This is facetrip. Im glad you could make it (IDK what to say...) well anyway the title was just thrown on at the end, so if you have any ideas for a better title please email me. Please review, comments and harsh critisisum appriciated.
Sorry that the chapters aren't divded up.
Chapter 1
Sora jumps into the air and flips smashing the spiked monster into the dirt. The crowd cheers as the monster refuses to get up off the ground of the coliseum. Sora turns to the crowd holding up his sword in triumph. The crowd cheers louder.
"You should try out for the games, Jason. You would be really good." Kairi tells the dark brunette. He smiles shyly as he stares into the ring.
"You do fight Sora all the time and even win occasionally. The monsters only look tough, that's what Sora says anyway." Kairi's twin Naminé adds.
"Then why don't you apply for the games?" Jason adds sarcastically. He would rather not be stared at by millions of people; the monster would be the easy part.
"I am applying, actually; the monsters won't know what hit them." Kairi says putting up her fists and throws a left hook at an invisible monster.
"You? Seriously? You can't even hold a sword right." Jason elbows Kairi in the side.
"Ow! I can fight! I don't need a sword anyway. I have a staff instead."
"And you can dodge like a pole." Naminé adds.
"Whose side are you on?" Kairi crosses her arms.
"Give her a break. Naminé just doesn't want to see you get hurt." He pauses, "Did you tell Sora about any of this?" He grins evilly.
Kairi goes beet red, "What are you suggesting?"
Jason continues to grin, "Nothing."
Sora walks up to the bleachers where his friends sit. "Did you see that finishing move? Wha- chow! Bam! Gone! Finished!"
"I guess your training paid off." Jason adds, breaking Sora's mood.
"What? I taught you remember? I never needed any training!"
"Keep telling yourself that." Jason jokes.
"Only because it is true." Sora smiles and they bump knuckles.
"You ok, Kairi? Your face is red." Sora asks. Kairi's face gets redder.
"It is really warm up here isn't it? Let's get something to eat Kairi." Naminé drags Kairi down the stairs to the concessions stand. Jason puts his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.
"Be quick! Riku is up next!" Sora yells to them. Naminé gives him a thumbs up before they walk through the door.
"Pull yourself together, Kairi. You need to just get up the nerve to talk to him. Tell Sora how you feel. What's the worse that could happen?"
Kairi leans against a wall. "Yeah I know. I'm just nervous that's all. I don't know what to say."
Naminé doesn't respond and walks over to a stand selling popcorn. She orders two mediums and two drinks.
"You never had this issue with Riku."
"That's because Riku isn't oblivious to the feeling of love."
"Shut up, Naminé." Kairi grabs a drink and a popcorn.
"He'll figure it out eventually, just may take awhile."
"Ok, ok I'll tell him…maybe later." They both walk back up the stairs to their seats. The announcer blares, "And The Undefeated Riku enters the ring! What will be his opponent!"
"I can't believe you chopped that sea serpent in half! It didn't even have time to scream!" Sora slaps Riku on the back as the five of them walk down the street.
"It was just too slow." Riku tells Sora simply. His arm wraps around Namine's shoulders.
"The serpent must have freaked when it saw Souleater. You make Sora look like such an amateur." Jason adds.
"I heard that!" Sora leaps at Jason. Jason steps out of the way and runs for it. Sora falls to the ground, but quickly gets up. Jason doesn't get very far before Sora catches up. Sora pulls Jason to the ground. Jason trips Sora and runs off again. Sora falls flat on the ground. "Get back here!"
"Of course not!" Jason yells over his shoulder and keeps running.
Sora just lies on the ground. Kairi walks over and offers him a hand. Sora takes it. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it." Kairi smiles.
"He needs to learn how to keep his mouth shut." Riku sneers.
"No harm, no foul. Jason is just joking around." Sora replies.
"Those comments are going to give him some bad enemies. I wouldn't be surprised if we find his body in the street one day."
"Don't talk like that!" Kairi yells at him.
"Well, it's true."
Naminé punches Riku in the shoulder, "Don't be such a pessimist!"
"Miss me?" Jason pops up behind Kairi. She jumps, "Can't you make footsteps? You can act normal every once in a while."
"What's the fun in that?" Jason points out.
"Jason, you getting into the next games?" Sora asks changing the subject.
"Nope, I have better things to do."
Kairi opens her mouth to say something to Sora, but Naminé cuts her off asking Jason. "You still writing poetry?"
Riku laughs his head off, "Poetry? Really? Instead of saving the world from monsters? I will never understand you, man."
"I got $200 for my poetry last month, thank you very much. That's more money than you get in a year."
"Ouch, need some ice for that burn, Riku?" Sora jokes. Jason and Sora hit knuckles.
"Speak for yourself, Sora! The only money you get is a dollar off the sidewalk." Riku replies.
"I don't need it. I live simply."
"What happened to the X-box you were begging money for last week?" Naminé puts in.
"Was that really necessary?" Kairi asks. Naminé just shrugs.
"Here's my house. See you later guys." Jason waves. Everybody waves back.
"Don't forget about the movie tomorrow!"
"I won't!" Jason yells back before disappearing into his house.
"Oops, I forgot. Could I borrow some money, Riku?" Sora says with his hands behind his head.
"So much for living simply." Naminé comments.
"I'll pay for your ticket on one condition… You have to polish Souleater."
"What! But we are friends! I'll pay you back Riku."
"You never pay anyone back. You want the ticket or not?"
"Ok, ok. I'll shine your sword. You are so heartless, Riku."
"You could have just asked less of a money hog." Kairi tells Sora. Riku glares at her. She just ignores him.
"I probably should have." Sora laughs, "Well, I'm stuck with the deal now."
Kairi walks up to her house. "See you tomorrow!" Naminé realizes where they are and runs after her. The guys wave to them before they disappear into their house.
Sora and Riku split ways as they return home.
Chapter 2
Sora, Riku Kairi and Naminé chill at the usual spot, a small park. Naminé sits on a bench while the others shoot hoops, so far Kairi is winning. Riku spin and throws the ball. He makes it. Sora stares up at the basket in disbelief as Kairi and Riku high five.
"Your turn." Riku tells him, Sora gulps.
He imitates how Riku shot and the ball makes a big arch. Whoosh! Nothing but net. Sora smiles from ear to ear.
"Give me some luck." Kairi tells him. Sora and Kairi high five before he hands her the ball. Kairi takes deep breaths as she looks up at the basket. She turns and shoots. The ball hits the backboard and into the basket. "Yes!" Kairi pulls down her fist as she says it.
"I wonder where Jason is. He is never this late." Naminé ponders.
"Probably forgot how to tie his shoes." Riku dribbles the ball as he figures out his next shot.
"Why do you always have to pick on him?" Kairi asks annoyed at his comment.
"He deserves it."
"Cool off, Riku." Sora tells him.
"Don't you get sick of his rash comments? It's like he thinks he is better than everyone. I bet he is not even showing up today."
"Don't talk like that. He wouldn't skip out on us on purpose. He promised to be here." Kairi tells Riku.
"It is getting late. The show will start in 20 minutes. Plus travel time." Naminé looks at her watch.
"We have a couple of minutes still, though. Especially if I drive, I could get us there in 10 seconds flat!" Sora brags.
"What makes you think I'll give you the keys?" Naminé says in a bored voice. She fiddles with a leaf.
Riku shoots and misses, "He's probably with Hayner and the gang at the beach." He throws the ball to Kairi.
"Of course, it's not like he's sworn enemies of Roxas or anything." Kairi says sarcastically. She walks to the back of the court and shoots. The ball goes flying over the backboard. Sora runs off to get it.
"Ok, Smarty-pants, what is taking him so long?" Riku hisses.
"Family problems."
"That all you got? Jason doesn't give a hoot about what his parents think. Not that his parents are ever around anyway."
Sora walks into the court. "He could have been mugged." Everyone looks at him funny. Optimistic Sora believes Jason was mugged… That's a first.
"What? It could happen." Sora does a back flip and slam-dunks the ball into the hoop.
"There is no way I'm trying that." Kairi tells him as she walks off the court.
"That's part of the point."
Kairi sits down on the bench, Riku follows.
"I guess we are done then." Sora tells himself, and walks over to join the others.
Naminé glances at her watch. "We have to go now, or we'll miss it." She gets up and starts walking to the parking lot with everyone else.
"Well, if I dr-" Naminé cuts Sora off.
"My car, I drive." She presses the unlock button and everyone piles into Namine's trashed SUV. They throw the basketball into the trunk.
Sora gets home at 10:30 pm. The gang decided to catch dinner, too. So it all lasted a little longer than expected. He drags himself to his room. Sora changes into pajamas and takes out a Ghost Rider comic book. He flips through it. Sora has memorized the whole thing by heart, every panel.
"Maybe I should call Jason, to see what's up." Sora thinks to himself, "Nah, he's probably fine no need to worry."
A newscast blares in the background. "Turn it down, Takeshi!" Sora yells to his older brother. Sora waits a couple seconds.
There is no response.
Sora groans and drops his comic book on the bed. He walks over to the living room.
"This morning the body of a young boy was found in an alley by Sumner Ave."
"Where's the remote?" Sora yells over the newscast. Takeshi answers with a snore. Sora starts searching on tables and bookcases.
"This boy was later identified by his family as Jason Bismark."
Sora finds the remote under the couch and points it at the TV. His eyes widen as he sees his friend's face on the TV captioned by the words "Murder Victim".
Sora turns off the news and hurries to the phone. He dials Jason's number. "Please pick up." The phone just keeps ringing. Sora counts ten rings before he hangs up. He calls Kairi. She picks up quickly.
"Hi, Sora. What's up?"
"Kairi, did you see Jason at all today?"
"No, why?"
"You positive?"
"Yes, I am. Why are you asking? You sound freaked out, Sora."
"It's just… on the news they said they found Jason's body in an alley."
Kairi sits on the other end of the phone stunned.
"You there?"
"Yeah… Did you ask anyone else yet, or try calling him?"
"I called him, but the phone just kept ringing."
"Did you ask Riku?"
"Nope."
"You call him, I'll ask Naminé." Kairi speaks quickly.
"Ok, bye." Sora and Kairi both hang up.
Kairi walks into Namine's room.
"Did you see Jason at all today?"
"No, I was hanging out with Riku, then went to the movie. Why?"
Chapter 3
Naminé, Sora, Kairi, and Riku sit on a fence by the alley outside Riku's house. Hayner and the gang walk down the alley toward them.
"Hey, Riku, what did you want to talk to us about?" Hayner starts.
"We need to know if you guys have heard anything about Jason being murdered."
"That shit-head had it coming." Roxas spits. Sora leaps at him and picks Roxas up by his shirt. Sora smashes Roxas into the side of Riku's garage.
"I didn't say I killed him. Want an alibi? Fine, ask my sister. Friday is horror movie night until the sun comes up." Roxas's voice doesn't shake.
"How do you know he was killed Friday?" Sora interrogates him. His hold on Roxas's collar doesn't weaken.
"The obituaries, geez. What is with you?"
Sora lets go of Roxas. Roxas takes a couple steps away from the garage.
"I haven't heard anything about him, or his murder. Barely knew the guy to begin with." Pence answers.
"I heard he was killed because he wouldn't give up his wallet." Olette says as she rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet.
"That doesn't make any sense. Where did you hear that?" Kairi asks her.
"The news paper on Saturday. Robberies and murder go hand in hand all the time, Kairi."
"That's not it. Jason wouldn't have been walking in an alley let alone by Sumner. The last time we saw him he was going into his house. Sumner is a three hour drive from there."
"Maybe he had something to do over that way, like a hot date." Pence fills in.
"At 1am?" Naminé asks sarcastically.
"A very hot date." Olette stabs Pence in the stomach with her elbow.
"Ow! What did I say!"
"If that's all can we go?" Hayner asks Riku, well more like demands.
"Yeah, you can leave."
The gang walks back the way they came. Riku snickers.
"What's so funny?" Sora asks. He kicks a rock down the street.
"I didn't think he even knew where Sumner Ave. was. He could have business up there." Riku mocks Pence. "What do they know anyway? I never heard of Jason leaving this side of the city let alone three hours away."
"Makes you wonder how much we really knew him." Naminé adds sadly.
Chapter 4
"Didn't even get invited to his funeral." Riku growls and takes a bite of Popsicle.
"It's not like the family knew us, Riku." Kairi replies. She kicks her feet against the side of the stone ledge they are sitting on.
"I wonder if we would have gotten into his will if he wrote it. Not that we will ever know." Naminé comments. She finishes up her Popsicle and holds onto the stick.
"Can we talk about something less depressing?" Kairi takes a bit out of her fudge bar.
"I'll take trash." Sora says. Everyone passes down wrappers. Sora jumps down from the ledge and walks through the crowded sidewalk to the trashcan. Sora drops the junk in, and starts walking back. A dark brunette runs into him.
"Watch it!" The boy says and starts moving with the traffic again. Sora takes the boy's arm and pulls him back.
"Jason?" Sora asks.
"Who? You must be mistaking me for someone else." The brunette tries to pull away, Sora squeezes his arm harder.
"Why did you play dead? How could you do this to us? We have been worried for days!" Sora yells at him.
"Get away from me, Freak!" The boy yells back before getting out of Sora's grasp and into the crowd. Sora only follows for a second before the Jason-look-a-like is lost in the crowd. He runs back to the ledge. His friends are all laughing at some joke.
"I saw him!"
"Saw who?" Riku asks.
"Jason, he was in the street. We have nothing to do, let's track him down!" Sora talks quickly.
"I know you're sad and all, but he's dead. Has been dead for almost a week." Naminé replies questioning Sora's sanity.
"What if he was faking it the whole time? That's why we weren't invited to the funeral!"
There is a long pause. "Did you hit your head?" Riku tells Sora more than asks.
"No, I didn't. Kairi you believe me, right?"
Kairi flinches when she hears her name. "Umm…" She can't get beyond Sora's puppy eyes, "Yeah."
"Does everyone have their cell phones?" Everyone just stares blankly at Sora.
"Stay with me guys!"
"Ok, Sora we will play your game. Where was he headed?" Riku rolls his eyes as he asks.
"To west 7th. Naminé, take the south streets. Kairi, take the north, just in case he turns. Riku, you keep heading west. I'll take the side streets. Let's go!"
No one moves.
"What are you waiting for? You heard him." Riku says bored out of his mind.
Everyone splits up going in separate directions. Each one scans the crowd for the person Sora found, some more than others. Riku barely looks at the crowd. "This is just a wild goose chase." He thinks.
Kairi jumps up as she walks to see people through the crowd. She apologizes several times for jumping on someone's feet. She runs into a couple of look-a-likes, but up close none of them look like Jason. Kairi's phone rings, it's Naminé.
"Target spotted."
"What! You sure?"
"Dark brown hair, hands in pockets and his shoulders up to his chin, yes I am sure! He's on Shepard Rd road right now. Call Sora and Riku for me. Shoot, he recognized me."
"That's great-"
"No, it's not! He knows."
"That we are following him? How can you tell?"
"I almost lost him three times in the last minute. I have to go." Click…
Kairi stands there stunned for a minute. Someone literally runs into her. She falls to the ground.
"Sorry, I- Kairi, you didn't get very far." Kairi gets up and dusts herself off.
"Sora, Naminé found him on Shepard Road."
"Finally! Does Riku know?"
"I'll call him. You catch up to her."
"Right." Sora gives a salute before running like mad to Shepard Road.
Kairi dials her phone, and quickens her pace.
"Hello?"
"Riku, Naminé found him. Head to Shepard Road."
"You got to be kidding me-"
"Just move it!" Kairi slams her phone shut and runs after Sora.
Chapter 5
Naminé stares at Jason in front of her. Suddenly he disappears into the crowd. Naminé runs to the spot where Jason was and quickly scans the area. "Did he take a side street or just duck into the crowd?" Naminé wonders. She spots him crossing the street. Naminé takes a left and follows him.
Jason walks up a staircase to a small abandoned apartment. He looks across the crowd. Naminé sees him looking for her and ducks under a construction worker on his lunch break. Jason opens the door and disappears inside.
Naminé calls Sora on his cell before she goes into the wrecked building. Naminé takes a step in. The apartment lobby is dark and the carpet is covered in a layer of dust. The room smells musty and damp. The wallpaper looks purple in its faded and torn state.
Naminé looks around cautiously. "Why would he be in a place like this? Did he really fake his death to be here?" A low growling sounds from behind a door. Naminé freezes. She looks toward the sound. It is coming from a door off to her left. "Just an old furnace or something." Naminé reassures herself. She takes another step toward the staircase. The growling stops, Naminé breathes a sigh of relief. She takes another step.
The door jolts open. A giant hound leaps out of it and runs at Naminé. Its fur is caked with dirt and its teeth are each bigger than her head. Naminé stares in terror as it charges at her.
"Watch out!"
Someone pushes Naminé out of the way. The beast crashes into the wall.
"You ok, Naminé?" Sora asks. Naminé nods. She is thankful Sora got there just in time. Sora picks up his sword that he dropped to save her.
"I didn't know you brought that with you." Naminé doesn't remember seeing him with the sword outside.
"It's pretty handy, isn't it?" Sora walks in front of Naminé putting himself between her and the monster.
"When I start fighting it, run up stairs, ok?"
Naminé nods.
The hound dislodges its jaw from the wall. It bites down a couple times removing the wood from its teeth. The monster turns to Sora. It glares at him. Sora's courage doesn't waver. They both charge at each other.
Sora leaps onto the hound's head and hits it hard in the face with his blade. Naminé races up the stairs.
The demon bucks Sora off its head and Sora's sword falls to the opposite side of the room. The evil creature runs after Naminé. Sora runs after it and pulls on the hound's tail. The monster whips its head around teeth bared. Sora kicks it in the eye with his enormous shoes. The monster whimpers in pain and puts its paws over its eye. Sora runs and grabs his sword and races back. He places the point of the sword on the monster's neck.
"I don't want to kill you, but I will."
Kairi bursts through the abandoned apartment's doors. She breathes heavily as she looks around the room. Dust fills the air, and there is a giant hole in the wall on her right. After a second of catching her breath from the run she walks to an open door on her left. She looks down it. There are no lights down there and she sees a little bit of staircase at the top. "Well here goes nothing." Kairi tells herself and takes her first step through the door. A deep moaning sound arises from the basement. "On second thought, I'll check upstairs first." Kairi closes the door and runs through the lobby and up the stairs.
"Where's Naminé and Sora? They should be here already. Did they find Jason yet?" Kairi wonders. Each time she drops her foot on the floor it makes a horrible squeak. Kairi walks by many doors. She would peak in each one for her friends as she walks by. At the end of the first hallway she sees a chair put up against a door keeping it shut.
Bam bam-bam!
Kairi jumps at the sound of the pounding coming from down the hall. "It's a monster!" She thinks to herself and starts retracing her steps. "Wait, a monster couldn't be kept locked up by just a chair." She walks down to the door with the chair infront of it. "Anyone there?" Kairi yells through the door.
"Kairi, thank God! Please, open the door."
"Don't worry Naminé, I got it." Kairi takes the chair out from under the door handle. "Can you open the door now?"
Naminé opens the door and hugs Kairi. "Thank you so much! I was so scared in there!"
"How did you get locked in?"
"I came up here when Sora was fighting a monster. Then when I was checking this room someone closed the door and locked it on me." Tears fill up Namine's eyes.
"Don't worry, you are safe now. Let's go find Sora."
Chapter 6
Sora walks cautiously through the basement. The solid darkness makes his eyes burn as they try to adjust. He walks in a straight line from the stairs hoping that will help him find a way back up. "There better not be monsters, like the one upstairs, down here." He shivers at the thought of the giant hound.
Mice race across the floor. "Did I find a sewage tunnel?" he asks himself. He doesn't hear any water though. After what feels like an hour, he decides to turn back. There was no way he would be able to find Jason in the dark.
Three sets of footsteps echo through the basement. He only recognizes his own. Sora's adrenaline bolts. He squeezes his hands into fists. "I wish I had my sword." He thinks to himself. The footsteps come closer. "What do I do? I can't see a thing! What if I get lost in here because of the fight? You are getting to the steps just keep going." Sora reassures himself.
He hears faint whispering in the dark. "Maybe they are friendly." He thinks to himself. "Hi! What are you doing down here?" Sora yells.
"Sora!" Kairi and Naminé yell in unison.
"Did you find Jason?" Kairi asks.
"Nope."
"So, Riku's with you." Naminé adds.
"Haven't seen him yet."
Naminé shivers. "We have to find him."
"I'm over here!" Everyone jumps at the sound of Riku's voice.
"I'll come over there just don't move." Sora and the gang stop while they wait for Riku. Something makes a faint sliding noise behind the sound of Riku's footsteps. The snapping noise of a giant jaw breaks the silence.
"Run!" Riku yells. Everyone runs to the staircase their arms flailing as they look for a wall.
Kairi hits the wall first. Naminé and Sora both run into her and pin her to it.
"Get off!" She yells.
Sora and Naminé take a step back and start tracing the wall for some kind of hole where the stairs would be. The hissing and slithering gets closer.
"Where are you guys!" Riku yells.
"Here!" They all answer. They keep looking for a hole. Sora falls into it, "Found the stairs!"
Sora, Kairi and Naminé leap up the stairs Riku is not too far behind them.
Chapter 7
Riku opens the doors to the abandoned apartment. The air is musky and damp. Sora, Kairi and Naminé lay on the floor catching their breath. Kairi kisses Sora on the cheek, "Thank you for saving us."
"Find Jason?" He asks. They all stare at him like they saw a ghost.
"If you just got here, then…" Kairi questions. Sora, Naminé and Kairi look at the door on their right.
Another Riku walks up from the basement. Sweat drips from his forehead. "That was a close one- what's with the weird looks?" The Riku who was chased by the giant snake sees the Riku that just got here. "Oh, crap." He says between breaths.
Sora, Kairi and Naminé look from one Riku to the next. "How can there be two Rikus?" Kairi asks.
"Don't ask me." Says the Riku that just got here.
The Riku that was chased by the serpent sits down against a wall. He raises his hand, "I'm the fake." He lets his arm drop after he finishes speaking.
"Well, that's settled. Can we go now?" Real Riku asks and turns to leave.
"We still have to find Jason!" Sora yells at Riku. "We still have to check upstairs, right?"
Naminé stares at Sora in confusion, "We did check upstairs. You told me to."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes you did! After you saved me from that monster hound thing."
"No I didn't, I never fought that thing. By the time I got here the monster was already unconscious."
Silence fills the room as the words sink in. Everyone turns their heads to fake Riku for answers. Fake Riku just hits his head against the wall behind him.
"Sooo, who or what are you then?" Sora asks changing the subject.
"Does it really matter?" Kairi tells Sora before she turns to fake Riku. "Did a boy with dark brown hair, our age and my height walk in here? He goes by the name Jason."
"Yes, he did."
"Do you know where he is?"
Fake Riku groans, "I am Jason."
"What!" Everyone says in unison. Fake Riku rolls his eyes.
"Wait, does that mean we followed a fake all the way here!" Riku growls.
"Sorta…" Jason replies.
"Huh?" Sora could almost hear his train of thought snap.
Jason sighs, pissed off for making himself go through the whole explanation when it could have been avoided. "You never knew the real Jason."
"Then why didn't you just tell us you weren't the Jason who died?" Naminé asks feeling a little betrayed.
"I can't take someone's identity who doesn't exist anymore."
"I guess that makes sense." Sora replies. His mind is still a bit fuzzy about the whole thing.
"Could you guys leave? I have some things to take care of."
"Like what-" Naminé is cut off by a loud roar.
"You heard they guy, let's go." Riku tells the gang. They all head for the door, Jason walks behind them. After they leave the building, Jason whispers to them, "Remember I'm dead, ok? None of this happened."
"You got that right," Riku snorts.
Jason starts to shut the door.
"Hey, Jason? I'm glad we met you." Sora says smiling and holds out his fist. Jason hits his knuckles.
"Same here." A tear falls down his cheek. Jason quickly brushes it away hoping no one noticed.
"That doesn't mean we won't bug you tomorrow! Better be here!" Sora says with a genuine smile.
"Don't ditch out on us like you did for the movie." Kairi adds.
"You can't escape us, poetry boy." Riku gives a backwards wave as he walks down the street. Jason just smiles at his friends, not saying a word.
Naminé stays by the door for a minute. "Were you the one that locked me in that room."
"…Yeah."
"Was it to protect me from the monsters?"
"It was to keep you from going into the basement. Well, that didn't work." Jason laughs a little.
"Why do you have all the monsters in there anyway?"
Jason smiles from ear to ear. "Nothing much, just saving them from you. I would love to see the looks on the managers' faces when they see their collesium monsters missing."