Chapter 7: Killing the Competition- Day 1

Once Roxas had cooled from all of Axel's teasing he and Axel headed to the hub. "This is where you will be assigned missions. Saix, the blue-haired scary looking guy over there," Axel pointed to a guy a little taller than Axel and an X shaped scar on his face standing at a window staring at the moon, "he'll assign them to you. He may look ferocious but he's one of my best friends…" Axel trailed off as he finished. Roxas looked at Axel then to Saix.

"'Lo?! Earth to Axel!" Roxas said, waving his hand in front of Axel's face.

"Oh! Sorry man!" Axel laughed "Must have dozed off for a second!" He continued laughing as he strolled over toward Saix. He clasped Saix's shoulder and Saix turned around to face his friend. " Yo! What's up bud?" Axel asked. "Any missions for me and my boy Roxas here today?" He had a big grin on his face as always. Saix on the other hand seemed like he had never smiled once in his life. "How can they be friends?" Roxas thought, "Axel's so leaned back and Saix is so up tight. I can hardly see how they would get along for more than 3 seconds!"

"You know that's way beyond his ability!" Axel yelled, shocking Roxas back into reality. "He'd get killed out there! He's in no condition to take on that mission and you know it!"

"Yes well seeing as we are short on members lately he's our only option Axel." Saix replied calmly, "On top of that wasn't it you who said-"

"I know what I said and I intend on doing what I said!" Axel thought for a moment. "Let me go on the mission Sai, I'll take down the massive heartless and you can send Roxas on a lower ranked mission yeah?"

"Um..sorry but why can't I go with you Axel?" Roxas interrupted.

"Oh! Sorry Roxas!" Axel replied. "I gues you were standing right there weren't you?" He laughed and patted Roxas's head. "It's way too strong for a pipsqueak like you to handle, let the men handle this?"

"Stop calling me names!" Roxas yelled at him.

"Or what?" Axel chuckled. Roxas looked at him and began tickling his red-haired friend.

"Or this'll happen" Roxas stuck his toungge out and kept tickling Axel's sides. Axel laughed and begged for mercy. When Roxas helped him up he explained to Roxas the situation. A giant heartless was conjured up today and since he had just got his powers back today wouldn't be the best day for him to take on a S ranked mission. "Oh…" Roxas looked depressed when Axel finished. "That means I wont see you today…right?" Axel frowned and looked the boy in the eyes.

"Hey! Don't be sad, we'll hang out soon okay?" Axel put on a big smile, which made Roxas smile in turn.

"Promise?"

"You bet!"

With that Axel headed out through a dark portal off to fight the heartless. After he had left Roxas was approached by Saix who kneeled in front of him to ge eye level. He stared into Roxas's eyes and glared.

"You don't remember a damn thing do you nuisance?" Roxas was shocked and couldn't speak.

"This guy is seriously scary!" He thought. "Now I really can't see how them two can be friends!"

"Just as I thought." Saix turned and opened a portal. "Your mission today is to eliminate all the heartless in Hallow Bastion. And don't even think about coming back until all of them are gone. I'll expose you faster than you can even think of escaping this time."

Roxas nodded and walked through the portal, shaking the closer he got to Saix.

"That was SERIOUSLY scary" Roxas thought, "If I would have known that was goimg to happen I would have begged Axel to take me with him." He chuckled, "He would've taken me too, he has a soft spot for me." Soon Roxas was lost in thought but he kept walking down the long corridor. His feet knew the way. When he snapped back he was at the end and another portal was in front of him. "Well," he commented, "I guess there's nothing to it but to do it." Roxas walked through the portal and into Hallow Bastion.