:D Thanks for the reviews, author alerts, story alerts, and favorites!! It made me happy to see that!

Yes, Axel is in the chapter :3 yay!

Oh, and I listened to Never Take Friendship Personal by Anberlin for the last chapter... really helped me to write!

On with the show!


He was sauntering down the street with confidence and a smug superiority that arose from the blessing of being naturally arrogant. It didn't matter that he was attracting slightly mocking stares with his tacky and unnatural all black cloak that fit tight at the chest and hips, and it didn't matter that his hair seemed to have a mind of its own, the bright red impossible to miss. No, what mattered was the fact that he was attracting attention, a gift that also went right along with his arrogance and his smug smirk. It was a talent he'd perfected with the way he gave sidelong glances at girls who gave him open, flirtatious smiles, and it was evident in the way he looked wary men right in the eye, daring them to say something.

And naturally, they said something.

"Who is that freak?" One of the men asked, his hand naturally sliding down to the .9 mm pistol that he kept pinned to his hip at all times. His friend shrugged carelessly and watched as the woman he wanted gave a slight wave to the stranger, and then he suddenly was interested as well.

"Don't know… but he's not welcome here." He replied as he spat onto the ground and began following the man with his friend, their presence gathering others around as well, strength growing in numbers. Still, the stranger easily walked down the street, ignoring the people who were following him. This further annoyed the crowd that felt riled up just by looking at him, and they picked up their pace, catching up easily to his slow and laid back stroll. They didn't know exactly why they were riled up, but angry they were, and they were going to find out why.

Little did they know, a sandy haired blonde lounged on a rocking chair nearby, his sitar perched across his stomach as he lazily plucked the melody from the strings, an easy grin on his face. The tune was slow, but the anger that he was planting in the crowd was all too real. It was a burning curiosity that he laced between the annoyance and bitterness, and it served to egg the small town's people into a slightly hostile group. Chuckling, Demyx glanced at his accomplice to see the smug smirk still present on his friend's face. Of course he'd smirk; finally he was getting a challenge.

"It seems like I'm drawing a crowd." He said more to himself than the crowd, but they responded to him all the same.

"Who're you, stranger?" One of them demanded with a frown gracing his face, brown eyes hardened in anger. The red haired man locked hands behind his head as he turned to observe the speaker, green eyes sparking with mild amusement.

"Name's Axel. A-X-E-L… got it memorized? I don't like having to repeat myself." He grinned wryly and tugged at a thick spike of his red hair, holding back laughter as the man's face flushed with anger. The air around him was charged with tension, courtesy of the sitar that played so softly only Axel could hear it. Oh, yes. These people were ready to be knocked off their feet.

And he was the man to ensure that they never got back on them.

"What brings you to these parts, Axel." A thick, meaty woman demanded, rolling her eyes at his name like she didn't believe him. Axel grinned and shrugged nonchalantly, letting his arms swing down to his sides before he decided to get the show on the road.

"I'm a street entertainer. Like the getup?" He gestured to his clothes, watching the way the women in the crowd had a glint in their eyes that normal females wouldn't have. He resisted the urge to give a Cheshire cat smile, knowing he had to reel in his amusement. This was just too easy. Honestly, the town was easy to find, courtesy of the mole implanted, and now retribution was in order.

"We don't like folks like you coming around our town. You'd best leave the way you came. Got it memorized?" The man with the thick moustache mocked him as he folded his arms slowly, eyes sparkling angrily. A couple of people gave grunts and soft exclamations of agreement, but the noise stayed to a dull murmur, eyes roving his clothing for a concealed weapon. The sitar gave a slight trill on e minor before Axel let out a low laugh, spreading his arms and giving a nod of the head as a signal. Demyx rocked back in his chair and sunk even lower, making his instrument sing a little louder, weaving through the air like an unwelcome disease.

"Oh, but the show's just about to begin." Axel's lips curled over his teeth like a predator's sneer, and he snapped his fingers, eliciting gasps from the crowd as two small flames spread over his fingertips and wrapped tenderly around his wrists.

"He's a nobody-"

"How'd he find us?"

"Did you tell-"

"We're doomed."

The murmurs of anger and indignation spread, but along with it rose a sudden doubt and fear that made the crowd reek. Axel grinned wolfishly at the man with the moustache, swinging his arms slowly over his head and letting the fire grow stronger, the air supplying life as the tendrils of heat soaked in the fuel and grew.

"This is what happens when you mess with a nobody." Axel said each word distinctly, and with a twist of his body the fire leapt from him, encircling the crowd of edgy, nervous people with a ring of heat. There was cries of surprise and shouts of fear as the people attempted to scramble away from the fire, the leaders of the crowd trying to maintain the order they'd just lost. The man with the moustache however stayed right where he'd been earlier, dark eyes boring into Axel's with hatred as the red head let out a low, devilish laugh and swung low, raising the fire up above everyone's heads. In the background of the pandemonium of screaming and crying, Demyx's sitar crooned a song of panic into the people's hearts, playing along their horror and keeping them from seeking safety. They rushed back and forth, trying to find a space to leap to safety, and in their panicked minds they didn't think to attack Axel to stop it.

"You see, you killed too many… folks like me… and well, that's just got to stop." Axel began slowly advancing on the one man who didn't back down and scramble from the crazed nobody, his eyes sparkling jade in the firelight. The man with the moustache jutted his chin out and though he seemed stoic, as a scream of pain pierced the air, his eyes betrayed his worry.

"So no, I can't go the way I came… got that memorized?" Axel reached the man and swept his hand along the man's chest, swinging the fire sideways and across the people, cutting off their screams as the fire began consuming them, it's oranges and reds and yellows leaping and crackling at the bloodshed it was causing. The man held his ground though, his eyes dancing with the fire as he stared right back at the man before him, his lips pale white underneath the red of his face. Axel cocked his head to the side before he sighed and placed a hand on the man's neck, almost tenderly. The man recoiled though, face hardening as he stared death in the eyes.

"I won't be touched by a nobody." He hissed, fists clenched. Axel laughed at that, and the flames rose higher, cutting off all hopes of escape as it raced around, searching for any scraps that were left in the wreckage.

"And here I thought we could reach a negotiation." Axel replied as he continued advancing on the jumpy man. The sitar wailed in the background, keeping the man's logic from letting him jump though the flames to freedom.

"What are you after? Retribution? Murdering innocent families because of their father's professions?" The man spat in the dirt, the fire greedily hissing and spitting at his action. "I'd die than negotiate with a nobody like you. A heartless being like you doesn't deserve to live. You were never part of God's plan." Axel shook his head slowly, an evil grin taking over the amused one as he shrugged and waved his hand, sweeping a curtain of fire over the man and cutting off the cry of agony as the flames lapped up his dying breath.

"I was never one for following plans like that though. Get that memorized." Axel spat, turning away and slipping around his creation, the heat welcoming and almost like a light caress instead of a burn. Reaching the porch his friend resided on, Axel nodded his head and they slipped around the back of the house, the music cutting off as Axel gave a sweep of his hand and let his precious gift rain over the homes, hissing in delight as they reached the dry wood of the buildings.

"What are you doing?" Demyx asked, horrified as he glanced back with barely concealed sadness. He was never one for death and unnecessary destruction. Looking back at his friend though, he saw the fury and recklessness on his face, and understood. Whenever they killed a nobody hunter, the bastards who possessed less hearts than they did, something always happened to set Axel off.

"Axel, he's fine. You got the heartless, it's going to be ok." Demyx desperately looked back to the burning blaze that was growing steadily larger behind them, and then he heard screams of fear and pain as it reached the innocents of the town that harbored nobody hunters. Axel didn't reply though, and Demyx knew why. He didn't bring it up, but he knew by the way that the man let his creation destroy the town that it was about Roxas. He was scared for Roxas.

"What are you doing to yourself? What are you doing?" He felt the urge to douse the town with water, but he withheld the desire. It would only make Axel angrier.

"Burning it," Axel replied darkly, jade eyes sparkling. "I'm burning it all." For him.


Roxas's day did not go well. After being tripped in the hallways at least four times by four different people for no apparent reason, he was also the target of a paper ball fight, and then had chocolate milk splattered across the side of his favorite pair of pants, thus reducing him to patting the side of his leg with a napkin for five minutes to dry it so he wouldn't walk around with a random wet stain on the side of his leg all day.

All in all, not his favorite day.

When the end of it was finally reached, Roxas tiredly met up with his friends and they walked towards his work, happy to note that he would get off early. He then burst their bubbles when he informed them that he would go straight home since he was grounded for being home late the night before. Olette and Pence were sympathetic, nodding gravely since they understood how parents could always nag and push a lot. Hayner reacted the way he always did. He was therefore a complete ass.

"Great, so now how am I supposed to practice for the struggle match this weekend?" Hayner demanded as he faced Roxas head on, arms folded angrily. Rolling his eyes Roxas swerved around Hayner and continued his slow procession on his skateboard with Olette and Pence, shrugging noncommittally as he did so. Honestly, the struggled match was the least of his concerns now. The situation with Leon flooded his mind again and he frowned in annoyance.

"Pence could show you what you're doing wrong." Olette suggested, trying to be diplomatic and ease the tension Hayner was giving off.

"Pence can't fight; Roxas, are you even going to the struggle?" Hayner asked as he caught up to them, glaring at the ground as he walked. His hands were tucked behind his head in an I-don't-care attitude but the tenseness around his eyes told otherwise. He was obviously annoyed that he wasn't going to be able to practice with his friend, and he had no problem saying so. Roxas resisted the urge to tell him that it wasn't any of his business, and instead gave another shrug, watching the ground as well and studiously avoided his friend's stares.

"What's up with you?" Pence voiced the question that was floating in all of their heads. Roxas glanced up at him and sighed, silently debating whether or not he should tell them. He hadn't heard the voice since class, so maybe it wasn't important to talk about it? Maybe if he ignored it, it wouldn't happen again. And yet the way Leon had acted after class had made him suspicious all over again, like he was supposed to be figuring something out. But what would he have to figure out? What was so detrimental to his health or whatever that he had some random man asking for him, dreams that acted more than dreams should, and a voice with a feminine hint to it? He had so many questions to ask, and yet there were no answers for him, at all. It was like running repeatedly into a wall; all he did was send his mind in circles. Painfully.

"What do you mean?" He carefully avoided the question, swerving around the corner and waiting for his friends to catch up, feeling guilty that he was shutting them out. Friends should always tell friends things, right? And yet he didn't want to tell them that he'd heard another voice in his head. He didn't want to relive the anger and fear from the hooded man the night before. He didn't want to tell them just to have them denounce it as just minor strange coincidences. Or worse; he didn't want them to pity him.

"Ever since yesterday, you've been acting weird. What happened?" Olette caught up easily and looped her fingers through his, large green eyes trying to hold the gaze that was studiously avoiding her. Ignoring the way that all three of them were now silent and waiting for him to answer, Roxas pursed his lips and tried to think about a way to explain. He didn't want to tell them everything that was going on; it was unnecessary and would cause problems. Olette would try to fix everything and Hayner would hunt the madman down. Pence… would probably just ask too many questions and follow them. What were they supposed to do anyway, beat the guy up for asking for him? Roxas's back twinged in pain, and he corrected himself mentally. They would beat him for beating Roxas.

"Er, hello? Earth to Roxas?" Pence waved a hand in front of Roxas's eyes and he jerked back, staring at them with wide eyes as he realized that he hadn't responded at all. Clenching his jaw in the universal sign of stubbornness, Roxas saw the approaching back door for work, and he realized that he'd found his exit.

"It's nothing- look I'll see you guys later." Hurriedly Roxas gave a panicked kick of his skateboard, jerking his hand from Olette's and pushing him towards what seemed like freedom.

If only he knew.


What had seemed like a relief to Roxas quickly turned into a nightmare. As he walked out of the back room, fully dressed in work attire, Wakka greeted him hurriedly and tossed his notepad to him, motioning towards the flooded room where Selphi and Rikku struggled to keep up with the tides of humans. Tidus worked shifts every other day with them, but Roxas silently wished he was there; he was really good with rushes. Jumping into the fray of impatient people, Roxas quickly seated his area of tables and systematically began taking orders, drinking an energy drink every time he went into the back room so that he'd stay on top of things.

It wasn't until 5:30 that the nightmare really surfaced though.

"I'll have a small bowl of sea salt ice cream." Roxas was hardly looking at the person, more interested in the table that had just been seated, a group of screaming, squalling kids. Gritting his teeth he wrote it down and nodded, plastering a smile onto his face as he grabbed the menu from the person's hand. Roxas wasn't looking at the face, and it wasn't until a hand reached out and grabbed him that Roxas realized who it was.

"Oh, hey… Mr. Leon…" The anger from earlier that day surfaced again, and Roxas pulled his arm away from the man's grip, turning away and brusquely weaving through the tables to place the man's order above everyone else's. The sooner he got his food, the sooner he'd leave. As the ice cream slid down the counter towards him, Roxas grabbed it and stormed back to the man, sitting it politely on the table. Hey, he still wanted a tip in the end. As he turned to leave though, Leon once again grabbed his arm, turning him so that he could see the grave stare the man had decided to give him.

"You had questions about the nobodies." He said in a strangely urgent tone. Frowning, Roxas looked back at him and watched as Leon's eyes darted suspiciously to the door of the parlor before cutting back to him with a glint that Roxas didn't like. A weird feeling settled into his stomach like something was wrong, but what could be wrong? It was a normal day really, apart from Leon's lecture on the supposed nobodies. Glancing around Roxas saw normal families eating ice cream and random kids from school laughing and hanging out. Nothing there was suspicious.

"No, I asked why you were staring at me." Roxas corrected him, facing him fully with a set jaw. Stubbornly he placed his hands on his hips, but Leon didn't seem to care. His hands were clenched into fists as he looked once more at the door and then back at him, jaw set obstinately as well.

"Because of the nobodies." Leon replied edgily, stabbing the spoon into his ice cream and taking a bite bigger than necessary. He repeated the action a few more times, the ice cream quickly disappearing in seconds as he wolfed it down like a starving man. As Roxas stared in slight shock at the animalistic feeding frenzy, he noticed a small keychain on Leon's belt, a strangely intricate sword with what looked like a gun attached to it. Leon, noticing his scrutiny, moved his jacket to where it covered the keychain completely.

"You were staring because of the nobodies. Right." Roxas sarcastically stated, wondering why Leon had covered up his keychain. It was just a fancy little toy for his keys; why did it matter? Glancing back up at his face, He noticed the set of the man's jaw. Something was terribly wrong. He held the spoon as if it were a weapon, and his feet were set like he was ready to sprint.

"I can't explain that now." Leon suddenly stood up, bowl in hand as he eyes darted to the door once again. Narrowing his gaze, he suddenly grabbed Roxas by the arm (much to Roxas's shock) and proceeded to drag him across the parlor, ignoring everyone's shocked exclamations and stares. Too shocked to resist, Roxas dumbly watched as they reached the counter and Leon kicked up the block and stepped through it, his grip tightening as he dropped the ice cream bowl into the sink with the rest of the dishes, ignoring Wakka's exclamation to get out of the worker's area. It was then that Roxas found his voice as he stumbled along after him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Roxas hissed and yanked away from Leon, but the man didn't let go, his face hardening as he merely yanked back, sending Roxas flying into him as they turned the corner of the work area.

"Shut up." Leon growled in his low voice, holding Roxas against the wall as he peered around the corner and stiffened, leaning closer against the wall and pressing against Roxas, as if hiding him.

"No, I won't shut up until you tell me what's going on!" Roxas pried Leon's fingers from his shoulder and he made a move to go back to the dining area, but when Leon turned around he merely grabbed Roxas once more and slammed him against the wall. His eyes were murderous as his green eyes bore into Roxas's blue ones, and there was a tense silence as he stared.

"You will shut up. I don't have to explain anything to you. You simply do as I say and-"

"Good afternoon everyone." A loud, sardonic voice interrupted Leon's husky commands, and before Roxas could say anything, Leon clapped a hand over his mouth and pushed him back against the wall with even more force than before. Roxas let out a silent gasp as his back protested the mistreatment he was being given, but all he accomplished was Leon moving stealthily closer to him, pressed up against the wall as well as if he didn't want to be seen.

"I'm looking for someone that you all should know." The disembodied voice continued to speak, and Roxas felt himself stiffen as he realized that he knew who the voice belonged to. It was the strange man from before, the man who'd said he'd known him.

The man with the voice from his dream.

"Who are you looking for?" Wakka sounded calm and easy-like, but Roxas could tell that he was edgy and suspicious. The entire parlor was silent, save for the whirring of the freezer where the ice cream was. The children had stopped crying and squalling and the music player that usually spit out cheesy top 40's had been shut off. It was like the man had taken a thick veil and cast it over the people, preventing them from uttering a word. Beside him, Leon let out a low breath and pulled Roxas farther back from the corner as if he suspected the man would pop out of nowhere.

"I'm looking for Roxas." Roxas felt his stomach plummet at those words and he felt as if someone had doused him in icy cold water. Wide eyed he stared at the opposite wall, shock pounding through his veins at the man's words. Why would he want him now? He'd already talked to him and had seemed disappointed; what would he need? Roxas didn't know him; why was he following him?! Leon's grip over his mouth tightened as if he expected Roxas to say something, and he rolled his eyes at the man's paranoia. Did Leon not realize that he didn't want to be found either?

"Roxas who?" Rikku chirped in her perky voice, no hint of deception in her tones.

"Roxas Heart is what he goes by. I know he works here at this hour; where can I find him?" His voice was clipped and precise, but Roxas could almost feel the danger underlying his words. The unspoken part that demanded they tell him. Beside him Leon let out a soft, barely audible curse and slowly removed his hand from Roxas's mouth. Roxas looked over at him and could hardly see him in the shadows of the hallway, but from what he could see, the man looked deadly and primed to kill. Lifting a finger to his lips he nodded towards the customer's eating area and drew a long, thin finger over his neck. Nodding understandingly, Roxas pointed to the back of the shop, but Leon shook his head, holding up a finger and pointing to his ear.

"He doesn't have a shift today. I haven't seen him in awhile." One of their regulars, a shop owner nearby, had a high reedy voice, but it was strong with conviction as they spoke. Roxas smiled, relieved that they weren't going to give him up to this madman. Still, his heart pounded a tattoo into his rib cage and he was sure his breathing wasn't calm and even like Leon's was. How could the guy be so calm? It was like he had expected this.

"Now, he served yesterday, that much I know. Has anyone seen him today? I have a matter I need to discuss with him." The deception and malice underneath his words made Roxas flinch, but he didn't move to run away. Leon was also listening intently, face unreadable and eyes narrowed towards the hallway entrance. Roxas's mind numbly computed that Leon's hand was on his keychain, fingers deftly undoing the clasp to his belt loop.

"What's your business with Roxas?" Wakka asked tonelessly, and Roxas could picture him idly washing a cup as he spoke. He could almost see the man stalking past the tables to try to intimidate him the way he'd intimidated Roxas, but Wakka wouldn't back down. Wakka always looked after his own and didn't let people mess around. Even with the guy's hood up in broad daylight, he wasn't going to get much information out of Twilight Town's inhabitants. They always looked after their own.

"I'm afraid that's a private matter." The man replied with faux politeness. Roxas gritted his teeth and tried to hold back the idea that he should rush out there to stop the entire thing, and Leon reminded him subtly that he was still right there, holding him back from doing something stupid. How did he know Roxas was this close to revealing himself in worry for his friends?

"Then I'm afraid I don't know where he is." Wakka stated in the same tone before Roxas heard the clinking of class against a counter top, and Rikku chirp brightly, "I've got it!" The undertone of silverware against plates began again, and Wakka called out another order before people began murmuring amongst themselves. Roxas, thinking that the whole ordeal was over, began walking forward again, but Leon grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards, pulling him unceremoniously down the hallway and toward the back exit.

"What are you doing?" Roxas hissed softly, chancing a glance back at the hallway as if he expected the man to show up randomly and see them. Leon didn't answer though and kept up his mad dash through the boxes and junk, silently jumping over the trashcan and reaching the door within seconds. Roxas slipped around to the other side and stood next to the exit, heart pounding at the thought of getting caught. What would the man do if he saw him now, knowing that the people in front had lied to him? It was obvious that he was dangerous, but just how dangerous was he?

"Unlock the door." Leon whispered impatiently, pointing towards the locked contraption. Roxas frowned as he looked up questioningly at Leon. Were they really going to try and slip through the back, unnoticed? The man might be on the other side of the door, waiting! It was probable that he'd left since Roxas wasn't in the shop, wasn't that obvious?

"Why?" He whispered, waiting for Leon to explain himself. His heart was hammering in his throat and his hands shook slightly with nerves as he asked, but he tried to hold firm. Even if Leon was helping him, he wanted answers.

"It's not safe here right now. I'll explain later." Leon snapped back under his breath, impatient. Sighing, Roxas sifted through his pockets for his key, and he was just pulling it out when Leon stiffened next to him, his hand reaching out to grip Roxas's hand where his keychain jingled softly in the darkness. Confused, Roxas looked up at him with a frown on his face, but Leon wasn't looking at him. He was gazing towards the hallway with the dull lighting, towards the eating area, towards the silhouette of a cloaked man in the contrast of dull lighting. The man was just standing there, peering into the gloom with tenseness in his shoulders that told Roxas that the man knew something was up. Leon's gaze was fastened on the man, but his hand continued to move, pushing Roxas's hand back into his pocket as quietly as he could without drawing the man's attention.

Roxas could hardly hear the shuffling of footsteps in his ears as his heart picked up speed and stuttered in fear. The man was moving, his presence only noted by the whisper of his cloak against the boxes as he sifted about, scoping the area. Soon he'd be near their hiding place, and they'd be spotted. Panic was settling in and Roxas looked up at Leon with impatience. He'd dragged him back here; he'd better have a plan to get them away from the madman! Leon's face was clear of any emotion as he looked around the room as well, trying to see if there was anything that he could use to distract the man.

"What are we-" Roxas's voice was cut off as Leon slipped a hand over his mouth letting out a silent hiss of anger as the man's movements suddenly stopped, his head turned in their direction. Leon's eyes darted around them quickly, his grip tightening as the man began working his way towards them, his cloak whispering on the ground. Leon glared with determination before his gaze landed on the bar that served as a door handle. Before Roxas could blink, Leon lifted his booted foot and kicked it, snapping the rod from the door and pushing it open, flooding the room with light from outside.

The alarm system for the shop cut through the air with a piercing shriek.

Leon bolted through the door, Roxas close behind as they ran through the alley at breakneck speeds, jumping over puddles and rushing past the dumpsters. Maybe it was Roxas's panic and adrenaline, but he was almost certain he heard the crash of a door back behind them and the sound of someone following, but the alarm flooded out any real sound, the wailing noise bringing everyone out of the nearby stores and flooding the street in front of the ice cream parlor with people. Leon led him right through the group of people, dodging around familiar faces like they were enemies, their questions and shouts of confusion fueling Roxas's step. By getting through the crowd, they could get away. His blood roared in his ears as he slipped around the shouting and confused people, hoping no one stopped him.

As the hit the other side of the loud and overbearing crowd Roxas chanced a glance back and saw the cloaked man at the entrance to the alleyway, hood scanning the crowd around them as he searched for his prey. Gritting his teeth Roxas hunkered down and added a burst of energy to his step, catching up with Leon as they rounded the corner.

Roxas followed as best as he could, but it was like Leon was made of steel. The man ran easily, obviously not tired and obviously at ease with the act of panicked getaways. Breathing heavily through his nose, Roxas attempted to keep pace, falling behind slowly the longer they ran. Gritting his teeth Roxas continued running, something pushing him, commanding him to get away from the man who seemed so adamant with talking to him.

They continued running for a few more blocks, steps fast and strong before Leon seemed to deem it safe. His fast paced sprint slowed to a swift walk, steps purposeful and strong, very different from Roxas's weary trudge behind him. Leon looked back to see him falling behind, and he stopped to wait for the weary blonde to catch up.

"You tire easily." He commented in subdued tones, not even out of breath as he spoke. Roxas glared at him wearily, hands on his knees as he finally stopped to regain the oxygen he'd lost.

"Can… you-" He wheezed a breath of air, "please tell… me- what… that was… about?!" Hand gestured around his lowered head as he stared at the ground, the adrenaline fading as his body realized he couldn't run anymore. Leon watched him silently for a moment before he scanned the area, looking for any danger.

"That man is after you." Leon stated after a moment of silence, his hand still clenching the keychain tightly. Roxas peered up at him incredulously, his gasps of breath slowly fading.

"Gathered that." He retorted sarcastically, straightening up slowly and facing Leon with a wince. There was a stitch in his side that ached, but he didn't want to show more weakness in front of the guy who seemed unfazed from sprinting for so long.

"You need to stay away from him." Leon added on as he turned and motioned for Roxas to follow. Dumbly he did so, glaring at Leon's back with vehemence. The guy wasn't answering any of his questions; if anything he was simply making more questions that needed answers. Roxas frowned as his head twinged in pain at the thought of trying to figure out more that what he was already trying to figure out. He wasn't sure if he could keep up with the piling list.

"Can you tell me why I need to stay away from him?" Roxas asked irritably as a buzzing noise filtered through his head, his vision narrowing before opening back up again. What the hell? Roxas rubbed his eyes and continued following Leon, refusing to show weakness. There was something about Leon that brought the anger out of him.

"His name is Marluxia. Don't let him get close to you; don't talk to him." Leon continued speaking as if he hadn't heard Roxas's question, and anger sparked in Roxas's gut.

"Why, because you don't like his name?" Roxas spat sarcastically, rubbing his eyes harder as the buzzing grew louder and his vision disappeared for a moment. He felt disjointed and dizzy, legs shaking a little as he tried to keep walking. Concerned, he scrambled forward to grab Leon's arm to stop him, but doing so merely made him trip and stumble, his feet not responding like they should have. What was going on? His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and his vision was fading, eating away at the edges as the buzzing grew louder.

What's… what's going on?! His panicked thoughts fluttered around his mind like a trapped animal.

"Roxas, what's-"

Just let it go, Roxas.

Who… who are you? His body felt too heavy and he couldn't see anything anymore though he felt sure his eyes were open. Heavy, sluggish hands fell across his face and tried to push away the person hovering over him but he could hardly move.

I'll explain everything later Roxas, just let me take over for awhile, ok?

"Roxas, stay with me- don't let her in your head-"

Head…? Who's in my head? The voice? His thoughts echoed around his ears painfully like he was trying to hold onto something too hard. He felt like he was falling, a dizzy feeling making him nauseas, but he didn't have enough control to stop his descent into the unknown. Fear clogged his senses as he realized he couldn't do anything, limbs paralyzed.

Yes, I'm in your mind.

"Roxas, wake up; come on, don't give in." Roxas would have smiled at that if he could feel anything anymore to know whether or not he was smiling. Give in to what? The pain? How could he fight something inside of him? Where would he begin to fight it anyway? He couldn't get a grasp on anything around him and it hurt to try.

Who… what… who are you…?

My name is Naminé. Please don't fight this, Roxas.

"Roxas, fight it!"

Just let it go and I'll do the rest.

"Don't give in!"

Everything's under control…

"Yo- don… as…"

Don't listen to him.

"List… m…Rox…"

You can trust me.

"Don…ust…h…"

Just let it go, Roxas.

Everything went black.


"Who'd you find, Marluxia?" Roxas stared at the two men in front of him, their auras completely different from one another. The one called Marluxia had long-ish pink hair and icy blue eyes that didn't seem to have any feeling in them. He stood in front of the other one with his hands behind his back like he was superior, but the other man didn't seem to care. He was busy scrutinizing Roxas within an inch of his life.

"The target's children were in the home… and this one is a nobody." The man called Marluxia shamelessly observed him with dead eyes, his head tilted as if he were thinking about something. That's the man that's chasing me. "Don't know about the other one… this one let him get away." Roxas flinched at those words but didn't move anymore than that, his face void of emotion but his eyes displaying his fear readily. The other man stepped forward, stroking his strangely cut moustache, the scruff lining his jaw and surrounding his mouth in precise lines. He had the same color of white blonde hair shorn short to his head, but his eyes were a lighter shade of blue, and not as dead looking. They sparkled intelligently.

"A nobody? Love, that's going to cause problems. His bloody father killed 'em for a livin'." The blonde haired man let out a dry laugh and crouched down, peering into Roxas's face and extending a hand slowly. Roxas flinched away from it and clenched his knees tighter to his stomach.

"My name's Luxord. What would your name be, love?" Roxas stared up at him fearfully, his knees drawn up to his chin, hands locked around his legs. His heart was jumping in his chest as he stared at the man in front of him, and though he seemed much friendlier than the other one, he didn't want to shake his hand. Where's Sora…?

"He hasn't spoken since I took him." Marluxia dryly remarked, but Luxord didn't seem to be paying attention. His warm, kind eyes observed Roxas slyly before a smile curved over his lips. Reaching into his pocket, Roxas warily watched as the man revealed a deck of cards, the shiny plastic coating making the red back look glossy and smooth. Roxas peeked up at the man's face to see that he was staring at the cards with something akin to reverence as he snapped one card up, turning the front so that Roxas could see the ace of hearts.

"Want to see a magic trick?" Luxord asked him with the same sly look from before. Roxas nodded slowly and watched as Luxord suddenly flipped the card into the air and then lifted the rest of the deck, the card falling slowly and slipping evenly between two others of similar likeness. Roxas watched, fascinated as the man deftly shuffled the deck and then cut it, handing it to Roxas.

"Pull the top one." He prompted, and Roxas pulled the top one up, the small smile on his face fading as a two of clubs stared innocently up at him. Looking up at Luxord confusedly, he was surprised when the man raised an eyebrow.

"I do believe that she can run away from the deck when she wants." He informed Roxas, the mischievous still on his face. Roxas frowned at the trick, utterly baffled.

"But… you didn't make it appear." He said softly, voice hoarse from yelling. What was I yelling for?

"Not where you believed it to be. But, she does like to play with men's hearts, and when you can't find her, look where she plays." Slowly reaching forward, Luxord's nimble fingers plucked something from Roxas's shirt, and then flicked it up to see. Roxas jumped back, nearly dropping the deck of cards as the man displayed the exact same ace of hearts that he'd tossed into the air. He couldn't help it; his jaw dropped as he stared at the smirking man before him, not able to help that he was fascinated.

"How did you do that?" He whispered curiously, ignoring the way that Marluxia snorted behind Luxord impatiently. Luxord smiled to himself and stood up, pocketing the deck and sticking a hand out once more to Roxas. After a moment of silent deliberation, Roxas took his hand and scrambled up as well, still surprised that he was able to do that.

"I've got a talent in gambling and the like. You've got a talent as well… bravo." Luxord faced the pink haired man with a smirk, and Marluxia rolled his eyes impatiently before turning and motioning to follow. Luxord began walking ahead of him, but Roxas grabbed his hand, hating how his own appendage shook uncontrollably now that he wasn't gripping his legs to his torso. Luxord must have realized this as well because he didn't pull his own hand away and let Roxas grip his glove tightly as they followed Luxord.

"I… can't do that." Roxas admitted to him as he watched Marluxia's rigid back, fear settling into the pit of his stomach as he watched. There was something about that man that set his stomach in knots and his heart pounding. Though he felt fear for himself, there was a relief that at least he'd outsmarted the guy in front of him. Sora was now hopefully safe and as far away from this man as possible. At least he'd been able to protect his brother.

"No, but you can do something of equal amusement. I'll play my cards right and guess it's why you're here?" Luxord raised an eyebrow and glanced down at Roxas before a smile tugged at his lips. He walked at a casual pace, unconcerned that Marluxia was now well ahead of them.

"I… don't know. He went for- for Sora… and then something stopped him." Roxas looked down at the ground as he realized that he was giving away too much information. Now they'd have a name! Gritting his teeth he clenched his free hand into a fist. Luxord didn't say anything for a moment, but he couldn't stay quiet for long. He seemed determined to make Roxas comfortable.

"You stopped him, mate. It was your gift that stopped him." Roxas shook his head with fervor, stomach revolting at the words. His mind was racing at that thought, and he yanked his hand from Luxord's, face twisted with grief as he continued shaking his head over and over again. The blonde man observed him with mild amusement, waiting patiently.

"I don't- don't say that- you- I don't have a disease like that! I don't have a… a blemish like- like that! I… I have a heart!" Roxas snapped angrily, fists clenched as tightly as he could get them, piercing blue eyes fixated on the man in front of him. "I'm not like that- I'm not one of those things-"

"That your father hunted like animals."Luxord finished for him, mouth set in a grim line.

"Like- like the man-" Roxas couldn't get his words out fast enough, throat constricting as tears threatened.

"That killed him." Luxord supplied when Roxas faltered. Roxas stared bleakly up at him, mouth trembling but refusing to cry. He couldn't cry, not in front of this man. He couldn't show tears for his father earlier, why should he show them now? He didn't want to think that his father was dead; he didn't want to admit to himself that he was caught because his father couldn't buy his sons time to escape. Sora was off in the forest somewhere because of him, probably lost, but it didn't matter because now he wasn't with the monsters that had killed his father.

"I… I can't be." He whispered, glaring at Luxord.

"Your father dabbled in a gamble he couldn't win… and I respect him for that." Luxord replied, stepping forward slowly. "But he couldn't bet on one thing, that's for sure." He continued, grabbed Roxas's hand again and tugging gently, nodding to where there was a set of double doors.

"What…?" Roxas asked bleakly, reigning in the tears that threatened to fall.

"His son being what he loved to hate."


:D Hit or miss? Please let me know what you think in a review!

Axel- Hey, so wasn't that great?! I mean, I think I did a good job!

Lias- Yes, you did pretty good... I mean, it was a little tense...

Roxas- Why are you being nice?! He killed a townful of people! The guy's a sadist.

Axel- Excuse me? Did you not see me walking away thinking that I was burning it for you!?

Lias- That was a pretty cool part...

Roxas- And I'm stuck being chased by some weird guy named Marluxia!

Lias- ::chuckling:: haha, yeah... good times...

Axel- Ugh, which scene was cooler?! Mine, or Roxas's!? Hit it up in a review and kindly tell Roxas ::dirty look:: that I was the better part of the chapter!

Lias- Uh... right.