Ikurx
By MathiaSweetSlaughterArkoniel
Rating: PG - 13
Warnings: Language, violence, romance
Pairings: Riku x Sora, Axel x Roxas
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Disney
Summary: After the defeat of Organization XIII, Sora and Riku find happiness in the simplicity of a normal life. A year later King Mickey sends a summons that the fight with the Organization isn't truly done yet. Light. Dark. As long as either exists the battle is never over.

Chapter 36

It had now been near a month since Saïx had been back. A month since he'd told his three cohorts to stay and wait for his return while he personally saw to it to retrieve Riku's Nobody.

The time spent prior to Saïx's leave had been spent tainting entire worlds, a sadistic enjoyment that never truly got old. But that was a primal existence brought on by their Heartless nature. They wanted what they always had, to be whole. And like before Saïx had found each and every one of them, promising them their desires in exchange for Xehanort's reinstatement. An inversion of their place and promise when they had been in the Organization; twisted, but all they ever had was blind loyalties now. Saïx had amalgamated the few left into a following: Luxord, Xaldin and Xigbar.

A bar of a long conquered planet had come to suit their needs, acting both as head quarters and personal lounge. Being Heartless none found it obscure to wind down with a stiff drink, it was something all three appreciated and most importantly had in common.
With Saïx gone the three had taken to entertaining themselves with bar games with a personal dark twist. Gambling had become a personal favourite amongst them, any sort of competition would do. The wager itself? Hearts. Hearts they had captured themselves with their own personal darkness. This included their minor Heartless minions; the stronger the heart or minion, the more it was worth.

"Oh come on!" The aggravated words were shouted near the back of the bar where few of the tables sat away from the usual stools. It was obvious by the annoyed voice that one of those games were going on right at that very moment and Xigbar was on the losing end of it. The once known Freeshooter stared across the table, past shot glasses and glass bottles, at Luxord who seemed to be acting as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. "That's the third damn time you've won. I knew this was one of the worst ideas. You're cheating, just admit it." He threw his cards down on the table not caring where they landed.

Luxord hadn't even bothered to look up at such an accusation, keeping somewhat cool if only narrowing his eyes. "Maybe you should just learn how to play better or you could always go back to raiding the bar." He gave a quick snap of his fingers and from under Xigbar's sleeve a few cards made themselves present to move back towards the pile on the table. "And I'd say you're the one cheating. You just seem to fail at that as well."

Xigbar narrowed his own eyes and seemed about to snap back, but thought better of it. A boring game of cards just wasn't worth it and he barely had any good Heartless left to fork over. He only shrugged his shoulders instead. "As if." The words were mumbled under his breath, but both Luxord and Xaldin would still probably hear.

"Controlling the deck," Xaldin spoke coolly to Luxord as he held a card between two fingers, "only proves you're playing with loaded dice." He flicked the card from his fingers to land on the messy discards Xigbar had thrown on the table. "Not only do you know our hands, but you change your faces." He gathered the rest of his cards in a pile, setting it neatly back on the table unlike Xigbar. "A fixed game to start." He then decided this was as good a reason as any to pour himself a stiff drink.

"I'm afraid that I don't need to have control over any of the hands to know exactly how to win." Luxord took hold of all of the cards once more and finally gave both of the other Heartless his full attention while he went about shuffling the deck. "It just means you both need better skills at the game. Some more then others." He shot Xigbar a quick glance before he looked down at the deck. "I take it the two of you fold for good, then?"

Xigbar scowled while he reached over to yank the bottle out of Xaldin's hands. He didn't seem to care whether the other Heartless had been done with it or not. "Yeah, whatever, I'm done. Still think you're a lousy good for nothing cheater." He leaned back on the legs of his chair and propped his feet up on the table before he took a swallow from the bottle.

Xaldin glanced at Xigbar's uncouth behavior with distaste. With a simple gesture he sent a gust of wind under Xigbar's legs to push them off the table, back far enough to topple backwards on two unsteady chair legs. "I'm done as well."

The sudden gust had been the last thing Xigbar expected and it had him nearly spilling half the bottle he held all over himself. Before his head could collide with the floor he was quick enough to stop the chair in mid-air while he was still seated on it. As soon as he leapt off of it to glare at Xaldin his control over it was gone and it made a loud noise against the wooden floor beneath as it finally fell. "What the hell, man?!"

"I'm in the presence of children..." Luxord mumbled quietly to himself among the banter that was going on. It wasn't anything unusual and at most was always shrugged off. It just came with having to be around the same people for most of their existence.

Xaldin took a calm drink from his glass. "I've told you before, feet on the floor or you'll end up on the floor." He gave Xigbar a glance before he set his drink down. "You've come this far and you still haven't learned tact nor mannerisms." He leaned back calm and comfortably in his chair. "I think you're only upset because you have nothing left worth wager, leaving you out of the game, Braig." He coolly looked to Luxord and then to Xigbar once more. "Why not make things a little more interesting and wager something of far more value: like your own heart."

Xigbar had kicked his chair up and back into place so he could take a seat once more, but the last words had grabbed his attention. "Easy for you to say, isn't it? You still have enough to wager off for now. I'm the one that's lost everything so far." He leaned forward in his seat, but didn't dare put his feet up like before. Instead he rested his elbows on it so he could lean in and give a shit eating grin to Xaldin. "If you're so full of yourself, Dilan, then why don't you do just the same?"

Xaldin gave him a rather unimpressed look. "And what, pray tell, would I do with your shotty dark heart?" Amusement crossed his face as he raised a brow. "Perhaps a door stop for the door to Kingdom Hearts? Rather unnecessary now." He looked back to Luxord. "Besides, we don't have a big enough game to ride such an important bet on. I've had enough of card games."

"Shall we make a real bet then gentlemen?" Luxord waved the cards away and rested his hands under his chin as he watched both of the bickering Heartless carefully. "If the two of you are so bored of silly games then we can certainly move onto bigger and better things."

Xigbar moved his eyes back on Luxord and waved the bottle he was still holding around to emphasize his next point. "Oh yeah? You mean just so you can have another chance at screwing us over again?" He nearly huffed as he leaned back in his chair once again on both back legs, but kept his feet off the table this time around. "Yeah right, I don't think so."

"I assure you that I won't 'screw you over' as you like to put it." Luxord glanced over at Xaldin as Xigbar had taken to the bottle in his hands again. "I'm talking about making a bet on Saïx's return. It's a worthwhile bet. If he succeeds. If he doesn't. He's been gone for quite a while, who knows what's been going on as of late. It wouldn't hurt to put a little wager on his life."

Xaldin glanced from one to the other. Betting on their 'leader' was voice enough for treason. Especially when back in the Organization he and Xigbar had been in the Organization far longer than Luxord. As number Two and Three, they had been something akin to law enforcers

But that was a life time ago, and they were far different creatures from Nobodies.

"Very well. Sounds entertaining." Xaldin leaned forward in his chair, interested. "What is the premise?" The corner of his lips upturned in a smirk.

Luxord dropped his hands back down on the table so his full attention could be on both Xaldin and Xigbar since he seemed to have their interest. "It's very simple. There are a few easy choices we can bet on. First," He held up a finger. "Saïx makes it back here alive, in one piece and with that wretched Nobody that he went after. Two," Another finger joined the one. "He comes back, but without the prize and we all know the reasons for that. He just outright lost to whoever got to it first. Last," A third and final finger came up before he dropped his hand completely. "He dies. Although this is the one we would certainly know about it's still one we can bet on. He certainly hasn't returned yet. There's always a chance."

Xigbar dropped back down on all four legs once again and raised a brow at the sudden bet. "So, you're saying we take our chances on whether our fearless leader succeeds, lives, or dies?" He finally set the bottle aside and shrugged a shoulder before he settled back in the chair. "Sounds interesting enough to me. Sure, why not?" He draped an arm over the back of his chair.

"Because you currently have nothing of value to wager aside from your own heart." Luxord answered for the other Heartless. "We just went over this, but we can certainly go over it again I'm sure." He looked back to Xaldin and ignored the dirty look Xigbar gave him. "Well?"

Xaldin nodded. "It's a dangerous bet, but one that's finally worth attention." He splayed out a hand in gesture. "Well then, shall we all bet our hearts then? Keep the game, heh, engaging." He rubbed his fingers together with interest as he narrowed his glowing eyes, watching Luxord before he looked to Xigbar. "Anything less would be cowardice."

"Yeah, I get it." Xigbar mumbled under his breath, but he couldn't help the sly smirk that came over his lips despite his own grumbling. "Funny considering you're the one that didn't seem all that interested in collecting my heart in the first place. When I win this little bet here, your heart is the one that's gonna be used for a door stop."

Luxord rubbed at his temples for a brief moment. "Surely the two of you can stop this back and forth for more then just a few seconds." He turned his eyes back on Xaldin as soon as he dropped his hand and narrowed his gaze. "Betting our own hearts seems like a fair enough price to me and it already seems like the two of you have agreed as well. So, it's settled and the both of you should know that I can't possibly cheat my way through this one." The words were mostly meant for Xigbar, but the other Heartless didn't seem to be paying attention.

"Good. Then it's decided." Xaldin swept aside the clutter from the table with a gust of wind. Once clear a small swirl of dark wind denoted a new gambling board with three new sections marked with large numbers in the section for each. Xaldin pointed to the first marked with '1'. "Succession." He then pointed to the one marked '2'. "Retreat." And last the one marked '3'. "Death." He raised his hand, turning it with a flick of his wrist to bring about a black poker chip with a red heart printed on either side. A symbolic betting chip for his own heart. He gestured to the board with a sly grin. "Ladies first."

Luxord held out his hand to bring about his own chip and kept it between two fingers as he looked across the board laid out on the table. With a quick toss he sent the small chip towards the third mark of Death where it landed to stay. He raised his eyes to Xigbar after he was done. "Let's hope you have better luck this time."

Xigbar kept his chip held up above his finger so it could spin around while he kept a narrowed gaze on Luxord. "Yeah, well you don't seem to have much confidence in the guy, do ya?" He finally gave a lazy smirk as he looked back down at the board and pushed his chip over to the Succession mark where it finally dropped with a slight spin. "I'd rather not have the guy go berserk on me if he finds out what we're doing right here and now. Besides, how hard could it really be to bring back one little Nobody?"

"You seem to have lost count over how long we've been waiting..." Luxord mumbled, but didn't speak the words out loud enough for Xigbar to really hear. If the other Heartless wanted to be ignorant, then who was he to stop him?

And with a final clack Xaldin set his chip on the middle number '2'. "I have faith, but even the mighty fall, retreating back to the fold to lick their wounds." That said each numbered section gave a bright glimmer one after the other taking the chips with them to set the bets in stone. "There. The bets are set. There's no changing them now, gentlemen. I hope you are confident in your choices." Xaldin drew back his hands to fold them on the table business like.

"There's never been a time I wasn't confident in a bet. It would only be foolish to make a decision and be unsure, especially with such a high price on the line." Luxord stood up from his chair. He had no reason to wait around with the other two Heartless. He was only waiting for the one moment where he knew that he had won the bet. He took only a few steps away from the table to walk to the bar and took a seat on one of the stools to grab one of the few remaining bottles that still had liquor.

"Yeah, sure. What he said." Xigbar leaned back once more and took up the bad habit of placing his feet up again. "Of course, this only means we're going to be waiting around again to know the outcome of this little bet. Who knew that trying to capture a Nobody could be so boring..."

Xaldin sent a stronger gust this time under Xigbar's legs to throw him back from the table. "I doubt you could do any better, Braig." He decided to step away from the table as well, rather tired of putting up with Xigbar's brash behaviors. He slipped his arms behind his back as he walked; his patience was beginning to wear thin as well. "But I believe we should consider our options, not only with Saïx's outcome, but our own. Now that our hearts are on the line, two of us will have the unfortunate future of becoming lesser minions to one."

Xigbar didn't catch himself in time like he had before and fell back against the floor along with the chair. He let out an annoyed groan as he rubbed the back of his head, but shrugged it off when he caught Xaldin's statement. In an instant he was sitting up to look up over the bottom of the chair at the other Heartless' back. "Tch, as if. I don't plan on becoming anyone's minion. It's bad enough we have to listen to what that crazy bastard says."

"With how well you do at gambling then you more then likely won't have much of a choice." Luxord spoke up while he turned around on the stool to face both Xaldin and Xigbar. "It's a fate that will have to be dealt with I'm afraid. You were in on the bet just like the two of us. You should have known what was in store the moment you put your heart on the line."

Xaldin raised a hand to his temple, pressing it in slight annoyance. "Braig's tactic to anything is to shoot it. You can't expect much from that; a mindless gun toting twit with nothing much more in his head than Space." He turned so he could face either Heartless now. "Time and Space." He gestured to Luxord with one hand and Xigbar the other. "Fitting, since your hearts will be mine." He grinned.

"Getting a little ahead of yourself there aren't you, Dilan?" Xigbar hadn't bothered to get back up. He kept as he was on the floor, watching over the chair the entire time. "You lost just as many bets as I have. Don't think that you're some high and mighty winner. It's just plain cocky of you to stand here and claim some kind of victory when nothing has happened yet."

"He's right for once." Luxord seemed mildly disturbed he had admitted such a thing, but kept speaking anyway. "You won't own anything until we can be sure of Saïx's fate." He turned back around on the stool to face away from the two once again. "Although I'm pretty sure death easily awaits him."

"We'll soon see." Xaldin walked over to Luxord, snatching the new shot he poured straight from his hand, downing it in one go. "And soon I hope. We're running low on 'spirits'." He handed Luxord back his empty glass before he walked off boredly.

Luxord shot Xaldin a dirty look for the stolen drink. He kept silent about it though and poured himself what was left in the bottle. "If we get too bored we could always go to a different planet again. Although, even I must admit I'm getting a little tired of constantly conquering. It's been pleasant to wind down while we wait." He waved his hand over the bar table to bring about his cards in a row of seven. If all else failed there was always solitaire.

Xigbar had finally gotten off the floor to walk over to the nearby dartboard and had pulled out the darts that were buried deep inside from the last time they had been used. "I bet you we could have found the Nobody on our own with no problems." He threw one of the darts only to miss and hit the wall. "I mean, it's just supposed to be some kid, right?" He threw another one with the same luck and scowled. "Just grab it and go." He threw the last one, but slowed it in mid flight so it aimed straight towards the center and hit on impact. "Bulls-eye!"

"I suppose having one eye handicaps the depth perception. Still, using your power only ruins your reputation as a sharp shooter." Xaldin yanked one of the darts from the wall using his dark wind. It flew back to him and he grasped it on its return. He twirled the dart in his hand. "I've grown rather fond of this place as well, Luxord. I think the losing Heartless should be responsible for stocking the bar back up. And not with cheap liquor mind you. Quality, vintage, the good expensive stuff, straight from your own personal stash." He gave the dart a throw and it landed near Xigbar's in the center circle. "Seems only fair, right?" He rested a hand on Xigbar's shoulder giving the other Heartless a sly smile.

"Show off." Xigbar nearly mumbled the words, but knew that Xaldin would hear him anyway. "You're only saying that because you're so incredibly sure you're going to win. I'm telling you that it's going to come back and bite you on the ass." He shrugged his shoulder away from the other's hand only to walk over to the dartboard and pull the darts out once again. "But, whatever, if it means more drinks. Sure."

It was then that a large portal from the darkness appeared interrupting the quaint bar scene. From the churning shadows stepped Saïx, nearly falling in his steps as he walked out. He had never looked in worse shape, the glowing markings across his dark body almost faded. He limped further into the bar, the portal closing and disappearing behind him.

Saïx said nothing as he limped onward, his hand clutching over his heart where one could assume was the worst of injuries. There was no one else to be seen, so there were no words needed to see that the solo mission he attempted had failed.

Xaldin watched Saïx head towards the door, most likely to head towards his own private chambers. The wind Heartless gave either of his cohorts a knowing glance. Victory in defeat; how lovely.

Xigbar merely scowled up at Xaldin as he threw the darts right back into the board, not caring where they landed this time around. It didn't need to be said that himself and Luxord had lost badly, especially not in front of Saïx whom the bet had been about. Xigbar moved his gaze back on Saïx and couldn't help voicing his first thoughts on the other's retreating figure. "Yo, man. What the hell happened to you?"

Luxord rolled his eyes, knowing that the outcome of such a question wouldn't be good. Xigbar never knew when to just keep quiet and let things be. Still, he couldn't help being curious himself since he had lost the bet as well. The cards in front of him disappeared while he turned on the stool to watch Saïx as well.

Xigbar earned himself an icy narrow of eyes from Saïx. "An unexpected turn of events; sadly. Despite losing half of himself, with the Darkness, Riku has become a foe unmatched. I had the unfortunate pleasure of running into our old comrades. Namely that fiery bastard. Then there was that damnedable mouse with that witch Nobody wench." He flinched, black dripping between his fingers, his mouth. He spat the blood away, wiping it from his mouth. "Although the Keyblade Master has been reinstated, I still have him 'collared'. Our old friends Marluxia and Larxene will be 'helping' us in exchange for his safe keeping."

Saïx took that moment to look from one Heartless to another. He narrowed his eyes more, baring his teeth as he spoke. "It's time for a change of plans." His ears slicked back. "Time for you three to earn your keep. I'll brief you on a new mission later." He turned to then leave the room again.

There were no other words spoken as the three allowed Saïx to take his leave this time around. It was only after the wounded Heartless was completely out of sight that Xigbar gave a low whistle as he kept his gaze on the spot where Saïx had once been. "You know, Xaldin, Luxord might as well have won. He looks like he's about to keel over at any moment." A twisted grin spread across his lips and he tried not to laugh.

Luxord didn't seem to share in Xigbar's humour despite the words spoken as he kept his eyes on the same spot. "It's rather interesting everything he told us, don't you think? Although, I wonder what in all the worlds would possess him to enlist Marluxia and Larxene's aid. Keyblade Master or not, it's just asking for trouble." He finally looked away as an unimpressed expression crossed his face. "It seems such a simple task was just a bit too much for him."

"Simplistic or not, a deals a deal. And I do believe I've won." With a quick twist of wind the three heart chips left on the table flew with speed to be caught into Xaldin's hand. "And your dark hearts are mine to collect." He gave a pleased smirk at his victory. "The other problems can be dealt with after I have my winnings."

Xigbar's grin fell away at the reminder of who exactly won and his scowl came back. "Damnit, you know you got lucky, that's all there is to it." He waved a hand around in the air as if it would help make his point clearer. "If it weren't for all of those distractions and what have you I'm pretty sure I would have won this whole bet."

Luxord finally moved off of the stool and walked over to the other two Heartless. "Well, that's not how it happened is it, Xigbar?" He ignored the glare sent at him for his words and kept his attention on Xaldin as he continued to speak. "We both have to pay the consequences for our losses and that's all there is to it."

Xaldin handed each their respected heart chips. "If you would be so kind as to autograph these, it will make the deal final." A long thin pen appeared that he plucked from the air and then offered between the two Heartless. "I'm glad you're taking this so well, Luxord. I'm sure either of you will come to appreciate me as your new master." His smile was perhaps a little too devious with his words.

Luxord took the pen first, not giving Xigbar a chance to grab at it. "I have no reason to fight it as much as Xigbar does. You won fair and square. I'm a man of my word." With that the pen in his hand was covered in blackness as he began to sign the small chip he held. As soon as the final act was given he tossed the chip back to Xaldin and handed the pen over to Xigbar.

Xigbar snatched the pen away while he continued to scowl. "No wonder your Nobody was defeated by a child." He mumbled the words as his own darkness began to mist around the pen much the same. He didn't seem to care that his own end had come by that same exact child. It seemed to have slipped his mind. "This was such a stupid bet." Even with those words he still signed the chip and threw it over to Xaldin as well along with the pen.

The pen disappeared and Xaldin caught the chips. Dark wind swirled about his hand holding them and soon the chips disappeared in Xaldin's keep. "A fine end to a good month." He let one hand fall behind his back while the other gestured to Xigbar. "And since you've decided to be such a sore loser, my dear Braig, you can be the one to restock the bar."

"Gee, what a surprise..." Xigbar spoke in sarcasm. He shrugged a shoulder after the words and tried to act as if he wasn't bothered by the sudden chain that Xaldin had on him. "Whatever, sure." He walked away from the two and over to the bar moving his hand across the counter top to cause a few portals to open as he made contact with the surface. With each portal opened case after case of bottles appeared to settle themselves down while the Heartless finally stopped behind the bar and started to grab what was in each case.

Luxord watched with mild interest since Xigbar hadn't put up much of a fight to having been told what to do. He only guessed it was because he didn't have much of a choice any longer. With a small smirk he turned his eyes back on Xaldin and shook his head only slightly. "It's obvious you're enjoying this way too much. I wonder if it's only because you get to torture him."

Xaldin gave an easy chuckle. "Perhaps. I suppose it can't be helped. It's in our nature." He glanced at Luxord. "I'm sure I don't have to tell either of you to keep all of this quiet. If Saïx was to learn that someone else held more power over you two than him. Well, I'm sure there are far worse things than death. And we don't want anything to happen to your heart chips." Xaldin smirked.

"I think we're smart enough to know not to tell Saïx such a thing." Luxord glanced over to the exact place the other Heartless had retreated to. "Especially if he found out what the stipulations for the bet had been. It wouldn't help us anyway." He turned his attention back on Xaldin. "It would be a pretty certain death wish."

"Speak for yourself." Xigbar put in his two cents once more while he continued to stock the bar as the cases became empty. He had taken the liberty of stealing one of the bottles while he was stocking to drink from it as he put the others away. "I'm not the one that was sure he was going to die at any given moment." He glanced up at the other two Heartless with one glowing eye. "But you don't have to worry. I won't go running off to tell him anything."

"I would hope so," Xaldin mumbled more to himself. He watched Xigbar play stock boy before he glanced where Saïx had disappeared as well. "Saïx will be out of commission for a while. So, we have some time to ourselves while he rests and recuperates from his grand adventures outside. So," he drew out that one word, "what to do." He then looked at Luxord next; the Heartless wasn't doing much of anything useful for the moment. "And what to do with you."

Luxord raised a brow at those words, but didn't seem much shaken by them. "Pity. You have all of this power and it seems you're at a loss as to what to do with it. I should have expected as much." The words were obviously made to mock the other Heartless, but Luxord's expression still never changed as he kept his eyes on Xaldin. "Of course knowing you, you'll surely think of something. I just hope it doesn't involve stocking more shelves."

"Braig has that covered." Xaldin gave a brief smirk Xigbar's way before he looked back to Luxord again. He gave him a slight grin. "Indeed." He raised a hand to barely tilt Luxord's chin up with the tip of a claw. "I'm sure I will think of something." His hand lowered so his other could tug the sleeve straight of his dark kimono casually. "Perhaps later away from a prying eye." He didn't try to hide the smirk.

Xigbar only made a rude hand gesture for Xaldin to see before he went back to putting bottles away.

Luxord watched the quick exchange then turned his attention back on Xaldin and gave a small smirk of his own. "Some would call that smooth I suppose. If I hadn't been the one to bring up the idea for this amusing bet then I would think you planned everything this way." He reached up and tugged Xaldin closer to him so he could speak in a lower voice to the other Heartless. "Let's hope later doesn't take forever to get here." He let go of Xaldin and turned around to head back over to the bar as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Xaldin made a low sound of amusement in his throat. He followed as well to the bar, taking a seat on a stool. "Careful, Braig, or I'll make you call me 'Master' when Saïx isn't around." He gestured towards Luxord as he spoke to him. "I suppose you can bartender for now." His eyes fell half lidded as he continued, "Until later." Of course Luxord bartending was nothing new, he had a certain talent with drink mixing, unlike both Xaldin and Xigbar who only knew how to pour something hard, straight; ice was optional.

"Yeah right, like that will ever happen." Xigbar had moved over for Luxord so the other Heartless could stand next to him behind the bar counter since he had been chosen as the official bartender for the time being. "The last thing I'm going to call you is Master, especially when I rank above you." He went to take another swallow from the bottle he held, but it was yanked out of his hands by Luxord. "H-Hey!"

"Sorry to say, but our ranks were lost to us as soon as our Nobodies died. Come up with a better excuse." Luxord set the bottle out of reach of Xigbar on the counter top and ignored the look he got for such a thing from the other Heartless. Instead he went about picking through the drinks that had been stocked so he could get started on one for Xaldin. "At any rate, I do wonder what exactly Saïx has planned for us. I don't blame him for being rather annoyed considering everything he told us."

"We all felt the Keyblade Master plunge into Darkness with the return of Roxas." Xaldin narrowed his eyes at the mention of the traitor's name. "Some how his light has returned, but without the help of Roxas himself." He lightly tapped his finger on the bar counter running all of it through his mind. "Sora, Roxas, Axel, Riku, Mickey, Naminé, and along with Marluxia and Larxene- following a carrot dangled by a string in front of their noses." He scoffed. "He surely can't count on their loyalties." His fingers stopped their tapping. "Saïx may have brawn, but he has brains as well. The odds must have been stacked against him if he was to come back empty handed and in such poor shape. We can't jump into this with egos, thinking we can do better, especially when it was only one little boy who ended each and every one of us last time." He watched Luxord mess around with the liquor. "We should assume the worst and act on it." Xaldin's gaze flicked up to Luxord's face. "Saïx would be best to treat this as a full out war: the dark against the light. It was our very hearts our Nobodies sought. And if it wasn't for Sora, we would have found our others and be whole by now."

"And the worst would be that we meet our ends once more without getting what we're here for." Luxord pushed a tall glass Xaldin's way that was filled nearly to the top with a simple concoction he was able to mix up while he listened to the other Heartless speak. "Although, I'm very curious about this entire situation. It's true that Roxas is back, we all know this, despite Sora being away from Darkness again. Does this mean that the Nobody we've been seeking is still in Axel's hands?" He looked back and forth between the other two. "Saïx did say he had a run in with our dear old friend." The sarcasm was more then obvious in his voice.

"There's no telling where that damn Nobody is at this point." Xigbar spoke up before Xaldin could while he threw the now empty cases aside on the floor. "We've all felt his source of power a good plenty of times by now, but we've been forced to stay on the side-lines. Whoever has him is lying low right now, that's for sure." He turned around to lean his back against the bar counter, but still kept up the conversation. "Besides, who cares about those damn traitors? They can just die together this time."

Xaldin drew his fingers up and down his glass, seriousness taking his expression. "We can't let ourselves get distracted with the minute details. That Nobody must be our prime objective. Everything else can wait until he is obtained, used and tucked away." He took a moment to lift his glass and take a drink; ah, Luxord did have a talent with more than just cards. He set the glass down to speak. "Unfortunately we don't have any leads, as Braig so delicately pointed out. All we can do is sit and wait for him to give away his position with that illicit gift of his. Then it's nothing more than a pitiful race, a free for all, and a glorified tug of war." Xaldin glanced from one to the other before he slipped a few fingers together half steepled. "I think all three of us," he glanced back at the door before looking back, "all four of us, can do better."

Those words had Xigbar turning his head back around to give Xaldin his attention. He had heard the cover up and gave the other Heartless a rather bored look as he tried to figure out what was going through his mind. "I don't see how you can think that. There's not much else that can be done. What you've decided to call a war is pretty much riding on what happens to that Nobody. So, it leaves us no choice but to play that twisted game of tug of war, don't you think?"

"Not necessarily." Luxord shook his head while he leaned one hand on top of the counter. "You should never settle for less. If there are other more productive ways to go about obtaining what we all want then why hesitate to use such methods?" He shrugged a shoulder as he finally pushed the bottle he had taken from Xigbar back over to him. "It's a simple thought."

Xaldin gave Luxord a rather brief grin, a devious perk of lips before his serious expression returned. "Method. Tact. Ploys and plots." He took a longer drink from his glass this time. "I'm sure there's a far easier strategy and one that will illuminate confrontation and competition." He looked over to Xigbar with interest; the man was smarter than he let on. "A little cloak and dagger."

Xigbar had grabbed hold of the bottle as soon as it was near him once again, but didn't drink from it just yet. He was still interested in Xaldin's words. He looked back and forth between both Luxord and Xaldin before a twisted smirk spread across his own lips. "Something that will get us what we want in seconds flat, eh?" He finally shrugged a shoulder while he looked away from the other two. "Sounds like a pretty good deal to me." He finally took a long drink from the bottle he held.

Xaldin nodded, looking to Luxord since Xigbar was busy attempting to drink himself into a stupor; which took plenty, considering they were Heartless. Not that they hadn't spent a month or so liquoring themselves up. "We have the means to take what we want; we just have yet to find the method. Pin point the Nobody's location before he lets it known to every two bit shadow that calls themselves Heartless."

"It's the only snag that we seem to have." Luxord watched Xigbar for a few more seconds until he got disgusted with the scene and turned his attention back on Xaldin to continue the conversation. "Of course it wouldn't be surprising if the Nobody hasn't left some form of trail behind where he's been. As much chaos as we've been told about so far there's sure to be something that will lead us right to him aside from the obvious, simple as that." He gave a quick snap of his fingers.

Xaldin was about to take a drink when something donned upon him. He set the drink down and leaned just a little closer over the bar counter. "Perhaps it's as easy as knowing who has him last. Knowledge that I'm sure our grand leader has." He rubbed his claws together as he carefully thought things over. "Why bother with something as grandiose as a full on assault like our old friends, when simply snatching the fail safe from the shadows would be so much easier. This mission requires stealth." A cold bitterness entered his tone, "Which is perhaps the only reason that scheming bastard Ienzo has what he has."

Xigbar gave an annoyed noise at such a thing as he set the bottle he held back down on the counter. "He just got lucky. That's all there is to it." He finally turned around completely to face the other two and be in on the conversation once again. "Saïx is too busy licking his wounds clean right now. How in the hell do you suppose we get such vital information out of him when he's so ready to bite our heads off if we so much as speak two words to him?" He shook his head. "We don't even know when he's going to actually come talk to us about anything. We could be here for another month for all we know."

"How noble of you to volunteer yourself to go speak to Saïx, Braig." Xaldin gave Xigbar a heavy lidded smirk.

Xigbar blinked more then a few times as he tried to process what exactly he had just been told. It took him a while to realize his words had been twisted and when he did he scowled at Xaldin while he nearly leapt over the bar to point a finger in the other's face. "Wait a minute! I did not say I would do such a thing. If you have a death wish then you go talk to that unstable animal."

Luxord watched with a small bit of amusement. Xigbar was always pretty easy to rile up every now and then. "I don't believe it was a request, Xigbar. I believe it's an order."

Xaldin tucked either of his clawed hands into his bell sleeves, giving Xigbar a stern looking. "Believe it, because it is. We don't have time to sit here and wait for wounds to heal. We've done enough sitting here. It's time to actually accomplish something."

Xigbar leaned back again and looked back and forth between both Heartless. It was more then obvious Xaldin wasn't going to back down from his order and Luxord was only going to go right along with it. Either way he was forced into being the one to talk to Saïx. "Damnit..." He mumbled the curse none to quietly before he finally made a move to hop over the counter, landing on his feet. "Screw you, Dilan." They were the last words he spoke as he made his way in the direction Saïx had retreated.