Someone to Love Me

Meeting in the Darkness
By Like Weiss on Rice

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Beyond the stars and the heavens above there was a giant blue world called the Planet. A simple name, but it seemed to fit. So everyone across the globe called it that no matter what tongue they spoke. On the Planet, on the eastern continent, there was a city by the name of Midgar. It was a bustling metropolis, many people live there, some more prosperous than others. This city was the home to a business called The Shinra Electric Power Company, Shinra for short. Despite its almost sounding innocent name it was a company that strangely enough had its own military and named itself as the world power.

In Midgar, Shinra executives, scientists, soldiers and other employees of Shinra lived above the earth’s crust on a plate. A sort of high rise platform on which the city rested. There they enjoyed all the luxuries the company had to offer. Those that dwelled underneath the plate lived in the Slums. Since the plate was in the way, these citizens underneath did not even get to see the sun unless they ventured past the city limits. Those that lived there were poor, thieves or suffered the misfortune of being born into the wrong family. Although the people were poor and wretched down in the Slums, they should have counted themselves lucky because at least they had a small measure of freedom.

But the places resting above the Planet weren’t all that interesting compared to what was lurking underneath the earth’s crust. If one went further down below, down into the deepest depths of the city, one would find a place by the name of Deepground. Shinra’s secret human research institution that very few people knew about… and for good reason.

The purpose of this facility, of course, was to test the endurance of humans and make the perfect soldier. How strong could a person become? What could be done to make them stronger? There were no obvious answers, so their experimentations on their subjects were a lot like poking around in the dark. The scientists weren’t sure what was going to happen.

So how did Shinra find test subjects when the answers were so far out of reach? When the methods in question were almost always fatal? Well, that’s simple. All those that dwelled down in that pit were either born into that hellish life, were long forgotten, or even scarier still were surrendered willingly.

In Deepground there was a hierarchy of sorts. Above everyone there were soldiers called the Lost Force or the 14th Unit, but they were more commonly known as the Restrictors. Their name was derived from the very nature of their job. They policed Deepground and kept everyone in order by a show of force or by restraining them using unusual abilities only they possessed. Below them were the scientists and other paid staff members. Lower still were the officers that assisted the Restrictors in the goings on of the facility.

Then there were the soldiers. They could also be considered test subjects, slaves, peasants or prisoners depending on the role they served in Deepground. In this caste system, those that stood above them all were the SSS class Tsviets. Among them were Weiss the Immaculate, Nero the Sable, Rosso the Crimson and Azul the Cerulean. All named after a color. Below them was Shelke the Transparent and Argento the Silver. Then there were the normal Tsviets and below them were officers and soldiers.

The first experiment born to Deepground was Weiss the Immaculate. Now in his twenties, he was the longest surviving specimen to date. It was said that he possessed all the extraordinary abilities from his fellow Tsviets, but that had long been proven false. He was a warrior of light, intelligence, speed and strength. He was often called the Emperor of Deepground and his holding chamber was referred to as the throne room. No one was quite sure where the title came from, but he believed secretly that it was invented to mock him. Not that he minded his subjects calling him Emperor, but it carried a certain sting to it when a Restrictor used his title while he was bound to his room.

The second born was Rosso the Crimson, his good friend and resident psychopath. Besides Weiss, she might have been the fastest, most blood thirsty Tsviet in creation.

And the third was Weiss’ younger brother, by the name of Nero the Sable. What he lacked in speed and strength he made up for in his unusual abilities. His brother’s opposite, he was injected with stagnant Mako since before his birth, a sort of poison if you will. Much like his brother, out of hundreds he was the only successful experiment in his line. He was darkness incarnate, a man with a world all of his own. This surreal, sinister land was a place that only he could live within and he was the gatekeeper. He could draw whatever or whomever he wished into his void and in it no one could live there for very long in such an evil place. Some say that once in the void, one’s most terrible memories surfaced and cut into them painfully, physically until they finally died.

But that’s just what people say, and as one would find out, people say many things down here. This place, this hell, this Deepground.

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It was always very quiet in this room, so dark and serene. It might be nothing more than a small holding cell but had Nero always felt safe in this place. This was his hideaway. Even though the dark hand of a Restrictor would reach in there from time to time and drag his protesting form out for a fight he at least knew when it would happen. He could hear trouble coming. Yes, as long as he was here nothing would happen. He drew his shadows around him like a blanket, so soft and black.

Nero’s eyes fluttered for a moment, signaling that he was growing tired. Only then did he allow himself to sit himself down onto the ground, his back against the wall. He never could lie down on the hard ground properly. Not too long ago he had been signed up to receive his own set of artificial appendages… ones that jutted out of his shoulders and made sleeping on his back and walking nearly impossible for a time.

The moment before his eyes closed they flicked open at a sharp sound. He mentally cursed, realizing that the noise he had heard was the shuffling of feet. So much for the safety he felt only a few moments past. Usually that sound meant he would be dragged from his cell at any moment. He jumped to his feet instinctively, not wanting to let that bastard have the pleasure of kicking him for not standing at attention.

Strangely enough, the commotion in the hallway didn’t bring about that metallic scream his door normally made when opened. His room wasn’t all that secluded. Maybe someone had gotten lost in this giant labyrinth. Nero held very still and paused to listen to the commotion outside. There were two men. He was sure by the noises they made. There was a girl too. She was weeping and wailing for them to help her or let her go. She was obviously the reason for their aggravated voices.

“She’s no fun screaming like this.” A deep voice spoke out from beyond the door. “And we still have a long way to go.”

“Then shoot her.” Came the softer sounding of the two.

“Can’t.” His voice was strained from having to hold his captive steady. “She’s one of the special ones, she has a color.”

Nero’s eyes narrowed at that. A Tsviet? From the way they talked about her he knew it couldn’t be Shelke or Rosso. Rosso would be screaming with rage and Shelke… well Shelke just didn’t do anything at all. So maybe it was her? Argento, that other Tsviet that Restrictor had placed in their ranks. It had to be her unless there was someone else he didn’t know about. Whoever this was, she still had a lot to learn. She should never cry because that’s what they would want her to do.

“Ah.” The other’s voice was filled with understanding. “There would be repercussions.”

“Exactly.” The first to speak seemed rather displeased with the whole situation. “Fleuve would have our hides but I really don’t want to have to walk all the way down to the damned medical facility. I’m tired as hell.”

“Maybe we don’t have to.” The softer voice ventured.

There was some hesitance in their movements and Nero paused to listen again, pushing his ear to the doorway. He could only hear the girl’s pitiful sniffling until they finally came up with an idea.

The second man spoke whisper quietly to the other. “The black one is in there.” Meaning Nero.

There was a great hesitance in the deep voice. “Is he?”

Of course you idiot. Nero wanted to growl. They only kept him two places his whole life down in this hell hole. If he wasn’t in one place he was in another. And why were they indicating him anyway? What were they planning on doing? Dumping her in here so he could kill her for them?

“Yes.” The second man’s voice was amused.

Despite his earlier reluctance to open the door containing one of his superior’s toys he decided to go along with the little plan they hatched. “Let’s let him have her then.”

Nero stepped back from the door, realizing they were about to unlock his cell. If he stood too close they would no doubt do their very best to hurt him. He sat down in the corner he came from and waited. The steel door made a shrill noise as it flew open. “Oh!” He exclaimed, his eyes closing tightly against the sting of the nearly blinding light that washed into his room.

They threw the girl into his cell and shut the door just as quickly as they opened it. It didn’t take long for his vision to adjust back to the darkness. Nero opened his eyes only to see a tortured body close to his feet. He drew his legs up to his body swiftly as if she might burn him by touch alone.

Once his moment of cowardice passed he relaxed and felt rather silly. She couldn’t hurt him. She couldn’t even see him. Now that he had calmed himself down enough to think rationally the sight of her did give him great pause. She was writhing on the floor in agony and he felt a twinge of pity for her suffering. The strong smell of blood was about her. The way she was clutching at the right side of her face told him she had an eye injury. Poor thing. He thought, She might not last very long.

It was a long time before either the pain was bearable enough or she simply became numb. Nero watched with great interest as her hands gingerly reached out and started feeling along the floor. When she turned her face up he could see that both of her eyes were closed. Maybe she was in too much pain to keep her eyes open, but he supposed even if she did it wouldn’t have mattered. Only he could see well when it was dark like this.

Now that he had a good look at her he knew it was Argento, the woman who stood out in a hallway he passed by quite often. He could hardly believe this was her, he had always thought she was much larger from the way her uniform fit on her. She looked so muscular and impressive with all that armor on, almost androgynous with her plain sort of beauty.

Nero looked her over. She was scantily clothed, wearing nothing but a slip of a dress and some thermal gloves and long thigh high socks. That must be what she wore underneath her clothing. Not a bad mental imagine to keep in mind when she intimidated him with her eagle eyes. Now that he was looking at her, she seemed rather small and feminine, two words he would have never associated with her before.

Argento finally made her way to him and when she touched his foot she reared back almost comically. His mouth might be covered by a strip of cloth but a smile lit his glowing red eyes. “Hello?” She was probably just checking to see if he was alive.

“Hello.” He answered.

The sound of his voice shocked her. It sounded very soft and kind. She would have expected him to be a annoyed, maybe silent at best. But then again, she knew better than to trust something like that. Restrictor would often lull her into a sense of security using that same method. He would often speak in a sweet syrupy voice before or as he pummeled her. She lost her eye just now for displeasing him. She heard Nero getting up from his place on the ground, obviously he wasn’t shackled.

Nero paused as she shrank away from his invisible form. Instead of moving forward he just sat down on his haunches. “I’m sorry.” He apologized, although he wasn’t sure why. “Are you alright?” He didn’t know why he asked that either.

She wanted so desperately to keep the fear out of her voice but she felt she wasn’t being very convincing. “No.” Came her expected reply. She stopped cowering, thinking maybe he wouldn’t lash out at her like she thought he might. Still, she wasn’t about to let her guard down completely.

“I won’t hurt you.” Nero just wanted her to calm down already. His body was wound tight because of her almost spring like stance on the floor. It was like she was ready for him to attack her at any second. With her like that there was no way he could relax himself.

It probably wasn’t very wise of her to trust him, but he had no reason to say such a thing to her unless he meant it. She knew well enough how badly he could hurt her if he had the mind to do so. Argento took a steadying breath and visibly calmed.

“You shouldn’t do that you know?” Nero remembered.

“Do what?” Her eyes opened for the first time. One socket was painfully empty but the other had a blue silver-like quality to it.

“Cry or anything for that matter. It only makes them want to hurt you more.” There he was, still talking and not knowing why. Maybe it was because he was lonelier than he thought?

Argento found herself growing annoyed with him. Maybe someone should stab his eye out and see how calm he could be. “Yes.” Her voice was clipped. She drew her legs up to her body but not before rubbing the wetness of her tears from her face.

Obviously his advice wasn’t appreciated. Oh well, let her sulk. A few moments passed and he realized he completely forgot to introduce himself. “I’m Nero by the way.”

“I know.” And she said nothing else.

Nero waited for a moment for her to introduce herself. When she didn’t, he found himself getting aggravated at her rudeness. “And you are?” He prompted.

She couldn’t miss the aggravation in his tone so she decided to play along with him. “Argento.”

Finally. “Argento… the silver one.”

“Yes.” She hid her face behind her knees.

He realized she didn’t appear to be in as much pain as she should. She also stopped bleeding, maybe even before she made it here. Curious. “Do you heal quickly?”

“Hn.” She nodded.

Only his brother’s body seemed to repair itself at the same speed. “Handy.”

She only shook her head again.

His lips thinned in displeasure. Obviously she wasn’t in the mood to talk right now. “Let’s just go to sleep then.”

“Good idea.” Argento almost wept with relief. Nero’s voice had grown increasingly irritated and the more annoyed he seemed the less she wanted to talk. Honestly, she couldn’t think past the need to keep him calm. “I was getting tired.” Now that she could open her good eye she could see the glowing zips on his uniform. It at least gave her an idea of where his appendages were. Which thankfully weren’t anywhere near the gun holsters she knew he wore at all times. Her hold on her knees slackened as he shifted from his crouching stance on the floor.

“Yes, we sh…” When her legs spread ever so slightly he found his eyes were drawn under her short dress.

“We should what?” Argento wondered.

Maybe he shouldn’t say anything. She didn’t know how well he could see in the dark. She might not even know he could see her from the vantage point. Oh, damn it all. “You aren’t wearing any underwear.”

“Oh!” Her legs snapped closed, she even hoped to her knees and dragged down her skirt. “I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t wear any.” Argento began babbling, hoping he didn’t think she wearing nothing for some sort of sick thrill. “I was wearing them before I came here, before he took them.”

Nero’s eyebrow rose at that. “He?”

“Restrictor.”

“Oh I see.” The corner of his mouth raised a fraction. He could hardly imagine Restrictor Flueve as a panty snatcher. “I suppose that’s what lovers do hm? Instead of a small favor like a lock of hair or a handkerchief he wanted something else instead.”

“He isn’t my lover.” She hissed at him.

She spoke with such vehemence that it threw him off balance. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“Why does everyone always think that?” She interrupted him, not really desiring to hear an excuse. “He is so cruel to me that I can barely stand looking at him.”

“I see.” He really wished he hadn’t tried to tease her now. Not when he wasn’t sure what transpired between the two of them just a short while ago. “I’m sorry.”

Argento couldn’t believe she reacted the way she did. She had never let her emotions get the best of her before... and to talk that way to her superior. It was unacceptable. “No, I’m sorry for losing my temper.”

“It’s alright.” He could hardly call that getting angry, not when he had thrown a few hissy fits himself that topped most five year olds. His brother Weiss didn’t hesitate to tell him that either. Well, in any case they were both exhausted and he would save his questions about her injuries for later. “I suppose we should go to sleep now.”

“Oh yes.” Her voice was once again calm and collected. “Where is your bed?” Then she remembered herself. “Not that I should get to sleep on it, it’s your room after all.”

He tittered at her awkwardness. Poor thing, she didn’t seem like she knew quite what to do. “I don’t have one.”

“What?” She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it. “Where do you sleep?”

“On the floor.” He said simply. “Or if I’m in my other room they have me chained up.”

“How awful.” Her voice didn’t give away any emotion. “Well I suppose if you do it all the time, then I shall be fine sleeping on the floor as well.”

What a trooper she was! There was no whining or complaining, she just did what she had to do. He felt a little respect flaring up in his heart for her. Maybe he had judged her too quickly earlier. “That’s the spirit.”

“Hm.” She actually smiled at him. It was a strange sight to see on her face.

Now he just had to think of how they were going to sleep in here together. Not that there wasn’t any room, but the climate left him concerned. Nero didn’t have to worry about himself as he was wearing his thermal clothing but she would probably freeze to death without a blanket. Winter was setting in and this normally chilly cell was unbearable when the ground froze up. This room wasn’t climate controlled either. What if Restrictor found out she had been tossed in here with him? What if she didn’t come out again? He wasn’t about to be blamed for her death. “Come over here and sit next to me.”

“Excuse me?” Her voice was incredulous.

“It gets cold in here.” He saw the hesitance on her face but despite her initial reluctance, she shuffled to her feet and placed her stiff form next to his. “Now get some rest. I’m sure Restrictor will come for you soon.”

Argento frowned, not looking forward to that encounter.

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It didn’t appear that Restrictor was in a rush to come find her. This was what they could only assume to be her third day inside his holding cell. She seemed almost completely forgotten. When they passed food through Nero’s door, the soldier either didn’t realize she was there or simply didn’t believe she was still living. Neither of them wished to speak and correct the guard.

At least he was kind enough to share his meal with her. She didn’t even have to ask.

As much as he wished to remain silent, knowing she might be uncomfortable speaking with him, he had the most incessant urge to talk to her. Argento had been assigned a color but was no where near as strong as he or his brother, which meant she had much more freedom than he could ever imagine.

Now that he was getting to know Argento, he worried for her. Was she going to be alright once she was found out? She assured him she would be fine, although there was some doubt in her voice. Apparently her job had been working as a weapons instructor. Although she doubted she could keep that position she could always fall back on what she did best. He hadn’t pestered her for information on that statement so she simply didn’t fill him in on the details.

He wished her luck with particular scenario before they went on to the next topic. They spent so much time chattering he thought that his voice was growing hoarse. They spoke until they had to stop talking because their throats were dry or because they were too exhausted to stay awake.

And so it went, until one day his cell door finally opened and there in the doorway stood a rather tall man wearing a dark uniform.

It was as if Restrictor Fleuve found her by chance. He was going to pull Nero for an experiment and just so happened to see her in the shadows. “Argento?” His voice was so surprised sounding it was almost amusing. He had wondered what happened to her! He had thought that maybe Azul ate her like he had threatened to do many times before. Or the even less likely scenario, were she was hiding from him because of what had happened between them the other day. Never in all of his days did he expect to see her here in Nero’s cell..

“Sir.” Argento stood at attention as soon as her legs would allow her. She realized by his silence he was waiting for her to explain herself. “The two soldiers that were supposed to escort me to the medical facility threw me in here.”

“Hm.” He considered that. Argento looked well enough, except for that horribly gaping eye socket. It looked like she washed her face off well enough. The medical facility was on its way to Nero’s trial, he would escort the both of them there. Honestly, he was glad he found her. Argento desperately needed to get back to her post. She had been missing long enough and her replacement was just awful. “The two of you will follow me. Argento, after you are looked over and changed you will report back to your post at once.”

“Yes sir.” Argento answered for the both of them.

Nero was about to protest for her sake but thought better of it. The bastard, it was just like him to force someone who had just been maimed right back to work. Why, he could remember when he was forced to fight Rosso not even a few days after they had implanted these damned wings into his back. Despite all the modern medicine that healed his body shut again, he was in so much pain he felt like he could die from it. He very nearly did when Rosso got a hold of him.

As they stepped out of Nero’s cell and down the corridor they knew a long day would be ahead of them.

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It was a few days before Nero saw Argento again and when she caught sight of him she smiled at him. Restrictor, who was escorting him to his destination stopped abruptly. The Restrictors always followed behind their specimens, and when they stopped, even though they couldn’t be seen they expected their charges to follow suit. Nero almost tripped over his own feet trying to do just that.

“Stay here.” Restrictor barked suddenly, startling the younger man. His helm turned to Argento for a moment before pressing onward. “Heh. Watch him.” He threw over his shoulder before he left.

Argento waited until he was out of earshot before she spoke. Her voice seemed to ring out in the semi darkness of the hallway. “A pleasant man, leaving you here with me. If I wasn’t sure you would attack me or not I might be worried.”

“What makes you think I won’t?” Nero challenged.

“It’s just a feeling.” Argento said, her tone full of starch. “Although if you do feel the need to destroy me, then by all means...” That got a chuckle out of him. She felt that smile creeping up on her again.

“I won’t attack you.” He felt the needed to reassure her, raising his hand in a disarming gesture.

“Hm.” Argento made a pleased sound in the back of her throat. “As you’ve said before.”

“I had a lot of fun being locked up in my closet with you.” He blurted. He had meant to say something more like he missed speaking with her, but it came out all wrong!

It was Argento’s turn to laugh. “You have no idea how inappropriate that sounds.”

But he did and before he even finished his sentence his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

She noted the look of mortification on his face and tried to smooth his verbal blunder over. “I had fun too. It’s not often that I get to speak with someone when I am off duty.” She was often hustled back to her living quarters.

“I slept really well for once.” Again, he didn’t know where those words came from.

She ignored his embarrassment this time and continued speaking. “It’s because you had someone else to watch over you while you slept.”

“That must be it.” Nero nodded thoughtfully. He heard Restrictor’s footsteps returning. It was time to wrap this conversation up. “It was nice speaking with you again.”

“Likewise.” She must have heard Restrictor as well. Her back was as straight as a board.

“We should do it more often?” Maybe this was his chance to make her into something more than simple an acquaintance. True he had Weiss, and at times he felt that making friends with anyone else was more of a hassle than it should be… but for once in his life down here in this infernal pit he met someone who seemed kind enough to befriend.

Argento looked like she was surprised he would even suggest such a thing, but she did sound pleased all the same. “I would like that.”

He felt a small stabbing sensation in his chest just then. He couldn’t wait to tell Weiss. Whenever he saw him next that is…

“Well isn’t that nice?” A dull voice drawled out behind him. Restrictor was here. “Come with me, we’re ready for you.”

Nero gave Argento a look that said he would speak with her soon. She nodded her head just a fraction for his benefit. He couldn’t wait.

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To be continued…