Chapter 35

The following morning, Zack came and got Roxas, Axel, and Bryan up early. Roxas, who had hardly slept last night due to nightmares, was up at once.

"I'm gonna take a shower, all right?" he said, gathering his things.

"All right," Axel replied. "I'm gonna try and get Bryan up." He glared at the lump in the bed that was Bryan.

Smiling, Roxas went into the bathroom. He turned the water on and while he waited for it to heat up, he stripped off his pajamas, and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He almost didn't recognize himself—the figure who leered back at him was far too pale and far too thin to be him. His cheeks were hollow and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.

Disgusted, Roxas turned away from the mirror and went back to his shower. He stepped beneath the spray and closed his eyes. The hot spray felt so good he wished he could stay there forever, though he knew he couldn't.

Roxas reluctantly switched off the water, toweled himself dry, and dressed in a clean uniform. When he walked back out, Axel had the news on and watched with little interest. Zexion sat by the window, vacantly staring out.

"Zexion?" Roxas asked softly, walking over to him. Zexion didn't stir. "Zexion?"

"Yes Roxas?" Zexion asked in a dull tone, still staring out the window.

"Why won't you look at me?" Roxas asked, hurt.

"I…" Zexion took a deep breath and then turned to Roxas, his eyes filled with tears.

"Zexion, what's wrong?" Roxas asked gently.

"I…I feel like this is all my fault," Zexion whispered.

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked.

"Saïx he…he raped you and it's my fault," Zexion said faintly. "It's because I slept with Demyx. He's mad at me and he's gotten back at me by hurting you."

"It's not your fault," Roxas said firmly. "It never has been and never will be your fault."

"But…" Zexion protested.

"Damn it, Zexion!" Roxas shouted, drawing several stares. "It isn't your fault! Saïx…Saïx…" his throat constricted and tears threatened to leak out of his eyes. He took a deep, shuddering breath. "It's not your fault that Saïx raped me. It was his decision and his decision alone. I will never hold you responsible for what he did."

Zexion smiled weakly. "Thank you, Roxas."

"You're welcome." Roxas returned the smile.

They ate a hasty breakfast in the hotel's restaurant and clambered into the sedan that waited for them outside. None of them spoke as they drove to the Justice Building, nor as they headed inside.

It was exactly as Roxas remembered it. It seemed as though nothing at all had changed as they made their way up to the High Council's chambers on the fifty-eighth floor. The view was still as spectacular and as terrifying as it had been the first time Roxas had seen it. This time, he had Axel and Bryan there, though, which made him feel a lot better. He buried his face in Axel's shoulder and allowed his mate to lead him down the hallway, grateful that he didn't ask any questions. They stopped in front of the pair of large wooden doors that led into the High Council's chambers and Zack knocked.

"Yes?" a woman's voice came from the interior.

"Zack Fair here with Vane Meyers. We're escorting Roxas Strife, Axel Semenov, Bryan Krushenev, and Zexion Rogers who are here for questioning."

"Very well," the woman's voice said. "Please enter."

The doors swung open. Zack glanced at them.

"After you," he said, smiling crookedly.

No one seemed to want to move. At least, Axel rolled his eyes, grabbed Roxas by the hand, and dragged him in, Bryan following dutifully behind. Zexion silently followed with the two guards bringing up the rear.

"Stand in the middle of the rom, please," the woman's voice said from the shadows.

They lined up in the middle of the room, Roxas still holding Axel's hand, Bryan on Roxas's on other side, Zexion beside him, and the two guards on either end. Roxas reached over and took Bryan's hand. Bryan glanced at him, but couldn't see him too well through the semi-darkness, so he just squeezed Roxas's hand instead in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. They waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Then, the doors behind them opened to admit Director Xemnas.

"Sorry I'm late," he said smoothly, striding forward.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin," the same woman's voice as before said in what sounded like a vaguely annoyed tone. "Bring in the prisoner!"

The doors swung open a third time. This time, Roxas couldn't help gasping. Saïx was led in by several guards from The Institute. His hair was messy, his uniform rumpled and stained, and his face was unshaven. But that was no why Roxas gasped. Long, thin, jagged scars covered Saïx's entire face, as though someone had taken a knife and carved a pattern into his skin. He knew without asking that this was Axel's handiwork. Saïx glared at him, which was more menacing now, and Roxas had to turn away. Beside him, Axel snarled under his breath.

"Easy," Bryan muttered.

Roxas gently squeezed Axel's had. His hostility worried Roxas.

"I'll behave," Axel said in an undertone.

"Quiet please," an unfamiliar man's voice called out.

"Now, we are here today to hear testimony from Roxas Alexander Strife, Zexion Jasper Rogers, Axel Sergeivich Semenov, and Bryan Dimitrivich Krushenev, concerning Saïx Preston Hollifield and the crime he committed against Roxas," the woman said. "Is that right?"

"Yes," Director Xemnas said.

"Very well. Saïx Preston Hollifield, do you understand the charges being brought against you?" the woman said.

"Yes." Saïx nodded.

"Do you understand that if you are found guilty, the High Council may decide to inflict the maximum punishment which is death?" the woman continued.

"I do," Saïx responded.

"Do you have anything you would like to say before we begin?" the woman asked.

"No, I have nothing to say," Saïx replied coldly.

"He's not going to apologize?" Axel hissed. "That bastard!"

"Shh, Axel," Roxas murmured, lightly squeezing Axel's hand again.

Axel quieted, though his disgruntlement still resonated through their Bond.

"We will begin questioning the witnesses then," the woman said. "We will start with Roxas. Please follow Rusty into the side chamber. The rest of you will wait in the lounge until you are called in for questioning with the exception of the prisoner, who will wait in the holding area."

Axel and Bryan both gently squeezed Roxas's hands before letting go. Roxas took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Come with me, please." Rusty's voice came from beneath one of the hoods, though Roxas couldn't tell which one until he got closer.

He followed the hooded figure of Rusty into the same side chamber as before, followed by only Zack.

Rusty made sure the door was completely shut before pushing his hood back. His gaze was immediately drawn to Roxas, who looked around the room uncomfortably. He looked so much older than the last time Rusty had seen him only a week previously. He was much paler and thinner, so frail-looking. His face was lined with worry and, worst of all, there were dark circles beneath his eyes, as though he had hardly seen a good night's sleep, which Rusty suspected he hadn't. Rusty wouldn't have believed a person could change so dramatically in a short period of time, but the proof was right in front of him.

"Sit down, Roxas," he said, careful to keep his voice neutral.

He didn't want Roxas to know how worried he was, how he had hardly slept after he had found out what had happened to Roxas. He had a part to play; he couldn't afford to let Roxas know just how much he cared for him. He couldn't let anyone know for that matter. So it was with great restraint that Rusty sat on the couch opposite Roxas and carefully regarded him.

"I won't ask you how you're doing. I expect you've heard that more times that you'd like," he began. Roxas smiled faintly. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Can't say I blame you. I'd get sick of everyone asking you how you are every time they see you."

"Yeah," Roxas murmured.

"Instead, I'm just gonna get right down to business," Rusty said. "I understand that all this is extremely difficult for you. It's a lot for you to deal with. But I need you to tell me exactly what happened the day Saïx raped you." He noted that Roxas flinched slightly at the mention of rape, but didn't say anything. Instead, he continued, "If you find that you are having difficulty talking about it, you can have some time to collect yourself, all right?"

"All right," Roxas replied.

"And if you need to cry, go right ahead. I won't judge you and neither will Zack. Right Zack?" Rusty said.

"Right," Zack said, smiling at Roxas.

"Are you ready, Roxas?" Rusty asked seriously.

Roxas took a deep breath. "Yes."

"All right." Rusty switched on the tape recorder that sat ready to go on the glass table. "This is Rusty McCarthy, High Council Member conducting interview number 67417. Just a few questions to once again make sure our records are correct. State your full name, please."

"Roxas Alexander Strife," Roxas said.

"You are still fifteen years old, born May 15, 1987AA, correct?" Rusty asked.

"Yes." Roxas nodded.

"And you're still a Bearer at The Institute and have been one for two years?"

"Yes," Roxas answered.

"All right," Rusty said, glad that the most boring part of the interview was out of the way. "Now, I want you to explain what happened on the 6th of July."

He waited with bated breath for Roxas to begin his tale. He already knew what happened; right after the incident had occurred, Director Xemnas had submitted a report that detailed everything that had happened. As was the custom, the entire High Council had received a copy of that report and was required to memorize it in case they were chosen to interview the witnesses.

It had been extremely difficult for him to read through that report the first time, let alone the second and third time. He wasn't sure how he had managed to memorize it. Reading it made him extremely sick and he needed more than one glass of alcohol to get through it.

However, it was even worse listening to Roxas telling him what happened. He clenched his hands into fists, trying to keep his temper. It was extremely difficult, to be sure. Once when he looked down at his hands, he saw that he was digging his nails into the palms of his hands so hard he was drawing blood. Drawing in a deep breath, he forced himself to relax, and continue listening to Roxas's story.

Roxas was remarkably brave about the whole thing. He never faltered once, not even when he talked about how Saïx had raped him in the shower. He just sat there, anxiously twisting his hands around in his lap. Rusty tried hard not to react and instead busied himself with scribbling down questions to ask after Roxas had finished his story.

At last, Roxas fell silent, though he still twisted his hands around in his lap. Rusty took in a deep breath and tried to regain his composure.

"Uh…I…I have some questions to ask you now, if that's okay with you," he stammered.

"Yeah, that's fine," Roxas whispered.

Rusty squinted down at his notes. "Okay, first question. When Saïx first approached you, did you know it was him?"

"No." Roxas shook his head. "He grabbed me from behind and threw me against the wall of the shower. I didn't see who it was until he was bearing down on me."

"Were you surprised that it was Saïx?" Rusty asked.

"Yeah," Roxas answered, his voice still barely above a whisper.

"Did you try and fight him? Try to get away? Scream for help?" Rusty asked.

"Of course," Roxas answered, slightly agitated. "But Saïx held me down and he was so much stronger than I was. When I screamed, he told me to shut up and hit me."

"Do you know if he…ah…reached his climax?" Rusty tried to keep his voice neutral.

Roxas flushed bright pink at the embarrassing question. "Y…yeah."

"You're sure about that?" Rusty asked.

"Yeah." Roxas nodded, flushing even more. "I know what it feels like."

"All right." Rusty glanced at his notes again. "So Axel was the one who pulled Saïx off you?"

"Yeah," Roxas answered.

"And he was mad?" Rusty questioned.

"Extremely," Roxas whispered. He shuddered.

"And then Bryan was the one who took you to the medical facility?" Rusty frowned.

"That's right." Roxas twisted his hands around in his lap again. "Axel ran after Saïx. I didn't even know Bryan was there until he called my name."

"Were you afraid of Bryan at all?" Rusty asked.

"At first, I was a little scared," Roxas admitted. "But I knew I could trust him."

"Why?" Rusty asked sharply.

"Axel." Roxas smiled slightly. "He said that I could trust Bryan and I…well I trust Axel's judgment."

"And why's that?" Rusty asked curiously.

"Well, I've learned that Axel is very slow to trust people," Roxas said slowly. "If he says Bryan can be trusted, he must have a really good reason to trust him."

"I see," Rusty murmured. "Well, I think that's everything I need to know. Thank you, Roxas. Zack will escort you back to the lounge. And Zack, would you bring me Axel, please?"

"Sure." Zack nodded.

Rusty watched them leave, then stood at the window, looking out. He didn't have long to make up his mind. Did he want Axel to see his face or not? He quickly weighed his options and decided that it was probably best if Axel, Zexion, and Bryan all saw his face now. It was time he revealed himself to all of them. He didn't move until he heard Zack knock on the door.

"Come in, please," he said, turning away from the window at last.

The door opened and Axel was led in. Rusty found himself studying Axel quite intently. He had never met Axel, though he certainly had heard much about him. He had seen photos of Axel, although it wasn't the same as seeing him in person. He looked remarkably like his photos, albeit slightly older now. He sat tall and proud across from Rusty and spoke with ease about the incident. His answers were short and to the point. Yet he spoke in such a respectful tone that Rusty found it hard to believe he had caused so much trouble at The Institute.

He next sent for Zexion to ask him a few questions concerning Saïx. Zexion had stared a bit at Rusty when he first entered, but Rusty had known that he probably would have. Zexion had been very distressed when he had heard about what had happened to Roxas and had even gone as far as to blame himself for Saïx's actions. His emotions seemed genuine to Rusty and he immediately dismissed any thought that Zexion had had anything to do with the incident.

Rusty had saved Bryan for last on purpose. Aside from Roxas, Bryan had been the one Rusty had been most intrigued to interview. Bryan was still somewhat of an enigma; indeed, no one (except perhaps Axel) really knew him that well. Even more mysterious was the supposed relationship between him and Axel.

By the time Rusty had finished interviewing Roxas, Axel, and Zexion, it was well past 11, so he ordered an hour break for lunch. It also gave him the opportunity to go over Bryan's file again. He scarcely touched his sandwich, more interested in the file sitting on the glass table. Flipping through it, Rusty found he had more questions than answers.

After puzzling over it for well over an hour, Rusty finally sent Bryan so he could begin his interview. When Bryan was led in, Rusty found himself studying Bryan even more intently than Axel.

Bryan was quite handsome. He had wild dark curls that framed a thin pale face and inscrutable blue-grey eyes. Even Rusty, who was usually very good at reading people, found it hard to judge this young man now seated across from him.

Bryan's light blue-grey eyes swiftly traveled down Rusty's frame, measuring him up. Rusty could see that Bryan was very perceptive, his gaze sharp and alert.

"I'm going to begin with a few basic questions, all right?" Rusty asked, reaching for the tape recorder sitting on the glass table, and turning it on.

"That's fine," Bryan responded in a quiet voice.

Rusty cleared his throat. "This is High Council member Rusty McCarthy conducing interview number…" he squinted, trying to think. "Number 67420. State your full name for the record, please."

"Bryan Dimitrivich Krushenev," Bryan stated. He had a Russian name, but absolutely no trace of an accent.

"You were born on June 24, 1983AA, correct?" Rusty asked.

"And that makes you nineteen years old?" Rusty tried to quickly do the math in his head.

"Yes." Bryan nodded.

"You are a Breeder at The Institute and have been one for six years?" Rusty asked, trying not to sound bored.

"That's correct." Bryan responded.

"All right." Rusty cleared his throat. "Now, I'd like you to tell me what happened to the best of your ability what happened on the 6th of July."

It was interesting to hear Bryan's perspective on the situation. Rusty had been careful to avoid the topic of the Bond that had been formed between Roxas, Axel, and Bryan so far. Roxas had been distressed enough already, Axel's temper too volatile to risk it. And now, Rusty wasn't sure if he should bring it up with Bryan. He just didn't know how Bryan would react. He made up his mind to not ask.

He asked Bryan a couple miscellaneous questions and then sent him away with Zack, who was playing his part as an aloof guard of The Institute perfectly. Then, he began to gather all the necessary information so he could make his recommendation to the High Council.

Roxas, Axel, Bryan, and Zexion waited in a nervous silence in their hotel room. After they had finished being questioned by Rusty, they had returned to their hotel to wait until the High Council made its decision.

Bryan had the TV on, though none of them were really paying attention to the soap opera that Bryan had found. He, Axel, and Roxas were curled up on their bed, Roxas napping. Zexion sat on the edge of his bed, fidgeting nervously.

At last, there came a knock on the door and Zack poked his head in.

"Hey," he said softly. "It's time. The High Council has made its decision."

Without saying a word, Roxas, Axel Bryan, and Zexion got up from their places and followed Zack out. No one spoke as they drove to the Justice Building. Zexion was trembling badly. Roxas wished he could offer him some words of support, but the words died in his throat.

A crowd had formed outside the Justice Building when they arrived. Clearly, the press had gotten wind of the incident and were now clamoring outside in the hopes of getting the inside scoop.

They were hurried up to the fifty-eighth floor by a large group of local security guards who were there in addition to Zack and Vance and were shown into the High Council's chambers. Saïx was already there with Director Xemnas and his guards, handcuffed as before.

Once they were all assembled, a woman's voice boomed out, "We have decided a suitable punishment." She paused and the entire room waited with bated breath. "In the matter of Saïx Preston Hollifield, we believe that the maximum punishment is suitable. He is to be executed immediately."

There was a short gasp from Zexion. He felt as though he had been hit with something extremely heavy and staggered backward. He collided with something solid but soft and he felt arms wrap around him, trying to keep him up. He fell anyway. There were several surprised gasps and someone called his name, but the room was swimming around him.

Then, someone was lifting him up and swiftly carrying him, though in the semi-darkness, he couldn't see who it was, or was it because his vision was going dark? He leaned against whoever was carrying him and knew no more.

Author's Notes

Just a quick note on the names, especially Bryan and Axel's: they both have traditional Russian names even though Russia doesn't exist anymore. This is because when the twins began to repopulate the world, they decided to not let some of the Old World culture die, so, among other things, they kept up the traditional patronymic naming system of Russia (and a few other places as well, I think).

For this chapter, I listened to two songs in particular: Rinzler from Tron Legacy, which, as you already know, is the High Council's theme. And I also listened to Monster by Paramore, which is "Rusty's" theme.

One more note. I changed Zack's surname to Fair which is the surname he's given in the FF games to make it more canon. Totally forgot about that. Sorry!