Disclaimer: I don't Own Kingdom Hearts. Only the plot. Thankyou. And Now on to the long over due Chapter 8.
Chapter 8: Thrashing the secrets...
Zexion groaned the next morning as he tightly gripped his cup of coffee. Last night had not gone well. After he had found Namine several art books from the library, he was dragged off to the medical ward to doctor up Marluxia who for some reason was beat within an inch of his life. And considering that Marluxia flinched every time Vexen barked an instruction to him, it was quite obvious what happened to Eleven. And despite the fact that Vexen forced him to work on Marluxia, Zexion couldn't help but smile at Marluxia's broken nose.
"Whoa you look like you didn't sleep much." Axel noted as he sat down next to him.
"Yeah well Vexen had me preoccupied last night."
"Oh?"
It was this moment when Marluxia limped in black and blue on crutches.
"Sweet Kingdom Hearts there is a God!" Axel cheered, earning him a sour glare from Marluxia who promptly flipped him off. The Graceful Assassin hobbled his way to his seat.
"What the hell happened to him?" Demyx ask he took his place on the opposite from Zexion.
"Something apparently thrashed Eleven." Zexion refilled his coffee cup.
"Something or Someone?" Axel asked as he eyeballed Marluxia's blackened face.
Zexion merely sipped his coffee.
Roxas came in with Namine hanging all over him. Axel gagged and pushed his plate away. "I've lost my appetite."
Zexion watched Namine flirt with Roxas for a minute before his own appetite faded. She peeled away from Roxas to saunter over to him. "Thanks for helping me find those books last night."
"Uh… your welcome?" Zexion blinked as she sat next to Roxas who eyed him warily.
"Six."
Zexion looked up to see Saix standing there. "Seven…"
"I need you to come with me."
"…" Zexion blinked up at him. "Why?"
"No questions just come along." Saix growled as he picked him up by the collar of his cloak.
"Put me down!" Zexion yelled.
"That was scarier than the time Saix decided to develop a sense of humor." Demyx commented.
Flashback…
"Saix came to see me for a fake pass to DisneyTown earlier…"
"I don't believe it."
"Eight I'm telling you the truth."
"Saix. In DisneyTown. God That's just not a pretty picture." Demyx shuddered as he tried to vanquish the thoughts despite the fact that he was nervously glancing at Saix who was silently eating his pot roast in peace on the far end of the table.
"Nine don't stare. I don't want him to kill me when this gets out." Zexion hissed.
Xemnas portaled into the dinning hall with an extremely pissed look on his face. Everyone in the room save for Saix, froze to look at him.
"Whose idea is this?" He growled holding up a life-sized plushie of King Mickey… in bondage, complete with a sign that said 'Love Me Mansexy!' the room was dead silent as He glared at each of them. "If I find out who did this…" he growled before flipping the stuffed animal in the air. The lightning fast strikes of the etherblades and shreds were all they saw before he teleported out of the room.
End flashback.
"Whatever." Axel grumbled as he stood up. "I've got a mission to London I'll be back later."
xXx
Down in the lab…
Vexen was buried amongst paperwork as Ixivio sat across the table from him eating his cheerios. Ixivio watched Vexen growl at the paperwork.
"Vexen." Ixivio flinched as Xemnas appeared into the room. The Superior was a more than a pleasant presence in the room, his dissatisfaction rolling off of him in waves. "How goes the project?"
"It's nearing completion." Vexen glared up at Xemnas. "The creature is already signs of consciousness."
"Good the witch has already been working on unraveling Thirteen's memories… Has it began to take form?"
"Yes."
"How long until it is fully functional?"
"Two… Maybe three days max Superior." Vexen sighed.
"Then move everything to Castle Oblivion. I want the final touches to the project finished and complete in two days." Xemnas growled. His eyes lit on Ixivio who slunk down in his chair to try to get out of the nobody's view. "I don't want it to turn out like this one did."
"Yes Superior." Vexen said as he gathered his papers.
Xemnas stared at the child. "I'll watch the child for you while You, Six, and Two transport everything to the Castle."
"Excuse me?" Vexen stared at Xemnas slack jawed.
"Leave the boy with me." Ixivio cringed, and a faint echo of worry passed through Vexen as Xemnas pulled Ixivio to his feet. "Come." The Superior growled as he pulled the child behind him.
Vexen stared as Xemnas exited the lab, unable to find his voice.
xXxXx
Axel stepped out of a portal in Namine's room cautiously. Thankfully she wasn't there… They're probably snogging in Roxas's room. Axel sighed as he stared at the almost empty tower room. It was stark save for her bed, her desk… and her sketchbook. Axel walked over to stared at the open book, a picture of Roxas was displayed… at least he thought it was Roxas… The hair was right… He was holding hands with a a brunette with equally spikey hair… "His original self?" Axel whispered as he flipped through the pages. As he flipped farther back into the book scenes featuring the other members appeared with much more definition… She had apparently take her time with them… He stopped on one in particular… It was one of him, Saix… and Roxas? No… The clothing wasn't right… "Who? Who…"
"Axel." Axel turned to find Saix standing in the doorway, the malevolence glowing in his eyes. "You shouldn't be in here."
"Saix… just what is Namine's power?"
Saix smirked as he stepped closer to Axel. "I thought that you would have figured it out by now…" Saix's eyes lit on the sketchbook.
"Memories…" Axel breathed as Saix stood face to face with him. "So she's fucking with our memories…"
"Pity that you won't remember." Saix said before everything went black.
XxX
Zexion grumbled as he worked on packing Vexen had ordered him to gather. "I still don't see why we're moving the lab to the other Castle." Zexion grumbled as he scurried from one side to the room to the other.
"Just shut it and move the shit over here." Xigbar growled at him.
"Vexen are we taking the chemicals along today?" Zexion asked as he looked at them with uncertainty. "Vexen?" Zexion called. He sighed after not getting a replay and sniffed out the older nobody to find him in a hidden alcove. Vexen was hastily typing away at a console that was next to a tank.
"What are you doing?"
Vexen flinched slightly, but continued typing away. "I am disengaging the safety, and draining amniotic fluid encasing this specimen."
"Specimen?" Zexion frowned and peered in the window to com face to face with a malformed face, it's flesh thin and ribboned with its veins and arteries, it's nose nonexistent, dim blue eyes peering back into his own. Zexion glanced over at Vexen. "What is it?"
"That is the new clone I am working on. It is in its final stages… the flesh is working on stabilizing, It will be fully functional soon enough."
"Vexen…" Zexion started only to cut off by a finger to his lips. Something that was reminiscent of fear filled Vexen's eyes. The older nobody shook his head and flicked his eyes toward the entrance of the alcove. Zexion could smell Xigbar standing there. He gathered a box of papers and carried them out to hand to Xigbar.
Xigbar watched the younger nobody skirt around the room before finally getting annoyed by his silence. "I think I can handle the rest. Get out of here and take the rest of the day off."
