Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. This story is mine, as are McCallister and the Fractured Circle people. Second to last chapter! I hope it's been an entertaining ride so far. We're in the home stretch now. I also got a little wrapped up in the action of this chapter, so I apologize if it seems rushed or awkward in some parts. Constructive criticism welcome! Enjoy!

..:-X-:..

Chapter Eleven: Deal

Travelling by dark portal was like being tied to a shark underwater. The force that dragged Tabaeus through the blackness had the strength to tear her in half, she had no doubt. The darkness danced across her skin like smoke or water, pushing her at the same time she was pulled through. She tried to cry out, but her breath was lost in the void.

Then, before she could begin to choke on it, she was thrown forward and out of the blackness. She landed hard on her hands and knees on the cobblestone sidewalks of downtown Twilight Town. Gasping for air, she scrambled to her feet before her balance was back. She staggered sideways into a body and nearly hit the ground again.

"Sorry." She hastily apologized, before looking to the person and yelping.

The civilian she'd bumped into was frozen stiff, locked into a magical paralysis. Panting, she scanned her surroundings and saw that everyone around her was under the same influence. She was no magician, but this had Stop Spell written all over it…A powerful one too. Something snagged the corner of her eye and she faced the farther downtown area a block away.

Brown, dusty smoke was rising in a column out of the old tunnel system zone. It was the only sign of anything moving in sight. She patted her side and found that her holster was still in place, the gun buckled in. It hadn't been ripped away by the portal. Drawing it out, she started at a run toward the tunnels, toward the curling smoke that was stretching into the sky.

The utter stillness and silence of the usually bustling and noisy world was unnerving to say the least. She pressed on, sprinting toward the main entrance to the tunnels. Nothing rose up to meet her on the way. No Heartless, no Nobodies, no foes materialized to greet her. She wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not.

Skidding to a rough halt outside the entrance, she hesitated for a moment as the endless darkness of the tunnels moaned at her. She swallowed hard and checked the clip in her gun. It was fresh and loaded and ready to go. Drawing strength from the cold steel in her hands, she crept forward into the black corridors.

The shadows enveloped her immediately and she blinked to hasten her eyes adjusting to the lack of light. The town had always been consistent about keeping these tunnels lit well enough to navigate. Whatever had caused that smoke, that implosion, it was covering its tracks and didn't want to be followed.

Too bad.

Tabaeus bit her lower lip as she strained her ears, hoping to pick up any sound that could indicate where the General or any unfriendlies were. Keeping her footfalls light, she made a stealthy progress into the interior of the catacombs, breathing as evenly as possible.

Something was moving up ahead, around the next left corner. All senses on alert, she bobbed forward and quickened her pace apprehensively. She didn't have to wait long to figure out what the noise was, because the corner she was nearing exploded. Her jaw clenched to stifle a cry of surprise as she saw the General fly off the impact with the corner, slamming through another wall of the tunnel and disappearing in a heap of rubble and smoke.

Eyes wide, Tabaeus gripped her gun extra tightly and stopped her feet. Fighting every instinct that told her to rush to her commanding officer's aid, she looked back instead in the direction from which he'd been flung. She removed the safety from her weapon and backed away from the corner, sneaking along the back wall to come around the enemy, whoever or whatever it was, from the rear.

She could hear Sora moving, so he wasn't dead or too terribly injured at least. She swallowed, despite her dry throat, and quickly rounded one corner to nearly run into—

"Private McCallister?" Major General Leonhart barked at her. "What are you doing here?"

"S-sir?" Tabaeus staggered in surprise, aiming her gun at the floor and away from her superior officer. "I tracked the General—"

"I've got it covered." The Major General said. "The General's gone rogue. He's betrayed the Council and is now an enemy of the Alliance."

"What?" She was utterly wrong-footed. "I just saw him over there," She pointed, "He's fighting someone or something…It's strong, whatever it is, and he needs help."

"I've got it covered, McCallister." He said lowly, dangerously. "You should go."

Tabaeus paused, uncomfortable with the weird look the Major General was giving her. It wasn't the deadpan, mildly annoyed expression he usually wore around her and the other soldiers. He looked…menacing. She took a half step away from him and glanced toward the smoky area where the General was still moving around out of sight.

"S-Sir, I really think—" She began.

He groaned loudly and rolled his eyes, "That's your problem, McCallister."

Before she could react, his fist smashed against her cheekbone. Taking off guard, she was knocked to the ground. She managed to keep the grip on her gun, but then he was wrestling her hands to her sides, shoving her over onto her stomach and snatching up her fallen gun for himself.

She struggled against him, but his grip was stronger, and when he dragged her to her feet, she toppled against him, unable to get her knees under her.

"You always overanalyze." He snarled in her ear. "You think too much and you just can't mind your own damn business." He pushed her forward, toward the smoky area. "But that's what ol' Squally trained you to do, I suppose."

Tabaeus's blood ran cold and she staggered shakily as he led her toward the beaten and battle-torn sect of the tunnels.

"You're not Major General Leonhart." She choked, his grip on her wrists and neck painful.

"That's a wonderful power of observation you have at your disposal, private." He sneered sarcastically. "Funny how it has blind spots for certain people."

The General was climbing out of the rubble when the Major General who wasn't the Major General pushed Tabaeus into view. Master Form was flickering out of juice on his person. He climbed to his feet, blood and dirt falling from him as he glared across the space at the imposter and Tabaeus.

"My, my, now we have a predicament." The man holding Tabaeus chuckled, lifting her gun in his free hand. "How will the game progress from here?"

Sora summoned the Keyblades Fatal Crest and Guardian Soul, holding them aloft threateningly. He looked murderous and more than capable of charging at them both. The man holding Tabaeus began to shift awkwardly behind her and she recoiled in disgust, not knowing what he was up to.

"Let her go." The General snarled. "This is between you and me. She has nothing to do with it."

"Oh, but she does." The other man cooed softly, and his breath was warm against Tabaeus's neck.

She grimaced and tried to wriggle free. When she looked back to spit in his face or headbutt him, she hadn't decided yet, it wasn't Major General Leonhart but the other Keybearer, Riku, sneering at her. He lifted the gun with a smirk and propped the barrel against Tabaeus's temple.

"She has everything to do with it." He said softly. He tilted his head so that his cheek was touching the top of her head. "Now, let's try to talk like civilized people, shall we?"

..:-X-:..

When the Gummi entered the airspace of Twilight Town, Leon knew immediately that something was off. Sitting forward in the pilot's seat, he gripped the steering controls and guided the ship through the lower atmosphere toward the small hangar by the train station.

"Wait, look over there." King Mickey pointed at the windshield, through which they could see a thin tower of smoke near the downtown area.

Leon followed his gesture and frowned, altering the direction of the Gummi and hesitating to extend the landing gear. No other commotion seemed to be taking place in the town, and Twilight Town wasn't a world to typically display columns of dust.

"What time is it?" Tifa asked, standing in the doorway to the cockpit behind them.

Leon looked further down at the town as the Gummi descended. The crowds were milling around on the streets like any other day. No one looked up as the Allied ship thundered into the civilian airspace. He started to look at the smoke again, but paused, squinting with more focus at the people.

They weren't moving.

"Guys, what time is it?" Tifa asked again.

It looked like the smoke was originating near the old tunnels in the downtown zone. Leon turned off the hangar-seeking procedure on the ship's controls and changed to manual flight trajectory, feeling the tug on the steering at the mild turbulence. The power lights across the control panel flickered.

"6:42." King Mickey answered. "Why?" He looked back to Tifa.

Leon didn't glance back to her, instead, turning the ship to arc toward the downtown.

"The clock tower." Tifa pointed out.

All three of them looked toward the old clocktower, the most recognizable structure on the world. The hands were immobile, stuck at what appeared to be 31 minutes past six o'clock.

Well, that explained the paralyzed crowds below, Leon mused inwardly, slowing the ship down as it descended rapidly toward the tunnels. The landing gear extended at the king's controls and the Gummi soon landed with a rough thud to the uneven cobblestone streets.

Tifa was heading for the side exit before Leon could walk out of the cockpit. She dropped to the ground and looked back to King Mickey.

"Can you conjure a spell strong enough to bring these people out of Stop?" She asked.

King Mickey clambered out after her. "You betcha."

"Then, while you're doing that—" Tifa looked to Leon.

He climbed down from the Gummi, drawing his gunblade as he did so. "We'll cover the tunnels."

"Block all the exits." She started.

He nodded. "Don't move in until we have radio contact." He tossed one of the radios to her.

She caught it and shoved it into her pocket as he strapped his to his belt.

"Got it." She said, turning and heading toward the north entrance.

"Tifa." He called out.

She spun around. "What?"

"Just—" He frowned and exhaled. "Nevermind."

She canted her head slightly, then turned and continued toward the entrance. He hesitated and rolled his eyes, aiming his shoulders toward the south entrance to the tunnels as King Mickey headed toward town to release the natives from their frozen states.

..:-X-:..

Sora held his Keyblades at his sides, glaring daggers at the leader of the Fractured Circle, who had gone back to his old friend Riku's form. He was holding McCallister in a lock against him, leaning her handgun against her temple. His eyes were that familiar ocean blue, but the cold, manipulative emotion behind them was alien. McCallister had stopped struggling against the man, and the blood was quickly draining from her face, leaving her pale and her eyes wide.

She looked terrified.

"Talk about what?" Sora snarled, shoulders hunched.

"There's a good lad." It was irksome hearing Riku's voice with such un-Rikulike mannerisms. Even more painful just hearing Riku's voice again at all. He tilted his head and eyed the Keyblades in Sora's hands. "Wouldn't want to damage this fine packaging." He trailed one finger across McCallister's jaw. "Although, considering your track record, I can't imagine this…soldier…would be of any loss to you."

She gritted her teeth and her nostrils flared at this humiliating gesture.

"Shut up and get to the point." Sora barked.

"The point, General, is that of poetic symmetry." He said airily. "You took everything I had and destroyed it, made a fool of me, and had me cast out, alone and wanted dead or alive." He smiled cruelly. "Consider this retribution." He applied more pressure to the gun barrel against McCallister's head.

Sora bristled but swallowed his fury for the mask of apathy. "There's nothing I have that you could destroy."

The shapeshifter's eyebrows shot up. "Too true." He held the gun away from McCallister, who deflated slightly with relief. "Your friends are dead, your allies want nothing to do with you, your princess is marrying another man, and your empire has fallen through your fingers…All because you have some sick way of 'protecting' them." He chuckled. "You don't need to be able to shapeshift to turn into someone that you're not."

Sora was getting tired of his psychological games. "Listen, shitface, I don't have anything worth losing. You have nothing to use against me."

"What about your little whore here?" He tilted the gun's neck against McCallister's throat. "Would a bullet in her head do anything for you?"

Sora exhaled heavily, hatred boiling in his chest. "Kill her, don't kill her: it doesn't matter. She's a soldier. There a thousand more exactly like her back in Radiant Garden. She's replaceable."

McCallister flinched at his words, closing her eyes. The shapeshifter smiled sadistically and shrugged. "All right. Have it your way—" His finger curled around the trigger.

Sora involuntarily took a step forward and his grip tightened on the Keyblades. The leader of the Fractured Circle noticed and his smile widened.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire." He said musically. "Thus we stalemate. You want me dead. I want to leave here alive. I have the bargaining chip." He looked down at McCallister and back to Sora.

"What are you proposing then?" Sora spat.

"A deal." He said in a silky voice. "A binding magical agreement. Like Hades', only with no loopholes." He held onto McCallister. "You break it, you buy it."

Fury crept into Sora's nerves and made his hands tremble slightly. "And the terms?"

The shapeshifter gave a mock-thinking look. "You banish the Keyblades, surrendering all ability to summon them, wield them, use them to unlock your front door, and I will let her live."

Sora gritted his teeth, "That's a high price for one life."

"Well," He lifted his shoulders, "If you think it's TOO high—" He pushed the gun against her head.

Sora growled. "If I give up the ability to summon the Keyblade, you won't hurt her."

He smiled unpleasantly. "You banish the Keyblades, and I won't spill a single drop of her blood. Those will be the terms."

Sora opened his palms. The Keyblades vanished obediently in twin flashes of light. "Why the Keyblades? Are they the only thing that can kill you?"

"Don't be so naïve." He sneered. "I have bigger things to worry about besides self preservation. No…" He stepped to the side, pulling McCallister with him. She helplessly stumbled after him. "To be a General with no followers, a warrior with no damsel to save, a Keybearer with no Keyblade…Is there a greater humiliation to you?"

"You son of a—" Sora glared. "You think the Alliance isn't going to hunt you down? I wasn't the only one who heard Franks spill about your location. The others will bring reinforcements. I bet Tifa has half the Allied military outside these tunnels right now."

"Ah, but you don't know for certain." He taunted. "And if they are or they aren't, their presence holds no power over this right here." He waved his gun hand in a gesture between them. "So, do we have a deal?" He switched the gun to his other hand, aiming it at McCallister again and offering his free hand.

Sora took three long strides to close the gap between them. "Not a drop of her blood."

"And not a Keyblade in sight." The shapeshifter added.

"Fine." Sora stuck out his hand, mind still calculating through the implications.

"Fine." He leered.

"No!" McCallister cried out, but the leader of the Fractured Circle reached out and took his hand.

As their palms slapped together, the shapeshifter clasped his fingers around Sora's in a solid grasp. Sora was revolted to be touching this monster, but he held on, squeezing back doubly hard. There didn't seem to be some fancy procedure to concrete the agreement. The magic wasn't flashy or dramatic like Hades or Ursula's. A handshake was all it took, apparently.

The leader looked nauseatingly pleased with himself and he backed away from Sora as soon as the deal was done, dragging McCallister with him.

"All right, now, you call your fancy sword, and she's open season. Likewise, one drop of her blood, and you get your flashy weapon back." He chirped.

Sora took a step toward him as he retreated toward one of the remaining exit ways.

"Until next time, then." The shapeshifter lowered the gun and shoved McCallister forward into Sora's arms. As he melted into the shadows, his body began to morph back into Cloud Strife's form.

McCallister crashed into Sora and he waited until she regained her balance before abruptly moving away from her.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I didn't—" She stammered.

He cast her an icy look. This was her fault. If she hadn't followed him, he wouldn't have had to give up the Keyblade. That bastard shapeshifter would be dead right now if she hadn't gotten involved. Why he felt compelled to save her…It didn't matter: she had cost him more than she was worth.

"The others—Lockhart and…" McCallister babbling.

Sora's gears jarred back into motion. The way Tifa had looked at him after he attacked Franks, when he summoned that dark portal…She wasn't going to get him go after this. Between her and Leon's influence, he'd be surprised if he wasn't exiled from the Alliance now. If he was truly honest with himself, he couldn't blame them for that…but he wasn't, so he just narrowed his eyes and lifted a hand.

Another dark portal morphed into existence behind him and he glared at McCallister.

"Do not follow me." He growled.

McCallister held her arms about herself, looking guilty and pitiful. "Yes, sir."

His gut churned at the pathetic look she was giving him, but he steeled himself and stepped into the portal, disappearing from the tunnels and Twilight Town all together.

..:-X-:..

Tifa found the tunnel entrances on Sunset Hill, outside the alleyway, and at the Train Station and blocked them off. By the time she reached the entrance that was sitting pretty in the middle of the town, the militarized Gummi Ships from Radiant Garden were arriving, swooping in low and landing around King Mickey's ship.

Leon or the king must have contacted the soldiers in the ships, because as soon as they landed, she saw the uniforms en masse spread out toward all the entrances that she and Leon had covered. Reaching the main entrance in the middle of town, she lifted the radio to her lips.

"Done." She said into the receiver.

Static crackled over and then Leon's voice cut in. "Same here. Five units are covering the open ways in and out. What's your location?"

"Main town entrance." She answered. "You?"

"Not too far away. The king is ordering the troops. Stay there. I'm on my way." He replied.

Tifa hung the radio on her wrist and looked into the main entrance. She hadn't heard anything about Sora or Tabaeus or if the leader was even really there. But there had been so much commotion and tunnel collapses since they'd arrived that…something had to be going on.

Footsteps echoed out of the tunnel and she squinted at the shadows. She raised her fists and prepared herself for whatever friend or foe was about to emerge. The foot falls drew closer and she narrowed her eyes. If it was Sora, she was going to give him a royal kick in the ass for this wild goose chase. Maybe at least the leader was finally dead and they could move on with their liv—

The blond, Mako-eyed soldier that sprinted out of the tunnel was as far from anyone she'd been expecting imaginable. Paralysis stronger than any Stop Spell seeped through her nerves and muscles, and horror and shock leeched into her brain.

No. No, no, no, nonononono…Not possible.

He took hardly any notice of her as he ran out. This was wrong. It wasn't right. He was…It wasn't him, but it looked so agonizingly like him…But as he hurried past, the stride was different, the posture was strange, and the stance was wrong. But the resemblance was enough to nearly send her into hyperventilation.

"H-Hey…" She managed to choke out.

He looked back and a twisted smile curved his lips. "I do hope you'll excuse me. I simply don't have time to deal with YOU right now." Then he turned back around and continued to run.

Story of my life, she thought, her knees wavering where she stood.

"Tifa!" Leon called out behind her, but she couldn't turn around.

He took two steps past her, watching Cloud's doppelganger make a getaway. As he called up an alarm and sent a squad after him, Tifa could only see that blond hair and feel pain lance through her chest.

"Are you all right?" Leon asked, though they both knew how ridiculous of a question that was.

"Sir, ma'am!" One of the colonels hurried over and saluted. "We're pursuing the…the shapeshifter…but we're also searching the tunnels and there's no sign of the General."

"There's no one down there?" Tifa asked breathlessly while Leon looked at her in concern.

The colonel shook his head, "Just Private McCallister, but she's shaken up and won't say anything about what happened."

Tifa and Leon exchanged a look. The emotional trauma that had just slapped her in the face was still too fresh as she looked at Leon. Cloud's face was still superimposed over Leon's, and she absolutely hated herself for that.

Leon looked away first, nodding to the colonel, who led them into the side of the tunnel where the authorities had deposited Tabaeus, draping a blanket around her shoulders. She looked pale as chalk and her eyes were wide and bloodshot. Gunshots echoed in the direction that Cl—that the shapeshifter had fled, but Tifa kept her gaze on Tabaeus, who easily could have collapsed at that moment.

"McCallister." Leon said, reaching the private first.

The soldier looked up at him and opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Tabaeus." Tifa said more gently, standing beside Leon.

"I…I couldn't—" Tabaeus stammered. "He had a gun…and the General—he left."

Leon put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "It's okay. You're all right. Relax."

Tifa bit her lip. Tabaeus looked so traumatized, but she wasn't sure what from: the shapeshifter, the battle, or Sora's abandonment of her.

Whichever it was, Tifa empathized with her.