Sorry it took so long to update… really unmotivated… but the chapter's longer this time.
Anyway, this chapter will feature a new type of Nobody, one especially for Bruixe. And Sitar Hero! Yeah! The song Bruixe sings is 'So Sick' by Flyleaf. I picked it because it's a girl singer, and it seemed to fit her.
And I don't own any of the characters, blah blah blah, just Bruixe. Enjoy.
"Is that real?" Bruixe whispered.
She was referring to the hair, of course.
It was silvery-blue, and long and stringy, and completely and totally fake-looking.
"Yes, it's real," Axel said. He cleared his throat. "Zexion, this is Bruixe, our newest member. And you're the magic guy…"
A voice emerged from under the hair. "I suppose I am," it said dully.
Bruixe looked closer and saw that there was actually a face under those silvery locks. Zexion was young, with dark, narrow eyes and fair skin. He looked Bruixe over appraisingly. "Do you use magic?"
"No," Bruixe replied.
He glared at her. "Why are you lying to me?"
She blinked. Axel turned to stare at her. "I wasn't lying," she said coolly. "I am capable of using magic, yes. But you asked, 'do I use magic.' And I don't."
"Why not?" Zexion demanded.
"I don't believe that's any of your business," Bruixe scoffed.
Zexion glared at her again, but turned away. "We'll begin tomorrow," he told her, apparently losing interest. "Be here at dusk."
Bruixe waited for more, but Axel pulled her away and out of the room. "Don't mind Zexie," he said. "He's always got a stick up his butt. Doesn't like dirtying his own hands. Kind of a pansy if you ask me."
"Now what?" Bruixe asked.
"Now we find you some lesser Nobodies to order around," he replied. "Let's see… ew, that means visiting Vexie. Oh well… maybe we'll get the chance to blow up his latest experiment."
"Is there anyone in this place that you like?" Bruixe demanded.
Axel appeared to consider this. "Roxas," he replied thoughtfully. "And Demyx. And you, I guess."
"Charmed," Bruixe muttered darkly. "…Vexie?"
Axel grinned, then put on his best snooty look. " 'I am a scientist,'" he said regally, nose in the air. " 'Experimentation is what I do.'" He then resumed his normal expression. "That's Vexen for you."
Vexen's room was nothing less than a full-blown laboratory, complete with ominously bubbling liquids, vials and beakers strewn upon every surface, and glowing body tanks lining the walls. The Chilly Academic was bent over a lab table, a vial of something purple in one hand. Axel walked up behind him, and Vexen turned around.
"Do you have some business here?" he said icily. "Or are you volunteering to be part of my latest experiment? Because after your last fiasco in my laboratory, I'm not about to let you near anything in here – except perhaps my hydrochloric acid tank."
Axel held up his hands. "Bruixe needs a battalion," he said innocently. "No fiascos here."
Vexen scowled, but pointed wordlessly to an in-use tank on the north wall. Axel led Bruixe to it, and she examined the creature within.
At first glance, it appeared to be feline, with four legs and a ropy tail. But when she looked closer, she realized the front two legs were wickedly curved blades, and the creature had no face, only the cross-like Nobody crest. Its hind legs were double-jointed, which would allow it to walk either upright or on all fours.
"What is it?" Bruixe breathed, fascinated.
"A Rogue," answered Vexen. "Larxene caught that thing wriggling around Darkisle four days ago. It's surprisingly fast and agile, with the ability to vanish and reappear behind its enemy. It almost slit Larxene's throat before she managed to pin it down."
"Will there be more?" Axel asked.
Vexen nodded dispassionately. "I kept this one for the new member."
"The new member has a name," Bruixe muttered irritably. Vexen ignored this.
"Put your hand here," he said, pointing at a touch screen on the tank controls. Bruixe did, and a warm, tingling sensation buzzed over her palm. The tank began to empty, and the door slid open. The Rogue twitched, awakening, and slunk out of the tank.
"Cool," she whispered. The Nobody pushed itself up onto its hind legs, its tail twitching. It saluted with one bladed arm, then vanished on the spot.
"It's gathering its buddies," Axel told her. "Give it a day or two, and you'll have your very own battalion to command."
"But what do I need a battalion for?" Bruixe asked as they left Vexen's laboratory.
"You'll see," he promised. "First I want you to meet the guys."
He led her into yet another room, where two young men had their backs turned, facing a giant wall on which some sort of video game was displayed. One had light brown, shoulder length hair; the other was a spiky-haired blonde, a good head shorted than the first. Each player had a guitar-shaped controller in their hands.
After a few seconds, the blonde guitarist ripped off his neck strap and threw the controller against the ground, apparently having lost.
"Hey! Easy with the merchandise!" complained the winner.
"You always win," the blonde grumbled. "Stupid sitars…"
"This is the most awesome game EVER!" the taller man yelled. "See, I told you Sitar Hero 3 was gonna be good…"
"Matter of opinion," his opponent muttered.
"Hel-loooo," Axel called. "Losers. We've got company." Both whirled to face them, unaware that someone had come in behind them. "Boys, this is Bruixe. Bruixe, these are Demyx and Roxas. The short one's Roxas."
"I'm not short!" Roxas complained.
The other three, all taller than him by at least four inches, just stared.
"Not compared to normal people, anyway," he grumbled.
"Nice to meet you," Demyx said politely. Then he turned to Roxas. "You'd win more often if you'd just keep to the beat."
"I hate playing sitar," Roxas said. "Let's play Rock Band instead. Then I can play drums again."
"Sounds like fun," Axel agreed. "Bruixe, you want to play?"
"Um… sure?" Bruixe offered, not sure what she was getting into.
"Dibs on drums!" Roxas yelled.
"Lead sitar!" Demyx echoed.
Axel shook his head. "Demyx, we've been over this. There is no sitar. It is a lead guitar. If you want to play sitar, go somewhere else."
"Fine, then," Demyx mumbled. "Lead guitar."
"And I'll play bass," Axel decided.
"You're gonna make Bruixe sing?" Roxas objected. "Bully."
"Well, you don't wanna hear me sing," the redhead replied.
"Point taken." Roxas held out a corded microphone, offering it to Bruixe.
She stared. "Wait… singing?!"
"It's not that hard," Demyx assured her. "You don't even have to sing on pitch. Just close."
"It's not that – I – I'm not singing in front of strangers!" she yelled.
Demyx grinned widely, and before Bruixe knew it she was enveloped in a bear hug. "No strangers here!" the Nocturne said gleefully, driving a noogie into her scalp.
Bruixe acted instinctively, flipping him over her head and to the ground.
Axel and Roxas stared at her.
"Ow…" complained Demyx from the floor.
"Sorry," she said. "Reflex. But I'm not singing in front of you people."
Axel wiggled his eyebrows. "Scared?" he taunted.
"No!" Bruixe argued instinctively.
Axel didn't reply, only snickered. Demyx picked himself off of the floor and patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay if you're nervous," he told her. "Roxas can sing."
"No," Roxas said quickly.
Bruixe glared at all three of them. "Manipulative assholes," she growled, and tore the microphone from Roxas' grasp.
Bruixe was determined to show them all up, fully aware that she was being manipulative but unable, as always, to back down from a challenge. Just to prove herself, she set the difficulty level to Hard. Demyx chose Expert, Roxas took Medium, and Axel took Hard as well.
On screen, words appeared near the top.
I will break into your thoughts
With what's written on my heart
I will break
All three jumped, startled, when she screamed the word 'break', but quickly looked away to their own portions of the screen.
I'm so sick, infected with
Where I live
Let me live without this
Empty bliss, selfishness
I'm so sick
I'm so sick
She went through the entire song only missing two notes (during the bridge), and finished with full Overdrive.
When the song ended, three pairs of eyes – green, brown, blue – stared at her.
"Hey…" said Roxas finally. "She's… really good."
"Jeez," Axel said, whistling.
"Um, hello!" Demyx interrupted. "I just got a 99 on Expert mode. I think I deserve kudos too!"
"Demyx, you always do awesome," Axel pointed out. "We didn't expect it from her."
"Excuse me?" Bruixe said incredulously. "I never said I wasn't good."
"Yeah, but you never said you were a professional rockstar either," Roxas told her.
"What can I say? I'm a natural," she gloated.
"Modest, too," Axel muttered.