Chapter start

The days passed in a mindless cycle for the next week. Waking early enough to shower before Claudia had breakfast prepared, usually something warm and hearty. Then taking a walk with the ever present Turks and, oddly enough, Cloud. Boulder was enjoying the crisp mountain air, while I bundled in multiple layers and refused to go out if the sun wasn't out and about. It might not have made much difference, but I was happy enough to trick my body into thinking the sun equaled warmth.

Afterwards, I would descend to the basement, burying myself in reports and books that I honestly didn't understand half of. Not all of them were about Sephiroth, of course. It had been easy enough to dig around and pull out the plants Hojo had. The ones I was now after were the hidden gems Lucrecia herself had hidden during the more lucid points of her pregnancy.

Even my heart twitched as she detailed the fact Hojo hadn't even allowed her to hold Sephiroth. How she had begged and pleaded. All fell on death ears, and Gast by then was wrapped up in his own personal quest. The man had been hungry for anything Cetra. It wasn't hard to make the assumption part of his love for Ifalna had been prompted by this obsession.

The reports from Lucrecia were so overtly emotional, in direct contrast to Hojo with his pure scientific repertoire. Occasionally Gast would comment on the children from project G, amusing me slightly trying to guess which was Angeal versus Genesis.

It eventually came to it that I was sick of the library, brain mushed by the disgusting things I read versus the things well beyond what I could decipher. With irritation, I hurled the book in my hands against the wall.

Some things I ferreted away, such as the Lucrecia reports and pictures of baby Sephiroth. It had been a delightful surprise to see him so young and most likely vulnerable. I'd smiled slightly seeing he'd actually been born with brunette wisps of hair on his head, fluffy and so soft looking. I wasn't sure when his hair dyed to the silver mass, but I knew they were still soft and silky. The almost toxic looking mako green of his eyes was already there, though.

My heart ached, for he could have been a normal baby. Even now, I despised Lucrecia, despite the sympathy and sorrow that festered at the thought of her. After all, from the beginning, Hojo never forced her. He hadn't made her use her womb as a test. She'd been asked and had been excited for the experiment, naively thinking the baby would be an Ancient, and she and Hojo would be happy together.

She was behind a waterfall, wasn't she? The same crystal that bound chaos and Omega now housed her body. Jenova never released something she'd sunk her claws in, and so the nightmare hadn't ended with the birth. It had continued, and without the baby inside her, Hojo didn't care if she vanished or died. But the attempts to die had all failed, Jenova forcing the body to heal and continue enduring the abuse.

I went into the lab, deciding I needed a break from all of the reports. This room would one day torment the spiky haired teenager that I was coming to enjoy. Cloud was a real sweetheart, and I realized what the Turks were doing. Constantly looking for people who would fit well into their ranks, Reno had marked Cloud and Tseng didn't intervene.

Reno had been building up the blonde's confidence, and had begun teaching him how to fight. He claimed it was to pass the time, but we all knew better. I could have stopped it. I probably should have. I should have been making Shinra sound terrible, that SOLDIER was a den of monsters that no one escaped from. Mentioned the degradation that SOLDIERS dealt with.

I should have crushed his dream.

Instead, I watched passively as Reno and Tseng crowded him, building his confidence block by block. In the end, I wouldn't let them bully him, and that was as far as I'd go. Cloud deserved friends. And none could deny that the Turks were friends. Family, even. They were willing to take him under their wings, making me realize they wanted him in their ranks, most likely.

If he got close to Shinra… would he meet the same fate? Most likely not. Turks hadn't been involved in Nibelheim after all, not until the aftermath. And if he joined as a Turk, while he wouldn't gain all the notoriety of a SOLDIER that he craved, he would be safe from the mako, maybe.

Tseng found me a while later, settled up on a table, idly glaring at the test tube that would hold Cloud and Zach.

"It's rare to find you not in the library?" He set a tray beside me, and I glanced at him.

"Did you know?"

He gave me a considering look. "You'll need to be a tad more specific."

"What Sephiroth… Genesis and Angeal. What they are." What Hojo, Hollander, and Gast had done.

He sighed, deciding to settle beside me, crossing his leg over. "It was before my time. However, I have read the reports."

Of course he had. Turks had a responsibility to know and monitor all potential threats. Potential super humans going crazy would rank pretty high up.

"He deserves to know." I said it quietly, fingers gripping a piece of toast. The texture of the crumbs was odd, small flakes drifting to the floor.

"You know it isn't wise." Tseng gripped my wrist lightly, and I dropped the remains of the toast. I ignored his huff.

"What? Will the big, bad Turks kill me if I'm not quiet?"

The tone of my voice alerted Boulder, who stretched and started growling low in his chest. Tseng didn't even flinch, merely gave me his usual look until I snapped my fingers. At the signal Boulder settled back onto his haunches, ears still alert.

"I believe when we return to Midgar, you will need to speak with your brother," Tseng casually forced me to grip the cup he'd brought with the plate.

The warmth of it stung though my skin, heating my palm up. I focused on it, rather than the swirling thoughts gallivanting along my brain. I'd tipped my hand, letting bitterness lay thick and heavy in the air. I'd always known Shinra was bad news. The game hadn't hidden it. But seeing it, reading it… knowing your family condoned it. That your friends condoned it. That was completely different.

Disgust filtered through my stomach, the lump in my throat too tight to even allow a whimper. Tseng sat beside me quietly, kindly not mentioning the moisture trickling along my cheeks before dripping from my chin.

How could I keep any of this from any of them? I knew I would never forgive myself for anything that happened going forward if I did. Lucrecia had suffered so much, in the end. She'd deserved it. And so did Hojo, when one day the party would kill him. I'd always put Vincent in that party, wanting him to have that revenge.

If I told him, would he thank me for breaking his while world? All Sephiroth knew was being a SOLDIER, and as Hojo's prized experiment. Plenty of times he'd been inattentive, falling asleep in his chair after visiting the science division. I'd never asked what Hojo did during those evaluations.

This was all he'd known, not even realizing that Hojo was his father. Not just some scientist who'd gained custodial privileges. He'd never forgive me for tearing down everything he knew. But if I didn't, I'd never forgive myself. Because if I didn't get him away from Shinra, he'd guarantee learn everything as Hojo intended. The twisted version of it. And my best friend would vanish under the final blow to his delicate mentality.

"We do not hide these things to be cruel." I startled at his voice, forgetting I wasn't alone. "I can speak somewhat frankly here, in ways we cannot in Midgar."

Tseng sighed. "Rufus is fully aware of what the SOLDIER trio is. Once he is in command, he will get the scientists in line."

"And will he destroy Jenova," I snapped. "She's a valuable commodity. The fake fucking Ancient."

Tseng inhaled sharply through his nose. "Those reports aren't in that library."

I paused, before snorting. Ignored the way my heart blundered at the mistake of too much information revealed. I wasn't good, when I was emotional. The tears smeared where I swiped along my cheeks.

"It wasn't hard, but thanks for confirming it. Aerith is the sweetest person I've ever met. If Jenova was an Ancient, I doubt she'd be so… cruel."

"Doctor Crescent was truly a tragedy. As was..."

"Vincent," I finished. Tseng wouldn't have ever met the man. But he was a Turk loyalist, and thus probably felt the churning rage at the fact a Turk had been sacrificed.

Wasn't the Turk boss before Tseng names Veld? He'd been one of the Turks best friends and partner. If I got him awake… would he be able to help stabilize not only Sephiroth, but also the Turks? Would he want to?

"Lucrecia never detailed what happened to him. Do you know," I murmured the question. Without thought my body shifted, curling against his shoulder and leeching his body warmth. Tendrils of hair had fallen from the long hair he'd thrown into a bun, tickling my cheek.

Claudia had cleaned down here, once she'd realized that I held a, probably what she believed, morbid fascination with it. The dirt was gone, all spider webs knocked from the corners, surfaces polished until they gleamed.

I focused on that in order to control myself. Claudia was a literal God send in this town. So sweet, she exuded a warmth despite the harsh reality that had been her life thus far. Her light laugh had even managed to tease a soft smile from Tseng, Vergil adored her cooking. Reno had zeroed more on Cloud, but I had seen how swift he was to escort her if she needed to go into town.

A few days ago, I'd made moves to bring her and Cloud further into orbit. The house they'd called home had been sitting empty, two rooms I'd specifically chosen for them becoming theirs to own. Lavish rooms they wouldn't have chosen on their own, but I wanted it ingrained that they weren't just property for me. Or maybe as a show of what loyalty to Sophie Shinra could bring.

"I do not. I read the reports where she experimented with Chaos. However, nothing lasts of her more extensive reports. They were deemed… dangerous."

He pat at my head. "You have the last reports she'd managed to hide."

"I will tell him," I said stubbornly. "He deserves to know."

"You may lose him," Tseng cautioned.

"I know. Even then…" I sighed, setting the cup down finally. "He thinks Jenova is his mother. He deserves to know the truth. If he finds out what Jenova really is… and he thinks that… what would he think?"

"All I ask is you think carefully. There are things you don't know, things Rufus has managed to keep you away from. Allow him to handle these things. Perhaps one day…"

"You want me to keep lying to him," I retorted.

"I want you to stop acting as though you aren't wise enough to know what is happening. For years, Shinra has operated under one fact. That a lie is as good as truth, when boiled down to the marrow. One little girl, no matter how precocious, is not enough to change that."

"I get it. I really want to believe Rufus will be different. But I also don't wanna lose the people I love waiting around for what might happen."

He hummed, and I let a small smirk grace my lips. "Can we at least kill Hojo?"

He smirked in return. "Perhaps."

It was later the same day, and I crept back through the halls. Night had fallen, and all the Turks had went to bed. Even Tseng, who usually remained awake well into then night. I was barefoot again, to avoid the sound of my heels alerting any of their honed hearing. Vergil would slaughter me if I woke him up creeping around.

When I reached the room that held the safe, I released a breath, peeking into the hall and squinting into the shadows. Nothing stirred, even Boulder safely behind my closed door, sleeping deeply under the covers I'd piled onto him.

The last few days, I'd used the excuse of exploring with Cloud to dig around for the clues to the safe. Once they'd safely been planted into my brain, I'd destroyed them. At the time, I hadn't known if I'd bother with Vincent. I hadn't been willing to leave it to chance though.

Still, I knew what I wanted, just not how to get it. As a result, here I was, hoping to shamelessly lure the former Turk to my side. Regardless of whether he would do so only for Lucrecia, maybe having him… maybe Sephiroth would find more placid waters to descend in to.

Still, I was cautious when I unlocked the safe. After all, the game had a monster there. It creaked alarmingly loud when I swung it open, fingers tightening around the pistol I gripped. I paused, seeing if the noise would cause anything to stir. My breath gushed out, as a hand pressed against my chest in relief. No monster. Gods, the game hadn't missed a chance, had it?

The contents were pretty mundane. Some useless papers I couldn't read in the darkness, scraps of notes. Some jewelry that most likely belonged to either people in the family, or the scientists that once called this home. My fingers lifted a box, flicking the lid open. The key was heavy and brass, a sturdy weight in the palm of one's hand.

This was it. The moment of truth. I was tempted to leave it to Rufus. He loved me, so I knew I'd be safe. It was my friends I was concerned about. Common sense told the truth, that if it came down to us or them, he'd choose us every time. It was something that, while understandable, couldn't be abided.

I couldn't sit placid anymore. And I couldn't rely on the fact that my presence would somehow cage Sephiroth if Jenova awakened.

My steps were silent, descending down the stairs into the foyer, before creeping to where the basement was. Before I could swing the door opened, a floorboard creaked and I whirled, gun finding the shadowy form in the dark.

"Whoa, hey!" Cloud hissed at me.

I released a shaky breath. "What the hell are you doing? Sneaking about like a damned thief!"

"You're one to talk," he tossed back and I paused, mouth gaping. He was right, damn it.

He had an electro mag rod in his dominant hand, Reno gifting him one from his personal weapons to help him train. It made my stomach tight, because the blond did seem to be falling sway to the Turks, and what would that do long term? But… a confident Cloud was a hot Cloud.

It was worth the risk, really, to see him happy maybe. "Listen… I'm just going to see something. Go back to bed."

He snorted, similar to how Reno would, and I took back all I'd thought. A confident Cloud influenced by Reno was too scary to contemplate.

"Yeah, right. You're lucky it was me and not one of the others." The teenager spoke pure truth. "What are you doing?"

Deep breaths, Sophie. I repeated it in my head. Vincent was sane, most likely. It wouldn't hurt to have a tag a long. Right?

"Alright, fine. Whatever Choco-Turk."

"I am not a chocobo!" He groaned. "Or a Turk."

"You totally are, and should be. They get paid a lot better than SOLDIERS." I started down the steps, clutching the wall to avoid a tumble. "Close the door."

The door slid shut, coating us both in pure darkness. It was so thickly impenetrable that my eyes quickly gave up the attempt to make out anything.

"Wait, they get paid more," he asked.

"A lot more. SOLDIERS are used as guard dogs or weapons, so they're flashy. And they have random freedoms the higher up one is. But Turks are the ones who keep things flowing smoothly ."

We reached the bottom and I breathed in relief. "Go turn the light on."

Piss poor design, was this basement. It took a moment, as Cloud shuffled uncertainly in the dark, before the lights came on. No light Penetrated unless the artificial lights were on. Guess it was a nice way to hide a hidden torture chamber.

Cloud crowded me when I slipped the key into the lock, twisting it.

"Why is this room full of coffins?" He asked in a near scandalized tone. "Are we here to grave rob?"

"Oh my… no, you moron. How the fuck would I know what was behind a locked door?"

"Right. Seriously, your family is weird."

"You have no idea," I muttered. He yelped when I shoved a lid off, nearly crashing it into his foot.

"What are you doing," he demanded.

"I'm curious. Why are all these empty coffins in here? They aren't even good quality."

He peeked in to the third coffin I'd opened, wincing already at what he thought would be inside. I snorted, turning away to a slightly more ornate coffin. I swallowed, hands grasping the lid. That wouldn't budge.

Huffing irritability, I gestured Cloud over. He rolled his eyes, but added his strength to mine, letting the lid hit the floor.

"Holy mother of Shiva," he muttered.

Vincent in sleep was actually breathtaking. His skin was pale as marbled alabaster, so perfect it could have been carved by a master craftsman. Due to the perfectly sealed nature of his coffin, no dust or evidence of time had ravaged his clothing or appearance. Seriously, what kind of game did Hojo have to have Lucrecia choosing him over this guy? He could have given me a look in my old life and I've have melted like butter in the sun.

"I knew it. Your family is weird," Cloud groaned, covering his nose with his hand, expecting the smell of rotting flesh to assault his nose.

I gave him a look, fingers reaching out to caress Vincent's cold skin. "Be quiet."

"You're touching the dead body," Cloud dead panned.

"He isn't dead. Look!" I pointed to the faint rise of his chest beneath the blood red cloak. "Breathing means living."

"How the hell?"

"Shinra has a lot of secrets," I said with a dismissive shrug. "Hey, Mister vampire? Wake up."

My voice was a sing song. Before Cloud could react in protest, I found my wrist grabbed harshly, and the world tilting. I didn't register the blurred Nano second of the room spiraling before I crashed against one of the other coffins. Pain erupted along my spine as I coughed from the feeling of my breath being forced out.

Cloud didn't fare any better. He lasted perhaps a minute, long enough for me to drag my unwilling body from the ground. Then he too was hurled, arm grabbed and bent so severely the snap of it cracking echoed in the room. The sound froze the air in my lungs I'd inhaled, before his agonized scream made me refocus.

"Now, now." I muttered, shooting a barrage of bullets, forcing the figure to drop Cloud or be shot.

It wasn't human at all. I danced away from one of its limbs, ignoring the way it had so much force it shattered the ground where I'd been. A bullet landed in one it's eye sockets, blood gushing as it released an angered roar.

I used the distraction to get to Cloud, dropping beside him. "This'll hurt. Blame Sephy."

The green orb in my necklace flared to life as I activated the healing materia, cascading along Clouds arm. He yelped at the burn I knew he'd be feeling.

It seemed the Turk training along with Sephiroth taking his time had helped me a bit. I rolled along the ground after shoving Cloud away, another swing of a limb coming dangerously close. Call me crazy, but decapitation just didn't seem like it was for me.

It was crazy how calm I was, despite the erratic pounding of my heart, adrenaline pumping through.

I waited, and when a limb came at me again, I let it get close enough for Cloud to descend with the mag rod, electricity arcing from the connection. While he did that, I reloaded and sent another bullet for where I assumed the heart was.

It dodged, and knocked us both back down. Before it could grab us again, I activated the fire materia, letting it arc out and over its body. It didn't do much damage, but it let us get further away.

"If you wanted to play, all you had to do was ask. How rude, to just show up." I brushed dust from my pants, shaking my hair our of my face.

"What the hell is that thing," Cloud wondered.

Before I could respond, a blur came in front of us, somehow snarling in an even more disturbing way than the monster before us. Boulder leapt up, fangs latching into the flesh and ripping out a chunk before going in for another. I whistled when the monster gained its balance again, causing Boulder to launch off and come to my side, body heaving with his heavy pants and snarls.

Blood dripped from his maw, pieces of flesh, viscera, and blood dripping down his broad chest. How had he gotten out of my room? Or through the basement door?

Before our eyes, the orange flesh of the monster was overtaken by the ugly purple and my heart stopped. This wasn't some random monster. This was Lost Number, the science experiment meant to guard the safe. Son of a bitch.

"Run!" I snapped at Cloud, not remembering at all how to beat this thing.

Boulder bit at the swinging appendage, ripping the tip off and holding ground somehow. I channeled ice this time. I'd meant for it to incase Lost Number, but it broke through my control, freezing the ground and ceiling over instead, barely touching the monster. I cursed as Boulder slipped with a yelp, Cloud also wheezing when he fell on his stomach. He didn't stop his momentum though, savagely beating at the monster, sending more electric zings through its system.

Thinking, I used the ice I'd created and slid along under the monster before it could swipe at me, firing a bullet directly into its stomach. With my other hand, I channeled fire again, letting it go wild as it spread over the creature's body.

The heat seared me, until Cloud tugged me away, slipping and sliding. The monster was roaring, flames enveloping its body, it's thrashes breaking the coffins around it and also knocking chunks of the ceiling loose. Boulder came to stand beside us. Cloud had me tight in his arms, each of us using the other to balance.

The monster stepped wrong, crashing into Vincent's coffin. My heart stopped, but there wasn't time to react. It focused back on us, and decided to attempt a charge.

"Shit," Cloud shouted. He shoved me away, throwing himself away as well. Boulder launched forward, jaw connecting again as flames burned his body.

He had another chunk of flesh in his mouth when I whistled him away. We were screwed. Before I could try and device an escape plan, the monster jerked. Its body split in half, the blood gushing around as it landed on the ground, bloodied bones snapping and falling.

My breath strangled. Vergil was in front of the now corpse, blood decorating his whole body as he'd been in the trajectory of its flow. Tseng had grabbed me by the arm, hurling me slightly behind him, Reno beside Cloud. Vergil lowered his stance, wrapping his whip back around his knuckles.

It was the one behind the corpse that made me clutch Tseng tightly.

Blood red eyes took in the scene. "More Shinra dogs. What brought you here?"

Blood decorated his arm. He'd punched through the thick skin of Lost Number. He had actually fucking punched through a monster enough that he'd split it in two, with the help of Vergil's whip.

Mister Vampire, that was quite the entrance.