Alive again

A/N: did anyone else get fed up of all of Deepground repeatedly saying hail Weiss? I was so glad when I killed off a certain someone who just loved bellowing it every chance he got: D

Disclaimer: does anyone bother to read these anymore? Didn't think so

Sephiroth sat on the sofa deep in thought as Tifa burst in, one hand clasped over her mouth and the other holding her phone. He looked at her with a mixture of confusion and concern "what's wrong Tifa?"

"It's Cloud, he's been attacked"

Sephiroth stood up swiftly and sat Tifa down onto the sofa "do you know where he's been taken?"

She nodded slowly in a state of numb shock "Edge hospital"

Sephiroth resisted the urge to curse "they took him to the biggest hospital in Edge" he groaned "did they say what condition he's in?"

"N-no" Tifa's voice shook and she looked up, eyes filling with tears "oh Seph"

"It's going to be fine" he said softly, to be honest he was feeling slightly shocked as well, Cloud didn't have many enemies and most of ones he did have lived in the same house. What could someone possibly gain from attacking him? As usual none of his thoughts showed on his face and he looked up relived to see Loz moping in the corner with a gloomy expression. "Loz"

Loz glanced at him then at Tifa and frowned "what's happened?"

"Loz can you make Tifa a cup of tea, with lots of sugar for the shock"

Loz nodded still staring with confusion at them both "but what's going on?"

"I need to talk to Father" Sephiroth quickly left the room and went upstairs, as he approached Vincent's room a crippling pain struck his back and he leant heavily against the wall feeling dizzy. The door opened and Vincent moved to his side offering his arm so Sephiroth could lean on him.

"Yazoo is growing a wing"

Sephiroth nodded distractedly "Cloud's been attacked"

Vincent didn't look surprised "I've been talking to Genesis; he said that one of us might be targeted"

"Deepground did this?"

"One would think"

Sephiroth closed his eyes "I can't go to the hospital"

"And I can't get you in secretly" he steadied Sephiroth as he swayed "you're not going anywhere at the moment"

"What's wrong with me?"

Vincent smiled slightly "you and your brothers share a mental bond, when one of them is in extreme pain such as now, you can't help but suffer along with them and vice versa, it doesn't affect you as much as it affects them so, consider yourself lucky"

"He's growing his wing?"

"Yes, I'll go to the hospital and see Cloud is doing. You stay here and look after your brothers for me"

Sephiroth nodded and watched uncertainly as Vincent left.

"Rosso, that wasn't necessary" Nero muttered, only half listening to her long description of how she attacked Cloud and almost killed him, he sighed inwardly, she'd probably only injured him slightly but she always had to exaggerate things.

She laughed "it sent them a message didn't it darling? Now they'll know we aren't to be messed with"

Nero's eyes narrowed at the word darling but he let it pass, in an attempt to annoy her he asked causally "he put up a good fight though; from what I saw he almost defeated you"

Rosso glared at him and tossed her head defiantly "the hero of Gaia indeed, it was child's play"

"Remember the objective Rosso" Nero's voice had become deadly calm "Weiss didn't want us to waste time on his companions"

"Weiss doesn't care if a couple of people get hurt"

Nero stiffened "and you know what Weiss cares about, Rosso?" he asked softly, around him the streams of darkness had become more erratic. One wrong answer and Rosso would find herself on the receiving end of his power.

Rosso of course noticed none of this "Weiss only cares about his goal darling, we are all just pawns of his will" her crimson eyes met Nero's and shone with undisguised malice "you, are no exception"

Nero screamed in anguish and lashed out at her with one of his wings, the attack caught her off guard and the metal spikes slashed her arm. She leapt backwards with a snarl drawing her Double blade. "Is that a challenge Nero?"

Nero's eyes were blazing "my brother cares about me Rosso" he tilted his head and watched as the darkness began to form around her feet "but does anyone care about you?" he didn't pull her into Oblivion, he just wrapped the darkness around her so he could watch the effects, she had heard the screams of the living, but could she stand the screams of the dead, forever trapped inside his dark prison?

"Nero, release her"

Nero ignored the hulking giant and kept his eyes firmly on Rosso, her desperate struggles were greatly amusing.

"Nero!"

He struggled wildly as Azul lifted him up by one of his metal wings and started to crush it slowly, for some reason a pain flared and quickly grew too intense for him to bear. It must have looked unusual, like a giant cat playing with a metal bird.

Azul lifted him up to eye level and glared at him "release her"

Nero released Rosso and felt a surge of satisfaction as she collapsed to her knees shaking. At the same time Azul let him go and he crashed down next to her, biting back a yelp as his damaged wing hit the ground. He looked up and at Rosso with triumphant in his eyes "ah, the essence of death" he purred "its ululations are like a lullaby"

He stood up shakily using his wings as a support and cursing the scientists who bound his arms in the restraints. He turned to leave then paused as he saw Azul looking at Rosso with a worried expression; he smirked and was glad of the metal covering his mouth. "It seems that someone does love you after all"

Azul and Rosso both stared at him then came towards him with murder in their eyes. He tilted his head and smiled at them then sank blissfully into Oblivion and closed his eyes.

He had a job to do, his brother had commanded him and he always listened to Weiss no matter how grim the orders were.

Attack of Deepground hahaha, Rosso's really got to stop showing off. But don't worry i'm sure Cloud's fine

Did anyone else feel really sorry for Nero when they played Dirge of Cerberus. I thought his scene was sad :'(

see ya next time