Chapter 4: Raising A Sibling
The months go by and Ramiel was currently sipping on a training bottle filled with baby formula that's been engineered to thousands of calories a bottle.
"Ahhh, dat's da shtuff. Dis wud be gud ash rashons in da feeld." Ramiel sighed in satisfaction and he could already speak. But his pronunciations were still a bit wonky.
He then looked at his sister that was also downing the baby formula. She was growing up nicely, not as fast as him. But it's still fast as hell. She could already walk around after all.
In these couple of months, Ramiel has been receiving more doses of Jenova's cells. Even having transfusions of her blood. But there were no visible effects. Except that his body got denser and stronger.
His muscles got thicker and slowly compressed. Bones became heavier, thicker, denser. His neural pathways and mental capabilities were enhanced too. Which thankfully put Hojo's focus on him instead of Alexandra.
Ramiel wanted to give his sister an inkling of a normal life. And right now, after she exercised and got fed, she was starting to get drowsy.
They were currently in Shinra HQ. As the facilities there are much suited for experiments as well as giving them a controlled environment so the twins would grow up in how they want them to be.
"Tuff luk, Hojoe. We weel grow up bashed on haw I want." Ramiel squinted his eyes and was currently reading Alexandra a bedtime story so she could fall asleep and he will be able to train.
He had a surplus of calories and macronutrients right now. As he demanded a supply of the formula. Making his own bottle whenever he needed. And Hojo was all too happy to comply.
The scientist thought that Ramiel was a hyper intelligent being that developed super quickly. Making him ecstatic.
'I'll milk everything I can from Shinra for now. I practically have everything as long as I produce fascinating results. This will be in my favor.' Ramiel decided to bide his time.
He then remembered that in approximately a few years. Hojo will be able to find Gast and kill him. So Ramiel needed all the specs he could get to try and save him along with the last Cetra, Ifalna. The real mother of Aerith.
"Der, der. Shleep for naw." Ramiel patted Alexandra's head as he tucked her into bed. "Da graynd neber shtops." Ramiel started doing calisthenics and his freakish physique began doing its wonders.
Jenova's cells worked well in tandem with his adaptability. As Jenova mutated in hyperspeed to be the best killing machine. That's why when the alien landed in Gaia two millennia ago. It managed to kill almost every Cetra to extinction.
He didn't notice that Alexandra was watching him quietly. Observing his every move, she was also integrated with Jenova's cells. And her brain developed far faster than normal.
She would copy his movements which are sprinting around, squatting, push ups, sit ups. The legendary 100 rep workout.
Hojo observed them with interest, thinking that at first. It was because they have too much energy. But there's a pattern, Ramiel would do it every time after he fed on the formula and Alexandra would copy him whenever he wasn't looking.
"Interesting... The boy is building his body. With a workout routine that would make even average adults give up after a few days. And the sister follows. Maybe out of curiosity? No matter, they will be perfect soldiers for Shinra, kekeke~" Hojo cackled.
He had a file on his table named the SOLDIER project. Based on the twin's physiology, integrating more people with the desire to turn them into super soldiers will boost Shinra's military might by leaps and bounds.
His greed for more power and discoveries muddled his mind. Forgetting the true purpose of the Jenova project. Which was to recreate the Cetra and lead them to the promised land.
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And one day, a further set of testing came. With Mako energy. The energy that Shinra used to power up the society of the world. A non renewable energy that disappears after use. But it was too convenient to not use.
Alexandra and Ramiel were put into vats of the stuff. And because of Jenova's cells in Alexandra's case. The Mako seeped into her body and turned her into a true superhuman.
While Ramiel started the same as his sister at the start. But in time, he began to absorb Mako like a sponge. And the side effects of poisoning and mutations did not appear on him.
Mako eyes was the only mutation to ever appear on him. Unlike Alexandra who had some negative mental effects due to Mako being liquid lifestream.
And all living beings return to the lifestream after they die. So their memories and souls pass through one's self. And with enough exposure, it would result in comatose and death.
Though Hojo wisely stopped giving doses of Mako that was as high as Ramiel's to Alexandra. Noting they were not the same.
As the days passed, Ramiel began soaking up as much Mako as he could. Even starting to degrade silently, hearing voices and experiencing the memories of the dead from it. But he endured.
Because he began to undergo some changes that he will never show to Hojo or Shinra until the correct time passes.
Mako can crystallize as materia, a solid sphere of Mako that has magical properties. With it, people can use the elements, deflect said attacks, heal, or summon phantasmal beasts.
With the Cetra genes he received from Jenova, Ramiel began crystallizing it and began experimenting.
"I need more data. Can I turn my blood into Mako and literally make it into materia? This is getting interesting." Ramiel had a wide grin on his face.
He tried crystallizing Mako into small materia that floated in his blood. And if he is successful, he will turn into a walking artillery of magic that could control phenomena with just his mind.
It was because he wasn't a true Cetra. He couldn't use the lifestream or Mako like they could. And his first successful operation was making cura. In order to heal up Alexandra's physical degradation from the Mako poisoning she experienced.
"Nii-shama, yor layt ish warm." Alexandra snuggled up to him as he healed her up. Ramiel patted her head and squinted his eyes.
'Don't worry, you'll have me in this world at least. Hah, I guess Genesis forcing you onto me was a good thing.' Ramiel gave a wry smile. Being attached to the cute little bundle with silver hair.
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Through another set of months, Ramiel and Alexandra were being 'educated' by Shinra. Brainwashing them that they were orphans being taken care of by Shinra.
That the organization they were in is awesome and it helped the world by powering up society. Thankfully though, Alexandra was a smart kid and questioned everything. But not blatantly, only asking her older brother who was more knowledgeable in her mind.
Ramiel and Alexandra discovered an ability and he concluded that it was because of Jenova's cells. As the alien is a psychic being that could call upon others that were infected by its genetic material.
So Ramiel of course abused the hell out of it and raised her sister right. That they were lying, that he knew who their mother was. She was just missing, giving Alexandra hope and purpose. Besides being with just him. Because having her be dependent on him only would be a bad idea.
"Nii-sama, I want to be strong." Alexandra suddenly blurted out to him while he was thinking of ways on how to escape Shinra HQ to go to Gast. He didn't even knew where he was as well. Giving him a headache on how he'll find him.
"Okay, what's the reason though?" Ramiel smiled at her and Alexandra had a serious face on. "To protect you nii-sama. I also want to find mother and father." Alexandra announced and Ramiel didn't expect that.
"Come here you, you're so adorable~" Ramiel gave her a hug and ruffled her hair. Alexandra rubbed her face on his chest. "I know you protected me nii-sama..."
Ramiel was surprised and thought that she was too smart for her own good. Giving off a sigh as he shook his head.
"Well, that's what big brothers are for. Don't worry, we'll get stronger together." Ramiel patted her head and Alexandra gave a wide grin.
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Ramiel asked one of the researchers some books about Mako and materia. Owing it to childish curiosity that he just wanted to read more.
The researcher accepted and thought it was beneficial for their development. Because soldiers didn't just need strength, they also must be intelligent.
Ramiel taught almost everything he could to Alexandra. Though he withheld some still, because even if she is fine now. The future is never set in stone.
He began training her formally and even taught her how to fight. So they could rise up through the ranks when they get into SOLDIER.
Not that he needed to, the girl was a natural. Thanks to her enhanced cognitive and physical abilities. She had miraculous spatial awareness and control on her body.
Ramiel was envious, thinking that she was too overpowered. "Damned cheats, it's hax I say. She's going to be better than me in just a few weeks at this rate. Hah, I need to work harder." Ramiel sighed.
Hojo also approved his request of giving them more supplies for training. As there was already a facility in Shinra HQ anyways where soldiers could train.
So the twins used it with all their energy. And Shinra was all too happy to give it to them. Food, supplements, equipment. They began training like madmen that would die without exercise.
Ramiel also had a better understanding of materia now. It was much different when seeing it in the game and in reality after all.
The reason why natural materia needed hundreds of years to crystallize was one simple thing. The amount and conditions.
Ramiel theorized that special materia like meteor and holy needed millions of years even to create. Because it required tons of Mako. And its creation is still a mystery. While the other mundane ones like the elemental ones needed a specific phenomena or desire.
All living beings belong to the planet. And he arrived at this conclusion because he was able to use cura with his desire to help Alexandra. Alluding it to that in which he was able to use it with the tons of Mako inside him and also his Cetra genes.
So he devised a plan, Hojo visited them often. Especially Ramiel, because he was a very important test subject. So he will create a mystify materia that inflicts confusion on the target. And let Hojo lead him to Gast himself.
"Kekeke~ just you wait, you're off on your medications. So I'll give you the best cure, a stab through the head. Ahhh, Egas Moniz would be proud of me. I will use his lobotomy for the greater good." Ramiel cackled and Alexandra tilted her head at his antics.
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Materia had a peculiarity to it. It actually levels up in potency when more Mako and uses it experiences.
And every month that Hojo checked up on him, it opened up more and more paths for Ramiel. Using confu on him as Ramiel brainwashed him to great effect.
He abused the hell out of Hojo's unhinged mentality. It was easier for him to use the materia on him because his mind was chaotic and messed up. He just needed to put Hojo's mind into order and program him to be his slave.
The fruits of his labor was really beneficial for them. They were given more access to the training facilities and the twins got to practice their materia to the maximum.
The president of Shinra didn't even have a clue as well. Because he thought that Hojo was just training them for the inevitable conflict against Wutai in the west.
It was a large area that Shinra wanted to occupy as well. They were one of the only regions in the world that didn't use Mako as an energy source. And creating Mako reactors there would surely let Shinra absorb it. But the head of the Wutai area wouldn't let them. Leading to skirmishes and friction.
Ramiel didn't have a feasible way to use his jedi mind tricks on the president of Shinra yet. So he decided to have contact with Wutai later and bring down Shinra to their knees.
He didn't want to live in a shit hole planet that Shinra dries up after all.
With the notes of Hojo, Ramiel was able to get the data he needed to safely experiment on himself and Alexandra with Mako. Jenova cells were off the table for her for now. It was too risky, he needed to reverse engineer the cells to be useful first with Gast who was more knowledgeable about it.
So he continued in giving Alexandra and himself Mako. "I'm getting tons of Mako, things are going swimmingly. The planet would understand right? I'm trying to save it later after all." Ramiel nodded sagely.
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When the twins turned 6, Ramiel already had full control of Hojo for years. And Shinra finally found a trace of Gast.
He was nearby the northern crater where Jenova arrived. An icy land, Gast was in an area nearby the great glacier. He got spotted with a brunette and they apparently have a kid together.
"Is that Aerith? Well damn, I'll be. Gast, you bastard. You even managed to have a kid, well. At least you'll be able to spend some time with them now. I'll make sure of it." Ramiel gave orders to Hojo that he should take them with him.
As a convincing story, it would be better for Hojo to take them as well because there must be some research there by Gast and the place where Jenova was unearthed.
So Hojo wanted to experiment immediately and make the twins even stronger. President Shinra accepted because Wutai has been stubborn. And it was only a matter of time before they needed the twins to defeat Wutai.
With the success of the Jenova project because of Ramiel and Alexandra. Shinra has been consolidating their military might. Creating more and more SOLDIER operatives.
It wasn't an exaggeration that the twins are the most important assets of Shinra right now. They paved the way for Shinra to completely dominate the world. And they believed that they have complete control of them.
"Now, shall we start getting the ball rolling?" Ramiel gave a grin and Alexandra who was beside him thought he was cool.
'My nii-sama is awesome. He already has his roots in Shinra, I must improve even further.' Alexandra nodded sagely and strived to become better.
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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.