Chapter 1- DeepGround's Blacksmith
Light green eyes looked up as several floors past a female SOLDIER while ridding the elevator down towards her new place of employment. The slender female wore a silver and black dress attire with double belts around her waist that connected to a buckle, which was a symbol of DeepGround. She had medium length black hair that laid neatly over her shoulders. In the grasp of both her hands, she held onto a two-handed sword that she was able to lift with one hand easily.
Today was Argento's first day in a secret base area known as DeepGround. All she knew was that a black smith was needed to craft the weapons for the soliders who were going through special training for ShinRa. Since the trade was a family business and was her father's right hand assistant ever since she was tall enough to reach the top of the work tables; of course she accepted the offer. Though she had to admit, something seemed a little off about this coming venture as the information for the area known as 'DeepGround' wasn't much when she looked through the data bases she had access to. The most that was given to her was that the area was known as a recovery station for injured SOLIDERs.
The more she thought about the idea of the place, the more she started to doubt her future place of employment. If she was to enter into an area that had SOLDIERs that were recovering from battle wounds, then her future craftsmanship could be used for those who were starting to get back on their feet. An idea like that made her feel honored to assist ShinRa. However, the lack of information she was given made her question all that was happening in DeepGround and wonder why she hadn't heard of it until now.
But here she was, a high ranking SOLDIER and a former blacksmith assistant taking the role that her father once had- providing weapons for ShinRa as well as locals with prof that they have had proper training. It was a both a matter of both pride and safety that her father always tested the weapons he made, to ensure that there were no flaws in any designs and that they were to the future owner's liking. There were even times when her father would teach her how to fight with the weapons that he made. Though she was indeed taught with both a blade and a gun, she preferred a blade. To her- it held more of a sense of honor to fight with a blade than a long ranged weapon.
Her thoughts shook off as the elevator came to a sudden stop and a silding double door opened to a wide hall. Lifting her sword, she walked off the lift and headed towards the end of the hall where she was directed by one of the scientists down there to head towards yet another hall. Once she made her way there, she looked around and saw a round room that was dark, save for the bars of MAKO streaming up and down the hall walls. Glancing around, she saw no one around. That was, of course, until she heard the sound of a light laugh behind her.
She quickly jumped and saw a female donned in all red with golden claw gauntlets, speaking in a Romanian accent. "Ohhh~! A new play thing for me? How kind of the Restrictors." she teased with a light laugh.
Argento raised a brow at her with curiosity. "Thou speaks within tongues none may comprehend..but, thy shalt assure thee, no play thing am I. Merely a craftsman to express her passion for the art of weaponry.."
The red haired female chuckled as she took a step closer to her. "Ahhh..so you are the lovely blacksmith who is meant to craft the weapons for we Tsviets? It is still a good day, nonetheless. For once, I feel I may not be so bored this evening.."
Argento held out her right hand, shifting her sword to her left hand. "As future comrades in arms, let us be introduced properly. Thy name be Argento. Tis be a pleasure to work beside thee.."
It was the other's turn to give her a skeptical look. Obviously, the woman did not know much about formal greetings, as her smug smile quickly turned into a slight frown as if she were confused. Hesitantly, she rose her hand up and watched as Argento held onto her wrist while she held onto her's. "I am Rosso...Rosso the Crimson.~ " she purred as she was slowly understanding how to do the greeting. She lets go of Argento's wrist and looked at her golden gauntlets with a confused expression. "What was that, we just did? It felt...strange.."
A light smile formed over Argento's lips. " 'Tis be a greeting of those with honor-one of warriors. Thou hast yet to experience one until now?"
Rosso held onto her sides as she laughed out right. "Ahahahaha! Honor?! Oh my..I am afraid you are looking towards the wrong woman should you desire any sort of honor. I fight for the kill. Quick and painless..though there are a lucky few who have lived long enough to scream...but just barely.." she muttered with yet another laugh before letting out a deep sigh. "Ah...but alas..there aren't many who have proven to be a challenge for me. I do hope with a new addition here things get a bit interesting. " Rosso tilted her head with a curious glance at Argento. "Speaking of interesting...the way you speak-it is very do you speak as if you are some poet?" she asked.
Her question made her smile grow a little more. "Tis be speak of those of high etiquette, Crimson not. Most find such speech difficult a task to understand." she uttered with a light laugh, making Rosso roll her eyes and groan.
"Great..another one who speaks in riddles. I'm sure you and Nero will get alone just fine then." she muttered.
The mention of another Tsviet made Argento curious. However, a man in all black stalked beside the crimson female, cutting into their conversation. "Enough, Rosso..I am sure the new recruit will learn of Sable in no time." His gaze through his helm turned towards Argento and gave her a light nod.
"Argento I presume?"
The proud blacksmith gave a nod. "Thy assumption is correct."
He returned the nod and walked a little closer to her as if he were inspecting every inch of her before stopping in front of her. "Hmph...not bad. Your father entrusted us with a fine specimen of a smith." he uttered in a tone of approval, though the comment did not put her at ease. If anything, she felt shivers shake down her spine at the mere thought that her employer was checking her out in physical sense.
Argento gave a nervous cough before speaking. "Dost thou hast a request to ask of thee?"
"First off; know that we Restrictors are in charge here. What we say is law- obey, and you may live to see another day...don't and you will pay for it dearly. As the blacksmith, I believe your first task should be to craft a weapon for each of the Tsviets here. Currently there are only three- Weiss the Immaculate, Nero the Sable and Rosso the Crimson. By the end of this week I want each of them with a weapon."
She gave a nod, pleased to know that she would not have to wait so long to get something to do. " Understood.." But, as much as she liked the idea of working, there was still something that bothered her. "What is a Tsviet...Restrictor? Fear consumes thou mind for lack of such important intel."
The Restrictor merely scoffed at he question as Rosso smiled, folding her arms neatly over her chest. "Hmph..only those who have proven to have the fighting skill of a perfect and unbeatable SOLDIER and those who have defeated high ranking SOLDIERs earn the rank of Tsviet. They are the best of the best here in DeepGround. Now come, I will show you where you will be working." He turned towards Rosso for a moment. "Crimson, head over towards the training field with Sable. Your skills are needed to be tested once more before a weapon is assigned to you."
A faint frown formed over her lips as she gave a sigh, waving her hand down at the Restrictor. "Fine...if I must." She smirked at Argento. "I suppose I shall be seeing you later then, darling. Until we meet again." Rosso turned on her heels and left to find Nero so the two of them could tend to the mission given to them by the Restrictor.
Argento gave her a light bow before going the opposite direction of her to follow the Restrictor with her to the work area she would be working in to create the weapons used by the Tsviets. For the most part, she noticed a few rooms that they went by had sick SOLDIERs that were recovering from aliments from the field but as she was about to turn a corner to her room, she heard screaming of a child not that far. She gave a curious look towards the Restrictor.
"Doth thou host children within this facility?"
The Restrictor gave her a firm glare through his helm as he paused in his steps, turning towards her. "We do what we must to appease the President of ShinRa and his desire for power. It is not for us to say what can and cannot be done."
Argento narrowed her eyes as she tightened her grip on her screams of the child were ringing through out the hall and it seemed like no one gave a care that she might need help. This just wasn't right. "Children have no place in war. They should be free to play, not be involved in the battle . Tis be no honor in such torture."
He tilted his head at her, giving a mocking laugh. "What are you going to do about it? If you attack those conducting the experiments, you would be performing an act of treason."
She shook her head, looking towards the door in which she heard the screaming. "I would much rather be donned with dishonor for disobeying orders than allow a mere child must come to an end!"
Unfortunately, as she turned on her heels to move towards the door, the sound of a gun fired and Argento felt her whole body freeze as pain shook her head with a sharp pain. She fell to one knee as she rose a hand to the side of her head and slowly pulled it back to see her own blood covering her hand. Her vision started to go blurry as she became dizzy.
Argento fell forward with a Restrictor towering over her as a doctor with a gas mask stood beside him before she was completely lost to the pain of the gun shot to her right eye "Take this fool to the medical ward and make sure she doesn't step out of line again. I have no time for disobedient soldiers."