstand, "I'll go get Gast and Dr. Hemin."
"Please don't leave me..."
"I have to fetch them, dear."
"I mean...don't leave me with them."
"You know I won't do that. Now, try to relax and I'll be back in a few moments."
It was a relief, actually. Lucrecia was a week overdue. They were going to induce labor in another week from now. Lucrecia really didn't want any drugs put into her, and really the reason why they waited so long was because all of the others were cautious about it as well. They didn't know how the Jenova cells would react to certain drugs. Dr. Hemin and Dr. Gast got up and got into their scrubs as quickly as they could. Hojo would wear scrubs as well. It had been discussed, and it was decided that Lucrecia would deliver the baby in the bedroom.It was too much to askLucrecia to go down to the darklibrary and give birth.Hojo sat beside his wife on the bed while Hemin examined her, and she held onto his hand, squeezing it with every contraction.
Although Dr. Hemin insisted that first births always took the longest, Hojo and Lucrecia both thought that it was taking too long. Her pains continued into the morning, then noon, and on into the afternoon. Lucrecia's labor got worse and worse, but Hojo could walk her around the room between contractions until evening came. Her water broke at about two-forty-three in the afternoon. Around seven-thirty at night, Lucrecia leaned against the bed and started crying. Dr. Gast and Dr. Hemin had left the room and would come back in a little while.
"I don't..." she said, "I don't want towalk anymore!"
"You don't have to," Hojo said, "Just lie down now."
"How much longer?" Lucrecia asked.
"Well, you haven't even started pushing yet. A few hours, I suppose."
"Ohhh..." Lucrecia pressed her head against the cool pillow. Hojo rubbed her bare legs and feet. Her contraction eased, so she relaxed a little. She murmured, "They say that a mother forgets her pain after she sees her baby. Well, seeing the baby must be something." She chuckled weakly, "Must be a boy. Girls aren't this stubborn."
"Unless it's a girl that takes after you."
Lucrecia smirked, "How horrid of you, Dr. Hojo; teasing me in my delicate condition."
But then another pain came and the banter was forgotten. Dr. Gast and Dr. Hemin came in a few minutes later to monitor her progress. The baby was turned the right way; they had made sure to check that even before Lucrecia's labor had started. The night wore on, and Dr. Hemin and Gast didn't leave the room again. When Lucrecia passed the twenty-four hour mark, the time came for her to push. And, unfortunately, hers was one of the cases where pushing the baby out took up to three hours. During the whole time, Lucrecia wailed and pushed at the same time. Hojo had lost feeling in his hand where Lucrecia was holding tight onto it, but he didn't seem to notice. But he maintained hold of his nerve.
Lucrecia was moaning, "I can't! I can't do this..."
"Yes, you can," Hojo managed to keep his voice steady.
"What's taking so long...?"
"You're almost there."
"Just push, Mrs. Hojo," Hemin said, "push when the contractions come."
It was only a few moments after that when Lucrecia gave her final effort. Her grip on Hojo's hand lessened when the sound of a baby's mewling replaced her own cries. Hojo looked up and saw the squirming and bloody infant kicking about in Hemin's hands. Gast was holding out a thick, clean blanket to put the baby in. Hojo watched while Hemin tied and cut the umbilical cord and used a bulb syringe to suck the excess residue out of the infant's nose and mouth. The baby was a boy.
"Is it all right?" Lucrecia panted, "Is my baby all right?"
Hemin replied, "He's healthy, as far as I can tell. And normal; ten fingers, ten toes..."
"He? It's a boy?"
"As soon as we clean him and get him all wrapped up, we'll take him down to the lab for further tests. And we need to make sure your placenta is properly delivered."
"May I see him?" Lucrecia asked, holding her arms out.
"We need to do the tests as quickly as possible," Hemin coldly said.
Hojo was taken aback. He looked at Dr. Gast, but Dr. Gast seemed to purposely avoiding his gaze. Why wouldn't Dr. Hemin let Lucrecia hold her own child, if only for a moment? Lucrecia was puzzled, but she seemed to understand. Using all of her strength, Lucrecia pushed herself up so she could get a good look at the baby. She smiled and watched while Hemin cleaned him. Hojo was amazed that his wife hadn't passed out by now. It seemed what people said was true; a woman's joy at seeing her baby overcomes past pain.
"Oh," Lucrecia cooed, reaching her arm towards her son, "he's beautiful."
She had to lie back down to deliver the afterbirth. After Lucrecia and the baby were both clean, Hemin walked out of the room with the little boy in her arms and Dr. Gast followed.
"How peculiar..." Hojo murmured to himself, a little put out that he and Lucrecia hadn't had the opportunity to hold their son, "they didn't say anything about extra tests to me."
Lucrecia heard him, "Well...she's a medical doctor. She probably knows more. Oh, Hojo, he's the most perfect baby I've ever seen."
"I'll go down there and make sure everything's all right," Hojo tucked his wife in, "And you get some rest."
"We're going to name him Sephiroth, aren't we?"
"...Yes, we are."
"I love you," Lucrecia smiled.
"...I love you too."
Lucrecia smiled and closed her eyes. Hojo was tired as well; almost dizzy from it. But he was too concerned about exactly what Dr. Gast and Dr. Hemin were up to. He left the bedroom and silently went down the hall to Dr. Gast's bedroom, where the secret passage was. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could hear his son's crying from the library doorway, which had been left open. He quietly stole into the laboratory and looked in the back. The baby was lying in a glass-walled cradle and Gast and Hemin were standing over it. Hojo was startled when he saw Dr. Hemin poke a needle into the boy's foot, which they had pulled out of the blanket. The baby wailed in protestation.
Garron Mickleson, who had been missing in action throughout Lucrecia's labor, was standing against the wall, near the passageway that led to the back of the library. Hojo eyed him warily, but Garron seemed to pay no mind to him. Hojo crept to the cradle and stood behind Gast.
"His heartbeat is regular," Hemin said, "He's maintaining body temperature more than a normal infant..."
His colleagues didn't seem to be up to mischief, so Hojo just took a moment to look at his son. Little Sephiroth's face was red from crying. He had a head full of black hair, but as Hojo stared at it, it seemed that there were silver hairs intermixed with it. Hojo supposed that this was a trait inherited from Lucrecia. But the rest of the hair was black, not brown. Hojo wondered if the baby's eyes already had the strange glow that his and Lucrecia's had acquired. But it continued crying, sounding more frightened than angry.
Gast and Hemin jerked around once they realized that someone was standing behind them. "Dr. Hojo," Hemin said, "what are you doing here?"
Her tone was accusing, but Hojo didn't flinch (although he felt like something was terribly wrong). He said, "I just came to see if all was well."
"He's healthy," Gast declared, "Perfectly healthy. He weighs nine pounds and four ounces."
"Good." Hojo circled around the cradle until he was on the opposite side from Gast and Hemin. Sephiroth was a tiny child, no matter what his birth weight was. He was totally dependent on those around him. And he was afraid; that much was obvious. Hojo gently brushed his finger against the infant's cheek, trying to sooth him. Sephiroth responded to the touch, calming down and opening his eyes. Yes, they had a glow, even more so than Hojo and Lucrecia's. And they were green.
Hemin spoke with amazement, "I've never seen a newborn react like that..."
"It would be all right to hold him now, wouldn't it?" Hojo asked.
"Dr. Hojo..." Hemin said, narrowing her eyes at the black-haired scientist, "I must ask you to come with me. I must explain something to you."
Gast groaned and turned away, clenching his fists. Hojo was puzzled, but stepped away with Dr. Hemin. They walked to the other section of the library. Sephiroth had begun to cry again. Hojo turned his head towards the cradle with irritation. He wanted to be with his son; he hoped that Hemin's message would be brief. When he looked back at Dr. Hemin again, Hemin had pulled a file filled with documents out of one of the desk drawers. Hojo had never seen it before.
"Read this," the folder was placed in Hojo's hands.
He opened it, and the first paper was a letter from the President to Dr. Gast, asking how the new experiment was coming along. The next paper was also a letter from the President, commanding that the Hojos' child be used in the Jenova Project. Of course, these were things that Hojo had already known about. But the next letter was the President's command to send Vincent Valentine away. It also stated the exact time that Garron Mickleson was to arrive. Hojo turned towards Dr. Gast, who was nervously fidgeting at the other side of the library.
He asked, "You knew that Vincent was...?"
"Read on, Dr. Hojo," Hemin said.
Resisting the urge to huff, Hojo looked at the next paper. What he saw made his skin numb. At first, he really didn't understand it. He thought that it couldn't possibly mean what it looked like it meant. It was a photocopy of a document from the amendments to the law of the Shinra. "Laboratory Specimens" the heading read, apparently for lack of a more creative term. The Jenova creature had become the property of Shinra. And whoever had Jenova...in them...were property as well, because they were laboratory specimens. That meant that Hojo, Lucrecia, and Sephiroth were essentially slaves.
Hojo felt cold, through and through. But he managed to retain his composure. The only exterior evidence of Hojo's anxiety the slight parting of his lips. Hemin remarked, "Well, you're taking it rather well."
Hojo gritted his teeth and glared up at the medical doctor, "Take it well? Does the fact that my entire family belo...belongs to...? What difference does it make? Why are you showing me this?"
"I suppose I could simply tell you. You see, your son is very important to this Project. He has the most potential to develop the powers of the Cetra. Already, he is showing signs of great strength and intelligence. The President has decided that it is simply not enough for the boy to grow up under over constant survelliance. Something else must be done. We must have his complete obedience."
"What on earth are you talking about?" Hojo asked. Hemin sounded more like a machine programmed for destruction with each passing moment. Hojo was in such a haze he didn't hear Garron Mickleson coming through the corridor.
"I'm afraid that in order to have his complete obedience, the child must grow up separately from other sources of authority. That includes parents."
"...What did you just say?"
"I think you heard me."
"You're...going to take him away from us?"
"You don't necessarily have to give up all contact with him. But your rights as parents have been declared forfeit. He is not to know thatyou're his parents. His parents will be the scientists who surround him."
Hojo's faced began to turn red, "You...You can't do this! He's our son!"
"Not anymore," Hemin sneered towards the documents, "There is a legal paper signing the guardianship of the child over to Shinra Inc. It bears Dr. Gast's signature."
The file and papers fell from Hojo's weakened grip, "Dr. Gast?"
"He is the head of the Jenova Project and the keeper of specimens; that gives him the right. All the paper needs now is a name for the child. You will cooperate, or Mr. Garron will have to take extreme measures against you and your wife."
Hojo then felt something cold and hard pressing against the back of his head. He turned to find Garron standing behind him with the barrel of his automatic handgun pointed between Hojo's eyes. Little Sephiroth was still crying. Dr. Gast was cringing in a corner, too absorbed in his own shame to pay any mind to the infant's wails. His face was buried in one hand, and with the other he pulled at his hair. For several moments, Hojo's grief intermingled with his anger and shock, and he could not move or speak or do anything save keep a gaping look on his face. He looked past Garron's bulky form towards the glass cradle in the front part of the library, where he could see his child's tiny limbs kicking and flailing about while he cried, begging for a little attention. The desire to take his son up in his arms and comfort him and the knowledge that he would never be able to do so nearly took the breath out of Hojo's body. He would have crumpled to the ground if Garron hadn't grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back up.
"You may decide outside," Hemin coldly spoke, "Garron..."
Garron began to drag the black-haired scientist through the corridor. Stumbling along the ground somewhat brought Hojo back to his senses, and he was able to get a good look at his boss. He then remembered his anger. Dr. Gast had known that all of this was going on, and he had never thought to warn Hojo and Lucrecia. He had even signed the paper that took Sephiroth away from them permanently. Hojo knew that Gast was cold towards specimens, but how could he do this? Obviously, the man felt shame, but shame after the fact did not make up for the act itself. The deed was done. Then Hojo's eyes went once again to the baby.
"Sephiroth..." he muttered, too overcome with shock to say anything else, "Sephiroth..."
"What is he talking about?" Hemin asked.
Gast finally spoke up, his voice hoarse, "That's what they planned to name the baby if it was a boy."
"Sephiroth..." Hemin thought for a moment, "...it has a noble ring to it...Sephiroth..." But Hojo didn't hear anymore after he was thrown outside into the dark hallway. He collapsed to his hands and knees. The lump in his throat was making it difficult to breathe. He jumped back up and faced the door, putting his hands on it and almost turning the knob. Then he remembered Garron's gun. But what was he going to do? What could he do? And what was he going to tell Lucrecia?
No...the thought of telling all of this to Lucrecia was unbearable. But Hojo would have to do it. He had to be the one to do it; he couldn't let that horrible woman explain it to his wife. Lucrecia had wanted the child so badly. He had wanted the child. And now...how could they do this to them? It was cruel, inhuman. If Dr. Gast had known what was going to happen (as he obviously did), why didn't he warn Hojo and Lucrecia so perhaps they could make some sort of plan? If anything could have been done, it was too late now. Hojo stumbled through the dank corridor and made his way up the stairs. He gasped for air, and exhaled in little sobs. He would go outside and walk. Let Lucrecia rest for now, in peace. And he didn't want to give anyone the chance to hear him weep.