My god, I hope you all are still with me!

It's been waaaaaaay too long since this story was updated. That's entirely my fault. But I think you guys know what happens when life decides to throw you on a rollercoaster bound for nowhere'sville. Its crazy; its stupid; yet somehow fun at the same time.

Anyway, a million apologies won't be enough for you all, so here's the newest chapter of Roxas's story. Btw, please check my bio for some new updates. AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW ON YOUR WAY OUT!

(THE STORY SO FAR: Roxas was forced back into the Organization, on acount of his crimes to his Superior. He was tortured relentlessly by his own friend, Axel, who did so with tears rolling down his face. The healer, Zexion, kept Roxas from death, but in the end, Axel was the one who saved Roxas from The World That Never Was. Saix attempted to stop them, but was ran over with Axel's stolen vehicle of choice; a motorcycle emblazened with the name Fenrir on the side. Then, in a second chance at bringing the traitor Roxa back, the Melodious Nocturne fought with Axel, but failed miserably. Now, the tension rises in the midst of old friends...)

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The fire in front of them crackled with heat. Axel had managed to haul several small chunks of broken cinder, arrange them neatly, and start a well-deserved spark.

The trio gathered around the ashes, each of them to their respective places. It was obvious that Demyx was keeping his distance from Axel; it was reasonable considering what had happened. Roxas folded his knees together and sat near Demyx but close enough to Axel so as not to offend him. As a sign of peace between the Nobodies, Axel handed Demyx his old Organization cloak to replace the burnt one that lay a few paces behind them. The teen shivered in the heat of the fire and wrapped the cloak around his dry shoulders gratefully.

"So...," began Roxas, the only one brave enough to speak. "Where to begin. It looks like we all have some explaining to do." Axel didn't notice Roxas's eyes flit towards him.

Another silent moment. The chilly air filled the space between the three of them.

"Look," Demyx said with a heavy breath. "I seriously had no choice, okay? Be mad at me all you want, but you know how it is when the boss threatens your existence!"

"Don't worry about that Dem. That's over now."

"Still doesn't make me feel any better," he replied, scrunching tightly beneath the warm cloak.

"What happened exactly?" asked Axel. He was cross-legged, arms folded, and not looking altogether pleasant, but his voice remained calm.

"Well, I guess the pressure just kept on piling up until I was voted onto the mission. No one else wanted to do it; they all had better things on their mind apparently."

Roxas whispered to himself. "I can believe that."

"It wasn't like I volunteered for this. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have taken the mission so lightly. But I had no idea you two had taken out Saix. Man! Talk about your men on the run!"

"Skip to the good stuff Demyx. We already knew about that," Axel said.

"Oh…um…Well, first the superior told me to head to Hollow Bastion. When you weren't there, he wasn't too happy. So, he sent me here. Told me to bring back Roxas alive, and," he looked at Axel, "Take out any resistance."

"Oh really? And that's your reason for fighting me?"

"…Yes."

Axel sighed loudly. The reality of the situation set in slowly. They were wanted men now, Roxas especially. How could they possibly take on the Organization?

With another loud huff of air, Axel stood. "Well, looks like we're in this together now."

"What?"

"What are you talking about Axel?" said Roxas.

"We need to get moving if we're going to stay ahead of the rest of them. Roxas, you'll have to stay as inconspicuous as possible. We'll have to change your clothes obviously, and we might have to cut your hair too. Demyx, you're on defense, got it?"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down! Who said anything about me staying with you two? I've got a job to do and–"

"And if the rest of the gang finds out you failed, who's going to get the brunt of the punishment?"

Demyx's head started to swirl. He never thought of it like that.

"I uh…I see where you're coming from." The musician stared hard into the flames. Axel was right. His existence was no more important than theirs now. "I…I don't really have anywhere else to go, so...yeah."

Pacing, Axel considered their circumstances. A change of outfits was definitely needed if they were going to blend in. One of them would probably have to change names, hairstyle, or possibly, Axel would have to get his tattoos removed. Either way, they had to get rid of their cloaks.

"Alright, we need to get a good nights' rest before we do anything else. Suggestions?"

Demyx was the first. "How about the local inn? Not a bad place I hear."

"Okay, anything else?" No one spoke up. "Inn it is. Who's got the cash?"

Roxas held up the bag of munny. It was bulging at the sides, but they would have to keep the majority of it saved for emergencies. Roxas saw a flash of greed wash over Axel, but it passed quickly. Guess I have to be wary of everyone, now, he thought.

A blaze of lightning swept across the sky, followed by a loud crash of thunder. The three of them had been oblivious to the coming storm and now it was right on top of them. The coming rain was so evident now that they could actually smell the wetness in the air; especially Demyx, being the only water expert among them.

"We should be going," the taller blonde said.

"Yeah," agreed the smaller.

Axel stood, wiped off some dust that had gathered at the back of his black jeans, and casually crossed his arms. The other two didn't seem to notice. Roxas was starting to doubt his intentions – he could see it in the boy's face – while Demyx was cautious to begin with. Each of them was beginning to grow suspicious of the other. It was going to be a very, very long night.

"Then let's not waste anymore time."

IIIXxXxXIII

Twilight Town had only one inn to offer. It was a drab, old-fashioned place with very few available rooms. The woman at the front desk looked almost as ancient as the building itself. She directed them to the second floor after handing Axel a pair of rusted keys.

"And how long will you gentleman be staying with us?" she said before they trekked up the stairs. They were three teenagers, covered in dust, sprayed with blood, with ripped clothes and scratches all over. Lucky for them, she couldn't see very well.

"Just for the night," replied Axel.

"Very well then." The lady smiled through thick glasses. Demyx, the last one in line, smiled back.

The room was drabber still. Two full beds with brown comforters and brown pillows, a large couch with a brown and white pattern, a lonely lamp, and an antique TV with buttons instead of a remote. The walls clearly hadn't been painted in many years.

Still, the boys were grateful for a warm bed and soft blankets. And even though they wouldn't say it out loud, they were just as grateful to not have to share a bed.

But the real question on their mind was…who gets the couch?

They were all just standing in the doorway, waiting for nothing in particular. It was tense, until Roxas moved.

He sat on the couch, evidently claiming it as his own. With his hands in his lap, Roxas' sky-blue eyes gazed at the floor, ignoring the others. He was solemn, possibly even depressed, but he was definitely in his own world for a while. He would toy with his thoughts, play with old memories, and cache the unpleasant ones. Roxas propped his feet up on one side of the bland colored sofa and lay his head on the other. Now, he would stare at the ceiling for a time.

Demyx and Axel nodded in agreement. Some silence would be good for all of them; give them time to relax as well as think.

Choosing the closest bed, Demyx curled into a ball, like a dog lying on its favorite pillow. His hair was ruffled, his clothes messed up, but he didn't care. Four square walls and a blanket were all he needed.

Axel had no choice in picking the farthest bed. It faced a large, curtained window which gave him a view of the clock tower. The outside storm busied itself with currents of rain and wind. A low rumble of thunder vibrated through the floor, taking on the sound of volcano erupting. Axel felt his legs shake with it.

Spreading his long legs over the sheets and lacing his fingers behind his hair, Axel decided he was content for the time being. He was careful not to position too much of his weight on the small welt Demyx had given him and he didn't really have too many clothes to spare after giving up his cloak. However, the bed itself was pretty comfortable, the room wasn't terribly exciting, but they'd all had enough of excitement for a while. The pitter-patter of rain on glass was somewhat peaceful, too. It soothed over Axel's vibrant nerves and calmed his rattling brain.

Peace, and quiet.

Music to my ears.

Soon enough, the smallest blonde began to snore. It was a soft sound; not annoying of course, but it betrayed the boy's tendency to fall asleep almost instantly.

"That was quick," Axel whispered into the air.

"Uh-huh."

Damn. I thought he was asleep too.

Axel held still; he wasn't sure whether to ignore Demyx, or speak back. Perhaps quiet would be better…

"You care about him a lot, don't you?"

What? "What are you talking about?"

"Roxas; he's your best friend, right?" Thankfully, Demyx's back was facing Axel. Nobodies didn't have emotion; this was a well known fact. However, Axel was having a hard controlling the seemingly fake emotions that continued to rise. At the moment, he was experiencing pain, anger at Demyx's intrusion on his personal life, and confusion. Yes, Roxas was his best friend, but what was Demyx getting at?

"…Why else would I help him, Dem? He needed somebody, anybody." Axel chose his words carefully. He didn't want to make Demyx seem left out, or inferior to Roxas. "…What happened to you was nothing personal. But, he needed protecting."

"I know, and I know what I did was stupid. I should've known right away following the boss' orders would get me in trouble."

Axel laughed. Demyx was always in trouble. Whether it was for fun or on accident, the blond constantly found himself in sticky situations. It was usually he or Roxas that ended up helping him out of them. But it hadn't been that way today. Everything had gone wrong; everyone had blamed everyone, and the blood continued to spill. They couldn't continue like this. Despite the wounds, hatred, and guilt, no one was truly at fault that day. The Superior, who had given out every bloody order since Roxas' torture date, was the one responsible.

…He will pay.

"He's like your little brother, I guess."

"You could say that. But…I don't think he trusts me right now."

Demyx shuffled underneath his blankets. Yeah…I don't really trust you either.

It wasn't long until the musician had nodded off too. Pulling a hand out from beneath his head, Axel stared at it. Hard.

Hundreds of near invisible lines were etched into it; some from age, some from usage over time. An equally invisible pattern covered all five fingers, making a human blueprint out of his own skin. An old scar crossed his thumb; a knife had sliced him while he had tried – for the first and only time – to learn how to cook. He wondered if it would ever go away, or if he'd have it the rest of his life.

Guess only time will tell.

Though Nobodies weren't human, they were still destined to live a normal life span. Given that they weren't meant to exist, this small little miracle let them live like real people. After, that was what they wished for in the first place.

Axel continued to look at the scratches that were woven into his mortal skin. Some were from old fights, some weren't. Most of them were from his battle today. It was amazing how easily flesh could be torn.

Demyx…he lost so much blood today…it's a wonder he's still alive.

He cringed when he thought about what kind of hurt his pyrotechnics could do. He had nearly caused an old friend to die by his hands, by his weapons. And to top it off, he'd dismissed the whole scenario like it was dust off his shoulders, like it was nothing more than trash. The old Axel would never have done something so careless; the old Axel had so much more to do in life.

The old Axel…probably didn't exist anymore…

…What have I become?

IIIXxXxXIII