Alrighty. Apologies for the general lateness of this- I blame Minnesota. And my new piano that I got for my birthday- the 5th of this month, so not that much of a distraction, but all the same. Oh, and Ace Attorney. And Nanowrimo. Major thanks to everyone who still reads this! I'm kind of shocked that people still stick to this story. xD

Disclaimed, another thanks to everyone, the chapter is unbeta'd so don't be surprised if it sucks, and here you go!

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The slow clicks that emanated from the clock were the only thing that convinced me that time was passing at all. Even a morning later, after Demyx's… kidnapping, I was still prepared to run out and find him in a moment's notice. The fighter in me wanted to skip school, even to the point of ditching out of whatever class I was in in order to find him. Unfortunately, the logical part of me reigned supreme, echoing back the words that Zexion himself had told me only hours ago.

"We can't raise suspicion. I can hide Demyx's disappearance, but if we were all to leave, then someone would notice. We have to be on guard at all times, and risking our place in the school wouldn't be worth it if we went out not knowing where he could be." He knew I had wanted to argue with him, and he shook his head gently. "You do realize that they still don't know who the twins are. Just because they knew Demyx was involved doesn't mean that they know everything. We need to use that to our advantage for as long as we can."

As much as I disliked it, I had to agree with him. Even then, with that rationale, the idea of leaving Demyx to fend for himself for even longer made me sick. It didn't matter how strong her was; we didn't know what we were up against, and I knew there was no chance Demyx by himself… If this wasn't just a kidnapping, then the more time we wasted, the less likely there'd be someone for us to rescue at all.

"Roxas! Pay attention!" I jumped at Zexion's harsh hiss, and I spared a glance at him before I nodded.

Zexion was reacting a lot better than I was surprisingly- at least, as far as I could tell, though maybe it was just an act. While I had been all but ignoring the work we were given, he had immersed himself in it, taking plenty of notes on the subjects he already had memorized. Sighing, I began to do the same. Even if this was the last thing I wanted to be doing at the time, at least it would be a distraction from Demyx's situation.

The period passed slowly, even with the droll work we were doing. When the bell finally rang, I was the first out of my seat, barely taking the time to wait for Zexion as he got up as well. There was no talking on the walk down to Theatre, other than my comment- more to myself than anyone else- of, "So we were in Chem?" and his nod. Just because I was taking notes and studying didn't mean I had a clue what I was doing, apparently.

Instead, I took the time to examine the blunet. Despite his words before, the bags under his eyes and his deathly pallor spoke miles of how worried he was, and it was obvious that he was bothered by how long we had to wait as well. Lips set into a thin line, his expression was completely blank, leaving everyone who didn't know him to the conclusion that he didn't feel like talking to anyone. Which, I couldn't imagine that that he did want to- I knew that his mind was racing through tons of different plans, some logical, some crazy. Hopefully, one of them would be able to help us locate the missing blond. Even if they weren't dating, Demyx meant a lot to Zexion, and it had to be rough on him. Extremely rough.

The double doors marking the entrance to the Auditorium where Theatre was held came into sight quickly, and when I put my hand on the knob to open it, I hesitated. "Are you okay?"

That was the wrong question. It was obvious what the answer was, and I cursed my word choice as he glanced at me, his expression not even shifting. "I will be okay when we get Demyx back," was the level reply. Even his voice was in on the act, not betraying a single drop of emotion. Finally, I nodded, opening the doors. Inside, I could easily pick out our group, along with the few that had been added just recently. The only person missing was Axel himself, his bright red hair nowhere to be seen.

At that thought, I frowned. Xigbar wasn't there, even if I had been expecting him to be. I had automatically added him in to the main group, but when I thought about it, I didn't even know if he knew anything. Did any of Zexion's other friends have a part in this?

There wasn't any more time to debate it as we made our way into the circle, greeted first by Larxene's sneer. "And look what the cat dragged in. About time you two showed up." Nice to see you too. "Axel's already talked to everyone about our plan already. He'll be back before class starts."

"When he does, Larxene and I will take our leave." Marluxia took over from there, his voice as steady as always. Zexion nodded a greeting to him, and he returned it, continuing, "Our absence would not be noticed, at least not to the extent that it would be if you were to go. We'll do as much as we can to locate him."

"I'll accompany you," Zexion spoke up immediately. Marluxia scoffed.

"No you won't. You're too close to Demyx, for one- we can't have your emotions messing with our search. You'd be of more help here, where we can use you to get messages to everyone and keep an eye on the people here."

Zexion frowned, but didn't object as Larxene snorted in disgust, displeased with the plan but wiling to go along with it. "Anything to get out of this wretched place. School." She scoffed, the word spat out disgustedly. "I had never imagined ever having to come back to it. When I graduated, the principal cried. I would have cried too, if I were her. All those years of torture, finally over."

There was the wicked simper that I had been expecting. I didn't pay much mind to it, however, as I frowned in confusion. "You graduated already?"

She had the grace to look surprised by my question. "But of course! You didn't really think that I was remotely close to the same age as you, did you?" I didn't respond. She let out a light titter. "I'm flattered that you think I look that young. I haven't been to a high school in three years. Even Axel hasn't been to this hell hole in a while- he graduated last year."

Three years? That meant she was 21. Looking at her again, I wasn't that surprised; despite being an utter demon, she didn't have the same demeanor that you would expect from a typical high schooler. Axel being graduated surprised me more than it should have, though- after all, he was almost as immature as the people in my grade, if not even more so. As for Marluxia…

I glanced at him, and he smiled wryly. "Five years."

"How did you-"

Kairi didn't have a chance to finish the question before a voice behind us drawled, "Fabricating papers is oh so easy nowadays, don't you know?" I didn't even have to turn to know that the now familiar tone belonged to Axel. He sauntered into the circle, seemingly at ease, though the dark circles under his tired eyes told the real story. Even then, the cut that remained on his cheek from last night was a reminder of what he'd been through. "It was a pain in the ass for these two old farts-" he stuck his tongue out at them, ignoring Larxene's acidicly sweet response of, "Crawl in a hole and die, asshole" "-But it was simple enough for me. Ah, the glories of being eighteen."

Eighteen? I guess I was wrong. If he'd been out of school for a year, then shouldn't he be nineteen? He must have graduated early or… something of the sort.

"You're old enough to get charged for crimes as an adult, but not old enough to have alcohol," Marluxia replied, a warm undertone of amusement in his words. "Forgive me if I don't see the benefits you're talking about."

Axel winced, laughing and scratching the back of his head. "Ouch, Mar, hit a man where it hurts." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "They messed up my birth date twice- maybe they'll do the same when I get my license."

Ah. That made more sense. Graduated early by a fluke.

"If only you were so lucky." Damn those two sound alike. Twisting my neck, I took in Reno's catlike grin as he regarded the group, though it seemed more thoughtful than anything else. Did he know about Demyx? "Bell's rung, kiddies. Time to get to your seats."

If anyone gave him a snarky response, I didn't listen in long enough to hear it. Instead, I took Sora's hand and led him to the chairs, settling down in the first row. He had been incredibly quiet the whole morning, making me nervous enough to ignore everyone else in favor of him. Sora was never this quiet, not even when you bribed him with candy. It hurt, seeing him like this, and even when we sat down I refused to let go of his hand. Sora cared about everyone, and I could only imagine how much what happened to Demyx was bothering him.

A soft squeeze on my hand. I glanced up to see Sora smiling gently at me, even if it was obvious that he was having troubles keeping it up. He must have seen how upset I was. "I'm okay, Roxy," he said, squeezing my hand again. He was just too… Sora.

I held back my frown as I nodded, releasing my grip. Just in time, too, as I was approached by none other than Olette, looking as cheerful as ever. In the past weeks, we had talked quite a bit, so I wasn't surprised when she came up to me.

"Hey Roxy, have you seen Demyx?" I blinked, and she added, "I would have asked Zexion, but he looks a bit distracted."

As least she was attentive. Zexion had taken up brooding in the third row, and probably wouldn't have even noticed her if she tried talking to him. Thankful that she had left him alone, I gave her the biggest smile that I could muster in an attempt to mask the worry I felt. "Sorry, I haven't. I think he went to go visit relatives, though. Why?"

Olette seemed downcast. "He was supposed to help me with my skit today, but I guess I'll just have to manage on my own." I bit my lip as she paused. Yeah, it would have to wait, but hopefully, it won't be long. "Actually…" My attention turned back to her as she tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "He mentioned something about today, now that I think about it. Give this to them if I'm gone."

I nearly jumped up in excitement at her words. As it was, my eye widened considerably, and I felt Sora leaning over into the conversation. Luckily, I didn't even have to prod her before she let out a cry of triumph. "He gave me a note! That's it. He asked me not to read it, but give it to Zexion. It's in my bag!"

Twirling around to the backpack, she began rustling through it, and behind me, I could hear Zexion mutter, "Excuse me," and even a "Get out of my way" to someone who didn't move quick enough. The whole time I held my breath, unable to squash the glimmerings of hope that began to arise. This had to be a clue from him. It had to be.

When Olette finally found the note, she looked up and jumped slightly when she saw Zexion standing next to her expectantly. She must have been so intensely into her search that she didn't notice him approaching her- or she didn't expect him to even hear her if he was so deep in thought as he was before.

"Demyx had a note for me?" His voice seemed unnecessarily quiet, as if he couldn't bring himself to believe the same thing I was hoping. She nodded, giving him a cheery grin.

"Sorry! I nearly forgot about it. Here you go." Handing it over, she backed up slightly when he all but grabbed it, though he looked apologetic afterwards.

"Thank you, Olette." The words seemed almost awkward coming from the blue haired boy. Olette bobbed her head in acceptance of it, however, and he shuffled off, this time sitting in the row directly behind me. Olette frowned after him, concerned. I wasn't surprised. With how Zexion normally acted, seeing him act off in the smallest bit was disconcerting.

She didn't have time to ask us what was going on, and Zexion didn't get very far before Reno called out to us, stopping him in his tracks. "Olette, you're in control of the class for now. Sound good?" Confusion clouding her eyes, Olette nodded, jumping up to the stage. She took control quickly, calling Selphie over to consult with her- probably about what game to play. "Roxas, Zexion, could I talk to you real quick?" Alarmed, I nodded, standing up. Seeing his slight grin did nothing to reassure me as I made my way over to the far corner he was in. Neither did what he said next. "Don't worry. If you were in trouble, I'd have you hanging from your thumbs from the catwalk. I just need to talk for a second."

Well. That was reassuring. Why did he put himself so far away anyways? And how did he even manage to yell loud enough for everyone to hear him? Vaguely I wondered if he did it just so that he could yell out that non-threat in a way that everyone could hear. It was a pretty good threat, after all.

I couldn't resist glancing up at the catwalks before looking back down, eliciting a laugh behind me. "Don't worry, squirt. Reno's never done anything that drastic before." I could see his long legs before the rest of his body as Axel approached. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he grinned. "Nah, he makes sure to get you with his lead pipe first. Anyone who gets into trouble after that must have serious mental issues, and not just from the pipe."

Because that's so much less painful. I rolled my eyes. "What do you want?"

If it weren't for the wicked gleam in his eyes, I almost would have thought that he was hurt by my words. "Is it illegal for me to keep the fair maiden company?" Then he glanced past me, sobering up quickly. "Hey emo boy, you open the note yet?"

I hadn't even noticed Zexion beside me. He frowned- whether at the nickname or at the note, I wasn't sure. "No, I haven't."

Axel nodded. "Good. Don't until you're by yourself."

There was no time to say anything else as we finally made it to Reno, who frowned at his brother tagging along, but didn't argue as he pulled us even further aside. Frowning seemed to be the hobby of the day here.

Scrutinizing us for a few seconds, Reno sighed, running a hand through the bright red hair that wasn't contained in a pony. "I have my partner Rude out looking for your friend. He's a security guard, so he can get into the places that you normally wouldn't be able to, but we're not getting the feds involved. I can't imagine they'd even believe you if you told them your cracked-up tale, but if they do, well," he gave a lopsided shrug, "I can't imagine it'd be good."

Immediately Zexion turned to Axel, all of my disbelief echoed in his simple raised eyebrow. "He knows?"

Axel made a noise of affirmation but was interrupted by Axel before he could say anything else. "Only as much as I need to in order to find Demyx. I don't know the full details and I'd like for it to stay that way. You know what I mean?" He gave an easygoing shrug, grinning. "Yes, Axel can shoot fire out of his hands and do nifty shit. I'm cool with that, whatever man. Just don't tell me anything else. That's some freaky stuff you've got there, and I don't want to know a single word more."

That was an appropriate summary of everything, even if I wasn't all too certain that Axel shot fire from his hands at all. Really, if I weren't already neck deep in this whole thing, that would be what I would say if I was asked to help. It was obvious that Zexion agreed from the look on his face. "How many others have you told, Axel?"

Axel furrowed his brows. "Reno is the one who I've told the most about it, and even then that's sparse. His partner Rude knows that the kid's missing and to not call the police, but that's it. Which, even then, it's fine," he added when he saw the mutual distrust on both my face and Zexion's, "Rude barely even says anything when you're talking to him. We don't have to worry about either of the knuckleheads talking."

"Feeling the love, bro," Reno said dryly. I held back a snort at that.

Even with the gratefulness I felt towards him and this 'Rude', whoever that was, I was still wary of the plan. "They're normal, though," I pointed out bluntly, ignoring Reno's indignant exclamation, "The Nobodies are the ones who took Demyx. What happens if they find him? Do you think that they'd stand a chance against them?"

"Whoa, there, short stuff." My eyes narrowed into a glare at the still indignant Reno. "We can handle ourselves. Even if we can't do anything of that sort, Rude and I are plenty able to defend ourselves."

"Even then, where will you guys go to look for him? If they used a portal, then there's a chance he's no where in this general area," I countered, "What then?"

I think Reno would have been more insulted if I didn't look so upset. Instead, Axel responded, actually sounding like he thought about it. "We don't know their limits, though. For all we know, they could be right next to us, in some sort of abandoned building. With him only being abducted so long ago, they couldn't have had time to move him far if they wanted to. As so, we have to check here. It's our first and easiest option, after all."

Beside me, Zexion nodded, impressed. "It sounds like you actually thought this out."

"Marluxia, actually." Axel shrugged, "I'm just stealing his thunder."

"Regardless," Reno cut in, impatient. With how long this conversation was taking, I could see why. "I'm helping, you know, so we're cool. Now, get into your seats. I have a class to teach."

This time, class sped by like it was nonexistent for me. Zexion was preoccupied beyond belief with talking with Axel, something that Reno turned a blind eye to. When I had voiced the question about the other members of the table, Zexion explained it quickly, though it was a vague approximation. The only thing I really got out of it was that they all knew what was going on, and the reason that Xigbar was gone from class was because the first thing he did when he heard that Demyx was gone was go out and look for him. That was almost three hours ago. When he came back, it was almost the end of the period. The frown on his face as he gave a note excusing his absence to Reno told us the whole story; he hadn't found a single clue.

It was only in P.E, with Zexion and I both sitting on the bleachers by ourselves, that the note was brought back out. I was nearly shaking in anticipation, but Zexion seemed completely calm with the whole situation. Instead, he flipped it slowly in his hands, gazing off into the distance.

"Well?" His eyes slid towards mine, but other than that, he didn't move. "Aren't you going to open it?"

To be honest, I was surprised that he had put it off for so long. In all the time that I'd known him, no matter how short that time really was, Zexion had made one thing clear; he was not one to avoid something that needed to be done. And yet, he still hesitated. "I have to be careful about who I open it around."

At first, I thought he was talking about me. However, he wasn't looking at me, and slowly, I figured it out. "You think there's someone spying on us from within the school." He nodded, and I frowned, glancing at the other teens in the room. The thought wasn't all too peculiar, especially if whoever we were up against was smart enough to catch someone like Demyx off guard. "Any idea who it could be? I mean, if it's someone in this class that you have your eyes on, then who?"

There was no verbal response, but his gaze lingering on one certain person said enough. I frowned, confused, as I too watched the silver haired boy kicking the soccer ball around. "You think…?"

He nodded. "Logically, it would be the best position for a spy to be in- it seems to be obvious that they know that Demyx is involved, if they targeted him, and who better to see what's going on than his best friend's brother?" A pause. "It's only a hypothesis, but I can't let the fact that he's family stop me if I am right."

"But… that couldn't be right." Zexion raised an eyebrow, and I continued, "Wouldn't it be better to have a User on his side? All that he would be is a weak link. Not to mention the fact that Riku is virtually nonexistent, since his social life is so vast. He wouldn't have time for it, would he?"

There was silence for a few minutes as he mulled over what I said. "You raised several valid points," he said finally, his brows knitting lightly.

When he didn't say anything else, I went on, "It'd be a good place, but really, it could be anyone. What would you do if it turned out to be Olette? What if it was me, or Axel, even? What then?"

His lips drew into a thin line, and he actually looked amused. "Are you the spy?" Immediately I shook my head, and he continued, "I didn't think so. Olette would be an even worse pick, and Axel…" a pause. "I have reason to believe that this is personal for him. Regardless, I'm keeping an eye on him. If the spy turns out to be someone that I trust or rely on, then I will cross that bridge when I reach it. A moment, if you would please."

With that abrupt change of subject, he opened the note, and I fidgeted, wanting to read over his shoulder but refraining. His solemn, blank expression told me nothing as his eyes skimmed the note, not even when he handed it over to me. Quickly I grabbed it, the paper crinkling loudly from my abusive grasp on it. My brows furrowed as I saw the short, simple message, and reread it several times. Suddenly, the lack of emotion in Zexion's face made sense.

B-16.

When I had been expecting a long and lengthy explanation on what had happened and where to find him, this almost seemed like a joke. "B-16? What, were you guys in the middle of a long game of Battleship and he wanted to get one last turn in?" The pitch of my voice showed how upset I was about this, and Zexion just took the note from me, noticing my heavily shaking hands. A good thing; I was seconds away from crushing it up. "That…"

"Admittedly, was not what was expected, but the meaning is sure to be clear to us soon." I gave him a droll stare, though it seemed it wasn't needed as I looked at him. What his voice hadn't conveyed was the almost sardonic expression he was wearing. Letting out a loose laugh, I sunk back into the bleachers, covering my face with my hands.

"Shit," I muttered, still attempting to bite back the laughter but failing, "I was hoping for something helpful, maybe telling who was behind it or where to find him. Anything but this poor excuse for a hint." My words were muffled, but by the way Zexion 'hm'ed in response, he understood everything that I had said. Another burst of snickers from me. "Shit," I repeated, finally sliding my hands off my face, "This sucks."

Zexion 'hm'ed again, but this time he was frowning. Noting that he wasn't about to reply, I huffed, looking away. This whole kidnapping thing was driving me mad, and once again, I felt powerless to do anything- which was made worse by the fact that I was powerless to do anything. That was the worst feeling.

I jumped lightly as I heard a rustle next to me, and I glanced up at Zexion. Instead of brooding like before, he had stood up, eyes focused and almost seeming like he had an idea. That was certainly a change from how he was acting only seconds ago. "What is it?"

"I'll be back," he answered swiftly, though it wasn't really an answer at all. I wasn't given another chance to ask as he strode out of the gym, not even bothering to ask to leave. I stared dumbly after him, caught between wondering what the hell he was doing or running after him and asking. Only when he was almost out the door did I jolt up from my slouching, my brain finally catching up.

"W-wait! What am I supposed to say if someone asks where you went?" The door closed with a thud, and I rolled my eyes, settling down deeper in my seat. I swear, if I keep that up, I'll fall through soon. "Bathroom it is. Even the brilliant have to pee sometimes."

With Zexion gone, it was only inevitable that I would become bored quickly. Thinking about Demyx's case wasn't doing me any good and only pissed me off even more, and tapping a pencil on the bleacher next to me only entertained for so long. Though, I had to admit that I wasted a good minute wondering where the hell I picked up the pencil in the first place. I took up twirling the pencil between my fingers, thinking back to the past few days. It was funny, how this was no longer considered even partially weird to me. Really, controlling elements had been around in stories for years, but when it suddenly became, well, real like this, then it was only natural that you'd want to call bullshit. Add in this whole myth thing that's been going around, and it'd convince anyone to apply for a cell in a mental hospital.

I frowned lightly. Well. If it wasn't for the fact that the control we have over things is so blatant that it's impossible to ignore. How did it come so naturally anyways?

A tap on the hand not busy with the pencil. Turning my head, I scowled. "About time you came back. I've been-"

No one was there. I blinked, irritation disappearing immediately. When there was another tap, I glanced down to my hand and froze.

Right next to my hand was a little blob of darkness, inky black and strangely familiar. A skinny little body connected to the sphere on top, with what looked like an arm being the culprit of the poking. It was rather disproportionate, the top part being easily the size of the rest of the body, and I almost wanted to pretend that it didn't exist.

The blob looked up, beady little eyes staring into mine, before it gave me a large grin.

Silence. I stared down at it a bit more, dumbfounded. "What the hell?"

It blinked.

Quickly I snapped into action, grabbing it up in my hands and turning so that no one else could see it. Its mouth opened into an 'o' of shock, and I could almost imagine it squeaking in surprise as I scrutinized it. "What the hell are you?" I breathed, more to myself than to it. "A Heartless of some sort?"

That couldn't be right. The Heartless I had seen before now all had yellow eyes, and this thing… its eyes were a lighter shade of black, closer to a gray than anything else. Then it shook its head, and I had to stop myself from dropping it. "Can you understand me?"

A nod. Holy shit. It was a blob that spoke my language. My weirdness censor only goes so far.

It shifted, and what I assumed to be an arm slid out from between my fingers, smooth in an almost liquid-esque way. Shivering at the feeling, I watched as the arm stretched, much further than I had thought possible, before it stopped at my chest, tapping lightly on it. My brows furrowed in confusion. "What about me?"

Moving the arm back, it pointed at itself, the arm shrinking down to a reasonable length. "You?" Bobbing its head, the arm moved back out to me. "Me." Finally, it connected. "Wait, you're saying that I created you?"

From the enthusiasm in that nod, I assumed it was a yes. Wasn't he afraid that his head would fall off? "How did I manage to do that? And why can't I understand you, if that's the case?" A shrug. "Right. Glad that we cleared that up."

"Roxanne?" I flailed lightly as I turned to face Tifa, squeezing my creation tightly. Her head was tilted to the side, and the stern look on her face was ruined by the confusion mixing with it. "What are you doing? And where is Zexion?"

Uh oh. "Um…?" I scratched the back of my head with my free hand. Think, Roxas, think! "Zexion went to the bathroom- he really had to go. You know?" By her frown, she didn't approve, but she didn't argue the point. "And I was… practicing my lines in Theatre."

"Is that part of your role in Theatre?" I nearly stopped breathing as she pointed to the thing clutched tightly in my fist. "And… what is it exactly?" She peered down at it, and I prayed that it wouldn't move. Please don't let it move.

"Um…" I stalled for time before putting him down next to me, an idea popping in my head. "He's a bobble head!"

She blinked. "Really?" Apparently mulling over that thought, she finally nodded. "I guess that makes sense, since its head is so big… and it is kind of cute."

Success! "Yeah, it is. People go for cutesy things in bobble heads, and he fits!" I let out a giggle to drive the point home, feeling my masculinity die a little bit more. Oh, the things I do.

A finger curled out and poked its right where its forehead would be. To its credit, he didn't move. To his discredit, he didn't move. Bobble heads are supposed to move, damn it! "He's broken," I explained lamely.

"Ah." She didn't look like she believed me, but she cleared her throat, crossing her arms. "Um. Carry on."

I chuckled nervously and waved her off as she left, still looking vaguely disturbed. Waiting a few seconds for her to get further away, I sighed before turning to the thing, waving a finger at it. "See that? You nearly got me in trouble. Bobble heads are supposed to bobble. Got it?"

It hung its head, as if ashamed, and I let the finger drop. "Okay, fine, I forgive you. I guess I shouldn't have expected you to know something like that. Hell, the fact that you talk should be good enough for me." Frowning, I considered it. "I need a name for you."

"What the hell is that thing?"

I blanched, turning to see a single raised eyebrow. "Hello, Zexion. Where'd you go?"

"Roxas, don't change the subject. Is it a Heartless?"

That's why he seemed so hostile. I should have figured that one out. "No! No. I guess I created it. That's what it told me, anyways."

If that eyebrow raised any higher, it would disappear. "It… told you?"

I nodded, and immediately Zexion reached out a finger to prod at it. The blob didn't seem to like the attention it was suddenly getting, and instead of hitting its forehead like Zexion had intended, the finger accidentally made it into the thing's mouth, and it chomped down. There was a long pause, and finally, Zexion uttered, "Ow."

"You let him go, right now!" I scolded it quickly, flicking it where I guessed his stomach would be. With some hesitation, it let him go, gently retracting its mouth before patting the injured finger with its arm. Zexion sat down, examining his finger closely.

"I could have sworn that I felt teeth on that, but I didn't see any when he opened his mouth," Zexion mused, his eyes turning back to the blob, who seemed to have an apologetic expression on its face- quite an impressive feat, since it was literally made of darkness. "You don't have to look so upset. It's fine." When it smiled, Zexion directed his attention to me. "How did you say you created it?"

"I didn't say. I have no clue, really. I was just thinking about this whole situation, and poof." I gestured. "He was there. He doesn't know how I managed it, either."

Zexion knitted his brows. "Interesting. You're calling it a he?"

Blinking, I thought back to what I just said. "Yeah, I guess so. You've been calling him the same thing, and it's not like I have a name for him yet. You never told me where you went, you know."

"I went to talk to Reno. I wanted to see what he thought of the note." He paused. "He's looking into it, but doesn't have any ideas yet. What are you going to do with him?"

He could switch topics fast. "I'm not sure. He could come in handy- you never know what he could do."

Zexion nodded. "And we know for sure he's not a Heartless- I've never seen one without yellow eyes." See? That's exactly what I thought. "You might want to hide him, though- I can't imagine explaining him to anyone."
I groaned. "Actually, your mother was quite confused by him. I told her that he was a bobble head, and when she poked him, he failed to move his head, so I had to tell her he was broken."

As soon as I said that, my head spun, nausea crawling up my spine. Well, if that wasn't familiar. If he responded, I didn't hear it as I put a hand to my head, trying to ignore the feeling. "Zex, I think…"

Alarmed, he grabbed the blob and pushed me into a laying position. "Keep down as if you're taking a nap. I'll cover for you. If anyone find out what's going on, then we're in trouble."

"We need better timing…" I muttered as I closed my eyes. Within seconds all the sounds of the gym faded from my ears, and I sank into unconsciousness.

When I reopened my eyes, I instantly recognized where I was. The corner that Demyx had been taken from hadn't changed a bit, and even in the light it was easy to tell. In front of me, Larxene snapped her finger to alert Marluxia, who turned and nodded to me, stopping whatever he was doing before. Adding that to the fact that I was, once again, nothing but a floating ball of light, it was obvious that Larxene had called me here. "There you are, my little drag queen. Took your sweet time, didn't you?" Marluxia elbowed her lightly, and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, gotta make sure of who it is. Roxas?" Second passed. She frowned. "You know, when someone asks you a question, you're supposed to respond."

Yep. I'd love to, except for the fact that I'm a fucking ball of light, if you can't tell. I don't even have a mouth in which to properly show my anger with.

Lucky for me, Marluxia caught onto my problem and sighed. "If you are Roxas, spin in a circle for us."

I can do that?

Slowly, I tested it out, and if I could grin, I would have as I moved in a circular motion, even if I couldn't figure out how I managed it. Marluxia nodded in approval. "Good job. Larxene tends to forget that most people don't know the schematics of her power."

Larxene waved a hand flippantly. "You flatter me, Marly."

Wait, didn't that mean that she could call anyone and have them be able to talk to her? And what about why they were calling me? Did they find something? I spun around rapidly, trying to find some way to communicate and ask them, because damn it, even if I could move, there was just no replacement for a mouth. Once again, Marluxia was the one to catch on, and I stopped as he shook his head. "We didn't find Demyx. We tried calling him into the orb like we did you, but it's a little more complicated than that, and even Larxene has her limitations. We're not exactly sure what's limiting her here, but it could be anything from distance-"

"To the fact that his element is considered incompatible with mine," Larxene finished the sentence for him airily, "Lightning and water and all that jazz. Or he could be dead. Can't exactly call someone who doesn't exist any more."

Inwardly I cringed. That was one possibility I didn't want to even think of.

"However, that may not even be a factor," Marluxia interrupted, "There's a possibility that someone has the power to negate our abilities." Larxene shot Marluxia a dirty look for interrupting her, and punched him in the arm. If it hurt, he didn't show it. "We would have called Zexion, but you seem to come to Larxene easier than him."

Larxene cackled at that, as if amused by something that I had no clue about. "No mention of the fact that you're the chick, so it'd be better for you to faint than him. Maybe if you're lucky your dashing prince will be the one to pick you up!" The sheer mockery in her words made me wince, and as a way of changing the subject and asking what was going on, I flitted in front of her face. Watching her eyes cross in order to see me, I had my own little cackle fit as she attempted to bat me away, missing by an inch. Catching a wry grin from Marluxia, I finally backed off, reveling in the irritation in her eyes.

"Tell Zexion that Xemnas is here, and to talk to Axel about it. Axel knows who he is, and if you tell him that we said it, then he'll explain what he knows. There hasn't been any leads on Demyx's whereabouts, but if we find anything we'll call you back. Are you okay with being our messenger of sorts?"

I circled without hesitation, and he nodded. "We've also been suspecting that there's a spy in the school- I'm pretty sure that Zexion should have mentioned something to you. Do you have any possible ideas on who it is?" I had to squash the surprise I felt at the question. I had to remember that just because I was only recently talked to about it didn't mean that no one else had thought of it yet. Then I hesitated. Did Riku count? He wasn't exactly the best idea for it, but at the same time he was a possibility. If he was, then right now we had absolutely no proof. Luckily, Marluxia took my hesitation to be confusion. "For no, make a straight line. Yes, a circle."

Hey, I actually needed that answer. Slowly, I made a straight line before making a circle. Marluxia furrowed his brows, perplexed. "Was that a yes or a no?"

To my surprise, I was saved by Larxene, who laughed. "It means that they have someone in mind, but don't know whether or not it's the correct person. Right, sweetheart?" I never thought that she could manage to sound so sweet and innocent. Shuddering inwardly at the nickname, I circled, and she nodded. "See, Mar? You just have to know girl talk."

Was she still going to poke fun at that? … And wasn't she the one who couldn't understand me earlier?

Waving a hand, she turned away, suddenly uninterested. "You're free to go, honey. Just remember what we said, or I get to electrocute you. Sound fair?" I could hear the grin in her words as she said that, and contemplated whether or not I should circle. Marluxia nodded once, and I was spared from making a choice as he left, the world fading back to black once more.

I gasped, jolting up from where I had been laying. The blob I had forgotten existed flew from my chest with an exaggerated 'o' on its face, but I ignored it, instead patting my body down quickly to make sure that I was back. Zexion grabbed my shoulder, visible eye wide. "Roxas, are you okay? Calm down!"

"I'm back at the school, right?" I asked quickly, grasping Zexion's arm. Thankfully, it was solid, and he nodded, though confusion was still apparent on his face. Breathing a sigh of relief, I let go, offering my hand to the blob so that it could get up. "Sorry about that. Gets kind of disconcerting, being incorporeal and all that."

"Roxas, what-"

"You know, for all they talked, they weren't all that helpful," I interrupted him. This time, even if it had been the same thing as before, it was easier for me to catch my breath, even if my head was still kind of fuzzy still. Instead of asking questions immediately, Zexion waited patiently for me to get myself under control.

"It wasn't a premonition," he finally said, his voice flat. It wasn't a question.

Glancing around the gym, I nodded. "Did anyone notice? How long was I out?"

"Five minutes, no one saw a thing," he answered swiftly. "Larxene?"

I nodded again, glancing down at the blob in my hand as he stretched out, looking mighty comfy for a shadow. "Marluxia was there too. They wanted to know if we had an idea on who the spy was, and for me to tell you to talk to Axel about someone named Xemnas. They say he's involved, and that Axel knows who he is. Does it sound familiar?"

He frowned thoughtfully, his hand on his chin. That seemed to be his thinking pose, I noted. "Xemnas? Unfortunately not. Did they say anything else about him?"

I shook my head. "No. They just said to talk to Axel and tell him that they said to explain it." I paused. "They think there's someone on the other side who can stop our powers from working, too. Either that, or there was another reason that they couldn't call Demyx to them like they did me." Zexion flinched lightly at the mention of the blond, but I didn't give him time to dwell on it. "They said to keep looking for the spy, too."

"Did you tell them our suspicions?" At Zexion's question, I gave him a droll stare.

"I was kind of a little ball of light at the time, so I was a little tongue-tied. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Zexon snorted, amused. "I forgot the manner in which her power manifested. No matter. I shall talk to her and Marluxia about it later on. Did they say anything else?"

I laughed lightly. "Like I said, they talked a lot for not saying much." Though, really, they were kind of helpful, despite what I said earlier. It was better than nothing at all, at least.

With that, we fell into silence, watching the class in front of us. To think; just a few weeks ago, the only thing I had on my mind was Riku, and nothing else. Enjoying the random classes was a plus side to my original 'mission'. Now, though, I had to save the world and make sure that my friends didn't die. As in, permanent death, not like in video games where everyone has five lives or something of the sort. Seriously, what was with teenagers being chosen to be superheroes anyways? Our issues involved slitting our wrists over breakups and wondering what we were going to eat for dinner. Shouldn't people with, I don't know, better priorities be picked?

It just seemed so bizarre. "Do you ever wonder why?" At Zexion's raised eyebrow, I continued on, moving to prop my elbows on the bleacher behind me and slouch down. The blob climbed up my arm to nestle into the hood of my hoodie, thankfully hidden from view. "Out of all the people in the world, it was us. Shouldn't it have been someone more competent?"

A chuckle broke out of Zexion, and he shook his head. "It's easier to not think about it. For all I know, it only because of the strange circumstances surrounding your birth, including Sora, Kairi, and Namine." I frowned. Vaguely I remembered Sora mentioning something about that- our parents had gone into labor at the same time, and even managed to give birth together, Sora and Kairi first, and then me and Namine. It was considered to be a complete mystery to the doctors that were helping them. "At the same time, there would be no reason for us to all be in such close proximity- after all, some of us were like this even before you four were born. It would have been best for it to be whoever was closest to you to gain powers instead of complete strangers." He paused. "No, it's better to just accept it and let it be. There are better things to focus on."

Once more, it became quiet, those this silence didn't last half as long. I was almost afraid to ask my next question, but pressed on, "Do you think we'll find him?"

I didn't have to say who I meant. Instead of looking upset like I was almost expecting, Zexion looked contemplative, staring into the distance in front of him before his eyes returned to me. "Do you remember the first day you were here? You asked whether or not the two of us were dating, and I told you it was complicated."

Blinking, I thought back. That's right; I had completely forgotten about that. Now Zexion's strange behavior seemed to make a bit more sense, considering the circumstances. "Yeah, I remember. Why?"

"We made a promise when this happened. No distractions would be allowed until it was over, and we had to make sure that our ties weren't deep enough for us to jeopardize what we were doing if anything happened to the other." He smiled wryly. "Not that it did us much- even if we're not dating, there's no denying the fact that our relationship could easily be used against us." There was something different in his eyes, and I almost wanted to look away from the intensity in his gaze. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Roxas?"

Unable to find the proper words to respond to that, I nodded. Yeah, I understood. I had to do whatever I could to bring him back. "We'll find him. I'll make sure of it.

A/N: Just a real quick thing. Doesn't Cindy from Jimmy Neutron remind you of a younger, maybe nicer Larxene? Just sayin'. Also, Zemyx is becoming my new favorite pairing (le gasp!) due to the fact that it's like the KH version of Edgeworth/Phoenix. Zexion is just way too much like Edgeworth to ignore it! Chapter eleven is written, by the way, just has to be typed down, and as an apology for the lack of Axel here, there will be plenty of him in the next one! See you then! (So that wasn't that quick, but whatever. xD)