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The Beginning of the End
Like Weiss on Rice

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“Fleuve!” Zeus roared.

“Yes sir!” Marianne called back.

“Come with me.” He marched out of the room. Everyone watched him go, his short white hair a shark contrast to his dark uniform.

“Yes sir!” Marianne repeated and went with his leader away from the others. He expected that he would be getting yelled at for what he did. His leader whirled around on him and he flinched, ready for a reprimand.

Zeus looked rather perturbed. “Everyone you fought against today had to go to the infirmary from their injuries. You don’t hold back now do you?”

He hated this, what was the point of their exercises? His fellows complained so much about him nicking them with his blades it was exhausting. Still, maybe he should apologize. “I was trying to hold back, sir!”

“Is that so?” His commander circled him completely until he stood in front of him again.

“Sir, yes sir!”

Zeus started laughing, his angry demeanor smoothing away into a casual stance. “Damn boy! You are your mother’s son.”

“Sir?” Marianne wasn’t sure how to take that, none of his commanding officers had ever acted like this with him before.

“Stop with all the sir crap and loosen up boy.” Restrictor boxed his shoulder and his arm went numb.

“Yes s… Mr. Z.” Marianne corrected himself. He took his friendliness into good faith and rubbed his arm wishing the feeling would go back into it again.

“That’s better.” He thumped him again. “You’re good boy. I’ll give you that. We’re bringing more of our rank down here all the time.” But the boy already knew that. “You’re mother wanted me to recommend you if you passed.”

Marianne looked down, so did that mean he wasn’t going to be chosen by his own merit? It made him so angry that she would meddle in his life again.

“If you were a push over I was just going to put you in charge of one of those piddley-ass assignments.” Mr. Z grinned at him. “But I think you’re much too good for that. You have gone beyond my expectations! You’re green and young, but I don’t think you need to start at the bottom.”

Marianne brightened at that, it made him feel good to be given such praise by his commander.

“I need a good second in command. How about it? Want to be my apprentice?”

Marianne couldn’t believe his ears. “S… Mr. Z?”

“But it’s all up to you.” He teased. “If you don’t want the position…”

“No sir! I mean… yes! I want the job.”

“You’re going to get a lot of flack from the officers… you are a touch young for the position. That and your mother knows me. Think you can handle it?”

“Yes sir!” Marianne said eagerly.

“Give ‘em hell then son!” He boxed his other shoulder and then both of his arms were numb. Both dangled loosely at the boy’s sides “Woops, sorry about that boy. You should be right as rain in an hour.”

Marianne sighed in frustration, looking his now unusable appendages.

“You’ll surpass me yet!” He clapped his arm around his shoulder and dragged him from the room they were in. “I’ll wait until you can move those arms of yours again before I make the announcement. Remember! Give them hell!”

“Yes sir!”

“And…” He stopped and spoke quietly then. “I wouldn’t go around telling anyone your name son. You’re mother was a might cruel giving you such girly names like that. I think Fleuve is good right? It’s still girly but you can’t help surnames. I’ll keep calling you that.”

Marianne nodded.

“Good boy. Now get yourself cleaned up. Don’t need to be all bloody when I’m introducing you to the others in the facility. Don’t worry though, everyone else in the 14th unit is new here just like you.”

Marianne nodded again. “Yes sir! I mean… Mr. Z.” He was sure he forgot to say that a few times already.

“It’s okay boy.” Zeus patted his armored shoulder fondly.

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Things were going great! His mother was taking a genuine interest in his life. Maybe because they worked in the same facility now? He would often go to her office and have lunch with her during her break and they were actually talking without fighting for once.

He was getting to be something of a bully, mostly because he was picked on for his age. Others in the 14th unit tormented him for just the same things Mr. Z said he would be bothered about. It hardly mattered though, because he soundly defeated them anytime they spared with each other. They thought he earned his position through nepotism, they always thought he would be a push-over.

It was funny when they went to the head Restrictor afterwards to complain about him, he would criticize them for being “a bunch of pansies.” That and they deserved it for going up against their commanding officer no matter how young. He’d say, “What’s wrong with you? Weren’t you there when we defeated the 13th unit? Suck it up boys and girls! That little boy was there too.”

No matter how strange Zeus was or his methods… he was chosen to be head Restrictor for a reason. Everyone loved or at the very least respected him. Everyone knew about him! He led them all to victory against their enemy. Marianne remembered that night. He had been very afraid, but he remembered Mr. Z touching all of their hands and telling them all that as long as they stood together and remained united, that no one could ever defeat them. They were the Restrictors, the Lost Force.

He had practically shook in fear because despite the fact he was a solider, he was only fifteen years old at the time. He remembered Mr. Z touching his hand then, and suddenly he was not afraid. He was sure Mr. Z recognized him as his mother’s son that night. He wasn’t wearing his helm yet, it used to bother him because he couldn’t breath as well. Zeus took his hand and squeezed in knowingly. It gave him strength.

He always got the best assignments. Not to mention it was kind of fun being only sixteen years of age and being able to order around those twice as old as he was… and it was also fun and exciting to work in this facility… for a while anyway. Mr. Z was complaining more as of late. He said that things were changing, and like most older men, he didn’t like to see it change for the worse.

Marianne wasn’t too bothered by it. He and everyone else knew that no matter what treasonous things he might say that he was always loyal to Shinra. That was the sort of man he was and always would be.

“Boy!” A shrill and annoying voice called out.

Marianne cringed. Then there was Hojo. He would have loved nothing more than to ignore that man’s call and continue making his rounds but his duty demanded he stop and at least listen to this aggravating man. “Yes professor?”

“There have been rumors going around about the head Restrictor getting a little… anxious.” Hojo fished for a confession but Marianne had no idea what he was talking about. “There is talk of him revolting.”

Marianne sighed in relief. “He just says things.” In reality, he thought he had every right… they stole the man’s children! “He doesn’t mean it. But I have never heard of a revolt.”

“Either way, you are close enough to him that I have recommended you to our President for a mission.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “And what might that be?”

“To find out what he is planning… and to carry out an order if he is…” Hojo went on. He removed a sealed letter from his lab coat pocket and handed it to Marianne.

He looked at the letter, very much afraid to open such a thing. A warning sounded in his heart then… but he had no choice but to open it. It was addressed to him from the President of Shinra himself. He pulled out a knife and sliced the top cleanly before sheathing it once more and reading over it not once or twice but three times.

“I assume you are literate?” Hojo mocked at the length of time he was taking.

Marianne even put the letter into the light to make sure. It couldn’t be right.

Hojo frowned at that. “It is authentic I assure you.”

This was the first time a Restrictor was given an order to assassinate one of their own! This was not right at all! They were supposed to stick together! That’s what Mr. Z had said. He couldn’t do this!

“If you will not do it then someone else is going to… and it won’t be pretty.” Hojo sneered at his disbelief. “But of course you will have to be eliminated before you can leak such a thing to him. If he were to rally the Restrictor’s… it would be disastrous.”

“Are you threatening me?” Marianne growled at him.

“No, it is a promise.” Hojo said darkly. “There is someone watching you even now. You better not screw this up. Find out his intentions. If he is loyal then there is no reason to kill him. If he says anything… your orders are clear.”

Marianne was trembling and he couldn’t keep it out of his voice. “Y-yes sir.”

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“That’s my wife and boy over there.” Mr. Z pointed out to Marianne. She was standing in the hallways with Weiss on her arm. His head was rested on her shoulder sleeping. “Isn’t he the cutest?”

Marianne could tell by his voice that he wanted nothing more than to go over there and see her… but he wasn’t allowed. “Yeah.” He wasn’t really paying attention to them though.

“What’s the matter with you boy?”

Marianne sighed. “I guess I got a lot on my mind today.”

“That thinking stuff again huh?” Mr. Z laughed as if he didn’t do much of it himself. “You and your mother are like two peas in a pod. You two are always worried about something or another that you can’t help.”

How right he was. Marianne felt just a tad bit sick to his stomach.

“That and the two of you are damned geniuses! Didn’t you graduate from college by the time you joined up last year?” Marianne nodded. “Damn boy! Strength and smarts!” He whistled. “The best of both worlds.” He nudged him playfully. “I should have married your mother. She makes more than me and we’d have had some damn fine kids huh? I wouldn’t have minded being the house bitch for her.”

“You don’t mean that.” Marianne knew that he loved Leda… that and he knew his mother had something of a crush on this man. She always acted so weird around him. He was probably going to have to break her heart in a moment or so.

“I was just funning you Mari.” He wondered if he offended him talking about his mother. “Lighten up.”

“Yes sir.” Marianne still didn’t look appeased.

Oh boy, maybe he shouldn’t have said anything at all. “Don’t be like that.”

“Yes sir.”

Mr. Z sighed, that boy was serious as hell. He could never get a laugh out of him no matter how hard he tried. But he was still a good boy, and he was sure he appreciated his sense of humor… he knew Vivian did.

He couldn’t beat around the bush any longer. “Mr. Z?”

“Hm?”

“Can I talk to you… in private?”

“Sure son.”

Restrictor led Marianne away from anyone else, he couldn’t help but thinking this was some sort of death march, an execution. He should turn the blade on himself before he had to do what was needed of him. Then again, he was a coward and wanted to live. But! He reasoned, Mr. Z never talked about a rebellion against Shinra before! His mind started easing, surely he wasn’t. He wouldn’t have to kill him.

Marianne looked upward then, watching Mr. Z strut forward proudly like some rooster. Of all the Restrictor’s he had unique weapons. He had two rifle katana, and while they seemed impossible to wield he did it quite well. He said he was going to give them to his son one of these days. As if that weren’t enough he had two sets of handguns strapped to his thighs. Two large and two smaller guns. He told Marianne once that he could never be too prepared during a fight. He said that he had been pinned down once and ran out of rifle ammunition. Those guns saved his life. So he always carried them around after that. They were to go to his unborn child, Nero. He was sure that he would be able to wield them. He had two very strong sons already.

They entered a room together and stood facing each other. Mr. Z shut the door.

Marianne looked down, not wanting to look him in the face.

“Don’t be a coward now boy, you have to look me in the eye if you want to ask questions.”

Marianne looked at him again but glanced down once more.

There was nothing for it. The boy was in a mood today – that was for sure. “Hey Green, what’s on your mind?”

Marianne really looked into his eyes then, he had to know. “There have been rumors that the Restrictors are going to revolt. They said you are going to lead us. I don’t know what to think.”

“Get straight to the point hm?” Mr. Z frowned.

“Yes sir.”

Zeus didn’t know if he should tell him this or not, but he selected Marianne for a reason. “The rumors are true. I have been unsettled as of late.”

God no. “What are we planning on doing?” Marianne went on bravely, not knowing what else to do.

“I haven’t told anyone else about this, but I’m thinking we need to destroy a few key people if you get my drift.”

“Yes sir.” Marianne felt his heart sink.

“They are destroying a fine company and all it stands for. They…” He seemed upset then. “They are starting in on forced human experimentation. It would make your skin crawl.”

Marianne nodded.

“And they took my girls. They are starting a breeding program.” And that just killed him. “They are going to use Leda and my other boy if I don’t stop them.” He shook his head. “But I would not use my brothers for only personal reasons. They are experimenting on others… kidnapping people. That Hojo, he is insane!”

No wonder Shinra was frightened of him, he had very strong convictions and their unit was one of the most powerful there were.

“You understand. Don’t you Mari?” His blue eyes looked into Marianne’s. Even though he was much older he wished for acceptance from his second in command.

Marianne did understand and nodded to that.

Mr. Z sighed in relief. He would tell Mari something that would put his mind at ease. “I know you might be a little worried, but don’t be. If everything goes down I’ll take the fall for everyone.”

Mr. Z admitting this to him only made it harder. “I know sir.”

“You’re a good boy Mari, I knew I could trust you.” He clapped his hands over his shoulders in a friendly way.

Marianne cringed when he said that. Why? “Mr. Z?” He asked quietly.

“Hm?” He smiled in his good natured sort of way… what a trusting fool he was. He let his arms drop to the sides as he visibly calmed, knowing his second in command would back him up.

“That mustache.” Marianne smiled then, he had to so he wouldn’t know what was about to happen.

“What about it?” His final words.

This was it. Mr. Z didn’t notice as his hand moved to his gun blade. “It really does… make you look like a walrus.” Mr. Z threw his head back and laughed just like he knew he would, and then he struck. His vision went red as his mentor’s blood gushed forth from his mortal wound. He would always remember that wet gurgling sound as Zeus fell onto his back dead and still smiling.

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He had killed Mr. Z, the man who recommended him for his position. It earned him a reputation anyway. Everyone stayed away from him, they were afraid. Apparently he gained Mr. Z’s trust and then killed him trying to move up in the ranks. He had betrayed another Restrictor, ending their perfect code of loyalty in one act of violence. The boy obviously hated the man. That was why he never laughed or seemed happy around him.

But that wasn’t true at all. He loved Mr. Z and he felt… such guilt. But if he didn’t kill him someone else would have. And afterwards they would have killed him for disobeying an order. At least he killed him quickly and got it over with.

No one else’s death ever affected him after that. In fact, he enjoyed it. It was something he needed to get used to or he would die. He was almost shocked how easy it was to snuff out one life after the other.

Someone else took Mr. Z’s place, but he was never as fun as the old man was… no one liked him and even the new head Restrictor was wary of Marianne. He hated it. And even though he did not loose his rank he was moved from his more important job… to a baby-sitting assignment.

It infuriated him that they would put him with Weiss. He killed his father! And if the boy didn’t know it now he would learn soon enough to hate him. He would not get attached, he would just let the boy hate him now and get it over with.

The stupidest thing of all was that Deep Ground was turning this into a solider research facility. They were no longer working towards miracle cures or advancements everyday people could enjoy… but soldiers.

The children were going to be used as their experiments. They were going to be elite soldiers. The notion of Weiss becoming a fighter was ridiculous. He was infinitely soft and it didn’t fit his personality in the slightest. The boy was meant for loving things and not killing… even he could see that.

But that was where he came in. They required that Marianne condition Weiss for battle and so he would. It wasn’t that he didn’t take personal enjoyment in taming that little shrew at times. He was nothing short of aggravating. If fact, he hated that boy. He hated looking into his eyes. They made him feel that first guilt all over again, like they were blaming him all the while. He looked just like Mr. Z.

His small life was a symbol of everything that he had done wrong and also the hope that he one day might be forgiven if the boy could forgive him. But he never expected it. He never sought it out because he couldn’t be forgiven. Because he couldn’t forgive himself. And thoughts like that made him bitter and meaner than he ever thought himself capable of.

He knew by looking in his eyes that Weiss would one day kill him. And that was fine by him, as long as it was he who did it. And when that boy killed him, his father would be avenged. Blood for blood. In his death he would be forgiven.

He demanded to be called by title, Restrictor, after the fall of Zeus. Marianne Fleuve died when he killed his mentor and everything he stood for. Now he would usher in a new era in Deep Ground filled with fear and misery. And one day he would grow to be fine with that.

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Weiss was sixteen. He was a lanky little thing, but he showed promise of development. He constantly leveled longing gazes upon someone who didn’t even seem to know what love was yet.

That white haired boy was always moving, he seemed so alive now that his brother was back.

And how he looked at him with such hate. Even now as he noticed Restrictor his infectious smile faded way into a frown and he turned his head sharply until he looked at his little brother. He twined his fingers together with his, the two fools. Neither of them knew what was happening. They had no idea how much one loved the other.

He supposed it took an outside observer sometimes… especially in cases such as these. How could the two of them not see it? He shook his head.

His thoughts went back to old times. If Weiss would look at him like that just once, he knew somehow he would be forgiven of his first sin. But things like that were foolish… and he had a job to perform. And he hated that boy for existing. Would he not be alive right now he would not still feel that old guilt.

And so he would break him one day. He would remove the light from his eyes once more.

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He never felt so complete in his life as he did now as that body trembled against his own in sickness and in fear. The boy made a small noise when he pulled himself out of him, an odd mixture of blood and cum rushed out as he did. It wasn’t enough.

As he lay on the floor, beaten and with his hair shorn his face no longer haunted him. Years and years of just thinking about ways in which to break him… and he finally did it. Those lights were gone. He was his in every sense of the word.

His restlessness was gone and he walked with a spring in his step as he left the boy there in the darkness to be found.

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He shouldn’t have done that. Once it was done he couldn’t think of anything else but getting Weiss back on his hands and knees.

The boy obviously didn’t feel the same though.

He still couldn’t believe Weiss would stab him and knock him over the head. He was getting a little out of hand. But that didn’t make him want him any less. Nothing he did would. He vaguely realized he was obsessing over him, but he dismissed it. He had always done that, it was just a different kind of obsession than before.

Restrictor looked at himself in the mirror after he was finished brushing his teeth. Work would start soon and he needed to hurry. But he paused to look at them… those scars on his cheek. He pretended to be upset about them. But strangely enough he wanted to keep those marks on his face… the ones that Weiss had given him. They made him feel connected to him in a way. He was his and he would always have that part of him in the mirror that he could look at.

Weiss had held that little boy’s hand the other day in front of him. He knew it was a taunt at him. His face twisted in anger. That little wretch latched himself on Weiss’ arm as well. He almost couldn’t control the jealousy that coursed through his body. He almost pulled out his gun and shot Nero right then.

Nero had crossed him one too many times. He was sure his little plaything would have come around long ago had he not been there. He would’ve been the only one to love him… he would have taken it.

He would just separate them for a while. He would tie that miserable boy up for a year. Yes, that would be a decent enough punishment for having to deal with his miserable existence for so many years.

He couldn’t wait.

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He’d say anything… threaten him with anything. So why not use his little brother again? It worked so well the first time. Yes, he would do that. He’d get what he wanted. But why not kill two birds with one stone? Why not fuel the boy’s desperation to be with his brother? Why not mention that he was thinking of taking away their housing? He had no possible way of doing it lest their funding get cut, but it would be a believable rumor.

Restrictor began sending whispers through to the scientists who worked with Nero. They were the gossiping sort and they didn’t care who they talked in front of. They would be his messengers. They would make that boy taste despair. He deserved it… for what he had done.

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During the morning line up Nero was missing. Restrictor ignored it, setting the assignments for the day and dismissing everyone except for Weiss. The rest of the Tsviets instinctively knew what was going on… he was saving the runaway’s brother for last so he could question him. He was sure the boy knew what he was going to ask before he even opened his mouth. “Where is your brother?”

“I don’t know.” Weiss’ face was the epitome of calm.

“You can’t expect me to believe that.” Restrictor circled him.

Weiss seemed nervous as he moved out of his line of sight. “It’s the truth.”

“Where is he?” He asked again.

“I don’t know.” Weiss’s countenance contorted when Restrictor gripped the lower half of his face with one of his gloved hands.

“You are making me mad my little darling.” His voice was soft yet threatening.

“We had a fight.” Weiss twisted his face away from him bravely. “He’s mad at me. He left.”

Restrictor could believe that… but he couldn’t just leave it at that. Some sadistic part of him wanted to know why they fought. “What were arguing about?”

Weiss just knew he was grinning under that mask.

“Tell me pretty baby.”

“He was mad at me because of you.” Weiss looked away, not wanting to give him all the details… such as his refusal to go with him because he was afraid of what Restrictor might do to him. God only knew how much he would enjoy hearing that. He wanted to add that Restrictor always managed to ruin everything… but that would sound childish.

“Hm hm hm.” Restrictor tittered. “In that case I think I’d like you to stay the night.”
“Why?” Weiss asked, sounding miserable at the prospect. He hated sleeping with him. Once he fell asleep he was fine… it was just going to sleep that was hard to do. He felt so anxious that anything he did would be seen as some threat. If he moved too much Restrictor became agitated with him.

“I think you know the answer to that.” Restrictor moved his hand to touch his face again and Weiss moved away from him. When he moved closer to him the boy recoiled. He could tell by his expression that he was afraid of him. No doubt he was worried about what had happened last night. He would just have to make it up to him. “Just show up tonight after you are finished with your exercises and missions. I’m going to enjoy spending our day off together.” Weiss looked away from him then, looking positively wretched.

Weiss only wished he went away with his brother when he had the chance. The next few days might have been filled with some anxiety, but it would have been better than this.

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Thank you once again to Aquila and FakeMemory for reviewing. =D

FakeMemory: I don’t think you’ve mentioned it before (the whole Restrictor raping Nero thing). I’m not sure if I’ll do it or not – seeing as how he is so hung up on Weiss… but you never know. I think if I did something like that I really would be writing a 20 chapter story! (giggle) It’s definitely crossed my mind and I even wrote SOME on it but I didn’t pursue it. It’s probably a few paragraphs on my word pad I write on… will see if I can find it. I probably won’t write it… unless it’s a oneshot or something. Mostly because it seems to go against his character at this point to do something like that to Nero. But who knows? (evil laugh)

I’m glad you got into the screaming hehe. Not sure if there will be much more of that though. I think Nero and Weiss will work it out. (They sort of have to huh? hehe).

Aquila: As always, thank you for keeping me sane by giving me comments and pointers for my stories. I would still be stuck in “In Moments” if you hadn’t helped me.

Oh I know! Restrictor is pretty evil. (hehe) He’s literally the bad guys’ bad guy, no? I’m used to writing his type though – I loved writing stories for villains before I got into the whole Nero/Weiss thing. He is definitely one of the more darker/most evil character I’ve ever written about though.

Author’s Notes:

Yup! A chapter about Restrictor! I thought it might fit in with the whole FF VII universe if he started out with relatively good intentions. It seems that almost everyone starts out innocent to a degree before they begin that quick spiral downwards to evil and insanity. I didn’t want to make him seem like the perfect little boy either though.

I could be wrong (since I haven’t played the original FF VII in so long) but I believe Hojo was the only one who started out rotten to the core.

As things stand… I might be going past 12 chapters… blah. I just can’t seem to find a good place to end this. I want to write more and more content and it’s driving me batty! Ah well. There is a definite stopping point… it’s just getting there that’s proving to be an obstacle.

Just a stupid side note: I have no idea… but I love it when I make Restrictor call Weiss his “pretty baby” I have nooooo idea why but it just seems so sexy to me for some reason. It probably makes everyone else’ eye twitch. (giggle)