I noticed the Tsviets were getting no Valentine's day love and resolved to fix it. With... this. So, yes. Happy Valentine's Day!
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wish I did. Then Weiss would have to be my Valentine.
59:52:44 remaining
The team had been split. In Azul's opinion, this was the exact reason that they should have brought more men. His ideal team would have been the five Tsviets, Argent (who counted in her own way), and maybe the top six candidates for becoming a Tsviet. Azul snorted derisively. There probably weren't even six candidates that would satisfy conditions. Weiss had shot down the idea of taking more troops in, saying that maximum discretion was a large priority. The compound would scarcely know that they were gone, or even that power had so recently changed hands. One of Argent's pre-mission tasks had been queuing up enough missions to last for two weeks, and telling all instructors that all crises would be a "test of their competence." The split in the group secretly pleased Azul. He was one to divide and conquer, but Weiss wanted to join together some of the best forces for a mission that added up to restarting an internet connection. Pitiful, but Azul would never question Weiss' commands.
The other thing that pleased Azul about the situation was that Shelke was not present any longer. While Rosso was contemptuous of the girl and Nero was simply indifferent, Azul loathed her. To crush her weak, pitiful form between his fingers would be a pleasure. He was made to abstain from such a pleasure by Weiss' presence, Argent's near-maternal care (Azul had to quell a laugh at that. Maternity! In DeepGround!), and that shield materia that Shelke hid behind so well.
"Why haven't they met up with us?" Argent murmured, studying the map intently.
"Lost in the fog, perhaps?"
"Nero's sense of direction is better than that." Argent traced the roads with her index finger. "He cleared directional training faster than any other soldier. He holds the record."
"Holding a training record means nothing in a field mission."
Argent didn't respond, only traced her finger across the lake on the map. With the modifications Shelke had made to the helicopter, it was possibly for the helicopter to cross the lake in very little time. There was an even chance that the others were already on the other side of the lake, in South Silent Hill.
The PHS buzzed against Argent's hip. She withdrew it and checked the message. From Weiss: "Proceed to CGS. We will investigate BHH. Plan to meet at the intersection of W. Sandford st. and Nathan ave. in 36 hours."
Argent held the PHS out to Rosso and Azul. "Weiss' orders. Investigate Cedar Grove Sanitarium and report to an intersection on the west side of Silent Hill in 36 hours."
"Simple." Azul took the map from Argent, neither fiercely, nor gently. He pointed a finger ahead of them. "The helicopter going to Brookhaven went that way. Our destination is therefore…" Taking a moment to orient himself properly, Azul pointed somewhere to Argent's right. "This way."
59:43:22 remaining
"Lost," Weiss muttered, not for the first time since landing. He was clearing a path with his swords, boots, and words. He could have kicked himself for giving Argent the only real map. The text had barely sent, and his PHS was simply refusing to show the map he had downloaded back in DeepGround. He was hiking through the mist on Nero's intuition and his own faith in his brother's navigational abilities. Nero and Shelke followed him through the long weeds, his soldiers through opaque nothingness. "Lost," he said. His words were thick with snarls that would be detrimental to the mission if released. "Lost in the five seconds you hesitated."
Facts were the only things that mattered in DeepGround and the fact that Weiss' statement was unbiased was what made it more difficult to hear. Yes, Shelke's hesitation had been the reason they were stranded in terra incognita. Even worse was the fact that it was no one else's fault. Even so, the words that Weiss left to the mist were much more cutting; Weak-willed child; Miserable failure. Her gaze was downcast, focused on the faint glow of mako in the tips of her shoes. She watched the glow get swallowed by the dried weeds and earth. Each admonishment that Weiss didn't say pushed Shelke to create new ones, longer ones, a new rebuke with each swing of the sword. Couldn't save yourself if you had to. Lay down and die.
"Lost."
"I… I apologize for…"
"Silence."
Shelke snapped her mouth shut. Apologies would not get them to their target destination, and they all knew it. Nero looked back to her. He didn't seem resentful or even properly angry. Anger by proxy. Upset because Weiss was upset. That was rare, as Nero was always constraining some kind of rage behind his calm voice and deadened eyes. The glow of his red eyes in this town was muted, making him seem less angry. Almost as though he had released it in some other manner, as though the trip had stripped him of his anger.
They found a road after a few more minutes of misty nothing. Weiss climbed over the guardrail and looked to Nero. "Which way?"
Nero looked between his left and right. Each side held nothing but mist, so it was difficult for Shelke to see exactly was Nero was basing his judgment on. It might have even been a guess when Nero pointed to the right. "This way."
Having found a path, Weiss had stopped talking about how lost they were. The mist did not. The only sounds on the roads were the sounds of their boots. Just because they had found a road didn't mean that they knew for certain what was at the end of it. The tension of not knowing was eating Shelke alive.
59:29:11 remaining
The sanitarium was a dark place, Rosso approved of that. What she didn't approve of was the fact that, even though she had been outside, she had not seen the sky properly. Only fog for miles and miles, up further than she could have ever imagined. That desolate blankness was not the sky though, and Rosso disregarded it. It wasn't the sky, in her opinion. It was even less real than the images on the projector screens in DeepGround.
The asylum felt like a womb. It was warm, compared to the chill outside and the frigidity of DeepGround corridors. The air inside was heavy with heat. Rosso had never experience such stillness, even in the presence of corpses. It was palpable. She sauntered along behind Azul and Argent. Weiss was important, but Rosso wanted to savor being above ground and refused to be rushed through the dark, warm silence.
"Conveniently placed," Argent murmured. She and Azul were standing over a map that had been carefully laid across a coffee table. "What are the chances that the obstruction to the signal was what a web is to a fly's life?"
"A trap," Azul rumbled. "This was planned."
"So what? We can cut them down." Rosso ran her finger along her blade. "We are Tsviets. We are inhuman. They are nothing."
Argent picked up the map. "Three floors. Azul, what do you make of splitting up?"
He was silent for a moment. "It could be wise, if Rosso's estimation of our strength is correct. Each to a floor."
Argent handed one page of the map to Azul and one to Rosso. Azul checked their location versus his current one and turned to find the staircase. Rosso examined the page that she had been given. First floor.
To her left, there was a hiss of air and Argent's shoulders dropped. Rosso spoke to the other woman easily. "Troubles?"
"No. None at all."
"Good. It wouldn't do to have reservations at this stage."
"I agree." Rosso could have sworn that she saw the fabric across Argent's pale throat rise and fall. Rosso's teeth glimmered as her heels clacked against the floor. Perhaps they weren't precisely inhuman.
58:28:33 remaining
After they had found the road, finding the hospital was easy. In a matter of an hour, the bland, imposing building loomed over them. Weiss strode up to the building and swung the double-doors open. Nero, lurking close behind his brother, watched as an inch of dust went fluttering into the surrounding darkness.
"Ugh…" Weiss stepped across the threshold. Nero followed, noting the lack of friction that residual dust left behind. Combat would need to be handled with that as a consideration. "This area has been abandoned for a while. Maybe a year or two."
"A while? I wouldn't be surprised if the true reason we lack data is due to a lack of electricity." Nero flicked a switch on the wall up and down to demonstrate his point. "Condemnation would be a suitable fate. Shelke, you're certain that this is the proper location?"
"Yes. Brookhaven hospital." Shelke closed the door behind them, plunging them into darkness. The only light in the hallway was the dim, blue glow of their uniforms. Weiss activated a fire materia and the area around them was illuminated in a warm, amber glow. Tiny motes of dust burst into flame, but the stillness was still unnerving. Shelke could see by the light of Weiss' materia. Nero couldn't use one, but he saw well enough in the dark.
Shelke stepped up to a bulletin board. A map was haphazardly tacked to the upper-left corner. "Very convenient."
Weiss looked. Nodded. "Nero."
As soon as Nero nodded back, Weiss walked up and ripped the map from the board. Nero readied his pistols at the sound of ripping paper. No ambush. No surprises. Not even an accompanying noise. The three stood frozen for a few moments more. Nero lowered his guns and Shelke took her hand off the materia she had been fingering.
"A map, then?"
"Yeah… Five floors total, if you count the accessible roof and basement as floors."
"Shall we part ways?"
"Yes. Shelke, investigate the second floor. I will take the basement and first floor. Nero, take the third floor and roof. Are we all clear on what we're looking for?"
The response came in stereo. "Yes, Weiss."
Weiss carefully tore the scrap of paper containing all of the second floor off and handed it to Shelke. He gave Nero the rest. They dispersed like mist, finally back on target.
END CHAPTER 2