"You can't hear anything? No voices, no sounds, nothing?"

Silver wires were firmly taped to various parts of his body. They were slightly uncomfortable, but the scientists had insisted it necessary– he'd gotten used to them a long time ago. Most would tremble in the cold chill of the lab, especially if their only piece of clothing was a thin medical gown draped upon their pale skin. But Sephiroth knew not what it was, to feel 'cold'. He could certainly sense the difference in temperatures, the contrast of a lamp's warmth to a metal's bite, but the discomfort that came with it was not something he was familiar with.

"No," he murmured in a small voice. He tapped his feet on the ground, looking down towards them. He did not look at the doctor kneeling next to him, he'd not look at anyone. All he knew was that whatever it was that he was supposed to hear– he had failed again.

"How disappointing," Professor Hojo's voice hissed from the corner of the room. "My, I fail to understand why Doctor Gast still has faith in you. These tests are proving themselves to be little more than a waste of time."

Sephiroth held one of his hands in the other, slender fingers intertwined. He took in a deep breath. He'd not whimper. He'd not weep. He'd not do anything to provoke Professor Hojo's vexation. The professor was already in a bad mood, as he tended to be with every failure– and he'd grow even more angered by any sign of Sephiroth's own melancholy.

"Useless, useless, useless!" Sephiroth could hear the professor mutter under his breath, but even then, he stifled any response he might've otherwise given. The professor didn't like it when he could pick up on the things he 'wasn't supposed to hear', yet could not detect the strange voice he'd been told he was 'supposed' to hear. Sephiroth didn't really understand what any of this meant. He was but a child of seven, and he always felt so lost amongst the lab-coats around him. Only Doctor Gast ever cared to sit by his side and spend real time with him.

But the worst part of the day was yet to come. Professor Hojo and Doctor Gast both said it was 'necessary for social development'. Sephiroth always dreaded his social sessions more than anything– even more than the futile tests he was made to go through.

It was the same room every time. The walls were like mirrors, and there were cameras watching them closely from each corner. Various children would fill the room, ranging from six to eight years old. Some were the offspring of Shinra workers, but most were orphans from the slums. Sephiroth was curious to know what it was like outside the Shinra building, but none ever told him what it was like. If they did speak to him, they'd not indulge in any of his questions or curiosities.

He stood in the corner, trapped amongst them once more. He stared unblinking with his large, green eyes. They'd gathered in a crowd on the other side of the room– away from him. Occasionally, a few would glance at him, and their conversation would turn to ' the strange kid that's just staring at us' . And Sephiroth would smell fear waft off their pores, their hearts hammering just that little bit faster.

He was not one of them. He was not like them. He knew he was different; he'd felt so for as long as he could remember... but why did they have to hate him for it?

Sephiroth took a few steps towards them. As he did, more and more of their beady eyes would shoot up and watch him, the smell of fear only growing stronger. He knew he couldn't sulk in the corner forever, like he'd tend to do. Doctor Gast had encouraged him to 'put himself out there' and play with the children. Perhaps, this time, things could go well.

"Hello," he spoke softly, trying not to spook them further– some paid attention to him, others just ignored him.

"I was just w–"

"Why do your eyes look like that?"

Sephiroth froze. The children fell silent as the loudest of them, a slim brunette who had initially ignored him, glared into his face. Now everyone was looking at him, dozens of inspecting little eyes staring into his eyes.

"Like what?" Sephiroth's hand flitted up instinctively to his face. Were his eyes irritated or something?

"Like that, " the young boy replied, not in a particularly helpful manner. Sephiroth took some steps back as the others grew curious, crowding around him and trapping him in a circle of flesh. He tried not to tremble as he felt them all peer at him, small spikes of fear forming as each one realised what the boy was talking about. Their heartbeats were so loud.

"I see it," one chirped up.

"That's so freaky!"

"I think it's pretty cool."

"Is it just me, or are they glowing?"

"I don't understand," Sephiroth murmured, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"You have weird pupils. I've never seen ones like that, not even on TV. Except, on like, the dragons and stuff."

Sephiroth blinked. In the back of his mind, he had known that the only pupils he'd seen on others had always been round, while his were slit– but he'd never asked why. Part of him had likely assumed that this was simply a rarity, nothing more. Was it so rare that none of the children had seen something like it before?

"I've never seen anyone with hair like that either."

A hand reached out to touch the silver hair that hovered above his shoulders. He flinched in alarm, whirling around in the direction of whoever touched him. Some of the children shrieked at the sudden movement and shied away, while the one who'd tried to touch him quickly withdrew their hand with a confused look.

They reached out again. He remained eerily still as, not only this child, but a couple others began to stretch their hands towards his head. Many of them were shaking, hesitant to interact directly with the strange one they'd cornered.

His muscles tensed as he resisted the instinct to push them away. He had no wish to harm them, or spook them as he already had, and it wasn't necessarily that he didn't like physical contact so much as it was that he didn't like the way they were going about it. Confined between the scrutinous gazes of countless children, who viewed him not as a potential friend, but an atypical creature from their dreams given flesh. He could hear their little whispers slither by his sensitive ears; he's so strange, what a freak, I can't believe they're touching him.

But perhaps... this was their attempt at connecting with him. At reaching out to him as they tried to understand him. Maybe if he reached back out, they wouldn't fear him so much.

His fingers twitched as he carefully raised up his hand and began to move it towards the slim brunette who'd brought about this whole situation. The children all stopped touching him when they saw this movement, most of them even flinching away in fear. The boy narrowed his eyes and batted away Sephiroth's hand with the back of his own, glaring at him bitterly. Everyone fell silent, almost shocked that the boy had the bravery to retaliate against the strange one.

"Don't," he warned.

"I just want to–"

"No. I don't want you that close to me."

Sephiroth faltered and hoped no one would notice the trembling of his fingers. His heart sank, why were they still so cold to him? He'd not done anything wrong, had he? He'd been good, he'd let them inspect him even though he'd despised it, he just wanted to bond with them as he'd seen them bond with each other. Why wouldn't they let him in? Why were they so... horrified by him?

"Please, I–"

When he stepped forwards, everyone stepped away.

"I just want to talk. Or p-play. I've never really played anything before, maybe you could teach me?"

The crowd began to exchange confused looks with one another, some of them laughing. For but a moment, Sephiroth wondered if this was an expression of friendliness– but... no, they were laughing at him for some reason.

"Weirdo."

"Freak."

"Monster."

He couldn't stop it now. He looked hopelessly at them in the hopes that someone, anyone, would stand up for him. Or show that they're not so afraid of him. Or just...

... why are they being so cruel to me?

His eyes began to burn. He wasn't supposed to cry. But all around him were blank, uncaring faces, and the unkind murmurings of his unconventional nature. He pressed his eyelids against each other in an attempt to hide the tears. The children only seemed to laugh louder.

"Stop," he murmured under his breath, but no one heard him– and if they did, no one seemed to care. His weary gaze scanned each child before him, but no longer did he register their individual features. They were just a crowd to him, a group that rejected him for reasons he could not understand.

"I don't want to be alone anymore. Please, j-just talk to me," he spoke, a bit louder this time. As he took a step forwards, they all backed away. His face was almost expressionless, save for the tears that glinted like little crystals on his pale cheek. He could feel something growing inside him, like ice cracking beneath too much pressure. He couldn't tell if it was anger, frustration, dejection; only that it pained him. And he wanted the pain to stop.

"Stop running away," his lip twitched as his red eyes locked onto the child closest to him. It mattered not who they were. He couldn't take this anymore.

"I don't want to be alone."

Sephiroth reached out with what was, for him, a casual movement– but it did not seem so for the child. Their yelp and cry of shock did not register, however, as he grabbed their arm at a speed and precision that was inhuman for someone his age. He could feel them squirming in his grip, desperately trying to pry their limb out of his hand– but he only squeezed tighter, staring blankly into their eyes as his own wouldn't stop spilling those tainted tears.

"Let go of me, you freak! It hurts!" they yelled. The stinging shriek of their voice were like daggers to Sephiroth's sensitive ears, but he only grew more desperate as his fingers dug into the child's flesh. His eyes were pleading for connection. The child began to hit the strange one with their frail free hand, and the silver haired Sephiroth only wept evermore. Everyone's heartbeats were racing in an overwhelming cacophony, and the stench of fear was inescapable.

The crowd began to wail in despair, and the child screamed. The door to the room slammed opened and two medics quickly sprinted inside, rushing towards Sephiroth and his victim. Doctor Gast was behind them, looking at the scene in utter horror.

When Sephiroth looked down to the child's arm, he realised he had not heard the sickening crunch of the bones that snapped like toothpicks in his grip.

~

~

~

Sephiroth was sat upon the chair in Doctor Gast's office, looking down at his hands. He'd had to wash off small specks of blood on his nails, and now they were cleaned as if nothing had happened. As if he'd not mutilated a child's arm into a contorted, bloody mess.

He sensed Doctor Gast approaching the room before he entered it. He'd not look up as the scientist, donning a solemn expression, opened the door and sat at his desk, shuffling paperwork (there was no doubt Shinra would have to cover this up somehow), and releasing a low sigh.

"You shan't be in any trouble," Doctor Gast said. "But we have decided to suspend your social sessions for the time being."

Sephiroth did not speak. He hugged his knees to his chest as he sat on the chair. His limbs felt heavy, and his heart was numb. Perhaps the other children had not been wrong when they'd called him a freak. He'd broken that arm as easily as one would breathe, and even Doctor Gast could not mask the rising terror in his heart when he'd witnessed that scene.

"Sephiroth," Doctor Gast leaned close. "I can see that you are upset. I understand Professor Hojo encourages you to hide your emotions, but you may express them before me. Here– a little surprise for you."

He reached under his desk and handed the boy a small plush velociraptor. Sephiroth hugged it close and wiped at tears that began to form once more. He wasn't really allowed to have toys, as per Hojo's rules– so the ones Doctor Gast let him hold while in his office were to be kept secret.

"I didn't..." Sephiroth paused as Doctor Gast reached out with a napkin to wipe away his tears. "I didn't mean to hurt him."

"I know, Sephiroth."

"They were all laughing at me. Calling me names, touching me, and then running from me," he hitched a sob. "They said I was a freak, a monster. Why were they so scared of me? "

"People tend to fear what they don't understand."

"Well, I don't understand why."

Sephiroth curled up into himself, his grip tightening around the plush. Was it so terrible, to be unlike those around you? The children acted like there was something wrong with that, wrong with him, at a fundamental level. But he just couldn't get it, he wasn't bad, yet he was treated as if he was.

"I don't know why I've had to do these 'social sessions.' They never liked me, never even gave me a chance. I just wanted to try to make a friend, but they all kept pushing me away!"

His fingers accidentally punctured the fabric of his plush. He suddenly went very still, glancing down at his toy and relaxing his hold. It slipped from his hand as he reached up to wipe away some more tears.

"Well," Doctor Gast began. "Sephiroth, you are... a very special child."

"I'm... special?"

Doctor Gast's smile was oddly sad, the boy noticed.

"Yes. And not everyone can understand that. Much of the time, you will have difficulties others may not face. But I believe that it is ultimately something to take pride in."

"Professor Hojo thinks I'm useless."

"It doesn't matter what he thinks. You've always been a very special boy, Sephiroth, and you always will be. I truly believe that you are destined for great things."

"They were really scared of me, you know," Sephiroth murmured. "I could sense it."

"You could sense–" Doctor Gast's eyes widened behind his dark glasses. "What do you mean?"

"Their hearts were racing. And I couldn't escape the smell of fear," the child turned to look Gast in the eyes. "You were afraid too; I could feel it."

The Doctor fell very quiet as he considered this.

"Special indeed..." he muttered, smiling to himself. "You know, I've not met anyone capable of that. In fact, you've proven many interesting things today."

He took the youngster's hands into his own.

"I have faith in you, Sephiroth. I believe that, once you're out there, the world will come to realise how wondrous you are."

Sephiroth looked down to the doctor's hands. Maybe he was right.

"I'm special."