Chapter 14

Roxas wasn't exactly sure how to get Saix's attention, though, so he ended up waiting until after the next meeting. He hardly heard what the meeting was about, something about more missing Replicas, he thought, along with something about Castle Oblivion, maybe. Finally the meeting was over, and everyone left—everyone but Saix, and Xemnas, and Xigbar.

There was a moment of what seemed to be silent surprise, as they realized he was still there. The silence dragged on a second more, then Xemnas spoke:

"What is it you want, Roxas?"

Roxas swallowed. He hated how clammy he felt when talking to Xemnas directly.

"I- I wanted to talk to Saix," Roxas said. He hoped he sounded a least a little more confident than he felt.

"Why didn't you talk to me after receiving your missions?" Saix asked, with a raise of his eyebrows. He almost sounded bored.

"I tried, you wouldn't listen," Roxas answered. Saix hardly glanced at him twice when handing him his missions, and that made striking up a conversation nigh-impossible. Not to mention this wasn't the sort of thing you could casually have a conversation in the Grey Area about.

Saix sighed. "Well, I'm listening now."

Roxas swallowed. "I- I think you don't have any right to be killing the Experiments!" The words all came out in a rush, which while probably for the better, was incredibly embarrassing.

Xemnas and Saix and Xigbar all paused, and they seemed to collectively raise their eyebrows—along with exchange glances—at the same time. All three of them looked at least a little amused. Xigbar looked more than amused, really, but then again, he was Xigbar…

Xemnas chuckled, finally. It sent chills down Roxas's spine.

"They're just Vexen's pet projects," he said. "What do they matter?"

"They're people, just as much as you are," Roxas protested.

"So you mean, not at all, then?" Xigbar burst out into laughter. "We don't have hearts, remember, kiddo? We aren't people! And while you Replicas may be a bit higher quality than us, I wouldn't go calling yourselves people, either."

The words made Roxas's blood boil, but not as much as what Saix said next.

"Replicas are only tools to be used." He sounded so casual about it, and that, perhaps, was most infuriating. "What use did those Experiments have?"

Roxas started to protest, but then shut his mouth. What more was there to say? Nothing could convince them. He waited only long enough to make sure no one was going to say anything else, and then he left.

He was quite surprised when not seconds after arriving in one of the halls of the World that Never Was a dark corridor formed next to him. He was even more surprised when it was Xigbar who came out.

"Listen, kiddo, I get what you're sayin'." Xigbar clapped an arm around his shoulder, leaning heavily on him. Roxas staggered a little under his weight, nowhere near over his shock.

"Uh, what?"

"I'm sayin', you're right," Xigbar said, grinning down at him. "Killing them does seem a bit too far, don't it? But there's no arguing with Saix, no arguing with the boss man—as much as it stinks, y'know? I'll miss the suckers running around, but it's too late to do anything now, really."

"R-right…?"

Xigbar sent him one last toothy grin, and then clapped him on the shoulder one more time. "See ya, kiddo!" He was gone.

Roxas rubbed his shoulder, not sure what to make of what had just happened.

xxx

Roxas found Axel in his room, stretching like he had just gotten up from a nap, or was preparing to take one.

"Yo, Axel, do you think you could—"

"If you want me to play wingman for you to impress Xion, the answer is most definitely no," Axel replied, mid-stretch, not even turning to Roxas.

Roxas gaped.

"I—what?"

He knew what Axel meant, of course, he just didn't see how it was relevant. He liked Xion, sure, but certainly not like that. And even if he did, he didn't need a wingman. Nor did he want Axel for one. He'd do just fine on his own. Not that he'd need to. He didn't like Xion like that. Why did his cheeks feel so hot all of a sudden?

Axel stopped stretching, then started laughing. "Aw, Roxas, I'm just kidding. Whatcha really need?"

Roxas swallowed, trying to get his thoughts together again.

"Uh, chances of you talking to sense into Saix?"

The smile immediately fell from Axel's face, and he started to reach over his shoulder to scratch his neck, only to stop in the middle of that. The grimace on his face deepened.

"That depends… on what it's about…" Axel said.

"Him not killing the Experiments?"

Axel grunted—or growled—then dropped his hand to his side and shook his head. "Slim," he said. He looked like he'd just swallowed something foul.

"Drat…"

Not that Roxas expected much. Especially not after what Saix had said earlier, and given the fact that, despite knowing Axel and Saix knew each other, he rarely saw them talking. In fact, the most they seemed to interact was at meetings.

"Sorry, Roxas. I wish." After a second of hesitation, like he wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands, Axel crossed his arms over his chest. "But talking to him about the Replica Program is like… talking to a brick wall. A very stubborn, very angry, brick wall."

Roxas let out a long sigh.

Axel looked up at him, then sighed, too.

"I mean… I can try."

Roxas broke into a grin. "Would you?"

"Yeah, but no promises."

"Thanks, Axel!"

That taken care of, Roxas headed off. Not that Axel minded, seeing he had been about to take a nap, as it turned out. He said he'd try talking to Saix next time he saw him. Roxas hoped Axel would manage to keep Saix from, at least, killing the rest of the Experiments, but there was no telling.

xxx

Roxas's next stop was Castle Oblivion, to tell 29 about what had happened with Saix. It wasn't good news, no, but it had to be done. It took quite a bit of asking to locate 29, but finally he was pointed in the right direction, and found the right room.

He paused outside the open door, realizing there was a conversation going on, and not wanting to interrupt it. He took no more than a quick glance in—any more would undoubtedly give away his position—to see who all was in there. 29 was there, certainly, along with two other Vexens. One of them was 19, easily recognizable by the thick three-ring binder he always seemed to have with him. Besides the Vexens, there was one Zexion, and one Marluxia. Roxas thought the Marluxia was Amaryllis, but he wasn't entirely sure.

"I don't see why we'd like to work for him, seeing as he is Vexen's killer," the Vexen who Roxas didn't recognize was saying, when Roxas arrived. It only took a moment for him to realize they were talking about Riku.

"Now, 23," another Vexen said—it must've been 19, because it didn't sound like 29—"That's an awful foul thing to say. Besides, at least he considers us as people, unlike Saix."

"He's also just a boy," the Vexen who was apparently 23 said. Roxas didn't much like the sound of his attitude.

"23's right, though. Are we sure that the best idea is to help him?" the Marluxia asked.

The Zexion laughed. "Help him? Please, I was thinking of using him. As strong as he is, what better asset to help us take down—"

"Alpha, hang on," 29 interrupted. He cleared his throat and then raised his voice: "Roxas? Are you just going to stand there eavesdropping all day or are you going to come in and tell us what's on your mind?"

Roxas jolted, a little surprised, and stepped out of his semi-hiding spot before he realized he was doing it. "I—sorry." He swallowed. Had he meant to apologize? "I… How did you…?"

29 raised his eyebrows. "Do you really think I cannot recognize the sounds of a boy snooping around where he shouldn't be?"

Roxas flushed, embarrassed and a little insulted between being caught and being called a boy. Then he remembered that Joseph, who 29 was most used to dealing with, was only a few years younger than him. Two years younger than him, if he remembered correctly.

"How much did he hear?" the Marluxia asked, poised almost as if to attack.

"I won't tell," Roxas stammered. He knew that there'd be no use in the Marluxia attacking him, and especially not in killing him—he was the Organization's prized Keyblade, after all—but it didn't keep his heart from leaping to his throat. That stare could make a rock tremble. "I didn't hear much, but I certainly won't tell a word of it. Promise. I don't like Saix as much as you guys."

The Marluxia's expression softened. Alpha's did not.

"Did you talk to him?" 29 asked.

Roxas nodded. "Yeah, I tried. I don't think I got anywhere, though." He rubbed his arms. "Telling Saix to quit killing the Experiments doesn't guarantee he will, even if I did ask Axel to try and talk him out if it."

"Well, thank you for trying," 29 said. "We can… We can hope, though most of the damage has been done. We must've lost at least half of them, not to mention a few of the caretakers…"

"You're welcome. And I'm sorry I couldn't do more." He clutched his arms tightly to his chest, not liking the glint that had suddenly entered Alpha's eyes. "Well, anyway, I'll get going now. That's all I had to say, and you guys were in the middle of something that I know nothing about." He flashed them all a smile, and headed for the door.

"Take care, Roxas!" the Marluxia called.

"Uh-huh."

Roxas formed a dark corridor as soon as he was in the hallway. His last stop for the day? See Xion. He had a special place in mind to visit with her today, and hoped she was feeling better. She'd been… quieter, lately. Slower. Either it was the failing data manifesting itself, or she was—no. It had to be her failing data. It had to be.