Silhouette

A/N: YAY FOR DIRGE OF CERBERUS FICS! I don’t care if these two are brothers or not, they’d be oh so sexy together.

And I wanted to be one of the first to post a fic with them.

Rating for later chapters. Expect it all. I’m a self proclaimed fangirl pervert!

Warning: Un-Beta-ed. If you’re interested in being a beta, email me at: lemonlimecrush@gmail.com

Thanks to the Staff over at DirgeofCerberus.net for helping me clear up some of the issues on Weiss's and Nero's past, and their history with Deepground.

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[... Preliminary Analyses at... 74% ...]

"Ah, Emperor Weiss. Didn't know I'd be having the pleasure of your visit to us today..."

[... Preliminary Analyses at... 76%...]

"He’s a fine specimen, isn’t he? The only one other then you to survive past birth…"

[... Preliminary Analyses at... 83%...]

"Strange though, that while you turned out immaculate, he came out like this…”

[... Preliminary Analyses at... 84%...]

"We’ve had to keep him a comatose state almost his entire life, he’s so strong…”

[...Preliminary Analyses at... 89%...]

"Is Professor Hojo down with his testing yet? If not, you should get back to your throne…”

Weiss's head snapped away from the screen he had currently been studying, his face darkening into a deep scowl with the comment about his restraints. Like he needed the constant reminder. Three days away from that horrid place and he’d be dead. All the scientists felt the undying need to remind him though. They liked to taunt him about his lack of power and control, despite it all being at his finger tips. This one was no different. Weiss could snap him in two if given the chance.

Deepground wasn’t a place for such human things as morals. It was all about power and science, and playing god with innocent life…

“I was told to wait here, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.” Weiss snarled, his fists clenching with the desire to rip the snotty little scientist’s neck out.

“Of course, of course. He keeps you on a rather short leash I’ve heard.”

Weiss’s lips curled back into feral growl, his eyes flashing dangerously as the muscles in his upper torso bunched, begging to be unleashed to show this pathetic little scienctist his place.

“Careful Emperor,” the man sneered, his voice full of mocking. “I wouldn’t want to report to Professor Hojo you disobedient behavior.”

Weiss stood there, muscles tensed, breathing like a wounded animal, staring at that ignorant little fool who dared play god with him… If they didn’t have their glorious science to hold over his head, they wouldn't live another minute. Weiss was a striking figure, as beautiful and dangerous as a wild animal that’s been forced to live in a cage. He was a few inches over six feet, with icy blue eyes and radical white hair, that rose up and formed a glorious mane around his face. His skin was smooth, unmarred by scars or any other signs of his violent upbringing. The skin was the color or porcelain, stretched taunt over his battle sculptured body. All of this was hidden beneath a Deepground Soldier uniform of course, having just came back from a “training exercise” of sorts. Hojo liked to see just how physically fit he was, and preferred pinning him against his other experiments like some sort of ancient gladiator. He always won. And this time, he didn’t even break a sweat. Hojo was more then delighted.

Weiss knew all of this. He knew he was handsome, if not beautiful. He knew that he was strong and graceful and many other glorious things, but what did it matter if he the only thing he was missing was the collar around his neck.

Weiss sighed, forcing him to relax and turn away from that infuriating little man. It would do Weiss no good to kill him. It would only mean more painful experiments, and painful tortures… only to be confined to that single room because they had to make his life a living hell.

“Who is he?” Weiss questioned, turning back to the screens. He couldn’t see their current experiment, which was what sparked Weiss’s curiosity in the first place. The scientists here were beyond sadistic, enjoying a firsthand view of all their work, which meant each specimen were usually placed in tubes of reinforced glass so they could enjoy the show.

But the only thing remotely like that here was a thick steel canister with only a small glass pain for observation. And even that seemed to filled with swirling clouds of darkness.

“Ah… so your interested in Hojo’s new pet project are you?” The scientist said, his bad mood disappearing at the delight of being to talk about their latest accomplishments.

“Specimen #TSV-09, codename Nero. Fourteen years old, height 5’3”, weight unknown.” The man prattled off, his eyes gazing wistfully at the metal canister.

“Prone to fits of rage and complete madness, must be kept under constant restraint and supervision at all times. He was never able to fully grasp his powers, and when he reached puberty it got even worse. I don’t think he’s been let out in almost 3 years…” the man mumbled, walking over and peering into the small glass viewer.

“Power?” Weiss asked, latching onto the one thing he knew and understood, far too well. Whoever was in there must have incredible strength for him to be restained like that. Weiss felt a feeling wash over him that must’ve once been pity. He had it bad, but at least he was able to walk on his own feet…

“Yes, a quite remarkable one at that. You see, Nero has this unique ability to control something similar to a void, or a black whole. An infinite domain of darkness and nothingness. He has this… nasty little habit of pulling things in around him and not letting them go, devouring them… Likes to play games with people’s head, make them feel like they’re experiencing death, or having them relive bad memories…” The man’s face turned to a frown as he tapped a finger on the glass pain.

“Worse temper then yours even. And unlike you, we can’t just inject him with a virus and expect him to behave. Every attempt and he just pulls it out of himself, and all traces of it vanish.” The man finished up.

“We’re considering…”

“I think you’ve told this dear boy enough Williams.” A high pitched, sniveling sounding voice interrupt. The scientist known as Williams jumped, turning around startled at the presence of his supierior.

“P-Professor Hojo!” Williams gasped, scrambling away from Nero to pretend like he was doing something other then staring. “I, I’ve finished up the preliminary analyses like you asked.” Williams send, pointing to the screens that Weiss had been studying before.

Pursing his thin lips, Hojo walked closer to the screen, peering at the results that where flickering across the monitor.

“So it’s had no effect eh? Pity, pity… I was hoping to let the boy out, if only to see if he’s managed to gain any control. I’ve been itching to see if we could put this phenomenal power to use. Try phase two of the experiment, and call me with the results…”

“Sir?”

“I must return to the ShinRa HQ, lest people notice my extended absence. This project is still, and shall remain, top secret. I’m sure you understand.” Hojo said, a wicked smile playing on his face.

“You, boy!” He snapped, turning his attention back to Weiss. Weiss stiffened, his hands once again balling into fists, but he made no reply. He was hardly a boy, not anymore. He was full grown, in prime of his life, and stuck play lapdog to these scientists.

“I’m finished with you for today. You have 15 minutes to return to your throne room, or I’m telling Restrictor to activate your virus.”

Weiss said nothing, the only sign he heard was the way his face shifted from one of spite to a mask of cold indifference. Without speaking, he made his way towards the door, his jaws clenched shut to keep him from screaming in the absolute madness of it all.

“It’s funny that you should take such an interest in the experiment Nero…” Hojo shot at him before he could safely disappear. Pausing to forcibly swallow his pride, Weiss turned around to glare at the hateful scientist.

“And why is that?” He managed to spit out between gritted teeth.

“Why, because Nero is your little brother of course…” Hojo sneered, before pushing the panel to the door. Never before did the swoosh of it sliding shut deafen him so.

--

Little brother.

Weiss paced the room back and forth, wishing that his boots would just wear away the cold steel floor and he could just dig himself his own grave.

Little brother.

What did it matter? He wasn’t taught to care about family, or friends, or anything like that. He was a warrior, meant to be a warrior from the minute he was conceived. Weiss snorted. Probably even before that. He was bred to be a fighter. What did it matter if someone else shared his blood…

Little brother…

But it did matter! Weiss dropped to one knee, fist slamming into the ground. For unexplainable reason it did matter that there was someone out there that was like…

Me.

Weiss thought silently. Someone like him, that would understand the pain and grief and sorrow that he felt. That would understand what it’s like to be poked and prodded and used and tortured. Weiss just couldn’t stop thinking about him.

He wished he had stepped closer. He wished he had at least seen the boy. Was he like him, or had the experiments twisted his visage even more so? Weiss knew that he wasn’t exactly natural, but if someone else shared these traits...

Six months. He hadn’t been let out of this Holy forsaken room for six months. Hojo had been busy on the surface, and everyone else was too busy to worry about Weiss. Why would they? Weiss was a success story. Unimaginable strength, keen intelligence, and with the biochemical chain floating around in his veins…

They could ignore him all they wanted. They were probably trying to figure out a way to harness Nero’s powers…

Weiss sat down on the floor with a heavy sigh, crossing his legs and looking at the ground without really seeing it. He thought it was bad here? Nero had been stuck into that tube for over three years! Or was it four by now?

Weiss sighed again, closing his eyes, trying to remember everything about that day. But all he saw was the blackness swirling behind a thick pane of glass, that stupid scientist tapping on it as he was some animal at a zoo.

Nero. Black. “Strange though, while you turned out immaculate…” Nero. The blackness to his white? Maybe he was everything Weiss wasn’t. It made Weiss want to meet him even more. Meet Nero. Meet his little brother, the one that he never even knew he had. Did they share a mother, or a father, or both? Would Nero look up to him like little brothers on the surface did to their bigger brothers?

Weiss let out a snort. Was he forgetting what they had said about Nero? The boy sounded half mad, and had access to an incredible power that he could not control. Nero would probably try to… devour him if he ever got near him.

Still… he’d like to meet him, if only just once.

“They’ve told me you’ve been unnaturally well behaved these past couple of months.”

It happened in a flash, Weiss’s trained body instantly going into battle mode, his body tensing for a split second before he flipped to his feet, reaching for the katanas he knew weren’t there but grasping for them out of force of habit…

“Well, I’m glad to say at least you’ve kept in shape. You need to be on constant alert however…” The voice scolded him, the nasally sound finally clicking in Weiss’s ears. Dropping his battle poise, but not relaxing completely, Weiss stared at Hojo with a mixture of aloof hatred.

Hojo let out a bark of laughter at Weiss, clasping his hands behind his back and pacing back in forth, an infuriating habit in Weiss’s opinion.

“Miss me boy? Hmm, I suppose not. Still… why have you been so behaved these past months?” Hojo questioned, pausing to study Weiss as he gave his response.

Weiss hesitated. Should he tell the truth? That he was hoping that if he obeyed, that they would allow him to see Nero? Or that maybe perhaps they’d pay him less mind and he could sneak away for a glance? Nero, Nero, Nero… it’s all he’s been obsessing about for these past months.

“As I thought.” Hojo said, smirking as he continued to pass. Weiss’s face changed to a scowl as he stared at the man he hated more then life itself.

“But I haven’t said anything.” Weiss spat, feeling that old anger well up in him again.

“Of course you haven’t, I’m not hearing things boy. But you’re face said it all. You want to see Nero, don’t you?” Weiss couldn’t hide the look of surprise on his face. “Hah! See?! You’re loosing your touch lad. One would think you almost had a heart for all those emotions.”

Hojo threw back his head to laugh at his own joke, the sound bouncing off the walls in this cold dark place Weiss had been forced to call his home.

“Well, what would be the point in doing that? You two might grow attached, or some other pathetic nonsense like that…” Hojo said, smirking out of the corner of his mouth as he saw the look of sheer rage that crossed Weiss’s face.

“However, I think it would prove to be a delightful experiment. For all his power, Nero is useless unless we can control it. Perhaps placing you together might spark some… fraternal bond and make him a little more docile.” Hojo continued to mutter. Weiss made a slight movement, as though unsure of what to make of Hojo’s words.

“I’ve decided to release Nero, and see what you can do of him. Look sharp Weiss, we’ll be monitoring the entire situation.”

--

Weiss wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He had followed Hojo as docilely as he ever was, unable to resist a few growls or smirks at the little lab assistants that scurried out of their way. He liked to terrorize them, whenever he got the small chances too.

He found himself in an empty room, except for the canister that held Nero. Weiss noted with disgust that they must’ve really just kept him in there, transporting him around from lab to lab as though he were a meaningless tissue sample.

The whole room was dingy and made of metal, like nearly everything else in Deepground, except for the far wall that consisted of a thick pane of bullet proof glass, where, only to disgust Weiss further, many of the top scientist that worked down here had gathered to stare; as though they were some type of amusement attraction.

“Commencing extraction.” A voice boomed over a loudspeaker in one of the far corners. Weiss’s attention was rapt as he watched the door to Nero’s prision slowly open, the darkness that he knew filled slowly spilling out into the room.

But after a few minutes, minutes that dragged on in Weiss's mind, that began to clear, and Weiss was given the first few of his little brother.

There were electric nodes attached all over his body, no clothing to hide his modesty. Attached to these nodes where thick cords that probably sent and received information to the boy, holding him up so his feet barely brushed the floor. As for the body itself…

If Hojo hadn’t told him Nero was his brother, he wouldn’t have believed it. And he knew Hojo was telling the truth, because it was meant to torture Weiss. Needless to say it worked.

He was smaller in stature, frail looking, his skin an unhealthy pallor, even paler the Weiss’s. He had a mop of shaggy black hair, that suggested it might reach the same height as Weiss’s if it didn’t hang lankly over his eyes and face. His head was hung, his arms suspended slightly above his face. Given the emancipated state of his body, and just the overall sickliness of his appearance, Weiss wouldn’t have been surprised if the boy was actually dead.

Weiss jumped slightly as a loud snap resounded through the room as one of the cords was detached from Nero’s body, and then another, after another. The resulting effect was that Nero’s body lurched forward, till it collapsed unceremoniously onto the floor. The darkness that had seeped out of the chamber suddenly flared, wrapping around Nero like a blanket would, shielding parts of his body only to reveal it again as it swirled around his pathetic form.

“Extraction complete. Vital signs are stable. Signs of brain activity confirmed.” The speaker announced again.

So he was alive, no matter how pathetic he looked. Sucking up the nerve he didn’t know he had lost, Weiss took a step forward, wanting to approach the boy.

Nero’s head snapped up, his body shakily clamoring into a crouching position, his blood red eyes wide and filled with fear and hatred. Weiss opened his mouth to speak, but before he had time to react thick cords of darkness lashed out from around the boy, wrapping around his wrists and ankles holding him in place.

Weiss froze, hearing the worried and excited mutterings from the scientist behind the glass. He paid them no mind. He tugged lightly at his strange restraints, feeling the slight suction as they tried to pull him into something…

“I’m not afraid of you.” Weiss said, turning from the bindings around his wrists to Nero. Nero said nothing, just stared at Weiss, the only sign he heard and understood was the narrowing of his eyes.

“Go ahead and play with your tricks, you don’t frighten me.” Weiss said defiantly, standing their calmly as though being pulled into an endless void of darkness wasn’t the most likely outcome of his situation.

--

Nero stared. He didn’t know what to make of this… new ploy. This… man, this white shining figure must be another one of those tests. Why else would the release him, allow him freedom of movement after so long…

Nero unsteadily tried to pull himself to his feet, but only managed in shuffling his limbs a bit before collapsing again. The nodes on his body had provided electrical currents to keep his muscles from developing atrophy, but it had been years since he was given the chance to use them. He had forgotten how to stand, how to walk, how to speak…

“You can release me now.” The shining figure spoke again. Nero’s eyes flicked to him again, though the rest of his face remained impassive. The entire time he hadn’t made a noise. Not a sound escaped his pale blue lips. Weiss noticed with a start that they were a pretty shade of bluish purple, as though he was suffering from hypothermia. But, noting the dark color of his fingernails as well, Weiss placed that oddity as an effect of playing in darkness to longer.

Nero stared back for a few moments, before he had to lower his gaze. He couldn’t stare at this white man. He was to brilliant for his darkness. But there wasn’t something about him…

Slowly, tentively, he loosened the darkness that surrounded the man. He heard mutters and sounds of excitement from somewhere else, and his head snapped towards the glass pain. He saw them, those horrible men in white coats that hurt him so, that killed his spirit.

Again, there was no sound. Only the widening of eyes and the darkness lashed out, snapping away from the luminous figure that shared the same chamber and snapping against the glass like an angry whip. It was a sign that he knew exactly what was going on.

Weiss watched, highly amused as the scientist jumped backwards, some of them even let out a startled yelp at the violent display from the young man. It was so amusing, seeing the looks of open fear and panic in their eyes.

Weiss threw back his head and laughed. He couldn’t control it. The swelling in his chest had burst forth to fill the room with the sounds of his enjoyment, his bright blue eyes gleeful as he watched the ashamed scientist scowl at his obvious delight.

“I guess we’re more alike then I thought.” Weiss said, still chuckling. All previous hesitation forgot, Weiss began to confidently stride across the room, noticing the way the boys eyes flickered to him, and the darkness rose up around him like the hackles of a dog.

“I hate them as well. I hate them with every ounce of my being. I’d like nothing more then to rip open their chest and spit into the empty whole where a heart should be. I want to mirror the pain and fear and desperation I see in your eyes, and that I know once showed in mine, and I want to put it in theirs.” Weiss declared, nodding his head towards the cowering scientist.

“I want to slaughter them, massacre them, bathe myself in their blood until I am coated in crimson. Shoot, stab, rip, shred, tear… I want to kill each and everyone of them a separate and painful way.” Weiss said, his lips turning into a twisted smile.

“And like you, they keep me trapped, caged, and under their thumbs and cruel science. They fill me with the lust for killing and they give me nothing to unleash it on.” Weiss continued, now almost directly in front of the crouched boy on the floor. Dropping to his knees so he was kneeling behind the boy, Weiss bent over to whisper in Nero’s ears.

“You and I are brothers in our cause Nero. We both want nothing more then to be free of this place.” Weiss whispered, reaching up tentively to run a hand through the black locks of shaggy hair.

He saw the way that Nero watched him with wide eyes, full of surprise and curiosity as Weiss moved closer to him then any of the others even dared without restraining him in some form.

And he felt the way Nero trembled beneath the touch, expecting pain but finding only a strange sensation Nero could only associate with pleasure. He had never felt something like this before.

His fingers running through his hair, the blunt nails scraping over his scalp ever so often sent a strange tingling awareness down his spine, and Nero’s eyelids drooped like a contented cat. He sat there, passive and meek as Weiss continued to pet them, his body relaxing under the gentle caresses.

Weiss watched with amusement as the darkness that constantly surround the boy shuddered, moving to wrap around Weiss as well, trying to mimic the movements Weiss was making. It slid over his torso, leaving a cold and deathly feeling behind, but Weiss knew it was Nero’s first attempt at kindness and overlooked what discomfort there should have been.

Hojo watched in amazement. Nero fallen into deranged fits whenever he or one of his assistances even dared to get close and here was Weiss, pigheaded and mutinous Weiss, was stroking him as though he was a pet

“WEISS!” Hojo screeched, not taking Weiss’s obvious success lightly at all. He didn’t like to be outdone by anyone, least of all this ignorant boy.

He saw the way that anger flared back into Nero’s eyes, turning from Weiss (where they had been watching him like he’d never seen another person before), to stare with open hatred at Hojo.

“GET OUT OF THERE NOW!” Hojo seethed, still screaming at the glass. He saw the way that Weiss shock his head and smirked, acting as though Hojo was merely a child throwing a temper tantrum. Weiss leaned over and whispered something in Nero’s ears, before standing up and making his way towards the door.

Nero’s eyes instantly turned back to him, watching him with confusion, and then fear as he saw that his shining man begin to walk away, and then head towards the door. He was going to leave him. He was going to leave him with them! The darkness that surround Nero’s body flared up like wildfire, reaching to the ceiling, before lashing straight towards Weiss.

“NERO!” Hojo screamed, his voice filling with fear at an experiment falling to ruin, and Weiss only managed to turn his head before he was engulfed into black.

--

A/N: Well, there you have it. The first chapter, YAY! The next one will be up in a few days, depending on reviews.

That's right, the more reviews I get, the faster I'll type. Reviews are fuel for my fingers!

Until next time!