Hello, my lovely readers.

I'm sorry to say that this chapter wasn't that great because introducing Hojo gets me moody... Or he just doesn't want to co-operate... Either way, I didn't really enjoy writing this chapter but I hope you enjoy reading this.

Enjoy!

I do not own anything to do with Final Fantasy VII (That right goes to Square Enix), I only own the original character, Tristis Memoria/Nix Somnium and the twists added to the plot.

Chapter Eleven - He Is The Monster

Genesis and Tristis never talked about her nightmare when the others came back. Genesis hated not knowing things, but he didn't have the heart to ask her to remember it all. She had never cried before even as a child. Maybe it's because she had nothing to cry about or maybe it was because she had a strong willed persona (he preferred the latter). Something about Genesis wished he didn't depend on her, but he felt as if he constantly (and unconciously) did... She had this strong aura emitting from her, like she had faced through everything and came out alright. If he found her broken over something then there was no way anyone else could pull through. So when he got the phone call that night, hearing her sniffle and show her insecurities made him feel guilty. There was no way he could keep ignoring the fact that she had her feared moments and that she couldn't be the pillar of strength he had seen in her all the time.

During their two years being reunited in ShinRa, she had told him about how she had met her other friends, Zack and Cloud. He could tell that Cloud admired her like he admired the first class SOLDIERs. Zack had that feeling too although he didn't show it as much as he did to Angeal (maybe all those speeches for honor and dreams had finally pummeled his mind into a pile of mushed bits and pieces), but it was still there.

To keep her secret was rather hard for him. He suddenly hated it how everyone looked at her like nothing could faze her. Because beneath her benevolent emerald gaze, there was hidden emotions she had tucked away. He wondered if anyone noticed that she needed someone to lean against too. It comforted him to know that she could count on him but who else did she have? Did she even want to tell him if it weren't as bad as he had presumed it was? He knew she had many secrets and he hated that. Throughout the years, she had only given them vague answers for vital questions like whom had trained her to fight so well. "A mentor and myself." she had said but she never mentioned a name no matter how hard they tried.

She was a broken good trying to piece itself together.

"Professor Hojo will be coming back from Bone Village." Sephiroth informed him and Angeal when they were seated inside the General's office.

The cinnamon haired man looked up, slightly concerned and slightly angered. "Two years pass by fast." He commented dryly. "What was he doing in that place anyways?"

"I do not know." Sephiroth said as he typed on the computer.

"Does he know about Tristis?" Angeal asked, his forehead creased with worry.

Sephiroth's typing slowed to a stop, staring blankly at the screen as if to unveil some sort of mystery. He slowly turned in his chair to stair at them both, a flicker of emotion ran across his cat-like eyes. Regret maybe. "Yes. Some of the scientists emailed him her reports and he was..." He hesitated. "Intrigued..."

"And what is he planning to do with her?" Genesis growled, "She's already got mako in her body, Goddess knows how, but she doesn't need any injections which is the only thing Hojo is supposed to do to SOLDIERs."

Angeal was stiff and worried but tried to stay composed. "Genesis, calm down."

"Hojo has somehow wealsed his way into asking the president for an interview with her. To collect more data about her because her profile still hasn't been updated since her time as her male counterpart."

He saw Angeal grip the arm rests of his seat and kept his mouth in a thin line before standing up and nodding. "Will someone stay with her?"

"It is for Lazard to agree and her to decide."

The day had passed without Tristis anywhere. The only thing she had left was a text.

"I'm checking something out. I won't be at ShinRa for the whole day. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Zack had tried calling her, but her phone was turned off. He was even determined to go looking all throughout Midgar for her just to warn her about Hojo. But Cloud and Angeal had managed to coax him into training and letting her do what she wanted. Tristis was going to be boxed up in a room with only Hojo and probably a Turk. If they caged her inside ShinRa, then that would make it more harder for her.

By the time morning came, Tristis was already gone from her apartment and inside the interview room. Cloud had classes while Zack had to reluctantly help Lazard for something. Sephiroth couldn't keep her company because of his paper work so only Genesis and Angeal could look through the one-way mirror.

The room was white and for some reason, it made Tristis look much more pale.

Is she nervous? Genesis thought.

Tristis was sitting on a metal chair with a table and chair opposite her. An unknown Turk stood by the corner as they waited for Professor Hojo. She looked calm with her hands laying ontop of the other on the metalic table. But when Hojo came in, she became rigid for a moment before settling back into her facade. Hojo sat infront of her with greasy black hair, wrinkled face and glasses.

"Hello Miss Memoria." He spoke with a sickeningly sweet, carefree tone.

"Professor Hojo." She nodded.

He began piling some sheets of paper along the desk before looking straight at her. "I've seen your report that you have a substantial amount of mako in your body."

"Yes."

"How did you get it?" His voice suddenly became professional and cold.

"I don't know."

"That doesn't seem to be the truth."

"Then maybe I was born with it."

"That's rather unique." Hojo said, a spark of curiousity flashed into his stormy gray eyes.

"I suppose it is."

"Who taught you to fight, hm? It says in your report as a cadet that you were an exceptional fighter. You had skills in almost every weapon you used."

"A man."

He kept asking her questions in which Tristis gave him vague and almost useless answers to them. She still looked calm with no hint of irritation, maybe even sleepiness. Hojo, however, they could read like a book. He was quickly losing paitence with her deliberate one word answers.

"Why did you join SOLDIER? Girls usually want to stay at home and do... house work." Hojo sneered, writing something on his clipboard as he waited for her to answer.

"I want to save..." She paused as she thought of an appropriate way to somehow change the subject. "People... Like how SOLDIERs should..."

"It's nice to have unreachable dreams, hm?"

She twitched. It was a noticable, irritated twitch of her hand and eye. She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth before trying to state evenly, "I don't think it's unreachable. If I try hard enough, it'll be within my grasp."

The scientist ignored her with a small hum, like he was talking to a child. It made her blood boil. She was not a child - far from it infact. She had to endure answering questions that she wanted to keep to herself. Being around scientists never helped Tristis. It made her more angry and sometimes, even blood thirsty. Her fists were shaking, wanting to feel the sound of it colliding with Hojo's cheek and to hear a nice crack disturb the silence within the room.

He flipped through some papers, sometimes sneering or nodding with approvement. She knew exactly what he was thinking... Exactly... As the ideas were running through his head, she could practically see the images flickering around within her. It was disturbing, blood boiling and beyond disgusting just thinking about it. "I would like to use you for some research." Hojo stated, looking straight into her eyes.

Her skin prickled with fear and anger. "What?" She hissed.

"If I do some research on you, you could become stronger and let some females within SOLDIER. You want to save people? I'm sure I can formulate something to help you." He was lying through his teeth.

Yes, he did want research. But for a completely different reason. Memories began flowing through her mind in flashes. She thought about Vincent, his old lover Lucrecia (he had given her specific details and even showed her the cave of which she settled in), Cloud, Zack, Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal. "No." She stated, her eyes darkening from the bright emerald to the dark forest green.

"By the looks of your reports... Talented in combat, beautiful and filled with mako... You'd be perfect." His mouth twitched upwards. It wasn't a smile. It was a sinister, disgusting grin that mad men did. "My my, you'd make the perfect monster."

Tristis saw red.

In such speed, she lunged at him, shoving the table away to let the papers rain down. The Turk inside the room couldn't even react by the time Tristis's fist collided at Hojo's face much like how she wished so. She heard a loud bone-chilling crack and felt warm liquid against her knuckles. Hojo toppled to the floor with a loud cry of pain while Tristis stood, her shadow looming over his feeble state.

"That was for my friends." She growled. "I don't make deals with the devil. So stop playing God and go die." Her voice was hard, cold and frightening. Her eyes were slanted into a deathly glare with glowing green within. She looked at him for a long time, with the Turk in the corner shocked. She then made a face potraying how disgusting Hojo was to her before walking out of the room.

Angeal and Genesis had ran out of the one-way mirror room to go see Tristis. They were shocked to see her so angered... She looked as if she was ready to kill the scientist (not that Genesis would complain). When they found her a few metres away from the door, Angeal grabbed her arm in which she shoved aside roughly.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed, but when she looked up she saw him and she immediately deflated. Guilt, rage, regret and all sorts of emotions swirling within her beautiful eyes.

"Triss-"

"Angeal, just..." She pushed his hand away again sounding defeated and ashamed. "Just... don't..." She whispered.

But the dark haired man just grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace despite her pushing herself against him, whining at him to let go. He just stroked her hair, placing his chin against her head in attempt to calm her down. Genesis stood beside them, knowing Angeal could pacify her without any trouble but he mentally wanted to choke Hojo for making her become such a wreck like the night she had called him.

She did as she released some shaky breaths. "There are reasons why I have secrets."

"We know." Angeal replied. "You'll tell us when you're ready."

" I will. I promise you I will." She fell silent as she wrapped her arms around him, knowing she'd find comfort within his embrace.

She heard Genesis snort before speaking, "By the way, thanks for punching Hojo for me. Maybe you should have punched him harder."

She softly laughed and nodded but her heart felt heavy all over again. Things were already falling into place and she was scared that she couldn't shatter the cycle in time.

She was a broken good trying to pick up the pieces...

I told you this wasn't a great chapter... Sigh...

Professor Hojo will be causing many more troubles for Tristis and her friends (on which I will start planning on now) and I will somehow make the story progress faster because it's not really story-driven right now, isn't it?

Somehow I'll make it go faster. Do you think Tristis should tell someone about her time-travelling power? If so, who and why?
It'll definitely help me progress the story.

Thank you for reading and have a good day!

-Lolimochi.