Pete's Awakening, Sora's interrogation

Well, it's here everyone. Before I begin, I want to just say something: I assume that if you're reading this, you've already read Experiment In Darkness. I don't want anyone to get lost. Now, on with our regularly scheduled program!

Several Bastion Knights surveyed the damage and slaughter in the Villain's Vale. "I…I didn't think we were going to have to kill them all" said one of them, his voice sick. "It just seems so wrong. Even the children."

"I know" said another one. "But what do you expect? The Captain's not human." He laughed. "Or at least, he doesn't think like a human being. You're new here. Sometimes the orders he gives seem like they have to come from someone with no emotion."

"Yeah, I guess you're right" said the other Knight.

"Of course I am" said the more experienced one. "Now, let's go and get some ice cream from Scrooge McDuck's stand in town."

Pete and Zane lay huddled in a corner of the underground caves beneath the castle. They had seen the entire fight between weak looking Captain Nexumair and Xavier. It was the most incredible thing Pete had ever seen. A Nobody like Xavier beaten by a little boy! It was…unnatural. They had seen everything until Xavier had been kicked through the wall.

"We've got to help him!" Zane cried.

"Shut up!" Pete said. "Do you want that little brat to hear us?! He'll kill us both."

"I hope he does" said Tine. "That way there'd be two less scumbags in the universe." She was still lying on the cave floor, too heavy to move, so they knew Xavier wasn't dead. Had he died, his spell would have worn off. Suddenly they heard footsteps within the hole that had been made in the wall. Xavier's head poked out.

"Yes!" cried Zane. "I knew he'd win!"

Xavier fell forward out of the hole, three of Nexumair's six swords in his back.

Zane was about to scream in horror, when Pete pushed his large hand over the boy's mouth and pulled them both into a corner. The captain stepped out of the hole and stood next to Xavier.

"I've wounded you enough times to kill a Somebody five times over" he said, without a trace of emotion. "How many times will it take to kill you? Hm?"

"Damn…you…" Xavier struggled to say. Dark particles flooded out of his wounds.

"It is useless" said Nexumair. The fourteen year old Nobody looked down at the older one lying at his feet. "All of your comrades are dead. I killed many of them myself. Surrender and I may spare you for Superior Xemnas' judgment."

Xavier's eyes widened. He began to pull himself up off the floor. "H-hey now Nevy" he said. "You can't d-do that. Those were…they were…they were my friends…" he said. "THEY WERE MY GOD DAMNED FRIENDS!!!" he screamed. He ran at Nexumair, punching out with his fists Nexumair dodged calmly.

"Feeling pity for your minions? Come now. We Nobodies have no emotions. There is no reason to pretend at this moment that we do."

"Lain…Ernie…Fate…all of them…the little kids…YOU KILLED THEM ALL?!" he ran at Nexumair again.

"Flamboyant Brawler!" the Confident Fencer shouted in anger (or something like anger). "You grow more and more pathetic with each attack!" he ran Xavier through with four swords, pinning him to the ground. "Don't go away, Xavier" he said. "I'll be back to collect you later." The Nobody walked away.

"I'm free!" Tine said. She felt the heaviness drop off her like extra weights. She scrambled to her feet and ran past Pete and Zane.

"Come back her, you!" Zane yelled. He drew a small bronze dagger and took off after her.

Listen. Take him to the surface so he doesn't get hurt, okay Pete? "Come back! You'll be killed!"

The seven year old paid no attention. He was after Tine and he wasn't going to stop. He looked up to Xavier as his adopted father and he was going to capture this thing for him. Pete sighed and took off after him. Suddenly he stopped. Nexumair was standing at the end of the tunnel. Once again, Pete wondered how the boy captain had managed to move so fast.

Zane ran right into Nexumair. "Huh?" he asked. Then he saw Xavier. "Xavier! Nooooooo!" he screamed, seeing the Nobody who had adopted him nailed to the ground by the four swords.

Come back!! Pete wanted to yell, but he was too afraid. If Nexumair heard him, then he might be killed just like the others had been. Nexumair did not even give the boy a glace as he cut down with one of his sabers, drawn so quickly that it didn't even seem to leave the sheath. Zane was cut down in a fountain of blood. For Pete the moment seemed to last forever. He saw the boy's shocked expression as he hit the floor of the cave.

Pete covered his eyes and wept. For the first time in a long time he actually, truly cried for someone who was not himself. He had been too weak to save Zane, just like he had been too weak to save Maleficent, too weak to resist his temptation to meddle in things. Nexumair walked over to Tine.

"Are you alright?" he smiled at her. Once again he was a charming, lovable captain. "I'll get you to safety, don't worry about it."

"You will?" Tine asked. She didn't like this. There was something about this boy…

"Can you make a Dark Corridor?" asked Nexumair. "I'm afraid that while I have a little bit of darkness power, I used it getting down here."

"Sure, I can make one of them" Tine said and made one. Now that they were underneath the castle, the seal on the darkness abilities was gone. Tine could summon her powers anytime she wanted to. The two of them stepped inside the swirling energy and were gone.

"We've gotta help Tine!" Goofy said.

"Xavier's got to still be here. Maybe if we question his men we'll find him. Then we can get Nexumair to help us look for her" said Donald.

"Right" said Sora. The three of them ran down the stairs to the Mid-Level---and gasped. Bodies lay everywhere. Men, women, and children all lay dead. They had been killed by the Bastion Knights.

"What's going on?" Sora said. "Nexumair didn't say anything like this was going to---aggghhh!" he was seized by a member of the Bastion Knights. So were Donald and Goofy.

"Keyblade Master seized! Duck and dog creatures seized as well!" shouted one of the Knights who had grabbed them.

"Hey!" Sora said, struggling. "What are you doing?"

"Yeah!" Donald squawked. "Lay off! We've gotta find Tine!"

"Hey! We're trying to protect you, kid!" shouted the Knight.

"We have to find her!" Sora said. "I promised I'd save her!"

"There won't be any need" said Nexumair, stepping out of a Dark Corridor that formed near a booth. Both he and Tine stepped out of it. Sora broke free of the Knight's grasp and grabbed the captain by his shirt, lifting him off his feet.

"What the hell have you done?!" Sora asked in anger. "Why did you do this? I just came from Port Royal and someone was doing the same thing!"

Nexumair removed Sora's hand with surprising strength. "I am the one who is going to ask the questions, Keyblade Master" he said. "Now, I have one question. When you talked to Xavier…did you make any deals with him? Did he tell you any information? Did you make any payments?"

"Why?" asked Goofy.

Nexumair drew his swords very quickly, as did all the Knights around them. "Because if you did, than I will kill you all right now, and no one, not even the King will know about it."

"We didn't make any deals" said Sora. "We didn't even talk that much. We just fought like crazy, and tried not to get killed."

Nexumair sheathed his weapons and his old smile returned. "Just kidding guys! I would never do something like that" he said. The Knights laughed and put away their swords---although Sora thought that their laughing sounded forced. "I got the girl back for you, and I beat Xavier."

"You beat him?!" Donald said.

"Yep!" said Nexumair. "Ha ha! He was easy. Here she is. Alright men. Let's moooooooveeeeee out!" the men began to pack up and leave.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy stared at Tine, and she stared at them. The trio didn't know what to say to her. Sora sighed. He had a feeling that making her acquaintance wasn't going to be easy.

Deep beneath the Villain's Vale, Pete had finally stopped sobbing for Zane. "I am…alone…" he said quietly. No more Flyers to back him up. His mistress was imprisoned in her own castle by those blacked robed freaks. He was alone. He had no one, nothing to cling to. Except his promise. "I will bring back Roman Numeral Thirteen" he said. "Even if it costs me my life." Pete stretched out his hand and a Dark Corridor formed, perfectly and without trouble. Pete had woken up.