Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Ashen Skies ❯ Chapter 7

“Ashen Skies”

Chapter 7

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Warnings: Het (very mild), Yaoi (implied), ooc-ness due to meds.

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*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

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Cloud eased himself onto the examination table cautiously, mindful of the dizziness that had overcome him earlier. He shot a wary look at the professor as Hojo checked his instruments. He tried to see some resemblance between the scientist and Sephiroth but they were like night and day. Hojo had black, oily-looking hair pulled back into a ponytail. He had sunken eyes, a harsh-looking mouth, hollow cheeks and Cloud even suspected he was developing a bit of a hunch back. In short, Hojo was creepy. Maybe his impression of the man was influenced by the knowledge of what he did to Sephiroth and his mother, though.

 

Hojo picked up an empty syringe and approached the examination table. The lenses of his square glasses reflected the overhead light eerily. “First thing's first, Mr. Strife,” said the professor. “I'll need to draw a blood sample from you.”

 

“For a cold?” Cloud asked dubiously. He covered his mouth as another cough rattled in his chest.

 

“That's a nasty cough you have, boy,” Hojo replied in what Cloud supposed was meant to be a paternal tone. Instead, it was just plain oily—like his hair. “We need to check for infection, understand? A common cold in this climate can easily pave the way for lung infections and respiratory failure. We can't have that, can we?”

 

Cloud looked at the nurse that was standing near the door and he was somewhat comforted by her presence. “That would be bad,” he agreed. He held his arm out dutifully and allowed Hojo to roll his sleeve up and secure the tourniquet around his arm above the elbow. He watched as the professor wiped the inside of his elbow with antiseptic and when the needle approached, he looked away and accepted the little sting without complaint.

 

“Good veins,” Hojo approved.

 

“Uh…thanks?” Cloud supposed that coming from a doctor, it was meant to be a compliment…of sorts.

 

After a few moments, Hojo withdrew the needle and removed the tourniquet. He pulled a small metal side-table over and retrieved a vial from it. As Cloud watched, he injected some of the blood into the vial and then moved on to do the same with three more, until the sample was exhausted. He ordered the nurse to prep the samples for testing and then he began to give Cloud an examination. First, he put a thermometer in Cloud's mouth and had him take off his shirt so that he could listen to his heart and lungs.

 

“Hmm, good, strong heart,” Hojo commented thoughtfully.

 

Cloud tried not to flinch as the cold surface of the stethoscope was pressed against his naked skin in various places. He felt another cough threatening and he strained to hold it back.

 

“Go ahead and cough, boy,” encouraged Hojo. “Let's hear how congested you are.” Cloud coughed and Hojo listened before nodding his head. “Mmm-hmm, you've got a good case of it.” He put the stethoscope away and allowed the blond to put his shirt back on. He asked further questions as he moved on to check Cloud's temperature, eyes, ears, nose, throat, reflexes and blood pressure. He even examined his teeth, which Cloud found very strange.

 

“I notice you're in uniform and you seem to be spending a lot of time with the officers of SOLDIER,” Hojo commented as he examined the thermometer. “Are you hoping to become an operative yourself, Mr. Strife?”

 

Cloud nodded. “Very buch, Professor.” He grimaced, hoping his response was coherent. Evidently, it was because Hojo gave him an intrigued, twisted smile.

 

“Eager, are we? Well, perhaps we'll find out if you're a candidate for Mako treatments while we're taking care of you today, hmm?”

 

“You…can check for that?” Cloud asked hopefully. “Without authorizationd?”

 

“No authorization is required for a routine blood test and examination,” Hojo informed him dryly. “The injections themselves are restricted.”

 

Cloud couldn't quite hide his eagerness. Maybe if Hojo confirmed he was suitable for it, Lazard and whoever else was in control of SOLDIER recruitment would promote him into the ranks sooner. He nodded enthusiastically and Hojo looked pleased. The prospect of finding out if he really had the health qualifications for his dream made Cloud blind to any further diabolical expressions or actions he might have noticed from Hojo.

 

~********************************~

 

Hojo paid no attention to Cloud's muffled coughs and sniffles as he studied the blood samples. He checked for infection first, since the test results for it came faster. He nodded when he confirmed his suspicions. “You have a lung infection, Mr. Strife. I'm afraid you'll have to take some bed rest when we finish here, but we'll get you on the proper…medication.”

 

He heard the blond swear softly under his breath and he appreciated his work ethic. After all, a lazy man wouldn't make for a good Soldier or suit Hojo's purposes if test results were favorable. Hojo retrieved a vial of potent decongestant/antihistamine from the cabinet under the counter and prepared a dose of it for his patient. When Strife saw the syringe he frowned, but he didn't offer any complaints. His feverish, sapphire eyes flicked to the nurse across the room and Hojo grimaced, remembering her presence. Meddler. Sephiroth put her up to watching him, no doubt.

 

“This should begin working fast, boy,” explained Hojo as he approached. “It will make breathing easier and start clearing up the congestion in your lungs. I'll need a shoulder, unless you'd rather take the injection in your buttock.”

 

Cloud hastily unbuttoned the top of his uniform shirt and tugged it down over his right shoulder. Unsurprised by his preference, Hojo administered the shot and disposed of the syringe afterward. “Very good,” he approved. “I appreciate cooperative subj—“ He caught himself. “Patients. Just lie back and relax while I go over the rest of your blood samples, hmm?”

 

Cloud straightened his shirt and lay back on the examination table with visible reluctance. Whether it was because of the dizziness or unease was debatable. No matter…Hojo didn't care how uncomfortable the young man felt in his presence, so long as he continued to cooperate. The professor went back to the counter and checked the results of the other blood samples. When he saw the DNA results, he was treated to a moment of surprised elation. Strife was more than suitable for Mako infusions and he was the first eligible candidate for another certain process that Hojo had seen in years.

 

~Provided he doesn't share Lieutenant Fair's maddening tendency to reject the fusion, I may finally have the opportunity to finish my work.~

 

There remained one immediate complication, however. The young woman assigned to observe his treatment of Strife would likely report back to Sephiroth if she saw him using anything other than standard medicine on the subject…if she didn't try to stop him or call security outright. Hojo crouched before the medication supply cabinet, unlocked it and retrieved a couple of empty bottles before making a show of filling them with a set supply of antibiotics and common flu medications. He noticed that the nurse had a hot drink sitting at the far end of the cabinet, which she sipped now and then. In the process of filling a prescription for Cloud, he palmed a little something for her as well.

 

“Nurse…Allison, is it?” She nodded. “Come and see what you think of this. I'm interested in a second opinion.”

 

“From me?” She looked startled and warily flattered.

 

“You're studying to become a doctor, aren't you?” Hojo pressed.

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“Then come and give me your opinion. Sometimes and amateur perspective can reveal surprising things, my dear.” Hojo motioned her over.

 

Allison complied and he knew he'd pushed the right buttons to distract her. Hojo backed away from the testing equipment and allowed her to have a look. He surreptitiously made his way over to her abandoned drink mug, with his hands clasped behind his back. He pretended to study the chart tacked to the rocky wall, all the while keeping an eye on her from his peripheral vision. When she was sufficiently occupied, he broke open the little capsule he'd fetched and poured the powdery contents into her drink with practiced efficiency. He waited until it dissolved before picking up her mug and bringing it to her.

 

“Don't forget your drink, Allison.”

 

~***********************************~

 

Cloud watched curiously as the nurse looked through the lens of the microscope and Hojo returned to her side with her drink. He wondered what was so interesting about his blood samples that inspired the professor to ask her opinion.

 

“Is something wrong?” He blinked in surprise and inhaled through his nose, relieved to find his nasal passages were no longer completely blocked. Hojo wasn't kidding when he said the shot would work fast. His throat was still raw and his nose was still running a little but he could breathe through it. The pounding in his head was beginning to ease up, as well.

 

“Nothing to be concerned about,” Hojo informed him.

 

“The genetic coding is…different,” announced Allison. She sipped her drink and peered through the microscope again. “It's subtle, but I don't think his proteins match the norm one-hundred percent.”

 

“Very good, my dear,” Hojo complimented.

 

Cloud sat up and furrowed his brow at them. “What does that mean?”

 

“It means you've inherited a rare genetic blueprint,” the nurse said to him with a smile. “But don't worry, it isn't anything bad. It doesn't mean you're prone to any strange illnesses.”

 

Hojo smiled oddly at that and Cloud narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. “So do I pass the test for Mako enhancement?”

 

“Oh yes,” Hojo confirmed with a nod. “I believe you'd take well to the treatments.”

 

The nurse suddenly looked uncomfortable and she busied herself with her drink while Hojo used a keycard to unlock and open the small refrigerator compartment next to the lower medicine cabinets. Knowing that she was there to see to it that Hojo didn't try anything funny, Cloud guessed her discomfort was caused by the talk of Mako infusions.

 

Hojo spoke while he prepared yet another syringe and Cloud sighed and unbuttoned his shirt again, deciding to just leave his shoulder exposed until he was sure the man was finished poking him. “I'm going to give you a dose of antibiotics to help you on your way,” Hojo was saying, “but you'll be leaving here with tablets to take each day until they're gone.”

 

Cloud noticed that the nurse wasn't paying as much attention to what Hojo was doing as before. She was starting to look a bit disoriented, in fact. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

 

She put a hand to her head and frowned. “I'm fine.” But she didn't look “fine” to Cloud. She looked like she was starting to have trouble balancing and keeping her eyes open.

 

Hojo paused in what he was doing and he regarded the woman thoughtfully. “You're overworked and under-rested.”

 

“I can go off duty when we finish here,” she said. There was a slur in her voice. She looked at the mug in her hand and sighed. “Coffee usually perks me up more than this.”

 

“You were already tired when you came on duty,” Hojo observed. “Finish your drink. We should be done here soon. You can have a seat on the stool over there if you like.”

 

“Thank you, Professor.” The nurse downed the rest of her coffee and took him up on the offer. Her eyes took on more of a glazed quality after a moment and she looked like she was starting to nod off.

 

“Well now, let's move on,” Hojo said in a pleased tone.

 

He added some kind of medication to the dose of antibiotics and approached Cloud again. The blond accepted the shot with a grimace. It hurt more than the other one because of the thickness of the liquid. That wasn't so strange but Cloud noticed warmth spreading through his arm as Hojo pushed the plunger down and it continued to spread through his body when the needle came out.

 

“What else is…in that?” Cloud asked. He began to rapidly feel detached and the pleasant warmth made his muscles relax. He felt his lips curving into a stupid grin and he suspected the answer before Hojo even answered.

 

“Just something to help you relax,” said the professor casually.

 

Cloud swayed a little on the examination table and looked at the nurse, hoping the sedative was just procedure. The nurse was now snoring softly in the corner of the room, propped on the stool like a rag doll with her head lowered. Part of Cloud's brain told him he should get out now…something was definitely wrong about this. His body refused to react to the realization, however. He knew he should be alarmed but his muscles were so relaxed he'd probably fall on his face if he tried to stand up. He felt his jaw going slack and his lips parted as he tried to focus his eyes and see what Hojo was doing.

 

The professor had retrieved a large vial from the cooler and though Cloud's vision was blurring, he could see that the vial contained glowing, blue-green liquid. He'd studied up enough on SOLDIER recruitment and Mako enhancements to guess what it was. Cloud pointed clumsily at the vial as Hojo began to extract some of the liquid with a syringe.

 

“Hey,” Cloud said sluggishly, “Is that…Mako?”

 

At that moment, the nurse toppled bonelessly from her perch on the stool and hit the ground without waking up. Cloud's head whipped around and he almost fell off of his own seat as he blinked owlishly down at the unconscious woman. “You okay? Hey Frau…can you hear me?” His question ended in an impulsive giggle, which provoked a little coughing fit and left him hanging onto the table to keep the room from spinning.

 

“She'll be fine, Mr. Strife,” Hojo's voice said from somewhere behind him. “She's only having a nap. Now be a good lad and roll over for me. I'm going to give you something that will make you feel better much, much faster than conventional medicine.”

 

Cloud shrugged and even that small gesture was a challenge for him. “Ja, I'll try,” he agreed with another giggle. He felt Hojo's hands on him as the professor helped him to roll over onto his back again. Cloud struggled to keep his eyes open as the other man loomed over him and his thoughts and inhibitions scattered like dandelions in the wind.

 

“General doesn't look like you at all,” Cloud mumbled with a yawn.

 

“Doesn't he?” Hojo asked patiently. The professor tugged Cloud's shirt open and eased his arms out of the sleeves completely.

 

Cloud shook his head groggily. He peered up at Hojo with one eye closed to focus his vision and he raised his left hand to rudely poke the end of the other man's sharp-tipped nose with his pointer finger. “Nein. You're…ugly. He's pretty.”

 

Hojo smirked. “What I contributed to Sephiroth is far more important than looks, Mr. Strife. Now, hold still. This will burn a little.”

 

Cloud felt the sharp prick of the needle but his muscles were like jelly by now, so he couldn't even flinch. He closed his eyes and started to nod off. A hot/cold burning sensation rushed through his veins to the rest of his body and he gasped. He squirmed a little but the professor clamped a hand down on his arm to prevent it from pulling away from the needle.

 

“Easy, my boy,” Hojo advised. “It will be over soon.”

 

The tingling, burning feeling washed over Cloud and it made every cell in his body feel more alive, even to the roots of his hair. He felt goose bumps spring up on his skin, even as he broke into a sweat. After a while, Cloud blinked his eyes open in confusion but all he could see now were shapeless blobs and dancing colors. A hand pressed against his forehead.

 

“Ah, that took care of the fever,” Hojo said in a satisfied tone. “You see? Much more effective than conventional medicine. Now, lets see how you do with the extra special mixture, shall we?” Hojo lowered his voice conspiringly. “It's reserved only for the best specimens, Mr. Strife. You should be proud.”

 

Cloud tried to say something but all that came out was a questioning murmur. The blobby shadow that was Hojo moved away from him and he heard the clinking of glass. It echoed strangely in the blond's ears but it wasn't unpleasant. It was almost musical. He shut his eyes again and sighed, feeling like he was floating away. The burning was gone now, leaving only the tingles racing over every inch of his body.

 

“I've perfected the treatment, you see.” Hojo's voice was echoing too and it sounded like it was coming from far away. “The nausea previously associated with Mako treatments is a thing of the past, so long as I don't miscalculate the dosage and give you more than your body can handle with each treatment. Just between you and I, that's as good for me as it is for you, Mr. Strife. We'll have a better chance to complete our work together without interference…provided you take well to the special formula I'm about to give you.”

 

Cloud didn't understand what he was talking about. His head lolled on the table and he sighed. He heard footsteps approaching again and he opened his eyes but the shadows and scintillating colors were still all he could see. He felt another prick in his other arm and Hojo spoke again.

 

“I'm afraid this one might not go as easily as the last, my boy. Most subjects suffer a few moments of extreme pain, but the medication I gave you with the placebo earlier will keep you relaxed and take the edge off.”

 

Cloud finally managed to speak. “Pl…placebo?”

 

“The antibiotics,” Hojo explained in a distracted tone. “I couldn't very well give you the real thing just before injecting you with foreign cells now, could I?”

 

Cloud felt a distant twinge of alarm but it was too late to do anything, even if he could. The formula was injected and pain spread through him as it entered his blood stream. He cried out and despite the muscle-relaxing sedative he was on, his back arched. Hojo continued to inject the serum until it was exhausted and he withdrew the needle and patted Cloud on the head in a macabre gesture of false consolation.

 

“There, there,” Hojo murmured. “What your feeling is the result of your body succumbing to a greater power. Soon, everything will be just fine. Well, if it doesn't destroy you. You might find it heartening to know that Sephiroth's cells are part of the mixture now coursing through you. That should make you feel rather happy, given the interest you seem to have in my son.”

 

Cloud tossed his head and moaned low in his throat. He heard the professor's words but he didn't understand them. Something was happening as the invading cells and Mako worked together to become one with him. The pain began to fade and other sensations rose to the surface.

 

“I'm confident that you'll not only survive, but thrive,” Hojo went on as if speaking to himself. “You're almost a perfect match. It will be interesting to see which one of you will prove to be stronger, when I'm finished with you. I've done all I can with Sephiroth but you have untapped potential.”

 

Cloud's awareness began to fade and his body tingled even more than it had after the Mako infusion. He began to pant softly and his body reacted in an obvious way to the sensual feelings surging through him.

 

“My, that's an…interesting reaction,” Hojo's voice said from somewhere above the blond. “I don't believe I've ever seen that happen before.” He paused thoughtfully and when he spoke again, there was a shrug in his voice. “No matter. I have one more special thing to give you that will help my work along. You won't remember any of this when you wake up, of course.”

 

There was one last sting as Hojo injected Cloud again and this time, the blond faded from consciousness completely.

 

~*************************************~

 

Aerith couldn't help but worry about Zack and Cloud and she was trying to keep her mind occupied by working in the gardens. She hadn't gotten the chance to say farewell to Cloud when the announcement came on. She took a shortcut through the cultivation area after saying goodbye to Zack but Cloud was already gone from the barracks. She was especially worried about the blond, because he wasn't well and it was going to be his first time on the field. The only thing that comforted her was the certainty that Zack would watch out for him and she was sure the other officers would do their best to keep him safe, too.

 

While she was tending the rows of various herbs, she overheard one of the other gardeners talking about witnessing General Sephiroth carrying an unconscious field agent to the medical ward. Aerith paused and did her best to shut out the spirit voices so that she could better hear what the gardener was saying to his companion.

 

“Yup. The young fella with the spiky blond hair and the funny accent, you know? He collapsed on his way to move out with the strike team,” the man was saying. “Word has it he's got a case of the flu but I'm guessing he just plain lost his nerve.”

 

Aerith bit her lip. If he was talking about Cloud, he couldn't be more incorrect about his assumptions if he tried. She supposed the man couldn't know that, though. Cloud wasn't an outgoing person and therefore, his bullheaded determination wasn't exactly common knowledge.

 

“Excuse me,” Aerith said politely. “I couldn't help but overhear. Are you talking about Cloud Strife?”

 

The man stopped speaking with his female companion and he thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I think that's the guy's name. As far as I know he's in the medical ward.”

 

“Thank you,” Aerith said in a rush and then she hurried off. She knew his cough was worse than he'd been letting on! If it was bad enough to make him collapse, he could have pneumonia. Her concern over him getting crushed under the foot of a WEAPON became concern that he could die from illness. She almost ran into a woman on her way out of the gardens and she hastily apologized to her before moving on. She reached the main entrance of the medical ward and she approached the file desk to speak to the man behind it.

 

“Sir, did they bring a blond man in here earlier?”

 

“Well…yes,” the man answered with a little frown. “We've had a few male patients with blond hair today, Miss.”

 

“This one would have been in uniform,” she explained. “He had a cold? His name is Cloud Strife.”

 

The man scanned over the list on his desk. “Ah, yes. He's still here. Professor Hojo treated him.”

 

Aerith didn't like that little tidbit at all but she kept it to herself. “Can I see him?”

 

“Of course you can see him, my dear.” The new voice spoke from the hallway leading to the examination rooms and Hojo stepped out and gave her a smile that shivered her skin. “Mr. Strife is just resting, now. He'll likely be out for a while but you're welcome to sit with him.”

 

Aerith forced her feet to move and Hojo guided her down the hall to the room he had Cloud in. “Will Cloud be okay, Sir?”

 

“He's suffering from a lung infection,” Hojo told her, “but I believe we caught it in time. His fever has broken and the medication I've given him will clear up the congestion. As long as he gets enough rest and takes his medicine, he should be feeling much better within a week.”

 

Aerith couldn't conceal her relief. “I'll make sure he does what he's supposed to do,” she promised.

 

They stopped outside one of the examination rooms and Hojo smiled at her. “I'm sure you will, my dear.” He considered her thoughtfully for a moment and his smile faded into a frown of concentration. “I've seen you here before with Lieutenant Fair. What is your name, again?”

 

“Aerith,” she supplied, forcing her tone to remain as light as possible. “Aerith Gainsborough.” The surname was an alias, of course. Her parents taught her to begin using it as soon as she was old enough to talk, to protect her identity.

 

“Hmm…Gainsborough.” Hojo tapped his chin with a finger and shrugged. “No, it doesn't sound familiar. Still, you remind me of someone. I suppose it's not important. Go right in and visit your friend, Ms. Gainsborough.” He made an inviting gesture to her and stepped aside.

 

Trying to ignore the unwholesome feeling of his aura as she passed by him through the doorway, Aerith entered the room and approached the table in the center of the room. She looked around and when she spotted a stool in the corner, she pulled it up beside the table and took a seat. Cloud was sleeping soundly, with a pillow cushioning his head and a sheet covering his body. His arms were free of the sheet and his hands were resting on his stomach. The flush of fever was gone from his face and a light sheen of perspiration made his skin shine under the light.

 

Aerith reached out and placed a hand over his topmost one, sighing. She frowned as soon as she touched him and she recoiled uncertainly, staring at him. Something was different. Something had fundamentally changed in his Life Current. Hesitantly, she reached out again and touched his hand, concentrating. There was something…influencing his aura—something that felt familiar to her. After a moment, she realized where she'd felt it before.

 

~The officers. All of the SOLDIER officers except for Zack have this undercurrent. Jenova?~

 

But it made no sense to her. If Jenova was the same calamity that struck her people so long ago and these men had Jenova inside of them, shouldn't the vibes Aerith was picking up be more…icky? It should have felt like a taint—a corruption at least as strong as what she sensed from Hojo. While she certainly wouldn't want to cross any of the officers carrying those cells, none of them felt evil to her. The power was there, but not the malevolent hunger she would have expected to feel lurking with it. She felt a weaker sense of that same power in Cloud now.

 

~Could it be that their Life Currents purified it?~

 

Now that she thought about it, there was something about Zack, Cloud and the others that made them easier to be around than other humans. She hesitated to label it as “like calling to like” but they were more like Cetra than any other humans she'd ever met—probably the closest thing she'd ever know again to being near her own kind. Maybe these men had Cetra ancestry in their lineage. She herself was the product of a human and a Cetra so Aerith knew it was possible. Could it be that their parents were chosen for the gestational experiments because of Cetra ancestry? Did the combination of human and Cetra somehow allow the body to fight off or at least control the corruption that came with Jenova cells?

 

“Cloud…what's happened to you?” Aerith spoke the question in a bare whisper, unwilling to risk the possibility of Hojo or anyone else walking by and hearing her ask it.

 

She had no proof that her suspicions were true and Cloud was sick with a lung infection. She wasn't used to being around humans yet and it was possible that the undercurrent she was sensing was just caused by his body and the medications fighting off the infection. She might not have even noticed it if she weren't aware of the fact that Hojo had treated him.

 

~Would he even have the means to experiment on Cloud? They don't trust him so surely he wouldn't have the resources to do anything like what he did to the General and the others in such a short time period.~

 

Aerith looked around and found a stack of clean hand towels sitting on the counter. She got up and retrieved one, wet it in the sink and returned to Cloud's side. She gently dabbed at his sweating face and forehead with it, putting aside her suspicions as paranoia caused by Hojo. Like Zack and the others, Cloud wasn't exactly average and it stood to reason that his Life Current could alter slightly when fighting a sickness.

 

“I'll stay with you,” she murmured to him as she folded the damp towel and laid it over his forehead. She stroked his soft golden spikes fondly. “We'll wait for Zack together, okay?”

 

~************************************~

 

“Shit! I found three more.”

 

Sephiroth motioned to the medic team and pointed in Zack's direction meaningfully before flying over to help him drag the bodies out of the snow that covered them. The fight had started out okay but as they wore the WEAPON down it became more frantic and drew on hidden reservoirs of strength. It broke through the front line and killed four SOLDIER operatives before firing lasers into the back ranks and taking out a transport unit, two cannons and several ranged fighters. When it finally went down, several men got caught in the wave of snow and shrapnel caused by the impact and now the teams were frantically searching for trapped allies.

 

“This one's gone,” Zack announced with a shake of his head as Sephiroth landed beside him.

 

“So is this one,” replied the General as he checked the man closest to him.

 

Zack swore again and checked the one in the middle. “I've got a pulse, here!” He whistled to the medics that were struggling through the hampering snow to reach them. The light flurry of snow that had begun falling just before they engaged the WEAPON was now coming down faster, with larger flakes.

 

“Check their identity tags, Private,” Sephiroth ordered as he produced his touch screen recording device and stylus.

 

Zack heaved a sigh and he grunted as he rolled the first body over. “This is Hart,” he announced without checking the tags around the man's neck. “I recognize his face.”

 

“Even so, collect his tags and give me the identification number.”

 

Zack looked up at him and Sephiroth could see the disappointment and angst on his face. “You can be really cold, Seph.”

 

“We could all end up cold if we overstay ourselves out here,” Sephiroth shot back. “Cold and dead, like these men.” He sighed when Zack lowered his gaze with a defeated expression. “Zackary, casualties will always happen. You know this. We have to think of the living first and the sooner we finish and get back, the sooner we can grieve for the fallen and honor them. Now pull yourself together.”

 

Zack pressed his lips together angrily for a moment but he deflated shortly after and nodded. “I fucking hate it when you're right…Sir.”

 

“Even when it keeps you alive?” Sephiroth spared a brief moment of compassion and stepped closer to pat Zack on the shoulder. “I need those ID numbers, Lieutenant.”

 

The medics arrived and began treating the surviving man's injuries while Zack read out the numbers and collected the tags from the bodies of the two dead ones. When they determined that there were no foreign objects lodged in the survivor's body anywhere, they made use of their cure materia to heal his injuries. In the distance, Genesis and Angeal were doing the same thing as Sephiroth and Zack, while Reeve directed the actions of the team that collected samples from the defeated WEAPON.

 

After everyone alive and dead was accounted for and the biological samples were collected, they began to load the vehicles and prepared to leave. Reeve and the SOLDIER officers met up near the damaged transport units to report to each other while preparations were made.

 

“We've counted fifteen regular militia losses, two medics and five Soldiers,” Angeal said. “Seven wounded, one severely.”

 

“Seven regular, zero medics, six Soldiers,” reported Sephiroth flatly. “Two wounded, none severe.” He looked at Reeve. “Can the damaged equipment be repaired, Tuesti?”

 

Reeve glanced over his shoulder at the wrecked transport unit, then at the cannons that their people were loading onto one of the functioning vehicles. “One of the cannons can definitely be salvaged but I'm afraid the other will have to be junked for parts to make more. The transport?” He looked at the vehicle again and shrugged. “I won't know if I can restore it or not until I can look at it in the shop.”

 

Sephiroth nodded. “Do what you can.”

 

He calculated the losses and entered them into his data pad. When that was done, he retrieved his satellite phone from his jacket and prepared to dial Lazard to give him a summarized report. He noticed Angeal and Genesis looking at one another in that way they did when they were silently communicating and he paused.

 

“What is it?”

 

Angeal took a step forward. “Our numbers are thinning, Sephiroth. Every casualty takes a toll and even with new recruits joining the regular militia, the ranks of SOLDIER are only growing smaller.”

 

Sephiroth guessed where this was heading and he didn't particularly like it. “What would you propose?”

 

“Ease the restrictions for SOLDIER recruitment,” Genesis answered, with a look that told Sephiroth he was annoyed that it had to be suggested at all. “We need new blood. I don't suggest we return to the old school rate of recruitment but if we don't start letting candidates in again soon, we won't have any Soldiers left with First Class potential, if we don't vanish entirely.”

 

“They've got a good point,” Zack murmured.

 

“You know it isn't my call,” Sephiroth reminded them.

 

“But you're still second in command of the whole SOLDIER program,” countered Genesis. “Lazard will listen to you if you speak to him about it. I'm sure the man isn't blind to the decline in our numbers.”

 

Zack nodded. “We need SOLDIER, if we're going to keep fighting without massive casualties. Nobody likes the thought of Hojo working on recruits but we might just have to suck it up and let him.”

 

Sephiroth was beginning to feel cornered but he kept a tight rein on his frustration as he responded. “I understand your concerns,” he said in a low voice, pitched for their ears only. “And I'll speak to Lazard about considering opening recruitment again. Personally, I don't think our situation is desperate enough, yet.”

 

“I have to agree with Sephiroth,” Reeve said.

 

“Just how desperate do you want it to get?” Genesis questioned archly. “When we're down to nothing but the four of us—provided we don't get killed ourselves?”

 

“I think you've all forgotten how much damage Hojo can do when given the chance,” Sephiroth reminded them with narrowed eyes. He manifested his wing as an example. “Remember what he did to us? Do you recall Deepground? Need I refresh your memory on the fact that Hojo is responsible for the world's troubles now, in a big way?”

 

“Yeah, we get that,” Zack said, “but he's also responsible for Chaos and if it weren't for Chaos, Omega would have taken off with the Lifestream and we'd all be dead right now.”

 

“If it weren't for Deepground, Omega wouldn't have risen,” Reeve argued while Sephiroth pressed his lips together with annoyance. “The problem with Hojo is this, gentlemen: Everything he `fixes' is something he broke in the first place. He's the epitome of a buggy computer program hastily released to the public. The patch to correct the bugs wouldn't be necessary if the creator hadn't rushed the design before…before…”

 

He trailed off as all four of the officers stared at him. “If you'll excuse me, I have a vehicle to board.”

 

They watched him trudge away hastily.

 

“It did make a certain odd sense,” Angeal allowed.

 

“Except that he essentially called us all defective,” Genesis said dryly.

 

“No matter,” Sephiroth murmured. “He's right. For every solution Hojo has to offer, there are plenty of catastrophes not far behind.” Remembering something that Hojo said to him during one of their recent conversations, Sephiroth gave his three fellow officers another example of the man's madness. “He's gotten the idea into his head that he could splice human genes with WEAPON genes if given the chance to experiment.”

 

That got their full attention. When they turned their gazes back to him, Sephiroth raised a brow. “Is this the man you want creating a new generation of Soldiers? Even supervised, Hojo is too obsessive and clever to be trusted.”

 

They looked at one another with expressions of dread they couldn't quite disguise.

 

“Let's drop it, for now,” suggested Angeal. “I still think you need to discuss the thinning ranks with Lazard, but a decision doesn't have to be made until we can be certain Hojo's leash is tight enough.”

 

Sephiroth nodded in consent. Angeal and Genesis spread their wings and took to the sky to scout for danger over the convoy. Sephiroth turned to Zack, noticing the way he was shaking his head and staring at the last of the body bags being loaded onto one of the transports.

 

“We were unlucky, this time,” Sephiroth said to the black-haired fighter. “Regrets accomplish nothing.”

 

“I know that,” Zack sighed. He pulled his jacket tighter around him and shivered a little, looking up at the snow falling down from the heavens. “I hate to say it, but I'm glad Cloud wasn't here.” He looked at Sephiroth and jerked his chin in the direction of the body bag. “He could have been one of them, you know. He's got some mad weapon skills but he's still just as fragile as the other `normals' on our side, you know?”

 

Sephiroth felt his face spasm in an interesting way as the ugly truth of that struck him like a fist to the solar plexus. He damned near put a hand over his stomach and he wondered how the thought of Strife getting maimed or killed could make him feel physical pain. Zack watched him, seemingly not noticing the expression that Sephiroth knew he'd failed to conceal on his face.

 

“Well,” Zack sighed, “I guess I'll get loaded up with the others.” Zack patted Sephiroth twice on the arm and just as he turned to go, the silver-haired man caught a glimpse of a smirk in his eye.

 

Sephiroth stared after him. He realized what had just happened and he was very glad he didn't share other people's tendency to blush when flustered or embarrassed. Zack clearly knew of his attraction to Cloud Strife and he'd just cleverly used that knowledge to manipulate Sephiroth into having a personal interest in the matter of SOLDIER recruitment.

 

His playful, friendly nature and inherent goodness might give some people the impression that he wasn't all that bright, but the truth was that Zackary Fair was nobody's fool.

 

“You crafty little shit,” Sephiroth whispered at his retreating comrade.

 

~******************************~

 

Aerith heard the echoes of activity floating in from the tunnels and she came out of her doze with a start. She listened for a moment and when she heard the hurried footsteps and voices of medical personnel returning into the ward, she guessed that the field teams were back from their mission. Her drowsiness rapidly vanished and she stood up, heart in her throat with the thought that she might find them carrying Zack in on a stretcher. She bit her lip and looked down at Cloud, who was stirring in response to the noise.

 

“Cloud? Can you hear me?”

 

“Mmm?” He sluggishly opened his eyes and looked up at her through half-closed eyelids. His pupils were so big that only a thin band of blue could be seen surrounding them. “Muh…Mother?”

 

Aerith shook her head. “No, it's Aerith.” She jumped skittishly when she heard a doctor shout an order at someone and she shot a worried glance at the doorway. “Cloud, listen. I need you to just lie still, okay? Just relax here and wait for me, I'll come back.”

 

He nodded and grunted with agreement, shutting his eyes again. Aerith hesitated a moment longer, not sure if he'd really comprehended what she said or not. She had to find out if Zack was okay though, and Cloud was obviously still too drugged to go far even if he did wake up again. She heard Zack's voice speaking to someone just as she reached the doorway and her knees went weak with relief. Steadying herself, she stepped into the hall to find him coming straight towards her, with Sephiroth walking beside him. She had time to notice that he had a tear in the upper part of his left pant leg and a cut on his right forearm before he spotted her.

 

Zack abruptly stopped talking to Sephiroth and closed the distance between himself and Aerith. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him tight and he returned the embrace warmly, squeezing just enough to make her breathless for a moment.

 

“I'm okay,” he assured her gently, nuzzling her hair. “Have you been here with Spike the whole time?”

 

“Ever since I overheard someone saying he passed out,” she answered. “I didn't know what to think, so I came straight here to see him.”

 

Zack winced. “Sorry I didn't come find you to tell you before we left.”

 

“It's okay,” she soothed. “I know you were on a schedule.”

 

Sephiroth slipped by the two of them and leaned through the doorway to have a look at Cloud. “Where is the nurse I ordered to watch him?”

 

Aerith pulled reluctantly out of Zack's embrace and shook her head. “I never saw a nurse in here when I came. Cloud was by himself in the room.”

 

Sephiroth got an intense look in his eyes that made her instinctively lean closer to Zack. “Did you see Hojo treating him?”

 

“N-no, General,” Aerith answered respectfully. “He was already finished when I arrived. Cloud was asleep.”

 

Sephiroth stared at her with those bright, slit-pupil eyes and she felt Zack's arm go around her protectively. “Did you ask anyone what sort of treatment he gave him?”

 

“Hojo said he treated him for a lung infection,” answered the Cetra nervously, her eyes shooting to the open doorway. “Is there something else wrong with Cloud that they should have been looking for?”

 

“Hey Seph, chill out,” Zack said, holding her tighter. “You're scaring her and it's not her fault.”

 

The General immediately dropped his intense gaze and his sculpted features relaxed a bit. “Of course,” he murmured. He looked into the room at Cloud. “My apologies, Ms. Gainsborough. I have good reasons for asking these questions.”

 

Aerith relaxed and she felt Zack do the same. From inside the room, they heard Cloud mutter something and stir. All three of them looked in to see him struggling to sit up and the subject was dropped as they entered the room together.

 

~********************************~

 

Zack supported Cloud as the blond sat up on the table. For a moment, Cloud didn't seem to know where he was or who he was with but then he turned his head, blinked sleepily at Zack and smiled a little.

 

“Hallo, Zack. You're…in one piece,” said the blond in a dreamy voice. “That's good.” Evidently, the relaxing influence of the meds brought out his accent more strongly.

 

Zack chuckled. “Yeah, I'm in one piece, kiddo.” He looked at Sephiroth and furrowed his brows, pointing at Cloud from overhead with his free hand. “Stoned,” he mouthed.

 

Cloud noticed the direction Zack looked and Sephiroth raised his brows when the blond turned a wobbly head in his direction and looked at him with hugely dilated eyes. “Private Strife,” Sephiroth murmured, “Can you tell me what—“

 

“Sephiroth!” Cloud interrupted, leaning toward him so abruptly that Zack almost lost his hold on him and he nearly went tumbling off the table. Cloud didn't seem to care about his close call. He reached out clumsily and dropped a hand on Sephiroth's right epaulette, curving his fingers under the edge as he leaned even closer. “Hallo.”

 

“Er…hello, Cloud,” Sephiroth replied, feeling an interesting combination of amusement, concern and something almost like the gut-punch sensation he'd experienced when Zack mentioned the possibility of Cloud getting killed. It made it impossible for him to maintain formality with the young man. “I need you to tell me if Hojo—“

 

“Hojo's ugly,” Cloud blurted with a sage nod. “And…weird.” He smiled brightly a second after saying it and peered at Sephiroth with a blatantly adoring expression. “But know what?” He coughed and even in his drugged state of mind, he turned his head politely.

 

Sephiroth sighed, deciding to humor him. “What is it I should know?”

 

Cloud rubbed his head against Sephiroth's shoulder like a kitten and the silver-haired warrior froze in pure shock. “You're…beautiful,” Cloud finished with a little sigh.

 

Sephiroth was sure his eyes had never been wider and he might have stayed there, crouched by the table like a statue for hours if it weren't for Zack bursting into laughter. Sephiroth tossed a glare Zack's way before gently easing Cloud away from him by the shoulders. He looked into the euphoric eyes and told himself not to take the delirious words seriously. He addressed Zack and Aerith when he spoke.

 

“One of you, go and get his chart from the front. Tell them it's by my order and they can come and talk to me if they have a problem with that.”

 

“I'll go,” Aerith offered. She left without hesitation.

 

Zack's amusement over Cloud's declaration visibly faded and he gave Cloud a worried look. “You don't think the fever fried his brain, do you?”

 

“No,” answered Sephiroth, trying to ignore the way Cloud's fingers were tracing the leather straps crossing over his chest, “His fever is gone. The medication is causing his…behavior. I just want to see for myself what Hojo gave to him.”

 

“Sephiroth,” Cloud murmured, pulling completely away from Zack to embrace the General.

 

“Don't pull away,” Zack warned when Sephiroth started to move, “the poor guy'll just keep going and fall off the table.”

 

Sephiroth stopped and allowed the blond to put his arms around his neck. As good as it felt, it was rather humiliating. There he was, the leader of an elite group of military operatives and he was hunched over an examination table with a baked subordinate clinging to him.

 

It was then that Aerith returned with the chart in her hand. “I've got it,” she announced. He looked up from the chart and blinked at the sight of Cloud snuggling Sephiroth. “Oh…I…um…” She turned to Zack, blushing profusely and flustered. “Z-Zack? Should I…um…”

 

“Just ignore it,” advised Sephiroth as coolly as he could manage under the circumstances. He reached out and gestured her closer. “Hand me the chart.”

 

Aerith did so with a dumbstruck look on her face and Sephiroth practically snatched it out of her hand. Cloud's breath tickled his ear and the General stared incomprehensibly at the document in his hand for a moment before shaking himself out of it. He frowned in concentration as he read Hojo's scratchy handwriting, describing the symptoms, analysis, administered treatment and prescribed medications.

 

Sephiroth nodded when he was finished reading, satisfied that if Hojo's chart were truthful, Cloud would be all right. “Zack, take him back to his bunk. Don't forget to pick up his medication from the front on your way out.”

 

Sephiroth eased Cloud's arms away from around his neck and leaned the blond toward Zack, who was reaching out for him. Cloud protested and coughed a little, looking at the General with bleary eyes as Zack started scooting him to the edge of the table.

 

“You're mad at me,” Cloud said.

 

“No, he's not mad at you,” Zack assured him with an amused smile.

 

Cloud kept looking at Sephiroth, expectantly and questioningly.

 

Sephiroth nearly smirked. “Go with your friends, Strife. I'm not angry with you.”

 

Cloud cooperated after that and Zack helped him off the table, keeping one of the blond's arms around his neck while he supported him with an arm around his waist. Zack looked curiously at Sephiroth before going. “What are you going to do?”

 

Sephiroth looked at the chart again. “I'm going to have a chat with Hojo.”

 

~**********************************~

 

“What is the meaning of this?” Hojo looked indignant as he walked into his examination room with the doctor and nurse that fetched him on Sephiroth's orders. When he saw his son standing in the middle of the room, he relaxed a bit.

 

“Ah, Sephiroth. I assume you have samples waiting for me in the lab?”

 

Sephiroth nodded. “You'll gain access to them after we've searched your cold storage and medicine cabinets. Give me your keycard.”

 

Hojo frowned.

 

“Give the keycard over,” Sephiroth said with slow menace, “Or I'll simply tear the doors off to search the areas anyway and freeze your access level.”

 

Hojo sighed and shook his head as he removed the keycard clipped to his lab coat and handed it over. “Help yourself then, son. I have nothing to hide.”

 

“Don't call me that,” Sephiroth ordered coldly as he took the card. He slid it into the data slot and unlocked the cooler. “Dr. Cornwall, give me the records.”

 

The doctor stepped forward and relinquished the documents containing strict records of every medication assigned to Hojo's supplies—including dosage amounts. If the professor didn't use any of the meds he'd written down on Cloud's chart or gave him more than he wrote, Sephiroth would know. The General's immediate concern, however, was the Mako supply. He found the vial and checked it first, holding it up to the light to see if the supply matched the records. When it did, he checked the antibiotics and then examined the interior of the cold storage to be sure nothing was hidden. After that, he moved on to the cabinets.

 

Hojo watched it all with a superior smirk that grated on Sephiroth's nerves. “Where is the nurse that assisted you while you were treating Strife?”

 

“You must mean Allison,” Hojo said casually. “The poor girl was exhausted, like most of the medical staff here. She couldn't hold her head up and I relieved her of duty after administering Mr. Strife's antibiotics.”

 

Sephiroth grimaced. Hojo's explanation matched the account that he'd been given by other personnel. They'd said that Hojo came out with her, helped her to the medical bunking area and told them to check in on Strife periodically. According to them, he didn't go back into the examination room again after treating him, except to show Aerith in when she came to visit. Sephiroth found everything to be in order, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more than met the eye, here. He shut the cabinets and gave Hojo a level, searching stare as he handed the keycard back to him.

 

Hojo took it and smirked. “You must think that boy is really something special, to be so paranoid.”

 

~*********************************~

 

-To be continued