Summary- What do you do when you run into a stranger on the street, and then you learn your whole life is a lie? Axel's finding out. AkuRoku. M for Violence and Mild Sexual Content.

AN- here we go! Chapter two! Thanks for all the reviews last chapter, guys! I appreciate it!

So BTW, updates might be a little bit slow, because I just got a new job, so Imma be working quite a bit, since its actually full time for once. But I promise, I will update as soon as I can!

Warnings- nothing really, for this chapter. Its mostly just dialogue. Sorry. This whole beginning segment will be kinda low on action.

Disclaimers- things I own: a million books, a few KH ringtones on my phone, and the main plot to this story. Things I don't own: Axel, Roxas, and any other miscellaneous KH and FF characters included here.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Looking back, Axel couldn't have even said for sure he remembered running away. All he recalled was the rain, and Roxas' hand in his own, and the blind fear and rage. When Roxas finally stopped running, it was to pound on a door. Axel want even sure where they were in the city any more, but they'd been running for a long time. The building before there was plain gray stone, with high windows that looked as if they'd been blacked out. The door was the only entrance Axel could see.

"God damn it, Sora, hurry up!" Roxas whispered fiercely.

"Who's Sora?" Axel asked.

Roxas said nothing and just pounded on the door some more.

Finally, Axel heard a click, and then a fuzzy female voice on an intercom. "Who is it?"

Roxas turned to the panel beside the door, that Axel hadn't noticed before, and pushed a button. "Its me, Rikku. I got him. Open the damn door!"

"Okie dokie! I'll send Yuffie!" she said cheerily.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "They should know better than to let Rikku man the intercoms. She'll let anyone in."

They stood in silence for a moment, until they heard a creaking noise from behind the door. "Finally," Roxas breathed.

They heard a loud click, and then the door swung open. A petite black-haired girl stood on the other side, gesturing wildly. "Get in here Roxas, before someone sees you!"

Roxas grabbed Axel by the hand again and pulled him in the door, grumbling. "That's what I've been trying to do, if someone had answered the damn door."

The stranger and Roxas let him into the door, which revealed a second door, and then a dim hallway. "Sorry about that, Roxas. But we had a bit of trouble while you were out, and-"

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Roxas demanded.

"Sora was seen out getting supplies, and-"

"God damn it, does nobody listen to me? Sora can't be out and about! The company thinks they got rid of him, and if he's gonna be any help here, its gotta stay that way!"

The girl said nothing.

Axel looked at the blonde, and then back to the girl before him. "Does he cut everyone off like that?" Axel asked.

Roxas glared and the girl snorted with laughter. "Look at that, Roxas, he's got you figured out already!" she laughed. "I'm Yuffie, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Axel."

"I know! Demyx and Roxas have been working out the best way to get you out for a while." she said cheerily.

Axel stopped walking. "Demyx? As in my roommate who left, Demyx?"

"Yep!"

"Holy crap, I miss that guy! Is he here?" he asked excitedly.

Yuffie laughed again. "Yeah, he's down in the cafeteria! Come on!"

Axel started following. It wasn't until then that he realized that he still had Roxas' hand in his, because the blonde let go. "Go ahead." Roxas said blandly. "I'll meet you later." the blonde turned away and headed towards one of the hallways leading off of the main.

Axel looked back at him, confused. "Whats wrong, Roxas? You're just gonna ditch me? I still have questions to ask you."

The blonde looked at him, expressionless. "Ask Demyx your questions."

Axel grabbed him by the hand. "Oh, no. you got me into this mess, and your stuck with me till I know everything that's going on. I can see Demyx later."

Roxas stopped for a second, and then said over his shoulder to Yuffie, "I'll see you later. Axel and I are gonna go discuss stuff... I'll show him around later."

Surprise flickered across Yuffie's face. But then it was replaced by her customary grin. "Well, I'll see you later, then! I'll tell Sora and the others that your back!"

"You don't have to. Rikku was on the intercom. Everybody will already know." Roxas replied.

Yuffie laughed. "You're right there, Rox. See ya later!" she bounced down the hallway and out of sight.

Roxas pulled on Axel's hand. "Come here." he said. He opened a door and led Axel into the dark again. The blonde flicked a light, revealing steps down leading into another hallway.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

They followed a maze of hallways, until Axel wasn't sure he'd even be able to find his way back out again if he had to.

"Just how big is this place?" Axel asked.

"We're underneath the street now, actually. This was originally used in beginning production to get technicians around the city unseen. But it became easier, over time, to simply do everything from the main office on the computerized system, so these tunnels are pretty much empty. Besides, we're underneath the clock tower now, and no one ever goes there anyways." Roxas shrugged. "We're fairly safe here. These passages are a labyrinth if you don't know them well."

"And you know them well, I take it?" Axel asked cautiously.

Roxas lead him through a door and up a set of stairs. "I'll tell you everything in a minute, okay? Lets just get where we're going."

Axel just fell silent, following the enigmatic blonde up the stairs.

They went up and up for what seemed like an eternity. They finally reached the top of the stairs, and Roxas opened a door, which, surprisingly, lead outside. The rain had stopped, and the sun was setting. Axel realized that they were at the top of the clock tower in town. Roxas led him out onto the wide walkway beneath the clock face, hedged in by a short wall. He sat down against the stone, gesturing for Axel to do the same. From their vantage point, they could see for miles

"Up here is about one of the safest places in Twilight Town. The cameras up here all point outwards, since the only way to get up here is from the tunnels. And nobody can see you from the street or any of the adjoining buildings, because they wanted the techs to be able to make repairs without being seen."

Axel turned to Roxas. "So, how do you know so much about all this? How are you involved in this project, Roxas?" he asked softly.

Roxas smiled bitterly. "You cut right to the chase don't you?" he looked out at the sunset. "You're right, I started out as a part of the project. I was a tech, the clock tower tech, to be exact. It was my job to keep track of the feeds and make repairs when necessary. You see, every episode of the Twilight Town Project starts with a shot from the clock tower, an overview of the city..." Roxas paused, and looked sadly at Axel. "It wasn't for a while that I actually learned everything that was going on here. They hired me as a tech, and they didn't explain everything to a lowly peon like me." he looked away again, glowering. "When I found out the truth, what they were doing to innocent people, people like you... I decided to get out. But then I met Sora. He's really the one who started this group of ours. We're called DISorder, and we're committed to bringing down this project, one piece at a time."

Axel just stared out at the setting sun, trying to process everything. "So... how many other people have you rescued from this project?"

"You're the second of the 'stars' we've gotten out of the show. Riku was the first, and we have plans in the works for two more, Xion and Tifa." he grimaced. "that's what they call you guys. You're stars, just television prodigies, and you have no say in anything."

"wait a minute, Xion my downstairs neighbor? She's a star too? But what about her husband, Zexion?"

Roxas said nothing.

"You're kidding me, right? Please tell me Zexion isn't just acting. Tel me he didn't just marry her for the show..." Axel felt himself tearing up. That poor girl, she's so sweet.

"Not quite. He really does care about her. But he does know about the project. He's working with us to remove her from the project. But... he's trying to keep his marriage, too. That's why she's still there. He loves her, but he knows he's going to lose her if he tells her the truth. And she's happy here. She finally has her own business, and they have everything they want. He doesn't want to tell her the truth. But..."

"But he feels guilty." Axel stated.

"...Yeah. Its killing him to lie to her." Roxas said sadly.

Axel was quiet for a moment. "I never wanted any of this shit. I just wanted to be an artist." he mourned.

Roxas looked Axel dead in the eye. "I know. that's why we're doing this."

They stared, silently, for a moment. Axel still wasn't sure what he thought of the angry little blonde, but he was grateful. So very grateful, to have been saved from something he hadn't even been aware was happening.

Roxas opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly, the door behind him burst open. A brunette with blue eyes popped out, and immediately started to talk excitedly. "Hi! You must be Axel! I'm so glad we finally got you out. It's all Dem and Roxy have been talking about for weeks! I'm just glad your out of the project now, and you can make up your own mind about things! I'm Sora, and I'm kinda sorta in charge here, with Roxy and Diz, anyways, and I hate to interrupt you guys, but its dinnertime, and plus other people wanna meet you, and Roxy has appointments that he skipped out on to come up here and talk to you, and I just-"

"Sora." Roxas growled. "Shut the hell up."

For the first time in the hours since Axel had met Roxas, he was actually grateful for the blondes ability to shut people up.

"I'll... I'll meet you guys in the cafeteria. See ya!" the brunette ducked back into the door quickly.

Roxas glared at the door, and then just shook his head. "Sorry about that. He gets so damn excited, he forgets how obnoxious he is. Especially around people he's just meeting." Roxas stood up and held out a hand to Axel. "Lets go."

Axel accepted the help, and standing beside Roxas, it occurred to him just how short the blonde was. Well, when you 6'3", most everyone's short, but he's spectacularly so...

Roxas glanced up. "I'm five foot six and a half." he said flatly. Axel jolted a bit. "And no, I'm not a psychic or anything, I'm just really used to that look."

Axel grinned. "That's okay, I'm used to being the tall red-haired freak."

Roxas' mouth upturned slightly as he pulled the door open. "Lets go on down. I imagine your hungry."

Axel's rumbling stomach answered the question for him.

Then Roxas smiled for real.

He should smile more often. Its beautiful...

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

How was it? Any questions about the story? Let me know!