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Say Goodnight and Go- Chapter 9

Ifalna knew it was too late to run the moment she opened the door. The strange man that stood before her and the soldiers that flanked him clearly told her that they were not any ordinary visitors. Her eyes grew wide and she turned quickly, not wanting to be seized by the man’s bony hands. It was his eyes that frightened her most; their cold emptiness seemed to chill her to the core.

“It’s them,” she cried out as she ran into Gast’s arms and then quickly moved behind him. Her hands trembled has she gripped his shoulders. Gast had been right, they had come after all. She should have never dismissed his fears.

“Good evening Gast,” Hojo smiled at the couple. His hands folded behind his back and he tilted his head to the side. “I suppose I’ll have to invite myself in, though you really have no choice in the matter. You’ve been rather hard to find Gast. I’m sure you knew though that one day I would pay you a special visit.”

Gast glared at Hojo. “How did you know to come here and find us?”

“Well you of all people should know that ShinRa has eyes and ears throughout the globe,” Hojo stepped closer, looking about the small house curiously. He was a little surprised that his once-colleague had grown used to such pastoral living. “Plus I was able to find a little trail in your research,” he looked to Ifalna, giving her a smarmy smirk. “But of course I did have to be a little patient once I found you and discovered there would be another little surprise on the way.”

Gast’s eyes widened as he grabbed Hojo’s lab coat. “You bastard. It doesn’t surprise me that you would wait so you could have two specimens to carve up!” The familiar sound of a cocking gun barrel roused Gast from his hateful stare to notice that two SOLDIERS had entered the room along with Hojo. His grip slowly eased. “I can’t let you take Aeris from us.”

“Aeris? What an unusual name Professor.” Hojo snickered softly as he straightened out the front of his coat.

Gast clenched his fist and glared at Hojo doing everything in his power to stop himself from jumping and beating the man to a pulp. “Hojo, I demand you leave. I have severed all of my ties with ShinRa. You have no right to do this. I gave up on your way of thinking two years ago. I know I’ve made mistakes in the past, but there is nothing I can do about them now. I won’t let you destroy my wife and child!”

Ifalna cleared her throat and Gast turned to watch her move from behind him and move towards Hojo, kneeling in front of him and taking his hands in hers in a submissive bow. “Hojo, I beg of you to leave Aeris out of this. If you need a specimen I demand you take me instead. I will go in place of both my husband and child. Gast had warned me you would show up one day and now that you are here I know what I must do.” She looked up at the scientist with tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. There was little else she could do, if this was her fate she would be happy if it meant her child and husband could live happily.

“Ifalna! You don’t know what you’re saying!” Gast cried out and clutched her by the shoulders, turning her away from Hojo to face him. “You know I can’t let you go on your own!”

Hojo chuckled softly and pulled his hands away from Ifalna’s, wiping them off on his lab coat. “You’re husband is right, Ifalna. I certainly couldn’t just have you. I need all of you for my experiment. This isn’t just about you now, you and Gast have created the first and only half-Cetra. I can’t simply just have one piece of the puzzle. ShinRa demands I find the way to the Promised Land, without you all it’s just not possible.” Hojo slowly rubbed his chin and looked to Gast who seemed completely shell-shocked. “You understand this don’t you? Wasn’t it your dream to make this happen ever since you found Jenova?” he asked with a smirk.

Gast winced at the mention of his first great discovery and turned away from the both of them. Looking behind him he saw Aeris squirming within her crib and he could not help but repeatedly kick himself over and over for what he had done. He should have done the world a favor and simply faded away into myth and legend instead of coming to this town and trying to convince Ifalna to tell him everything. Falling to his knees he brought Ifalna close to him and he hugged her tightly. “I’ll find a way to get out of this Ifalna, I swear it to you.”

Hojo sneered and stepped away from the cuddling couple, allowing them to have a moment to discuss whatever futile plans of escape they were making. He looked around the small cabin, noting that there really wasn’t much to the place. At least at the ShinRa mansion there had been room to do experiments. How in the world was Gast keeping up with all of his notes on the Ancients? A glimmer against the far wall caught his eye and he turned to see a camera perched on a high shelf. “Ah, well that explains everything,” Hojo muttered to himself. “Guards! Destroy that camera! We can’t have any witnesses to what has occurred here. Also we certainly don’t want to be sharing any important research with the outside world.”

Gast winced as one of the guards took aim and shot out the lens of the camera. He sighed and lowered his head. Perhaps it would be best for all of them to comply for the moment. Maybe he could go back to ShinRa and explain his absence in a way that could free him and Ifalna.

Without warning one of the guards snatched Ifalna up by the shoulder and began to drag her off. Gast sat there for a moment seeing his wife’s face twist in pain and he knew he could not simply bow down to ShinRa and allow them to do what they wished with her. Feeling his face grow hot with anger, Gast jumped forward and grabbed the soldier’s arm with his left hand and punching the young man in the face with his right. He hadn’t gotten into a fight since he was a small boy and he’d forgotten how a simple blow could easily crack your knuckles. Especially when that hand had smashed into a well chiseled jaw line. Pulling Ifalna away he pushed her toward the baby’s crib. “Ifalna take Aeris and run!”

Before Gast could turn to attack the soldier once more, a loud crack followed by a sharp pain in his gut made him drop to his knees. Ifalna froze where she was and looked at him in horror. He looked down and pressed his hand to his stomach then lifted it and saw the beginnings of a fatal wound. He then turned to see Hojo standing the corner holding a small revolver. Gast coughed softly and tasted blood in the back of his throat. His mind was a rush with thoughts; he couldn’t believe it had come down to this.

“No, I don’t think anyone will be going anywhere,” Hojo placed the gun back into the pocket of his lab coat. He motioned the guard with the now swollen cheek to grab Ifalna once again. “Take her outside to the helicopter. I will be there shortly.” Hojo stepped towards Gast and kicked him to the floor savagely. He made a move to kick a again, but quickly remembered the other guard in the room who was now watching him with shock. One would have never expected the wiry professor to have such a blow. “Get the child and get out of here, I have a little business to finish here first.”

Hojo watched as both men and his new experiments were quickly ushered out of the cabin. He saw Ifalna’s face contort, trying to hold in tears and cries of anguish. As the door closed he rounded on the quickly fading Gast, lifting his head up and forcing his colleague to gaze up at him one last time. “I told you I would always come out on top Gast. I know you thought you could escape, but I only let you feel a little false sense of accomplishment, that’s all! Even if I did take you back to ShinRa alive don’t think I would have given you a chance to worm your way out of my clutches. Believe me there have been others before you who have tried and failed most severely! This will not end here Gast, this is only the beginning of the world I am building.”

Gast gurgled softly as his eyes rolled back into his head. Hojo sighed and let go of the man, letting him slump back against the floor lifelessly. Afterwards, he took a moment to look around the cabin for anything of use. Spying a small stack of videotapes he grinned as he read off the various labels. “Ancients, Weapons, my, what a treasure trove of information you’ve given me Gast.” He slipped several off the tapes into his coat and turned back to the body of his once-comrade.

“I suppose it is time for me to say goodnight and go now, Gast. Ifalna is in good hands now and I won’t let your work go to waste. Even though I hated you more than words can say, I will admit that you were a great scientist, if only to the silence of this room. Your fault was that you were far too soft,” Hojo muttered as he stepped over Gast’s body and to the door.

Throwing open the door the cold wind hit Hojo bitterly in the face. He took a deep breath, the crisp mountain air filling his lungs. Strolling back to the helicopter, Hojo began to make plans with what would now happen to Ifalna and Aeris. This was only the beginning and he only had this lifetime, there would be plenty of experimentation to get in within the next 50 years. The search for the Promised Land could wait.

Description
Say Goodnight and Go- Chapter 9

Ifalna knew it was too late to run the moment she opened the door. The strange man that stood before her and the soldiers that flanked him clearly told her that they were not any ordinary visitors. Her eyes grew wide and she turned quickly, not wanting to be seized by the man’s bony hands. It was his eyes that frightened her most; their cold emptiness seemed to chill her to the core.

“It’s them,” she cried out as she ran into Gast’s arms and then quickly moved behind him. Her hands trembled has she gripped his shoulders. Gast had been right, they had come after all. She should have never dismissed his fears.

“Good evening Gast,” Hojo smiled at the couple. His hands folded behind his back and he tilted his head to the side. “I suppose I’ll have to invite myself in, though you really have no choice in the matter. You’ve been rather hard to find Gast. I’m sure you knew though that one day I would pay you a special visit.”

Gast glared at Hojo. “How did you know to come here and find us?”

“Well you of all people should know that ShinRa has eyes and ears throughout the globe,” Hojo stepped closer, looking about the small house curiously. He was a little surprised that his once-colleague had grown used to such pastoral living. “Plus I was able to find a little trail in your research,” he looked to Ifalna, giving her a smarmy smirk. “But of course I did have to be a little patient once I found you and discovered there would be another little surprise on the way.”

Gast’s eyes widened as he grabbed Hojo’s lab coat. “You bastard. It doesn’t surprise me that you would wait so you could have two specimens to carve up!” The familiar sound of a cocking gun barrel roused Gast from his hateful stare to notice that two SOLDIERS had entered the room along with Hojo. His grip slowly eased. “I can’t let you take Aeris from us.”

“Aeris? What an unusual name Professor.” Hojo snickered softly as he straightened out the front of his coat.

Gast clenched his fist and glared at Hojo doing everything in his power to stop himself from jumping and beating the man to a pulp. “Hojo, I demand you leave. I have severed all of my ties with ShinRa. You have no right to do this. I gave up on your way of thinking two years ago. I know I’ve made mistakes in the past, but there is nothing I can do about them now. I won’t let you destroy my wife and child!”

Ifalna cleared her throat and Gast turned to watch her move from behind him and move towards Hojo, kneeling in front of him and taking his hands in hers in a submissive bow. “Hojo, I beg of you to leave Aeris out of this. If you need a specimen I demand you take me instead. I will go in place of both my husband and child. Gast had warned me you would show up one day and now that you are here I know what I must do.” She looked up at the scientist with tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. There was little else she could do, if this was her fate she would be happy if it meant her child and husband could live happily.

“Ifalna! You don’t know what you’re saying!” Gast cried out and clutched her by the shoulders, turning her away from Hojo to face him. “You know I can’t let you go on your own!”

Hojo chuckled softly and pulled his hands away from Ifalna’s, wiping them off on his lab coat. “You’re husband is right, Ifalna. I certainly couldn’t just have you. I need all of you for my experiment. This isn’t just about you now, you and Gast have created the first and only half-Cetra. I can’t simply just have one piece of the puzzle. ShinRa demands I find the way to the Promised Land, without you all it’s just not possible.” Hojo slowly rubbed his chin and looked to Gast who seemed completely shell-shocked. “You understand this don’t you? Wasn’t it your dream to make this happen ever since you found Jenova?” he asked with a smirk.

Gast winced at the mention of his first great discovery and turned away from the both of them. Looking behind him he saw Aeris squirming within her crib and he could not help but repeatedly kick himself over and over for what he had done. He should have done the world a favor and simply faded away into myth and legend instead of coming to this town and trying to convince Ifalna to tell him everything. Falling to his knees he brought Ifalna close to him and he hugged her tightly. “I’ll find a way to get out of this Ifalna, I swear it to you.”

Hojo sneered and stepped away from the cuddling couple, allowing them to have a moment to discuss whatever futile plans of escape they were making. He looked around the small cabin, noting that there really wasn’t much to the place. At least at the ShinRa mansion there had been room to do experiments. How in the world was Gast keeping up with all of his notes on the Ancients? A glimmer against the far wall caught his eye and he turned to see a camera perched on a high shelf. “Ah, well that explains everything,” Hojo muttered to himself. “Guards! Destroy that camera! We can’t have any witnesses to what has occurred here. Also we certainly don’t want to be sharing any important research with the outside world.”

Gast winced as one of the guards took aim and shot out the lens of the camera. He sighed and lowered his head. Perhaps it would be best for all of them to comply for the moment. Maybe he could go back to ShinRa and explain his absence in a way that could free him and Ifalna.

Without warning one of the guards snatched Ifalna up by the shoulder and began to drag her off. Gast sat there for a moment seeing his wife’s face twist in pain and he knew he could not simply bow down to ShinRa and allow them to do what they wished with her. Feeling his face grow hot with anger, Gast jumped forward and grabbed the soldier’s arm with his left hand and punching the young man in the face with his right. He hadn’t gotten into a fight since he was a small boy and he’d forgotten how a simple blow could easily crack your knuckles. Especially when that hand had smashed into a well chiseled jaw line. Pulling Ifalna away he pushed her toward the baby’s crib. “Ifalna take Aeris and run!”

Before Gast could turn to attack the soldier once more, a loud crack followed by a sharp pain in his gut made him drop to his knees. Ifalna froze where she was and looked at him in horror. He looked down and pressed his hand to his stomach then lifted it and saw the beginnings of a fatal wound. He then turned to see Hojo standing the corner holding a small revolver. Gast coughed softly and tasted blood in the back of his throat. His mind was a rush with thoughts; he couldn’t believe it had come down to this.

“No, I don’t think anyone will be going anywhere,” Hojo placed the gun back into the pocket of his lab coat. He motioned the guard with the now swollen cheek to grab Ifalna once again. “Take her outside to the helicopter. I will be there shortly.” Hojo stepped towards Gast and kicked him to the floor savagely. He made a move to kick a again, but quickly remembered the other guard in the room who was now watching him with shock. One would have never expected the wiry professor to have such a blow. “Get the child and get out of here, I have a little business to finish here first.”

Hojo watched as both men and his new experiments were quickly ushered out of the cabin. He saw Ifalna’s face contort, trying to hold in tears and cries of anguish. As the door closed he rounded on the quickly fading Gast, lifting his head up and forcing his colleague to gaze up at him one last time. “I told you I would always come out on top Gast. I know you thought you could escape, but I only let you feel a little false sense of accomplishment, that’s all! Even if I did take you back to ShinRa alive don’t think I would have given you a chance to worm your way out of my clutches. Believe me there have been others before you who have tried and failed most severely! This will not end here Gast, this is only the beginning of the world I am building.”

Gast gurgled softly as his eyes rolled back into his head. Hojo sighed and let go of the man, letting him slump back against the floor lifelessly. Afterwards, he took a moment to look around the cabin for anything of use. Spying a small stack of videotapes he grinned as he read off the various labels. “Ancients, Weapons, my, what a treasure trove of information you’ve given me Gast.” He slipped several off the tapes into his coat and turned back to the body of his once-comrade.

“I suppose it is time for me to say goodnight and go now, Gast. Ifalna is in good hands now and I won’t let your work go to waste. Even though I hated you more than words can say, I will admit that you were a great scientist, if only to the silence of this room. Your fault was that you were far too soft,” Hojo muttered as he stepped over Gast’s body and to the door.

Throwing open the door the cold wind hit Hojo bitterly in the face. He took a deep breath, the crisp mountain air filling his lungs. Strolling back to the helicopter, Hojo began to make plans with what would now happen to Ifalna and Aeris. This was only the beginning and he only had this lifetime, there would be plenty of experimentation to get in within the next 50 years. The search for the Promised Land could wait.