Lost: Let's get down to business!

Roxas: And defeat the Huns!

Lost: That's what I'm talking about!

Axel: Bah

Lost: Why you—

Roxas: *Ahem* Lost owns nothing!

For Your Entertainment

Chapter 25: Axel's Diabolical Plan

"You can't be serious!" Reno exclaimed.

Axel pouted and crossed his arms. "I'm very serious."

Reno adjusted himself on the couch and crossed his legs. He sighed and stared at Axel sitting across from him. Axel could not be serious! This was ludicrous but…it was starting to make sense. His little brother was certainly a weird little thing. Reno narrowed his eyes and saw Axel tapping his foot impatiently.

Reno scratched his head. "How'd you make this up?"

Axel beamed. "Well, I just put some information together and then boom! You see, we both hate dad and the gold digging whores he brings home, right? You and I both don't want to go to Halloween Town too! You're 21 and I'm 18. We're both adults! This plan is perfect!"

"So, you're saying that we should just leave? What about money?" Reno asked.

"Our trust funds kicked in when we turned 18. We just haven't used any of it because we're living off dad's money." Axel smiled.

Reno looked around the living room and then up the stairs. Their father wasn't home because he was on a business trip. He'd be home in a few weeks. He always has to work. Reno and Axel barely see him and the last time they actually talked was quite a while ago.

Reno always thought that following in their father's footsteps was the right thing but…lately things have caused him to change. Reno used to be dependent on his father for everything but now he doesn't need him. Axel's right! They're both adults. It's obvious their father doesn't want either Reno or Axel around so what's the point in living here? Even if they just left out of the blue, their father probably wouldn't even notice.

Reno looked down at his lap and grumbled. "Can't dad just cancel our trusts or something?"

Axel stood up. "I've already thought that over. If dad has even a tiny, tiny speck of love for us he won't do it."

"I hope you're right." Reno mumbled.

"Does that mean you're in?" Axel asked eagerly.

Reno looked away and nodded. Axel cheered. He jumped and smiled. Axel rounded the coffee table separating the two and glomped his older brother. Reno grunted and threw Axel off of him. He checked his hair and was glad it wasn't damaged. Reno glared at Axel but couldn't help but smile. Axel smiled back and turned around.

"…Well anyway," He coughed. "I'll be upstairs."

Reno smirked and said, "Whatever,"

Axel took one more look at Reno and then ran up the stairs. He walked down the hallway and into his room. He pounced onto bed and stared at the picture of his mother on his nightstand. Axel smiled and brushed his fingertips against the glass. He laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. This plan was going to work and if it wasn't, he'd make it.

Roxas stretched his arms and leaned up against his locker. He yawned and looked around. He pushed away from his locker and opened it up. He stared at the contents within it and sighed. He pressed his head up against the locker next to his.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Someone, Roxas recognized to be Xion, asked.

Roxas turned his head and stared at Xion curiously. "Growing up,"

"Ah, I see," She said quietly. She leaned her back up against a locker and let out a breath.

"Why…are you talking to me anyway?" Roxas asked.

Xion raised a brow and smiled. "I can't?"

Roxas shook his head and straightened up. He stared at Xion hesitantly. "I mean, two of my best friends have a grudge against you which means that I do too."

Xion waved it away. "That's old news. Everything has been resolved."

"Since when?" Roxas asked pulling out his notebook.

"Yesterday," Xion grinned. She placed her hands behind her back and started spinning around.

Roxas gave her a small nod and closed his locker. He gestured for her to lead the way to their homeroom. Xion started walking with Roxas close behind. She occasionally looked over her shoulder to see what Roxas was doing. His gaze was fixed on the ground. She grumbled and turned to walk backwards. She kept her hands behind her back and stared at Roxas intently. Roxas looked up and was taken aback by how Xion was looking at him.

"Oh," Roxas said quietly which made Xion cock her head to the side. "You're bothered by something…you know…I never really had any grudge against you. It was just because of your relationship with Riku and Sora. I actually thought you weren't all that bad."

Xion smirked. "That's not what's wrong but thank you though."

"Did I do something?" Roxas asked.

Xion shook her head and giggled. "Wow Roxas, you really must not want to be on people's bad sides."

Roxas shrugged. "It's a thing I can't break."

"Anyway," Xion paused. "There's something bugging you. You said growing up was what was wrong earlier. What aspect of growing up are we talking about?"

"The boyfriend part," Roxas breathed.

"Did you get into a fight with Axel?" She asked innocently.

Roxas groaned and rubbed his eyes. He grabbed Xion's shirt to slow her down and they stopped walking. Xion stared at Roxas, patiently waiting for a response. Roxas gulped and fiddled with his fingers. He looked up at Xion and she blinked. Roxas quickly looked away and took in a breath.

"Too much to talk about," Xion said for him. "I understand if you don't want to say anything. More importantly to someone you aren't close to."

Roxas shook his head. "It's not like that. There's something going on with Axel. I think he's hiding something from me. He hasn't said anything about the status of his move and I think he's trying to keep something about it from me."

"Interesting," Xion mused. "Want me to go talk to him for you?"

"You'd do that?" Roxas asked.

"Of course," Xion answered. "I've decided to change my ways."

"Wow, thanks," Roxas smiled.

"I'll talk to him later in social studies." Xion informed the blond.

"I really appreciate it, Xion."

Xion gave him a smile and they walked into class.

xXx

Xion hurried to Axel's locker and found him swapping his language arts book for his social studies book. Xion caught her breath and stood next to the redhead. He turned his head towards her and gave her a big goofy grin. Xion raised a brow and took an involuntary step back. Axel finished swapping materials and closed his locker. He stared at Xion happily and her eye twitched.

"Should I be concerned…?" Xion asked.

Axel grinned again and shook his head. "I'm glad you're here. I needed someone to talk to."

Axel started walking away and Xion followed. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"You know I'm moving to Halloween Town, right?" Axel asked.

Xion nodded. She fiddled with a black button attached to her skirt. "Riku mentioned it."

"Good," Axel said. "I do not want to go to Halloween Town. So, I devised a plan to thwart my father's stupid move. I talked with Reno and it's all set!"

Xion cocked her head to the side in interest. "What plan?"

"Ok," Axel stopped and turned to face Xion. He leaned down and whispered, "Reno and I are leaving my father."

Xion pushed away from him and blurted out, "What?"

"Reno and I have trust funds, Xion. Our dad doesn't care about us in the least bit! Why don't we just leave? It was my dad's idea to move anyway! Reno and I are both adults! It's so simple." Axel sighed.

"…You really think that's going to work?" Xion asked hesitantly.

Axel pouted and crossed his arms. "Of course it will. I'm legally my own responsibility anyway."

Xion bit her lip. "What will your dad think?"

Axel's expression darkened. He grumbled and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't really care about what he thinks."

Xion didn't reply. Actually, she really liked his plan. Only if she had money she would skip out of her father's house in the blink of an eye. Axel continued walking and Xion quickened her pace to follow him. Axel walked into their social studies class and Xion soon saw that Zexion, Demyx, Sora, and Kairi were already in their seats.

Xion gave Zexion a passing glance and the two nodded at each other. Xion saw Demyx look between the two and frown. Xion giggled and continued towards her seat. Axel sat next to her and she let out a sigh. She rested her head on her propped up hand and stared at Axel.

He was smiling up a storm, much to Zexion's annoyance. Xion shook her head. Axel really thinks this plan is going to work? Maybe it will. Xion won't know until it's finished anyway. The idea seemed a little planned out and it was Axel who thought it up. Xion shrugged. She shook off her concerns and decided that it wasn't her problem. She'll just report to Roxas later.

Axel pretended to listen to the teacher but he was really actually thinking about his flawless plan. It was sure to work. Seriously, this must be one of the best plans Axel had thought up. Axel eagerly tapped his pencil against his desk and smiled.

Axel was an adult. He could make his own decisions. If this plan went up in flames (which it won't…knock on wood) Axel would take full responsibility. Even though Reno was with him on this, Axel would still take the fall for him since it was Axel who made up the plan anyway.

Axel grinned. This plan could not fail.

Roxas

I walked out of class and dropped my stuff off at my locker. I hurried down the hallway towards the cafeteria. I was very eager to hear what Xion had to say. I quickened my pace and ended up bumping into someone turning the corner. I fell flat on my butt and it hurt like HELL!

The person grabbed my arm and halted me back up to my feet. I looked up at the person and realized that it was Zexion. He patted down his shirt which was very large for some reason. He let out a sigh and looked down at me. Maybe I'm weird but I could see a mixture of sorrow and frustration in his eyes. I guess I was just disoriented.

I scratched my head and said, "Sorry…"

"No, I'm the one at fault." Zexion said rather quietly. He adjusted the collar to his shirt and cleared his throat.

My eyes traveled down to his shirt and realized how familiar it was. I quickly recognized it as Demyx's. I groaned and scratched my head. This guy needs to stop staying at our house! He's been staying there for like two days and he hasn't called his house yet! He's been borrowing Demyx's clothes (which are too big for him) for everything!

"When are you going to go back to your house?" I sighed.

I swear I saw Zexion's eye twitch. "They know I'm staying with you. As long as it's ok with Demyx and your mother, it's fine."

Something in my gut told me that Zexion's parents really didn't know where he was. Since he was a rich kid…his parents could go frantic and put out amber alerts, get some helicopters, call the army and the navy…you know stuff to help find Zexion (in a rich way).

I shrugged and lifted my hands up in defeat. "Fine, whatever. If you don't want to tell me then fine. I'll leave it at that."

I walked past him and jogged to the cafeteria. I finally reached it and saw Riku standing in line. I decided to jump into line with him and I sneakily slipped in. Riku stared down at me curiously and I rolled my eyes at him. He gave me a nod and continued staring off into the distance.

"Have you seen Xion?" I asked as I scoped out the cafeteria.

Riku jumped slightly. "Xion? Not really,"

"So," I began causing him to look down at me. "I see you, Sora, and Xion made up."

Riku smirked and said, "We both understood Xion's problem and she has family trouble."

"Cool," I breathed.

I moved up with the line and looked around the room. Damn, there were a lot of people with black hair. Where the hell was Xion? Wait, I saw a flash of red disappear into the sea of colors. I went on my tippy toes and peered over Riku's shoulder. I ignored the questioning look on his face and saw Axel coming from the hallway.

I shoved Riku out of the way and he grunted. I ran out of the line and into Axel. He straightened me up before I could fall and he grinned at me. That smile was a little…creepy. I raised a brow and patted his shoulder.

"What's got you all happy?" I asked.

"My dad still wants us to move." Axel informed me.

I frowned. "How does that make you happy?"

Axel sighed. "I wasn't finished yet, mister."

"Fine, fine,"

"Anyway," He cleared his throat. "I devised a plan! I've already gotten Reno to agree to it. You see, Reno and I are leaving my dad."

"What the hell?" I exclaimed.

Axel smirked. "Reno and I are adults. He's 21 and I'm 18. We already have access to our trust funds and we don't use them because we have dad. So, I thought 'why don't we just take the money and leave'. My dad doesn't care about us. He's barely around and he hardly acknowledges our existences. We're just wasted space to him and he's nothing to us. Why don't we just leave? It's so simple!"

I bit my lip. "…Are you sure about this? Can't he cancel your trusts?"

"I've already dealt with that." Axel smiled again. "If my dad had a tiny bit of care for us he wouldn't cancel the trusts. It's all on him. If I'm wrong we just come running back to dad or live the way we want to. If he loves us then he'll understand that this is the best for Reno, me and him."

I chewed on my tongue nervously. "Are you sure about this?"

Axel rolled his eyes and grumbled. "Yes, I'm 100% sure."

"I hope you are," I muttered under my breath.

"Did you say something?" Axel asked.

I quickly shook my head and turned around. I clutched my stomach. Maybe it was because I hadn't eaten yet but I had this weird feeling in my gut. It was as if I knew Axel's plan was going to backfire. I was probably just being paranoid. I…I hope I was. I really do.

Reno stepped out of his car and shielded his eyes from the sun. He looked around the front of the house and found a car that was out of place. It was a black Rolls Royce. Was it one of Axel's cars? No, he didn't have a Rolls Royce. He hated those cars. It wasn't one of Reno's cars. He was sure of that. That could only mean…

"Shit!" Reno shouted.

He stuffed his keys into his pocket and raced to the door of the mansion. He reached for the doorknob at record speed but a maid had times it so the door swung open when he was close enough. So, instead of running towards the door, opening it, and hurrying inside, he ran past the maid who had greeted him and nearly tripped on the stairs.

He fell onto the steps and quickly got back up. He angrily ran a hand through his hair and stared daggers at the maid. She gave him an apologetic smile that seemed like it was almost mocking Reno. The maid closed the door and walked away. Reno heard heavy footsteps above him and he looked up.

There he was. There was Darius Brookhaven standing so smugly at the top of the stairs. He was fixing his cuffs at the tip of his button down white dress shirt. His nose was held high and there was a butler standing next to him with Darius's jacket folded nearly over his outstretched arm. Once Darius was satisfied with his cuffs, the butler handed him his jacket. He swiftly put it on and waved away the butler. Darius looked down and saw Reno. He scowled and reluctantly walked down the long steps covered by a dark red carpet. Every step Darius took made Reno shudder. Once Darius reached the bottom of the steps he stared disappointingly down at his eldest son. Reno gulped and forced a smile.

"H-Hello father," He said rather hoarsely. "Why are you home early?"

"I felt like it." Darius boomed. He pushed past his son and walked towards the kitchen.

Reno watched him disappear and he felt his legs shake. He scrambled to grab his phone from his other pocket and sent a text to Axel.

Damn it! Dad's home! He came back early! WTF are we supposed to do?

Darius popped his head back around the corner and eyed Reno. Reno, feeling eyes on him, jumped when he saw his father staring at him. He rushed to put his phone away and he coughed to keep from shivering too much. He cleared his throat again and shakily looked over at Darius.

"Y-Yes?" Reno stuttered.

"Did you go to that meeting I told you to go to?" Darius asked, his voice low.

Reno shook his head. "I…was busy."

"Busy with what?" Darius snapped. "You do nothing but run off with girls and come home to sleep! You have no job, you freeloader."

Reno swallowed, hard. "Sorry father,"

"Sorry won't cut it." Daius breathed. He turned back around and Reno let out a breath he was apparently holding.

His phone vibrated and he grabbed at it. He flipped it open and read Axel's reply: Shit!

Reno mentally cursed Axel and his short reply. He angrily stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Was that all Axel had to say? It was his stupid plan anyway! He probably doesn't have a backup plan. He could have at least told Reno what to do! Wait…Reno is taking orders from his younger brother? The world has officially ended. How the hell could Reno be taking orders from his baby bro? Reno scratched his head and groaned. He paced around the foyer and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Axel, you ass!" Reno shouted.

Axel sneezed. He shook it away and got out of his car. He locked it and looked up at his house. He stretched and let out a yawn. He walked towards the door and expected to have a maid open the door for him. It swung open and Reno stood in front of him with his arms crossed. He was taping his foot angrily.

"What'd I do?" Axel asked.

Reno let out a sigh. "The really question here is 'what are you going to do now?'"

"Huh?"

Reno bit the inside of his cheek. "Idiot! Dad's home."

"You've already told me." Axel pointed out.

Reno silently shook his head and stepped to the side. Axel walked in and threw his backpack onto the stairs. Almost immediately, a maid picked it up and scurried towards the closet. Axel grumbled and turned back to his brother who was closing the door. For a moment they stayed silence. Neither of them wanted to speak. Axel shifted uncomfortably between feet as he heard the faint sounds of his father shouting at a servant.

Axel backed up slightly and said, "Tonight,"

"Pardon?" Reno asked, leaning up against the door.

"We leave tonight," Axel breathed.

"So soon?" Reno blurted out.

Axel nodded. "The sooner, the better."

Reno sighed and said, "Fine, got it."

Axel reluctantly looked around the foyer and turned around. He started up the stairs. Reno was about to follow behind him but was stopped by the sound of heavy footsteps. Axel halted and gripped the rail tightly. The footsteps grew louder and suddenly they stopped. The two brothers slowly turn around and saw their father standing at the base of the stairs. He was staring up at them not in wonder but resentment.

"Boys," Darius icily said which caused them both to jump.

"Y-Yes?" They both asked in unison.

"Have you done any eventful things while I was gone?" He asked uninterestedly tucking at his sleeves.

Not yet, Axel thought.

"...not really," Reno chocked out.

"Pity," Darius hissed. "I thought you'd be more successful."

"I'm graduation soon." Axel said in a small voice.

"Already?" Darius laughed dryly. "Now I have to pay for college."

Axel's lip twitched. Darius's tone of voice wasn't that of playfulness. It was more of as though he wanted to stop paying for Axel's wellbeing all together. Darius patted down the wrinkles on his blazer and turned swiftly on his heel. A maid opened the door and Darius stepped through it. Before he walked away, he turned back around.

"Boys," He started. "Please do something actually beneficial while I'm gone."

He walked away and the door slammed closed. Axel's grip on the rail fell away and his arm dangled at his side. Reno sucked in a breath and shakily turned back to his little brother. They stared at each other as if they were talking through their eyes. The two redheads nodded and hurried up the stairs.

Nia adjusted the collar to her prison jumpsuit. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and held her heart. She stared down at her lap and stopped swinging. She let her hair fall over her eyes. She let out a breath and felt the paper of her photos tucked away in her shirt. She gripped her chest tighter and heard the papers ruffle.

She sniffled and lowered her hand. She hopped off the bed and turned to face Ienzo. He sat up and stared at her curiously. Her lips were quivering and her hands were shaking. She gulped and opened her mouth to speak.

"You're right." She croaked out. "I'm a control freak."

"What?" He asked.

Nia let out a cry. "I manipulate others! I realize that now. I have a problem, Ienzo. I'm crazy! Ienzo…I…I'm…"

She burst into tears and Ienzo quickly came to her side. She hiccupped and tried wiping away the tears. Ienzo pulled her into his arms and she cried into his shoulder. Ienzo rubbed her back affectionately and attempted to calm her down.

"It…it's true!" She croaked out. "I'm a horrible person!"

"You're not." He whispered. "You're the kindest person in the world."

Nia pushed away from him and asked, "Then, why am I in jail? How could a kind person be in jail! Jail is for horrible people! I'm terrible!"

Ienzo placed his hands on Nia's shoulders and leaned down. He sighed and said, "Nia, you've changed so much. You're nice. You're too nice for your own good. They should just let you out now."

"Why should I believe you? You could be lying to me!"

Ienzo looked away for a moment and then muttered, "I was hoping to do this when we got out of jail."

Nia looked up at him in confusion. "Do…d-do what?"

Ienzo turned back to Nia and crashed their lips together. He savored every second of it and pulled away from Nia. In shock, Nia hadn't moved an inch. She stared wide-eyed at Ienzo and her mouth hung open. Ienzo shook his head and smiled. Nia's mouth started moving as if she was trying to form words. Ienzo cocked his head to the side and rolled his eyes.

"W-What…the hell was that?" She breathed.

"A way to stop your crying," He replied simply.

"Y-You k-kissed me." Nia mumbled.

Ienzo nodded. He took Nia's hands in his. "A few days ago, you said I could believe you because you loved me. Now, I'm saying it to you. I love you, Nia."

Nia blushed and pulled away from him. She turned around and crossed her arms. "If this it your idea of a—"

"I'm not joking." He whispered. He wrapped his arms around Nia's waist and she yelped. "This is the real Ienzo talking."

Nia let her arms drop to her sides and she stared at the wall. Her heart hammered against her chest and she gulped. She turned around and looked up at Ienzo. She gingerly gripped the top of his jumpsuit and exhaled. He stared down at her and smiled. Nia searched his eyes for some confirmation and gasped. This was him. This was Ienzo.

Ienzo slowly leaned down and closed his eyes. Nia bit her lip and went the rest of the way. She pressed her lips to Ienzo's and he pulled her in close. After a passionate moment, he broke away and Nia stared up at him, red-faced and panting. He smiled at her and she made a smaller one in comparison to his. Her smile faded suddenly.

"What did you mean by 'when we got out of jail'? It's pretty obvious that we'll never be getting out of here." Nia said.

Ienzo's grin widened. He winked and said, "Let's just say I have friends in high places."

"What are you talking about?" Nia asked.

In response, Ienzo placed his index finger over his mouth and smirked.

Axel checked over his two bags the one hundredth time. He hurried over to his closet and pulled out his green and grey shirts. He stuffed them into his duffle bag and stared at his luggage in satisfaction. He gulped and pulled his vans on. He grabbed his bags and walked towards the door. He cracked it open and looked around the hallway.

When he thought it was clear he opened the door wider. He stepped out and scanned the corridor. He nodded at himself and hurried down the hall. He turned the corner and bumped into something. His bags went flying and he fell to the ground. He regained his composure and looked up.

Reno shook his head at his little brother and pulled him back up. "Come on! I've already put my stuff in my car. Let's go."

Axel quickly grabbed his bags and followed Reno down the stairs. Axel placed a note on the table and continued following Reno. They burst through the front door and ran towards Reno's black Camaro. Axel threw his stuff into the backseat and ran around the car. He hopped into the passenger seat as Reno started the car. He looked at Axel and even though it was dark outside, Axel could see the determination and the excited sparkle of Reno's bright green eyes.

"You ready?" He asked.

Axel looked past Reno and at the huge mansion they were about to cut ties with. He started at it long and hard and Reno understood. He also turned and stared at it intently. The two boys finally looked away and nodded at each other. Reno pressed the gas and they zoomed out of the circle in front of the house.

Axel turned back around and gave the mansion one last look. He looked down and then returned to his original position. Deep in his heart, Axel knew he was doing the right thing. Reno also knew it too. Axel wasn't nervous at all. He was actually confident. All that was left of the plan was his father's part. If their father canceled their trusts then it would be all over but the crying. But if he didn't, then…there would be a new future for Axel and Reno.

It was all up to their father now.

Darius stormed through the door. A maid bowed seconds before Darius screamed, "Where are they?"

The maid flinched and shakily handed Darius a partially crumpled up note. He snatched it away from her and she scurried away. Darius angrily smoothed out the note and skimmed it. In shock, he reread it. He read it again and then again. He let out a tired breath and read the note over again.

Dad,

You, Reno, and I know that this was the best for all of us. By the time you read this note, Reno and I will probably not be in the house and we're never coming back. I won't tell you where we're going because honestly I don't even know. I guess I didn't think that part through. I know what you're thinking: money. You can cancel our trusts with the snap of your fingers but if there's a tiny little spot in your heart just for your sons then you won't cancel them. Dad, I'll always love you no matter how shitty you can be towards me and Reno. I hope you and your new girlfriend will have a wonderful life but I'm sad to say that neither Reno nor I are going to be apart of it anymore.

Love, forever and always, your son,

Axel

Darius looked up from the letter to see a butler cautiously walking towards him. He asked, "What are you going to do?"

Darius gazed at the note again and crumpled it up. He threw it onto the ground and mumbled, "Nothing,"

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'm not going to do anything!" Darius shouted.

"U-Understood," The butler stuttered.

Darius squeezed his eyes closed and let memories of his sons come flooding back into his mind. He smiled at one of them and then it faded away. His sons were gone because of him. It was his fault. He was working too much and pushing stupid ideas onto them. That's why he isn't mad. Axel was right. This was the best for all three of them. Darius wanted his sons back. Even though it seemed like he didn't care about them…he did. He loved his boys. Before he'd go looking for them, he'd have to change. Less work and more talking. He had so many problems that he couldn't count them all. He wanted his kids back but first there were going to be some changes made and Darius was going to start now.

OMG it took me FOREVER to finish this goddamn chapter! I had major writers block for this because frankly I think I'm getting tired of my own story!

Seriously! There are only a few more chapters left and I chose to get bored with my story NOW? Geez…

Anyway, it was weird writing a Het scene because I'm surrounded by boys in my story. It gave me a weird feeling in my stomach and that's why it was pretty short. XD

This concludes Nia's story…for now.

I'm not just gonna end it after a few chapters, duh! Of course I'm having an epilogue!

EDIT: Holy sandwich with cheese! I can't believe i unconsciously changed Darius's name to Dorian! WTF? I just realized this yesterday when i was watching Jeopardy! Argh, i think i'm gonna explode!

LostInRoses