Seeing Red
Chapter Two: It's all you can do
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Axel stared blankly at the girl, his hands limp at his sides. She looked nothing like Serena Montague. The red hair was all that brought them together. "You're her?"
"Yeah. Hi. Who are you?" Kairi ran a hand through her smooth red spikes and cocked her head to one side, "If you didn't hear of me because of Manny, then why would you be looking for me?"
"You're Serena Montague's daughter?" Axel scratched his head and turned away, paling, "You?"
"Uh, yeah. Hey, did you come here for a reason?"
The man jumped back to reality, "Shit, you're—come on! Get dressed, Montague!"
She pouted and crossed her arms, "Who are you?"
"My name is Axel Maverick. I'm taking you away."
"What?" Blue eyes flaming, she jumped to her feet, "Who do you think you are? Storming in here—breaking the door down?!" She stamped her bare foot, her fists clenched, "Get out."
"Sorry," he replied absentmindedly as he pulled the gun from his coat pocket once again, "I have family duties to… fulfill. Get dressed, Montague."
"Stop calling me that!!" Kairi stomped her foot once more, shaking her head, "You—who are you?! Some 'Axel Maverick,' what do you mean to me?! I've never met you in my life!!"
"Stop screaming for a second, would you? Take a look at me. Look familiar? Maybe a little like a woman named Serena?" He narrowed his bright green eyes and pointed the gun at her bare chest, "I don't want to have to shoot you, but if that's what it takes…"
"Would you shut up?! You're not going to shoot me! It looks to me like you've gone all over the place to find me, and really, I don't know why, because I have no idea who you are!!" Kairi was shaking, her gentle pink lips curved into an angry frown, "Would you just tell me instead of trying to be Mr. I'm too smart mystery guy?! You're not as cool as you think!!"
Axel took a step back; damn it was true about redheads and their tempers. With a low sigh, he rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed, "What do you want me to do? My name is Axel Maverick. I… knew Serena. What more do you want?"
"Why me?" Kairi clenched and unclenched her fists, until finally, she stormed to the table and virtually inhaled several white pills.
"What are you taking?"
"None of your business," she replied rather harshly, "Just tell me what you want."
"I told you I'm here to take you away."
"Yeah, I got that," Kairi's temper was flaring down, her blue eyes tired, "But why?"
"I'll explain when there's time," Axel growled. He walked slowly towards her and pressed the icy barrel to her chest once again, "You're coming with me, you know."
In one single moment, Kairi looked afraid, maybe even sad, but she nodded slightly, "I don't have any choice?"
"No. Get dressed and pack something. I don't have room for anything major."
Kairi scoffed, "I don't own anything major." Swiftly, she reached to the floor and pulled a large gray hooded sweatshirt over her head, and glanced back at Axel, "That means you're not going to tell me, doesn't it?" Kairi pouted, but let out a small sigh and slipped the short, blue skirt on. Quickly, as if hit, she snatched the small bottle of white pills and stuffed them into her pocket, glaring at Axel as she did so.
He sighed, this girl had more problems than just prostitution, "Come on." He stuffed the gun back into his deep coat pocket and held out his hand, "I will explain. Now just isn't the time for it."
Reluctantly, the thin girl took his leather gloved hand and looked up at him, "How did you know my mother? That's all I need to know, I think."
"Sixteen years ago, she left a little boy sitting on the curb every day while she went to sleep with men for money. Every night, she'd come back to get him, take him home, and go to bed. One day, he just went missing. Ela Montague is dead now. And now, so is Serena." Axel kept walking, his eyes hardened as he spoke, "And then I heard about a little girl, sitting on that same curb. Kairi Montague. So before you go missing, or die, or something worse," he glanced down at her, but quickly looked away, "I had to come and get you."
She didn't answer, just stared directly ahead through her deep blue eyes. She had dark circles under her eyes, poorly hidden by her makeup. Smooth, tanned skin that was rare in this city, delicate, porcelain doll features, abused by her given situation. Kairi was just a child, Axel could tell. She didn't think like an adult or a child. She didn't think at all. She was given an order, and carried it out. She was given drugs, she took them. She was given a lifestyle, she didn't argue to it. Kairi knew nothing else.
Axel loosened his grip on her small hand and she looked up, "Axel? Or do you want me to call you Mr. Maverick?" She grinned up at him, but he only shook his head.
"Axel's fine." He ran his free hand through his long red spikes and took a deep breath, "Who got you into this?"
"This?"
"Yeah. This. What you do. Who―"
"My mom. She said it's the only way to make money in this city."
"Your mother sold you into prostitution?"
She blinked slowly, "Well, it's not like that. You make it sound―"
"Bad?" Axel hissed, "What, it isn't bad?"
Kairi looked down, "If I didn't, we wouldn't eat, Mr. High-and-Mighty Axel." She bit her lip and then groaned, "Where are we going?"
"My place."
"Which is where?"
Axel sighed and looked down at her, "Got any friends here? Because it'd be good to say goodbye to them now."
She shook her head, "I only have a few. Can't you tell me where we're going?"
Now in the street, Axel glanced up at the sky, clouds… or smog, he couldn't really tell. It was always dark in this city; no one saw the sun through the thick pollution over the buildings. He wrinkled his nose and brought his gaze back to Kairi, still gripping his hand in hers, "We're going far away. But we don't have a lot of time," awkwardly, he scratched his head, and, as an afterthought, he added, "Sorry."
Kairi shrugged, "I just have to talk to one person before we go. Can I?"
"Where at?"
Kairi thought for several moments, and finally smiled at Axel, "Um, right now, he'd be on the Avenue. He's an employee at the Gold Sun. Can we…?"
"Yeah, yeah. I guess we'll be heading that way anyway."
"Where do you live, anyway?"
"Out of state. Get in." He gestured to a beaten up rust-colored car, a single hubcap on the front left tire. The vehicle had a cracked windshield and a torn backseat, but Kairi looked ecstatic.
"You have a car?"
He smirked, "Yeah, and a refrigerator too, once we get there."
"Don't make fun of me. I haven't been in a car, unless some guy picked me up…"
"Alright, let's make a new rule, Kai. No talking about your guys or job, or anything like that, unless you really have to. Got it?"
She pouted, "Can't stomach it, Axel?"
"Stomach it, yeah, I can. But with you, no. I told you, I'd explain later. Seatbelt."
Rather disgusted, Kairi pulled the stained strap over her shoulder and buckled it to the rusted buckle on her left, "You know where the Avenue is?"
"Of course, I know." Axel started the car, which was reluctant to react to his urging, and eased it into drive. Slowly but surely, they began to drive in silence, Kairi taking in everything about her captor and Axel watching the road with a distant look in his emerald eyes.
The girl ran a tanned hand through her silky red hair and stared out the window. Axel was nice, in a potential-psycho-killer sort of way. She smiled, she always saw people better than they probably were, though. Still, she thought, he was rough around the edges, but with a heart that he couldn't seem to find. But that didn't mean he wasn't trying. And besides, who was she to judge him? Kairi sighed, look at me.
Axel, on the other hand, was stuck in the past, driving his rusty red car. Serena Montague was a terrible woman, he knew that. But why was Kairi so nice? So… normal, for what she did? He glanced over at her, as she had suddenly pulled the bottle of pills from her pocket once again. Quickly, almost discreetly, she slipped more of the white pills into her mouth, yelping when Axel snatched the bottle away from her.
"Give it back!!"
The man stared, taken aback by her sudden hysteria, "What are they?"
"None of your business; give them back!!" Resembling a feral animal, she swiped at him, her eyes calming when she had the bottle back in her clutches.
"That a problem of yours, Kai?" He raised an eyebrow, but she merely frowned and shoved the drugs back into her pocket.
"Not a problem," she hissed, "We're on the Avenue. The Gold Sun's right there."
He sighed and nodded, the car lurking slowly to the curb. "Where are we headed, then, if he's at work?"
"Don't worry," Kairi snapped, still somewhat annoyed by the previous harassment, "I can see him at work."
"What's his name?"
"Why are you asking all these questions? Turning into my new father, are you?" She exited the car and waited for him to walk around to the sidewalk, "He's one of the dealers here. I think he does the roulette usually."
He crossed his arms and followed the fuming girl, half amused and half worried. It looked like Kairi had some serious drug issues. Inside was obnoxiously bright red and gold, golden dragons twirling from the high ceiling down onto the lights and walls. Everywhere, there were people, laughing, eating, gambling. Kairi smiled and led Axel towards the middle of the huge building, her grin growing wider when she recognized a small, blonde male dealing several cards at a blackjack table. She waved excitedly and the boy just smiled and nodded, then promptly returned to his work.
"We have to wait for him to finish the game. It's a short game, I think…"
"Blackjack?"
"That's what it looks like…" Kairi crossed her arms behind her back and bounced on the balls of her feet, "Come on," Kairi glanced up to Axel, "We have to wait, okay? I can't leave without telling him."
"Your boyfriend?"
Kairi giggled, "Not exactly. He's―"
"Kairi!!" A pair of long arms wrapped around the thin girl from behind, "What are you doing here?!" Long black hair ran down this tall woman's back, accenting her attractive features. She had large doe-eyes that emanated laughter, a small girlish mouth that turned down into a frown when she saw Axel, "You! Are you here taking my sweet Kairi?! You should be ashamed!! Do you know how old she is?!"
"Whoa, whoa―" Axel raised his hands defensively, but Kairi quickly hushed the raven-haired woman.
"No, no, Tifa, he's not one of them! He's just a friend of mine!! Axel, meet Tifa Lockheart." She gestured to the redhead and back to Tifa, a smile on her girlish face, "Don't worry. We're just waiting to talk to Blondie, that's all."
"Oh, if that's the case…" Tifa wandered over to the blackjack table, proceeded to take all of the boy's cards, and shove him away from the table.
He frowned at the brash woman, but took the chance to run over and hug Kairi, "Kai!! What're you doing here? You never come during the day!"
"Well… you see… I have to… I'm sort of…"
He looked to Axel, and then back to Kairi, "Oh my God, you're not pregnant, are you―"
"What—no!! I have to leave… I don't know for how long. You'd have to ask Axel. I don't really know if I'm coming back."
The boy looked surprised for a moment, and then frowned at Axel with harsh blue eyes, "Who are you?"
"My name is Axel Maverick."
"Okay. Why are you taking Kairi, and why should I trust you with my best friend?"
"I have to take her, and she'll be safe. Why would I take her away somewhere dangerous and let her tell you?" Axel crossed his arms, a strong dislike for this boy already developing.
"Because you're a flaming psychopath," the boy muttered, "That still doesn't tell me why."
"You're her so-called best friend, why would you want her to stay here and be a hooker, when I could―"
"Take her, rape her, then kill her? I don't know who you are. There's no reason for me to trust you." The boy held on tight to Kairi, who was blushing slightly at the argument playing out before her.
Axel, however, was growing impatient, "She trusts me."
"Kairi trusts everyone."
"Hey―" She started, only to have Axel cut her off.
"I'm taking her with me, whether you like it or not."
Several moments passed, until finally, the blonde boy spoke, his brilliant blue eyes narrowed at the redheaded male, "Okay."
"'Okay'?"
"Yeah," he replied shortly, "Okay. But I'm coming with you."
"What?!" Axel snapped, more than annoyed at this point, "You aren't going anywhere, kid!"
"Then Kairi isn't either. So unless you take me, I'm holding onto her and yelling until the entire staff of this casino kicks your ass to Kentucky."
Axel groaned and rubbed his temples, "Whatever." This kid wasn't worth his time… "Who are you, anyway?"
"Roxas. Roxas Moreau." He held out one hand and smirked, "Nice to meet you, Axel."
That one smirk was enough to make Axel want to punch the kid's nose in and pin him to his bed, all at the same time.
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Weird, how one minute, you can be a perfectly normal, straight, male redhead, just trying to save his sister from the streets and prostitution, and then one smug little shit-eating grin can turn your whole life upside down. Especially when this grin comes from a particularly annoying blonde kid. Who is he, to just waltz in and flip your life around?
But then again, change can be good, right? Maybe that cute blonde boy is more than an annoying kid.
Maybe he can bring a smidgen of happiness into your dull life.
Or maybe he'll just be a pain in the ass.
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To Be Continued
(NEXT CHAPTER: Enter—Scissorhead Montgomery, and Axel's personal Vendetta)
A/N: Okay, I know this update came fast, but the rest probably won't be as quick. I start school Wednesday, so I can't sit and stare at the screen all day anymore. And besides, I want time to carefully look over every last bit over and over, so that EVERYTHING is just perfect, like chapter one. Anyway, thanks to those of you that reviewed, and to those that didn't—please do! I like to have new friends!! Reviews equal life, for me! And anyone who gives me life is my friend!!
Shiro!