Chapter 28
Roxas did not know how much time had passed before Zack and Vance came to get him. There was no way for him to keep track of the passing time in that small room so everything seemed to blur together.
Zack was remarkably calm as he entered Roxas's cell and handcuffed him for what Roxas hoped was the last time. Neither of them spoke as they met up with Vance outside Roxas's cell nor as they rode the elevator back up to the fifty-eighth floor.
Roxas was surprised to find that it was dusk when he entered the elevator on the proper floor. The sky was still mostly blue, but as it dipped behind the other buildings, it faded to a rosy pink color. Roxas had never seen anything so beautiful before in his life.
Zack gently nudged him and he started walking again, keeping his eyes firmly trained on the ground, not trusting himself once to look up. Zack's hand was on his shoulder and remained there until they had stopped in front of the wooden doors that led into the High Council's chambers.
He squeezed Roxas's shoulder gently before letting go and whispering, "Just remember to keep breathing."
Roxas nodded. "I'm afraid I'm going to fall over. Don't let me fall, Zack!" Panic crept into his voice, despite his best efforts to remain calm.
"Never," Zack whispered. "Vance and I are right behind you. If you look like you're gonna fall over, we'll catch you. Promise."
The doors swung open. Roxas breathed deeply and slowly exhaled, and then entered.
As before, the only light in the room came from the flickering candles on the long wooden desk in the center of the room. The members of the High Council sat behind the desk, faces concealed behind their hoods. However, Roxas could pick out which one of the members was Rusty because of the way he sat; his posture was much more relaxed than the others'.
The doors behind them opened again and Roxas turned as Demyx was led in by two guards. He looked as awful as Roxas felt, though he didn't look as bad as Zexion, who was led in several minutes later. Roxas had to suppress his cry of horror at seeing how fatigued he looked, like he was on the verge of collapsing. Saïx was led in last and even he looked awful.
They stood in a line, their guards standing on either side of them, waiting. At last, a woman spoke, "We have reviewed all the evidence presented to us and we have reached a decision. In the matter of Zexion Jasper Rogers, Demyx Maxwell O'Connor and Roxas Alexander Walker, we have decided that the maximum punishment, which is execution, is not necessary. Instead, the punishment shall be that the three of you shall be separated, effective immediately.
"You will be moved out of the dormitories and given your own apartments that will be shared with your respective mates. Your meals will still be taken with the rest of the Bearer population, and you will still attend lessons, but you will not be permitted near each other. Nor will you be permitted to communicate with each other in any way. You will each be assigned a guard who will enforce this. This arrangement will be permanent. Is that clear?"
Zexion, Demyx, and Roxas nodded.
"Then you are free to go," the woman said.
They were led out one at a time; Saïx first, Zexion second, Demyx third, and Roxas last. Once they were outside, Roxas fell to his knees.
"Fuck," Zack muttered. He had been afraid this would happen.
He kneeled down beside Roxas and hastily unlocked his handcuffs and tossed them away.
"Roxas," he said softly. "Roxas!"
Roxas was extremely pale, his gaze vacant. Zack grabbed him by the shoulders and gently shook him.
"Roxas!" he called frantically. "Please!"
His frantic tone seemed to snap Roxas out of his trance. He blinked and stared at Zack for a few moments, looking completely lost.
"Roxas," Zack said, gently cupping Roxas's cheek.
Roxas was trembling badly and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. Zack wrapped his arms around him and drew him in close. He could feel Roxas's entire body shaking as he sobbed loudly. He gently rubbed Roxas's back and just let him cry.
At last, Roxas stopped crying and took in several deep breaths. He held onto Zack tightly, his face still buried in Zack's jacket. Both of them looked up when they heard raised voices down the hall. Vance was arguing with one of the members of the High Council. From this distance, it was impossible to tell who it was. Finally, Vance accepted something from the High Council member, though they could not see what it was. He stuck whatever it was he had been given into his jacket as the High Council member walked away. Then, Vance walked over to Zack and Roxas.
"What was that all about?" Zack asked.
"Later," Vance muttered. He turned to Roxas. "We should probably get going. It's a long drive back to The Institute."
"We're going back tonight?" Roxas asked.
"Yeah, unfortunately. But you can sleep on the way," Vance said.
"Okay." Roxas nodded.
He unsteadily got to his feet and followed Zack and Vance to the elevators. None of them spoke as they traveled down to the lobby.
"This way," Zack said, taking Roxas by the arm, and leading him away from the main entrance. Roxas gave him a quizzical look. "There are a bunch of reporters hanging around out front. We're gonna go out a different way so they don't bother us."
They went out a side door and ended up in a narrow alley. The sedan waited for them there. They crawled in, Roxas and Zack on one side, and Vance across from them.
"So what was that little spectacle all about?" Zack asked as the sedan began to drive away.
"I just had a few words with Rusty," Vance answered gruffly. "He wanted me to give you this."
He leaned over and handed Roxas a plain white envelope that had been crumpled slightly. Roxas opened the envelope, took out a note, and read it.
Roxas,
There's a lot I want to tell you, but right now, I can't. I know that asking you to trust me is a really tall order, especially since you don't know me at all, but sometimes you need to have a little faith. I know things look really bad right now and things might feel like they're only getting worse, but no matter what happens, Zack, Vance and I, plus so many other people you've never had the chance to meet will always be there to protect you, your mate, and your friends. I know you're upset about the High Council's decision to permanently separate you from your friends and you probably don't want to talk to me or even see me. Hell, you probably won't even want to read this note, but I'm writing it anyway just because I need to get this down. I feel like to know more of the truth than what you have been told so far.
"He didn't," Zack, who had been reading the note growled.
Roxas gave him a startled look and then continued reading.
I can't tell you everything right now, even though I want to so badly, but there are some things I can tell you. Roxas, The Institute is no longer safe. Maybe you're already aware of this, maybe not. But regardless, the Institute is no longer safe, as it once was. Its original purpose has been corrupted and twisted to serve the needs of ruthless, ambitious men. All those who live and work at The Institute are becoming pawns in a much larger game. And I fear that once they have served their purpose, they're going to be disposed of. You must beware, Roxas. There are few who can be trusted at The Institute. For now, all you can do is try to keep out of trouble and stick close to your mate. He will protect you, as will Zack, Vance, and myself, but we can only do so much. I have faith in you and your mate. I know that the two of you will be all right. Things will get better, I promise. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to contact me. Zack knows how to find me.
Rusty
Roxas looked up at Zack. "Is…is what he says true? Is the Institute no longer a safe place?"
Zack sighed. He would have rather not have to discuss this with Roxas right now, but it seemed that he had no other choice.
"Look, I didn't want to tell you this because I was afraid of upsetting you, but what Rusty says is true," he said. "The Institute isn't as safe as it used to be. Now, I don't want to worry you, because things haven't gotten that bad yet, but I do think it would be wise for you to be careful. You understand?"
"Yeah." Roxas nodded.
"All right," Zack said. "Now, we've gotta talk about what's going to happen once we return to The Institute."
"Oh. Right." Roxas shifted uncomfortably.
"Vance and I are gonna escort you to the Bearers' dormitory and you'll pack your stuff. Then we'll take you up to your apartment so you can get settled in," Zack said.
"I wasn't even aware there were apartments at The Institute," Roxas murmured.
"Yeah," Zack replied. "It's one of The Institute's best kept secrets, as is the entire second floor."
"Second floor?" Roxas asked incredulously.
"That's right." Zack smiled. "There's a second floor here. Don't feel bad; most people don't know about it. There's really no need for anyone to know about it."
"So what's up there?" Roxas asked curiously.
"Mainly apartments," Zack answered. "Though most of them are empty at the moment."
Roxas frowned. "Empty? Why?" A thought suddenly occurred to him. "It has something to do with what Dr. Vexen said about me, doesn't it?"
Zack swore under his breath. He knew he should have said anything, but it had slipped out before he could stop himself.
"I…" he started to say.
"Look, I don't need an explanation, at least not right now," Roxas interrupted. "I understand you're trying to protect me from whatever the hell's going on around here. All I want is for you to tell me if I'm right or not."
Zack sighed. He saw what Roxas was doing; he was wheedling information out of Zack until he had enough to put the pieces together on his own. He definitely got that from Cloud.
Zack shook his head. "You're really something else, kid."
"Are you gonna answer my question?" Roxas demanded.
Zack nodded. "You are correct. What Dr. Vexen said about you has something to do with it. And that's all I'll say about it."
"Fair enough," Roxas said with a smile. "Can you tell me more about the apartments?"
"Sure," Zack answered. "There are two types of apartments at The Institute. The first type is what we call Level 1 apartments. They're very basic apartments with a single bedroom, a bathroom, and a living room. There's no kitchen.
"The other kind of apartment is called a Level 2 apartment. They're larger than Level 1 apartments and they have a kitchen. You and Axel will be sharing a Level 1 apartment, as requested by the High Council. As they already sort of explained, you'll still eat with the other Bearers and you'll still go to your lessons with them, but you'll spend the rest of your time in your apartment."
"With Axel?" Roxas asked.
"With Axel," Zack confirmed. Roxas looked slightly worried, so he added, "The High Council wouldn't have agreed to this arrangement if they didn't trust Axel. Besides, it's not like you're going to be completely alone with him. There will always be two guards posted outside your door in case something happens. But the High Council doesn't have any reason to believe anything will happen and neither do I."
Roxas only looked slightly reassured by this.
Axel couldn't believe what he was hearing and had to ask the guard for clarification.
"I'm going to be what?" he demanded.
"You're going to be transferred into an apartment with your mate," the guard repeated. "Effective immediately. You need to pack your things at once so we can get you settled into the apartment."
"But why are my mate and I being transferred into an apartment?" Axel asked.
"There's no time to explain right now," the guard hissed. "Let's go. Now!"
Axel sighed. He knew there was no way he was going to get any information out of the guard right now, so he just followed him back to the Breeders' dormitory. He packed all of his things into several large cardboard boxes and, with the help of a couple guards, carried them out of the dormitory.
After a while, Axel lost track of where they were going. Even he hadn't been this far into The Institute before. They came to a dead end. Axel blinked, confused. Then, one of the guards stepped forward and opened a panel in the wall He entered a code on a keypad and closed the panel. The wall slid to the side, revealing a doorway. Axel shot the guards a confused look. One of them gestured at the doorway. Axel walked through. There was a short hallway that ended in a staircase. Without being told, Axel climbed the stairs. He found a plain-looking hallway that looked like pretty much every other hallway at The Institute.
"Keep going," one of the guards growled.
Scowling, Axel started walking down the hall. Doors appeared on either side with large brass numbers on them.
"You and your mate are in number 222," guard called out before he could ask.
Axel looked at the numbers as he passed. At last, he found number 222 and tried the door. It was unlocked.
The apartment was small and plain with little in the way of furniture aside from a couch and a pair of comfortable-looking armchairs. There was a small bathroom with a shower and a bedroom with a single large bed, a dresser, and a nightstand with a lamp and an old-fashioned alarm clock on it.
Axel sighed and put the box he carried on the bed. The guards with him brought his other boxes in and left, though Axel knew there would be at least two guards standing outside. He tried not to think about it too much as he started unpacking his things.
When he had finished, he grabbed one of his prized books and took it out to the living room. He curled up in larger of the armchairs and started reading.
He didn't stir until he heard the front door open. He carefully marked his page and looked up as Roxas entered, carrying a cardboard box. When he saw Axel sitting in the chair, he gave a startled cry and dropped his box. Axel sprang up from his seat, the book falling from his lap.
"What's wrong? Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Roxas answered. "I was just startled, that's all."
He bent down to pick up his fallen box, but Axel was already picking it up.
"I've got it," he said.
"Oh. Thanks." Roxas blushed slightly.
Axel carried the box to the bedroom and set it on the bed. When he returned to the living room, Roxas was talking to a young guard. After a few moments, Axel realized that he knew the guard Roxas was talking to.
Zack immediately stopped talking when he saw Axel standing in the doorway.
"Oh, hey Axel," he said. "I was just helping Roxas move his things in."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Axel asked.
"No, it's all right," Zack replied. "We've got it."
"All right," Axel said.
He returned to his seat and picked up his fallen book. He opened it and pretended to read. In reality, he watched Roxas and Zack, as well as a couple other guards bring in Roxas's things. There wasn't much.
Soon after, Roxas vanished into the bedroom. Axel went back to his book for real. It was quiet for a while. Then, Axel heard a soft sniffling sound. He knew without a doubt that it came from Roxas. He opened the bedroom door. Roxas sat on the edge of the bed, crying softly.
"Roxas…?" Axel murmured, stepping forward.
Roxas looked up at him through tear-filled eyes and gasped softly.
"Axel!" he cried. "I…I didn't hear you come in."
Axel walked over to the bed and gently brushed Roxas's tears away. Roxas flushed.
"Roxas, what's wrong?" Axel asked gently.
Roxas was still for several moments, then something inside him seemed to break, and he started sobbing, burying his face in his hands. Axel sank down on the bed next to him. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around his mate and bringing him close.
Slowly, the story spilled out. Roxas told him everything—Zexion and Demyx's affair, Demyx fathering Zexion's child, their affair being found out, the High Council, Rusty's mysterious words, the verdict, and punishment.
Axel was silent, listening carefully to everything Roxas said. When his mate was done, he was still silent, digesting all the information he had just been told.
At last, he asked, "Do you still have the letter Rusty wrote?"
"Uh…yeah." Roxas nodded.
He got up and rifled through his things until he found the note. He brought it to Axel and waited, nervously biting his lip, as Axel read it.
Axel frowned. "I wonder what he means."
"I don't know," Roxas replied. "I don't know what to do."
"I want to talk to Bryan about this," Axel said.
Roxas frowned. "Bryan? Why?"
"Because he's my friend," Axel answered.
"Can he be trusted?" Roxas asked.
"I trust Bryan with my life," Axel said coldly. "I do not trust people easily. You know this. I will speak to him and we'll discuss what we need to do. All right?" Roxas nodded, though he still looked uncertain. Axel took his hand. "I want you to trust me on this, all right? Can you do that?"
Roxas looked at him for several moments, considering this. "Yes. I trust you."
Axel smiled. "Good."
He placed a light kiss on the top of Roxas's head and hugged him close.
Author's Notes
I had a lot of fun playing around with fonts for Rusty's letter. I chose something slightly illegible because it was fitting for Rusty. I also chose to make the font slightly larger than the rest of the text so it would be slightly easier to read, plus Rusty tends to write big.
I realize that I forgot to mention the music I listened to while writing the last chapter. It's kind of important.
First was Aerith's Theme from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children which I listened to while writing the scene where Roxas sees the view. It's a nice, gentle piano piece. Then I switched to A Night on Bald Mountain from Fantasia for the scene right before Roxas enters the High Council's chambers. It's the complete opposite of Aerith's Theme-dark, ominous, and turbulent, which represents Roxas's feelings as he's about to face the High Council. Finally (and most importantly) was Rinzler from Tron Legacy. This is the High Council's theme. It's very dark, very ominous, and very fitting for the High Council. If you've never heard it (and even if you have), I highly encourage you to listen to it. It really captures the High Council.
Also, I realized I made a little bit of a boo-boo. I gave Roxas's surname as Walker, but that should have been Strife (Bearers are given the surname of their Bearer parent therefore Roxas has Cloud's surname of Strife). It's been corrected in the previous chapter.
Thanks to twilighttimefan for pointing out my other boo-boo. It's been corrected.
