As I Slowly Fade Away//Chapter 2
Shameless Sacrifice
"Give it up, Axel." Another black-clad figure approached, unnoticed by the happy beach-goers. "It seems to me that he is as oblivious about you as everyone else in this town."
The first man removed his hood, revealing a spiky mess of red hair. He sighed. "I know, Demyx." As he spoke, he never removed his gaze from Roxas. "But I can't believe that. I have to believe that some part of him still remembers me."
Demyx smiled wryly. "Wow, Axel. You're really in deep aren't you." he teased.
Axel laughed. "Yeah you should know all about that, eh?" He glanced over at his colleague, throwing him a crooked smile. "So tell me, how are things with Larxene?"
"You just had to mention that, didn't you?" he muttered, flushing scarlet.
Axel raised his hands defensively. "Hey, you started it."
"Well at least you know that Roxas loved you at one point! Larxene tries to barbecue me every time I get within range!"
"And yet you still stalk her..." Axel pointed out.
Demyx's cheeks turned a deeper shade of scarlet.
Axel smiled, returning his gaze to his beloved. "Now do you see why I can't give up?"
Demyx sighed. "Well are you going to at least come back to the Castle? That's why I'm here in the first place. Xemnas wants you back immediately!"
Axel glared at Demyx. "I no longer work for Xemnas! No one should. He has lost his mind!"
Demyx took a step back, looking rather abashed. Axel pushed past him and stalked down the beach past the unaware vacationers. "But…wait a second! What are you talking about?" Demyx called. "You can tell me! I'm your friend too!"
But it was too late; Axel had opened a portal and stepped forward into darkness.
Roxas tossed his backpack into the corner and collapsed onto his bed, fully clothed. He had just enough time to lazily kick off his shoes before sleep overtook him.
"Oh come on, Roxas." A man with spiky red hair smiled slyly at him. "It's not really going to hurt anything. It's just for laughs."
"But Xemnas will be mad..." Roxas protested.
The red-head rolled his eyes. "Pfft. When isn't he mad?"
Roxas laughed. "When we're not pulling pranks on everyone in the castle. Besides," he continued. "I don't feel like having bathroom duty again." He folded his arms against his chest.
The red-head shrugged and put an arm around Roxas' shoulders. "Oh, it isn't so bad. Besides," He looked at his comrade. "I'll be helping you!" he grinned.
The two shared a moment of laughter.
"So what do ya say, Roxy?"
Roxas pretended to think about it. "Alright, but you get to clean the toilets." he added.
"Aww...I hate toilets..." the man grumbled. "Hey!" He perked up. "I have an idea! Let's blow up all the toilets!"
The hideout under the train tracks was littered with books and papers when Roxas arrived. Pence and Olette were sitting among the mess; Olette looking determined and Pence looking as if someone had just force-fed him worms. Catching sight of Roxas, Pence jumped to his feet.
"Oh thank god you're here! Olette wants me to do my homework!"
"Oh that's terrible, Pence! Whatever shall you do?" Olette mocked from her place on the floor.
Roxas chuckled and sat on one of the many crates that were positioned around the room and lay his head against the wall. Hayner looked up from his comic and began yelling at Pence for complaining so much. Roxas laughed though he paid little attention. His thoughts strayed to the peculiar dreams he had been having lately. What did they mean? Who was that guy and why did he seem so familiar? Why did he wake in the middle of the night feeling as if he were being watched?
"Yo, Roxas! Quit being a bonehead!"
"Huh?" Roxas was shaken from his stupor.
"Wow, Roxas! You were really out of it." Olette tapped Roxas on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Of course he's okay, Olette. He's just being the same old 'Roxas the Space Cadet'" Hayner clapped Roxas on the back. "Come on you need to pay attention! This is important! Or do you want to lose to Seifer and his gang again?"
"Oh, sorry. I'm paying attention now." Roxas rubbed his hand through his spiky hair and attempted to shake out the thoughts of his mysterious dreams.
Hayner folded his arms across his chest and nodded. "Good because if we lose to him again we will never have a good reputation. Ever!" He began pacing the floor. "We can't ambush him like he does with us; that's no way to fight! That's cowardice!" He emphasized his words by pounding his fist into his palm. Olette giggled.
Hayner stopped midsentence and turned on Olette. "What are you laughing about? Do you think it's funny that we keep getting beaten by that jerk?"
"No it's just…" she giggled again. "You look silly."
"Aw come on! I was just…"
Olette was now giggling uncontrollably.
Hayner looked befuddled by Olette's new-found laughter. "Did someone give her sugar? She's gone mental!"
The boys simply stared at Olette, clearly confused by her behavior. Pence snapped a picture. "I just don't get girls. Laughing at a perfectly good speech…" He shook his head as he lowered the camera.
"No it's not that!" Olette chortled. "You just reminded me of Hitler."
Roxas looked puzzled. "So you're laughing about the fact that he looks like a maniac hell-bent on creating a 'perfect world'?" he asked which made Olette laugh even harder.
It was at that moment that the cloth covering the entrance to the hideout was ripped aside, revealing Seifer and his gang. Roxas leapt from his seat and grabbed a Struggle bat.
"Well if it isn't the Loser Convention." Seifer sneered.
Hayner crouched into a fighting stance and growled, "Get out! This is our place!"
Seifer snickered. "Yes I could tell; a dump befitting a group of junkyard rats." He strode over to where Roxas stood. "I love what you've done with the place. These crates are top of the line; must have taken you guys forever to save up the munny for these." He added sarcastically.
Hayner glared at the intruder and Roxas gripped the Struggle bat tighter.
"Wimp." Fuu interjected from the door, pointing at Roxas' soft bat.
"Yeah that's pretty weak, y' know?" Rei quipped.
Seifer laughed and jerked the bat from Roxas' grasp. "Come on, let's have a real fight. Save this crap for the playground, kid." He flung the bat and it landed at Pence's feet.
Seifer took a menacing step toward Roxas but was immediately overtaken by Pence and Hayner. Pence used the bat to trip Seifer from behind and Hayner pinned him to the ground and began punching wildly at any part of the boy he could reach.
"Cheaters!" Fuu screeched and hurried forward to help Seifer who, stunned by this sudden vengeance, was attempting to block Hayner's punches to little avail.
Rei pulled Hayner, still flailing wildly, off of his leader. Seifer scrambled to his feet sporting a bloody lip and what was sure to become a rather nasty black eye.
Releasing Hayner, Rei rushed to stand in front of Seifer like a bodyguard. "That was uncalled for, y' know?"
"Fools." Fuu interjected.
Suddenly Vivi, the smallest and most quiet member of Seifer's gang, appeared at her waist. He tugged at Seifer's jacket.
"Let's go." Seifer said. He turned, wiping blood from his mouth as he left.
"This isn't over, y' know?" Rei said as he exited the hideout behind the others.
"Cowards!" Hayner called after them.
"Let it go Hayner." Roxas said softly. "You won; that's all that matters."
Olette threw her arms around Hayner's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "That was awesome!"
Hayner's cheeks flushed. "Yeah, well it was nothing. I've just been holding back all these years." He boasted, folding his arms across his chest.
"You okay Pence?" Roxas asked.
Pence looked as if he'd just swallowed a fly; a mixture of disgust and distress. "Oh yeah sorry. It's nothing. Let's go get some lunch."
"Okay, but Hayner has to pay." Roxas suggested, sticking out his tongue.
"Hey! No way, you bum!"
"Yeah, hero has to buy the grub!" Pence clapped Hayner on the back.
"Hey aren't you guys supposed to get on your knees and worship me or something?" Hayner protested.
Laughing, the four friends strolled out into the sunlight and down the streets of Twilight Town.