Symphony of the Devil ~ Chapter One

I knew at once that I hated him.

I had never been especially fond of him in the first place - rather indifferent.

But now I felt it - a passionless rage that engulfed my heart, seared my soul, invaded my dreams. It

wouldn’t die, it wouldn’t disappear.

That’s the first time I knew I despised Professor Hojo.

Even before the burning within me began - earlier that morning, to be precise - I felt a horrible

premonition, so powerful it began eating away at my innards, ripping apart my very spirit. As soon as I saw the

girl, and the tears shimmering silently behind her green eyes......a spontaneous ambush of nausea smashed so

ruthlessly within my skull at once I began to fear I was going to collapse into unconsciousness.

The girl’s sister entered next.

A lovely young woman, with shoulder-length hair and pale skin, although her face was growing

increasingly more flushed as time crept on. She was leaning full-weight against the professor, eyes directed

downwards, hair cascading over her face, occasional choked cries escaping her lips. Her left hand hung weakly at

her side; however, her right one clutched her swollen stomach beneath her night shirt, clinging to it as if it was her

last strand of life. An older couple raced in after them, the two girls’ parents, I suppose, judging by the expressions

etched on their faces.

Hojo’s face remained wooden, as if it were chiseled in stone. “She’s going into labor. Clear the way.

Now.”

Immediately I shifted my body aside, watching him drag the screaming girl deeper into the room and

finally hoist her up onto a silver lab table. She was choking now, suffocated by her escaping sobs and collapsing

under the pressure suddenly thrust atop her and still clinging to her nightshirt.

“Get the medical crew in here!! Now!!” Hojo snapped furiously, shooting a sharp glare over his shoulder

back at my form against the doorpost. “That’s an order, Mr. Valentine!!”

“.....Yes, sir.” I immediately left my position against the wall and walked over to the intercom on the

opposite side of the room, bending at the waist and pushing the call button. “....Hello?? Is anyone there?? We need

the medical crew in examining room number 74, stat!”

“..........No, please stop!!”

I whirled around in shock as I watched the younger girl race past me, shoving by her parents to the side of

the table where her sister was laid out. “Stop it, please!!!” she sobbed deplorably, tears splattering down to the

tabletop. “No, please stop!! Leave her alone!! Don’t make her do it...!!!”

“Get her away!!” Hojo hissed, too preoccupied with the childbirth to shove her away himself. “No one

can interfere!! If anything with this experiment goes wrong, I swear to God I’ll -- ”

“Come on, sweetie...” the mother whispered softly, pulling the girl away from the table and holding her

against her body. “....Everything’s all right....she just needs to get the baby out, and she’ll be ok again...”

“No!!!” the little girl shrieked, wrenching free of her mother’s grip and rushing to the side of the table

once more. “No, you can’t do this!! It’s too much, she can’t take it!!! Let her go!!! Stop it!!!”

“Valentine!!” the professor snapped nastily, his eyes gleaming angrily over at me through his glasses.

“Get rid of her!! Immediately!! I won’t have her destroying the experiment!!!”

I instantly leapt forward and seized hold of the girl’s wrist and yanked her backwards away from the table.

She continued to scream and wail, though she was hardly audible over her sister’s shrieks and cries of agony. “Let

go of me!!” the girl screeched, pulling against me. “Don’t make her do it!! Please stop!!”

“Where the hell is the medical crew?!” I heard Hojo mutter through gritted teeth. “She shouldn’t be

bleeding this much....!”

“Stop him!! Please!!!” the girl blared tearfully. “Let go of her!! She can’t do it!!!”

The woman on the table let out one final shriek of despair, then gradually turned lifeless atop the table.

Past the shoulders of the two parents standing before me, I could see Hojo slowly draw away from the her

motionless body. “....Dammit....”

The young girl beside me whirled about and began sobbing quietly into my trousers. “......No....oh no

no....I told you....I told you, why didn’t you listen....??!”

The professor breathed out a restless sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “.....Goddammit.....Lost

her.....” He stared down at her for several seconds, then shook his head and turned away, wiping his hands on a

towel. “It... it was too much, I suppose....Nothing could have been done...”

Both parents let out cries of distress, stumbling backwards and clinging to each other. “....Oh....oh my

God...!!”

“....I’m sorry...” Hojo murmured woodenly. “There was no choice....Her body couldn’t take the

stress....Damn..! And after all that experimentation..!!”

“....Why....?” I could still hear the girl muttering incomprehensibly into my hip. “...Why...why didn’t you

listen to me....? Why did you make her do it...?!”

I stared blankly down at her for several seconds, then slowly shifted my body aside, past the dumbstruck

couple, towards the table, where I could see blood dripping down to the floor in big droplets and the exhausted

expression plastered to the dead woman’s face.

The baby had been born dead.

*****

“I said look at me,” Hojo ordered nastily, seizing hold of the young girl’s chin and whipping her face

about to confront him. She stared tearfully up at his countenance, chewing at her lower lip and wringing her

hands against her blouse. She was so small....maybe only six or so years of age, and perhaps half the professor’s

height, and something about her terrified expression made me want to jump between them. “...Now I’ll ask you

again.....How did you know about your sister’s child...?”

The girl sniffled once, now pulling nervously at a strand of her long blue hair. “....I....I don’t know....”

“Goddammit, answer me!!” he snapped, causing her to let out a frightened squeal and shield her face.

“What the hell’s the matter with you, how did you know about the dead child??!”

“...Pr...Professor, please....” the mother begged softly, reaching a hand out towards him. “...She’s...she’s

still in shock, please.....her...her sister only passed away an hour ago.....Have some mercy...”

“Mercy has a time and place!!” he hissed, then whirled back towards the girl. “I haven’t time for your

blasted games now - tell me how you knew your sister’s child was dead!!”

“....I.....” The girl slowly cast her gaze aside. “....I’m....I’m not sure....I...I saw things....in...inside my

head....about the baby....and.....”

“...Inside your head??” Hojo interrupted, regaining composure.

“.....Y...Yes sir....”

“.......Psychokinesis....??” the Professor muttered to himself, raising a hand to his chin. “In a girl so

young...? Naturally...??”

“....S....sir...?” the father questioned unsteadily.

Hojo cast a glance over at him, then down at the girl. “................I’m afraid I can’t allow the three of you

to leave as of yet,” he commented finally. “Something such as this cannot go unstudied.”

“...S...sir!!” both parents exclaimed, leaping forward and grabbing hold of the girl. “....That....that is

absolutely out of the question!! If....if you are spotted placing one finger on her -- ”

“...I’m afraid you do not have too much of a choice on the matter, my dear sir and madam...” Hojo

straightened himself up and gazed predatorily down at the girl at his feet. “This is a remarkable breakthrough of

science. Denying its consideration may prove to be disastrous. No court is going to give you the benefit of that

doubt.”

“....I beg your pardon -- ”

“The scrutiny will not take an extended period of time,” Hojo broke in, turning his back and indifferently

pacing several steps in the opposite direction. “...On the contrary, I believe that we will be able to schedule a date

for the proper mental examination probably by early next week. But until then, we cannot permit your daughter to

leave. She must be given the proper care prior to the analysis, and visiting must be kept to a minimum.” I felt a

jolt as he suddenly noticed by silhouette in attempted camouflage in the shadows of the doorway. “......Well, it

appears to me that Mr. Valentine has taken a great deal of interest in this event,” he scoffed mockingly, crossing

his arms and sneering over at me. “Perhaps you’d like to serve as the girl’s guardian and supervisor until the day

of the analysis...?”

“..............I......!!” His impulsive question caught me off guard, and for a second I believe I fell into a

stupor atop my feet. My vision slowly fell to the young girl’s tearing face, and all at once I felt a slight burn of

uneasiness spark within my chest. “..................All right, “ I agreed at length. “...Happy to be of assistance,

Professor.”

“...........Good.” He spun about on his heel and continued down the hallway, his shoes emitting loud clacks

everytime they came in contact with the tile floor. “Your job starts now. Escort the young lady to her quarters.

And make sure no one sees her.”

*****

I cast one final glance out into the hallway as many unfamiliar scientists walked by, then emitted a sigh

and turned back towards the shadowy room. “...............This is insane....” I whispered, lifting a hand to my

forehead. “.......Why did I volunteer so quickly?? I don’t recall babysitting being in the Turk job description....what

the hell ran through my head??....I must be flipping out, that must be it......Watching after some little kid while

following the professor’s crazy demands - no visitors, no light, no sound -- ”

“....Are you going to stand there all day....?”

I gradually turned about and spotted the girl’s small form sitting at the edge of her mattress, staring over

at me with her hands folded in her lap. She cocked her head slightly to the side, watching me. “....You’ve been

standing there an awfully long time,” she told me. “You keep looking out into the hallway and sighing. Is it

because you don’t like me....?”

I stared expressionlessly back at her, then exhaled another breath and turned my head away. “.....Not

especially,” I replied flatly, fixing my gaze back out on the corridor. “All you are to me is a duty. So why don’t

you just sit there quietly and make it easy on me and then maybe I’ll like you better, ok?”

I felt her gaze at me for a second or two more, and then I sensed her vision drop to the floor with a sigh.

“.......I understand....” she whispered softly. “....No....no one likes me too much....they....they all think....that I’m

weird....”

“You are weird,” I replied icily, not removing my eyes from the hallway or my body from the doorpost.

“No wonder people don’t like being around you. They probably think you’re going to control their minds or

something.”

“........................Yeah....” She gazed solemnly down at the tile, then reached up and wiped her eyes with

the palms of her hands. “......I.....I guess you’re right......Who’d want to be around a freak like me....?”

“....I dunno, but I sure don’t.” I finally left the doorpost and wandered over to her. “Now listen. I don’t

want to be here, and I’m sure you don’t either. So while we’re stuck with each other, try not to talk too much, all

right??”

“.............You don’t seem to like anything at all, do you....?”

“...No.” With that, I turned from the door and drifted deeper into the room, over towards the drawn

curtains of the window. I could feel her green eyes watching me from the bed.

“.......................Are you going to be like this the entire time that you’re watching me...?”

“...More than likely.”

“.........” She turned her head away, gazing back down towards her feet. “.............Do.....do you know

what the Professor’s planning to do to me....?”

“.......He’s just going to analyze your psychological makeup. See why you have your powers. It’s a pretty

simple procedure, or that’s what I’ve been led to understand.”

“..................Will it hurt....?”

“................How should I know??”

“.........Never mind.....” She exhaled a sigh and rested her chin in her hands. “.......I guess I’m

just.....scared, that’s all....”

I felt an internal twinge, and I suddenly found myself involuntarily turning towards her. She seemed so

melancholy, so frightened......why now of all times was I feeling regret for something I had said....?

*****

The days wore on very slowly.

I hate to admit it, but I grew rather attached to the girl. I never learned her name - Hojo forbid that

information from being released, for some reason, but I referred to her by her ID number. The professor had

tattooed the numbers “304575” on her left arm beneath the wrist, the same way he had done to the rest of his

subjects as if branding livestock. I now hated to see her face - it was gradually becoming malnourished and pale,

due to lack of attention and Hojo’s specifications, and her green eyes seemed to have dimmed so as to make her

eyes appear and dusty gray color. She hadn’t left her dark room since she had arrived there - was prohibited from

exiting it, I should say - and hadn’t gotten a glimpse of anyone’s face but mine and occasionally the Professor’s,

who now and then would stop in in order to conduct a series of tests. Her face - so twisted with agony at the pain

of losing blood, getting injected with wires.....it took every piece of myself to restrain my body from throwing itself

atop her in protection.

The night before the analysis struck.

I gradually creaked open the door and gazed into the dark room. “....Hello...? Are you in here....?”

A raspy cough came from within, invisible due to the darkness. “.....M....Mr. Valentine....I’m over here,

can’t you see me....?”

“.....Hmmmm....?” I took several steps into the room, leaning the door closed behind me, then started at

the sight of a pale figure slumped against the corner opposite my position, gazing over at me. “......Is...is that

you....?? What are you doing in the corner....???”

She whimpered softly, then hid her face behind her knees. “...I’m....I’m afraid....” Her voice - so raspy

and choked, as if someone were forcing the life out. “....I....I saw something.....in my head....about tomorrow....”

“..........No, don’t be frightened...” I cautiously approached her quivering form against the wall, then knelt

down and gradually placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “.....Why...what did you see...?”

“.......I.....I don’t remember....” She buried her face into her knees. “.....I just....woke up crying....and I

couldn’t breathe....” She wiped her eyes, then glanced up at me with a weary smile. “....I....I look really bad, don’t

I...?”

“......No, of course not.” I brushed her bangs aside to get a better look at her ashen countenance. “...You

look fine. What makes you think that....?”

“....I....I know....how I look....” She huddled up against herself. “My....my face....it’s so white and

scary-looking....like a ghost’s.....and the bags under my eyes are so dark...and my eyes themselves have turned so

misty....” She sniffled again, then showed me another fatigued smile. “....And they cut all my hair off...” She ran

her fingers through the short strands of hair that fell just behind her ears and also seemed to have turned paler.

“.....It....it looks really gross.....against my white skin....”

“....It looks fine. You look fine. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“......You liar....” She laughed quietly, wiping her eyes again. “....B...but I guess I shouldn’t....be

frightened, I mean.....I...I know what’s going to happen tomorrow.....There’s nothing...I can...do....” Her voice

gradually drifted off, but I could hear her sobbing muffledly into her knees. “........I...I just wish I wasn’t so

hungry....or so cold....”

My mind searched furiously for words of comfort, but I could do nothing more than simply stare

motionlessly down at her shivering form. Even after I had managed to coax her into her bed, I sat in a chair in

front of the doorway for a long time.

*****

“.....Now I must remind you that the procedure is highly experimental,” Hojo told the two parents,

adjusting the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose and clearing his throat. “So experimental, in fact, that I will

not be able to conduct it myself. I suggest you sit in this room with me and converse with your daughter over the

radio while I give the scientist conducting the analysis his instructions.”

I sat expressionlessly in the corner.

He was too calm, much too calm - he remained undaunted even though he was conducting an experiment

he and I both knew very well hadn’t ever been done before. And how he could simply sit in another room on the

opposite side of the building shouting orders at some anonymous surgeon through an intercom....Subconsciously I

knew I could feel my hidden gun holster digging into my hip, but I forced all awareness away from it.

Hojo pressed the button on the side of the radio. “...Dr. Collins, do you hear me?”

Silence. Nothing but a crackle of static.

Hojo paused, then retried. “.........Dr. Collins, reply.”

He was answered with more static, but faintly I could hear a voice. “...Ah, hear you loud a clear,

Professor. Prepared to go on with the procedure.”

“...Excellent. How’s the girl?”

“......*chhk*Ah, she’s *chhk* fine, Professor....a little frightened and squeamish, but nothing a little

*chhk* anesthetic won’t fix.”

“..............Good. Proceed.”

“...No, stop!!” the mother suddenly exclaimed, leaping forward. “....I....I want to talk to her. Put her on.”

Silence.

“Hello?? Did you hear me?? I want to talk with my daughter. Now, please.”

“.................*chhk* Ah, sorry there, ma’am, but I, ah, have a feeling you won’t get very much out of her.

*chhk* The anesthetic is sinking in, and I, ah, *chhk* have a feeling she’s really not ‘with us’ at the moment

*chhk*.” Hesitation. “..........*chhk* I think that it would be best to, ah, simply proceed, ma’am. Before she

*chhk* -omes out of it too quickly.”

“.....I agree.” The Professor lifted the radio to his lips. “....Let’s go.”

The following hour blurred together into a screaming haze. I could hear it all - the Professor’s orders to

the surgeon, the man’s replies, and occasionally I could hear a muted cry from the girl on the table. But it had no

meaning. Nothing did. It all just blended together into one indistinct mass.

There was a pause.

Hojo pressed the button. “....Dr. Collins?? Dr. Collins, did you hear my last order??”

Static.

“Dr. Collins??”

“....*chhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhkkkk* ---ammit!!”

I spontaneously leapt up from my chair, and both parents clung to each other, in a sickeningly similar way

to how they had done so the week before.... “..............Dr. Collins!!” Hojo released his hold on the button and lifted

it to his ear, struggling to hear through the static. “....Dr. Collins, reply!! What the hell is going on over there?!”

“..........................You were going to leave me in that place, Professor.....??”

With a startled gasp Hojo whirled about to face the doorway, then placed a hand on the table beside him to

steady himself. “.....................Y.......you......” he stammered breathlessly. “.......What....what do you think you’re

doing here....?”

Over his shoulder I could see the form of the small girl, staring vacantly over towards the Professor from

beneath her bangs. Her eyes had turned dark and misted over, and some sort of conniving smirk had slithered up

onto her lips. She wore nothing but a towel draped about her shoulders and clinched before her body that fell to

her knees.

“.......Sw.....sweetheart......?” Her mother took several steps forward, but withdrew from a snapping

gesture from Hojo’s hand. An icy silence hung over the room.

The girl sneered. “..........................You were, weren’t you...?.....Let me drown there........”

Hojo regained composure. “......................Where? Where was I going to leave you?” he questioned her

woodenly, taking one step forward.

She slowly closed her eyes. “.........In the water........in that cold, oily water......that was sweeping me

away.......That cold, green water..........”

“....H....Honey....?” The mother gaped blankly over at the girl, then drew backwards. “....Wh....what are

you talking about.....?”

“........I could hear her......” she whispered.

“.......Who?” Hojo asked. “Who could you hear?”

“......................Her..........” She gazed back up towards him. “...........She.....she was singing.........Singing

to her baby......” She grimaced again, casting her vision aside. “........And.....and she was laughing.....because she

didn’t know the words.......hehe.......”

Hojo drew backwards, then thrust a restraining hand back towards her parents. “.......Stay back!! She

hasn’t come out of the anesthetic!!” He lifted the radio to his mouth. “...Get security in here, now!! We have a

dazed patient in operating room number 96!! Get a vile of S-145 ready and report here immediately!!”

“.....Heheheh.....” The girl smirked, clutching her towel against her. “.......‘Hush, little baby, don’t say a

word’.........”

“.....Now!!” Hojo pulled backwards, holding the radio against his face. “Where the hell are you, get in

here!!!!”

I felt a startled gasp launch back into my lungs as I finally got a clear of the doorway.

“.......Pr....Professor.....she’s....she’s gone......”

“...What??!” Hojo whirled back around to face the door, revealing the empty hatchway and abandoned

corridor beyond. “.....Goddammit...!!” He lifted the radio back up to his mouth. “Warning, there is a highly

anesthetized patient wandering the hallways, we need a complete security lockdown on Wings A, B, and C!!

Repeat - we need a complete security lockdown on Operation Wings A, B, and C!!”

“........” Both parents sat in muted shock, gaping blankly over at the spot where their daughter had once

stood. I cast one glance over at them, then out towards approaching footsteps racing down the hallway towards us.

“Professor Hojo!! Professor Hojo!!”

I watched a young doctor, clothed in a long white lab coat, dash into the room. Hojo whirled about to face

him. “What the hell do you want, Dr. Collins?! We’re in the middle of a full-fledged emergency!!”

“.......I *huff*....simply wanted to apologize....” he panted.

“....For what, you idiot?!”

“....The....the failure.....of the experiment.....”

“.......You moron, it didn’t fail!!! But we need to track this girl down, now!! If she remains on the loose--”

“...What?” Dr. Collins glanced up towards him. “....But....but Professor Hojo.....the girl died on the

operating table ten minutes ago....”

~End of Chapter One ~

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