. axel .

"Axel…"

"What?"

"Let's find someplace else for the night."

"Why, what's wrong?"

He hadn't realized just where—or what, for that matter—that foul smell had been coming from until his new silver haired companion pointed it out.

It was getting late. Going on six-thirty. Sure, perhaps it wasn't what constituted as "late" to some other people, but when you were trying to avoid flesh eating beasts of the night, (Oh, how Night of the Living Dead that sounded!), it was pretty close to pushing your luck. That was why they had parked near the closest house they could find that evening, in a neighborhood much smaller than Riku's. (If that was even possible…) Nothing run down, or anything, but quiet enough and pressed in enough to make one feel claustrophobic. Not like they had a choice.

They chose one of the few houses, a canary yellow one that still had the lights turned on. That still had all of its windows intact and closed. Only the front door had been left unlocked, but the two young men hadn't thought much of it. Though they had their weapons out and ready just in case.

A rancid smell filled the entry way, a smell Axel couldn't quite describe. Not accurately. Like old meat left raw and abandoned in a hole somewhere, rotting. It made him sick to his stomach, and he couldn't help but wonder if, maybe, they could try the next house instead. He'd settled his bag next to Riku's along the wall by the door, watched as the teen wandered past him and checked the hallway. The doors that were closed and especially the doors that were open. It was single story, so they wouldn't have to worry about stairs. (He'd learned days ago not to trust multi-story houses if he could avoid it. Riku's had been a well-lit and well-supplied exception.)

It was only when Riku rounded back and peered into what appeared to be the living room that the source of the smell became clear. The boy crinkled up his nose and took a large step back from the doorway, shaking his head and pointing. Axel approached his side and peered in as well. Let out a heavy sigh at what he saw. "Well, then…"

A little girl's body. Or what was left of it. It had to have been a girl, what with pink sneakers and matching socks. Or maybe the child had had a sweet side… He or she—no, he'd assume it was a she—couldn't have been much older than ten. Maybe even younger, with feet that small. Her t-shirt had been ripped and scratched apart, her jeans torn, with strips of fabric stained deep red around her. Everything from her waist down remained. The rest was a bloodied mess of pink and red and black and green… Shreds of her inner workings were scattered about the carpet, as if a wild animal had decided that killing her wouldn't be enough, no, but it had to gnaw on her, had to spill everything everywhere. And the smell got so intense, and the mess was so intense, that…

"Move," Riku choked out, pushing past Axel and running back into the hallway. The red head didn't watch him, but the sound of the boy retching onto the floor was explanation enough. No, he couldn't blame him…

Yeah, they needed another place to stay. Whatever had gotten to her couldn't have been too far off.

Axel, deeply disturbed, turned from the scene and headed for his bag. Grabbed a half empty bottle of water from it and held it out beside Riku. The boy was still doubled over, coughing now, hands on his knees and eyes clamped shut. Axel shook the bottle slightly. "Here."

A pause. Some more disheveled coughing and a shake of the head before, finally, he grabbed the bottle and took a swig. He stood rooted on spot for a moment, then he headed back out the front door and spat into the grass.

"So…looks like we're back on the road again," Axel said as he grabbed their things and walked back outside as well. He shut the door behind him, shooting a concerned look in Riku's direction. "You know, unless you want to sleep out here for the night. But something tells me, with your weak constitution, that you wouldn't be able to handle camping out in a tree."

"Screw you."

"It's a joke, jeez. Lighten up."

No, but it was clear just how disturbed the boy was. Just how upset he was, and Axel couldn't claim that he didn't feel the same deep down. The main difference between the two of them, though, was that he had seen a lot more scenes similar to this one, whereas his companion had spent most of his time locked up in his house. Scratch that, the entire time. It still amazed him that the other had pulled something like that off, and with his mother prowling about every night, no less. That sort of thing had to be rough…

But he had to suck it up now. They were on the outside, had to keep moving. They didn't have the time for Axel to pat him on the back and tell him that everything would be okay in the end.

There's no guarantee of that, he thought bitterly, walking towards the hovercycle. "C'mon, let's go."

Riku wiped the back of his arm against his mouth, shooting the man a weary expression. "Where?"

"Anywhere but here."

There was no objection to that.


It was like he had some sort of emotional wall built around him. Axel wondered if he was that way with his family as well—before they met their unfortunate fate. Every time the red head tried to get him talking—truly talking and opening up to him rather than repeatedly asking him what time it was, how late it was getting—he was answered with either silence or a single word response. Maybe the scene from before was still fresh in his mind, tormenting him. Or maybe Riku just didn't speak that much period. He wasn't sure. Either way, the man had given up on trying to make polite conversation and focused on driving.

Tried to, in any case. Every few minutes he'd see a flash of red in his head, see that remaining mangled half of that poor girl's body, saw body parts scattered about and…

"I need to stop thinking about this shit…" he muttered to himself.

Riku had heard him over the light purr of the vehicle, shifting slightly in his seat behind the man. "What?"

"Nothing."

They zipped down the dark streets, weaving in and out of cars that were crammed onto the road. Some had been parked, others had crashed into walls or other cars, even houses. Every which way, a tangled mess of colorful metals and a musty smell drifting into the air.

None of the vehicles were occupied, and each one had broken windows.

As they drove further and further away from the neighborhood, they entered a smaller part of town. Abandoned supermarkets, small time restaurants, a car dealership, a circular shopping center that wasn't very impressive… Just building after building. And of course they didn't have their lights on. That didn't necessarily mean that they weren't working, but Axel didn't want to chance it just now. They needed a light. Even if it was just one, even if it was faint... And why were there no trees? Usually he could find at least one, but today it was like some higher force from above had plucked each and every one away just to spite him.

If he had enough fuel to burn, he would have kicked up the elevation a couple of notches, dragged them high enough to fly right over the mess in the streets and the occasional car jam that crossed their path. Had he been thinking, he would have realized that there wasn't enough fuel for him to burn; in fact, the digital needle was hovering dangerously close to "E" at the moment, but his mind was elsewhere. It was only when the machine gave off a light, "Warning. Warning. Warning—" and subsequently cut off in midair that he realized what a boo-boo had been made.

The hovercycle gave way, careening to one side as if being tugged by an invisible force, causing both Riku and Axel to cry out in shock. Luckily, they weren't too far above the ground, but it was a painful crash nonetheless. They ended up in a tangle of arms and legs and fallen backpacks along the edge of the road, smushed against the rear end of a blue truck with its headlights scratched off.

"The hell, Axel—are you trying to kill us?" Riku was fuming, disentangling himself from the red head and pushing himself to his feet. In spite of his rant and the scowl set upon his face, he held out a hand to help the man up as well. "What, you forgot how to drive or something?"

The red head gave a groan, allowing the boy to help him to his feet before he headed over to examine the crashed vehicle. "We ran out of gas," Axel replied almost matter-of-factly. Mostly out of exasperation. That only served to upset the boy further.

"Did you not fill it up before you drove all the way out here? You should at least check that thing regularly, see if we're low—"

"It ain't mine."

A confused look. "What?"

He shook his head, bent down to grab their bags and the contents that had slipped out of them. Canned food, bottled water, his now empty soda, a small opened pack of plastic forks and spoons… "I snatched it a few days back from someone's driveway. I was surprised I'd find something that expensive just lying around, you know? Then again…"

"You still…you still should have checked to fuel gauge."

"And do what about it? You need a gas card if you wanna fuel up, and you can't fuel up without someone to activate that card." He pointed an annoyed look at the teen, as if saying, "Come on, you should know this."

"Yeah, but…"

"But nothing. Just means we're walking from this point on."

An enthusiastic shake of the head. "No. It's getting too late."

Axel arched an eyebrow at that, digging out his cell from his pocket and checking the time. Eight-twelve. Crap, had that much time passed already? That wouldn't do.

Silent (and growing considerably more anxious with each passing minute), he skimmed their surroundings, finally picking out a single building and pointing at it with a lithe finger. No broken windows. A small parking lot was out front, though the few cars that were parked had been tipped over and dismantled. There were bold, white letters adorning the front of the building. Brauer Elementary School. In one corner of the building—it was faint, but he could still see it—sat a room with its light still on.

Bingo. "There."

Riku's gaze drifted towards where the strange man was pointing. Aqua eyes narrowed. "There?"

"That's what I said."

He was already abandoning the now trashed hovercycle, making his way towards the building. Some of their things were still in his hands, but he shoved them into the packs as he walked. The sound of Riku's stumbling footsteps following after him met his ears.

It wasn't that far a walk. No, not as far as he had anticipated. They ended up slipping through the crinkled grass towards that one corner of the school, following the light emitting from the room.

"Mm…"

"Look—" Axel whipped around, impatience lacing his tone, and staring down at the skeptical teen that refused to step any closer towards the window than necessary. "—does it look like we've got the time of day for you to be picky right now?"

And the harshness with which he spoke must have made something in Riku snap, because he earned a sharp, "And what happens if we get attacked in there?" in response.

Yes. He got it. The guy was scared. Hell, Axel was scared too. He'd be insane not to be. But who was Riku going to trust? His inner-self, the one still thinking about his mother, about that little girl's corpse, about running back home and locking himself back in his room… Or was he going to trust the man in front of him, the one who had been on the streets for the past few weeks and knew enough to survive?

Axel sighed. This guy's making my head hurt…

"Okay, fine," he said after a while, setting the bags in front of Riku's feet. He dug out his pocket knife, held it out in front of his reluctant companion. His free hand was outstretched as well, expectant. Riku eyed both, his face a question mark.

"Give me your gun," Axel explained.

Riku still didn't seem to get it.

"Since you're so damn scared, give me your gun and I'll go check it out myself. If it's all clear, I'll come back and get you. If not, I'll shoot three times and you run like hell."

There was a moment where he looked like he was about to argue once more—but it passed, and with a small sigh Riku was bent over digging the gun from his bag and handing it to the man. He took Axel's pocket knife, switching it open, examining it closer as if he were sizing it up. He didn't say anything, instead gave the red head a nod. Then Axel turned back to the window, slipped it open, and climbed in.

It was an English classroom. There were posters just barely hanging onto the walls for dear life, but he could make out the numerous puns and jokes that stared him in the face. Pictures of Garfield performing several antics, phrases that were far too cheesy and clichéd but still amusing and true in their own way. Do the Write Thing. Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn. If you have the time to do it wrong, you have the time to do it again. Respect, in golden letters. And so on.

Students' desk had been overturned, torn apart…but most of them had been pushed off to one side of the room, barricading the door. The teacher's desk was still in one piece, neatly set up and facing the rest of the chaos. Papers had been torn apart, pencils snapped, pen laying in small puddles of black and blue ink. All of this mess, and yet it looked like someone had made an effort at cleaning up… The cubbies had been filled with trash and snack foods and bottled water… A tooth brush, floss, toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, and…

"Are those tampons?"

Axel jumped at the sound of Riku's voice.

He hadn't expected the boy to slip in as well, at least not until he had cleared the entire area, but he figured it was understandable. If he had the choice, he wouldn't have opted to stand out in the open in the dead of the night either. So Axel said nothing when Riku set their things against the wall by the window, gripped his pocket knife tightly in one hand and looked about the room. He was currently eyeing the cubbies as well, and Axel couldn't suppress the faint grin the crossed his lips. "Why? You need one?"

"You're cute, you know that?"

"I try."

"There's a sleeping bag, too," Riku noted, walking past the red head and kneeling down. Indeed, there was a sleeping bag in the middle of the room, a Pocahontas print, with a makeshift pillow. (Simply a lime jacket folded into a neat square.)

Huh. Well, it looked like they weren't alone. Interesting. The question was…

"Where is she?" Axel found himself saying, not necessarily to Riku, not necessarily to anyone or anything in particular. He looked around the classroom again, finding nothing new, nothing else that stood out. "Maybe she's—"

"Don't say it," Riku snapped quietly, causing green eyes to eye him questioningly. There was an unreadable expression on his face, but Axel had a couple of guesses as to what was on the male's mind.

Pushed the broken chairs aside, they did, at least so they could get through the door. Into the hallway, only to pause for a moment. It was dark… Not dark like the breezy night air outside, no, but dark in an ominous sort of way. In the way it was once someone switched the lights off in a small room. The lights above…most of them were busted, wires hanging out, broken bits of glass littering the floor. They tried to step around it. Everything was so still, so quiet—Axel could hear the echo his shoes made on the linoleum floor, the tiny crunch of glass. He could hear the echo of Riku's shoes. His breathing, light and innocent yet annoying to the red head at the moment.

So much for him scouting the place by himself. Oh well… No, this was better. He wouldn't say it out loud, wouldn't admit it, but he didn't want to be alone. Not right now, not in here...

So far, so good. Why was it so silent, so eerie in here? Was it possible, maybe, there really wasn't anything lurking around at all? Maybe this was just an abandoned building that had been trashed nights before, maybe even last night, and the inhabitants were… Well, not here. Hiding, maybe. Maybe there had been a lone teacher, one survivor, who decided to barricade herself in her own classroom. Maybe she was just out at the moment, using the restroom or checking to see what other lights were working, or—

Sh-unk!

Something fell. Muffled from behind the walls, but audible nonetheless.

They both froze at the sound, tense. Axel's grip on the gun's handle tightened—damn, it was heavy. Why did it feel so heavy? He'd used one before, once when he was younger, but this…

Sh-unk!

Again. Closer this time. It was coming from the teacher's lounge. Just footsteps away, with its door closed tight. Scratch marks decorated the wood, the doorknob had been yanked off… Somewhere from behind him Riku shifted, paused, then stepped closer towards the door. Axel could only watch as the teen slipped a finger through the hole where the doorknob should have been and slowly pulled it open.

Empty… At least, it appeared that way. Riku stood still, looking in. Then he crept his way inside with Axel following after him.

More broken lights, sprinkled glass. A handful of snapped round tables, broken chairs strewn across the room. Ripped up love seats, a smashed vending machine. Most of the snacks were gone. Huh… And there was a door across from them, hanging open, dark inside. What was in there, they couldn't be sure.

Axel wasn't even sure if he was breathing any more.

"You wanna head back," Riku whispered, "or keep going?"

And, for whatever insane reason that had yet to manifest itself coherently inside Axel's head, he replied with, "Keep going."

He couldn't see it, the expression on Riku's face, but he was sure it wasn't pleasant. Nonetheless, they pressed on.

I should have brought a flashlight, Axel chastised himself. Or at least found one. Something… They were already in the room, though, heads shifting this way and that in search of the source of the ominous noise. This area was much smaller than the rest of the lounge. There were a few cabinets, a counter. A printer and copier facing them, though both machines were broken as well. And…

Fuck!

There was something hiding in the corner of the room, moving towards them. He spotted it before Riku did. He was lifting the gun up, aiming at the figure approaching Riku from behind while the teen whipped around and brandished the knife in his hand.

At that point, three different things happened at roughly the same time:

1. Axel realized, before his finger could pull any further on the trigger, that his target wasn't the sickly, golden-eyed, flesh-eating victim he had expected it to be, but a perfectly healthy looking girl clutching a baseball bat.

2. Said girl let out a savage yell and swung said baseball bat with impressive strength and speed before Axel could even call out to Riku and tell him not to attack.

And,

3. Poor Riku realized a second too late what was going on before the metal of the bat collided with his face and knocked him flat on his back.

After that, it was silent for a long moment. The girl looked like she was about to launch another attack, but her arms grew limp and the bat fell to the floor when she got a closer look at her target. Her eyes widened, she took a step back, and a shocked whisper of, "Oh my God…" left her lips. Like she couldn't believe she had just done what she did.

All Axel could do was stare at her with the same shocked expression, gun now lowered in his shaking hands. A few more seconds passed, then the girl looked up at him. He shook his head. "He's not… He wasn't sick."

She still had that shocked look on her face, taking another step back. "B-but…his hair…"

"Naturally that way."

"Oh my God…"

Why…why was he laughing? Why was he laughing at this?

It was quiet at first, just a chuckle, but it grew a bit louder. Almost relieved, but not quite. More hysterical. Nervous laughter. Axel kept shaking his head, dragged a hand down his face. His arms were shaking. "We thought you were… Shit." Stop laughing, this isn't funny. I was fucking scared a second ago. This isn't funny… "Help me, alright? Grab that knife."

The girl stood frozen on the spot, staring down at Riku's unconscious body, at the knife that had fallen from his hand and onto the floor beside him. She still looked scared, still shocked. Couldn't believe that she had knocked the boy out, that he wasn't sick. Her whole body was shaking, and the bat still clutched in her hands made an annoying grating sound against the titled floor. Axel's voice came out soft, hoarse. "I said help me. I need you to carry that knife. And bring your bat, too."

"O…oh. R-right… Sorry."

He lifted the boy, hoisted him up piggy back style. Riku's head lolled onto his shoulder, silver hair draping most of his face. Axel noted that his eye was bruised and his forehead was bleeding, and sighed. Hot damn, she knew how to use a bat... He looked back, making sure the girl was doing as she was told. Then, silently, they filed out of the lounge and headed towards the barricaded classroom. Towards the light still glowing invitingly in the hallway.

And that, strangely enough, was how the two had first crossed paths with young Yuffie.