Said I was working on it, didn't I? Anyways, here's the continuation. I kind of slapped it together because I don't want to drag this out any longer than I have to. Finally, watching all those cop shows has paid off (sweatdrops)

Warnings: This chapter begins the...things that Edmund is going to do to Roxas, and I'm just going to say now, none of it is going to be pleasant and everybody is going to hate me for it.

Read on...and learn to hate the Ramen


Cops sucked.

All they'd done was force Axel out of his apartment, make him stand out in the hall, asked incessant questions and checked through every single one of his and Roxas' belongings. He already knew that Roxas was missing, he knew the blond hadn't just run away, and he knew that this was all just a waste of time in a bid to follow protocol.

"Look, I wouldn't have called you if I didn't think it was an emergency," he snapped at the officer questioning him still. Asmara gently placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him, but Axel just brushed her off.

In a panic, he'd called to only people he could turn to, his friends, and now they all stood in the hall with him, answering questions and becoming just as impatient and worried as Axel himself. Zexion had retreated into his own world, speaking to no one and glaring at anyone who tried to come near, while Demyx stood next to him, eyes dark with worry and unshed tears.

Dominay was busy irritating the cops by voicing all of Axel's thoughts and getting slapped with threats of doing time for disturbing the peace if she didn't cease and desist immediately.

Sora had gone into a fit when he'd learn of his brother's disappearance and was now tiredly sagging against Riku, crying silently and begging Riku to do something.

"Do you know if he had any enemies?" the officer asked sternly, hardly any sympathy in his voice at all.

Axel glared at the man. "None that I know of, sir."

"Seriously, get off your fat asses and go find him!" Dominay screeched from where she sat against the wall, already handcuffed for her earlier outburst.

"Enough out of you, young lady. You're in enough trouble as it is." The officer barked. Dominay glared up at him, saying nothing. Demyx sent his sister a pleading look and she snorted, turning away, but quiet at last.

"Is there anyone that you know of who would wish to harm him?"

Axel opened his mouth to let fly his intense dislike of how they were handling the situation, when Asmara gripped his arm tightly. Taking a steadying breath, Axel shook his head. Nobody that he thought of off the bat would want to hurt Roxas. He was an ass some days, sure, but everybody either ignored him or was his friend. Unless Roxas had been leading a double life, Axel knew of nobody.

Another officer came out into the hall and spoke with his partner.

"There were no fingerprints found in the apartment except for those standing here."

"Of course not! We're his friends, and they live here, you idiots!" Dominay yelled, unable to hold her tongue any longer.

"That's it, take that woman away, Deputy." Nodding, the officer who'd come out of the apartment went over to Dominay and hoisted her to her feet, roughly leading her down the hall.

Demyx sighed raggedly and followed after his sister.

"So now we're the only suspects you still have?" Asmara asked the officer standing before them quietly. She'd been the most level-headed at this point, but even as Axel watched, he could see the pensive look on her face, the shine in her eyes. She was just as messed up about this as the rest of them, but she was trying her hardest to stay calm to figure it out quickly.

Sighing, the officer put away his notebook. "I'm afraid so. Unless you can give me a name, you're all we have to work with."

For the first time, Zexion spoke up, his tone dark and haunted. "You know…in a missing persons case, the victim has, at best, two days to live." He turned to face the officer. "Isn't that right?"

"Statistics say so, yes."

"Then why are you just standing here, wasting time that could be better spent out there, looking for him?"

"Sir, we're only doing out job. And that's to examine the scene and collect what evidence we can."

Asmara nodded, breaking into the strange argument. "And we're thankful, officer."

Axel turned away, running both hands through his hair in aggravation. Two hours. Two hours of nothing. They were fast on the track to nowhere, and with each second that passed, the chances of getting Roxas back alive were slimming.

"Edmund…" Axel suddenly thought of his co-worker. He seemed to fit the bill of a criminal…and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Hadn't Edmund been the biggest prick of all? He'd insulted him and Roxas before even meeting the blond. And then he'd suddenly flipped over and wanted to be his friend? And now Roxas was missing.

Whirling back on the officer, he grabbed the man's arm as he started walking away.

"Wait! I think I know somebody!"

The officer pulled out his notebook again and motioned for the redhead to continue.

"His name is Edmund Ashida, and he's a co-worker of mine."

Sora lifted his head for the first time at the name, looking stricken. Riku hugged the brunet closer as Zexion came to stand by Axel's side. Asmara's hand went up to her throat as her eyes widened. It made perfect sense to them as well.

Edmund had to have something to do with this.

linelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline

He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, or if he'd simply just passed out, but Roxas blinked open his eyes again as he felt the car slow to a stop. His heart frantically beat as if to tear from his chest as he heard Edmund climb out of the car and approach the trunk, the crunch of his footsteps growing louder and louder.

This had to be it. He had no clue where they were, but Roxas was convinced that this was where the ride ended. This had to be to part where Edmund slit his throat and left him on the side of the road.

He squeezed his eyes closed as the trunk was opened and Edmund reached in, pulling him out. On his own feet for the first time in hours, Roxas stumbled and fell to the ground, his legs tingling fiercely. Edmund sighed irritably and hauled him back up, all but dragging him away from the car and further away from the faint ribbon of road he could make out in the distance.

"Come on, hurry up. I don't want to have to hurt you Roxas, but that doesn't mean I won't." Edmund whispered harshly in his ear, making Roxas shudder at the close contact. It was dark now, and colder than before, the soft evening breeze biting through his light clothing to nip at his skin. It mirrored the icy terror in his heart perfectly.

Edmund tore open a metal door and shoved him inside. His feet still tied together, Roxas could only attempt to brace himself as he fell face first onto the hard, concrete floor. He cried out weakly as his entire body was shocked by the fall. The door slammed shut behind him, a lock clicking heavily into place.

Without breaking stride, Edmund grabbed onto one of Roxas' arms, dragging him behind to the back of the large room. Roxas rolled around to try and break free, some previously submerged instinct for survival coming to the surface. He had to get away, escape, find help. He couldn't stay here. Edmund may be keeping him alive for now, but how long would that last?

Roxas was surprised when Edmund tossed him onto a pallet of blankets set up in the corner. There was no light, just barely discernable shadows that Roxas' adjusting eyes were taking in, desperately seeking an escape. There were a few windows, but they were painted black and boarded up.

Kneeling down next to him, Edmund reached out and cupped his face. Roxas jerked away, wide eyes regarding the shaded man.

A hand came out of nowhere to slap him.

"Don't reject me, bitch." Edmund growled, tugging Roxas' face back to face him. "You're mine now. And that means you do what I tell you."

Roxas swallowed hard, fighting to not cry at the sting joining in with the pounding in his head and body. Edmund was a fucking psycho if he thought this was going to work. If he had any thought that Roxas was going to do what he told him, he was sadly mistaken. Roxas was sick of being the victim.

When Edmund began to stroke his face almost reverently, Roxas curled his legs up against his chest and kicked Edmund back as hard as he could.

In instant retaliation, Edmund stood and kicked him in the side several times. Each blow more brutal than the last. For a while, Roxas was able to keep silent, but soon the fiery pain pierced his stubborn mind, and it wasn't long before he was whimpering with each strike, unable to put more strength into the sound.

Finally, Edmund stopped, and stood panting above him. Roxas lay there, whining and sobbing at the agony in his side. He was sure Edmund had broken something. It hurt too much for him not to have. God, now everything hurt. He'd never imagined that so many parts of your body could hurt at once.

"Now, see what you made me do?" Edmund demanded breathlessly. He knelt down again, lifting Roxas into his arms and stroking his hair out of his face. "I already told you I don't want you hurt, Roxas. Don't make me do that again." He continued to croon and fuss, stroking golden hair, touching soft skin, and the entire time Roxas cried, internally cringing away from the contact, his stomach churning in repulsion.

"You're so soft…just like I imagined…" Edmund went on, but Roxas refused to listen anymore. Edmund had to sleep sometime. Or he'd leave. He couldn't stay here with him forever. And once Edmund wasn't looking, Roxas was going to get away. He would get out of here, and run as fast and far as he could.

Because he wasn't going to stay with this sick freak any longer than necessary.

linelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline

Finally, the cops finished their questioning and, with all the information Axel could give them on Edmund, had set out to find the man's whereabouts.

Tiredly, Axel leaned against the all, waiting for the okay to go back inside his apartment. Demyx had called to say that they were going to keep Dominay overnight for belligerence and slap her with a hefty fine, but other than those two, the rest of his friends were with him.

Sora was now nervously picking at his lip and staring at the floor, and Axel didn't have to be a mind-reader to know what the brunet was thinking. They were all having the same thoughts anyways.

"Excuse me?" Axel turned at the voice to see two middle-aged women standing near him. "We saw the police cars outside and were wondering what happened. Is someone hurt?"

Axel glared at them and chose not to speak. He recognized the two of them. They were sisters who lived in the apartment across the hall from them. Asmara went over to them and explained that one of their friends was missing while Axel shifted around restlessly. He was so tense and antsy. He wanted Roxas back. Now.

"Oh my! Well, do the police know who did it?"

"They're working on a lead, but there isn't much more we can do." Asmara told them quietly, casting quick glances around at the four tense, worried males still standing with her. "Thank you for your concern."

One of the women went over to Axel and touched his arm, to which the redhead replied with a snarl. "What?" he snapped.

"The one who's missing…he's your partner, isn't he?" she asked sadly, though it was a rhetorical question.

"So what if he is?" Axel's glower deepened as he stared down at the woman.

"I'm so very sorry. My sister and I would like to help in any way that we can."

"What could you possibly help us with?" unless she could magically make Edmund dead and put Roxas back in his arms, Axel didn't want the woman's help. Both she and her sister had been part of the huge…disagreement between him, Roxas and their neighbor's homophobic tendencies.

Brushing her faded hair back up into its bun, the woman didn't seem the least bit off-put by Axel's brash behavior. "If it's alright with you, we'd like to assemble a search party."

"The police are handling that already."

"Yes, but the more people who look, the more chance there is of finding him." The woman countered.

Asmara gave Axel a pointed look and the redhead sighed, giving in. "Alright. Thank you."

"Of course. After all, we look after our own around these parts."

Once the police released the apartment, they all went inside.

"I'm Miranda, and this is my sister, Joyce." The woman introduced the two. "And we're very sorry about…treating you the way we did."

Axel accepted that with another tired nod. "It's all in the past now."

"Yes. Now, we'd like to get everyone involved, so if you'll just give us a picture of him and his last known whereabouts, we'll arrange the rest." Miranda immediately began, a serious look creasing her brow.

Asmara instantly went into action and got them the things they needed while Axel was free to wander over to the window and think. Which wasn't necessarily the best thing to be doing right now.

Roxas…wherever you are, be safe. And get back to me in one piece.


So...yeah...Edmund is a freaking psycho and poor Roxas is caught in the crossfire. I won't make you suffer through this, I'm going to write the next three chapters that will span over this conflict (including it's conclusion) before posting them all together so you won't have to wait for me to get around to writing it. This means that it'll take longer for the next update, but it'll be done and over with.

Please don't kill me...you need me to give you the conclusion of this story AND to write teh cuteness you've all become addicted to in The Stray! (hides in her closet with her laptop)