Written a long time ago. This is kind of an AU, like a "what if". It's up to you guys to determine if you think that it's Riku, or Repliku.
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"I've done something awful," Naminé whispers, stroking the head of one of the Heartless skittering across the polished marble floors. It chitters and twitches its head up, and then leans in for more touches, while she rubs it gently. "So awful."
And as awful as it is, she feels no regret.
--
Experiment number 01 wakes up tied to the medical table. It's nothing new, but there's a sick roll in his stomach that makes him think that there's something wrong even if he doesn't know exactly why he feels this way. He can't quite place his fears, so he just lays there a moment later, trying to get his tongue to work. He feels…rough, like all his edges and layers don't quite lay flat with each other, and his mouth is dry like nothing else and tastes like ash.
From off to the corner, Vexen takes notes.
--
"Pass me the blue bottle," Vexen orders, waving a hand, and instantly the bottle he was speaking of was pressed into his fingers, bright blue-green eyes fixed on the scientist, the boy practically swelling with pride at the curt nod he gets in return for the simple act. He's done well; that's his reward; the only reward that he wants.
--
Naminé watches him sometimes, watches him walk about the lab, doing this and that, pretty silver hair falling in his eyes sometimes, but it's getting long enough to tie back now. He's pretty and lonely down there, even if he doesn't know it, working on the most mundane of tasks.
"Admiring the pretty bird in the cage?" Axel purrs from behind her, coming up and resting both of his spider-like hands on her shoulders, so she can't escape. "You still hold the lock and key."
--
Experiment 01 finds a hair tie sitting on his bed one day; it takes him three tries to get it tied back in a way he likes, but he does, and his hair doesn't fall in his face any longer.
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Larxene, number XII of the Organization, visits sometimes. He has no idea why the lingering taste of ash comes back every time he sees her, or why she snickers every time she sees him.
He knows, at least, that he doesn't like her one bit.
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"The tongs, 01, the tongs, not the—very good," Vexen's tone slides from irritated to normal, and the boy flushes at the praise, going back to washing test-tubes. Every so often he catches a glance of what the scientist is working on, but he doesn't ask right yet, content to finish his task before anything else.
"Master Vexen," he attempts when he finishes, and smiles when the man gives him an ounce of his time. "What's a "Keyblade"? I keep ha-"
The vial drops to the ground, and Experiment 01 knows he's said something wrong, staring hard at the man in shock.
--
It takes three days for Experiment 01 to recover. The first day he spends vomiting up anything he's able to eat- and that's not much at all. The second day he spends in a near-coma, barely breathing, barely moving. The third day he's a little better, but he can't move totally, simply relying on small, slow movements to let him do what he needs to.
It's for his betterment, Vexen explains distractedly, working on one thing or another, running tests on something that the boy doesn't understand. He licks his lips, nods, and falls back to blissful unconsciousness.
--
Master Vexen has been improving him, he thinks excitedly, standing in the middle of the large glass enclosure, waiting for further instruction. Master Vexen's work is paying off- the holes in his memory don't matter, because he's being fixed, he's being helped!
He can't quite contain his excitement, following all of the orders that are given to him, unaware that Saix, Vexen, Marluxia, Axel, Lexaeus, Zexion and a few others stand outside the one-way glass, watching him concentrate.
Experiment 01 does as he's told, closing his hands, and when he opens them, there's a pale pink heart sitting on top of his hands, shining bright enough to blind.
--
"He's nothing but a pet," Naminé whispers, and Axel just offers a shrug at her.
"You knew that going in," he answers, cocking an eyebrow at her. "You saved him. Aren't you proud?"
Naminé looks at him a long time, and Axel's smile is silver-sharp, cutting her close enough to burn. "No," she answers after a long pause. "No, I've only killed him slower."
"Ah well," Axel purrs, shrugging lanky shoulders and patting her head. "Figure something out, yeah?"
--
Experiment 01 wakes up in the middle of the night, the scent of salt making him shiver, the taste of beach air making him smile.
He's never been to the beach, and the closest he's come to salt is the taste of blood when he bites himself from screaming while Vexen improves him.
--
The boy learns that next day that he isn't to ask about anything else related to his thoughts or his dreams, when he asks Vexen to take him to the beach.
He remembers blinding pain, biting through his own lip, and passing out. There's needle-marks in his arms the next morning, the spots around the holes a bright, angry red. He learns later that it's an acid that Vexen has been preparing- it eats away quite literally, at memories.
It's to make him better, he's told, and he nods, smiles, and continues on.