Dear lord this is not how I intended for the story to go, but my Sephiroth muse had a chance to get out again and just ran. Maybe I should give him some more attention sometime Sure as hell shortened the plot a little bit. But hey, sometimes my stories get TOO long.
I also figured I should clarify the timeline a bit. This story takes place about a year before the events of Crisis Core. Genesis's degradation hasn't surfaced yet and Zack has likely just entered the program and isn't Angeal's student yet. Doesn't mean the puppy wont eventually make an appearance tho.
Please review- DHT
The trip back to Angeal's childhood home had been made in silence. He had been wrong, very wrong about Genesis. The empty coffin Sephiroth had uncovered was proof of that. But in the end it left them with even more questions. Where was Genesis? Who knew the man wasn't dead? Or was he actually dead and they'd just never recovered the body?
Angeal stomach twisted, knowing that his best friend could be out there somewhere, needing his help and he would have just written the man off as dead the same as everyone else.
Everyone else but Sephiroth. The silver general was certain Genesis was alive, and Angeal would trust in that.
They had spoken with his mother, and she had a sick look on her face, admitting that the service was close casket. Genesis had supposedly died in battle, and it had never even occurred to the woman that the redhead boy she had watched grow up wasn't laying still in the pine box he'd supposedly been put to rest in.
The question of where to head next was simpler than one might have expected. Genesis's last known location had been a Wutian battlefield. Currently they were in their 'borrowed' helicopter heading for the southern tip of Wutai.
Genesis's base camp had been in a small settlement called Wu Shen, and SHINRA still had a presence there. In fact pulling up what details he could- even using Sephiroth's clearance, the scenario had become even more disturbing. Whatever cover up had been attempted it was poorly done. The only death report had been that of the Crimson Commander's he had been ambushed the reports said. 5 members of his unit had given accounts of it. 6 Crescent troops had know right were Genesis's normal patrol had passed. A spy responsible for the leak had already been caught and executed. They had hit him with something that just caused Genesis to collapse, or so the report had said. The unit had managed to fight off the attackers after the fact, but not before the Commander was killed.
2 weeks later every member of the unit had disappeared. Currently listed as MIA or AWOL. If they ever even existed. No awards were issued. And no further investigation. Nothing.
Angeal closed the laptop as the helicopter landed. The base camp was eerily silent as the helicopter landed and Sephiroth stepped out. No one came to greet them, and Angeal frowned as he came to stand beside Sephiroth. "There were suppose to be 50 men still stationed here." the Commander muttered.
Sephiroth's face twisted, it wasn't often that Angeal had seen Sephiroth angry. In fact most of the incidents he could remember seeing rage splashed across the General's face had been directly because of the ginger they were currently searching for.
Sephiroth, a calm storm walked forward knocking over one of the tents that stood erect. "There's nothing here." he stated nearly gritting his teeth. "These are same tents we use in training exercises for cadets. Everyone I assure you will be empty."
With one fluid movement Masamune was out and slicing tents into shreds. For his part Angeal stood fist tightened. Each fell and Sephiroth proved to be right, it had been a sham camp. And worst of all it left them with nothing to find Genesis.
Angeal looked to Sephiroth for their next move but what he saw startled him. The man was just standing there at the end of the rows of tents, Masamune had fallen to the ground out of his grip, his hands at his face.
"Sephiroth?" Angeal asked hesitantly walking forward to his friend.
The raven haired man would have missed the response if it hadn't been for his enhanced hearing. "He was never even here."
The General turned to look at Angeal as he came closer, and there was something in Sephiroth's eyes the Commander had never seen before. Hatred.
"They set him up, I don't know if he ever even made it to Wutai but they set him up." the silver haired man was nearly shaking with rage. "I don't know where he is but I will find him." as he spoke he bent down to pick up Masamune and re-sheathed it before turning to the helicopter.
"Where are we going now?" Angeal asked, the only thing keeping him from running in fear was the knowledge that all that rage was not directed at him.
"Back to Midgar." Sephiroth seethed. "And I know just who I'm going to have a talk with first."
Genesis awoke to the feeling of nimble fingers in his hair, the ginger looked up at his lover and smiled despite himself. "Did you sleep?" he asked true concern in his voice. The man knew that Sephiroth had insomnia issues, and would sometimes push himself until he collapsed. Something, he reminded himself with a bit of pride, that had lessened in the last year or so that their relationship had progressed.
"I did." the silver haired man returned the smile as he spoke. Nothing could be more beautiful than the man laying in bed next to him. "I just woke up a little bit ago and couldn't help myself."
Their time together was often short. Hojo and in turn the rest of the board knew about the relationship between the two men, and strongly disapproved. There wasn't much they could do except keep them apart with missions however. Sephiroth and Genesis had gotten so little out of life they actually wanted and weren't willing to give the other up.
Genesis hummed a bit as he leaned into his lover's touch, "Good."
"You're leaving today right?" Sephiroth finally asked. They had, had a week together. Not much time to enjoy each other's presence.
"I am, around 1400." Genesis admitted not wanting to be reminded that he would be leaving here so soon. "I'm glad for the chance to prove myself. It's a rather unstable Zone, but it's a bit bittersweet knowing I only got this opportunity so that they could get me away from you." the ginger admitted before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on Sephiroth's lips.
The silver haired man ran his hand down the back of Genesis's body deepening the kiss, intent on making the most of the time they had before his lover was whisked away by war. One day it would be over and Shinra would have no more excuses to keep them apart.
As the helicopter landed, Sephiroth barely took the time to kill the engine, and Angeal was hot on his heels. The entire trip had been made in more silence, rage building with in the General. The demon of Wutai was now focused on his makers.
Any attempted someone might have made to stop the General was thwarted the moment someone looked at him. His first stop was the SOLDIER floor and Lazard's office. The poor man's secretary dove for cover as Sephiroth walked by and Angeal couldn't even bring himself to comfort the woman.
The door was slammed open and all Lazard had the decency to do was look up from his paperwork and stare at the man.
"Where is he." Sephiroth ground out.
"I'm not sure who you're talking about, but if you are looking for someone you could have just asked my secretary. I hardly personally know where all my men are." Lazard replied, remaining calm behind his desk.
In an instant Lazard's desk and all the things on it were shattered against the wall. The director was hauled off his feet in another and slammed against the back of his wall. "You know who I'm talking about. Where is Genesis. I visited that sham village you had set up. I know he never even made it there. So tell me where is he."
Lazard just looked down at Sephiroth. "Think about this for a minute." the direct offered. "Rhapsodos is dead. I have no idea about the details of the mission, but I know that much. Whatever you found there, just forget about it. You're disappearance and insubordination can be forgiven. "
"I will kill you." Sephiroth snarled.
"No you won't" Lazard replied plainly. "It makes no sense to kill me. What does it accomplish? I know nothing other then what you already know. And what then? They'd hunt you down. You have nowhere else to go. You need Shinra." The blonde shifted a bit in Sephiroth's grasp. "Know this that his death did have meaning. A lot of good will come from it, if it makes you feel any better. "
Sephiroth growled again and threw Lazard against the opposite wall. The man slid down the wall in a slump. A groan that escaped his lips proved he wasn't dead, but the General was done here. Make no mistake Shinra would burn but not before he found Genesis.
As he turned to leave, Lazard looked up at him and let out a hoarse laugh. "It didn't work, but I'm not surprised. Just so you know however, it's your fault. They'd have left him alone if you hadn't decided to make him your whore. Hojo had him. He lied to me so I don't mind ratting him out. But your little fuck toy is dead."
Sephiroth turned to the man and pushed Masamune through his heart but the light had already gone out in his eyes.
The trip to the lab was easy even in Sephiroth's enraged state. He'd done it so many times in his life before. Angeal was torn more then he'd ever been in his life. So much had shattered in the last week, and to stand there and listen to Lazard speak of Genesis the way he had. His sense of honor had never felt lower.
As they entered the lab nothing seemed truly amiss, but Hojo was no to be seen. "Where is he." Sephiroth demanded of one of the lab techs.
One of the lab assistance weakly pointed to a wall as the others ran. Sephiroth turned from them and walked over to the wall with purpose, as Angeal looked between the man who had pointed it out in confusion.
The silver General's eyes narrowed and he was about the end the lab assistance life when he spotted a thin line. In a moment Masamune was cutting at the wall, and Angeal covered his face from the flying debris as the lab assistant fled.
The other side of the wall reveal an area, that if Sephiroth thought about he could vaguely remember from his time before SOLDIER. But was not a time for such things, as his eyes landed on a large glass mako tube holding the man he'd been seeking.
Genesis was floating, pale as the grim reaper. His face was gaunt and he was as thin as even Angeal had ever seen him So much so that he was barely recognizable, but Sephiroth would know Genesis anywhere. , Wires and tube hooked up to his mangled body. He was naked, showing incisions everywhere, the large of which left a massive gash in his chest. If this had not been enough to give even Shinra's great General pause, the mutilated wing sticking out of the man's back did, and Sephiroth let out a chocked gasps at seeing the man he loved in such a state.
A sick laugh flittered through Sephiroth's ears as rage took over his body, replacing the bleak despair he had felt only a moment earlier. "Took you long enough." The voice of Professor Hojo laughed. The vile man stood up on the catwalk above Genesis's tank. A smug expression on his lips.
Sephiroth went to raise his blade against the man and found he couldn't. Everything in his mind was screaming at him to do so but his body wouldn't respond. "Don't bother, you're genetic conditioning won't allow it." the scientist smirked.
Angeal growled, a sound that surprised himself as much as the other's in the room. "What have you done to Genesis." he demanded, making his way over to the console trying to figure out how to free his friend.
Hojo's amusement grew. "He considered you the success, the idiot had no idea what he'd gotten his hands on!" the professor's voice marveled as Sephiroth could do no more than silently seethe. He could no more raise his hand against the man who raised him, the man that tortured Genesis, then he had been able to any other time in his live.
"Don't bother you'll never get him out. Not that I would let you have my prize." The words were directed Angeal.
"Hojo!" Sephiroth's voice sounded with primal fury, as he fought his own body for control.
"Pointless both of you." he muttered, shaking his head. "You had no idea what he was did you? I almost pity you in your ignorance." Hojo adjusted his glasses, and Angeal turned the buster sword on him. Intent to take his pound of flesh.
"I don't fear you boy. So inferior." Hojo shook his head. "I hate to admit that Hollander had any success greater then my own. But truly he's only surpassed me in his ignorance. The man actually listed him as a failure, tossed him aside. " The professor looked at Genesis's tube with something akin to admiration. "No it took a true genius to recognize what he'd managed to do!" another cackle, and even in his enraged state Sephiroth wasn't sure Hojo was actually talking to them.
"You're insane!" Angeal declared trying to find away to Hojo, but there was no clear way to where the man was standing, there was a thick iron door at the back of the room that Angeal theorized might be the way up and so he went for it.
Hojo, however, ignored him. Lost in his insane rant. "The fool actually managed to find a way to combine their dna!" he shook his head. "The specimen wasn't degrading because of the instability of the cells used in the experiment! He was degrading because his very dna was fighting against his self."
Hojo's gaze came back to Sephiroth. "I told you, that he was beneath you." he shook his head. "I was mistaken, you are not worth of him!" the scientist pointed as Angeal slashed against the iron door trying to break it down. "I would like to introduce you to the last living, full-blooded Cetra on the planet."
Sephiroth didn't know what he meant by that, even if he hadn't been so angry, he wouldn't have fully understood. As it was though Hojo's taunting laugh, talking of Genesis as no more then something to be studied struck a nerve so deep that even his conditioning couldn't hold him back. He cried out in pain as he finally moved, but the point was he was moving. Hojo didn't stand a chance as Masamune cut him in two. Angeal turned, thinking he should be horrified, but found no sympathy for the dead.
Covered in his creator's blood Sephiroth simply turned his attention to Genesis. A few quick slashes and the mako tank burst. "Sephiroth no!" Angeal cried, clear enough of mind to realize that Genesis might not survive outside the mako tank.
It passed him over however as he caught Genesis up in his arms and buried his head in the other man's neck. And for the first time in his life Sephiroth truly cried.