Ah another week, another chapter eked into existence. I've actually a decent pace so far, (Knocks on wood.) Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. -otherwise I'd be rich right?- Anywhoo, I own Ixivio….


Chapter 2: Decide.

Back at the castle in Axel's room…

Zexion and Axel were having a philosophical dispute, While Ixivio was sleeping in Axel's bed. Roxas was sitting in a corner intently listening to his Ipod on Axel's orders.

"This cannot be happening. That geezer really has fallen off his rocker this time." Axel groaned before giving the sleeping child the hairy eye..

"Eight keep your voice down or you'll wake him." Zexion glared at the redhead.

Axel scoffed and glared back at the younger nobody. "At this moment I could care less." Axel snapped. "You have brought this mess into our laps."

"How dare you-"

Axel punched the wall leaving a hole in it. "You do realize that just knowing about this child is a death sentence in itself. I don't even want to think of what Xemnas will do to us -let alone Vexen- when he finds out about him! You're supposed to be the brainiac here! Didn't you think before getting yourself caught in this?"

"I… did think…" Zexion said quietly. "I don't see why this kid has to bear the blame of his predecessors. It's not his fault that Vexen created him. And it's not his fault that Xemnas wants him dead. Hell ,despite that any normal person will call him an abomination, we have almost no right, seeing as we're not supposed to exist anyways. He is only a child."

Axel stared at Zexion long and hard his jaw loosely working as he tried to counter Zexion's reasoning. Zexion lowered his gaze to the floor. It was about ten minutes before Axel spoke again. "Vexen's gone for that two week mission. What are you going to do about the kid until then?"

Zexion lifted his head and stared with wide eyes. "Axel?"

"Look…" Axel rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm not going to condemn one of my friends to their death… And I can't even begin to think of killing a young kid… So uh… yeah." Axel said looking out the window to avoid Zexion's gaze. "But we're going to have to keep things on the lie low. Last thing we need is any of the others to find out about him."

"Hey Axel!" a portal opened up and Demyx walked out of it carrying a small chest.

"…" Axel stood there starring wide mouthed at Demyx, Zexion had frozen, and Roxas was currently singing under his breath to what sounded like Switchfoot.

"Look what I found in Atlantis. Isn't it sweet?" Demyx grinned wide.

"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO USE THE DOOR AND KNOCK ON THE BLOODY THING?" Axel yelled.

Demyx blinked his sea blue eyes in curiosity. He took in his surroundings. "Well since you want to be a jerk about it, no gold for you. Hey Zexion want some gold? I also found this for ya." he nodded to a book on top of the pile.

"That can't be…" Zexion walked over and gently picked up the book.. "Demyx where the hell did you find this?"

"It was sitting on a rock… It looked to have been forgotten there so I figured you might like it. Am I right?"

"Demyx this… I…"

"Hey who's the kid?" Demyx asked as he caught sight of the kid over Zexion's head.

"Demyx… Can you keep a-"

"He looks like an angel… He reminds me of my little brother…" Demyx said from the head of the bed as he brushed the youngster's short hair aside.

"Demyx. Let's go have a quick talk." Axel pulled him away from the kid and into their bathroom. Hushed cursing could soon be heard.

"Zeshion?"

Zexion turned around to see Ixivio sitting up in the bed. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"'m hungry…" the child said quietly as he rubbed his eyes.

"Well that is easily fixed. Will you wait here with Roxas while I go find you something good to eat?"

"…" the child nodded.

"Hey I'm going downstairs for a kitchen raid. Do you want anything?" He asked Roxas. Due to the head phones he received no response. Sighing he reached down and pinched the younger nobody. Roxas yelped and glared up at him.

"I'm going to the kitchen. Keep an eye on Ixivio."

"Yeah whatever."

xXx

"NOTHING." the sound of glass followed Xigbar's bellow as Zexion passed Vexen's room. "What the hell is the old geezer up to?" Another sound of something breakable being smashed. Zexion cloaked himself in an invisibility illusion.

"Calm down Two. Getting upset isn't going to get us anywhere in our investigation." Saix's cold voice said in a softer tone.

"Are you sure Six was telling you the truth about Vexen just moping around?" Xigbar growled.

"I've no reason for Six to have been lying to me. After all he fears me almost as much as he despises you Two."

"Hmph. I know he's hiding something."

"Yet we found nothing when we searched the lab earlier today." Saix pointed out.

"I guess you're right…" Xigbar said begrudgingly.

"Let's go report to the Superior." Saix said exiting the room. Zexion flattened himself against the wall and held his breath praying that the Luna Diviner wouldn't find him.

"I still say that he's up to something."

"Oh he most likely is Two. But as you can tell he has left no trace of his current experiments. So either he has memorized all of the information and Data that you and Three destroyed, or he has the information on his person." Saix said to the older man as they walked down the hall in the opposite direction of Zexion.

Zexion breathed a brief sigh of relief before turning and slowly entering Vexen's room. It was a wreck. The bed had been turned over, the mattress and pillows slashed open, the mirrors and picture frames were smashed, Vexen's prized glass figurines littered the floor in a splash of broken shards, his books torn to tatters their pages formed a confetti upon the corner they and their bookcase had occupied… Even the silk curtains had been spared, now were ragged and disheartening… A coldness fell over Zexion as he walked out of the Academic's room and continued for the kitchen…

There will be bloodshed one he sees THAT mess…

Zexion thought at he continued walking.

XxX

"Hey Zexion." Luxord waved from a card table where he, Marluxia, and Xaldin were currently playing a round of blackjack. "Feeling lucky?"

"Sorry Luxord, I've a study session with Roxas tonight. Xemnas is on my case for making sure that he and Demyx are at a passable level of academics."

"Whatever bookworm. Just pass us some beers will ya?"

Zexion handed over the requested drinks and scanned over the refrigerator…

xXx

Roxas and Ixivio were in the middle of playing a round of Soul Calibur 4 when Zexion returned with a plate of sandwiches.

"Now what you do is- hey! How the hell did you- What kind of freaky move- Are you sure you never played any video games before?" Roxas stared as the child's character taunted it's pwnd rival.

Ixivio blinked blankly at Roxas. "Did I do something wrong?" the child's lower lip quivered.

Zexion whacked Roxas in the head. "Idiot." Roxas glared up at Zexion rubbing his head. "You did nothing wrong, Roxas is just a little shocked that you bested him in his favorite game." Zexion said while nudging Roxas with his foot.

"Uh… Yeah you were freaking awesome!" Roxas said with a grin before getting hit again."

"Watch your language Thirteen." Zexion said as he set the food in front of the small child.

"Ooh can I have one of those?" Roxas said with wide eyes as he stared at the turkey sandwiches.

"Alright then we're back." Axel and Demyx came back into the room. "… Where did the food come from?"

"The kitchen." Roxas mumbled through his food.

"Hey Axel, Demyx may I have a word?"

"Sure what's up?" Demyx asked as they moved to the other corner of the room.

"When I went downstairs to fetch the food, I came across Xigbar and Saix."

"Okay…"

"They were in Vexen's room. Searching for any clues to Vexen's current experiment." The three shared a quick pale glance towards Ixivio.

"Shit. Shit. I knew it." Axel growled under his breath. "We are so fucking screwed."

"Did they find anything?" Demyx asked quietly.

Zexion shook his head. "Four was smart enough not to leave any evidence."

"That's good news… But who knows what those two are going to do now…" Demyx pursed his lips as he glanced at the child.

"I was going to take him to my room but I'm afraid that they suspect that I might be hiding something for Four."

"Which means you're next on their list."

"Most unfortunately." Zexion sighed.

"Hm… He could stay with Axel." Demyx blurted as the idea hit him.

"Yeah.. Wait what?" Axel did a double take.

"Everyone knows that you hate Vexen with an utmost passion. So with little reasoning you should be the last person that they'd find helping Vexen."

"He has a point. Especially considering you go out of your way to annoy him." Zexion agreed with Demyx. "It should take those idiot's a while to search the lab and the library. And trust me, they touch my room they'll regret it." Zexion grinned.

"But wait a minute," Axel frowned. "What if they send me out on a mission?"

"Then one of us will take over. We just have to outwit Two and Six until Four comes back."

"Come on Axel it shouldn't be that hard right?"


TBC

Oh and the book Demyx found was the Shepherd's Journal. Milo shoulda held onto that thing better…. XD.