The next day, Namine had cleaned herself up, dressed herself and was sitting, drawing again. She was quite alone... until a man appeared. And not the man she expected.
"Hullo, Axel," she greeted him quietly.
"Namine," he replied, "what happened to you?"
She winced. Her face, neck, and arms were peppered with cuts and bruises. "N-nothing," she said quickly, re-arranging her hair, as if it would help.
The redhead drew right up to her, kneeling down, petting her hair back gently. Their faces were close enough to kiss.
The door opened to reveal the Graceful Assassin, blank faced as always. The door opened and he slipped through, staring at the two with an unreadable expression.
Namine jerked her head up to see him. "Marluxia-" she said quickly.
Axel straightened more slowly, nodding to him with cold eyes.
In seconds Marluxia had his hand gnarled in Axel's mane of red hair, ripping him away from the girl. "What are you doing?"
The girl stared in horror, but Axel only calmly sent a bolt of flame to burn the hand away from his hair.
"Checking over the witch for these mysterious cuts, Marluxia," he said calmly, "would you know anything about them?"
His eyes narrowed. "It's none of your business."
"Oh, but I think it IS my business, Marluxia," he replied, glancing at the girl.
"I think that anyone abusing the one person who can kill us or save us all is something I'd consider my business."
His lip curled and his nostrils flared. "We'll talk about this outside," he hissed, bangs falling over his eyes.
Axel held out his hands, bowing towards the door.
"Ladies first."
His hand clenched, but he stepped outside anyways.
"I'll be back in a second," Axel whispered to Namine, before joining Marluxia outside.

He crossed his arms. "Don't talk to her. She's my responsibility."
"Responsibility?" he scoffed, "don't make me laugh! You haven't been responsible for her in the slightest."
"I have her completely under my control." He growled, stepping forward. "She'll do anything I ask her to."
"Only because she's scared of you!" Axel accused, "I'm not blind- I saw her face. Cuts and bruises... bite marks everywhere. What did you DO to her?"
"I did what she asked." Marluxia retorted, eyes narrowed to nothing but slits.
"...What?" the red head asked, plainly lost
"She asked me to hurt her," Marluxia said seriously.
"You're lying," Axel accused, "that sweet little girl in there? She's hardly more then a child, Marluxia! Even if she did ask, she had no idea what she's saying. Did you see those bruises? She could not have wanted that."
"Ask her yourself." He said dully, crossing his arms.
"She'll just say whatever you want her to say!" the man looked livid. "I don't trust that. You can't just have your way with people because you happen to have them under your power!"
"Ask her in private then, I don't care. Just. Don't. Touch. Her."
He smirked. "We'll see... who knows? Maybe I can show her the NICE way to have sex. You know, as opposed to violent rape..."
"If I find out you've touched her..." Marluxia growled, a sudden anger sweeping over his features
"You'll what?" VIII asked in that cocky, arrogant tone, "You can't kill me. Lord of the castle or no, I still out-rank you, Marluxia."
"No. I won't kill you," he replied lowly, still glaring at the other dangerously.
"Then what do I have to worry about?" He laughed and, with that, teleported out.
The assassin stared at the now vacant area, hands clenched so tight that they were shaking.

Inside the room, the girl who was the source of all their fury cowered in her seat.
Marluxia walked in, finally, door slamming behind him. "What were you two doing?"
"Nothing!" she said quickly, looking at him with a bruised face and speaking with a cut lip.
He pulled her up by the arm. "Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying," she insisted, "please, I didn't d-do anything. He only wanted to know where... where the cuts came from. That's all."
He shook her like a rag doll, "What did you say?"
"AH!" she cried out, head snapping back and forth painfully, hair whipping into her face. "P-please-!"
"What did you say?" He growled, shaking harder.
"Nothing!" she cried, "I didn't tell him anything!"
"I don't believe you." He threw her to the ground.
She gasped with pain on contact with the cold stone. It felt as though her bruises were bruising.
"I didn't!" she said, "I mean it!"
He didn't reply, just turned and walked off, still shaking with anger.
"Marluxia, please!" she cried out, struggling to her feet and chasing after him.
He knocked her off her feet with one harsh slap, before leaving the room.
She fell back to the ground, face stinging.