He thought Axel was professional with the mission business. They've been in this for long enough. Saïx doesn't remember his 'name' name at least, much less Axel's. And Saïx doubts his best associate remembers his either, much as Axel flaunts his unerring memory and somewhat sharp wit.
But really, arriving with two kids bundled up under their cloaks back to the base probably wasn't what Saïx planned on doing. Much less when the strangers weren't conveniently on body bags, or as ashes, or in any other less active form.
Still, it was an Axel thing. Bringing people 'home'- same as it was a Saïx thing pretending to cover up for whatever until…
Until that time when the copper-and-sand princess was on par with them on the spying skills and they were forced to fade and evacuate in the face of a TIGER unit.
Until the sunny boy, the first one with blond hair, ended up on that one mission, with just that piece of incriminating evidence and they had to change faces again.
Until the other sunny boy decided that he didn't want to deal with the Underworld any longer and they became Axel and Saïx instead of…
Oh well. The smaller of the two kids Axel brought shivers under the thick cloak, black hair swaying over blue eyes that Saïx imagines will be a pain to mask when the time comes for that.
"So, Saïx, can I ask-"
"If we make it in, they are under your care. I will reduce my dealings with them to a minimum and you'll find the others will have no reason to interact with them in any way either."
"Knew you'd accept."
"I don't want that", says the other kid. Too similar to both the first and second sunny boys, only with edges that feel like they can cut; passion that is not quite there, but neither is it completely absent.
"You don't have a choice."
"This one's Roxas, the girl there is Xion."
"I am not interested in their names. Now let's return to the mission, seeing as you were incapable of fulfilling it on your own."
"On the contrary Saïx- you'll find that I'm quite the agent-"
That rakish smile that doesn't really belong on Axel's face- it's someone else's, with some other name and features flipped about wrong.
"-but I hate not giving a good show. Come on."
At least, Axel still has pyrotechnics down to an art form, even if his stealth has gone down too many notches. And Saïx is beginning to resent having a small revolver instead of a long sword, or a bat, or anything that lets him get close and almost personal, but Saïx is a master at not showing a thing.
He sends off the rookies to look for something to put the target in, ideally air-tight. For the ashes, Axel says with usual nonchalance, and Saïx notes how neither of Axel's rookies flinch at the words. They don't produce something ideal anyways- an ornate box, of the type that keeps jewelry and cobwebs in, well emptied. There should've been something more valuable than the headless spinning doll, something Saïx could've pawned the next time they needed to make a run for it, but he didn't expect them to know. Or hand it over anyways. Like as not, he'll find some pretty trinket in the black-haired kid's pockets.
Saïx receives the box, drops the ashes in along with some scraps of matter that refused to burn. He calls out to Axel about a lack of efficiency, gets a grin flipped back in return and a depleted vial of chemicals lifted in the air.
"Put that down. I don't want to repeat the accident we had last time. The paperwork was atrocious."
"Empty glass won't kill me-"
"But a bullet for stalling unnecessarily will. We're going back, now."
"As if you'd shoot me."
They stalk back through alternate routes and flat rooftops. Axel laughs too much while on the run and the kids are appallingly content with mimicking that.
"You'll get us caught, Axel, and I'll have you explaining why we suddenly have two more members and why I'm dragging you home by that hair of yours."
"And that'll be because you were the only one up on top of the buildings still acting sober and two street kids tailed us home- so then you'll be stuck with the boring admin duties again."
Saïx doesn't even turn to look back at his friend, only doing a couple of flips from one dusty roof to the other, not bothering with gravity or wide-eyed gawks at all.
"If you will."
It goes on much smoother than Saïx expected. Probably because Seeker found something interesting on both the blue-eyed kids, and Freeshooter had nicknames for them in less than two sentences.
He ended up having those rebutted within the third. It wasn't a new record- Saïx and Axel held that one, from back then when Seeker used a 'name' name no one now knew- not even Axel, and Saïx secretly does think Axel's memory is as infallible as he says it is.
Then the mission results are handed in, questions are lobbed around. Saïx is the best at answering, giving vague responses that can be the right amount of misleading to be true.
Axel is lounging on a chair, looking comfortable and lording over his rookies that he's entitled to one-and-a-half spots of one of the velvety black sofas. He looks like an explosion in the nighttime, like the ones he enjoys causing, red hair bloody vibrant against the darkness.
"We ever getting any new décor?"
"Why the girly question, Ax? Did we really fall for your 'I'm a boy' trick?"
"If we did, I wouldn't be amazed at all."
"So says the guy who went as Isa for-"
"Who's Isa?"
It's Saïx asking that, not one of the strangely bold rookies, which surprises most of the people gathered in the room. Axel just shakes his head in mock drama, as usual, follows up.
"Some guy I used to know. You know, everybody's changing-"
"And I don't feel the same. Or some sort of pop recycled inanity."
They stalk out.
Saïx doesn't shoot at Axel with one of Freeshooter's toys. Someone else does, with Saïx's hands and Saïx lack of a smile, mumbling a dusty oath in clear monotone.
"I did say I would shoot you."
"With a water gun?"
The toy is turned around, inspected thoroughly, as if it would suddenly reveal something else.
"I didn't specify with what. And I'm not going to dismiss the only person here who actually…"
Who actually what. Knows who Saïx was, who Isa was, who before-him was stretching all the way back to 'name' name again and licking tasteless popsicles on some plaza bored out of their minds.
Saïx dodges the spray easily, keeping a deadpan face.
"You still have the same lack of aim as always, don't you?"
They aren't bundled off to a mission the next day. Something about low profiles, sending off someone less conspicuous to deal with press or family or who knows what.
Axel used to be quite good, once-before. Saïx too, maybe, and that's why the girl-rookie- Xion, she says- is perched on his desk looking over an old report.
Saïx would've pushed her back on Axel by now, but she is quiet for the moment and is a good proofreader when she's ordered to be.
"I don't take orders."
"Well, you do now. We all do."
She hasn't seen through the prison-lines yet. And most probably, no one but Saïx and Axel will.
"You know, I didn't think you'd be such a workaholic, Saïx."
"And I had forgotten you were part sloth, Axel. Was considering taking that gun again."
"As if you'd shoot me."
"You know I would. Did it once, twice."
Back then. When it was summer, and we were bored and we played policemen and thieves.
"You did a bunch of things once, twice. Thing is, you have to do them again."
"The accidents will be on your neck if you want to repeat them."
The wrong fence, the notes passed along to blond-sunny kid, being overly close to brown-sunny.
"They were on you two. Would've never passed Castle without, what was it…"
"Memory failing you, Axel? Thought it didn't do that-"
"Your planning, because you said I used to be a 'loser' or some trite crap like that. See, I have it memorized."
"Going back to that habit again?"
"Nah. Catchphrases are so Lea-year."
Neither of them misses it.
They sit through another meeting, Saïx and Axel plus Roxas plus Xion. The last three impossibly crammed into the same sofa, laughing with no noise and their disguises are slipping off too soon. The rest haven't noticed it yet- only Saïx can, but it looks like some are coming closer to the conclusions.
Axel's penchant for icy treats resurfacing; small verbal quirks that were supposed to have disappeared long ago, since the TIGER unit incident.
Saïx beginning to reappear at somewhat obscure foreign food joints; vaguely sarcastic addendums on reports that are a tad too subtle to be pinned on Axel salting mind-numbing text.
Axel opening up- too much, too soon and the strays are never a part of the plan, not since-
"Look, Saïx here?"
Axel doesn't point at him, he slings fuse-thin arms around Saïx shoulders and gives off a smile straight from B-rated suspense movies.
"He's part of this as well. I'm not kidding- Lea had this friend…"
"You have to", says Xion with the same faraway look she wears every day, "because he's been-"
Saïx cuts her off before she finishes the traitor thought in the air. The sea-salt popsicle tastes absurd for him now, salt-sweet and eerily like days with the sunset not painted on and fixed with duct tape.
Once upon a time, there had been two youngish boys in a not so sprawling city. And they had been happy, or as close as it came, playing pretend and making all the requisite attempts to sneak into Castle.
Once upon a time, a boy similar to Saïx had wanted to wear uniforms like the guards, had wanted to have a solid command, had been unusually proficient at assignments. Once upon a time, when he wasn't Saïx and he could still be strung along with a still-candid Lea to do (barely malicious) mischief. Once upon that time, before having to jump from name to name until he's Saïx and Diviner while Axel's Flurry and keeps making jests of having such a commercial name-
Once upon that time, Saïx cared. He really did.
But now, he finds it easier to let that melt away like the really nice sea-salt ice-creams no one makes anymore.
Axel's told Roxas and Xion about the plan. Has brought them into their rooftop with their mediocre ice-creams and managed to string Saïx along for this one last ride.
Then it's back to sunny-blond and sunny-brown and having Jaz lean out over the rooftop of their almost-vacated Indian stop while Axel found clever ways to avoid paying for their food.
Back to having to leave one behind as they run, bolt, dash out of Castle again and not really hearing desperate howls or the fact that the red in Axel is stretching impossibly long and low.
Back to having to hide from another as he leaves in a blaze of what he calls friendship, two people in tow and Saïx being picked up from the ground because he had to make a stand at that point or it all would've come crashing down.
Back to being led around in loops and circles until there is a huge squad of some other organization and Jaz is apologizing even as she levels the tranquilizer darts at Saïx and Axel is already in a skirmish with the nearest man.
Saïx already planning how they will (oh ever so accidentally) ditch these last rookies. Never mind Xion's awkward perception or Roxas's biting questions or the fact that maybe, Saïx isn't being as succinct with his words as usual.
Schemer found out. And Saïx, he can't afford any more cracks in the façade, not now and not while Axel is still under some scrutiny for picking up Roxas (in one of the swampy moods) and Xion (still stuck on some far plane or another).
He sends Axel to do the dirty work, but Saïx hides Schemer away.
The startled expression is why Axel usually burns everything off. Dull blue eyes that are eerie similar to what Axel claims he saw on some un-Saïx when something went wrong.
They write it off as successful and Saïx just makes the sarcastic comment about efficiency, in monotone-
"Told you I was quite the agent."
"And you didn't even need the fanfare, didn't you Axel?"
"Lea did. Was incredibly boring though- you would've thought there would've been more of a struggle."
"Not with that technique."
He finds Xion perched on his desk again, bearing her own mission report and scanning it again and again.
"It's not going to get any better unless you let me-"
"Recon says less hostiles. I made sure of that."
The tone is disapproving, heavy with past actions and reeking of chloroform and blades. Neither Xion nor Roxas have taken well to ranged weaponry- something about having to constantly rifle for ammunition, or being less useful at more mundane tasks.
"And this…"
She holds another page, not of her script, filled with details and-
She isn't holding a pen. Xion has her pen knife, her 'key-blade' for friends, and Saïx can make an accurate guess as to what she chose to open.
"Axel, we have been compromised."
There is no surprise from his friend. They will have to dust off costumes and set off again- Saïx knows Axel tired of Flurry a long time ago.
But not of Roxas and Xion. Axel makes the point, not Lea, not the best friend Saïx knows and not the person who wouldn't have defended those two kids and their vows made at night over the city and sucking at tasteless blue-ice.
"I'll cover for you. Always have done so, haven't I?"
Saïx did try, once, to get Xion go the same way as Schemer, in a neat little black-silk bag zipped up tight and vanishing.
He had set her up against the ideal targets, driven both Roxas and Axel away for some time, waited near the place where anyone would ambush her-
Saïx leaps out at the very first strike made against her, quoting luck and chance, defending her because Axel would've been disappointed if something happened to her.
The favor comes back to bite Saïx when the next mission rolls around and he's tired and beaten and-
Roxas rushing in with two long knives and dancing between foes while Saïx drives forwards forwards forwards and then it's the two of them panting amidst red-tagged graffiti.
"Xion says thanks. I don't, not particularly."
A groan from Saïx- it's about as coherent as he's getting, after his ammo ran out and he resorted to swinging something around.
"But you fight well. A couple would've gotten me."
"More than a couple" and Saïx can't help but be reminded of some not-Axel with the same look of stunned anger and defeat.
"Then again, that was the two of us. Lower the stance a little more for balance, and improve your blocking- your knives aren't suited to the same tactics Axel uses."
"This from the guy- I'm not apologizing for that, Saïx- who went berserk after that thing stopped shooting."
"I would like to note the irony in that statement, knife wielder."
He's better than Nymph ever was with his knives, Saïx refrains from noting. Same as he doesn't note Xion's skill at reconnaissance, or the fact that his increasingly frequent (but still rare) sorties with them in the rooftops are a bit more jovial and a bit less work-oriented.
Or that Axel is equally amazed at the fact that it's four runaways and that the extra two alibis are set and approved by both.
"Don't tell me you expected anything less from me, Axel."
"Didn't ever, Saïx. I have committed your obsession with perfection to memory, same as I have vowed to never use that small phrase again."
"Good riddance."
"We're still compromised?"
"Unless you want Roxas to really involve Nocturne in this, or Gambler to finally win a secret out of Xion."
"Then we are. The girl at the ice cream bar will miss us, won't she?"
Roxas, naïve as he is, takes it wrong. With volatile fury and cynicism that Saïx has seen too many times before.
He hopes that when non-Saïx belted out those phrases so lightly, he didn't come off as emotional as Roxas seems now, even when it's pointless.
"We will not be separated. Quiet down, or I'll cut you from it-"
"And who are you to decide when I get to exist or not?"
"You still will. Or did you really think Axel was serious that time?"
"I'm Lea", Axel says to another boy who looks like Roxas even when he's been Lea for three months at the most. The name suits him about as well as the loose bright clothing, the infectious smile, the convincing honesty. He is Lea, a boy of ageless fifteen with eyes full of borrowed hope and still playing around with the plastic disks or circus paraphernalia.
"And he's Isa. Doesn't have a bite, unless you count sarcasm."
"Don't let Lea fool you- he's been tripping over his feet with those for a while."
"Isa, thought you were meant to support me?"
"I am. By being honest about your abilities. If it's a guaranteed win, people are bound to come."
Lea shoots him a smile- see, I'm not that liar now. See, I can fight and run and all.
See, I really am Lea, and not…
It takes less time to convince Xion. She knows she's not real; after all, barely two steps up from Schemer's mundane illusions.
Saïx vaguely regrets making her fall to that ploy, in much the same way he regrets not making her fall deeper into it to the point where her glamor fades and she becomes another disposable street rat.
Then again, they all have to. And if Axel thinks her valuable- a friend, or something, Saïx will just follow.
He thinks that Xion is quite useful at lock picking. At breaking Roxas's feverish emotions. At finding out, at…
Saïx thinks that he'd prefer the double-edged blade closer to him.
Jasmine got him into recon.
Or rather, she got Saïx into active recon, instead of just focused research and almost-broadcast forays. Jasmine got him into crowds, into bad restaurants, into a wild party or two soaked with information to the bone and people desperate to get it out of their systems.
In return, he got her into closer teamwork. Looking back, he probably should've seen the future units in her eyes, or how she'd space out momentarily when Saïx showed her the skyline and Axel treated them to clumsy renditions of techno-classic love songs. He got Jasmine into double-acts and double-speak, where he was Tiger and she was Sand, or Princess and Axel was Thief. Where he'd sneak off- with poise and grace sometimes praised- to see her, bask a bit in her wit and then return with a couple tokens back, or offerings of sweet-sour meat.
From her, he got double-bladed girls. A scar on his face, from the last squabble where Tiger didn't have his claws fully extended and Princesses figured out how to rake and maim but never kill.
After that it goes smoothly. It's hard to renounce to the Organization- they have a way of sticking like the hardiest of Axel's explosives and they have a wider fire radius.
But he's done it at least once before, or so Axel says. Or Lea says, or whoever came before says. The getups are simple. Axel looks vaguely teenaged in colorful clashing; Roxas manages to look a bit older when not so weighed down by straps and monochrome. Xion's is hard, too hard to properly mingle in, even with the overly large glasses over her eyes and loose clothing that could hide anything.
Saïx just throws his cloak over her, hiding away her serene look and the stare that just plain says-
I do not exist.
He doesn't, but Saïx clings to the delusion of existence as much as the next person. Axel hides it into his memory, Roxas into the dusks spent licking absent at a sea-salt bar, Xion in seashells stolen from hotel lobbies or seafood places. Saïx goes for a subtler escape, of filling in forms soaked in routine, hiding in a faceless mass.
He's part of the living dead, the unloving of common life. He's a nine-to-five, well spiced with explosions and low-productivity afternoons spent shoving victims into body bags or arranging who gets to terrorize, who gets to investigate, who gets to die.
It's Saïx's turn now.
They get caught, and Saïx sees it, clear as a gunshot flare.
He stands back; to catch a breath- shoot, duck, roll.
Axel charging back, Roxas in tow and somehow running forwards between uselessly slim blades and being shoved in with two other people into a sleek (and already occupied) corridor.
"Saïx, I think we had agreed, way back, to not leave others behind. Got it memorized?"
"I thought you had dropped that, Lea."
"Haven't. Lea's back anyways."
"Don't think you can be Isa again though" says Xion calm further in and looking intently at the next keyhole she has to pry open.
"Don't need to."
Saïx holds out a slightly melted popsicle to a copper-skinned girl at the bar. It isn't where he last saw her, and it isn't where she'd expect to find him.
Not that Jasmine would've recognized him. Axel- Lea- easily catches all eyes, even with hoods covering his flaming hair or make-up over the diamond tattoos. But Saïx is easier to hide, with simple smirks fading into some twisted smiles. With Roxas and Xion tagging along, the latter perched on the stool next to his sipping on some fruity thing.
Then again, she does remember him.
"Hey Tiger. Last time I checked, Isa was too young to land at Seventh Heaven."
"Well, Isa was accustomed to warping the truth, wasn't he?"
"And further back even."
"So you did make it."
"Isa did."
He passes the message to Xion- that's not my name, not anymore. She just smiles, returns to her drink, smiles at Jasmine.
"Nice place."
They're still there. Quietly, with less adrenalin pounding into the mornings. With less paperwork, to Saïx's dismay- but Tiger revels in the small increase in freedom.
He waves at a customer, vaguely similar to Seeker or Superior, and the disguise holds as well as any other day.
Thief sneaks something into the drink, something Axel might have concocted, or Jasmine. Xion motions the redhead back to the 'kitchen' before sidling back behind the bar and concentrating on some girl's sob story like it's really interesting and not an excuse.
Amateurs, Saïx sighs and returns to pretend-accounting.
A.N. – Raberba girl, this whole fic was for you. 'Cos you've been a nice friend and all, you have the details proper somewhere else other than this author's note :) Hope you've liked it.
And as for all of the others: thanks for reading. Thanks for reaching the end of the page and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as possible.
Now, on to the obvious… this was an AU. Took some liberties with Saïx's character most of all (since, I'll be honest, I don't know if I write him well enough), but there's a risk everyone got OoC'd to the end of the world and back. I tried to avoid that, though! Oh, and time here is a kind of drunk thing stumbling around everywhere, so sorry if it was confusing…
And of course, apart from the AU itself and the story, nothing belongs to me. Characters go to Square-Enix and Disney where appropriate. The wider idea (and SaiJaz) go mostly to Raberba girl (okay, the latter I totally got from her xD ).
That said, I'll restate the thanks, and reviews are appreciated but not required.
So see you around!