Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War
By
Daniel Wood
Chapter 10: Meet the Incredibles
Hades chuckled and grinned as he surveyed the strategy table in his chamber, becoming more and more excited by the minute. Sure, Pete had taken off in true, cowardly fashion after Sora had emerged victorious but as he had gleefully told himself again and again, "So what?" Thanks to his 'Nutmeg' bait, the 'suckers' had unlocked the Underdrome for him. The Hydra had succeeded in demolishing the Coliseum upstairs, making Hades' arena the only game in town. And his still-secure relationship with Maleficent had increased his Heartless collection, meaning the God of the Underworld could continue to wear down Hercules.
Hades removed the Heartless chess pieces from the table and tossed them to one side, not even caring Zeus' son had once again survived an ambush. He took great pride in noting how badly chipped and cracked the Hercules statue was. He was getting tired and on the road to becoming a true zero. He couldn't keep going much longer, and once the Hades Cup was up-and-running, no more obstacles and Olympus would at long last be his.
And as for Sora, Donald and Goofy…well, Auron would see to that. At first, Hades had been infuriated that the dishonoured warrior had tried to rebel and escape, but was later in hysterics over how Auron had rediscovered that Hades owned him. And could never leave his services until Hades said his contract was finished.
Which would probably be never.
Hades returned to his throne and relaxed happily. He snapped his fingers, and a table appeared by his side. On it, was a black cocktail and a bowl of live worms. Taking his glass, the Underworld's lord first sucked the straw whole into his mouth in bliss. After he had digested it, he put the glass back down on the table and had just rolled his tongue out to drop a fat, juicy worm onto it when suddenly…
"Um…boss?" asked Panic, very sheepishly.
Hades sighed in annoyance, then turned to face his minions, his snack still dangling and wriggling in his clutches.
"Guys…I have had a great day today. So keep in mind this before you tell me what you've come to tell me: if it's bad, you're fired. And I'm not talking about employment."
"Well…she says it's not bad," explained Pain.
"She, huh?" said Hades, now taking a keen interest as he conjured up a comb to tidy his flaming hair. "What's she like then? Tall, young, attractive? Elegantly luscious? Or just some sweet, lovely sorrow who's become desperate for a desperado?"
"We…couldn't quite tell," began Panic, not sure as to how to explain it. He looked to Pain, gesturing his head at his cohort in a 'you tell him' meaning. Pain's eyes said back 'oh, sure! Put me on the spot!', but then he saw Hades looking down on them impatiently, so he decided to get to the point.
"Y'see, she's wearing a black coat."
The news made Hades turn a brief, but fiery shade of red. Seething angrily, he rose from his throne, angrily knocking over his cocktail and bowl of worms. Pain and Panic then clung to one another tightly, both fearing over what Hades was now going to do to them.
"Guys…" the god began slowly, his hands gradually beginning to burn, "I told you a thousand times that I don't like those Organization freaks. Especially when they trespass on my private property, waltzing in as if they own the place! Granted, I really enjoyed seeing them run after I chased after 'em with a shotgun, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT! I hate uninvited hoodies! And I TOLD you that if news was bad…!"
Hades was now angered and red. And ready to unleash great balls of fire on his hapless minions, still hugging, crying and screaming.
"I apologise for arriving on your domain uninvited, Lord Hades."
The god's red hot rage faded away instantly as soon as the Nobody walked into the chamber. Pain and Panic let go of each other, both sighing in total relief.
"Rest assured, I am not with Organization XIII," explained Ilxsa, viewing it necessary to be formal and to get to the point. "Like you, we do not wish to let these miscreants continue disrupting our agenda. We wish to triumph. As do you. Which is why we desire to talk business with you."
"Business, eh?" remarked Hades, raising a curious eyebrow. "Well, you get good grades for guts, kid. But I think you should know that my last alliance, though convenient, didn't quite pan out like it was supposed to."
"We are different from Maleficent and Pete, my lord," the Darkest Exile furthered, knowing that she had secured Hades' attention now, and her next words would seal the business relationship. Depending on whether the Underworld's ruler was one of the few. "My name is Ilxsa. I am second only to the Heartless' father."
Hades' eyes widened in surprise. Ilxsa's pause allowed a pleased smile of remembrance spread across his face.
"He still speaks very highly of you," the Nobody persisted, somewhat unemotionally.
"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place, little missy?" chuckled Hades, wrapping his arm round her shoulders in a welcoming way. "I was hoping the big 'S' hadn't forgotten my phone number."
"Here I am.
The latest world on the road laid out by Xemnas for me. Another city, third one in a row since leaving Ruination City. And now I'm wondering what it is about me and cities. Is it Xemnas' way of labelling me a no-good street punk? How fitting…coming from cryptic lowlifes.
Ah, well…this one's called 'Metroville'. Not much to say here, except that it's naturally 'similar, but different' to Manhattan and Middleton. And that a city is a city…
Anyway, that's enough sightseeing. I've got work to do. Sharak's doubtless targeted this world to further his growing empire. Heartless will run amuck here, allied with whoever this world's number-one bad guy is. But whether it's taking the world's heart or recruiting talent makes no difference to me. It's the same old story. Sharak feels he can do whatever he likes and it's up to me to show him he can't.
Just like Organization XIII want me to.
But I'm doing this for myself, not for them. Once Sharak's out of the way, I'm so coming for them.
Hopefully I'll soon have that other mess sorted out as well.
I don't know what's going on with me. Why am I seeing Vexen and Larxene all the time? Nightmares were bad enough but these…hallucinations are just torture. They're both dead, for crying out loud. So what's the deal?
Did I hate them so much for what they did to me that I want to spend the rest of my life hating them? Perhaps even more than Sharak?
Sometimes the acceptance of being half-dark, revelling in it isn't all it's cracked up to be.
And then…there's my friends.
God…I miss Sora, Donald and Goofy. I miss Jaron, I miss Kairi…I want to find them all. I want to reunite with them…and it eats away at me. The knowledge that I can't. Because I risk screwing everything up just like Sharak did, and like he threatens to do here and now. DiZ's words repeat themselves in my head, making me sick all over again.
So I think I'd better start thinking of Kim.
I'm going to find her. I promised her family I would. And I always keep my promises.
Besides which, Kim's a friend. My friend. One of the few, one of the bravest and truest I've managed to gain…I've lost everything to Sharak and the Organization's selfishness. I'm not going to lose her too.
And I'm going to find out what the big deal is regarding Ilxsa.
Ilxsa…who is she? She says she's my friend…so why's she Sharak's second-in-command? Where did he find her? And how?
I want to run into her again sooner instead of later. I'm past sick and tired of all these games. If I don't get answers and happiness soon, someone is seriously going to pay.
Sounds harsh, sounds vindictive…sounds very uncharacteristic of Adam.
But Adam is dead. And Hi-Jax is here to stay. Caught in-between light and darkness and maintaining the balance of opposites. And ensuring justice and vengeance is brought against those who revel and profit in the suffering of others.
Time to go to work.
End of log."
There was a long silence.
"Whoa, man. That's deep. And kinda disturbed. No offence."
"None taken, Wade," replied Hi-Jax, conferring with the genius, his image now displayed on the screen of the anomaly's new pocket computer/communicator. Wade had provided him the spare gadget (modelled on Kim's Kimmunicator) and befitted it with all kinds of useful tool and accessory programs as a means to be a useful contact, aid and confidante so Hi-Jax wouldn't be so alone all the time anymore. Monitoring his progress throughout the different worlds, chronicling his travels…and offering emotional support whenever needed. Hi-Jax appreciated the gesture, and Wade's skills could only be a positive boon for his quest.
"So what do you think of your new Hi-Jax-Frequency-Monitor, then?" Wade proudly asked. "Cool, huh?"
"Database on all the worlds, characters, Heartless, Nobodies I encounter, which updates itself. List of objectives, own diary recording program, direct link to you and your computer at all times, can interface with any computer I encounter, allsorts of handy programs, built in web-cam…there's only one thing about this gizmo I honestly could do without, Wade."
Wade raised a surprised eyebrow at Hi-Jax.
"Did you really have to give it such a stupid, gimmicky name like 'my H.J.F.M.'?"
"Are you kidding, HJ?!" laughed the computer genius. "It rules! Surely you can appreciate art? A personal touch?"
"Whatever," smiled the anomaly, who deep down admired that part of Kim's life, even though he didn't think it suited himself.
"So…what's it like out there?"
"Peaceful. Last two worlds were basically a war zone when I arrived. But here in Metroville…seems nice, quiet and boring. For now. I'll scout around, anyways. If Sharak decides to pop-up here, I'd best stick around for the sake of insurance."
"Anything particular you want me to do?"
"Any luck in getting back inside Sharak's computer?"
"Not a chance," sighed Wade, after slurping another soda. "You know why it was so easy for me to do so last time, don't you?"
"Yeah…" sighed Hi-Jax painfully. "Because Drakken let us. As more bait to reel me and Kim into that trap."
The eighteen-year-old then shook his head, ridding himself of his anguish and getting back to the mission at hand.
"Keep trying to get into his computer, anyway. Full details of Sharak's operations will give me the edge. Same goes for the Organization's computer."
"I'm still having trouble FINDING it," confessed Wade, taking a bite out of his pizza as he continued typing whilst talking to the anomaly. "I've been surfin' the whole world wide web for hours trying to locate their network and nothing's come up. Are you sure they even HAVE one?"
"I'd bet on it," nodded Hi-Jax, as he looked toward the view of the city, lost in his thoughts. "And with my telepathy neutralised against those bozos, hacking into their database is the only way I can find out what they're up to. At least for now"
Turning back to his H.J.F.M., the anomaly finished, "Keep working, mate. I'll see what comes up here. If anything major turns up, let me know. And vice-versa. Otherwise, I'll talk to you later tonight, okay?"
"Likewise, dude," replied Wade, giving Hi-Jax a thumbs-up before returning to his multi-tasking. "See ya at check-in. Good luck and watch your back."
"You too, pal," nodded the teenager as he closed the video-link program and then shut down his H.J.F.M. Putting it back in his coat pocket, the exiled adventurer walked down the street, once again noting how unusually quiet and peaceful this new city was.
No disaster, no problems…just ordinary Joe Public living out their lives. It's like there's no such thing as villains here…or HEROES for that matter.
Although Hi-Jax did find this world a nice peaceful change from the ones he'd been to so far, he also felt…bored. Like this world was bordering on being monotonous, like it was just regular, real-life. And it felt very odd to the anomaly. As though this world could have been something special in every sense.
An hour later of wandering, Hi-Jax ended up in the city's park. Although part of him yearned for action and development, another part felt relieved. Given the choice of Ruination City or Metroville, Hi-Jax would've instantly gone for the latter. It was pleasing to see the majority being happy and taking life for granted. All these families, people jogging, playing soccer, walking the dog…simple good stuff, little things, that made life precious.
As Hi-Jax threw some stones into the park's lake, he took some enjoyment in watching them skim a couple of times across the water's surface. He was all on his own, no one else was around at the moment. Reflecting on his thoughts, he wondered which he wanted more. A nice, simple boring life…or an exciting one filled with never-ending war and questions.
The anomaly then smirked and chuckled over his answer.
Both. 'Cause they're both necessary for balance.
He soon stopped skimming stones and sat down on the edge of the bank, looking out to the nice sunset, appreciating the calmness and the whole 'time-out' session.
But as life in Ruination City had taught him…
'Time-outs' don't last very long.
The sound of a penny dropping into the water startled Hi-Jax.
His heart knew instantly who it was who had joined him.
And again…his senses weren't lying.
He looked up evilly to the person standing beside him.
"Penny for your thoughts, little freak?" asked Larxene, sweetly. "Y'know…I loathe that cliché. Almost as much as I loathe you."
"You're dead, princess," snorted Hi-Jax, tired of these…hallucinations. "You're not real. So don't even try to be."
"Not real, huh?" remarked the Savage Nymph, somewhat disappointed as she sulked and stroked her chin in contemplation. "Well…the only real way to find out if that's true is this. Pain is truth, and ergo, truth is real. Soooo…"
Her knives came into her grasp, heralded by the element of thunder. Larxene aimed right for Hi-Jax's eye. The swipe narrowly missed it and his shades, but as Hi-Jax rolled away defensively, the blades slashed his cheek. The cuts made him cry in pain, and they absolutely stung. Hi-Jax held his hand over his cheek, seething in agony. He looked up to his demon, who had her arms folded and smiled down on him.
"Wake up, loser. If I wasn't real, how come that hurts almost as much as me removing that accident of a life of yours? Hm?"
Hi-Jax didn't know what to think anymore. What was going on? Was this real or wasn't it?
"Scares you, doesn't it?" taunted Larxene as she bent over, hands on thighs to look down on Hi-Jax in condescending fashion. "Always knew you were much more of a coward than him."
Hi-Jax angrily shot up to strike the Organization's deceased No.12, who just smiled, dodged and kicked the anomaly hard in the solar plexus. The impact sent him into the lake, where instead of landing like a wet fool, he landed hard and skidded across a service of thick, slippery ice.
He looked up to see Vexen now standing besides Larxene.
Hi-Jax's healing powers had now regenerated the knife slashes on his cheek. He initially struggled to stand to face them but soon gained strong footing.
"Acknowledge," commanded the Chilly Academic, simply.
Hi-Jax didn't care what 'Vexen' meant by that. He'd had more than enough of this.
"Drop…dead," he replied slowly and menacingly.
"I'm afraid we already have done, my dear boy," chuckled No.4, almost affectionately. "And it wasn't by your hand."
"Shut up," threatened the anomaly, venomously.
"Or what?" cackled Larxene cruelly. "Are you gonna make us? You had your chance and you blew it. Just like you blew everything else."
"SHUT UP!" roared the teenager, brandishing his swords of light and dark, hoping to carve both the Nobodies in two. Vexen and Larxene just turned transparent and Hi-Jax passed harmlessly through them. Enraged and not caring that some civilians were passing by and had stopped to look in shock at him, wielding such frightening power and hacking away at thin air.
"Why won't you Organization scum leave me alone?!" yelled Hi-Jax, still slashing at the transparent forms of Vexen and Larxene. He wasn't doing them any harm, but his fury had blinded him.
"Awwwww…." mocked the Savage Nymph, feigning sympathy, "poor baby! Is little Mahanah gonna cry like the rest of the family?"
"Not as much as I made YOU cry, b…!"
"You've become quite the rebel, Hi-Jax," confessed the Chilly Academic, nodding in approval. Then he shook is head in disappointment. "But you remain a fool. You've become obsessed with getting the final word, the final blow in. Just like my Riku. And you're falling down the same pit as he was, aren't you? No wonder you're dragging down all those you've recently befriended with you. You've become a slave to the imbalance of justice."
"I'm a slave to nothing and no-one!" denied the anomaly
"Your word against ours, pipsqueak," smirked Larxene. "And the proof…well, you should know. You made it."
Hi-Jax heard the screams across the street. At first, he saw the bewildered crowd just stare at him. He didn't care if he'd made a fool of himself yet again. He didn't care if people started to yell that he was a 'super', 'freak' and 'public menace'. And he didn't care that people were shouting for the police to arrest the 'outlawed hazard'.
He just concentrated on the screams a few kilometres away.
Flying ahead, he had no time to discover/deduce what these people were shouting about. He'd forgotten all about Vexen and Larxene. He just knew that trouble had finally walked round the corner.
The site was one he didn't want to see.
"Oh, no."
Dusks.
Dozens.
Some dancing, some flailing their limbs wildly, some contorting and spinning their bodies, but most chasing and attacking innocent people.
And Hi-Jax knew in his heart that he wasn't fantasising this time.
This was deadly real.
The creatures' running amuck was backed up by a crowd chorus of "The aliens have landed! Run for your lives!", amongst other extreme and common expressions of panic.
A Dusk turned its attention to a pedestrian just staring out to nowhere, not even caring what was going on.
It didn't matter to him that he was in the middle of a war zone…
It didn't matter that the Nobody was now coming right for him, to kill.
To the suicidal pedestrian…nothing mattered anymore.
Something snapped him to attention, though.
Hi-Jax's sword strike destroyed the attacking Dusk, and the Anomaly soon turned and flew him to safety. When they landed, Hi-Jax yelled desperately and urgently, "Get away from here!"
The civilian just stared at him for a few seconds. Then his bewilderment was replaced by anger and annoyance.
He then slapped the teenager. Right in the face.
Hi-Jax couldn't believe it! The 'physicality' of the slap was nothing to him at all. But the meaning of it was the last thing he expected.
"Who asked you to save me, you rude, crazy freak?!" yelled the citizen, angrily.
Hi-Jax didn't even think about what he was going to do next.
He just did it.
"UP YOURS, INGRATE!" he bellowed, removing his shades to reveal his eyes, both emitting bright light (crackling like electricity) and horrible darkness (trailing like black smoke). The sight was both unnatural and frightening.
And it made the civilian stumble backwards in fright, yelling "Please don't kill me!" as he soon picked himself up off the ground and ran away from Hi-Jax in terror. The power in the anomaly's eyes faded and returned to normal as he put his shades back on.
Shaking his head at stupidity and craziness of the man he just saved, Hi-Jax muttered, "Oh, good. I've steered a backwards man away from suicide and back to his good old cringe-wimp life."
Turning back to the battle, Hi-Jax finished with a comment befitting for the pedestrian.
"What a moron."
A powerful Thundaga spell fried a few Dusks on the spot. He then held his swords together, charged his power and unleashed dark and light fireballs that sought out more Dusks and destroyed them.
Two more appeared behind Hi-Jax, poised to strike. The anomaly just teleported behind them and sliced them both in two with one swift sword strike.
More Nobodies rose from the ground to replace the ones that had fallen. And they all charged together at Hi-Jax. He kicked and punched and slashed and swatted away at the swarm of Dusks. And the more that fell, the more came to take their place.
And soon…the numbers became overwhelming.
Even for an anomaly like Hi-Jax.
They clawed him, slashed him, bit deep into his body and took chunks out of his flesh. He felt pain, anger and a sense of urgency that overwhelmed him.
Along with the fact that the Organization, their mindless minions and insidious machinations would continue to haunt him. His dreams and every waking moment.
This truth repeated in his head again and again. After the Dusks all pounced on him, piling on top of him.
Burying him.
In the despair of nothingness, Hi-Jax heard the taunts again.
"Inevitability will defeat you," pointed out Vexen. "It always does…"
"Pitiful toy," finished Larxene.
The exiled teenager seethed in rage, rebelling against the crushing weight.
"Why - won't - you - all - just…DIE?!" he roared, his screams travelling across the city's skies as the 'Dusk pile' erupted in a beam of light, pillars of darkness sending the Nobodies into extinction.
Then there was silence. Deep, unholy, blissful silence.
The civilians had all fled for their lives. Motorists had just abandoned their vehicles and ran away from the chaos, shouting things like "The supers have returned!", "I told you they were menaces!", "He saved us!" and "Just run!". But one family hadn't gotten out of their car and ran. They were just passing through the city to get home after the mother had picked her two children up from school. The Nobodies' attack had caused a huge traffic jam, and as the mother looked out her window to see what all the commotion, she saw something that went past amazing.
Even to one such as her.
Hi-Jax's power, the way he fought and handled himself…it was immediately obvious what he was. To her, anyway.
The wide-eyed kids couldn't believe what they had seen. The teenage daughter (a couple of years younger than Hi-Jax) was in shock. Her younger brother was absolutely amazed, and he wasn't afraid to show it.
"THAT guy is unbearably cool!" he yelled out loud. Before he could exclaim any more appreciation, his sister thrust her hand over his mouth.
"Shut up, you little creep!" she scolded, whispering fiercely. "Do you want to get us all killed?!"
"Kids, be quiet and keep your heads down!" ordered the mother in a urgent, hushed tone. "Stay here and whatever you do, don't get out of the car."
She slowly opened her door and got out. Maintaining a low profile, crouched position, she carefully advanced towards the anomaly. Deep down, she wondered why. He could be an enemy, one that would kill her in a second. So she would try to stop him before he caused any more damage. But if he was a friend, the logical thing to do was to try and help him escape before the police arrived. But again, she asked herself why?
This wasn't who she was. Not anymore.
Hi-Jax was tired and on his knees. His powers would automatically and gradually heal his injuries. An elixir would boost the process instantly. But he just felt tired, felt like a rest to gather himself and his thoughts. Why was this happening to him? Again, he reminded himself of the obvious. Vexen and Larxene had been dead for a whole year. Nobodies could never return from the oblivion whence they came. It was a written law of physics and impossible to defy. He must have been hallucinating again, but he would've been able to tell. His senses never lied, that was how the experiment had designed him.
It was real to him.
The slash wound inflicted by Larxene had been true pain. But Vexen's ice attack in Middleton…that had been real also. But…he remembered the traces of Blizzaga magic after his 'appearance'. They had been Hi-Jax's own.
Was he bringing these hallucinations on himself? And was he destroying his surroundings just by doing so?
If that's true, he thought worryingly, then that would mean that the Dusks attacking this world…were created by…ME.
As he started to panic over what he was becoming, Hi-Jax fought to maintain control and calm over himself. Then he started to notice that so many people had fled. All except three strong hearts…all special, similar to Shego.
Supers. Two of them children, in a car nearby. And another one, an adult approaching me.
Hi-Jax slowly turned to see the woman. The second he did, though…a Dusk materialized, spinning towards her at terrifying velocity.
"LOOK OUT!" he screamed, warningly at the mother. She turned to see the Nobody in shock and, reasserting her focus, was about to defend herself when Hi-Jax teleported right in front of her, taking the blow intended for her.
The Dusk's arms went right through his heart, making the daughter scream in fright. The son didn't think this was cool anymore.
And the mother was amazed and impressed by the teenager's courage, who had sacrificed himself willingly to save her.
The compassion warmed her heart…and what happened next was even more incredible.
Hi-Jax just seethed in pain as he sent his fist smashing through the Dusk's head, making it explode back into nothing. He then held his hand over his injured heart and willed himself to recover fully.
He then turned back to the mother and said painfully, "Sorry…you and your kids…had to see this, ma'am. Don't worry about this…just a…scratch…"
With that, he collapsed to the ground, succumbing to the blissful unconsciousness that awaited him.
The mother had experience in these kind of situations and knew what he meant. Carefully turning the boy over, she felt oddly relieved to discover that where there should have been chest wounds, there weren't. They had healed.
And the battle had taken so much out of him. They were many more injuries to regenerate.
At that point, the mother was now more than sure knew who and what kind of person the teenager was.
He was a fellow soldier.
Then came the sirens. The mother had already decided what to do. And the impending police had justified her choice.
"Hi-Jax…you're creating your own story…a respectable coping mechanism, indeed."
"DiZ? Where are you?"
"You MUST remain careful. Organization XIII gave you the pen and paper. They will edit what you write to suit them."
"Enough with the metaphors, mummy-head. Now answer my question."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Ever the direct one. But seeing how you asked SO nicely. I am on the move. They found me."
"Has Sora awakened?"
"Yes. And his heart remains as strong as ever."
"Is Riku with you? Naminé?"
"Riku is. Naminé I am not sure about."
"Meaning?"
"There's your incentive to finish the story. And write the ending properly."
"I'm tired of not getting all the answers when I want them, DiZ. Tell me NOW."
"No one always gets what they want WHEN they want, Hi-Jax. It is the law decreed by the way of things. As is the fact that not everyone is willing to oblige orders from the likes of you."
"I want the truth. Is that really too much to ask? Are you THAT selfish, that stubborn, that you refuse to just do so?"
"………Do you still choose to TRUST me?"
"………"
"So you ARE letting the Organization control you. That is sad."
"Why aren't you guiding me away from their influence, then?"
"I explained to you the consequences of the Imbalance of Reality, my truce with Organization XIII, the depletion of their ranks and up-to-date status of your friends. I have provided you with incentive to carry on, advised you to maintain caution, encouraged you and provided you with free will and choice. I would think that more than qualifies as guidance, don't you?"
"I NEED more, DiZ. I've been fighting in different worlds over the last few weeks and the only real progress I've made is more questions with no answers."
"Hi-Jax, Sharak has become desperate. His disease has made him vulnerable and more dangerous than ever. His usurping of Castle Oblivion, his new allegiances, his mastery over light, his change of philosophy…his very desire to cure himself has made him more determined than ever before to see everyone and everything submit to his will. You have discovered much. Ergo, you should know that in time you will discover more."
"………"
"Very well, then."
"Before you go…one last thing. Once a Nobody dies, he/she/it can NEVER come back."
"Retrace your steps. REMEMBER what THEY told you. You have deduced much, Hi-Jax. You will figure out the rest."
"DiZ…I still choose to trust you. And…I choose to thank you."
"The choice is ALWAYS yours, son of Mahanah. And no matter what happens…you must be prepared to LIVE with that choice. Be it right or wrong."
Hi-Jax slowly opened his eyes. He sat up out of the bed, yawned and stretched his arms outward, grunting a little to shake off the last bits of lingering pain from his now healed injuries. He then placed his hand over his chest. His heart had healed. It was strong and able to endure anything, even the curse of Nobodies.
DiZ? When will we next speak? he wondered. I'd…appreciate it.
The anomaly looked around him. It wasn't much to shout about. Just a spare bedroom in someone's house. Though granted, it was very neat and tidy, very clean and fresh…and very welcoming.
He noticed a spare change of clothes draped over the chair in the corner of the room. And a cup of tea on the bedside table for him. Hi-Jax knew that the family he'd saved had taken him back to their house to provide sanctuary, obviously as their way of saying 'thank you'. And he said 'you're welcome' by taking the cup and started drinking the beverage. It instantly made him feel better. He hadn't forgotten that backwards man he'd saved, the cruel life of Ruination City, being subjected to Vexen's twisted experiments, forced to live in exile away from his friends in lost confusion…
And being taken in by kind strangers…made him feel better about the state of the world. Sanctuary and security took the teenager back to the days of Castle Mahanah. It took him back to the days of his happiness.
Hope, he smiled after taking a sip from his tea. Just as I knew.
Then the door slowly opened. The mother peeked to see Hi-Jax looking up to her. She then smiled and entered the room.
"Hey, you're awake," she greeted cheerfully, sitting on the end of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now," the eighteen-year-old nodded respectfully. "Thank you."
"My name's Helen," she offered her hand. "Helen Parr. Thanks for pullin' our fat out of the fire."
"No problem," he nodded graciously as he accepted the hand.
"You got a name, kid?"
The former Adam paused for a moment, wondering how best to explain his situation to Helen.
"I did once. Long ago. Now I am just…Hi-Jax."
Helen raised an intrigued eyebrow, yet still possessed her smile.
"Hi-Jax, huh? Not around from these parts, I take it?"
"You could say that. Speaking of which, what was up with the crowd? I know it's customary for people to panic in situations like that, but the way they spoke, the way they behaved…it was like they'd never seen heroes and villains before."
"Oh, they have…" nodded Helen, in not-so-fond remembrance. "It's the old, clichéd, long story time."
Helen confirmed Hi-Jax's suspicions. She had once been a full-time superhero fifteen years prior. There had been a great community of super heroes and heroines that the public looked up to and trusted. She had been forced into early retirement and hiding underground along with everyone else when her husband Bob (A.K.A. Mr Incredible) had thwarted a suicide attempt, thus resulting in a damaging lawsuit. More lawsuits soon followed and all supers became outlawed by the world government. The National Supers Agency (N.S.A.), though, had successfully obtained amnesty for all supers so long as they remained hidden.
Since then, Bob and Helen had settled down into normal civilian life and raised a family with three children, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack. Helen had become a homemaker, happy and settled with a normal life. Her husband Bob on the other hand, had become an office worker to support his family, and had become bored and unhappy with his fall from grace, yet still appreciated his family.
Hi-Jax thought it quite a story, and couldn't believe the nature of this world's people. "Since when did saving someone's life become a crime?" he'd asked Helen, who just shrugged, not understanding it herself. She admitted she'd enjoyed her career as 'Elastigirl' but was thankful for having a shot at a normal life.
"So…where are you from?" Helen asked.
Hi-Jax sighed painfully before he replied.
"I don't have a home. I lost it," he explained sadly. "My friends, family…everything. I'm on a secret mission to save the world. 'Cause…that's all I've got left."
Helen could feel the pain and strength in his voice. And felt such sympathy for him. Hi-Jax could feel it in her heart and smiled.
"It's okay. I don't need charity, but thank you for offering."
"I kinda see it as helping a fellow trooper," she smiled warmly. "You saved the city from those…whatever. You took a mortal wound for me. I think that more than earns you a free meal and a bed for the night. Wadda ya say to meeting the family? It'll be fun."
"I'd like that, Helen. Cheers."
Later that night, Hi-Jax sat with all five members of the Parr family eating dinner. And he liked them all instantly. The father, Bob, clearly wasn't happy with his job and had had yet another bad day. He missed being a hero, and loved the thrill of it perhaps more than anything else. He was a big guy, with short-blonde hair, obviously strong-looking but had really let himself go since his forced retirement. When he had been introduced to Hi-Jax, he was proud, happy and excited to meet another hero, wanting to know all about his adventures, confessing his admiration and respect for the adolescent's powers and praising his bravery and freedom.
Then when Helen had told him to put a lid on it, Bob fell quiet, annoyed and depressed. He really didn't want to leave the subject alone.
The children were friendly and lovable in Hi-Jax's eyes. The baby, Jack-Jack, warmed to him instantly, laughing and smiling instantly. Curiously, he didn't have any powers whatsoever. Which was more than could be said for the other kids.
Dashiell Robert Parr (or rather 'Dash' for short) was small with short, blonde-hair. He took after his father in many ways. He loved his powers and wanted to be the best. Naturally a show-off, hot-headed, cocky, reckless, mischievous and easily excitable. He had been the most impressed with Hi-Jax and was showing off his speed to him again and again before dinner. The anomaly liked him and was flattered by the way Dash looked up to him as an idol, even though he felt that he wasn't the best person to be a role model.
The oldest child, Violet, was a different story. Although friendly enough and welcoming, she was also very shy and gloomy. She kept to herself quite a lot by hiding behind her long hair and didn't seem as though she wanted her powers. Hi-Jax had already known that she possessed some when he sensed her heart's presence and she hadn't displayed them. Choosing to respect her privacy, Hi-Jax left Violet alone by not asking exactly what her powers were.
The atmosphere at the table was quiet. There was no conversation whatsoever and Hi-Jax could instantly tell that there were problems. Bob, Dash and Violet obviously weren't happy, and Helen seemed oblivious to it. She was just feeding Jack-Jack a bowl of mush. Well…trying to was more like it. He didn't quite seem to understand what was going on, as his mother made faces to try and get Jack-Jack to eat his dinner and appreciate how nice it was.
Jack-Jack just smiled and giggled with messy baby food dripping from his mouth. Helen continued to smile and make faces as she carried on with her attempts to feed him.
Hi-Jax likewise smiled, finding it all heart-warming. The little things that made families so precious.
The home-cooking had instantly made him forget his troubles. He honestly hadn't had food this good for months. Past meals from Ruination City life were bitter, rotten and mostly horrible. It had been food for survival and nothing more. Here in this warm household, the food was full of taste, satisfaction, pleasure and (as corny as it sounded) heart.
It was 'leftover night', meaning a choice of steak, vegetables, pasta, meatloaf, salad and lasagne. Everyone could choose for themselves. Hi-Jax helped himself to a little of everything, surprised at how hungry he really was. He thanked Helen again and again and praised her cooking, really enjoying it. And that surprised him even more. Having grown accustomed to such a dark, lonely life, Hi-Jax felt like his old-self again.
Warm, kind-hearted, very outgoing Adam.
And that surprised him. Although Hi-Jax was not at all without compassion and friendship, the Organization and Sharak had changed him forever. His interactions with the gargoyles and Kim Possible hadn't altered his personality and had no chance of doing so, but with the Parr family…he felt such a different kind of connection with their hearts.
And it felt a good kind of different. And was about to get even more surprising.
"Mom…" whined Dash all of a sudden.
"Uh…huh?" asked Helen, still trying to get Jack-Jack to eat something.
"You're making weird faces again," he stressed, having had enough.
"No - I'm - not," she rebutted, paying no attention.
"You make weird faces, honey," pointed out Bob, not looking at her, but rather concentrating on a manual from work besides his meal. Annoyed, Helen turned to Bob and asked, "Do you have to read at the table?"
Still not looking at her, Bob replied in the same faraway, distracted tone, "Uh-huh. Yeah."
"Smaller bites, Dash! Yikes!" exclaimed Helen when she saw the speedster try and rip his steak to pieces with his teeth. Sighing, she furthered, "Do I have to remind everyone that we have a guest at the table?"
"It's alright, really," smiled Hi-Jax, perfectly happy eating with this family both normal and not-quite-so normal.
"Bob, can you help the carnivore cut his meat?"
Sighing, Bob left his workbook and used his vastly superior strength to cut his son's steak, soon lost in his own boredom all over again.
"Dash…" asked his stern mother, "you have something you wanna tell your father about school?"
Now very nervous, Dash sheepishly smiled, "Well, uh…we dissected a frog."
"Dash got sent to the office again," confessed Helen. Not listening, Bob just replied, "Good. Good."
"No, Bob. That's bad."
Snapping to attention, Bob heard Helen repeat what she'd said.
"What?! What for?"
"Nothing," seethed Dash angrily, looking to his mother, who continued, "He put a tack on the teacher's chair…during class."
"Nobody saw me," the ten-year-old muttered unhappily. "You could barely see it on the tape."
"They caught you on tape and you still got away with it?!" asked Bob, truly amazed and not at all hiding the fact that he was proud of his son. "Whoa! You must have been bookin'! How fast do you think you were going?!"
"Bob!" protested an angry Helen. "We are not encouraging this!"
"I'm not encouraging! I was just…!"
"Honey!"
Too late. After hearing the breaking of crockery, Bob looked down to discover that in being excited over Dash's speed, his strength had cut right through not only the steak, but through the plate as well, leaving a knife imbedded deep in the table.
"Great," seethed a frustrated Bob to himself. "First the car, now I gotta pay to fix the table…!"
Helen naturally overheard and interrupted. "The car? What happened to the car?"
Bob just glared icily at his wife. Hi-Jax slowly munched away at his meal whilst shifting his eyes sideways to the parents, surveying the tension. Dash knew to keep his mouth shut. Violet, completely in a world of her own, didn't even notice.
"Here," snorted Bob, passing his meal to Dash. "I'm getting a new plate."
Helen chose to ignore her husband's annoyance and also chose to start conversation as he went to the kitchen.
"Anyway, how are you, Vi? How was school?"
"Nothing to report," she answered gloomily, flicking away at a piece of broccoli.
"You've hardly touched your food."
"I'm not hungry for meatloaf."
"Well, it is leftover night," Helen replied chirpily. "We have steak, pasta, lasagne…what are you hungry for?"
"Tony Rydinger," teased Dash cruelly.
"Shut - up," whispered Violet to her brother, her depression now replaced by fear shielded with anger. She really didn't want her mother to know about her crush.
"Well, you are!" Dash shouted back, seeing no point in denying the obvious.
"I said shut up, you little insect!" Violet snapped back, pointing her fork at him threateningly.
"Well she is!"
"Do not shout at the table! Especially when we have a guest!" ordered Helen, exercising her authority. "Honey!"
"Kids! Listen to your mother!" Bob shouted back from the kitchen, with virtually no enthusiasm at all, making Helen want to just groan. Hi-Jax secretly found it amusing, and carried on enjoying his food.
Dash was about to drink from his glass of milk when he looked back up at Violet, smirked and muttered, "She'd eat if we were having Tonyloaf."
Hi-Jax instantly spat out the mouthful of water back into his glass, coughing and spluttering before trying his absolute hardest not to let out laughter. And he didn't quite succeed. He placed his hand over his mouth and failed to stop a few sniggers from escaping. As the Parr family's attention shifted to him, Hi-Jax felt a little bit embarrassed but was more amused than anything else. Everything about Dash's wisecrack, the timing, innovativeness and sheer cleverness of it had made him want to laugh out loud. He'd found it one-hundred-percent funny and that genuinely surprised him.
For Violet, though…Dash's joke and Hi-Jax's subsequent snort of laughter was the final straw.
"That's it!" she yelled and actually dived out of her seat, across the table and on top of her brother, making him fall out of his own chair. Her head then turned completely invisible, along with her body. Her clothes didn't disappear though and the sight of seeing a woolly jumper, jeans and trainers try and strangle a little boy was odd, but not unusual for Hi-Jax.
Hi-Jax didn't try not to laugh this time. He just did it, guffawing at the sibling squabbling. Not out of cruelty, but because he felt as though it was playful. And that he had become part of this family. And he felt all the more surprised and grateful for it.
Meanwhile, Dash smacked Violet across the side of her head. It made her let go of his neck, and also made her turn visible. In a flash, Dash literally ran circles around his bigger sister, smacking her hard across her face and body. Helen yelled at them both to stop fighting, while Hi-Jax abandoned his meal to give the two children some room, thinking it best for themselves to sort out their squabble.
Violet soon stopped the assault by conjuring up a protective force field that Dash banged hard against. He fell onto his backside and rubbed his head like a fool. Violet sniggered in delight. Dash gathered his bearings and prepared to renew his offensive. Violet likewise attempted to charge but Helen (standing up out of her chair) outstretched her arms and wrapped them both round her children to keep them both apart. She yelled at them both to stop. Whereas Hi-Jax still kept a respective distance away, finding this family more and more great to be around with.
Helen couldn't keep her children apart, no matter how much it seemed like it. Her arms were still wrapped around both Violet and Dash as they charged at one another, now tied up in a tight grapple under the table. Helen now found herself dragged onto the table, unable to lift her chin up unless she let go of the kids.
"Bob! It's time to engage!"
Bob returned from the kitchen, immediately bewildered by what he saw.
"Bob! Don't just stand there!" grunted Helen. "I need you to…intervene!"
"You want me to intervene?" asked Bob, walking to the table and lifting it right off the ground, along with his wife and children, still shouting and fighting. "Okay! I'm intervening! I'm intervening!"
At that point, Hi-Jax just completely burst into laughter as the Parr family yelled and bickered. The parents trying in futility to stop the sibling fighting. Jack-Jack just laughed and laughed in excitement. The anomaly still found it genuinely amusing. And amazing. He couldn't remember the last time he had allowed his heart to succumb to such comedic situations. And it was such a good feeling.
It felt…healing.
The doorbell than rang, making the entire Parr family cease the fighting. Bob quickly lowered the table, Helen quickly unravelled herself and Violet and Dash let go of one another. In literally two seconds, the family of supers had resumed their dinner as a nice, ordinary family. Hi-Jax also resumed his place at the table, determined to help maintain the Parrs' cover. Dash went to get the door, the other members hoping that whoever had arrived hadn't heard the commotion. Or enough of it to become too suspicious.
"Hey, Lucius!"
"Hey, Speedo!" greeted the arrival, cheerfully. "Helen, Vi, Jack-Jack."
"Ice of you to drop by!" joked Bob.
"Ha! Never heard that one before. And this dude is…?"
"His name's Hi-Jax!" explained Dash. "He's wicked cool!"
"He helped us out earlier," furthered Helen. "Great kid."
That part genuinely touched Hi-Jax's heart. The reason being how sincere the statement was.
"I'll be back later," said Bob, immediately standing up from his chair, grabbing his jacket and quickly ushering Lucius towards the door.
"Where are you two going?
"It's Wednesday."
"Oh…bowling night. Say hello to Honey for me, Lucius!"
"Uh…will do, Helen!" he replied, somewhat nervously as Bob eagerly shunted him out of the door. "Goodnight, Helen. Goodnight, kids! Nice to meet you, Hi-Jax!"
The anomaly instantly liked Lucius and likewise became suspicious of Bob's desire to scram. But happy as he was, and seeing no reason to suspect any danger, Hi-Jax just returned to his food and the family conversation.
"Don't think you've avoided talking about your trip to the principle's office, young man," Helen warned Dash. "Your father and I are still gonna discuss it."
"I'm not the only kid who gets sent to the office."
"Other kids don't have superpowers. Now, its perfectly normal to…"
"'Normal?' interrupted Violet, coming out of her depression once again into overwhelming anger. "What do you know about normal? What does anyone in this family know about being NORMAL?!"
"Now wait a minute, young lady!"
"We ACT normal, Mom! I wanna BE normal! The only normal one is Jack-Jack and he's not even toilet trained!"
Jack-Jack just laughed.
"Mr Hi-Jax…" sighed Violet unhappily, "have you ever wanted to be normal?"
The teenager stopped eating and thought back to his contemplation that morning.
"Half of me does. The other half is proud to be what I am."
"What kind of an answer is that?"
"I never really thought about it until today. But…there's always a plus side and a minus side to everything. That's what I believe."
"I would've thought it'd be 100 percent sweet being you," confessed Dash. "Taking names, kicking…"
"Dash!" interrupted Helen sternly and timely.
"Kid…" the anomaly sighed, "you've no idea what I'm all about. And frankly…you'd be much better off if you didn't."
The whole mood changed with that as Hi-Jax carried on eating. Both Violet and Dash looked at him, totally confused. At that point, Helen sensed something else about Hi-Jax, something darker. Although not necessarily evil or something to mistrust…just something they'd be better off not knowing, as he'd said.
Immediately forgotten, they all proceeded to finish off dinner. Hi-Jax helped Helen wash up the dishes, enjoying bonding with her the most. They conversed more about general stuff and once they'd finished clearing up, they actually sat down and watched television together. Then Hi-Jax played with Dash on his racing track. The anomaly was very good at using the controller to make his car go round and round but Dash was far more cooler and faster playing the game. Dash was easily able to conquer the respectable challenge and revelled in his victories. Hi-Jax honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd had such fun. And Dash also seemed to really appreciate it.
Helen was thankful, as well. She'd enjoyed having someone to talk to when Bob wasn't in. Someone who'd listen to her and understand her. Hi-Jax felt the same, and appreciated the rare opportunity to just sit down and relax.
Violet, however…had just retreated to her room, reading a magazine and listening to music on her headphones, shutting herself off completely from the world. Hi-Jax understood and once again chose to respect her privacy. Although Helen wished she'd open up and just be herself, Hi-Jax said that everyone must reveal themselves when they know that they're ready to decide who they really are.
The kids had all gone to bed reasonably early, and it was approaching midnight. Bob still hadn't come home, and Helen's suspicion was matched only by her anger. Hi-Jax had decided to go to bed, thanking Helen for everything she and her family had provided him. He also felt it was time to check in with Wade.
In the spare room, he turned on his H.J.F.M.
"Hi-Jax! I've been trying to get in touch with you for HOURS! Where are you?! Are you alright?!"
"Relax, Wade. I'm fine. I'm still in Metroville. I'm settling down here for the night, then I'm making tracks in the morning."
"What happened? I couldn't reach you."
"A Nobody attack. But it was soon taken care of."
"Nobodies? The Organization doesn't have any interest in the world you're on. Why'd they send Nobodies there?"
"Xemnas showed me the pathway," Hi-Jax explained. "And I'm his supposed failsafe against Sharak, remember? He's obviously keeping tabs on me and wants to make sure I don't forget my mission."
"You're kinda saying that as though…"
"He doesn't own me, Wade. I'm doing all this for myself and my friends. Not for him and his freaks. Besides…I don't think he did send those Nobodies after me."
Wade saw the confusion and fear on his face, and became puzzled himself.
"What do you mean?"
Hi-Jax shook his head dismissively, and smiled, not wanting to return to his troubles now after he'd had such a pleasant evening.
"I'll tell you all about it in the morning. Anyway…was there anything you wanted to tell me before I sign off?"
"There was something. When I first hacked into Sharak's computer, I noticed an odd transmission that Drakken had sent. I didn't really have time to examine it, what with the Middleton crisis and all. But it caught my eye, nonetheless. So I decided to make a record of it and look at it when I got the chance. It was encrypted gibberish, all broken and sporadic. I reckon he was hacking someone else's computer and sending it to someone outside of Sharak's party."
Hi-Jax's eyes narrowed in interest as Wade showed the data flow patterns between worlds.
"Do you think it was the Organization's data he hacked?"
"Strong possibility. Drakken did an okay job, but this is Drakken we're talking about here. The data he got a hold of was incomplete and it was only a matter of time until the computer threw him out. Still, he encrypted the transmission really well. And did leave his trail pretty cold. I could tell it was really important because of the one and only word I was able to decipher from it."
"Which was…?"
"Heartless."
"Figures," nodded Hi-Jax. "Where was Drakken sending this stuff to?"
"A cyber café in Traverse Town. Situated in the First District."
"I know the place. I'll check it out tomorrow."
"B.T.W…news reports show that Dusks were sighted in the area."
"Oh, were there? That makes thing a lot more interesting."
"What do you think Sharak was doing exactly? Who was he helping?"
"I'll find out. Whatever the motive, it's obviously big knowing Sharak. Good work, Wade. Thanks."
On the other end of the line, Wade sighed anxiously, "Anything about Kim?"
Hi-Jax sadly replied, "I was hoping you had more luck than I did today."
Nothing was said between the two for several unsettling seconds.
"Tomorrow's another day, pal," nodded the anomaly with determination.
"Yeah…" yawned Wade, rubbing his hand across his face. "I'd better call it a day, too. Night, HJ. See ya in the morning."
"You too, Wade. Tell Ron we're not giving up."
"He knows, dude."
Hi-Jax slept so peacefully that night. And deep down, he was very thankful for it. Everytime he rested, it was the equivalent of going from one world of nightmares to another. His dreams were always haunted by Sharak, the Organization, the destruction they had inflicted on his life, memories of his loved ones being taken from him…
But tonight were dreams of happiness. Dreams of his kingdom being rebuilt, dreams of reunion with Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jaron, dreams of all those he had recently befriended...
Nothing but happy dreams. The first time he'd experienced any in over a year.
But it wasn't the first time he'd slept in over a year…where he hadn't woke up in the middle of the night. This time however, his awakening didn't come from a nightmare. Rather, it was from something he should've guessed was going to happen sooner or later.
"You KNOW how I feel about that, Bob! Darn you, we can't blow cover again!"
"The building was coming down, anyway."
"WHAT?! You knocked down a BUILDING?!"
The argument came from the living room, waking Hi-Jax up. It was hard to ignore it, let alone shut it all out. So Hi-Jax could only listen.
"It was on fire! Structurally unsound" explained Bob to Helen, trying to justify what he and Lucius had really been up to. "It was coming down, anyway."
"Tell me you haven't been listening to the police scanner again," she replied, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Look, I performed a public service. You act like that's a bad thing."
"It IS a bad thing, Bob! Uprooting our family AGAIN so you can relieve the glory days is a VERY bad thing!"
"Relieving the glory days is better than acting like they never happened!"
"YES! They happened! But this, our family, is what's happening now, Bob. And you are missing this! I can't believe you don't wanna go to your own son's graduation!"
"It's not a graduation. He is moving from the fourth grade to the fifth grade."
"It's a ceremony."
"It's psychotic," rebutted Bob, not seeing the point as he tried to rationalise everything to his frustrated wife. "They keep looking for new ways to exploit mediocrity, but when someone is genuinely exceptional…"
"This is not about you, Bob," interrupted Helen, having had more than enough. "This is about Dash."
"You wanna do something for Dash? Then stop holding him back! Let him actually compete! Let him go out for sports!"
"I will not be made the enemy here! You know why we can't do that!"
"Because he'd be GREAT!" Bob yelled back, raising his voice to its highest pitch.
"IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU!" Helen screamed in retaliation, extending her height so she now towered over her husband. A second later, they both turned to notice a brief gust of wind that nearly blew a few pieces of notepaper off the coffee table.
"Alright, Dash, I know you're listening," sighed Bob sadly and gently. "Come on out."
"Vi?" asked Helen. "You too, young lady."
Nothing happened.
"Come on," reassured Bob gently. "Come on out."
Dash nervously popped his head from behind the armchair. Violet's head turned visible from behind the settee. She anxiously stepped forward along with her concerned brother.
"It's okay, kids. We're just having a discussion."
"Pretty loud discussion."
"Yeah, I know. But that's okay. Because mommy and I are always a team. United…against the forces of…uh…"
"Pigheadedness?" suggested Helen.
"I was gonna say evil or something," he muttered back.
"We're sorry we woke you," she assured her children. "Everything's okay. Really. Go back to bed, it's late."
In the spare room, Hi-Jax couldn't help but think more about this incredible family. He could feel the fear and sadness in Violet and Dash's hearts once again. The depression radiating from Bob and the worry radiating from Helen.
And I thought I had problems, thought Hi-Jax. Half of these guys hate being denied what they are. And the other half just wants a normal life. I'm so busy concentrating on my own problems and the full-scale problems of the whole world that I never even thought about ones in civilian lives. They can be just as important. They are problems with the heart, after all.
Hi-Jax stroked his chin for a moment.
Maybe I should help. That's what I am here for. And after everything they've done for me today…
Hi-Jax laid his head back down on the pillow and returned to his sleep.
I'll return the favour for these guys. When they most need it.
"So let's recap," Hades surmised. "You want new recruits from my deepest dungeon, new Heartless from my own collection and the recently reopened Underdrome to be used as a testing ground for Sharak's new recruits/experiments."
"And in exchange, you will receive some of our very own Heartless. We can also capture Nobodies as participants for your games. There will be no more Organization trespassing on your domain, also. And you can also borrow some of own warriors for your contests."
Hades thought it over. It was a great deal that Ilxsa was offering. New participants would certainly freshen things up for his dead spectators and generate great revenue. And it would also increase his chances of finally eliminating Hercules and Sora. The deal was far too good to turn down.
But Hades was a master of business. He knew who he was dealing with here.
"You talk a sweet deal, babe," the Underworld's Lord spoke as he flashed a crooked grin. "But…as I recall, my last business venture with Sharak…"
"Ended with you and the Council of Darkness unifying with him," Ilxsa admitted. "But you were still part of him. Technically, you still existed."
"The way I see it…it was a business merger that resulted in Sharak being a richer CEO…and me falling under lost archives."
"Do you remember it being a terrible experience?" the Darkest Exile asked, pointing out the flaw in Hades' argument. As she had anticipated, Hades couldn't remember exactly what had happened during the final phases of the New Era of Darkness. He remembered most of it, but couldn't remember not existing at all. Only that he was being unwillingly merged with him.
But as Ilxsa had pointed out, it couldn't really be classed as a betrayal. And Sharak wouldn't try the same tactic again. He couldn't. It would only cause another Imbalance of Reality. One that could not be reversed.
On paper…it was all good.
"Point taken," nodded Hades, conceding. "But I want my piece of the pie as well when it comes out of the oven."
"Sharak will be pleased to know you still have an interest in Kingdom Hearts, Lord Hades," nodded Ilxsa. "But if you wish to up the ante, we will require an additional payment to even the balance of our agreement."
"How does a cut of the Hades Cup's profits grab you?"
"Further funds could be useful for our research."
"So, exchange of warriors, helping hand here and there in war and entertainment, general increase in profits, hearts and souls…and Kingdom Hearts at the end. Did you get all that down?" he asked, turning to Pain and Panic as they frantically scribbled on the parchment to finish it off.
"Warriors…munny…hearts and souls…Kingdom Hearts…" repeated Pain. "Yep, we got it!"
Hades then snatched the contract and held it in front of Ilxsa to sign. She obliged. Then Hades signed his signature and snapped his fingers, the contract disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"Pleasure doing business with ya," grinned Hades evilly.
"I do not have the capacity for pleasure, Lord Hades," confessed Ilxsa. "But when I retrieve my heart and look back on this…I will express pleasure then."
Author's Note: Hello everyone! Happy New Year! Hope you all had a nice Christmas. Finally! I've finished another chapter of the Darkness-Nothing War! Please submit reviews as I'm eager to know what people think about this story. The reason for few and far between updates is due to work among other writing projects. Thanks for being patient. And I hope you continue to read more of my work.
Anyway, see you when I see you!
D.C. Wood (28/1/08)