gravity
by neener

This is my first attempt at Kingdom Hearts fanfiction, slash in general, and Axel/Roxas. I saw this movie a few weeks ago called The Soul Collector, starring Bruce Greenwood, that was on the Lifetime channel. It was pretty corny, but my muse is silly and so I had to write this. It will be Axel/Roxas, as well as some other side pairings. This story is extremely AU. In it, Axel is a soul collector, which is basically like a Grim Reaper – he guides dead people's spirits to heaven, and if he doesn't do his job, they go back into their bodies. There are hundreds of soul collectors, because just one person couldn't do the job, it would be too hard! I know it sounds a little confusing, but it will all be explained. Enjoy, and be sure to review!! The next chapter should be up soon.

prologue: flat line

Eric Bradshaw was dead.

Axel picked up his playing cards.

"I think you're cheating," the blonde woman announced, leaning over the poker table and frowning.

Axel slid his chips forward. "Who, me? Of course not." He leaned back, a smirk playing mischieviously on his face. "All in."

"You're bluffing," the older man directly opposite him said. The teenager on the couch glanced back at Axel as if to gauge his reaction. The blonde woman immediately pushed all of her chips in.

Axel kept smirking and said, "Larxene, if you want to be stupid, go ahead. It's not much of a difference than usual."

Her eyebrows twisted into a deep scowl, but it was the blonde man who answered, "I'm all in, too." He gently fingered his earring in concentration, though his body was relaxed into his chair.

"Why don't we up the ante here, then?" Axel said, glancing back down at his cards.

Luxord leaned forward. "I'm listening."

"Of course you are." Axel grinned. Luxord was the biggest, best, and most intelligent gambler out of everyone. 'Up the ante' was one of his favorite things in the world to hear. "Let's bet for shifts."

Everyone in the room groaned. "Yes, Axel, what would be better to bet with than human souls?" Luxord said mockingly.

Larxene snickered. "Of course, that's what Axel would bet with. Only the best for him."

Axel grinned and stretched his arms over his head. "Of course. Now, any takers?"

The previous carefree air of the room quickly vanished, and was replaced with a tense strain, a disapproval that went far beyond gambling. The woman shifted in her chair and replied, "No." Luxord shook his head in agreement. "I have enough as it is. I don't need any more work." She ran her fingers through her short, slicked back hair and snorted. "And you need all the shifts you can get." Despite her somewhat teasing words, the meaning was much deeper. Do your job and don't fuck around.

Axel rolled his eyes. "I work enough."

Larxene and Luxord looked at each other and laughed humorlessly. "Speaking of work," Larxene said, changing the subject, "didn't you have a collection at nine?"

"Nine seventeen, actually," Axel replied breezily.

"Ansem is going to freak," the young man laying on the couch called.

"Demyx, shut up," Axel said.

"You shouldn't miss your collections," Luxord said chidingly, rearranging his cards. "This is your job." The words felt familiar to Axel's ears. They had had this conversation many times before.

"Ansem will reschedule it," he retorted. "I'm doing his family a favor. They get more time with him, and I get to play poker." He pulled the tie from his hair, letting the red spikes fall loosely onto his shoulders, framing his pale face. "Besides, how much death do I want to see every day? All the crying makes me want to die."

"Diva," Larxene muttered.

"Can we just play?" Axel interrupted.

Larxene threw down her cards in exasperation, revealing two tens. "I fold."

Luxord glanced between his cards and the cocky smile on Axel's face, and put his cards down as well. "A good poker player knows when to stop playing."

Axel grinned widely and flipped over his hand. "A two and a seven," he announced, reaching forward to grab all the chips. "I was bluffing."

"No matter," Luxord said, looking up at the clock. "I have a collection in ten minutes, as it is." He got up, pulling on a black jacket, and smoothed out his beard.

As the older man headed out of the room, Axel leaned back in his chair, tilting his head so he was looking at him upside down. "Hey Lux, could you pick mine up too? His name is Eric Bradshaw. Heart attack."

"I thought you wanted to do his family a favor," Larxene said with a slight sneer.

Axel shrugged. "Hey, it is his time."

"No, Axel, I'm not going to," Luxord replied, readjusting his tie before disappearing down the hallway. Axel frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Larxene just scowled at him as the room fell silent but for her shuffling of playing cards.

Eric Bradshaw woke up, his heart leaping back to life. His wife gripped his hand, tightly as her eyes filled with tears.

"Someone must be looking out for you," she whispered.