#zack therapy is a lot better than hojo therapy obviously

[holly-fixation]

Ink Clouds: Chapter 18

Summary so far: Cloud is sent back in time by the calamity, and is now half squid that constantly spews ink that carries Geostigma. Tifa, Cloud, and Zack have all been interrogated separately about their time with the creature and why they’ve committed the stunts that they have. The last respondent is Sephiroth, but instead of the interrogators that wouldn’t be able to read his emotionless nature, it’s the only person he can’t control his emotions around: Hojo.

Based on the prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien

Please Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Glass

"No." Sephiroth didn't realize he voiced his thought allowed until the scientist gave a short, mocking laugh in reply.

"Still acting childish, are you?" He asked with a sick grin.

The silver general stared daggers into him and silenced.

This interrogator was enjoying it too much.

"Apparently so." Hojo held the back of his chair for a moment before pulling it back and gesturing to the open one near the silver haired man. "Have a seat."

Sephiroth only crossed his arms. He did not move or say anything. His blood boiled as he gripped his biceps for a semblance of self control.

"Come on," He taunted, "for old time's sake?"

"What do you want?" Sephiroth seethed, every ounce of his being poisoning the room.

Hojo laughed again. "Before you break something, let's talk like civilized people."

"Why. Are you. Here."

"Oh please," He scoffed. "Trained or not, those interrogators don't have what it takes to understand you in one conversation."

Because they're rightfully afraid of me. "And yet, they didn't need this field."

"I have a proposition for you," Hojo ignored his previous statement and took his seat.

Sephiroth's brow twitched in confusion and frustration.

The snake leaned back in his chair. "You want investigation clearance for the Nibelhiem reactor and the central mountains of the west, correct?"

His inhuman eyes narrowed, his thin pupils barely visible slits.

"And now, with that girl breaking in and that troop identical to the creature, the board has to accept my request for research."

"Congratulations," the general spat with so much sarcasm its venom was tangible.

"We'll need escorts." Now he had the general's attention. "And the monsters there are too much for low class SOLDIERS."

"...what do you gain from this?" Sephiroth questioned skeptically.

"I am a man of my work," He stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If an escort is my biggest inconvenience, I am living every scientists' dream."

"Even working with SOLDIER?"

He waved his hand at the inclination. "A bit more learning could do the lot of you some good. We'll give you access to the files we have on the creature, as well as whatever you find in the destinations."

He paused as he considered the deal. "...On one condition." He saw the 'scientist's' eyes brighten with satisfaction, even behind the black glasses. "We have as much access as we please to information we find in either location. Your team gives us the slightest suggestion to stop our investigation, we leave."

Hojo grinned. "Then, I believe we have a deal."

"And I believe we're done here," Sephiroth barely took a step away while speaking.

"Ah-ah-ah," The snake scolded. "You still have questions to answer." He could feel the fire in Sephiroth's returned eyes. "This is an interrogation after all."

Suddenly behind the chair again, Sephiroth's grip on the back caused a loud crunch to shoot through the room. This was it; the same as before: poked and prodded to Hojo's content as his underlings watched from one way mirrors, only watching, always ignoring the pain as they took notes in observation as it increased with each test.

"I'd say 'have a seat' if you didn't break the chair."

He glanced down at his hands. Sure enough, the supporting bar for the back cushion was crushed, buckled under his strength. That didn't matter though, he needed a way out of this situation, but he couldn't find one. All of SOLDIER was on the line for his insubordination; he needed to swallow his hatred and pride to protect his comrades, his friends. Any other investigator would have been fine, but it had to be him, right here, right now.

"Ask your questions," Sephiroth spat. Gods he was tired of seeing that monster's teeth.

But Hojo couldn't control his grin as he leaned forward and clamped his hands in front of him. "What are you and the creature hearing?"

His eyes widened for a millisecond and instantly returned to his angry gaze. Most people wouldn't see it because of its subtle and quick difference.

"Don't lie to me," Hojo demanded as if he could read the silver general's mind, just like before: poked and prodded to his heart's content.

"What I hear, is what the creature says," he started.

"Most of it," Hojo finished for him. Anyone else wouldn't make such an assumption, but Hojo could see through the silver haired boy like window glass since birth.

Any other investigator would have bought his answer. But Hojo knew more.

"Perhaps only part of it," Hojo realized as he observed Sephiroth’s reactions. "So, again, what do you hear?"

"You have to be more specific." He instantly regretted the words that left his mouth.

Hojo's smirk curled in vile curiosity.

That means more questions.

"Let's start with the first one that caused a reaction. 'Forgive'."

Crap, he's in a corner. His lies and half truths were caught instantly. He had no choice but to inevitably tell the truth, like the corner he protected himself in when they came in to start experiments, the child locked away in an examination room with no escape.

"You'll have to ask for a new one," He spat. "You can check your records for that."

"So you've told the creature what you hear?"

He nodded, but the slight glance away of his eyes was noticed.

"Not everything, though."

He let go of the chair before it shattered, clenching his fists at his sides.

Hojo gestured with his hand. "Go on. Tell me about ‘Forget’."

There was a pause, but it didn’t hold the same tension as the pauses when he tried to think of a lie. How long could he delay the inevitable? “It was nearly the same.”

“What did you hear?”

Another corner. He crossed his arms as he tried to think. His interrogator sighed and sat back.

“The faster you answer, the less time you spend here,” The ‘scientist’ reminded, nearly mocking.

“‘This time you won’t forget’,” He spoke with no emotion. Maybe he can get away with just one half truth.

“All of it,” Hojo corrected, and he could practically hear the curses going through the silver general’s head, reduced to the little lab rat was born as.

It wasn’t worth fighting anymore. He looked to the wall above the snake. He needed to avoid the bastard’s reactions or he would destroy everything in the room out of spite, just to delay progress on the only project R&D was permitted, but it was a project he needed to save his friend. “‘Is this the pain you felt before, Cloud? Let me remind you. This time you won't forget’.”

He could hear the breath of a smirk in response as the scientist brought his connected hands to his mouth. “And ‘Cherish’?”

“‘Tell me what you cherish most. Give me the pleasure of taking it away’.” Sephiroth had absolutely no emotion, and absolutely no eye contact. Even for him, it was off.

“And last: ‘Future’?”

Another hesitation. Another pause.

“All I need is an answer,” Hojo mentioned with a barely noticeable tilt of his head in eagerness. “Only one more question after this, and you’re free to go.”

He would take his chances at sounding insane if it meant even a second less in this godforsaken room. “‘And one day we’ll find a new planet, and on its soil we’ll create a shining future’.”

Sephiroth didn’t hear a response beyond a slight breath. He forced his gaze to lock straight ahead. He couldn’t move his eyes from the wall behind his tormentor.

“Why did you do what you did last time?”

“I don’t know.” There was a pause, but he kept his eyes steady and repeated. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what you did?” Hojo questioned.

Like glass.

“Would you like to find out?”

Sephiroth couldn’t stop himself from looking to the scientist in disbelief.

Hojo, with his slimy grin, slid an open tablet through the field.

And Sephiroth, like a dog spotting food fall from its master’s table, immediately grabbed it and hit the large play button on the security video, pushing the broken chair out of his way. The camera was in the far back corner away from the exit to this section of the lab. Sephiroth didn’t focus on that fact.

First, it was exactly as he remembered. The creature on his back, Zack a small but cautious distance away as they both questioned the creature. There was no audio in the recording, which was probably for the best.

Then the creature started yelling, and Zack immediately tried to stop it. But there were too many tentacles for the creature to work with to keep the First-in-training away. He was frozen for three seconds, then ripped the creature in front of him by its arm with his left hand. Then he used both of his hands to choke it, saying something as he did.

Zack unsheathed his sword and swung, probably to scrape his arm as a warning. But his right hand shot off of the creature to the wrist of his apprentice. Zack yelled his name. He responded with something, before letting go of the creature and grabbing Zack’s shoulder. Zack tried to break free. Then he turned Zack’s wrist until he cut his apprentice’s left arm.

The creature moved to him but he couldn’t tell what the goal was. He kicked it so hard it flew across the room to the corner wall of the exit and the tank. Then he looked to Zack, spoke again, and disarmed and took his apprentice’s sword before throwing them next to the creature. Then he threw the sword. It cut Zack’s left arm too as it jammed into the wall. Zack had barely dodged the direct strike.

Then he yelled ‘stop’ and grabbed his head. Zack pulled the sword out of the wall and used healing materia on the creature first. The creature nodded to Zack before looking at him with curiosity. Zack healed himself, but held his arm to check on wounds, but the materia worked.

Zack ordered them both and they both obeyed. Once they left the room, the video stopped.

His eyes didn’t leave the screen after the video ended. He just stared at the play button that appeared for seconds.

Hojo’s grin was ear to ear, but he made no comment, only the mocking lilt in his voice. “Thank you for your time. You’re all dismissed. My assistant will inform the rest of your little party.”

Sephiroth froze to process his words, then escaped through the now open door without another word.

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Thanks for reading!