Mommy's got a scarecrow, gotta let the corn grow

[joinmyreunion]

When the others had said they were going back, Kadaj had said he'd join them.

He wasn't sure if he was ready to go home. He knew that when he did things would have changed, things would need to have changed. Orochimaru was gone, and Kadaj wasn't going to be viewed as just the impulsive idiot riding Kuja's coattails any more. His relationship with Gin was going to have changed as well. Kadaj had always trusted Gin in that he'd trusted Gin to be Gin; whose actions and motives were utterly beyond Kadaj's comprehension, but in the very least he got the impression that Gin wouldn't hurt him for the fun of doing so, which was more than Kadaj could say for any of the rest of Khamja. Where Gin was concerned, Kadaj tried not to be a hindrance, even if he didn't know how to be a help.

Now Gin knew secrets about Kadaj that no one else did. No one barring Nnoitra, and now Grimmjow, Tayuya, and Yylfordt. It would have put Kadaj on Gin's radar, he knew, he just had to hope now that whatever game Gin played didn't have need of a playing piece with Kadaj's moveset.

Then there was Kuja. Since he couldn't occupy the safe spot hiding behind Kuja's skirts any more, Kadaj might be surplus to Kuja's requirements. He could play him; play at being the loyal little ex-minion, but Kadaj knew he probably wouldn't be able to keep that up for too long. Better, then, to play at ingenue ally, in need of guidance, who may be inclined to owe Kuja some favours. It hurt to think it, but Kadaj trusted Kuja marginally less than he trusted Gin when it came to his own safety if he wasn't immediately useful to him.

And then, then there was Aizen. Kadaj doubted very much that his defeat of Orochimaru had put him on Aizen's radar, but he doubted Aizen disregarded the whole affair, either. It might, at worst, or at best, have put Kadaj down as an upstart to keep an eye on. Kadaj wasn't wholly sure how to ingratiate himself with that one yet, or whether doing so was even wise.

So returning to the Palace was frought with nerves and second guessing himself. Kadaj took the time to chase down one last Hollow before he headed back; a mean thing that a Gotei Lieutenant might break a sweat over, but which Kadaj could take down almost leisurely, now. Then and only then did he head back, driving the bike through the caverns and parking her with the airships.

Yylfordt could keep the Ragnarok. Kadaj was quite fond of his bike, now.

He approached the Palace doors with a sigh, steeling himself before he let himself in. The Palace felt very, very different to what he was used to. The usual suspects were all here, of course, their reiatsu interwoven with the general feel of the place, but there were dischords in the usual symphony. Reiatsu signatures missing, faded, no longer detectable, and intruders that were too new to have found their place in the piece, yet.

One of them felt familiar, though Kadaj couldn't really pinpoint why.

He was full of sand and dust from the desert, so the first thing he did was head off to have a shower and change. On his way, he left something outside Kuja's door, and once he'd showered, he headed straight to the kitchen, where the others tended to lurk.

Comments

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra, were he a nicer person, might have cringed at what could potentially befall Professor Hojo at his utterance of those words. He wasn't though, so he just looked up, slightly interested, half wondering if Kadaj was going smack him or not.

Kadaj, even Nnoitra knew, had an few complexes and, because of this, he got the feeling that being called 'boy' and having demands made of him were likely to trigger a few of those, so he sat back and waited for the fireworks.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj got to his feet, for all the difference that made. He wasn't much taller than Hojo stood up, but it at least meant the man wasn't leering creepily over him.

"I don't think so," he said, restraining his rising irritation badly, but managing so far to keep his temper. "I'm not one of your experiments, and I'm not going to be one, so you can back off."

Kadaj was done being poked and prodded in whatever ways a self declared scientist devised. No one was going to control him like Orochimaru had ever again.

[doesthissmellofchloroform]

Hojo laughed. It wasn't a pleasant laugh.

"Nonsense, boy," he said, scathingly. "You already are one." He brushed Kadaj's objections off as if it was coming from a steak objecting to being eaten. "One of mine, in fact. You were going to be the proof that my methodology produced the best results, but your fool mother was too sentimental and I had to make do with what I had."

He smiled, then, seeming genuinely happy. "I never expected to find you again, and of course there are some fundamental differences," he gestured to Kadaj, all of Kadaj, "but I'm sure there are enough similarities to prove my theory."

[sipthehoneylikeabutterfly]

Szayel sat up slowly as Hojo talked, his brow furrowing. Hojo was famous for a few experiments, of course, but the most famous ones involving people had been the SOLDIER project, and specifically, work on the SOLDIER first classes.

"Kadaj?" He asked, disbelief evident. "Which project?" He asked, his expression still amazed and confused.

Surely not, right?

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra glanced at Szayel as if he was stupid.

If Kadaj was one of Hojo's experiments, if what he was saying was true, there was only one project he could belong to. The resemblance was obvious, now Nnoitra thought about it. It was what Hojo was apparently famed for and the silver haired and green-eyed appearance was, with the link now mentioned, pretty obvious.

Nnoitra was far more interested in the fact that Hojo had just insulted Kadaj's mother. He didn't know a lot about the kid, but he remembered, from the early days of their residence in the Desert Palace, that Kadaj was ... touchy about that subject.

This was going to be fun.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj's reiatsu wobbled, and he stared, lips parted and breath coming a little too quickly.

It was a lot to try and take in. It couldn't be true anyway, it couldn't be. He'd have remembered being experimented on. His mother would have never-- she wouldn't-- she hadn't--

His mother had told him he'd fallen into the Lifestream, in one of the upwellings near their home in Mideel. Kadaj couldn't remember falling in, he only remembered the poisoning, the voices, being lost in a torrent of other people's memories. Had she been lying?

He couldn't lose it. Not so soon after getting back, and not here. There were witnesses, and the space was confined. This wasn't a good place to lose his temper, but it was frayed like his control over his reiatsu and his fingers curled themselves around Souba's hilt. Her presence in his hand was reassuring.

"You're lying," he hissed, his teeth grit.

[doesthissmellofchloroform]

Hojo looked at Szayel like he was some dirt on the bottom of his shoe giving him an unexpected and unpleasant sensation of constantly stepping on something when walking.

"Project S," he answered, "my finest creation. Had I been able to complete my work on the sibling, he'd have been as successful, but," he looked Kadaj up and down, "even the little work I had been able to do seems to have had noticeable results."

The boy's reiatsu control was weakening, however. Temper, perhaps, or something more sentimental carried over thanks to the persistent maternal influence. Sephiroth had been separated from her very young, but her insistence that she'd withdraw from the experiments if she wasn't allowed to keep this one had been problematic. She was too genetically superior a specimen herself, although her mental state could fluctuate, and it would have been a shame to waste her and find another.

In retrospect he should have just brought her into the labs and kept her as a broodmare for superior specimens, but there was competition from other scientists in Shinra at the time, and Hojo hadn't wanted to let them know where he was obtaining his samples. She'd been enamoured of him, and he'd thought her easy to control with that, and she had been, for a while.

"If you had a hope of understanding the contents," he said, to Kadaj, "I'd show you the file containing your experimental data."

He wasn't lying.

[declaregamuza]

Nel slowly got to her feet.

Kadaj looked like he was either going to go berserk and stab the scientist, or run from the room. He also looked like he hadn't quite decided on a course of action yet.

He was holding his sword, though. That was a bad sign for Hojo's expected life span.

Could she move faster than Kadaj, if he swung for Hojo? Probably not, like this, although it'd be worth a shot. Kadaj's speed had always been one of his advantages, and while he was definitely not faster than her if she was released and wearing the mask, he might just be too fast for her without it.

Normally she wouldn't intervene in a spat between Khamja members that didn't involve underlings, but Kadaj had just returned from whatever he'd been doing out in the world, and they'd kept Hojo like an old lady keeping bits of string in case they came in useful. For him to have been given the labs, someone obviously wanted to make use of him.

That someone might not appreciate Kadaj becoming the leading cause of Scientist Death in Khamja.

Kadaj was fighting to hold it together, that much was obvious, but that wasn't a fight he'd been very good at winning in the past.

[sipthehoneylikeabutterfly]

Szayel still looked stunned.

Kadaj, a relative of Sephiroth? Brother to him, no less, and he'd undergone at least some of the same founding experiments.

Oh, the resemblance was there, if you looked for it. The same eyes, same hair, but Kadaj was short, and slender, and effete, and frankly a bit stupid, and Sephiroth was tall, muscular, masculine, and a SOLDIER First Class, which also implied he regularly used some degree of critical thinking.

"I wouldn't consider them that successful," Szayel muttered, lip curled.

[thechillyacademic]

Even felt Kadaj's reiatsu increase as he lost a little bit of the control he used, like everybody with a high degree of battle ability did, to keep it suppressed.

It was an involuntary thing, a second nature, to avoid wasting the power they possessed unnecessarily. More importantly, it also protected those around them, those with a much lower reiatsu themselves, from being negatively affected by the effects of that level of spiritual pressure. Subconscious though the control might be, emotionally trying situations tended to have an adverse effect on that control, leading it to waver.

Even could tell that Kadaj was struggling. He seemed ill-tempered, nearly brattish, but he was powerful -- a dangerous combination.

Professor Hojo was insufferable. He reminded him a lot of what he used to be like ... as a Nobody. The thought made his eyes narrow. He could recall the things he had said and done when he had been without a heart and some of it made him ashamed to remember. He had never been like that before he'd lost his heart, it was only when the Darkness crept in -- a side effect of their experiments -- that he and the rest of them had lost their moral centre.

Professor Hojo was acting that way now, as an intact person. It was no wonder he'd gotten so far ahead with his experiments, his human experiments. He had no conscience to speak of. As luck would have it, he didn't seem to have much in the way of spiritual energy, either. If Kadaj lost control, Professor Hojo was likely the only one who would be flattened.

"That's all very fascinating," Even said, "but are you aware of what happened to the last scientist to occupy your laboratory space?"

Even highly doubted he'd have gotten the bigger story, as he had from Neliel, but he wagered that he had almost certainly been informed that the previous scientist had been murdered, apparently in self defence, by two of the people in the room, one of whom he was needling.

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra looked at the Ryoka, visible eyebrow raised.

He had a point.

Orochimaru had been killed because of what he had done to both him and Kadaj, though the story suggested it had been in self defence. A witness had attested that he had seen Kadaj in a difficult position, having been attacked by Orochimaru, and gone to help him. Nobody would ever have believed that Nnoitra had help in him, but that didn't matter. The victim was somebody they both hated, so although it was opportunistic, it didn't go badly for him in front of Aizen.

In reality, it had been slightly more intricate than that, and all Kadaj's idea, pre-planned with the sort of clever reasoning that nobody would ever think to give Kadaj credit for, let alone him. They were both tarred with the same brush when it came to impulsive brawling.

And now it turned out that the man who had been given Orochimaru's old work space knew both of their mothers. He, much to Nnoitra's irritation, insisted on referring to him as his mother's child, rather than by name, something that needled him because his mother had never thought much of him. He doubted that she'd ever used his name to Hojo back when they worked together, and expected that she'd just called him 'the boy'.

Kadaj was, apparently, one of Hojo's own experiments and a later re-test of the Project-S experiment, the same one that had spawned Sephiroth, somebody that was considered to be finest Soldier ever turned out by Shinra.

After years of distance, Hojo apparently thought himself capable of taking Kadaj back, as property. That wasn't going to go well for him, Nnoitra figured.

Still, should Kadaj have need somebody unaverse to smashing his face in to back him up, he'd be happy to do an encore, not that he thought that he'd need help for this one.

[doesthissmellofchloroform]

Hojo made a scornful exclamation that would have been a laugh, had he been anyone else. "Orochimaru was little more than a hack collector, more interested in accumulating jutsu than real science." And look where it had got him. He'd died, and his collection had died with him; he'd left nothing to carry on after his death because he hadn't planned for his death. "It gives him undue credibility to refer to him as a scientist."

His lab, however, had been usable, with some modifications and equipment changes. "The fact that his laboratories were adequate is the best that can be said for him."

At least on the science front. Hojo didn't doubt he'd been a formidable fighter, but Hojo had little use for fighting himself; that was why he made SOLDIERS. Let the meatheads fight, and Hojo would pick over the data and the remains later to make better, more effective meatheads.

[joinmyreunion]

"I killed him," Kadaj said, his eyes unnaturally wide and his reiatsu still creeping upwards. "Nnoitra and I," he said, his gaze fixed on Hojo, "we both did."

He adjusted his grip on Souba but didn't draw her. "And I'll kill the next scientist that tries to touch me without permission, too."

No samples, no experiments, no data. Kadaj wasn't being turned over and studied and mentally restrained to be someone else's subject ever again. Orochimaru had done enough for one lifetime.

[sipthehoneylikeabutterfly]

Szayel snorted, quietly, as if he found something funny. "Please," he murmured, rolling his eyes.

As if anyone really believed it had been without permission with Orochimaru. Though he had to admit, Kadaj had a flair for the dramatic when it came to making a stand that he could appreciate.

[declaregamuza]

Nel glanced sharply in Szayel's direction, but he seemed to be oblivious. What they didn't need right now was Szayel sticking his oar in and upsetting Kadaj further.

She moved slowly and carefully around the table to get behind Kadaj, keeping a respectable distance so as not to set him off, and making sure not to move too suddenly, so as not to set him off.

He was holding on by the skin of his teeth, by her reckoning. If he let it out verbally, things should be okay, but Hojo had demonstrated a knack for being as oblivious as Szayel, so far, to the possible consequences of him running his mouth.

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra smirked at Hojo, cocking his head to one side.

Hojo, apparently, didn't know what kind of thin ice he was walking on. Sure, so he might consider Orochimaru little more than a hack, but his scientific prowess, or lack thereof, had absolutely nothing to do with how he had died, nor was Hojo's own likely to factor in to his imminent death if he carried on.

"He ain't lyin'," he said, fixing him with a look that was at once both amused and dangerous. "And there are enough other people here that will make your life really fuckin' hard if you do mess with him. Or try to."

[thechillyacademic]

Even sighed and shook his head, rolling his eyes.

Hojo was absurdly single minded, wasn't he? Even couldn't say one way or another whether Orochimaru's own scientific abilities were good or not, but that wasn't the point he had been trying to make, though Kadaj had explained quite adequately himself.

Even Hojo couldn't be so blind as to not realise that Kadaj was losing control and that, when he did, he'd be unlikely to come out of it well. It was a wonder he'd made it this far if this was his attitude to unwilling participants.

[doesthissmellofchloroform]

"Really?" Hojo asked, sounding slightly surprised, and very intrigued. "You're even more successful than I'd estimated!" He also sounded rather thrilled with this news, and adjusted his glasses.

"Hebira's child too," he murmured, turning his attention to Nnoitra for a moment, "very interesting. I'll require data from you both."

Sephiroth would have had no problem defeating someone like Orochimaru on his own, but Sephiroth was older, had completed all the procedures, and had been formally trained to become the standout specimen he was. The sibling, however, didn't have such advantages, so he'd done very well to have become adept enough to beat someone of Orochimaru's level with an accomplice.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj wasn't sure if this guy was being willfully obnoxious to try and get him to flip out, or if it was a scientist thing to be about as persistent as Szayel, and nearly as infuriating.

"You can't have any data," Kadaj hissed. "Am I not making my point clear enough for you?"

The fingers of his free hand twitched as he resisted the urge to grab this guy by the collar and make his point very pointed.

[sipthehoneylikeabutterfly]

Szayel murmured, approvingly. "I'm afraid I have to agree with Kadaj," he said, as if such a concept pained him. "Nnoitra's data isn't yours to take."

Though Hojo could help himself to Kadaj as much as he liked, for Szayel Nnoitra, however, belonged to Aizen, and the scientific part of his data belonged, as far as Szayel was concerned, to him, until they got to Draklor and then he was forced to share it.

He wasn't prepared to share it here. To say nothing of the fact that Aizen wouldn't approve of Arrancar being studied by someone like Hojo.

[prayingmantis]

Nnoitra watched Hojo's expression turn to glee and then looked sharply at Szayel, the bridge of his nose wrinkling in annoyance.

"Shut the fuck up," he snapped, barely resisting the urge to grab him by the face and pull him off the chair. "You don't get to speak for me."

He did, however, join Kadaj in standing. Unlike Kadaj, he towered over Hojo, radiating threat without flaring his reiastu. He narrowed his single eye and glared down at the man, teeth showing in a snarl.

"I don't give a fuck what you 'require' of me," he said, still keeping his Chakra under control. "You ain't gettin' it. Not because that obnoxious little prick forbids it," he jabbed a thumb in Szayel's direction, "or because it belongs to somebody else, you ain't gettin' it because I fuckin' say you're ain't gettin' it and if you try," he bared his teeth in an unpleasant grin. "My boss being pissed off is gonna be the least of your worries."

[declaregamuza]

Nel frowned when Nnoitra got to his feet too. She could probably restrain Kadaj, but there was no way she'd be able to restrain both of them. The infuriating thing was that Nnoitra wasn't making empty threats, even though he in particular should be trying to keep his head down.

Besides, if Aizen wanted to let Hojo have Nnoitra's data, or whatever else he might want of him, if, for example, Nnoitra pissed him off again, there was very little outside of open rebellion that Nnoitra would be able to do about it.

"I suggest you leave," she said to Hojo, her voice firm.

[doesthissmellofchloroform]

Hojo smirked, putting his hand to his chin and supporting his elbow on the other hand.

So, Hebira's child was volatile. Hojo knew exactly how to get data from people like that. You simply set up the experiment, some simulated fight against an opponent, and told them there was no way they could beat it. You pushed the fact that you expected them to be soundly defeated, that they were weaker than what you had created, until, pride on the line, they went ahead to prove you wrong.

And then you got your data. He'd done it dozens upon dozens of times at Shinra with stupid meathead SOLDIERS who were out to prove their strength.

As for Sephiroth's sibling, he was, as anticipated, emotionally unstable, a trait no doubt picked up from the mother. He was easy to rile, which made him easy to study.

He'd already let the guard on his reiatsu drop, although he hadn't pushed it to full throttle, and if Hojo was any judge, and he was, he carried a zanpakuto, which was intriguing in itself.

"I've already taken the data I can from this meeting," he said, glancing at Kadaj. He might have to give it a few days and then steal a toothbrush, or hairbrush, for his genetic comparisons. "A kitchen is no place for proper analysis," he added, turning to look at Nel and Nnoitra.

"Perhaps my being sequestered in this Palace won't be such an inconvenience after all," he said, turning away to head for the kitchen door.

[sipthehoneylikeabutterfly]

Szayel rolled his eyes at Nnoitra's bravado. If Nnoitra laid so much as a finger on another member of Khamja, he'd stand to lose it, so if he continued like this he'd get himself returned to Draklor in a crate.

Still, Szayel had to admire the way Hojo had apparently come in to press Kadaj's buttons and find which ones were big and red. He hadn't flipped at the mother reference, for once, Szayel noted. Perhaps that one wasn't as sensitive as other subjects, lately.

Still, there was no way anyone could miss that Kadaj was back now; he'd practically advertised it letting his suppression drop like that.

Apparently he'd found some of Nnoitra's too, while he was at it. Not that Nnoitra's were easy to miss once you exchanged a few words with him.

[thechillyacademic]

Even looked at Kadaj when Hojo had made his exit.

"I suggest," he said, carefully, "that you lock your door whenever you're not there and, if you use anything in here, that you wash it when you've finished."

He didn't look at Nnoitra. He was a lot taller than he thought he should be and was one of the few people that Even had to look up at. Quite a way, at that. It was a little unnerving. He didn't doubt that he'd be taller, if less imposing, than Lexaeus.

"If he wants a sample, he doesn't need to have you present to obtain it."