A/N: This is the second story I've updated today! You guys must be crapping yourselves. :D
Anyway, enjoy! I'm off to finish watching the Patriots game and hopefully get a good start on my shiny new copy of Pokemon Black 2. B-)
The process of joining SOLDIER involved signing a lot of contracts and going over a lot of paperwork. At first I was careful to read the fine print on just about every document, but as it turned out, it was all legal jargon worded precisely so that the common citizen would have no hopes of understanding it. In the end I just signed what I needed to sign and prayed that my single condition to Tseng would protect me.
It wasn't like I had any choice either way...
The Turks still had me staying at the Weyland for the time being, at least until I became an official employee of the company. I wasn't exactly sure where I'd be staying after that—apparently there were barracks on the SOLDIER floor, but it wasn't like I could share living space with the men.
For right now, I was just being led by the nose, doing whatever I was instructed to do. I didn't know what tomorrow held...or the day after, or the day after that. For the foreseeable future, it looked like I was stuck in this world. I forced myself not to think about that too much; it'd just upset me. Somehow I had known something like this was going to happen, though. No matter how much I wanted to go home, some things were just out of my control.
It had been the same last time...I had never asked to be involved. Sometimes life just decided to shit on you.
This was one of those moments when I was having trouble feeling optimistic. I was sitting on a cold metal platform—an operating table, oh boy—wearing nothing but a thin hospital gown. Have I ever mentioned that I hate hospital gowns? I was freezing, and that was just an added discomfort on top of everything else.
Though I was on an operating table and wearing hospital-related garb, this wasn't the infirmary. No, this was actually my first and (hopefully) final visit to the 67th floor—the headquarters of the Science Department. This was where they conducted the mako treatments.
I was no idiot. I knew that there was no way I could get out of this; the minute I joined SOLDIER, I was fated to this. Because of my Exsphere, I already possessed the strength of a low-rank SOLDIER...so naturally, anyone who knew about me was going to immediately wonder how strong mako treatments would make me, and if I could be the next candidate for first class.
To be honest, the thought of it scared me. I earnestly hoped none here at the Science Department were aware of how and why I was recruited. I could just picture Hojo frothing at the mouth, hoping to poke and prod at me until I turned into another Sephiroth. That was the entire reason why I had requested not to be associated with the mad scientist.
No matter how much I told myself to remain still, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. Fear was blooming in the pit of my stomach. I hated this. I hated being in this horrible place, where I knew unspeakable acts were surely being committed for the sake of furthering research. It was even worse knowing I was totally defenseless, because for the first time ever, I had removed my Exsphere.
The process required the subject to remove all clothing and jewelry—there was no way I could explain why I needed to keep it on, so this morning I had taken the Key Crest and Exsphere off and placed them in my bag, leaving them in my hotel room. As a result I had felt horribly weak and nauseous all day, which only added to my trepidation.
My head jerked up as the door at the other end of the room slid open. A blond scientist stepped in, glancing over his clipboard for a moment before looking up at me.
"...Miss Furness, is it?" he said. His tone was polite, but very impersonal.
I nodded slowly.
"Interesting..." the researcher looked me over, and then smiled slightly. "You passed the preliminary test, as expected. It seems you're set to go."
I had trouble feeling enthusiastic about this. To be honest, I had been kind of hoping I'd fail.
Before admitting anyone into the treatments, Shinra always gave a difficult mental and physical test to ensure that the person in question could handle the mako. My physical strength had already been proven, so the preliminary test the scientist spoke of had been solely to test my mental state. Apparently since I had passed, that meant I was mentally stable. Being mentally unstable meant potentially succumbing to mako poisoning—so I hoped they were right about me.
The man gestured for me to lie back on the operating table. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Tseng had already walked me through this during our meeting. I knew what the process entailed; it was a three-day procedure that involved alternating between injections and mako baths, starting out small and gradually increasing the level of mako exposure. I suspected Jenova cells would be injected at some point, too, but of course Shinra was going to keep quiet about that aspect of it.
Lying back, I felt like I was going to puke. Did I really want to do this? This wasn't reversible. No...did I have a choice? They might imprison or even kill me if I tried to get away now.
I closed my eyes, holding my arm out when the researcher asked me to. Then I felt the sting of a needle in the crook of my arm—a mild sedative. Almost immediately the nausea abated, and I felt myself grow limp.
I was grateful for the drug. Keeping my eyes closed, I let go of all awareness until I slipped out of consciousness, hoping against hope that I would not awaken until it was all over.
The ground beneath my feet was muddy and slick, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't run fast enough without slipping. I felt despair eat at the pit of my stomach. It wasn't mud I was treading on, not really. The dirt was mixed with blood.
Everything was on fire. Bodies littered the streets, flesh slashed to ribbons. It was a living nightmare.
There was only one way this could end. I had to finish it before this went too far. Choking on the smoke, I continued to run as fast as I could.
But no matter how much ground I covered, the tall shadow with the long blade was always just out of my reach...
Green. I hated that color.
Where was this? The flames were gone, but my entire body still burned, and I continued to choke.
I could make out the hazy image of a lab through the glass in front of me. Lab...Shinra...mako...
Finally I stopped fighting to breathe, vaguely realizing that I was not choking on the green liquid I was suspended in. There was a mask feeding me air.
I still felt like I was suffocating. Time stretched onward into eternity.
The inside of the mako reactor was completely destroyed. All of the pods were smashed open, revealing the grotesque mutations within. The monsters had fallen to the floor, all of them dead.
I walked slowly up the steps. The last of my energy was gone and I knew there was nothing I could do now, but I found myself unable to stop.
The next chamber revealed the man I had been chasing. He was standing with his back to me, his form hiding Jenova from my view.
I opened my mouth, intending to say his name, but no sound came out. Still, he sensed my presence and turned.
Those catlike green eyes locked on mine, sending chills down my back.
"Who are you?"
The room smelled like vomit.
At some point I was sure I had puked, but I couldn't remember doing it. Several hands grabbed at me, cleaning me up, pulling me off the tile bathroom floor. The lights in here were too harsh—even squeezing my eyes shut did little to ease the horrible headache I had.
I hated the color green, and I hated the feeling of rubber surgical gloves against my skin. I wished they wouldn't touch me. I could kill them for touching me. Poking, prodding...
Another light pain in the crook of my arm, and everything dulled.
When I felt my back against the cold metal of the surgical table again, I gave up and allowed my eyes to slip shut.
It was the first time I had ever seen this building so empty. Last time it had been bustling with people, even on this floor. Men and women in white coats, wheeling specimen carts here and there, some holding clipboards and some using computers...
Though I hated them all, it was still eerie with them gone.
All that was left here were test tubes and foreign equipment with flashing lights and the single long, trailing smear of blood on the floor in front of me.
My feet were moving of their own accord. I followed the trail of blood to the holding chamber I recognized very well, the one that housed Jenova in the Science Department.
The chamber was empty.
When I turned around, he was there. My eyes met green. Burning. Burning with hate.
"Who are you?"
"Nngh..."
Oddly enough, it was the involuntary noise I made that really woke me up. Man, it was nice to be able to use my vocal chords again...for a while it had hurt to speak because I had screamed them raw.
Screamed...? I couldn't remember that, but the thought had floated to the surface all the same. I grimaced, shifting a bit.
Oh. Oh, holy crap. That hurt.
"Ah, it seems you're awake." A female voice roused me further, and I cracked my eyes open a bit.
Thankfully, the light didn't burn. It wasn't harsh fluorescent light, but soft sunlight streaming in through a window to my left. It felt like I hadn't seen the sun, or the outside world for that matter, in ages.
"How are you feeling? Can you speak?"
I turned my attention to the woman standing near the foot of my bed. She was wearing scrubs—nurse's garb. Relief rushed through me in a powerful wave, and through I wasn't feeling particularly cheery, I couldn't stop myself from smiling.
"I'm...better, I guess," I replied. "Where am I?"
She smiled back, writing a few things down on a clipboard. "You're in the East Wing infirmary. Congratulations, SOLDIER. You've completed your mako treatments. The first female ever to do so, for that matter...I think you'll make quite the role model."
I wanted to laugh at that last statement, but I was too caught up in the awe that it was finally over. What a nightmare that had been. Just a blur of pain and fear and horrible, horrible dreams...
...Except I still wasn't entirely sure what had been a dream and what had been reality. I remembered waking up at some point to see someone—something—on an operating table adjacent to me, screaming...
I shuddered and pushed the memory away. No more. I was never going back to that place.
"...What happens now?" I finally asked.
"Well, we'll have to keep you here for a few days until you're well enough to move around," the nurse explained. "After that, a superior officer will come retrieve you. Relax for now—there's no need for you to worry about it."
"Okay," I sighed.
She set down the clipboard. "Give me a moment, and I'll be back with some water and some soup."
"Thanks," I said, and leaned back as she left the room.
My entire body ached, and my mind was a complete blank. Maybe that was a blessing. The nurse was right—no need to worry right now. I just needed to recover. I was still alive, and I was still me...that was enough for now.
After a few minutes she came back as she said she would, a glass of water in one hand and a cup of broth in the other. I realized with a shock that I hadn't actually eaten in three days; the scientists had made sure to keep me hydrated, but that was about it. It was probably because I couldn't have kept anything down in the midst of all that anyway.
I was famished, so the sight of just broth was a little disappointing. I understood, though. My stomach was likely to still be a little weak.
She left to go check on a few other patients, so I got started on my meal. I forced myself to consume the food slowly. I had to regain my energy. The faster I did that, the sooner I could come to grips with everything that was going on.
Exhaustion settled over me the second I set aside the dishes. Knowing there was no point in fighting it, I laid back and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to take me.
The Northern Cave.
Beaten and bloodied, I made my way for the green light overhead, resolute. Up until now, monsters had been attacking me left and right; they finally seemed to have given up. The level of exertion it had taken to make it here was enormous. My body felt like it was on the verge of collapse.
Still, I stubbornly placed one foot in front of the other. Why? Was I still deluding myself into thinking I could make a difference? Chasing the shadow of the man, never catching up...maybe my destiny was to watch him fulfill his, helpless to do anything to stop him.
The light drew ever closer. I climbed upwards, my muscles screaming with the effort.
Finally I was standing before him. Suspended in the mako, cradled in the Northern Crater where it all began, he looked almost serene. He was unmoving, asleep.
I gazed upon him for what seemed like an eternity. Then, slowly, my hand began to move. The mako here had the consistency of gelatin; it stung my skin slightly as I came into contact with it.
I reached out to him, feeling like I was in a trance. I just had to touch him...prove to myself that he was really there. That he existed. That this wasn't a—
His eyes snapped open so suddenly that I had no time to react. He caught hold of my outstretched wrist, gripping it with bruising force.
"YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE," he hissed, his voice booming in my ears.
I could feel the bones in my wrist being crushed. His venomous eyes pinned me there and all I could do was stare back in shock, unable to move, unable to breathe as waves of overwhelming pain threatened to swallow me whole.
"Well, this is a funny coincidence."
I looked up from my breakfast, staring in puzzlement at the unfamiliar youth that had entered the room. He had messy brown hair and bright blue eyes, and he was wearing the purple uniform of a SOLDIER second class.
...Wait a second. Something about that voice...
My brow furrowed. "Kunsel? Is that you?"
He laughed, walking up to the end of my bed. "Of course it's me. Who else did you think it was?"
"I've never seen you with your helmet off," I pointed out.
"Oh, right." He took on a sheepish expression. "Forgot about that...I hardly ever take it off when I'm on duty."
I smiled, setting aside my plate. "So what brings you here, anyway?" It sure was good to see a familiar face again...even if that face wasn't so familiar. Whatever.
I wasn't sure what I had expected Kunsel to look like, but this did seem to suit him. He looked like he might have been a year or two younger than me. Hard to imagine that such elite warriors could be just kids when it all came down to it.
"Apparently I'm in charge of you for the next few days," Kunsel said with a grin. "That's what I've been told, anyway. How are you feeling?"
Kunsel was the superior officer the nurse had been talking about? I was so happy I could cry. Honestly, I was completely out of my element in a military setting—knowing I'd have a friend around was a huge load off my mind.
"I'm fine," I replied. "Antsy. At first the rest was nice, but the nurses still hardly let me out of bed."
"Looks like I'm your key to freedom, then," he said. "You're officially discharged."
My eyebrows shot up. "What? Seriously?"
"Yup." He dropped a duffel bag laden with clothes at the foot of the bed. "Here's your gear, SOLDIER. And this..." Now he held out a plastic card with a photo of me on the front. "This is your Shinra ID. Don't lose it, because it's also your key card to the SOLDIER floor."
I took the card, staring down at it. Well, at least the picture hadn't come out too badly. The words "SOLDIER Third Class" were printed beneath my name. It still felt unreal.
"Today I'll give you a tour of the facilities and explain a bit about how things work around here," Kunsel said. "Change into your uniform and head on up to the forty-ninth floor when you're ready. I'll be waiting for you in the briefing room."
"Got it."
He nodded. "See you then."
After Kunsel left, I reached over to fish through the duffel bag. Immediately my hand met a tough knitted material, and I pulled out a blue sleeveless turtleneck. The uniform...
I looked around, seeing no nurses in sight. Well, since I was discharged, they couldn't fuss over me anymore, right? It was safe to get out of bed now.
Remarkably enough, my body wasn't even the least bit sore. Two days ago it hurt to even move my fingers, never mind the rest of me; now I suddenly felt at the top of my game. I stood and headed straight for the bathroom.
There was a single stand-up shower in here, and I made full use of it. I hadn't bathed in days and I was sick of feeling disgusting.
When I was all dried off, I tugged on my SOLDIER garments layer by layer. First came the pants and the turtleneck. Then I fiddled around with the buckles on the pauldrons for a while, eventually figuring out how the armor secured to my shoulders. Then came the belt, the boots, and finally the gloves.
There, suited up. Now then...
For the first time since I had woken up in the infirmary, I stepped in front of a mirror. The mirror in here was fogged up from the shower steam; I reached out, carefully wiping it away.
The sight awaiting me was like a punch in the gut.
Now was when everything really hit home.
I stared at my reflection, gripping the edge of the sink for support. My eyes...they were glowing. I knew this was what was supposed to happen, I had already seen those eyes on Kunsel, but...
I had avoided looking in mirrors for the past few days for this very reason. I had been too scared of what I might see.
It's just...those weren't my eyes. They were the same size and shape, and yet...
I took a shuddering breath. My eyes were supposed to be brown. It was hard, knowing I had given up part of myself for this. And not only that...now I had that thing's cells inside of me, too.
Brown eyes, like my dad's.
I lowered my gaze. How was I even going to face my family when I went home? And for that matter, what was going to happen between now and then? Working for Shinra, what would I become...?
Overwhelmed, I allowed myself a small, choked sob before falling silent once more. I wanted to break down but this wasn't the time or place to start bawling. Right now I just needed to hold things together, at least for a little longer.
No matter what happens, you're still you.
That's what Lloyd would have told me. I had to keep remembering that; no matter what they had done to me in the Science Department, I was still the same person. Even though it caused me emotional pain, the color of my eyes didn't change anything. It wasn't like my family would reject me just because I no longer had the Furness' trademark dark brown eyes...
Another sob. I sniffled slightly, and then forced myself to breathe slowly for a few seconds. The lump in my throat loosened and I felt myself calm down a little. There...not perfect, but better.
I risked another glance up at the mirror to check my appearance. Good; it didn't look like I had been crying. My eyes were a little wet, but I could fix that in the next few minutes. A quick comb-through with my fingers fixed my short hair, and I was good to go.
Time to go meet Kunsel.
The East Wing infirmary was on the second floor of Shinra HQ, in a building just outside of the main tower. In order to make it to the elevators, I had to take a route via intersecting hallways that led to the tower's second floor central room.
By the time I actually managed to get over there, I found that I had calmed down considerably. It definitely helped actually being able to walk around—I felt like I was finally able to take some action. Lying around in bed had been getting depressing.
And aside from my minor identity crisis, physically I felt great. Like I could run laps around the city without breaking a sweat. Mako, apparently, was like an Exsphere on crack.
...Okay, maybe that was a bad analogy. Still, the effects were definitely stronger than my Exsphere, I could tell that already. I was almost excited to see how I'd do in combat now. Almost. Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to slay a few monsters, right? Just to check. Or maybe Kunsel would let me spar with him...
Still deep in thought over these new developments, I approached the elevator and pressed the call button. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that it took me a moment to even realize who I was staring at when the doors opened.
Genesis was the sole occupant of the elevator. His eyebrows flew up when he saw me; he didn't say a word, just staring at me in complete surprise.
For a moment I mirrored his expression. Of all the people...wow, this was just crazy. Actually, I was kind of glad to see him. He was a reminder that at least not all of this had been in vain. I had saved Genesis from his fate. Now, even if I screwed up at everything else imaginable, I could at least cling to that one good deed.
Unable to help myself, I offered him a cheery smile and came to stand next to him on the elevator. The doors closed, shutting us in.
"Oh, fancy meeting you here," I said, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
The redhead's look of consternation was almost comical. He made a quiet noise of protest, seeming to choke on his words for a few seconds as he attempted to voice a thought to adequately suit this odd situation.
Finally he just shook his head, letting out a short huff.
"SOLDIER floor, I presume?" he asked in a dry tone.
"That's right."
"Convenient," he drawled, gesturing to the corresponding button, which was already lit. "I'm heading there as well."
We were quiet for a second or two as the elevator began moving upwards. I saw the light above the door inching from floor to floor; we still had a ways to go, which meant I'd be in his company for a few minutes. Well, this was going to be interesting.
Since I usually managed to make an idiot out of myself when I did open my mouth, I decided to remain silent this time around. Unfortunately this seemed to be having an adverse effect on Genesis. He was giving me such a blatant expectant look that it was hard not to notice, even though I could only see him from the corner of my eye. It was actually kind of funny. He might not like it if I laughed, though.
"...I see I may have missed a few things during my absence," he finally gave in, crossing his arms. "Here I spent all this time searching for you in Junon, when you were right under my nose."
Well, I couldn't keep quiet at that. I turned to look at him, raising my eyebrows. "You were looking for me?"
He smirked, seeming pleased at finally having caught my attention. "Oh, yes. I cleared up your misunderstanding with the Junon troops, and I thought I might seek you out to satisfy my curiosity."
Misunderstanding? Wait...that explained a few things. If Genesis had helped me out back there, that was probably why Shinra hadn't received any reports about me. Otherwise I might've been taken in for questioning.
"Huh...thanks for covering for me," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I owe you one."
Genesis shook his head. "No, it is I who is indebted to you...Brittany, was it? In two weeks, you've gone from fugitive to SOLIDER...care to explain?"
I shrugged noncommittally, knowing the real story would take more time than we had. "The Turks asked nicely."
That caused him to snort. "Really."
The light had finally fallen on the 49th floor, and the elevator stopped. There was a small beep, and a screen above the floor buttons lit up. The words "ENTER CARD KEY" appeared in blue.
The redhead's face fell, and he looked a little irritated at the interruption. He pulled out his own ID, scanning it. The screen flashed green, and the elevator doors opened.
"Hmph...duty calls. I have a meeting to—" He cut himself off, seeming to think of something, and then stared down at me with a frown. "Where are you going?"
"Briefing room," I replied as we stepped out of the elevator. "Meeting a superior. It's my first official day."
His lips turned up in a wry smile. "You're going to have a hell of a time getting anyone to take you seriously, you know. In case you haven't noticed, you're a woman."
"I have noticed, but thanks for the reminder." I rolled my eyes, turning in the direction I knew the briefing room to be. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you around."
He nodded and we parted ways, Genesis walking in the opposite direction to an area I didn't recognize.
"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess..."
I heard him murmur the words as he left, his voice thoughtful. Quoting LOVELESS already, huh? I looked around in his direction out of reflex, and had just enough time to catch one last glimpse. He turned his head slightly, as if he sensed my gaze; then he rounded the corner at the end of the hall with a graceful flourish of his coat, and he was gone.
Okay, normal people didn't make exits like that. I smiled, shaking my head; it looked like no matter what setting he was in, Genesis always had a taste for the dramatic.
A/N: Just a short meeting to start out...but I can't wait to really write Genesis. :D this won't be the last OC Brit sees of him, I assure you. In fact, she couldn't avoid him if she wanted to! ...She probably will want to. XD
What's up with those dreams? Well, I know, but I do always enjoy hearing my reviewers speculate and make predictions. B-D Ohoho.
See you guys next week! EVEN IF THE MORROW IS BARREN OF PROMISES, NOTHING SHALL FORESTALL MY RETUUUURN *dramatic pose*
Next time: SOLDIER life. Angeal. The puppy.