Cheap Shot

~*"Their two favorite words."*~

Larxene hurt all over. And she meant hurt. The aches seemed to beat across her entire body like the ghost of her long forgotten heartbeat. She groaned, placing one gloved hand on her face. The pain was putting her in an even worse mood than usual, and Demyx had soon found this out when a bolt of flashing lightning chased the Nobody out of her room when he had only come in to ask if she had some extra Ethers.

He should know better to ask me, of all people. She thought sourly, not in the least bit sorry for the Melodious Nocturne. Especially after yesterday.

Their fight yesterday had ended in another tie, but Larxene knew he had held back on her. This irritated her beyond all measure, but to top this off she still felt the shadows of the many hits she had taken. It hurt worse than that time she had first arrived at the Castle and had actually fallen off the balcony.

Certain Nobodies wouldn't let her forget this, and that particular Nobody was now outside her door. She knew because one of the Lesser Nobodies, a Dusk, drifted up to her with a message about it.

Larxene was in no mood for the difficult, whispery voices the Dusks often used during their rare, brief communications with the Greater Nobody. She grabbed it, her reflexes still very fast despite the aching, and without opening her eyes growled, "Someone's out there, aren't they?"

The Nobody bobbed its head quickly, and Larxene felt the movement against her gloved hands. She released it, walking to the door and opening it with a light touch.

"It's only the mercy of my heart that's stopping me from electrocuting you." She said to Axel immediately, before the red haired Nobody could even get a word out.

Axel raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry? Did you just say you had a heart?"

Larxene's fingers twitched, a clear sign she was considering stabbing him with her knives. "What do you want?"

He had an innocent look on his face that didn't belong there, she thought. "Well, I wanted to apologize for giving you more than you could obviously handle yesterday…" Axel leaped backwards just as lightning striked the spot he had been standing just a moment ago. "Okay, easy." He put his hands up. "I just wanted to see if you'd be interesting in coming to the Clock Tower with us?"

Larxene's light green eyes searched his face for signs of deceit, but all she saw was a calm smile and his blazing eyes.

Even if she wanted to, she was going to make it more difficult than it should be, as was her wont.

"And…I want to go to a Clock Tower…because…?" She drew each word out slowly and carefully.

Axel smirked. "Well, Larxene…I just thought you'd appreciate being with others instead of hiding-"He saw her hands twitch and quickly changed his words. "Instead of secluding yourself in your room all the time."

She crossed her arms and smiled, turning her head slightly, studying him. "Okay, I'll bite. Who's 'we'? Your usual bunch of followers?"

He looked confused. "Followers…?"

Larxene rolled her eyes. "Surely you've noticed. Especially the Thirteenth one, he just completely admires you."

"Jealous, perhaps, that I spend so much time with him?" Axel meant it teasingly, but he knew immediately: wrong sentence.

Despite her injuries, Larxene dashed forward and, as fast as lightning, kicked him in the chest. Axel fell backwards, rolling over just in time to avoid a lightning blast. He started running from side to side, ducking frantically to avoid every static burst.

"Oh hey-"He flipped backwards. "Larxene-"Axel bolted down the wide hallway that led to her room, pausing at the end."Okay, quit! Yeah it's us that's honored you're coming!"

The electricity paused, and Axel saw Larxene lower her knives that had been spreading the dangerous element across the room. She cocked an eyebrow skeptically. "You're just saying that so I don't kill you." She suddenly smiled, once more acting coy, dismissing her knives as if she hadn't just almost electrocuted him.

Axel shrugged. "So?"

"Whatever." Even more tired and irritable, the Savage Nymph turned on her heel. "I'll meet you at the Gray Area."

"How do you know what time to come?"

"You and Roxas and that black haired girl, are always there at a certain time, to leave for the Tower I expect." She vanished into her room, and Axel thought she was pretty observant to have noticed that.

~***~

Larxene walked into the Gray Area, the usual meeting room of the Organization. It overlooked the neon lit city below, and held an excellent view of Kingdom Hearts. She casted a disdainful look at the great heart shaped moon, thinking it was just more white in this endless labyrinth of ivory. The color black was making her sick too.

She noticed something then. The only other people in the room were Xion, Roxas, and that…witch. Larxene disliked the witch whose name she had forgotten at the moment, always shrinking back in fear while the Castle she was going to be used in was being constructed.

The biggest question was: What was she doing out of her room?

Larxene's entry had been unnoticed, and she stood a little behind the couch with sardonically amused eyes as Roxas spoke to the witch, while Xion just looked out the window at the tainted moon, all of them waiting for Axel to come back from his mission.

"So, Namine." Roxas said casually, and Larxene noticed the strangest light in his blue eyes. It was like how he looked when he saw Axel, but magnified by around one thousand. "Is this any better than your room?"

Namine spoke so quietly that Larxene had to strain her ears to hear, even in the relative silence. "It is better, Roxas." She paused, as if noticing something, but shook it off. "I didn't even know, from my room, there was a moon or city near the Castle."

"It's windowless." Roxas snorted. "What do you expect?" Softening his tone, he added, "I don't know why they keep you locked up if you're willing to help. What are they trying to get you to do?"

"I don't know." She replied. "But they said…they said I can have what I always wanted. Is that…" She curled her hand over her chest. "My heart?"

"Whatever it is, I'll help if I can. Okay?" Roxas placed his hand on hers, and they looked at each other. Larxene smirked; noticing the look Xion cast their way. The raven haired Nobody must have seen the Savage Nymph standing behind them, but she didn't react, simply looked back out the window.

"Isn't this sweet." Larxene interrupted their moment, her voice dripping sarcasm.

Roxas jumped backwards, his Keyblade in his hands in a flash of pure light. "Larxene!" He sounded more embarrassed than angry.

"Okay, tell you what." Larxene crossed her arms and pointed with one hand to Namine, whom had pulled back, obviously afraid. "Take the witch back to her room, now…" She took delight in watching Namine flinch at the word. "And I won't tell the Superior on you, or inflict some 'punishment' myself. Okay?" Even though her tone was sweet, the venom in her eyes was clear.

Roxas nodded and reluctantly led Namine away, and not long after they left, Axel entered through the opposite corridor.

"Hey, Xion, Larxene. Where's Roxas?"

"He took the little witch out to her room."

Axel rolled his eyes and suddenly ran down the passage Roxas had taken. Larxene turned to Xion, whom had the same air of quietness about her as Namine, but a….stronger, more confident vibe.

"The heck is going on here?"

Xion shrugged, still not removing her gaze from Kingdom Hearts. "Namine's coming with us to the Clock Tower."

"Oh." Dang it, she hated not knowing some things. Well fine, she could break a few rules she guessed. She snapped her fingers, opening a Portal to Twilight Town. Not long after, Roxas, Namine, and Axel were back. They all took the Portal, and when the cold tendrils withdrew their barbed fingers, the radiant sunset of the little town conquered their entire view.

Roxas, Namine, and Xion left for the ice cream. The younger Nobodies felt uncomfortable around her, and this made Larxene very happy indeed. She and Axel sat down on the edges of the great Clock Tower, their legs swinging out over the void below.

"So what's the point of eating ice cream every day here?" She questioned. Larxene had a feeling the younger ones would take their sweet time getting up here.

The fact that they were afraid of her made her happy…and a little sad.

But Axel wasn't afraid, and she silently appreciated his powerful aura of self-confidence.

"Sometimes it's nice to just relax and talk, don't you agree? I mean, the Castle is so…"

"Boring."

"Exactly." He scratched the back of his neck. "Entirely so, in my opinion. So we entertain ourselves with whatever we come up with, without those higher ups breathing down our neck." Axel looked at her with his bright, silently laughing eyes. Those eyes that held a powerful cunning. "Don't you have someone you hang out with? I mean, the rest of the Organization even has some preference for whomever they-"

"No." Larxene's reply was curt and short. She almost recoiled when he touched her shoulder, but the contact was light and nonthreatening. Suddenly it was like all of the mocking playfulness had vanished, to be replaced with a calm sympathy.

"Why not?" He asked softly.

She didn't want to talk about it, and dropped her gaze. "Well...I mean, people just get in the way." She scoffed. "Nothing but trouble."

Axel said unexpectedly, "Is this some kind of trauma from…before we lost our hearts?"

It was a social no-no among Nobodies to speak of anything before the loss of their hearts. The memories were the only thing that gave them personality and the specter of emotions, but often each Nobody had a past shrouded in complete mystery, and usually pain. But the memories that hurt the most were those that spoke of a loving care from families that were lost to the Darkness. Only to find out that not all of them were strong enough to become Higher Nobodies.

Larxene gritted her teeth, sending a shockwave through her body. The sparking energy didn't make Axel so much as slacken his grip, and she knew he was going to wait for an answer. The response came out as small as a whisper. "Yes."

Axel nodded thoughtfully, but didn't move his hand. "Well hey, can't be like that all the time. I mean, if I did, I wouldn't be friends with Roxas or Xion. Or you." He noticed her surprised expression but continued. "Heck, I used to be friends with Saix. Can you imagine? If I just gave up on everyone after that, my existence would be even more miserable. Right now it's pretty bearable, almost like a second chance at life."

Larxene pondered over those words, and suddenly realizing her guard had slipped, she attempted to gain back her usual witty armor. "Okay whatever, fine. I'll hang out with the rest of you losers here on the Clock Tower, but only because I've got nothing better to do."

Axel thumped her on the back cheerfully, and she almost fell off the Clock Tower. "Idiot," she gasped, stabilizing herself. Even she didn't think she could open a Portal in midair. The word had come out more affectionate than she would have liked.

At that moment Roxas and the others arrived, and handed everyone ice cream. Xion and Roxas attempted to coax Namine to try the light blue treat, and Larxene eyed hers suspiciously.

"Yes, I dragged you up here to eat ice cream poisoned by my followers." Axel said sarcastically, noticing her look. "Then when you're unconscious I'm going to kill you and hide the body."

"We break down into darkness when we die, moron."

"Well, saves me the trouble then."

Larxene shoved her ice cream into his mouth, taking his own uneaten one and licking it. The strange sea salt flavor started with an odd tingling spiciness that ended in an unexpected wave of sweet flavor. She grimaced, unused to it. Not that she was a stranger to candy; she still loved chocolate from her previous life.

"You talk too much," she told Axel as she licked her ice cream. Namine was so stunned by the treat that she almost dropped her stick, much to the amusement of Xion and Roxas.

Axel laughed softly, and said in a lower voice, "Remember, if you need anyone to talk to…I'm here, and the others too. Just let them get used to you, got it memorized?"

Did she? She supposed so.

Larxene smiled, and for once Axel saw no trace of sarcasm or sadism in the gesture.

~***~

Hmm, this turned out longer than I expected. Alright, thanks to all of my reviewers. NinjaSheik, of course, Handwritten, (the little bit of RoxasxNamine now in this story is for you), Taygon55, and BlameItOnMyParents.

This story is now longer than I intended, we'll work up to the climax, shall we? "Cheap Shot", those two words that named this story, will come into play once more later on.

Okay, want to drop a review?