Matsuda, bright-eyed and not old enough to whisper tales to the Earth that already knew, roughly toed at his driveway and watched those miniscule rocks tumble against the layer of dust another time. He threw his head backward just as he released a childlike growl from the back of his throat. Today was not his day.

This was not the first time that this had happened to Matsuda; no, not in the least bit. Matsuda was quite used to having others snap at him, silence him, cut him down… It was only on that rare occasion that he would begin to ponder on the thought that perhaps there…was something wrong with him. Others put as little thought into it as he generally would. They easily knew his natural tendencies: light-hearted, silly…childish… Albeit Matsuda's traits could bite at their nerves, they still accepted him for his definable type, and he inferred so.

Of course, Matsuda was still human, and some days, he did feel a strange pull in the core of his chest when someone would have this attitude towards him, but this time was different…for now.

Earlier today, Matsuda had been on a date. It wasn't his first date, but he couldn't truthfully utter the words "I've been on lots of dates, before"… which he may have done, from time to time. It was nothing spectacular, which he didn't feel necessary for a first date with someone. The two of them had dinner together at one of his favorite restaurants. Matsuda arrived at her house on-time, went to the door himself to get her, and opened the door for her both at the car and the restaurant. When it came to dinner, she seemed to be quite comfortable with his personality. She didn't ask any first-date clichés, she didn't frequently excuse herself to the bathroom, as a couple of his previous dates would deliberately resort to, and she laughed at many of his jokes and goofs. Everything, from his perspective, was going splendid. He wasn't even awkward, this time.

After the date, he took her home, and before he could depart, she pulled him aside for a brief talk. That was when she explained to him that she enjoyed the date, and she truly found him to be attractive, sweet, and fun… yet, she didn't find that he took life seriously enough for her liking, and stated that if he couldn't do that, then he most certainly wouldn't succeed in taking her and their relationship-to-be seriously.

He hadn't at all seen that coming.

He knew in his heart that her words were untrue, but didn't quite comprehend why she believed so.

It was a first date. Why would a woman come to that sort of conclusion based on one lousy dinner?

As the rush of thoughts began to roar a good bit more stridently within the limited depths of his contemplations, Matsuda felt a brush of night-born wind against the soft skin of his face, and slowly, he opened his eyelids to face all that resided around him. His head was tilted back, and the first thing he saw during that moment was as reassuring as any genuine compliment. The stars burned brightly, glistening in their absolute wonder for all to see, and for some reason, he thought of them as tiny children of the very sun. He chuckled a bit at this thought. Matsuda smiled and continued to admire the sky above him.

There were as many women on the Earth as there were visible stars in the sky. What was one who didn't allow herself to learn and know him? Chances were, he would most definitely find someone, one of those days.

Matsuda. He wasn't one to let a bothering linger within him for long. He could let things go.

Now grinning, he made his way to the carport and back into his house, and before he knew it, he was in his loose, blue wool pajamas, teeth clean and face washed for the night, happily settled into bed and good and ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

Sleep began to softly carry Matsuda on its wings, and the further he drifted into that sleep, the louder the voices in his new dreams were becoming. The choir of crickets chirping, which could be easily heard through the window adjacent to his bed, did not interrupt his sleep tonight, nor did it ever, before. Most tend to be subconsciously adjusted to such noises. The vision of his dream on the rise was clearing up by the mere second, and when his subconscious mind could make out that first image, that is when Matsuda began to dream…

A petite, raven-haired girl skirts along a cliff, the edges poking out at the colorless stretch of sky. Whitish fog is closing in on the dying day, but this does not stop her from walking at her crooked pace. Her eyes are somber, endless pools of witnessing a hundred dreams broken, and the call out to her final hope lost still lingers on her cracked lips. She lets the simplest tear escape the corner of her right eye, wipes it with a gloved finger, and tries to taste the salt-water already too seeped into the fabric to save. Still, the girl walks.

The small girl secures her arms snugly around herself as the ironic grey in the sky taunts her, as she is someone who clearly reflects the unpromising hues of grey. Her walking pace is a bit slower, now.

Her eyes retain the image of a boy, gently complying with the lull of longer sleep, cocooned in something white. Sealing off the small projection within the anticipation-lacking pupils of a crystalline blue, the girl tightly closes her eyelids, scrunching her black eyelashes out of sight.

A knife appears in her hand, as her fingers are now squeezed around the handle. Flashes of orange and blue streak her vision, and the girl involuntarily leans backward, nearly collapsing flat onto her thighs. Her vision remains impaired, for now.

A roar can be heard from the distance, albeit, more of a quick cry, and within a split second, an enormous dragon, scales of blue, is looming over her tiny form.

"Worthless" rasps the…talking dragon? Going on instinct, of course, the black-haired girl thrusts her wrist forward and stabs the dragon directly in its gut. She emits a choked gasp once realizing that it has no affect on the daunting beast before her.

"You aren't wrong. I am worthless." she says. Still unable to see properly, she makes another attempt to attack this dragon, but harms nothing but the whispering wind sauntering its way through the fog.

"See!" it growls…

Matsuda's eyelids fluttered open to the feel of unfathomable confusion heating his skin with perspiration.

"Whoa…" he brushed his bangs back with four fingers to wipe his forehead, a bit. "…heh-heh…what a cliffhanger…." he murmured to himself. If in the most timely act of drifting back off, one can sometimes continue their lost dream.

Dragon…

His comprehensive nighttime thoughts were becoming quite a challenge to hang on to.

Girl…

Matsuda could almost hear the roars of that dragon, once again, when he dozed off into a dream not very dragon concerned…..

The sleeping boy is falling…

He is falling through what looks to be murky ocean waters. The lighting within the waters makes him appear luminescent from head to toe, like he is the ocean's very own sun. Still, the sleeping boy is falling…

He has been falling for what seems to be centuries, but is only a few minutes. The last few thoughts before the boy drifted into this ever sleep still buzz about his mind, but it is not only he that can hear them. The voice can hear it, as well. The voice knows that he will wake, soon enough.

Further throughout the serene water, the boy continues to fall, collecting the speed of a shooting star, it seems. A warm light can be sighted not too far down from where he is to land. The sleeping boy does an involuntary turn within the water, so that when he lands, it will be on his feet. Is someone guiding him?

His eyes flutter open much like a newborn when the pace of his falling begins to slow down. Within a matter of seconds, the boy feels his feet touch a platform of stained glass that appears around his feet. With awe, he watches a graceful family of doves fly away. Where are they going? There is no more water left, so they should not drown. Are they afraid?

"Touta." someone calls out to the boy. He becomes alert at the sound of his name. He isn't used to being called by his first name, not while working with the task force.

"Who are you?" Matsuda asks, taking a glance at the bizarre artwork of the platform he stands on.

"There is so much for you to learn, only…so little time." says the voice. Matsuda is silent.

"Do not be afraid, and do not rush. I will be there to guide you." assures the voice.

"Alright." Matsuda tells the voice.

"The door you will soon await remains closed, for now. Step forth, Touta. Can you step forward?" the voice says. Anticipating what will occur, Matsuda complies and takes a couple of steps forward. His eyes widen as he watches a shield to his left appear. After that, appears a staff to his right. In the center, comes a sword fit to be carried by the most valorous of knights. He takes a moment to admire them.

"There is an extraordinary power sleeping within your heart. Once you give it form, it will grant you strength. Choose wisely. Follow what your heart has eyes for." explains the voice. After several moments of consideration, Matsuda begins to approach the staff. Before he takes it in hand, the voice clarifies,

"Your heart has lead you to the power of the mystic? Before you now is a staff of awe, wreck, and wisdom. Is this really the power you seek?" it asks. Matsuda grasps his fingers around it.

"Yes." he confirms.

"Your path has been set. Now, which power will you sacrifice, in return for this power?" the voice asks Matsuda. He perspires very lightly.

"Aw, I have to give something up?" he complains.

"Yes." the voice answers. Sighing, Matsuda quickly decides to keep defense over strength.

"I choose to give up the sword." says Matsuda, taking a last look at it in its vigorous glory.

"Are you sure that you want to give up the power of the warrior?" the voice warns.

"Yeah." Matsuda says before he has time to change his mind. For a minute, it is quiet.

"You have selected the power of a mystic, and given up the power of the warrior. Is this the form that you want?" the voice asks. Matsuda nods. He is unsure of what will happen, next. His suspicions soon come to an end when the glass before him shatters into millions of miniscule pieces, falling further down into the ravenous darkness and taking him down with them. He worries, at first, that he will die. Closing his eyes softly, he feels his feet against another glass platform. Matsuda exhales with respite and awaits further instruction from the mysterious voice.

"Are you still there?" he asks.

"Yes. I am still here. Now, the time has come that you learn to attack. As of now, you have gained the power to fight, Touta." the voice tells him.

"Okay." he agrees.

"You will need to fight in order to protect yourself and others." says the voice. A tiny, odd, and black creature pops up out of the blue. Matsuda maintains a fighting stance, with the new magic staff in one trembling hand, and he charges towards the creature. At first, he hesitates to attack it. It just looks so…cute…

"Touta, do not allow its defenseless façade to distract you. This creature is both very dangerous and powerful, and comes from the darkness and evil within our hearts. You must destroy it as quickly as possible." the voice tells Matsuda. Gathering his senses together, he swats the staff at the creature as hard as he can.

"That's it! Very good!" encourages the voice.

It falls back, but swiftly is back on its all-fours, running to Matsuda so that it may harm him. He acts fast, giving it a few more good smacks and slashes. Soon enough, it vanishes into thin air, leaving behind a trail of green and yellow orbs. Matsuda wonders if he should pick them up, or not.

"Collecting those orbs will help you maintain both your strength and magic ability." the voice suggests. He takes them in hand, and his palm absorbs them right up. The voice is strangely mute, now.

Matsuda gasps as gaseous darkness surrounds him, as if preparing to devour him whole. What about that door that the voice spoke of, earlier? Will this darkness bring him to such a door?

"Dude, are you alright?" asked the voice of a jovial spirit.

Matsuda bolted upright, somewhat awake, and still attentive. "Wait…what?" he anxiously asked.

(In the Castle That Never Was)

This morning, Demyx appeared in the Grey Area early, for a change. In most cases, he rarely even arrived on time for missions. He never performed well during the missions, themselves—particularly the Heartless hunt-downs, but his work ethic was better than one might expect.

As he marched to claim his signature spot on the couch, a couple of the elder members raised contemplative eyebrows. He ignored. Sitting upon the inconveniently hard couch, Demyx darted his eyes around the room two times only. There was no sign of Larxene. She must've still been at Castle Oblivion, with various others. He summoned his blue sitar that was not merely his weapon and instrument, but his comfort object, as well. Both Xaldin and Xigbar emitted disapproving grunts as Demyx began to tune the oddly-themed weapon. No member of Organization XII appreciated his musical 'talent', not even faultless little Xion, who only pretended to like the sound of his playing.

He looked up from his handiwork and flashed the two Nobody-men a nonchalant grin.

"Morning, guys. What's up?" he asked.

Demyx swallowed his greeting with a loud gulp as he acknowledged Saïx standing by the window, glaring at him as if he were the most appalling thing to ever crawl the worlds beneath Kingdom Hearts. Weren't those dirty looks reserved for Xion? I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea about me being early. Saïx might think that I'm trying to be in better standing with the Organization, and that I want to improve my performances of a member, and to do that, I gotta work harder, and the only way I'd work harder is if they gave me harder missions! That would totally suck! Should I just start showing up late? Nah, they'd turn me into a Dusk, for sure, Demyx thought to himself.

"Usual. Just waiting for the boss's right-hand-man to distribute the missions." answered Xigbar, raising an opened corner of his mouth, forming the fingers of one hand into the shape of a gun, and pointing at Saïx. Unresponsive, the Luna Diviner turned away.

"I must finish organizing a mission modified specially for It. Once I have finished, you may go as soon as you wish. I shouldn't have to remind you to speak with me, first." he said.I have a feeling that he's talking about me when he says "I shouldn't have to remind you", thought Demyx.

"Hmm…and by 'It', you mean Poppet?" Xigbar asked him. Demyx was afraid to say anything that opposed Saïx in the least bit, but he didn't much like the way that other members would address Xion. She was a girl, and it was plain to see. Why did they insist on giving her such harsh treatment? Xigbar wasn't too bad, he just referred to her with a few bad-mannered nicknames from time to time, but Saïx always had his worst prepared for her.

"Yes." said Saïx. The three hadn't expected that Saïx would reply to Xigbar's flippantness, with the names and all. Demyx opened his mouth to question this "mission modified specially" for Xion.

"What are you gonna—" and right then, Number XIV took baby steps through the entrance and to the center of the Grey Area room.

"I'm ready for my mission, sir." she said. Saïx lowered his grimace in order to be eye-to-eye with the small-heighted Nobody.

"Aye', Poppet, how's my favorite gal?" greeted Xigbar from a couch on the left side of the room. Xion let out a simple murmur, not distinguishable to even the best ears, but stating that she was "okay". She and Demyx met eyes for a moment, and he gave her a reassuring tooth-smile along with tiny a nod of the head. Her visual focus trailed to the floor. Anything that Xion took to be a flirtatious gesture left her a tad more embarrassed of herself. She felt that Demyx only pitied her, and was attempting to make her feel securer for that reason.

"What was that? I'm a good bit deaf and a good bit blind, doll face. You'll have to speak up." Xigbar told her.

"I'm just fi—"

"Excuse me, XIV, but to my knowledge, I was just about to deliver to you your mission information. Was your statement significant enough to interrupt my proclamations?" Saïx accused.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Saïx…it's just that Xigbar asked me a quest…"

"If you do not recall, XIV, you are the one who asked for your mission information; therefore, you should have dutifully waited for a response, just as any would do. It does not matter who asked you a question. If it is necessary to ignore them to behave correctly, then you should know better, and do so." he scolded. Demyx pressed his lips together for a moment and drummed his fingers against the arm of the couch.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry." Xion said, hanging her head low. There was a brief moment of silence within the area.

"Your apology does not work as an eraser, nor does it mean anything, XIV. You should've kept quiet, from the start." said Saïx.

"…"

"I should've known to expect less from It. There is only so much that a throwaway rag doll and a failed experiment can accomplish." he added.

"Hey, man, you didn't need to go and say that! She's not a 'thing', she's a girl, just like any girl who has a heart!" exclaimed Demyx.

"XIV is not a girl, Number IX. XIV is a failsafe, and nothing more." Saïx argued. Demyx carefully set his sitar aside and stood up.

"What's your problem with Xion, anyway? What did she do to you, or to any of us?" Demyx challenged. Saïx growled inside of his throat.

"You are opposing an authority?" he asked.

"Um…well…"

The Melodious Nocturne froze in his tracks, evaluating the possible consequences from this. Then again, he was merely doing the right thing. Instincts, and helping Xion, or saving my own butt and kissing up to injustice? Instincts, and helping Xion, or saving my own butt and kissing up to injustice? He pondered this for not very long. Well, when I put it that way, it makes it sound like a no-brainer.

"Yeah! I am opposing you, but I'm not opposing an authority, I'm opposing a…um…um…" What should I say? "..An oppose-er!" he shouted. Xaldin slapped his forehead, followed by a very obvious snicker from Xigbar. What a pathetic imbecile, Xaldin thought.

"Hmph…my opinions remain unaltered." Saïx claimed. Demyx narrowed his eyebrows at the blue-haired Nobody.

"What makes her different from the rest of us?" he asked. Saïx took a small and threatening step forward. Demyx took a large and cowardly step back. He nearly tumbled backward onto the couch, but luckily was able to break the fall using his not-so-agile hands.

"Because Xion was created in a laboratory!" protested Saïx. At that moment in time, the two of them simultaneously took a look at Xion. Below her downcast eyes, there were to be seen a few little, salty trails slipping out and sliding against her cheeks. The two of them hadn't even acknowledged her standing there or her responses, and she was what they were bickering over! But, what was it that made Xion cry?

"Whoa, man, what's wrong?" asked Demyx, showing signs of both sympathy and puzzlement in his facial expression. She did not want to look him in the eyes, so she did not.

"I'm sorry, Demyx. You don't have to defend me. He's…" she paused. Demyx waited for the raven-haired girl to continue her sentence.

"Right?" he asked her. For a split second, Xion looked up at him…and when she did, she gave the most heartbreaking, pitiable expression. Saïx directed his visual focus elsewhere in disgust. 'Yes' or 'No'. That's all there could've been for her to say. Xion turned around and began walking towards the hallway entrance.

Of course, there was always the option of not saying…anything.

Both Demyx and Saïx watched until she faded from sight, soon hearing her bedroom door close in the distance.

"Demyx, it is time to put an end to this idiocy. You will go speak with Xion. Persuade…her…to embark on a mission, with you as her partner for the day." Saïx ordered. Huh? This struck Demyx as a bit bizarre for Saïx, especially under the circumstances of what had just happened. Nonetheless, he took Saïx's orders and teleported to right outside of Xion's room. He didn't feel that barging in would be appropriate. After all, Xion was probably still crying, and it would be embarrassing for her if Demyx were to witness that on accident.

After standing there and waiting for a couple of minutes, he carefully knocked upon her door.

"Xion? You in there?" Demyx asked. At first, there was only silence.

In her room, Xion was swiftly attempting to remove all traces of tears from her face. Her eyes were surrounded by a soft hue of red that also stumbled across her porcelain-like cheeks. For a moment, she considered waiting for it to fade. Shaking her head in dismissal of that thought, Xion, still sitting on her hard bed, straightened her position and readied an answer. It wasn't any use to hide it. Demyx had already seen her crying, earlier, as well as Xigbar, Xaldin, and Saïx. After all, if Xion could handle the memory of Saïxwatching her in pathetic tears, then she certainly could Demyx. She inhaled deeply, released, and then parted her lips the slightest bit.

"Yes. You can come in." she told him, wincing at the instability of her own voice. Xion listened to the door's eerie creak as Demyx let himself in.

"You feeling alright about yourself, Xi? What Saïx said back there was pretty harsh." he asked her.

"I guess I'm okay." Xion replied. Demyx thought to himself, judging by the way that her tone drags itself on like that, I'm guessing that she definitely isn't okay. Why do girls always feel like they have to lie about that? If they just told the truth, maybe we could help them to feel better! Geez! Is she trying to send a signal, or something, or does she really not want me to know her feelings? I'm so confused, right now!

"Well, whenever you, um…" he was aware of his duty to convince her to embark on their mission, but he didn't want it to seem as though that was the only reason he visited her. Xion was hurt enough.

"I know. I'll be ready for the mission in a few minutes, Demyx." Xion said, surprising Demyx quite a bit.

"Okay. I'll be waiting." he said. Before Demyx could exit the room, Xion stopped him.

"Well, actually, let's just go right now. I don't want to waste your time." she said.

"Xion, if you don't feel like going, yet, then that's fine." Demyx told her.

"I know that, but Saïx is already…angry with you." Xion told him. Wow, this girl really does think she's some huge burden, or something. I feel bad for her, but no matter what I say, she always finds another way to put herself down. I hate to admit it, but that's really getting annoying!

"If you say so." said Demyx, as they both teleported to the grey area. Ignoring Saïx's vindictive stare, Demyx approached him, Xion quietly following him from behind. I don't know why she feels safe behind me, but it's gonna end up getting her seriously injured, Demyx thought to himself.

"Be sure that you are prepared for your missions." he told the young Nobodies.

"We are." they confirmed in unison.

"I see. Your mission is to report to Hollow Bastion, track down a mildly powerful target, and eliminate it, at once. You will be searching for the Giga Shadow." ordered Saïx.

"Got it." said Xion.

"Yeah. That shouldn't be too hard." added Demyx.

"Demyx, the Heartless is multiplying! We need to attack it at the source if we want the copies to go away!" shouted Xion, while trying to push her way towards the main Giga Shadow. Several of his water forms slashed their instruments and limbs towards the smaller clones, causing them to morph into even greater numbers. Xion's facial expression held a certain stress.

"Demyx, you need to un-summon the water forms! When they attack the smaller copies, they just grow into more! The forms are only going to go for what's closest to their own size, so it would be a lot easier of you just got rid of them!" she hollered, still fighting and becoming quite breathless. The more Xion battled, the more she began to realize something.

Demyx was being unusually quiet…

Soon enough, it hit her.

Xion turned around only to find that Demyx was not there. After all that had happened today, after all that he had done to defend her and save her confidence in herself, he had still decided to sneak off and save his own cowardly hide. I can't believe he actually did that, thought Xion. She took a moment to evaluate Demyx as an individual. Never mind. I think that I can believe it.

With irritating fueling her attacks, she took a daring swing at the Giga Shadow, successfully taking it out with a blow that wasn't even pre-meditated. To her satisfaction, the copies around it quickly faded into dust. These confounded pests were no more…for today…

Although leaving him behind could teach him a valuable lesson, that simply wasn't the type of thing for Xion to do. She began searching for Demyx's whereabouts in Hollow Bastion. By this point, he couldn't have gone too far. Besides, his forms probably would've faded or followed him, by now, if he was farther away, right?

"Hmm…where should I look, first? I guess this is the first time that I'm not happy about being in a world that you can never finish exploring." Xion said to herself. She decided to start by following the trail of debris at what was left of the castle gate. Demyx wasn't responsible for the destruction, but it wouldn't hurt to look. She knew that after following, it would soon lead her to the town's restoration site. It was a very safe area, so it would make much sense if Demyx had chosen to hide away there.

That is precisely what Xion did. She followed the debris until she found herself at the 'official' restoration site.

Xion wrinkled her nose at the odor of oil and shredded wood. Oddly, she did not see any machines around. What are they using to restore this place? Where is that smell coming from? Xion glanced in the direction of entrance to Ansem's old study. They must have some sort of storage, in there, where they keep what they need, she thought.

A sensation awoke within her that she was being observed from afar.

"Hey, Xion, a little help over here?" a voice asked from a distance, causing her to jump with alert. She turned to the sound of the voice and saw Demyx in a nearby battlefield. Someone else was with him.

"Why did you run away?" she shouted.

"What? Sorry, girl, can't hear you." he called back to her.

"Why did you run away?" Xion hollered, a couple notches louder this time.

"You're gonna have to come over here! My hearing sucks!" said Demyx. Resisting the temptation to just chuck a bolt of thunder magic his way, she walked away from the restoration site and towards his location on the field. Who is his friend? Why are they asleep like that?

Xion continued to walk….

This 'friend' of Demyx's was clearly not a member of Organization XII. Their attire was nothing short of comfortably loose-fitting, blue pajamas…

Wait a minute…

Something clicked within Xion's mind as she reached the two boys. If Demyx's friend was merely taking a nap, Demyx would not have such a concerned look on his face, nor would he be asking for assistance. I'm such a dummy, Xion thought to herself as she kneeled down to get a close look at the boy.

"Who is he?" she asked.

"I don't know. I just saw him unconscious and about to get attacked by these Heartless, and I sprinted off to help him. I know that you don't want us to be messing with regions that don't concern our mission, 'cause of Saïx and all, but I felt bad for the guy." said Demyx. Xion brushed the boy's hair from his eye and pressed her ear to his neck. It was all that she could do not to gasp at the warmth of the boy's skin. Nobodies consisted of cold temperatures. It was a completely new feeling.

"What are you doing?" asked Demyx.

"Listening for a pulse. He's still alive." answered Xion, pulling away and sitting on her knees. It was strange. She was almost reluctant to pull away. He felt like so much life, more life than Xion had ever felt within her own self, and now that she had had a taste of it, she felt as if she only wanted to cling to it…to depend on it.

It was the first time that Xion had ever touched a human, and it was wonderful. Simply the thought that someone could possess so much life within their mere body temperaturesent thrills down her spine.

"Xion, you still here?" asked Demyx, obnoxiously waving a hand in front of her face. She remained in a daze, staring into the closed eyes of an anonymous human.

"Aw, come on, Xion. Don't tell me that this is 'love at first sight', or something." he complained.

"It's not. Be quiet, Demyx." Xion protested.

"Nah, I know that look in a girl when I see it. You're totally in love." he teased.

"Am not!" she said.

"Are too!" Demyx told her. And, then…

Arguing…

Arguing…

Teasing…

Arguing…

Arguing…

More teasing…

More arguing...

The boy opened his eyes groggily as he was thrown out of yet another nonsensical dream. He could vaguely hear voices going back and forth at something. He couldn't distinguish what they were saying.

Just as Xion was about to strike the pathetic Nobody, she acknowledged the boy's open eyes.

"No, it's obvious that…" she pressed a finger to his lips to silence him.

"He's awake…" she whispered. Demyx mouthed an "oh…" to imply his understanding and used his finger to shove hers away. Their silly bickering was to end, now.

"Dude, are you alright?" asked Demyx.

The boy bolted upright as if to ready himself for a clever attack. He only appeared to be half awake.

"Wait…what?" he asked, a hint of panic in his voice.