A.N. Sorry for the slow update! Working past my writers block. Slowly... Next chapter will be longer!
Xemnas squinted as he opened his new eyes. He felt strangely heavy, weighted... solid. He grinned.
Slowly, he levered himself up into a sitting position and examined the damage. There was a small cut on one of his fingers. His head throbbed and he raised one arm to press against it. He groaned. Perhaps it would have been more sensible to attach Axel at home, where he could have fallen on a soft bed.
He staggered to his feet and the world began to spin. Stumbling, he leant against the wall and waited for the dizzy spell to pass.
He walked towards the end of the alley, and gazed out at the world. It was strange to think that less than a few minutes ago he had been floating here, without body or form. It seemed somehow different, but it was a difference that he couldn't quite place.
Feeling stronger, he wandered across the street, running the last part as a van sped around the corner. It beeped at him and its driver leant out of the window, yelling some profanity that he didn't catch. He tried to retort something, but the man had already disappeared around the next corner.
Shrugging, he walked on.
The streets opened up before him and soon he found himself caught in the middle of a crowd of people. He found himself watching them, crisscrossing each others paths, stumbling over cracks in the tarmac.
A woman emerged from the door of a bar, taking a deep breath in the crisp air. She was wiping her hands on a small tea towel and paused to watch him pass.
"Reno?"
Xemnas ignored her and walked past the bar. Behind him, a neon light came on over the door.
Seventh Heaven.
It had taken Xemnas hours to find his way back to the building where he ha d recognised Axel, the traitor. It had been surprisingly difficult to navigate the crowded streets, particularly as the light began to fade.
As he got closer to the building, people had started to notice him. As the darkness closed in on the city, he was no longer just a nameless face. People stopped to stare at him. The crowd parted like a wave as he stalked through.
For a while, he had basked in the attention, revelling in the acknowledgement in their eyes. Then it had begun to unnerve him. He had forgotten that he was in Axel's body and started to question himself. He didn't think he'd ever seen these people before, and he didn't think he'd ever done anything against them. Not yet, anyway.
When he reached the door of the building, marked by the large Shinra sign on its side, a woman with a clipboard smiled at him. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
Xemnas tried to smile, and pushed past her towards the closed door. A plaque on the door told him to 'push,' and so he did. It didn't move.
He turned to grin at the woman once more, trying to seem casual. He turned and pressed his back against the door, trying to push it open. It didn't move.
The woman was watching him closely now, frowning. She seemed about to come over and say something, so he leant against the door once more, only to have it disappear from behind him.
He found himself instead leaning against a warm, solid body and sprang forwards with a small cry. He found himself facing a tall, dark-skinned man wearing sun glasses. He looked down at Xemnas, his face completely impassive, before moving back and holding the door open to usher him through.
"You forget the code again? I know they change it every day, Red, but that's just dumb."
Xemnas choose not to respond. They walked towards an elevator and Xemnas carried on into the waiting box. The big man reached around and pushed the button marked '70.'
"Boss wants you. Now. I'm clocking out. See you at Tifa's when you're done?"
The doors slid shut before Xemnas felt obliged to answer.
Dull, repetitive lift music tinkled in the background of his brain. A new plan was starting to take shape. He had thought that it would be more sensible to get himself used to the new body before attempting to regain his former power. But this was such a perfect opportunity...
He smiled as the lift jarred to a halt.