o3 Chapter: Attack

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"Look!" Sora shouted, despite Leon's asking for him to be silent on several occasions. If anyone heard them, it would only make things several times more troublesome. Nonetheless, the child gestured to a cover of brushes. A chain shook violently. Connected to it was a shut bear trap. It had bitten a gray canine, whimpering and pawing the leaves with its forepaws. One of the rear legs were cut and restrained by the teeth of the man-made device. It let out an intimidated cry in its throat as Sora drew closer.

"We should help it!" Goofy exclaimed the obvious, rather loudly.

But Leon was already on it. He pushed lightly through the small group and kneeled over before the entrapment. The leaves crushed underneath his jeans. The officer place his gloved hands, fingerless ones, on the opposite ends of the jagged jaw. A small grunt was made as he forcefully pulled the pieces apart; they released a ;'kkrr!' noise thanks to the accumulated rust and heavy weight. The dog whimpered as the blades left his damaged leg and limped forward to escape the area where its inanimate restrainer laid. Snap! Leon let go and the bear trap connected once more.

Injured paw patted the ground. The dog could still walk, even, perhaps, run. It didn't look back as it bolted away with a grateful yip.

"Let's keep going."

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A village loomed over the four foreigners. The many establishments came into view, as well as the mindless citizens that meandered through the town doing their daily chores... supposedly. A voluminous bon fire was placed within the center. Its flames ate at the piled woods and something that hung from a driven in stake. But that wasn't it. Heartless slithered through the buildings and lept on the rooftops. The ganados didn't seem to mind.

"Keep back," the government agent urged and inched towards a lone, dead tree. It was wide enough to conceal his body. He took out an electronical binocular from his many strap sockets that lined against his chest and stomach. Leon could hear the whirring of the machines that operated inside as he pulled it close and peered through the smaller ends. He zoomed in, lights and measuring distances flickering on one side. He saw what was hanging in the flames.

A body. Leon could tell: it was one of the officers. His skin and face were burned and melted to the point of unidentification. But – he had seen worse. The corpse hung by a hook pierced through the heart. His blueish clothing had been charred and turned brackish. But the villagers were speechlessly nonchalant; one of the men walked by pulling a barrel full of hay and nearly ran over a chicken. He looked to the homes. What were those things? The Heartless the trio were talking about? They did exist? Leon cursed to himself. Why did his first jobs always start like this, a Hell on Earth? He pulled the binoculars away.

"Leon, what are you looking at?" Sora whispered from behind behind his back. But his qusetion wouldn't be answered.

"Sora! The Heartless!" Goofy shouted, retrieving the large shield equipped on his back.

The shadows clawed their way out of the ground and reverted to their three dimensional forms. They had blockaded their only exit. Leon blinked and looked back; the faint figures of blackness had disappeared from the village. Those things had already found them out? He raised his trigger-happy finger and aimed his arsenal at one of the beasts.

But Sora interfered. He rushed forward and tugged at the man's jacket sleeve. "Come on! We better warn the people over there!" He didn't know about the citizens'... suspicious behaviors.

"Wait-!" Leon uttered but a second too late.

Running towards the villagers, the young teenager waved his hands furiously in the air. "Hey, everybody! You have to run!"

"¡Hey, acá..." one of the villagers moaned and nodded his head off to the entrance of their town. One of his companions stared blankly at him. "¡Detrás de tí, imbécil!"

It was then the establishment geared into action. "¡Un forastero¡Un forastero!" someone repeated. And as if by habit, all the villagers dropped their chores and meager tasks and picked up the nearest farm tool that could be used as a nice skewer against flesh. Things like scythes, pitchforks, axes, and even the common kitchen knives were ransacked from their stables and homes. The townspeople immediately began to gather into a pack. And Sora's eyes widened to the sight.

"Guys, I'm not the enemy!" He pointed to where the Heartless had formed, not knowing of their previous inhabitance in the very area he stood. "Those things..."

"¡Te voy a matar..." a native interrupted.

Why aren't they listening?

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Goofy tackled his rounded defense at the miniature horde of Heartless. Their bug-like faces crashed against it, but they were barely fazed, only leaping back to catch their balance once more. Donald raised his staff in the air. "Take dis!" he shouted and what came down caused Leon to shield his face as if a grenade had landed and exploded five feet in front of him. A thunderous noise pummled his eardrums as a lightning, out of nowhere, crashed onto the ground and engulfing several of the Heartless with it. But they were still 'alive.'

Leon stepped back, moving closer into the town. A bullet escaped the barrel of his handgun and ate into one of the creature's pair of eyes. It reeled back and exploded into a myriad of black shards. The renmants scattered into the air, as well as a small fragment of light.

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A ganados thrust his scythe downwards upon Sora. He swung his right arm back. Light flickered around his fingertips, and a key-shaped blade arose from thin air. The teenager brought it up just as the other weapon fell. He placed his other hand on the opposite side and began a struggling battle of tug-o-war. The other villagers closed in as well, ready to see how much steel they could insert into the boy's small frame.

He pulled forward and threw the man off. He gripped his Keyblade's handle now with both hands. There were too many of them! And they were people! Why were they attacking? And his friends. Could he look back?

"We're not here to fight!" Sora shouted, in another attempt to change his attackers' minds.

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Kennedy, Goofy, and Donald continued retreating closer to Sora. The man turned and grasped Sora by the shoulder. He was given the response of a sudden gasp and swing of an oddly shaped sword at his face. Luckily, it just grazed by. Who would want to have a concussion at a time like this? "Huh! You don't really like to listen?" Eyes averted to the buildings. Was there somewhere they could escape to?

He saw a house open, its door still attached. Except for a single window, and another one a whole floor up, it looked like there was no other way in. But it was behind the crowd of hostile inhabitants. Then he noticed a break between it and another home. If they could get behind it and around... Leon grunted. There was only one person in the way.

Bang! The obstacle fell to the ground, clutching its wounded knee.

"This way," Leon ordered. The three nodded, as the government agent shoved through the fallen native and towards the rear of the intended house.

There was space. No one was behind it. Leon felt a little better.

"Where are we going?" Sora asked, looking behind him. The villagers were following, and he could hear the words that spilt from their mouths, none which he could understand.

"The house right over there." They made it around the house. All they had to do was make a left and pull back into the building.

A villager lunged out from the right. "¡Te cogí!"

Leon could see the unbrushed teeth of the man as he snarled and his face came close. Arms reached out to crush his neck. The twenty-six year old threw up his armed hand and pulled the trigger. Click. He pulled again. Click. Sea green orbs widened. Damn!

And the fingers tightened against his skin, wrenching it like a piece of play-doh.

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Author's Note: Ech. :3 Could have been done a little better. XD Thanks for the reviews again:3