Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts (although that would be pretty cool!).
Ludor looked up, staring at the impressively tall McDuck Tower. He had absolutely no idea how he planned on getting through Organization security and destroying a Spawner without his powers, but he was determined to try. But of course, the Spawner was at the top of the tower, and here he was at the bottom.
Straightening his cravat, he strode into the former McDuck tower. He was relieved to see that Gambler was at the receptionist's desk, feet up on the desk and reading a newspaper. "Ah, Gambler."
Gambler looked stunned to see his master standing there. "Luxord? We were told you were…dead."
"It's never a good idea to gamble against me, you know," Ludor replied with a grin.
Gambler shook his head in disbelief. "That's…true. So you didn't die?"
"Actually, I very much did. My death caused me to reform as my original self. Turns out, death is not something to fear as a Nobody."
The lesser Nobody nodded solemnly. "Interesting. You must excuse my reluctance, but word also got around that you…betrayed the Organization."
"That's one way to phrase it. I would look at it as more of the Organization betraying us. They were not truthful on what our plans were and how we could get our hearts back. My 'death' proves another point in that capacity."
Gambler nodded, accepting this new information. "Say you're right. What's a Nobody like me supposed to do? Help you? That could get me killed. Just because death worked for you, that does not mean I'm going to risk that. You're a special Nobody."
"Of course. Nothing wrong with hedging your bets. Here's what I propose. You let me through without notifying anyone. You let me do what my heart demands and we'll see how it all shakes out."
Gambler pondered this, trying to envision the different scenarios that could occur because of his decision. Finally, he nodded. "Very well. I know you well enough to believe you think you are right. I'll honor that."
"Thank you, my friend. And if the others and I succeed, we'll be infinitely closer to getting your heart back."
He nodded. "So do you have your powers?"
"No. Just a regular man now."
"Then it's a good thing the Rabbits sent a present here for you." He reached into the desk and pulled out a case. He handed it to Ludor.
It was a wooden case with a gold panel on it that read 'To the Best Detective in Toontopia.' Ludor opened it and found a cartoon gun.
The former Gambler of Fate chuckled. "What does this fire? Cartoon bullets?"
"No idea. Way too scared to try it out," Gambler admitted.
"Well, this just might come in handy," Ludor said as he pocketed the weapon. "Thank you, Gambler."
"Don't thank me. I didn't see nothing. Just reading my papers here," he said, pulling up the sports papers he'd been reading earlier.
Understanding the cue, Ludor headed over to the elevator and pressed the button. The sign said it was on the second floor, so he thought the elevator would come quickly. He was disappointed to see that it instead was going upwards, which would delay him further. "Hope I can get there in time."
Vexen worried his arrival to The Castle That Never Was could potentially trigger some sort of alarm, but he counted on the fact that shutting down his lab put most security out of commission. As he exited the Portal of Darkness, he was relieved to see he was not surrounded by armed, angry members of the Organization.
He knew he needed to keep moving quickly, as he expected Sora, Donald, and Goofy were following him. In keeping with his plan to keep a low profile, he had arrived at Nothing's Call, which was quite far from the main action in the castle. Vexen immediately turned tail and went behind the portal, finding a wall to hide behind. He hoped the trio would arrive and move forward, not thinking to look behind them.
Indeed, the Keyblade wielder and his cohorts exited the portal, much to Vexen's relief. Sneaky they were not, as all three chattered to each other as they arrived. After taking in the sights, the trio headed forward towards the Crooked Ascension elevator.
As soon as the group was out of sight, Vexen emerged from his hiding spot. "Well, the bait has arrived," he mumbled to himself.
He then closed his Portal of Darkness and opened a new one, stepping in. This took him to his laboratory. He was pleased to see the security measures he left in place indeed triggered, locking everything down. "Looks like no one tried to break through."
The Chilly Academic headed over to a console that was now covered. He put his finger underneath the counter, where a hidden scanner was. Scanning his finger, the cover slid away, freeing the console. He then typed in a password to unlock everything and reboot all consoles. Unfortunately, this process was not as quick as he would have liked it to be. "Well, now all I can do this wait."
Saïx was at his desk working when an alert triggered on his computer. "What's this?" He clicked on it to see someone accessed the Crooked Ascension elevator that was not an Organization member. Pulling up security cameras, Saïx was stunned to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy riding.
Immediately, he rushed into Xemnas' office. "Superior, there has been a breach of security."
Xemnas looked at him confused. "Who?"
"It appears to be Sora, Donald, and Goofy. I have no idea how they got here."
Xemnas nodded. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. My initial appearance piqued his curiosity. And the run-in with Larxene and Zexion only teased him further. With Ansem out of the way, it makes sense we would be the next target. It is simply unfortunate timing."
"Of course, Superior. What course of action would like me to take? Shall I eliminate the threat?"
The Superior of the In-Between paused, considering the consequences of such an action. "With Roxas still in the fold and being so close to the goal, he only serves as an obstacle. If you can end him, then do so." Saïx did not immediately respond, which indicated hesitation. "Unless you think you can't defeat them on your own."
"No, I'm sure I can handle them," he confidently fired back.
"Very good."
Zexion and Larxene selected the Hippo Lagoon because they knew it was very close to the camp, meaning the Nobodies should not be present. This assumption was correct; no one was in the Hippo Lagoon upon their arrival.
"So far, so good," Larxene began.
As much as Zexion wanted to focus on the affection Larxene had just showed him, his thoughts immediately turned to the planet. "Should we, perhaps, go check in on Jane and Tarzan?" he began. Both of them had thought about it, but this was the first time either broached the subject.
"We didn't exactly leave on the best of terms. And time is of the essence," she replied.
"Yes, but…"
"You're right, though. We do owe it to them. But I think that should happen…afterwards."
The Cloaked Schemer nodded. "Very well. Now, how exactly should we sneak into the base? I could create illusions to make us appear as regular Nobodies."
Before Larxene could respond, a Nobody appeared, causing Zexion and Larxene to draw weapons and take a fighting stance.
"Master! Mistress! It is good to see you!" the screechy voice of Creeper called out.
Zexion chuckled nervously. "Ah, Creeper."
Larxene kept her weapons drawn. "You make any sudden movements and I end your miserable non-existence," she growled.
"Mistress! Do not kill me! I came here secretly," Creeper cried out.
"You did?" Zexion questioned.
"Yes! Everyone is saying you betrayed the Organization, but I figured that couldn't be true."
Larxene finally put away her knives. "Xemnas betrayed the Organization. And we're here to stop him."
"Okay, I'm in!" Creeper responded enthusiastically.
"Absolutely not," Zexion replied. "This mission is way too dangerous for you. You can't risk your life."
"Of course I can. I'm your minion. That's my job," the cheerful Nobody returned.
Zexion look to Larxene for support. She shrugged. "We need all the help we can get."
He sighed in defeat. "Very well, you can assist us."
Creeper cheered. "What do you need me to do?"
"We need to destroy the Spawner that we've been working to build. We've had a change in heart. Metaphorically speaking," she corrected herself.
"If you say so. I'll just lead you guys there, you'll blow it up, and we'll be good," Creeper exclaimed.
Zexion put his hand to his chin. "If I use illusions to disguise Larxene and I as Dusks, we should be able to get in undetected. And with Creeper there, no one would think anything odd."
Larxene nodded. "That's as good as plan as any."
Creeper shook his head readily. "Great, then let's get going!"
Demyx and Axel chose the second floor of the former McDuck Tower as their landing point. They heard from Luxord previously how the first floor was being used as the "reception area" of the fake (although eventually it wasn't fake) detective agency. They also knew the Spawner was on the top floor.
Axel pressed the up button on the elevator.
"We're just going to go right up there?" Demyx nervously responded.
"First off, it's unlikely that they are expecting an attack here. Secondly, they would definitely not expect us to take the elevator up," Axel explained.
"Man, I hope you're right," Demyx grumbled.
The elevator arrived and the pair got in. The ride saw no disturbances and they soon arrived at their destination.
"I'll do a quick scouting of the floor to make sure we're fine. You start on the Spawner," Axel said.
Demyx nodded. "Got it," he said, while giving Axel a thumbs up.
The Melodious Nocturne headed into the main room on this level. The Spawner was sitting there, currently unprotected. No one was working on it or guarding it, which did seem like a lucky break for the rogue members. Demyx started to hum a tune to himself as he examined the machinery, trying to figure out where the best places to strike the machine would be. He did not hear the Portal of Darkness open that Marluxia stepped out of, but he did hear his command.
"Step back from the Spawner, slowly," Marluxia calmly ordered.
Demyx did as ordered, putting his hands up and turning around slowly, seeing Marluxia's scythe uncomfortably close to him.
"Did you honestly think we wouldn't be watching for you?" The Graceful Assassin questioned.
"Is it bad if I say yes?" Demyx answered, giving him a sheepish grin.
Marluxia rolled his eyes. "Fair enough. Although I must say, I'm surprised they sent you for the job."
"Who said he came alone?" a new voice called out. Marluxia turned his head to Axel holding his chakrams near him in a threatening manner.
"You have some nerve to show your treasonous face around here. Some nerve indeed," he said to Axel.
"What can I say? Always had a flair for the dramatic. Now, if you wouldn't mind lowering your weapon, this doesn't need to get icky."
"I'd rather not, as I'm still in a good position here," Marluxia replied.
"Not sure about that," Axel replied tersely.
"But I am," another new voice called out. A click was also heard, indicating to everyone The Freeshooter himself had arrived. "Easy, tiger. Don't want to start nothing you can't finish," Xigbar said. He then dropped from the ceiling.
"It's a family reunion," Demyx quipped.
"This is a bit of a sticky situation," Marluxia added. "But I'm sure that we can talk this out like gentlemen."
"Always liked a good standoff," Xigbar admitted.
The four all moved slowly to create the circle of a classic Mexican standoff, waiting for someone to make the first sudden move.
Vexen was impatient to get started on setting the self-destruction sequence for the Spawners, but it was his own fault he had to wait. The amount of security Vexen installed was the source of this delay. It had been nearly twenty minutes since he booted up the system and it still wasn't ready to go.
"Precious time ticks away," he grumbled to himself. He was curious to see where Sora had ended up but couldn't check that either until everything was online. Finally, the systems were up and running, but he was not close to putting the Spawners out of commission. He immediately started typing on a keyboard.
Suddenly, he perceived the opening of a Portal of Darkness. He tensed, knowing it was not likely a friend who appeared. He gingerly turned to see a sight he had not expected to see.
Standing in a slouched, injured stance was the once proud Saïx, using his claymore to stand. He had been thoroughly thrashed by Sora, Donald, and Goofy and was lucky to have escaped alive. "Y…You," he mumbled.
"Saïx. I'd say I'm pleased to see you, but it wouldn't be true."
"You…brought them here," Saïx wheezed.
"I did. I needed a distraction to get to work and well, it looks like it was only partially successful," The Chilly Academic responded wistfully.
"When they mentioned a long, blonde-haired member, I knew it was you."
"Perhaps cleverer than I gave you credit for."
"I must stop you. I cannot let you destroy the Organization."
"Destroy the Organization?" Vexen replied with a shrill laugh. "That's already been done! Fighting against each other shows this Organization is done."
I will…not allow a traitor to stop The Superior's plans," The Luna Diviner seethed.
"And I cannot let you stop me. So it seems we are at an impasse." Saïx took a step forward, and Vexen raised a hand threateningly. "I will eliminate you if I need to."
"Such a coward. You could never defeat me in a fair battle." Saïx was gravely injured and was barely hanging on as it was, but he still seethed hatred.
"Perhaps. I would take no pleasure in it, I assure you, but my resolve is icy."
Saïx chuckled, which turned into a deep cough. "Do your worst."
Vexen sighed. "Always so stubborn. Last chance."
Saïx glared and reached to ready his claymore, preparing to launch a desperate strike at Vexen. He then attempted to rush Vexen.
Before he could, Vexen coolly said," Goodbye." Snapping his fingers, a large icicle came out of the floor, impaling Saïx.
The seventh member of the Organization yelled out in berserk pain. He then started to fade out (much like Luxord had). Raising his hand to the sky, he managed one final line. "Kingdom Hearts…where…is my heart?"
Vexen shook his head. "Look what we've become."
Sneaking back into the Nobody Base on the Deep Jungle was not a difficult task for Creeper and the illusioned Zexion and Larxene. None of the lesser Nobodies batted an eye at Creeper walking around with two Dusks following him.
The trio quickly reached the Spawner room, where they found the machine. But the ease of their trip would end right there, as Xaldin was sitting at a table near the wall of the room, sipping on a cup of coffee and eating from a fruit kabob.
"Ah, there you are, Creeper. I was told you were looking for me," The Whirlwind Lancer began.
"Ah…yes, I was. The technology system had to go out for routine repairs."
"I noticed. I don't remember assenting to that."
"You, um, didn't. I did and said I'd tell you and…here I am," a more nervous Creeper replied.
"Took you long enough," he grumbled. "Who are these two?"
"Oh, um, they're just, um…"
"Here to make sure you have everything you need, Lord Xaldin," Zexion began.
Xaldin turned his head inquisitively. "Is that so? How…considerate. I'll tell you what I need. I need someone to report news to me on the two traitors who showed up. Coincidently, they showed up at just about the same time the system went down," Xaldin answered, sounding more and more menacing.
Creeper gulped. "Um, well, that is certainly a…coincidence," was all he was able to muster up.
Larxene sighed, impatient with the insipid charade they were attempting to keep on. "Enough of this. Zexion, it's over."
Agreeing, Zexion ended his illusion, revealing the two members. "Hello, Xaldin."
"We'll deal with your insubordination later," Xaldin told Creeper. "In the meantime, I need to eliminate these traitors. This machine is off-limits."
"I'd rather this doesn't end in violence," Zexion pleaded.
Larxene grinned. "He doesn't speak for me. Let's have some fun, you old windbag."
Xaldin summoned his lances. "I shall oblige you, Larxene. But there is one thing that I can assure of. There's no fun in this," he growled.
Hey there everybody! Happy to be back with another chapter for you! I know some of you might be disappointed I chose not depict the battle between Sora and Saix, but the story's not about Sora, so I didn't think it was critical enough to portray. Thanks to all of you who read and/or, especially the various guest reviews since the last update!
See ya real soon,
The Mustachioed Academic