Fine! You guys made me do it!
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Chapter 4: The Dungeon
I was walking towards my bus on Friday when I heard someone calling my name.
"Hey Roxas, over here!" shouted a blonde kid with an interesting hairdo. It was more of a hair-don't. It looked like a mullet and a mohawk fused together.
"But I'm gonna miss my-" I shout back, just as my bus pulls away. Oh well, no choice now. I head towards the small gathering of black cloaked people. I definitely don't want to be with Axel's "people" after his little episode yesterday. I continued walking towards them anyway.
"Hey, I'm Demyx, and this is Zexion, and this is Larxene." he said, pointing to a guy with silvery blue hair covering most of his face, and a girl with her blonde hair pushed back except for two little strands that made her look like an awkward bug. They were all wearing jackets identical to Axel's. I wondered how they could wear such thick, black cloathing in this heat.
"Hello Roxas!" piped the girl just as Axel walked up.
"I see you've met a few of the crowd," said Axel.
"Yeah," I replied shyly.
"Everyone else is at Xemnas' house, we're about to head over there now." said Demyx. "Wanna come?"
"Roxy, if you wanna be one of us it's best to get to know the whole group." Axel said.
Zexion just sat there, inputting absolutely nothing to the conversation. He just peeked at me suspiciously around his blue locks. What did he know that I didn't? I shook my head, remembering my invitation.
"It's Roxas, and I've got nothing to do, so I guess I can go." Despite my gut instinct, I had decided to go with a group of strangers. What was wrong with me this week? If anything happened to me, it's not like my mom would care, she'd be too drunk to notice my absence.
I climbed into the backseat of a small blue sedan between Axel and Larxene as Zexion took the driver's seat and Demyx next to him.
We drove for half an hour and pulled into the richy-rich neighborhood. We finally pulled into the driveway of probably the biggest house in this state and parked behind a cluster of similar cars in different shades.
"Wow," I couldn't help it as I stepped onto the pavement and looked up.
"You haven't even seen it all." Axel whispered into my ear.
I shuddered, feeling his warm breath in my ear. What was I doing here? I followed a still silent Zexion through the front door.
I gaped at the intracacy of details carved into the polished wooden walls and marble steps and the glimmering chandelier above my head. I could've sworn places like this only existed in Disney movies. The place was certainly huge on the outside, but now being inside, I wondered how this all even fit into the city.
"Pssst, come on!" Axel called back to me from the end of the hallway. How had they gotten that far already?
I ran to catch up and was surprised when he pushed me against the wall as soon as I turned the corner. I peeked in both directions, Demyx, Zexion and Larxene seemed to have evaporated into thin air.
I fidgeted as he pressed closer. "These people are different than others you may know here, I'm just warning you. We all stick together because we're all Nobodies."
"So I'm nobody? Thanks," I mumbled. Way to make me feel like a complete loser, Axel.
"No," he sighed. He thought for a moment before he went on. "We're all Nobodies. We don't exist to the outside world. Haven't you noticed that no one has talked to you?" He raised his eyebrows at me.
"Well, there was this one girl..." Wait, it had been Larxene! "But my teachers..."
"They were all Organization members once too." Now I raised my eyebrows at him. Organization? Of what? "Well, it's too complex to try to explain, but you'll get it someday. Just stick with me. They're going to ask a lot of questions, but don't answer them unless you're comfortable answering them. This could go downhill very quickly." The seriousness in his tone scared me. What was I doing here?
I squirmed and he backed up an inch. "What is- Who- But...why me?" My brain was racing and my mouth couldn't form the questions fast enough.
"No one knows." He said, staring blankly at the wall behind my head. "Just stay with me. Zex, Demyx and Larxene are harmless too. There are some others but you haven't met them yet...one thing at a time."
He threw me at a door that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He opened it, and I nearly fell inside. He shoved me through the doorway.
"Watch your step," he said, one second too late.
I stumbled. What an odd place for a staircase. And why was it so dark? The smell of mildew was also out of place in a house as magnificent as the one now above my head. At the bottom of the stairs there was a sliver of flickering light visible around the ancient door in front of me.
Axel pushed around me, and opened the door. A mysterious scene materialized before my eyes.
It looked like a medieval dungeon, grimy stone walls, torches and all. There were no windows, seeing as we were underground. It was kind of eerie.
Axel led me down the hall, passing by dozens of identical rooms that looked like prison cells. There were chains hanging from their walls, and I could've sworn a skeleton in the corner of one. Axel dragged me along before I could get a second look.
He stopped in the doorway at the end of a much larger room, and as my eyes got accustomed to the darkness I saw the outline of a group of people.
They had been whispering, and as I entered the room, it silenced immediately. I stood in silence, petrified. The room blackened even more before my eyes.
Axel passed me and disappeared into the blackness, leaving me clueless as I stood alone, blinded by the darkness. I couldn't even see their shadows anymore.
"Ahh, Roxas." said a voice I didn't recognize. It seemed to come from my left side, I looked and saw nothing. "We've been waiting for you."
Someone to my right coughed, I tried looking in that direction, to no avail. Even from behind me I could no longer see the flickering torches in the hall.
A rush of chills went down my spine. The hairs on my neck were standing up.
I felt someone's presence, circling me. I felt like I was being examined like some animal at the county fair.
A deep voice chuckled from behind me, and I jumped. I heard the movement of leather as they came around to my front again.
I had the feeling like I was in some horror film, where I was standing in a room full of cannibals, checking out the fresh meat before they slaughtered me and feasted. Then I realized there wasn't much meat on me. Perhaps they were planning on making me feel like I fit in by "joining their group" as they fattened me up.
My thoughts ran rampant as a faraway person cleared his throat and broke my reverie.
"So far, so good," said the same voice as before. "Where are you from, boy?"
"Umm, I moved here a few weeks ago from Ashland, Oregon."
"And how old are you?" Here comes all the questions Axel warned me about.
"I just turned sixteen last fall."
"Hmmm, he's a bit young," said a second unfamiliar voice.
"No matter," said the first. "Have you ever gotten in any kind of trouble with the law?"
"No," I said.
"Never? Well, surely in a town like this that'll change quick," commented a third voice. I think it was Demyx.
What did he mean? The questions rolled on.
"Any physical ailments?"
"I broke my leg when I was seven, I fell out of a tree." Why did they need to know these things?
"Which?"
"Left," I replied shortly.
I felt a sharp blow to the aforementioned leg. It buckled beneath me and I fell onto the floor. I felt tears coming to my eyes.
"Reflexes seem in order," the voice said nonchalantly. How could he be so cruel? That really hurt.
"I think thats enough," Axel's voice sounded like heaven in the darkness. I couldn't have agreed more.
"Axel, don't speak out of place." Demanded the second voice.
"No, no, it's quite alright. He seems well. Larxene!" he snapped his fingers.
A soft hand yanked me into a standing position. A blindfold was removed from my face. How had they even gotten that on me? I would've been outraged if my leg wasn't throbbing so badly.
I saw Larxene still holding my arm, and a group consisting of Axel and ten others in front of me. I saw Demyx and Zexion whispering to each other in the back.
"Marluxia," said the interrogating voice. "Take him to room 189. What number will he be?"
"Thirteen," said Zexion, the first word I had heard escape his mouth.
"Very well," he nodded curtly. He had a patch over his right eye, a scar along the left side of his face, and several grey streaks in his ponytail.
A guy with pink, layered hair walked past me and said "Follow me."
Axel came up behind me and we started walking back up the stairs. "They've given you a number, you'll be branded like the rest of us."
"Branded?" I repeated dumbly.
"Yes," said Axel, lifting the sleeve of his cloak, revealing an ornate Roman numeral eight.
"But I can't- I'm not old enough." I stammered.
"It's fine. Marluxia here's an expert. Don't worry about anyone seeing it, the jacket sleeves will cover it up." Axel explained.
"But I don't-"
He opened a door that seemingly popped out of nowhere, it was a small coat closet. I felt like I was in Hogwarts with all of these magically appearing doorways and staircases. About a dozen identical "Organization" cloaks hung inside. He pulled out the smallest one and shoved it into my arms.
"This one should fit." He said, giving it a last look for any rips or tears.
I flung it over my shoulders and shrugged into it. I zipped up the zipper and it couldn't have fit any better. I examined my reflection in the mirror hanging on the inside of the coat closet door. It looked even better than I had imagined it would. It was tightly fitting in all the right places.
Axel slammed the door shut before I could stare at my reflection any longer.
"Hurry up," He whispered into my ear. I shuddered again.
Ugh, he was so creepy. Why was I here again?
I followed Axel, Marluxia had already disappeared around the corner.
I was dreading what was to come. Not the tattoo, the eternal marking of a Roman numeral on my skin, but of what was going to happen once I got it.
I had no idea who these people were, or what they did. At first I thought it was some kind of dumb high school kids fooling around in a gang sort of thing. But now I realized, half of these people were too old to be in high school. And my teachers were all once part of it. And I had just jumped into a group of strangers, they could be dangerous murderers just trying to find some clueless kid to take the blame for their crimes. Someone like me.
The three of us stood outside a room, numbered 189 like it was a hotel or something. Marluxia pulled out a small set of keys and unlocked the door.
"He has to keep his equipment safe." explained Axel. Not that I would've asked why they'd lock up some room in a gigantic mansion like this. There was probably a secret behind every door.
I followed Marluxia into the room as he flicked the light switch and tossed his jacket casually onto a chair in the corner.
Axel strutted in and threw himself onto a chaise lounge by the window, making himself comfortable. I could see a wonderful courtyard in the backyard. Why would someone with this much money want to live in this town? Certainly there were better locations.
I sat down across from Marluxia, waiting for it to be over already. I bit my lip and watched out the window as he rolled up my sleeve, not knowing what kind of pain to expect.
I felt a sharp pain and winced, forcing myself to keep looking out the window. I heard Axel chuckling, laughing at my misery. I fought the urge to throw something at his face.
"Done," said Marluxia after what seemed like hours, although according to my phone it had only been fifteen minutes.
Axel walked over and examined it, but I couldn't bear to look at it. "Very nice," he said. "X-I-I-I" he read off my arm.
Marluxia quickly and expertly wrapped a bandage around it, and I pulled the sleeve down over it before I got sick. The cooling sensation of the leather jacket felt good over it.
"Come on Roxy," said Axel, a little bit enthusiatically for today's events, "we're going to get ice cream to celebrate!"
I rolled my eyes at the annoying nickname as he grabbed my un-inked arm and pulled me alongside him to the foyer.
"Zex, Demyx, you coming?" Axel shouted up the staircase. How had he found his way back here so easily?
Demyx peeked his head around the door nearest the stairs and said "Ooh, coming where?"
"To 'celebrate' Roxy's inaugural success!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"Count me in!" said Demyx, "You coming Zexy?"
I couldn't hear a reply from down the stairs, but he obviously accepted, as Demyx dragged him down the stairs the same way Axel just had with me down the hall. "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" he shouted enthusiastically as he dragged Zexion out the door, and Axel followed with me in tow. We all climbed back into the blue sedan, there were significantly less cars here now.
Zexion drove back out onto the main road, and stopped at Eazy Freezy. We all piled out of the car and waited at a small table while Axel went to the window and ordered four of the same treat: Sea Salt Ice Cream.
"This one's on me," he said, handing one to each of us. He gave me one last, and said "It sounds kind of gross, but you'll love it. It's their specialty."
I cautiously took one lick of the blue-green ice cream, and Axel was right, it was delicious. It was sweet and salty at the same time, probably one of the best things I had ever tasted.
We ate up our ice cream so fast there was no time to talk, it was a race between us and the sun to see who finished it off first. We all finished, sitting back in the sun and licking our lips and fingers. Zexion casually put his arm around Demyx, and Axel just stared off into space. I followed Axel's absent-minded gaze and found myself staring across the parking lot and into the field behind the Eazy Freezy. I could see waves of heat sweltering off the asphalt, and I found myself daydreaming. I didn't even notice as Axel casually picked invisible lint off of my jacket.
It was a wonderful day out, sunny and warm. It wasn't until I sneezed that I noticed that Axel's hand was resting on my leg.
I jumped up and scared everyone out of their daydreams.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I shouted at him.
"But, Roxy..." he said, obviously confused.
"Don't call me that!" I yelled
"But you didn't object to it or anything..." he said quietly.
"You knew I wasn't even paying attention! I'm not gay!" Demyx and Zexion just stared in awe. Apparently Axel had never been yelled at like this before, and I was prepared to give him an earful.
"Roxas, please, not here. Let's take this somewhere else." he pleaded with me, his eyes full of hurt and confusion.
I saw a family climbing out of a mini-van, staring at us, so I reluctantly agreed.
I charged behind the building and waited for him to catch up. I started tapping my foot like an upset mother.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I whispered angrily at him.
"But, I thought..."
"You thought what? What exactly was going through your mind, Axel?" Great, now I sounded like an angry mother too.
"I thought, well, I had thought maybe you were joining the Organization because you liked me. And you haven't really objected to any of my hints so you know, I thought..."
Fucking fantastic, so now he thinks I was leading him on? "Well let me make one thing clear, Axel. I. Am. Not. Gay. I didn't join the Organization because I liked you."
"Then why did you join, Roxas? Why? Tell me that." he said angrily. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was fighting back tears. "You joined a group of complete strangers just for the hell of it? 'Cause you thought you'd have a jolly good time? Well, Roxas, sorry to rain on your parade but we're not who you think we are. We're not just some gang hanging out for shits and giggles. Its much more serious than that."
"Then what kind of 'gang' did I join? Because if you can't explain it to me, then it must not be very serious at all then, is it?"
"I...I can't tell you that! That's besides the point!" he sounded exasperated.
"What is your point then? You ask me to join some cult without telling me the conditions I'm joining in? If it's some gay pride thing, I don't want to be in it."
"That's not what it is. I mean, several of us are gay, but that's just coincidence. It's too complex to try to explain it to you, you just have to learn the ways." He sighed, rubbing his fiery temples. "Besides, I didn't ask you to join, you decided that on your own. Something convinced you to come, and now you're stuck for life," he said, pulling up my sleeve to reveal my bandaged arm. "You can't just back out now."
I was speechless. He was right, something had brought me to join, and it hadn't been him.
I couldn't even bring myself to speak or even move as Axel brushed a hair out of my eyes, moving in closer, his hot breath on my face.
I could tell what he was going to do, but I couldn't do anything to stop it.
How do you keep an idiot in suspense?
Let them read the first 4 chapters of my story, then cut it off at the good part.
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I know I'm evil, thank you(: