Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch25 - Hope

“Would you mind handing these files to Dr. Hollander, for me? I have one more job to do for Professor Hojo,” Jocasta said as she handed the black leather folders on her assistant.

“Of course, Professor,” The young woman said, grabbing the folders in her hug, before turning around and vanishing in the endless halls of Shinra HQ.

Jocasta sighed heavily as she turned on the other side of the hall, and started making her way a few levels below. It was the first time they’d attempt to create Sephiroth Clones. Jocasta didn’t want to think of what kind of method Hojo had used to extract cells from the three-year-old boy. She’d often find little action figures scattered around the halls, and everybody knew that they belonged to Sephiroth.

The little boy had been growing in the Shinra HQ around the levels 49 and 60. He’d crawl around the place, all alone, searching for attention and getting none. Jocasta had tried to approach him, but he’d crawl away. He’d hide in the shadows, staring at the people with wonder in his huge baby green eyes.

Jocasta reached the Corporate Archives. It was a huge room filled with bookcases that stored all of the old data of Shinra’s that nobody anymore looked for. She navigated herself over the bookcase where she knew she’d find what Hojo wanted her to retrieve before they’d get on with the experiment.

Her fingers slipped around the books, as she hastily read the titles on the sides. When she finally found what she was looking for, she grabbed it in her hug and turned around to leave. But something stopped her. She couldn’t be sure, but she heard the faint sound of sobbing and she tried to follow it. It looked like someone must’ve been crying by the other side of the bookcase.

Jocasta followed the sound by the other side and her face softened when she saw the little boy crying. Sephiroth had his feet pressed against his chest, one hand grasping the other by the shoulder where Jocasta assumed, they’d taken all the blood samples they needed for the upcoming experiment.

Once he noticed her, he tried to fend away alarmed, but Jocasta knelt on the floor, to make sure she was on his level.

“It’s alright,” she said.

The toddler stopped moving for a second. His shiny eyes stared back at her cautiously “Are… are you scawy?” he sniffled and sat back down on his bum “Like- Like the people in white?”

Jocasta pursed her lips when she realized he was talking about her other ‘fellow’ scientists. She sat back on her feet and gathered her hands on her lap. “I like to think I’m different,”

“Have… have you come to hurt me too?” he asked, ready to start crawling away.

Jocasta did not try to reach him. The psychology books she’d read, said that she shouldn’t scare somebody that has already been scared. So, she stayed put and he did not crawl away either.

“No. I’d never hurt you,” Jocasta said calmly, and she gave him a reassuring smile.

“B- But the other p- people do…” Sephiroth said. His small fingers tightened around his other arm as he let out another sob and another tear rolled down his cheek.

Jocasta could only feel her heart breaking. The few silver hair on his head fell messily on his face as he brought up his little fists, wiping the tears from his eyes. The little one let out another sob as he opened his bright green eyes to glance over at her.

“I- I just want my mom,”

She could no longer stand there and watch him. She could feel her own tears gathering in her eyes, as she gazed at the poor soul who’d done nothing to deserve such a life. Nothing to deserve being treated as a test subject ever since he was a baby. Never given the chance to meet his parents, his mother. Never given the chance to rely on somebody. Anybody.