Midgar High School

Vincent was humming, a very odd sound for him, as he strolled down the hallway far as one could get from the Nurse’s Office, which dwelt in the basement of the building. It wasn’t a passing period either, but he wasn’t the type of person who paid attention to that sort of thing anyway. He only intended on visiting a few classes that day, for he had an odd feeling that something was... off.

Though, he would have to wander over to the art room at some point.

“Did you hear a weird noise? It sounds like someone’s killing a violin or something.” The voice drifted into his hearing, and it must have been far off, considering that he didn’t see anyone. Though, he stopped humming.

“I don’t hear a thing. And where in the hell is that Vincent kid? You’d think he was a ghost.” Special hearing was such a bother sometimes. But he was feeling a little less than moody today, so when the thought struck him, he went with it. And he couldn’t help but think that Cid might like his little answer...

And as he rounded the corner sharply to where the voice’s owners surely were, he couldn’t help but smirk. “Boo.”

The little redhead nearly jumped a foot. He was amused. Sephiroth, whose name came to him instantly, though he never recalled ever seeing the boy much hardly moved. Almost as if he anticipated the move.

“Vincent?” the redhead asked, looking a little confused. Sephiroth however, looked bruised. Very bruised.

“Calm, Reno,” he said casting a strange look over in the other boy’s direction, “You do appear at the most random of times, Vincent. Good thing I was looking for you.” Now this was an interesting development. Though why he knew that name so well but didn’t have a face to associate it with... was mildly troubling.

And it had started out as such a nice day.

“Might I inquire as to what business you have with me?” Vincent asked, earning a slight eye roll from the redhead. Oh, another one of those types... it was a wonder that Cid didn’t know him. His manner of dress alone...

“Not here.” Strange eyes darted about, as if suspicious of everything around him. Vincent couldn’t help but see something familiar in his manner, but shook it off as that gloomy feeling he affronted. He inclined his head in acceptance, though. What did he really have going on? And maybe this boy was the source of the strange feeling he’d had since walking into the school this morning.

“Library’s a good place to go if you don’t want to be seen,” Reno suggested, and Vincent almost thought that Sephiroth cringed. He shook it off as after effect of a peaceful morning. He didn’t have those enough.

Reno immediately led the way, strange ponytail swishing as he moved. Sephiroth, whose bearing, even despite some obvious injuries, suggested that he was the type to lead, followed. Vincent wondered when he’d become so perceptive. Maybe Cid did have a point earlier about looking... but he would never tell him. He could only stand so much gloating after the party.

The trip to the library was surprisingly short. Sephiroth hid his limp well, but not well enough for Vincent to be oblivious to it. He watched both boys through the corner of his eye, waiting for one to say they had reached a secluded enough spot... or to try and pull something. He was not naïve... well, not so much anymore. Vincent knew two trustworthy people... and neither of them were with him right now.

“This is good,” Sephiroth said, finding a study table towards the back and nearly collapsed into the chair. Once Reno had settled to his right, he wasted no words. “I need you to tell me everything you know about the Nurse.” Vincent narrowed his eyes, still standing, and looking rather imposing considering he was tall.

“I do not care for the details of your life. I ask that you stay out of mine,” he replied, sounding a little more harsh than he intended. Every time he thought of her... he felt angry. But he didn’t like feeling angry, angry was not good. At least not without a little backup. He needed to calm... chicken... no, he needed to calm. Not get hungry. That was never a good sign.

“Oh come on you morbid prick! That Nurse did something weird to Seph... and we’ve seen that there’s something up with you too. It doesn’t take much to put two and two together,” Reno launched in, standing up from his seat as he spoke, making himself taller. And Vincent couldn’t help but see that similarity again. His anger subsided.

“Did she use a needle?” Vincent said, startling Reno who seemed ready to fight him off. Sephiroth glanced up sharply meeting Vincent’s eyes. And the recognition was almost instantaneous.

“Your eyes are red.” Plain and simple. “And yours glow.” And its appropriate reply.

So he wasn’t the only one she’d toyed with. It stung. But he had to be past all that. He needed to grow up already and leave this place... but maybe he could end this cycle? For surely there was something amiss... if only he could remember.

“I have no answers. I do not... remember much,” he said, breaking the intense silence that had fallen over the three. Reno was back to sitting down, mouth slightly agape.

“A little is all I need,” Sephiroth replied resting his head tiredly on his palm, “She injected... something strange into me. Did she ever give you an injection?” Vincent winced. Before, after, once during... he’d become so desensitized to needles that he didn’t quite know how many times she’d had the opportunity to “improve” him.

But wait... that was it, wasn’t it?

“There were some. I did go to her for treatments for an illness,” because you are stark raving mad, are you not? “But she did mention something about... perfecting.” And you wanted it, didn’t you? You wanted to be perfect, worm. And you’re going to keep on following that same pattern with this new one...

He shook his head. Not voices. Not now.

Sephiroth seemed to notice his distress. “It’s alright. She sure as hell doesn’t leave many clues—“ Vincent interrupted, as something struck him, dousing the voices with a fell swoop.

“Hojo.” Reno blinked and Sephiroth suppressed a snarl. So they had heard of him. Vincent remembered Hojo, those glares he gave him in the cafeteria for what used to seem like no reason. And... Lucrecia’s husband. So which one held the strings? Or were they both puppets?

“Yes, Hojo. Lucrecia is a dead end... seek him out,” he glanced over at Reno for a moment, “But rest first. You will need your strength.” He had never known himself to sound so authoritative, and for a moment, he thought it was an out of body experience, where he witnessed someone else acting as him...

He needed to find Cid. And Tifa. He felt exposed. He needed to get out for a while. Maybe they would all skip class and just go... keep going...

“I... have to depart.” He strode out of the library, already missing the humming. He’d been used; he knew that... but was it for something far worse than a bored wife’s attention?

He spotted the blond head as he rounded the corner, and he would have smiled if his face worked right.

“Well good fuckin’ mornin’ to ya.”

In the corner of his eye, he saw Sephiroth, alone, hobble towards the bathroom. And he wondered where his... lieutenant had gone off to. An injured man alone was an easy target. But maybe he was just being paranoid.

Maybe.