Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Price for a Memory ❯ The Projects and W.3.I.S.S. ( Chapter 11 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: 191026 
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Hentai / Romance / Angst / Shounen | Type: Shounen-ai | Uploaded On: 08.03.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 203 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Hentai / Romance / Angst / Shounen | Type: Shounen-ai | Uploaded On: 08.03.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 203 | Status: Work In Progress
11.
Cloud stood infront of a mirror in the communal showers. He tried to shake that awful dream from his mind. Nothing worked. Whenever he shut his eyes he saw that black haired male smiling down at him.
It wasn’t a friendly Zack type smile. It was more like a patronising, smirk than a smile.
He kept thinking he could see that gloved hand reach out to him again. Cloud couldn’t fathom why he took that hand. He just felt it was right.
The dull ache still adorned his shoulder. The agony he felt when that mans hand touched his was still plaguing his mind. Slowly he reached back and ran his fingers over the still throbbing flesh under his left shoulder. White heat surged through his body as he touched the wound. On pulling his hand back round he couldn’t help the sharp gasp from escaping his mouth.
“Blood?”
He glanced back the way he had come. A thin trail of blood droplets and black feathers followed him. Confusion etched across his features.
“Dreams aren’t real are they?”
------
Zack and Sephiroth stood gob smacked. Nothing prepared them for what they saw.
“W-what is this? There’s nothing here!”
Anger was evident in Zack’s voice. He turned round to Sephiroth who in turn ignored him and ventured into the large empty space.
“Seph? Come on! There’s sweet fuck all here man! This was such a waste of time!”
“Will you shut up and help me look?”
“For WHAT?”
Sephiroth ignored his second in command. He knew inside that this was just a decoy. Something to throw him off the scent of what went on all those years ago. Hell, what still went on. What could go on if they found out about who Cloud really was. Slowly he began feeling along the walls. Feeling for any weakness, thinness. A switch even. Anything.
Zack wandered to the very back of the room to a small pile of discarded papers and what looked like wiring and cables. Slowly he sifted through the papers. Nothing of any real interest. Papers on the disappearance of one G. Strife. The disappearance of another V. Valentine Turks Sharpshooter. Nothing that told him anything he didn’t already know or have an inkling of. A few cracked tiles caught the raven haired males attention. He scampered over to look at them. They way they were broken indicated to him that something had been dropped then dragged across the floor. Scrapes across the floor a bit further ahead verified that for him.
“Hmmm, wonder where they go to?”
Sephiroth continued touching the concrete walls. He could find nothing. Not even a crack. As he turned to look at what Zack was doing his finger tips ran over five indentations.
“What?”
He inspected them then placed each of his fingers over the marks.
“Finger nails.”
Unbeknown to him Zack was experiencing the same thing. His fingers ghosted over many scratches on the floor. Putting both of his hands over them he concluded the same.
“A struggle….big time. There has to be something here!”
A loud crashing sound shook Zack from his train of thought. He whirled round to see Sephiroth pounding into the concrete wall.
“Sephiroth stop it! They will find us down here for sure!”
Zack’s pleading fell on deaf ears. Still the silver haired male rammed his body into the wall. The whole room was shaking. Flakes of the ceiling drifted from high above their heads to land infront of Zack’s feet.
Sephiroth stepped back only to watch proudly as the wall shifted then began to spin round. Very slowly.
“Ok….I take it back man. You are a genius! How did you know?”
“The finger nail marks. They trail down the wall, then vanish under it. Its common sense that something’s behind here.”
He then proceeded to pull a “Duh” face at Zack before stepping into the room behind the wall. Zack growled at his superior before following suit.
------
Cloud tossed and turned. He couldn’t sleep. The pain wracking his frame kept him from lying still. He decided to end his torture and get up. He glanced over at the small clock beside his bed.
“3.21am? This sucks.”
Turning to find Zack to annoy, he found him gone from his bed. The sheets looked as though they had not been slept in for hours. Maybe he could find him? Cloud decided he should. He needed something to do to keep his mind off the constant dull throb in his back. Pulling on his discarded black jeans and boots he silently crept out of the dorms. He didn’t even know where to start looking.
------
Sephiroth located the light switch and turned it on. The over head strip lighting flickered to life. Both gazed in awe at what stood before them.
Examination tables. Glass canisters with bubbling red liquid in them. Book shelves with masses of books on bio science, fertility spans, reproduction methods and bio chemistry.
“Ok I think we have found Dr Jekyll’s secret loony lab….”
Sephiroth smirked slightly at Zack‘s comment. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling he had been here before. He remembered peering in through a crack in two huge doors. His mind flashed back. Black, distorted images flooded his mind. He saw it. He saw him. He saw a man. He saw him being dragged into this room. He could almost still hear him scream for help.
He put his fingers over his eyes and rubbed at them.
“You ok man?”
“What? Sorry. I’m fine. I just feel like I’ve been here before that’s all.”
“Fair enough. You sure your sleeping enough?”
“Quiet. Just start looking. Look for anything that may link to Strife. Both Cloud and him.”
Sephiroth wandered over to the casing that held the two canisters. Both were pretty large. Both had bubbling thick jelly like liquid in them. Both had a small green light shining at the top. Both also had project names attached to them even though they were empty.
“I wonder what these are for? Project R.1.K.U. and Project 5.O.R.A.? No doubt Hojo is leading this….whatever it is….”
“SEPHIROTH!”
The man in question lept round and started running to the source of Zack’s voice. He stopped in his tracks and stared at what Zack was pointing at.
“Who is he?”
------
Cloud ambled down the freezing corridors. Technicians scampered about shouting various codes to each other. None seemed to notice the tiny blond as he shrank by.
“Must have been a power failure.”
He came to a fork in the road as one would say. One path lead to the dining hall then onto the gyms. The other lead to the laboratories. Cloud mentally tossed a coin. He took the pathway to the labs. Goosebumps spread like wildfire across his exposed chest and arms. Shivers licked at his spine. Uneasiness filled his stomach.
“Zack? Where are you?”
------
Sephiroth walked up to the containment unit. He placed his hand on the side of it and glared in at the form floating inside. Various tubes and grips held him in place and provided him with air.
“Another one of Hojo’s wonderful creations huh?”
“Watch what you say.”
“Sorry. I forgot about you. Hey. Your cool!”
“Be serious you idiot. For once in your life don’t try and cheer me up. This is fucked up! Why is he in there? Who is he? Why….does he look like me?”
Zack looked closely at the man’s face. Sure the hair was shorter. Spikier. Thicker. But the shape of the face and body. Even the finer features like cheek bones and fingers were almost identical to the General. Zack looked at the blinking computer screen beside the unit.
“Hmmm, Project 191026, W.3.I.S.S. Human experimentation stage one complete. Still currently in stasis. Awaiting further commands.”
“Does it say anything else Zack?”
“Ummm, no nothing. Just about creating the ultimate superior warrior. No doubt for SOLDIER.”
Sephiroth stepped away from the unit. He shivered violently. He was sure he saw the man’s eyes flicker. He had to get away from here. This man infront of him totally creeped him out. Had this happened to him? Shut off in here with nothing to communicate with but a heart monitor and a computer screen?
“Zack? Lets quickly see if we can find anything. I don’t wanna stay here. It disturbs me. I have to get out of here.”
Zack silently nodded and sped over to the huge stack of papers teetering on top of a gnarled wooden desk.
“Lets just grab these and go. I’m guessing it wont be long before they find us down here. If that happens were shall we say fucked?”
Sephiroth half nodded before throwing himself against the side wall grabbing Zack and his papers in the process. Stealthily he shimmied the two of them out the spinning door and held them flat out against the shadows on the wall.
“What is it Seph?”
“Shhhhh….someone’s here.”
Small footsteps entered the empty deserted room. He was sure he heard a door shut. Nothing seemed to move infront of him. Nothing that indicated there was a door anyway. Still he made his way into the empty space. He felt like he was being pulled. As if something in his mind was telling him where to go. Before he could take another step he felt cold metal touch his throat. He didn’t have time to gasp.
“Not another step.”
The sword was drawn back. He recognised it. Masamune.
“Stop! It’s me! It’s Cloud!”
Sephiroth squinted in the shadows. Yes. It was true. He could make out the blond spikes. Those tantalizing blue eyes tinged green with Mako.
“Cloud? What the hell are you doing here?” Zack hissed at his companion.
Cloud shook his head.
“I don’t know. I was looking for you Zack. Somehow I ended up in here. I had this awful dream. I don’t even fully remember it. All I remember was waking up with this on my back.”
He turned round. Both Sephiroth and Zack stepped into the dim light. Adorning Cloud’s back, just below his left shoulder sat a slim line scar. Freshly made. Red droplets still making themselves seen on his creamy flesh.
“Cloud? Did you do that to yourself?”
“No Sephiroth. It happened when I touched his hand.”
“Who’s hand?”
“The man in my dream. He offered his hand. I think he was familiar. I can’t remember his face but I felt as though I knew him. At the same time he scared me. I can’t explain why.”
“Ok….lets get out of here before anyone finds us. Zack? Hurry up with that paper. Don’t drop it?”
“Whats the paper for?”
Cloud questioned Sephiroth.
“Oh nothing. I just had Zack run an errand for me….down here that’s all. Nothing to worry about. Lets get out of here.”
Cloud was too confused to question Sephiroth any further. His mind was a jumble of mush he couldn’t decipher. At times he thought to himself if he should have come to ShinRa at all.
Sephiroth walked behind Zack and Cloud all the way back to their dorms. He kept staring at the scar on Cloud’s back.
“It’s the same as….mine….”
That sinking feeling almost pulled him to the floor once again. That same sinking he felt when looking at the containment unit. The same feeling when he looked at Project R.1.K.U. and 5.O.R.A. The same feeling he had the moment he saw Cloud’s name on the computer screen all those weeks ago.
He watched Zack enter the room. However, a small blond stepped infront of him.
“Are you ok Sephiroth? I just….I mean….you look like something’s bothering you.”
What was he supposed to say? Yes something is bothering me. I’m afraid that your going to die. I’m afraid that Hojo is going to cut you up into tiny pieces. I’m afraid that whatever happened to your father will happen to you. No, how could he say that?
“No, I’m fine. Just not looking forward to reading all these reports that Zack got for me. Combat reports? How dull.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Thanks Cloud.”
“Anytime. Look? If you ever wanna talk to me….about stuff and junk? You know where I am yeh?”
The small touch to his arm sent Sephiroth into a small trance. He felt like grabbing the boy and planting a huge kiss on those slightly parted, inviting, pouting lips. No! He shook his head. He wondered what those lips would taste like. No!
Instead he nodded his thanks to the tiny blond. Just before Cloud entered his room, Sephiroth finally found his voice.
“Cloud? The same goes to you?”
A broad toothy smile was his reward. That would suffice.
“For now.”
Cloud slid the door shut and slumped against it. His heart skipped too many beats when he touched the General’s arm. He thought about those arms. Wrapped around him. He thought about those hands. Those fingers yet again. He bit his bottom lip before leaving the door and falling into his bed. Still he envisioned those fingers. Tracing every part of his body.
“Sephiroth….”
Cloud stood infront of a mirror in the communal showers. He tried to shake that awful dream from his mind. Nothing worked. Whenever he shut his eyes he saw that black haired male smiling down at him.
It wasn’t a friendly Zack type smile. It was more like a patronising, smirk than a smile.
He kept thinking he could see that gloved hand reach out to him again. Cloud couldn’t fathom why he took that hand. He just felt it was right.
The dull ache still adorned his shoulder. The agony he felt when that mans hand touched his was still plaguing his mind. Slowly he reached back and ran his fingers over the still throbbing flesh under his left shoulder. White heat surged through his body as he touched the wound. On pulling his hand back round he couldn’t help the sharp gasp from escaping his mouth.
“Blood?”
He glanced back the way he had come. A thin trail of blood droplets and black feathers followed him. Confusion etched across his features.
“Dreams aren’t real are they?”
------
Zack and Sephiroth stood gob smacked. Nothing prepared them for what they saw.
“W-what is this? There’s nothing here!”
Anger was evident in Zack’s voice. He turned round to Sephiroth who in turn ignored him and ventured into the large empty space.
“Seph? Come on! There’s sweet fuck all here man! This was such a waste of time!”
“Will you shut up and help me look?”
“For WHAT?”
Sephiroth ignored his second in command. He knew inside that this was just a decoy. Something to throw him off the scent of what went on all those years ago. Hell, what still went on. What could go on if they found out about who Cloud really was. Slowly he began feeling along the walls. Feeling for any weakness, thinness. A switch even. Anything.
Zack wandered to the very back of the room to a small pile of discarded papers and what looked like wiring and cables. Slowly he sifted through the papers. Nothing of any real interest. Papers on the disappearance of one G. Strife. The disappearance of another V. Valentine Turks Sharpshooter. Nothing that told him anything he didn’t already know or have an inkling of. A few cracked tiles caught the raven haired males attention. He scampered over to look at them. They way they were broken indicated to him that something had been dropped then dragged across the floor. Scrapes across the floor a bit further ahead verified that for him.
“Hmmm, wonder where they go to?”
Sephiroth continued touching the concrete walls. He could find nothing. Not even a crack. As he turned to look at what Zack was doing his finger tips ran over five indentations.
“What?”
He inspected them then placed each of his fingers over the marks.
“Finger nails.”
Unbeknown to him Zack was experiencing the same thing. His fingers ghosted over many scratches on the floor. Putting both of his hands over them he concluded the same.
“A struggle….big time. There has to be something here!”
A loud crashing sound shook Zack from his train of thought. He whirled round to see Sephiroth pounding into the concrete wall.
“Sephiroth stop it! They will find us down here for sure!”
Zack’s pleading fell on deaf ears. Still the silver haired male rammed his body into the wall. The whole room was shaking. Flakes of the ceiling drifted from high above their heads to land infront of Zack’s feet.
Sephiroth stepped back only to watch proudly as the wall shifted then began to spin round. Very slowly.
“Ok….I take it back man. You are a genius! How did you know?”
“The finger nail marks. They trail down the wall, then vanish under it. Its common sense that something’s behind here.”
He then proceeded to pull a “Duh” face at Zack before stepping into the room behind the wall. Zack growled at his superior before following suit.
------
Cloud tossed and turned. He couldn’t sleep. The pain wracking his frame kept him from lying still. He decided to end his torture and get up. He glanced over at the small clock beside his bed.
“3.21am? This sucks.”
Turning to find Zack to annoy, he found him gone from his bed. The sheets looked as though they had not been slept in for hours. Maybe he could find him? Cloud decided he should. He needed something to do to keep his mind off the constant dull throb in his back. Pulling on his discarded black jeans and boots he silently crept out of the dorms. He didn’t even know where to start looking.
------
Sephiroth located the light switch and turned it on. The over head strip lighting flickered to life. Both gazed in awe at what stood before them.
Examination tables. Glass canisters with bubbling red liquid in them. Book shelves with masses of books on bio science, fertility spans, reproduction methods and bio chemistry.
“Ok I think we have found Dr Jekyll’s secret loony lab….”
Sephiroth smirked slightly at Zack‘s comment. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling he had been here before. He remembered peering in through a crack in two huge doors. His mind flashed back. Black, distorted images flooded his mind. He saw it. He saw him. He saw a man. He saw him being dragged into this room. He could almost still hear him scream for help.
He put his fingers over his eyes and rubbed at them.
“You ok man?”
“What? Sorry. I’m fine. I just feel like I’ve been here before that’s all.”
“Fair enough. You sure your sleeping enough?”
“Quiet. Just start looking. Look for anything that may link to Strife. Both Cloud and him.”
Sephiroth wandered over to the casing that held the two canisters. Both were pretty large. Both had bubbling thick jelly like liquid in them. Both had a small green light shining at the top. Both also had project names attached to them even though they were empty.
“I wonder what these are for? Project R.1.K.U. and Project 5.O.R.A.? No doubt Hojo is leading this….whatever it is….”
“SEPHIROTH!”
The man in question lept round and started running to the source of Zack’s voice. He stopped in his tracks and stared at what Zack was pointing at.
“Who is he?”
------
Cloud ambled down the freezing corridors. Technicians scampered about shouting various codes to each other. None seemed to notice the tiny blond as he shrank by.
“Must have been a power failure.”
He came to a fork in the road as one would say. One path lead to the dining hall then onto the gyms. The other lead to the laboratories. Cloud mentally tossed a coin. He took the pathway to the labs. Goosebumps spread like wildfire across his exposed chest and arms. Shivers licked at his spine. Uneasiness filled his stomach.
“Zack? Where are you?”
------
Sephiroth walked up to the containment unit. He placed his hand on the side of it and glared in at the form floating inside. Various tubes and grips held him in place and provided him with air.
“Another one of Hojo’s wonderful creations huh?”
“Watch what you say.”
“Sorry. I forgot about you. Hey. Your cool!”
“Be serious you idiot. For once in your life don’t try and cheer me up. This is fucked up! Why is he in there? Who is he? Why….does he look like me?”
Zack looked closely at the man’s face. Sure the hair was shorter. Spikier. Thicker. But the shape of the face and body. Even the finer features like cheek bones and fingers were almost identical to the General. Zack looked at the blinking computer screen beside the unit.
“Hmmm, Project 191026, W.3.I.S.S. Human experimentation stage one complete. Still currently in stasis. Awaiting further commands.”
“Does it say anything else Zack?”
“Ummm, no nothing. Just about creating the ultimate superior warrior. No doubt for SOLDIER.”
Sephiroth stepped away from the unit. He shivered violently. He was sure he saw the man’s eyes flicker. He had to get away from here. This man infront of him totally creeped him out. Had this happened to him? Shut off in here with nothing to communicate with but a heart monitor and a computer screen?
“Zack? Lets quickly see if we can find anything. I don’t wanna stay here. It disturbs me. I have to get out of here.”
Zack silently nodded and sped over to the huge stack of papers teetering on top of a gnarled wooden desk.
“Lets just grab these and go. I’m guessing it wont be long before they find us down here. If that happens were shall we say fucked?”
Sephiroth half nodded before throwing himself against the side wall grabbing Zack and his papers in the process. Stealthily he shimmied the two of them out the spinning door and held them flat out against the shadows on the wall.
“What is it Seph?”
“Shhhhh….someone’s here.”
Small footsteps entered the empty deserted room. He was sure he heard a door shut. Nothing seemed to move infront of him. Nothing that indicated there was a door anyway. Still he made his way into the empty space. He felt like he was being pulled. As if something in his mind was telling him where to go. Before he could take another step he felt cold metal touch his throat. He didn’t have time to gasp.
“Not another step.”
The sword was drawn back. He recognised it. Masamune.
“Stop! It’s me! It’s Cloud!”
Sephiroth squinted in the shadows. Yes. It was true. He could make out the blond spikes. Those tantalizing blue eyes tinged green with Mako.
“Cloud? What the hell are you doing here?” Zack hissed at his companion.
Cloud shook his head.
“I don’t know. I was looking for you Zack. Somehow I ended up in here. I had this awful dream. I don’t even fully remember it. All I remember was waking up with this on my back.”
He turned round. Both Sephiroth and Zack stepped into the dim light. Adorning Cloud’s back, just below his left shoulder sat a slim line scar. Freshly made. Red droplets still making themselves seen on his creamy flesh.
“Cloud? Did you do that to yourself?”
“No Sephiroth. It happened when I touched his hand.”
“Who’s hand?”
“The man in my dream. He offered his hand. I think he was familiar. I can’t remember his face but I felt as though I knew him. At the same time he scared me. I can’t explain why.”
“Ok….lets get out of here before anyone finds us. Zack? Hurry up with that paper. Don’t drop it?”
“Whats the paper for?”
Cloud questioned Sephiroth.
“Oh nothing. I just had Zack run an errand for me….down here that’s all. Nothing to worry about. Lets get out of here.”
Cloud was too confused to question Sephiroth any further. His mind was a jumble of mush he couldn’t decipher. At times he thought to himself if he should have come to ShinRa at all.
Sephiroth walked behind Zack and Cloud all the way back to their dorms. He kept staring at the scar on Cloud’s back.
“It’s the same as….mine….”
That sinking feeling almost pulled him to the floor once again. That same sinking he felt when looking at the containment unit. The same feeling when he looked at Project R.1.K.U. and 5.O.R.A. The same feeling he had the moment he saw Cloud’s name on the computer screen all those weeks ago.
He watched Zack enter the room. However, a small blond stepped infront of him.
“Are you ok Sephiroth? I just….I mean….you look like something’s bothering you.”
What was he supposed to say? Yes something is bothering me. I’m afraid that your going to die. I’m afraid that Hojo is going to cut you up into tiny pieces. I’m afraid that whatever happened to your father will happen to you. No, how could he say that?
“No, I’m fine. Just not looking forward to reading all these reports that Zack got for me. Combat reports? How dull.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Thanks Cloud.”
“Anytime. Look? If you ever wanna talk to me….about stuff and junk? You know where I am yeh?”
The small touch to his arm sent Sephiroth into a small trance. He felt like grabbing the boy and planting a huge kiss on those slightly parted, inviting, pouting lips. No! He shook his head. He wondered what those lips would taste like. No!
Instead he nodded his thanks to the tiny blond. Just before Cloud entered his room, Sephiroth finally found his voice.
“Cloud? The same goes to you?”
A broad toothy smile was his reward. That would suffice.
“For now.”
Cloud slid the door shut and slumped against it. His heart skipped too many beats when he touched the General’s arm. He thought about those arms. Wrapped around him. He thought about those hands. Those fingers yet again. He bit his bottom lip before leaving the door and falling into his bed. Still he envisioned those fingers. Tracing every part of his body.
“Sephiroth….”