Disclaimer: Only a couple more chapters to disclaim for 30 Seconds. How will the war end? Will Riku find solace within himself? Does Demyx learn how to tie his shoelaces? Can there be a happy ending? I guess if you're familiar with Hero then you've got some answers. My sister who was beautiful enough to edit and read all my stories said this one and Hero can function on their own, but each one fills in the gaps of the other. For that reason, I am going to include the extra bit on Saix after chapter 22, but before the epilogue. Alright. Happy reading!
Search and Destroy
I'm a whore
A birth of broken dreams
This simple answer
Is never what it seems
Once Kairi and Naminé were certain Xaldin was no longer dangerous they made their way to the schoolhouse to speak with Diz. The wind blew them and a puddle of snowflakes into the school while they laughed and chattered excitedly. Diz looked up from the documents on his desk as the girls entered the room. Naminé quieted in Diz's presence while Kairi boldly stepped forward. Diz regarded her with faint surprise and tiredly waited for her to speak.
Kairi told of the Organization's presence early that morning and Diz seemed to rise slightly in his seat with the terrifying news. Kairi didn't notice her old professor's wariness and pressed on to the part where Xaldin had mentioned Riku and, more importantly, that Naminé had heard Riku was alive and free. At that bit of information Diz's mouth slackened and he seemed to stare at something far off. Naminé worried that he was having a stroke, but the old man shook himself, closed his eyes and smiled.
Kairi asked for clearance to take out a jeep to the farmhouse and admitted that even if he denied her she would do so anyways. Diz agreed, saying that he owed Riku so much more than a ride home, but he would have to start somewhere. He told them quietly to go and went back to perusing the documents with a slight smile on his lips. Kairi pulled Naminé out of the room and as they left, Naminé stole a final glance at Diz. She doubted Diz knew he had been seen prodding at his chest with one hand while tears began to wheedle down the lines around his face. When he fell forward onto his desk, Naminé called Kairi's name as she bolted to his side.
There was little Naminé could do for Diz other than call Olette to stand guard outside his office. Diz seemed to know this too and with a sad sigh he waved the girls towards the door and told them to find Riku.
Unfortunately Diz's blessing wasn't enough. The snow and cold temperatures kept the jeeps from running. After two hours of stomping on the gas, turning the key and peeking under the hood, Kairi had to admit defeat. Naminé led her friend inside to warm up while they waited for the blizzard to calm. Naminé soothed her friend by saying that with the wind blowing so strongly the storm would likely pass within the day and by nightfall the temperature would have climbed enough for the jeeps to run. Naminé suggested that Kairi should rest while the storm blew out and when the moon was high they could head for the farm.
They did try starting the jeep at midnight but it wasn't until the sun rose that it would actually run. Kairi didn't waste a second when the jeeps grunts became a continuous purr. Naminé didn't go with her since they were depriving the Regiment of one jeep and field medic and they would most likely need Naminé's expertise that day.
Kairi did feel nervous about going into an area where potentially the Organization's top soldiers could be searching for Riku. More than fear she felt a drive to find her friends and, after the courage she had scrounged from her struggle with the Organization soldier, she believed she could make a difference and could right her regretful wrong.
All the way to the farmhouse, where she was so sure that Riku and Sora would be, her heart beat quickly with the snarling of her jeep. When she came within sight of the house it quickened even more, but as she drew sidelong with the porch her hope snuffed out. If the eyes of the house were its windows and its door the mouth then it would be gaping with lidded eyes in a very still manner.
Kairi's feet went numb as her feet sunk ankle deep into the drifts. She wandered up to the steps of the porch but didn't draw any closer. Nothing moved in the house, not even the wind banged the screen door. She climbed the steps despite the dread weighting her chest and entered the quiet house.
Except for the entrance way, every room in the house was dark. All the windows on the bottom level were boarded and the house was cold. Kairi tiptoed through the dwelling, not daring to lift her feet for fear that somewhere in the house Sora and Riku's bodies were lying in the dark hallways. She didn't see any evidence that suggested a struggle until she entered Sora's room. The sun that glared off the snow crept through a crack in one of the boards covering Sora's bedroom window and perfectly illuminated a dark streak on the wall. Kairi inhaled sharply and put a hand to her mouth as she squinted about the room. She forced herself to check all the closets and under all the beds just in case they were hidden under there. Tentatively she called their names but nothing answered her except for the groans of the house.
She felt relieved to leave the dwelling but bitter tears welled in her eyes as she tried to understand what had happened. Kairi guessed that the Organization had caught up with Riku at the farmhouse and had taken both him and Sora as prisoners. The grim part of her mind whispered that it was Sora's blood on his bedroom walls and that they would receive his body in a couple days.
She was walking numbly back to her jeep with her eyes trained miserably to the ground when she spotted something in the snow. She recognized the black coat despite its dusting of snow and also realized that it wasn't just a coat. Her heart picked up again as she mentally prepared herself for seeing either Riku or Sora dead in the snow. Grimly her mind asked her which boy she would prefer it to be and her heart screamed as she pitched forward at the feet of the body. She didn't want it to be either and if it was Riku or it was Sora then she would grieve just as hard for either.
She reached out a shaking hand and slowly drew back the hood to reveal a man she didn't know. Kairi's breath caught in the back of her throat and she let the hood fall back over his bloodied face. It wasn't either of her friends and he wasn't recognizable as a Twilight Town soldier.
Kairi jumped to her feet and spun in a circle with her eyes trained to the ground and her surroundings. She saw no disfigured lumps in the snow, but as she paced about the porch she found two sets of footprints fading in the drifts. She could recognize her friends by sight or sound but she'd never put much study into the size of their feet. This footprints could be Riku and Sora's, they were close enough together. If they were then one of them wasn't walking properly and she could tell that after the wind had done damage to the prints then they couldn't have been made long ago; the blizzard would have licked them clean off the ground had they happened before dawn.
Kairi ran along the tracks with her eyes fixed to them. She frowned as her hair got caught in a branch and for the first time she realized that the prints were headed into the forest and not towards Twilight Town. She paused at the edge of the woods and even took a step back from the claws of the trees. Why would they retreat to the forest?
She didn't have time to think of any reasons or figure out why the tracks became muddled by another person's footsteps. There was an agonized sort of cry five or six meters to the left and deeper in the trees to where Kairi stood. She wasn't sure whether she should take a step forward or back, hide or run.
Whoever was emerging from the forest was dressed in black and seemed to be huffing in a great deal of pain. The branches shook as a hunched and bulky someone lurched out of the forest and paused to quiver. Kairi's heart was no longer torn between directions as her eyes pointed her feet finally in her due north.
Riku couldn't help but stall and shake at the edge of the forest. The entire time it took for him and Sora to limp their way from the bank to there he had been thinking just to the edge, keeping walking to the end of the forest. Now he stood before a world of white with so much farther to go. Sora was feverish and limp at his side and Riku really couldn't ignore his leg anymore. The bandaging was soggy and he was sure he had done irreparable damage to it over the past couple days.
"We just keep going," Sora whispered and bucked Riku up. "Lean more on me."
"It's pretty far away," Riku sighed as he sagged against Sora.
"We'll get there," Sora said as he pressed a shaky kiss to Riku's neck.
"Sora! Riku!" a familiar and seemingly impossible voice called from their right.
Both boys turned their heads in Kairi's direction. Sora felt happiness relight his eyes. Riku dared to feel a little bit of hope and his leg gave way as Kairi reached them.
For the ride back to Twilight Town Riku and Sora sat in the back of Kairi's jeep holding each other under a woollen blanket. Sora faded in and out of sleep and the noise of the jeep snarling through the snow made it difficult for Kairi and Riku to hear one another. He did share a tentatively happy smile with her through the medium of the rear-view mirror every now and again. When they looked away Riku's eyes fell to the top of Sora's head and his thoughts wandered to the near future. When they entered town how would he feel and how would others feel about him? At the moment he was surrounded by his fool hearted friends who loved and held him no matter what he had done, and for that he felt a spark of happiness. Dauntingly Riku felt anxious and incredibly insecure in who he was. He was honest so he would tell anyone who asked where he had been, who he had helped murder, and what had been done to him. As Sora cuddled closer to him Riku feared all the more the day he would stand naked before Sora. He was changed and his scars were the only cover to the thin skin over his ribs.
Riku imagined himself a year from now as limping and sleeping in the most destroyed parts of town. His hair would reach the small of his back and be a couple months unwashed if the weather decided not to rain. No one would be near him because they knew his begging hands had once been hands that ripped out the hearts of Xion and Leon. The boy in his arms now would look at him with pity but not with love as he passed Riku in the streets. His leg would never heal to a state where it wouldn't hurt just to stand and Naminé would feel bad about not healing him to the best of her ability, but would know that he deserved a constant reminder of his mistakes.
All those thoughts Riku kept inside his skull as Kairi turned off the jeep and twisted in her seat to sigh, "You're home."
She got out of the jeep and was heard at the back of it lowering the back flaps. Riku roused Sora and awkwardly crouched and limped out of the jeep. Kairi was immediately at his side and taking most of his weight onto her shoulders.
"Holy shit!" someone exclaimed from behind as Riku and Kairi began ascending the stairs to the preschool hospital. A moment later Hayner was on Riku's other side with his shoulder under Riku's arm. Hayner grunted, "Riku, you look like you've been through hell. What happened? Did those Organization dogs do it?"
"Hayner, I think Riku needs medical attention, not your attention," Olette said as she helped Sora out of the jeep and followed them up the stairs.
Riku was surprised that Hayner wasn't finishing what Saix had started on his leg. It was just the surprise and pity of seeing Riku so worn. Once the truth came out Hayner and Olette would stop pitying him and hate him. Hayner would be the first to turn against him.
Their slow procession through the hallways of the hospital drew many eyes and heads popped out of rooms to watch them. Though none of those eyes held accusations Riku felt his anxiety rise. The worst was to come when he neared the room where he would likely receive medical attention. A group of people were waiting there for him and Sora, people he hadn't even expected to see. Pence and Naminé stood against the wall talking in hushed voices until Riku rounded the corner. The King's guards popped off the wall and stared excitedly at Sora. The King was there as well, already making his way to Riku past Aerith, Yuffie and the youngest orphans that couldn't be left unattended.
"Our radios don't always work, not nearly as well as the Organization's do, but I think my message reached a couple ears," Kairi said as they paused in their six legged walk to the door.
The King grabbed Riku's hand that lay about Hayner's shoulders and shook it as he said, "I am so proud of you, even though I am not your king. As your friend I am happy to finally see you back where you belong. And on behalf of Diz..."
"Diz?" Riku asked wearily. The King bowed his head with such heavy emotions in his eyes.
"He's not well, Riku, but he wanted me to say that he is deeply sorry."
Riku's heart flapped lamely as it plummeted. No one seemed to hear what the King had said as they pressed forward happily.
"Yeah, Riku! It took you a little bit but you did good. Leon would be proud too!" Yuffie said, bouncing happily on her toes.
They all seemed to press forward like Riku was a warm centre and everyone felt a little chilled. Riku did not enjoy it. A handful of people in a cramped corridor felt like a small stampede alleyway and the bulls were their words. The praise stung and stuck to his skin and still they smiled at him, wanted to hold his hand.
Aerith pushed her way forward with her hip as she held a child in her arms. She offered words of welcome and the others offered more too. All their words battled with what Riku knew in his head and the fight made his lip tremble and eyes sore. The brightness of their smiles dimmed as their lips fell over their teeth and as Riku tried to hold his emotions in. Failing to do so, Riku unwrapped his arm from around Hayner's neck and covered his face with his hand.
"T-thank you all but you're wrong," Riku muttered through his fingers and everyone grew silent.
"You're wrong," Riku repeated, "I didn't – I'm not-"
"Riku, we know it's been tough on you," Kairi murmured as she squeezed his wrist, "You don't need to explain anything now. You need rest. We're just here to welcome you."
"No, I need to tell you that you're wrong. None of it's true."
"What's with you?" Hayner hissed and Olette and Pence snarled at him to show some respect.
His nose felt like it would break anew as he pressed his hand hard against his face. The loving words kept coming from all of the Twilight Town people and suddenly he was a sobbing mess. Everyone murmured uncertainly and the child in Aerith's arms startled to bawl.
"Please move aside. He needs rest. Sorry, Your Majesty," Naminé said with a small curtsey as she pushed everyone aside. Riku was being moved again by Kairi and somebody new taking Hayner's place.
He heard a door close and all the voices in the hall were muffled. Someone was trying to push a handkerchief between the fingers of the hand covering his face.
"Where's Sora?" Riku asked as he buried his face in the handkerchief and tried to calm down.
"Right beside you," Sora said kindly as he ran a hand down Riku's arm.
Riku took his hand away from his face and looked down at Sora. His friend looked exhausted, red faced with fever, and worried.
"It's just us four in the room now," Naminé said from where she stood by a hospital bed. She motioned to the bed with her hands as she asked with a smile, "Will you sit down so I can take a look at your leg? Sora, you can take the bed next to him."
Riku nodded and gently pushed Kairi and Sora away as he made his way to lie in the bed. Naminé met his eyes briefly before pulling back the cut flaps of his pants and gingerly removing the bandage Vexen had put on.
"I'm glad to see you again," she whispered before settling into her work.
The hospital room was dark now and Sora had been asleep for an hour. Riku lay in bed alternating between running a hand through his hair and setting his fingers in a steeple on his chest. Naminé had done as much as she could for Riku and, as he had predicted, his leg would never be the same. Sora had also received similar news about his arm.
Riku looked over at his peacefully sleeping boyfriend. Maybe their shared brokenness made Riku feel at ease around Sora. Everyone else, including Kairi and Naminé, Riku couldn't stomach. Naminé had refused all visitors without consulting him and he was grateful for that. He knew that someday either the door would open and the world would come in or he would go out, but for one night he wanted no one in the room except for Sora. Naminé seemed to understand Riku's solitary desire while Kairi was hesitant to leave her boys' sides. It was likely Kairi felt just as worried about Xemnas sending more scouts as Riku did. It was because of that fear that Riku fought sleep now.
There was a gentle knock on the door. Riku sat up and swallowed dryly.
"Hello?" he called quietly to the door.
The knob twisted and a low light emitted from a lantern preceded Kairi into the room. Riku's shoulders relaxed as he recognized her. She smiled coyly as she neared his bed and stood holding the lantern between them.
"I didn't think you would be sleeping yet, even if you had a tiring day. I didn't wake you, did I?"
"No," Riku whispered back, "I haven't slept yet. I don't think I want to until I know Saix isn't going to step through that door."
"Yeah, same here," Kairi chuckled.
When the silence stretched between them and the lantern failed to chase away all the shadows on his face, Kairi pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. Riku sighed quietly as she did so.
"Kairi, I'm not really feeling up for company."
"Silly, I'd like to remind you we're best friends," she laughed.
Riku snorted and smirked but her words did sting; he hadn't been a good friend over the last few months.
"Riku, are you upset with us for not coming to rescue you?" Kairi asked quietly.
"I don't think so," Riku replied and felt a pang of guilt for her sadness.
"Were you scared when they took you? Were you angry with us then?"
"Angry? With you? Why would I be angry with you? I did it to myself and under Diz's orders."
Riku chose to ignore Kairi's other question but not to quit the conversation. Looking at her then she seemed changed for the worse. Kairi didn't smile as much and she had traded her happy flare for dim and steady flame. With the track that her questions were travelling, Riku assumed her change had a lot to do with him when it shouldn't. He told her so.
"Whatever happened to me was because of my decisions. Don't blame yourself."
"I know, but I did for a while, until the night that Organization man, Xaldin you said? Until he came for Naminé," Kairi nodded to herself sadly. Riku thought she had bowed her head to hide her tears but when she looked up her eyes blazed. In a stronger tone she said, "I still feel horrible for letting you go but I'm starting to understand that I really couldn't have done anything. But that doesn't mean I can never do anything or fear everything."
"I'm not afraid," Riku said quietly. He looked to Sora but the boy had hid his face under the covers now. Calmly he said, "I think there are less people to fear with the death of Xemnas' dogs, but there's still Xemnas and Saix. Xemnas will be furious and Saix is cold but seems to love his vengeance. Neither have anything to lose except the war. Now would have been the perfect time to be undercover. If I could have assassinated them now the war would probably dissolve."
Kairi looked at Riku glumly and didn't seem able to comment. A groggy voice spoke from behind Riku.
"Why do you think you have to do everything by yourself?" Sora asked with his eyes barely open, but glowering all the same.
"Sorry for waking you."
"Don't be because apparently I need to talk some sense into you," Sora huffed as he rubbed his eyes and sat up.
"You've only been asleep for a couple-"
"You guys and your stupid aloofness," Sora said loudly as he completely ignored and interrupted Riku. "And I don't mean you, Kairi. You've got your shit sorted out. Sorry."
Kairi giggled as she turned the knob on the side of the lantern and the shadows sunk backwards. Sora pointed at Riku.
"I'm talking about you and about Axel," Sora finished quietly.
"Axel and I are not a like."
"Yeah, in some ways you are."
Riku stared at Sora with his lips in a stiff line. If Sora had seen Axel as he was now. The guy was a wild fire in an oil field. If Riku had any place in that picture he would be the twisted and black metal of the oil drilling mechanisms.
"I've been thinking a lot about you and especially Axel. I'm kind of wondering how he is now," Sora murmured as he looked down at the sheets. Kairi and Riku bowed their heads with him. Sora shook his head and said angrily, "You both thought you could protect everyone on your own."
"We are on different sides," Riku said firmly.
"I don't think we had to be!"
"Sora, you shouldn't overexert yourself," Kairi cautioned.
"Well, we didn't have to be," Sora said in a lower tone. He shook his head and held such sorrow in his eyes as he said, "We could have waited together to see where the real danger was. We're stronger together. Where you and Axel differ is that Axel followed Roxas and you run away. No more running for you and I hope Axel's not following Roxas now."
There was a pensive pause after Sora's words then both Kairi and Riku made to speak at the same time. Riku waved Kairi on.
"Sora, there's something I need to tell you. It's to do with your brother," she said sadly. Both Sora and Riku focused on her and she looked shyly at her hands as she continued, "I was there when Roxas was killed."
"Oh..." Sora murmured.
"Axel was also captured by our soldiers that day, but at night he was set free. By Naminé and me."
Riku's eyes widened in surprise and Kairi gave him a coy smile.
"Well that's lucky that you did. Axel helped Riku escape," Sora said with just as odd a look on his face. Riku supposed Sora wasn't quite sure how to feel about his brother's murderer being set free, but of course he saw the good that came from it.
"It wasn't really lucky," Kairi admitted. She gave Riku a furtive look as she murmured, "Axel said he would free Riku if we let him out. And before either of you say anything, I think you should know that it wasn't freedom that Axel wanted in exchange for Riku's freedom. He wanted to be able to bury Roxas and in a specific place."
Riku knew what he thought about Axel's request but he wasn't sure how Roxas' brother felt. Kairi and Riku turned to look at Sora. The boy was looking off to the side with a frown on his face. Sora thumbed at the corners of his eyes and turned to Kairi.
"By the farmhouse or in the river glade?" Sora asked her.
"What?"
"Are either of those the places he said he wanted to bury my brother?"
"Well, he spoke to Naminé, but I think she mentioned a river."
Sora nodded and said hollowly, "That makes sense."
Riku watched Sora play with his sheets. After a minute of waiting for Sora to speak, Riku reached over to grab his hand. In a gentle voice Riku spoke.
"Sora, I don't think Axel's coming back. He isn't always there. You know, lucid. And last time I spoke with him he didn't seem too attached to the living world. We can bury Roxas wherever you want and he won't have to know."
"I don't know," Sora said as he dragged his eyes across his knees to Riku's gaze. Sora frowned as he asked, "Is that what you think I should do?"
"If I were in your position I would bury him where I wanted," Riku said boldly. Sora continued to frown as Riku continued to speak, "I would not forgive Axel for what he has done, at least not without a lot of atonement .Besides, if Roxas had passed naturally then it would be you deciding where his grave would be."
"No, if Roxas had passed naturally and Axel was still around then I would talk to him and we both would decide what to do. And," Sora cleared his throat and played with Riku's hand before saying, "and I don't doubt that my brother loved Axel to his dying breath. This isn't about revenge for what Axel did, this is about loving my little brother. I wish I could speak with Axel once more, maybe try to stop him...Do you know where he is or how to get a hold of him?"
"He may be at the farmhouse sometime soon but I don't know when or if he'll be alone. He wouldn't say what he was planning, only what he wanted me to do," Riku replied with a roll of his shoulders. It was Sora's decision where his brother would lie but Riku did have his own feelings.
"Sora," Kairi said gently as she smiled apologetically, "I also have to suggest that you don't go camp out in the snow to wait for Axel."
"Yeah, I know."
"I can ask Diz to keep you informed about any sightings of Axel."
"Thanks, Kairi."
Kairi turned to Riku who gave her a brief nod. She smiled sadly at him and stood with the lantern back in hand.
"I'll let you two sleep now. I just have one more thing."
Kairi reached into her shirt pocket and withdrew a letter. She handed it to Riku with the explanation, "It's actually from Diz. He said he would visit you when you're ready. Alright, call if you need anything, I'll be just down the hall."
Riku and Sora muttered goodbyes to her. Sora laid his head back on the pillow when she had left and watched Riku as he opened the envelope and scanned the letter by the moonlight the window allowed. With impassive features Riku took in what he needed from the letter and placed it on his bedside table after a couple seconds perusal.
"What's it say?" Sora asked sleepily.
"Just a welcome home, an apology, a request and something about an Organization member," he replied as he too settled into his bed.
"Is that all you're gonna tell me?" Sora yawned.
"The request was for me to take Leon's place," Riku murmured after a brief hesitation.
"At the orphanage?"
"In the war."
Sora raised his head to get a better view of Riku and lay back down.
"How do you feel about that?"
"I don't know if I could do that. I'm not Leon and I barely feel like me."
"You can always take the request as an honour but not actually take the position," Sora suggested. Riku chuckled in his throat. He rolled onto his back and frowned at the ceiling.
"And the Organization member?" Sora asked demurely.
"It wasn't about Axel. It's about Saix and how he-"
The door to their room banged open and the room became glaringly bright. Their names were called in panicked voices as many eyes and many guns swept the room. Riku had already rolled to the floor and sat crouched by the bed with his fists up. Sora had hopped out of bed as well and was part way into a crouch when he recognized the soldiers.
"Hayner? Olette?"
Sora and Riku shared a look before straightening up and staring at Olette's patrol. For once Olette looked just as riled as Hayner and her lips were drawn back in a tense snarl. Riku steadied himself with the bed as he watched them prowl around for a minute more before lowering their guns.
"What the hell are you doing?" Riku asked.
"Looking for that fucking redheaded murderer," Hayner spat.
"He's not here, Hayner, so at ease soldier," Olette said as her own feathers smoothed.
"Then he's a liar too," Hayner snorted.
"You thought Axel was here?" Riku asked the soldiers.
Sora frowned, "In our room?"
"Because he said he had you," Hayner replied as he kicked at the furniture.
"When did you speak to Axel?" Sora asked as he stepped out from behind his bed. Hayner looked shocked as Sora neared him and asked his question again plaintively.
"Like I'd talk to the guy. Olette was the one who heard him. Why do you-"
"You spoke to him?" Sora turned to Olette to ask.
She had moved over to the blinded windows to peek outside. At Sora's question she turned and shook her head.
"No, I heard him over the radio," she said as she unhooked the battered box from her waist and clicked it on. The radio buzzed but no voice came through so she clicked it off again. Olette nodded at Riku as she said, "We're still keeping tabs on the Organization's favourite frequencies but your codes are no longer good. Except that ten minutes ago a clear message came through. Axel's voice said he had you and Sora. Diz identified Xemnas' voice responding, but we couldn't make out much of what was said."
"Did he say where he was?" Sora asked.
"Yes but Xemnas spoke in code so we can't make out what they were talking about."
"You have no idea at all?"
"Look," said Hayner coming up behind Sora to stand with Olette, "I'll admit that for these kinds of things it was nice to have someone at the Organization, no matter how much of stupid idea it was."
Riku simply stared at Hayner, a rock to the bee's stinger.
"So unless you're still buddy-buddy with eight, ten and five then we can't decode the message. Besides, why would you want to go looking for the guy that-"
"Hayner!" Olette barked.
"It's a legitimate question!"
"But you have no bedside manners when asking."
"Well, I want to hear a good reason before I let Sora get himself killed. Riku? What are you doing, man?"
Riku motioned for Sora to get dressed as he slipped his coat on too. Riku didn't answer Hayner because he wasn't at all sure why he was doing this. It was probably a whole bunch of reasons patched together in a quilt that gave him a solid why for doing so. Because the sad look in Sora's eye made him look like he was mourning his brother all over again. Because Riku would rather be out hunting Xemnas than waiting to be hunted. Because, despite how Axel had abused him, Riku felt indebted to the boy who had given the little he had left for Riku's freedom. Maybe Diz's letter had gotten to his head. Maybe Riku just didn't like loose ends.
Olette grabbed his arm and gave him a stern look. Riku continued wiggling his feet into his boots as he gave her an impassive look.
"From what I heard over the radio Axel won't be alone," she said with an even sterner look. "And if Xemnas is going to be there then he won't go without a guard."
"I know the risk, but I this is just something I – we need to do," Riku corrected himself when Sora shot him a pointed look. When Olette just folded her arms Riku reassured, "Since most of Xemnas' trusted soldiers are dead and this is a matter to do with the Organization's inability to keep its prisoners, I bet this will be a small and quiet operation."
"And what if I say I can't give you clearance to do that, soldier?" Olette said as she moved to stand before the door with her legs spread and arms ever crossed. She tilted her head questioningly and smirked daringly.
Riku bowed his head as he grinned back. He raised his head with a sigh and pointed over his shoulder with his thumb to the letter on the table.
"Read Diz's letter and you'll see that you don't have the authorization to stop me."
Hayner let out a sharp gasp while Olette's brows simply rose in surprise. Her stance lost its rigidity and her smirk became an astonished rising smile.
"You're second in command now?"
"I don't think it's the smartest decision I'll ever make but if you're going to stop me then I guess my destiny is calling me."
"Then I am stopping you," she said as she raised her hand to salute him and stepped aside.
Sora came to stand next to Riku and they both gave Olette questioning looks.
She shrugged as she laughed, "Diz needs someone like you if we're going to win this anytime soon. And it was nice to have your eyes in the Organization but I'd rather have your strength with us, sir."
Olette's wide smile was the last thing Riku glimpsed before she surged forward and embraced him and then Sora.
"It's also nice to have your friendship back too."
"Thanks guys," Sora said as he released Olette.
Hayner snorted as he said, "I didn't say anything about respecting either of you, but still, good luck, I guess."
"Thanks," Riku said and stuck out his hand to the other soldier.
"Pretty sure you're not alright up there," Hayner said tapping his head, and shook Riku's hand. Hayner frowned when Riku's hand still hung in the space between them after a good shake.
"I'll need your gun, soldier," Riku said with a smirk as he curled his fingers in a gesture to receive Hayner's gun.