Note from forevermagik13: The battle begins. *cue epic music*
Two minutes later, fifteen replicas stood in the entrance hall to Castle Oblivion, prepared to face whatever stood on the other side.
Riku stood at the front, Soul Eater bared. He had already asked six times why he had to be the front line but no one had given him a straight answer.
"I wanna be on the front line!" Joseph said, struggling against 29's grip as he tried to get up to where Riku was.
"Nonsense," 29 said. "This is not the place for you."
"But I can punch and jump on people's shoulders and pull hair and…"
There was a very large pounding on the front door.
"Does anyone have any idea why they didn't just come in by dark corridor?" one of the Vexen Replica's asked.
"I'm not going to ask," Riku said. "I'm just going to take them all down."
"And I'm going to help!" Joseph shouted.
"Ah, no," 29 said, still trying to get Joseph to come with him.
The door opened, revealing a Lexaeus Replica with his axe sword. Behind him stood two Larxene Replicas, a Marluxia Replica and one Vexen Replica. 29 knew this particular Vexen to be number 37. He frowned, 37 had been the first one to side with Saix.
"Why didn't we just use a dark corridor like any normal replica?" one of the Larxene Replica's whined.
"I was hoping we could reason with them," 37 said, stepping to the front.
"Depends on what you're trying to reason for," Riku spat.
"I merely want the main computer of the Replica Program," 37 said, rather calmly.
"You're here on Saix's orders!" Joseph shouted.
"One of the kids," the other Larxene Replica said, turning up her nose. "I thought Saix got rid of them…"
Joseph's eyes grew wide. "I hate you!" he said.
29 felt like he should reprimand Joseph for such strong words, but his feelings toward that particular Larxene Replica were identical to that of the young Replica and he felt it would be hypocritical to do so.
"Hmph," she said. "The feeling is mutual, mistake."
Riku's blood ran cold. He knew that tone, he hated that tone. He hated that tone about as much as he hated being electrocuted. He was angry—not as angry as he was when something threatened Namine—but close.
Joseph screamed in anger and ran at the Larxene Replica, she was too quick for him though and blasted him with a bolt of electricity. Joseph flew back and lay on the floor, crackling with electricity.
Riku growled and was about to launch himself at her, but 29 got to her first. No one even saw him summon his shield, he just had it out and landed a very hard blow on her head. She was knocked out instantly.
"Looks like reasoning with you isn't an option," 37 said sadly.
"I'm not going to reason with anyone who allows a replica to call another replica a 'mistake.' I don't take kindly to such language," Riku seethed.
"Oh, how noble of you, Riku," 37 said.
"Yes, how noble…" the other Larxene Replica said. But before she had a chance to give him a demeaning name, Riku attacked her.
As soon as Riku attacked, the rest of the replicas behind him started attacking as well.
29 stood over the unconscious Larxene's body in shock, analyzing this for exactly 7.2 seconds before rushing over to Joseph.
Joseph had been knocked unconscious, but he was still breathing. 29 scooped him up and ran for Joseph's room.
It didn't take long for Riku to take care of the other Larxene Replica. As soon as she was finished off, he started helping some Vexen Replicas fight off the Lexaeus Replica. Six Marluxia Replicas had their brother surrounded. He fought back madly with his scythe, landing a couple blows on the other Marly Replicas, but he didn't last too long.
xx
Meanwhile, 37 had slipped quietly away in an attempt to get to the computer room. He wished he could just corridor himself there, but that room, much like the room like it in the World that Never Was, was closed off to dark corridors.
"We must keep 37 out of this room at all costs," Alpha said.
"Can't you just seal off momentarily?" Vexen asked.
"Yes, but that would require someone to remain on the inside," Alpha said.
Vexen coughed.
Zexion frowned. "Fine, but don't touch my computer."
Vexen rolled his eyes and shooed Alpha out of the room. "Let's just seal this room up," he said. "But don't leave me in here too long."
"Believe me, I won't," Alpha muttered. "You're in here with my research."
xx
It took six Vexen Replicas, 3 Marluxia Replicas, and Riku to take care of the Lexaeus Replica. Riku was almost glad he had never fought the real Lexaeus. Once he had fallen, Riku looked around, surveying the scene.
"Track down 37!" he commanded. "And will someone do something about that Larxene Replica over there?"
23 and 19 were summoned to take the Larxene Replica into custody. They picked her up and dragged her off. 19 pulled out a card and held it up to a door. When 23 opened it, they were faced with something that looked oddly like a prison cell.
"This'll do," 19 said.
"Yup," 23 said, chucking the still-unconscious Larxene Replica into the room.
They closed the door behind her and walked off, proud of their work.
xx
While this was all going on, 37 had reached the computer room. Unfortunately for him, he arrived just as Vexen and Alpha had sealed it off.
"Good luck getting in there," Alpha said. "We've sealed it off."
"You and who?" 37 asked.
"Just a Vexen Replica," Alpha lied.
"I didn't know any Vexens on your side knew that protocol," 37 said.
"You don't know a lot of things, 37," Alpha said.
"Well, regardless, I'm getting into that room," 37 said, summoning his ice-shield.
"Destroy me and you'll never get in there," Alpha said defiantly. "And you know it."
"Perhaps a friendly duel then?" 37 suggested. "Winner gets the room?"
"You're going to duel me regardless of what I say," Alpha said, summoning his lexicon. "So I may as well just fight you. However, this is your destruction that this is leading to."
"Why do you say that?" 37 asked.
"Because you're too much like Saix. You don't fight enough to stay in practice. I however, train daily so that when I have to fight for my research, I can."
Alpha was quick to set up an illusion, the two of them were now seemingly in an empty room of Castle Oblivion. Alpha had to think quickly, knowing 37 would be quick to see through most of the things he set up. He wouldn't be able to rely on illusions for long. He opened the pages of his lexicon and a several pages hurled themselves out at 37. The pages lashed out at 37 who used his shield to protect himself from them.
Alpha opened the book wide and allowed the loose pages to shoo 37 into the book. He was trapped there, looking as if he had just been drawn in on one of the pages. Alpha allowed himself a smirk, but he knew 37 would be free soon enough. Alpha did not have the ability to keep anyone in the pages of his lexicon forever. Not even the real Zexion had the power to such a thing.
37 broke free of the lexicon and let loose a trail of ice needles. Alpha jumped nimbly out of the way and replicated the attack and sent it straight at 37. This was only slightly effective, for 37 was able to stop the spreading trail with his shield. 37 then conjured up a sword made completely of ice. He attempted to attack Alpha with it, but Alpha batted it out of the way with his lexicon. He then formed an ice sword of his own.
"Would you stop copying my attacks?" 37 growled.
"Sorry, it's in my programming," Alpha retorted, shoving the sword through an unguarded 37's arm. 37 looked down at his arm in shock, the ice sword sticking right through. Alpha then bashed 37 in the head with his lexicon.
"Low blow," 37 spluttered, pulling the sword out of his arm. Blood began spurting out.
"Not your smartest move," Alpha said.
"This isn't over," 37 spat, forming a dark corridor around himself. "I'll be back."
"Oh, I'm sure you will," Alpha said, shattering his illusion and closing his lexicon with a satisfying snap.
Riku came running down the hallway.
"Where's 37?" he asked.
"Oh, I took care of him," Alpha said, banishing his lexicon.
"Is he…?" Riku began, looking around for shards.
"Oh, no, I didn't kill him. He was too cowardly to stick around long enough for that. Granted, he is going to have one heck of a time fixing the hole I put in his arm."
Riku snorted, but tried to cover it up.
Alpha pretended not to notice and began unsealing the computer room. He knocked a few times for Vexen to know that he could unseal it on his end.
"You didn't touch any of my computers, did you?" Alpha asked when the door was open.
"No, not at all," Vexen said.
"You're lying."
"I didn't change anything," Vexen said. "I was merely looking up some of your Vexen's older projects. Joseph mentioned something about other kids like him and I wanted to see some of the data on that."
"Oh, the children," Alpha said sadly. "That's a sad story. One sadder than me disabling my brethren."
"Children?" Riku asked. "I'm confused."
"It's something we don't talk about much," Alpha said. "You can blame Saix for that."
"I can blame Saix for a lot of things," Riku said. "What's one more?"
"Long story short," Alpha began. "Joseph isn't the only kid. Well, he is now, but he didn't used to be that way. They were among the first destroyed after the Restart because Saix found them worthless. Joseph's the only one who survived."
Riku found himself sickened by this.
"So Saix simply destroyed them because he found them useless? No other reason?"
"Pretty much," Alpha said.
"I'm beginning to wonder if there is anything Saix can do that will make me hate more," Riku muttered.
"Don't tempt fate," Alpha said.
"Joseph just seems so happy though," Riku said, changing the subject slightly. "He never said…"
"He wouldn't," Alpha said. "He's pretty resilient. Granted, it's also been nearly half a year. For a Replica, that's quite a long time."
"Believe me," Riku said. "I know."