Hi guys, next chapter is finally up. Anyway, notes are basically the same as always, there's more at the end though so if you want to hear me babble then head there J

Enjoy!

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It was around 1a.m. when Ienzo reached the city, its fairly tall buildings – though not nearly as tall as they could be if he were somewhere else – jutted up around him like elongated fingers from many reaching hands trying to touch the stars. It had started raining some time ago, lightly sprinkling the earth with cool droplets of water and giving the air the smell of… well Ienzo wasn't really sure what to call it. It was the smell of rain water mixing with everything around it, a rich smell that Ienzo could only describe as the smell of life itself. Pushing wet strands of slate hair out of his face – and thanking the white coats for waterproof skin – he sat down on a bench to recollect himself.

What had he been thinking, running away like that? It was insanity, he didn't know anything about the real world. He put his head in his hands and sighed. He'd panicked. He didn't want to be disassembled and reacted on instinct – something he shouldn't even have. The rain picked up around him, but he didn't mind, and after all there wasn't much he could do about it, he had nowhere to stay. He watched as the occasional car would pass, splashing up a mixture of water and – probably – various other substances onto the pavement.

Ienzo couldn't help but compare everything to what he'd seen in the movies he'd watched at the facility. There were supposed to be bustling crowds, struggling to get out of the rain. There was supposed to be the two friends out having a night on the town and finding beautiful women. But everything just felt so… plain. He supposed that it was because this was reality, and anyone outside was not just an extra, but he still wished it were that way, maybe then he'd have an idea of what he could do.

Ienzo took to examining himself. After a long run, some of which was spent in a forest, he figured that he should check for external damages. Mostly it was just dirt that covered his skin and clothes. His shirt was torn in a few places where it got caught on a branch, and his pants needed a good washing as they were caked with dirt from the few times he fell down. His feet, he noted, were by far the worst part of his person. They were almost black with filth; the nails broken and ragged, synthetic skin worn and torn – but no blood – and probably in need of stitching to help the wounds heal, not to mention the ankle joints, though they didn't hurt, were terribly overused and would need at least a days repose before they could be used to their full extent again.

"Excuse me, are you alright sir?" The rain ceased, or it did above him at least, and Ienzo looked up to the figure standing over him, holding an umbrella over the two of them. His face was shadowed and the streetlamp behind him illuminated his silhouette like a halo, giving Ienzo only the faintest glimpse of what looked like blond hair. He gave the man a wary look, not really sure if he could trust him.

"I'm fine, thanks". He hoped it would be enough to ward the stranger off, but the man didn't budge.

"You're sitting out here all alone in a storm, and without an umbrella. You're gonna catch your death if you stay out here." he said.

"I…" Ienzo didn't have an explanation for him. It wasn't as if he could explain that he wasn't human and he was on the run from the scientists that created him because he didn't want to be taken apart. No, that was a secret he'd have to keep.

"Are you a runaway, kid?" Ienzo looked away. Well it wasn't the whole truth but it was close enough for him to feel guilty – not because he wanted to go back, but because he'd basically been caught.

"I suppose that's what you'd call It." he mumbled. A hand was thrust his way, and he looked back to the stranger.

"Look, I work at the coffeehouse across the street. My shifts almost over but you can come warm up if you want."

Ienzo hesitated; could he really trust this stranger – this human stranger – enough to follow him? What if he was ling, what if he was a mugger who'd drag Ienzo into an alley and -. He shied away from the stranger, hopefully he hadn't noticed. "No thank you. I'm fine." He said quietly.

"Nonsense! You'll freeze out here. You aren't even wearing shoes! C'mon." Without waiting, the shadowy stranger grabbed Ienzo's – rather thin and frail looking – wrist and pulled him to his feet, dragging him across the street. Ienzo protested, trying t pry the strangers hand off of his wrist, which he could've easily done, but he was running on low charge and therefore he as weaker than normal.

"Stop! Let me go!" He cried, scenes from different movies running through his head. The girl would be dragged off by the mysterious man and never seen again, or found as a decomposing, bloody corpse in a ditch with their organs spilling out. He was certain that the bloody corpse part wouldn't be in his future, seeing as he had no blood or internal organs, but if the stranger tried to slice him open and found out that he wasn't human… well who knows what would happen to him then.

"Calm down, dude!. Do you have issues? We're just going inside to dry off, okay." The guy stopped and turned to look at him, his voice was, surprisingly, full of concern, like he actually cared. Ienzo tried backing up, but the stranger never once let go of him, instead he put both f his hands on the smaller boys shoulders, and Ienoz tried to stare into the shadowy man's eyes, not seeing anything - though this time it was due to the umbrella hunched between his head and his shoulder, casting a permanent shadow over his face.

"I said I'm fine. Please just leave me alone." Ienzo tried to make his voice firm, but it cracked and he knew it didn't sound strong. He looked away.

"I'm sorry if I pushed you, kid. If, y'know, you had parent issues. I shouldn't have pushed you I guess." The man said, lowering his voice from the louder, chattier tone he had earlier. "I know what that's like." The stranger reached for his hand, but stopped himself short, inviting Ienzo to make the next move. He wasn't sure what it was, but something in the man's voice shook him in a way that would've made his heart hurt – if he had a heart, which he didn't – and he placed his cool hand into the man's own warm, calloused one. He followed quietly, this time not trying to get away. A bell chimed as they entered and the stranger closed the umbrella, placing it on the coatrack.

Ienzo was finally able to see his face. He looked to be about 18, with blonde-brown hair that was spiked up in a faux-hawk, with a few loose strands hanging in front of his face. When he turned to glance at Ienzo, his eyes were the color of the sea and his smile was gentle and welcoming.

"Hey, go ahead and take a seat. I think we have some blankets stashed somewhere." He was wearing a white barista apron and a dark blue T-shirt and jeans. He jogged behind the counter, giving a wave to the girl behind the counter. Ienzo took a seat at one of the cushy chairs surrounding a small coffee table. He hugged himself and rubbed his hands up and down his arms, his nervous system registering the cold chill the rain had inflicted to his skin, and tried to warm himself.

"Would you like something to drink, sir?" The girl from the counter called over to him, her cherry red hair just bushing her shoulders as she tilted her head questioningly.

Ienzo shook his head, "I don't have any money."

"Order whatever you want, dude, it's on me." The man – more like boy – said as he dropped a thin, cottony blanket over Ienzo's shoulders. It wasn't the best, but at least it was dry. He wrapped it around himself and gave a quiet 'thanks' to the boy. He didn't order anything though, not sure even what he wanted to order.

"I'm Demyx, by the way. And the cutie over at the counter is my best friend's sister, Kairi." The boy, Demyx, jutted his thumb over his shoulder at the girl at the counter, who gave a wave and a smile. Ienzo waved back at her.

"Well, what's your name? You do have ne don't you?" Kairi asked from the counter, mixing up some sort of concoction that Ienzo couldn't see.

"It's…" What could he say? He could give them his 'name' – well it was an anagram of his real name but that's what everyone called him at the facility anyway – but what if someone came looking for him and they knew his name. He'd be caught and snatched away in no time. Then an idea came into his head. He wasn't 100% sure it would even work, but he could at least try to confuse his assailants, "… it's Zexion"

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The end! Ienzo's finally Zexy and Dem finally showed up! Things can only get fun from here. So the majority of this chapter was typed from Florida (I'm on vacation right now) so I have some free time to work n things finally.

Reviews and feedback are always appreciated, and they help me get motivated to finish chapters. I actually finished this because I got a nice review fromXinshen (I can't believe we have such similar ideas)

Anyway, see you next chapter!