Concert chaos
A crowd steadily filled the stadium and Sora shivered. He followed a stagehand through the back stages and tried to drown out the cheers thundering through the air. Excitement cackled like electricity. Trucy hardly kept still and she smoothed her hair several times before Vanitas helped her pin the stray stands into a sparkly clip. Apollo brought up the rear, forehead reminiscent of a topographic map and earplugs stuffed in his ears, holding his wrist, Sora floated along, head whirling.
His twin brother barged into his room in the wee hours of the morning and the tang of leather intruded on Sora's sleep. He blearily pulled upright and checked his watch charging on the bedside table. Racing to the bathroom, Sora slipped on the tiles and miraculously saved himself from earning a nasty bruise on his forehead.
The KBWA called Vanitas to remind him of his assignment. Cramming the phone into a pocket, Vanitas wrestled Sora into his clothes and threatened a taxi driver with decapitation if they didn't get to the venue in record time.
Cackling madly, the cabbie wove between the early morning traffic and Sora held on for dear life. The taxi zigzagged, leaving swearing drivers and honking cars in their wake, and screeched to a dizzying halt before the gates of the venue. Already, a long line snaked from the entrance and spilled on the streets. Paying the driver extra munny for their excellent service, Vanitas shielded Sora from the mob's gaze and met up with the rest at the back.
"Why isn't the stage lighting ready?" A growl halted the touring team in their tracks. "I can't find the keys to my hog! And where is the sound technician?" Klavier snapped, face screwed into a tight frown. "Demyx, stop strumming your Arpeggio and help me go over the song one last time."
Whoa, who set the prosecutor's underwear on fire?
Giggling, Trucy threaded her arm through Apollo's, much to Vanitas' private disappointment. "He's a bit of a perfectionist," she explained to Sora. "Mr. Gavin, relax, I'm sure everything will go according to plan," the self-styled magician reassured.
He split into a smile and tugged his fringe. "Fraulein, ach, where are the roses I got for you?" he winked and Apollo bristled protectively. "You guys always see me at my worst," Klavier lamented and kicked a tangle of wires. "I get jumpy before a concert. I'm afraid my voice will stop working in the middle of my singing." He calmed when a crew carried instruments in. "I wanted to lead the tour, but I need to get everything perfect before the opening." A stage light flared to life and he nodded appreciatively.
Steel girders crisscrossed the top. A light technician fiddled with a giant spotlight, oblivious to the drop below and people worked, a frenzied urgency to their movements. Gavin barked orders. The crowd parted to let someone through.
Shrinking when Demyx arrived, Sora searched for a dark corner to dissolve in. The idol clapped Klavier genially on the shoulder and a stiff faced companion offered the group a tight smile. Sora checked his boots for the umpteenth time since he left the apartment this morning.
"Everything is according to plan," Demyx announced with an easy grin, caramel brown bangs framed his face. "We're due in another-"
"Nothing is according to plan," Klavier snapped. "We'll never get done in time..."
The rest of the words drowned into a shapeless mess as Sora received a sudden epiphany.
Did Gavin want us to protect him from Organization XIII?
Demyx strummed a tune on his Arpeggio. "Never mind the stage details. Let me introduce you to my longtime friend, he is a sound technician." A shower of stage fireworks erupted, startling Trucy and Sora. "Arthur, didn't I tell you Klavier likes to nitpick details?" Demyx laughed. "See it for yourself."
If so, Vanitas alone could do it.
Why did he want me here?
"You aren't enjoying yourself Herr Fluffy?" Gavin's question pierced the worries fogging Sora's mind. "It's not every day I get to collaborate with Demyx, so I wanted my friends to share in on my momentous-"
"We're not your friends," Apollo cut in acidly. "Can we get a move on? Listening to you complain is making my ears bleed," he finished scathingly and strode forward.
Meekly nodding to Klavier's group, Sora squeezed past, putting Vanitas between him and the people. Uncomfortable with the stares he garnered, he maneuvered towards Trucy and she flanked him on the other side.
His relief fizzed out when she smiled playfully. "You look great," she complimented and Vanitas smirked proudly. "You managed to find a matching scarf." She smoothed the fabric over a skintight, short-sleeved shirt. Black gemstone buttons glittered at the collar. "Prosecutor Gavin is awesome isn't he?"
Yeah... I hope he never follows me home again.
They skirted backstage workers preparing confetti and gifts for the fans. Another team carried a giant screen and apologized profusely to Vanitas when he accidentally bumped against them. He dipped his head politely and the touring group emerged in crisp sunshine.
"This is all for today," the stage backhand smiled courteously. "After the concert, you are given exclusive rights to visit the singers and get your albums signed." The tag on his uniform read Jack Turner. "I'm looking forward to touring with you again." Jack waited another minute for the group to depart before spinning on his heel and disappearing to the off limit areas.
09:50 a.m.
Los Angeles
Sunshine Coliseum
The noise pounded Sora's ears and he blindly clawed after his brother to the front row stand. The stage loomed; bold, lit with dazzling sparks and threatening. Flinching against the roar and tug of the crowd, Sora kept everyone familiar in sights and heroically ignored the queasy stumbling of his stomach.
"Are you ready?!"
Demyx exploded on stage and the screen behind him showed a brief slideshow of the idol. Squeals cut the air when the singer winked and took his position on the left side of the stage. A riff rent the air, whipping the atmosphere into peak mania. Demyx grinned when a splash of fireworks announced the entrance of Klavier.
He emerged from an underground stage and a new swell of screeches vibrated the coliseum. "Achtung baby! Today we-"
"Play it MY way!" Vanitas screamed along with the crowd and Sora couldn't help smiling at his exuberant brother.
More fireworks lit the stage in tints of purple and cyan blue. The stage screen magnified the two performers. Klavier in a dark, punk purple shirt, his pendant flashing while Demyx opted for an ice-blue jacket complimenting his eyes. The intro played and sound shook the stands. Fans stomped their feet. Trucy jumped in the air, hanging on to Apollo for balance and Vanitas yanked Sora with him, charged by festivity and hysteria.
Holding on to a railing for dear life and cringing at the sound, Justice placed noise cancelling headphones over his ears and Trucy stopped her mirthful bopping to glance concernedly at him. He shook her worries away and she resumed her eager singing. Training his phone camera onstage, Apollo recorded a short video and sent it to Vera, smiling tenderly when she returned his message with a GIF of a quick sketch.
Demyx launched into a solo and a cold sense of responsibility settled on Vanitas, he stopped hopping like a rabbit on steroids. Next to him, Sora hollered, cheeks flushed. Heh, what do you know, his brother actually enjoyed the experience. Straightening, Vanitas scanned the stage as a backup dancer twirled across. Swathes of fabric danced behind her and tearing his attention away from the riveting display of glitzing confetti and flashes of colored flame, Vanitas raked through the strands. Orange outlines floated, a few stray heartless lumbered between the jostling masses, promptly killed by the sound.
Belly flipping unexpectedly, Vanitas leaned forward and earned a smack on his jaw courtesy of his flailing brother. Grabbing Sora by the neck, he cheered loudly and for a split, harrowing moment, his head spun. The sky and ground seesawed, blurring colors and sounds together.
His ears rung.
Blinking the dizziness away, he searched the right side of the front row stand. An older, handsome man with a goatee smiled tiredly at him and pulled a visor over platinum blonde locks. Vanitas' golden irises lingered on the rings threading the man's upper ear.
Old man, have we met before?
His eyes shifted beyond the man, to a young lady gawking at him. She blushed and a vicious grin surfaced on Vanitas' lips. The girl brazenly formed a heart with her fingers.
"My brother is off limits thank you!" he shouted to her and the blonde man separating them rubbed his temples.
The music, if possible, increased in volume and nausea gripped Vanitas. He coughed, confusedly wiping a fleck of blood from his hand.
"Dance water, DANCE!" Demyx and Klavier screamed and a flood of dancers decked in bejeweled skirts and tight pants cartwheeled across the stage, smears of glitter under their eyebrows. The stage screen zoomed in on the idols. A smattering of hearts inked one side of Demyx's face while Klavier's facial tattoo showed a crop of stars.
They switched places and continued singing. Dancers fanned around the stage, twirling. Whirls of colorful fabric swished around, confetti carpeted the floor in hues of gold and silver. The stadium quaked in the onslaught of cheers. Heat enveloped the crowd as they stamped and sang along.
A I heart Demyx banner flitted to the air, wrenched from a fan's grip by a stiff gust of wind. She pressed against the railing, sneaking peeks at the spiky haired man catching her eye. When he faced her again, she shouted at him, "Wanna meet up?" His brows furrowed. "I'm not interested in your brother!"
A cheer erupted from the hysteric fans.
Me? Vanitas pressed his palms against his ringing ears and extracted a potion for Sora, bent over in a fit of coughing. Trucy became pale, despite the cold, sweat gathered at the roots of her hair. Holding down his bouncing brother long enough for a few sips of potion, Vanitas passed the rest to Trucy who knocked it back in one gulp. Only senior Apollo remained marginally unaffected and texted his girlfriend serenely.
"I'm not available either, sorry!" Vanitas mouthed with an apologetic smile. The girl flushed furiously and nodded rapidly in understanding. The crowd surged, arms up in the air and the concert petered to its final bars.
Two hours of jubilant hollering finally took its toll and the audience quieted. Fans whispered to each other in hoarse voices, covetously clutching the gifts their idols tossed from stage. A soft guitar melody smothered the murmurs completely and a lone spotlight focused on Klavier, sitting on a stool and playing his guitar.
A scream ripped the air and Sora jerked. His nose watered and he wiped it, blanching at the sight of blood.
Another shriek shredded the silence and a girl two paces away from them tumbled to the ground. Long, honey blonde hair spilled behind her as she vomited and shivered. Shouldering past the old man, Vanitas offered her the last dregs of potion. Rivulets of blood streamed from her eyes and she clasped the crystal bottle gratefully.
The mass moved in panic.
"Get out!" he urgently gestured to Apollo and his brother. "And hurry the hell up!"
A wail rose above the frenzied chatter and fans stampeded, desperate to be the first out of the suffocating stadium. Some dragged their ill friends and family along, leaving a crimson trail of blood.
"Vanitas," Sora fought against the tide of bodies shoving him aside, "I'm not leaving without you."
Hauling the girl upright, Vanitas shook his head. "Go on, I'll be right behind you, I promise." His twin squeezed his scarf uncertainly before reluctantly nodding and joining the throngs of people streaming out.
"He's dead!" A voice pierced through the noise. "My friend, he dropped dead!" The people closest to the distraught fan stopped. Someone in the crowd wept. "There's blood pouring everywhere out of him, please help me!" she cried.
Leaving the girl with her friend, Vanitas snarled at the crowd to part. A hand clamped firmly on his wrist and he whipped back to the blonde man removing noise cancelling in-ears. "You are coming with me." The stranger ground the devices under his boot and tossed the visor.
Cursing at him, Vanitas yanked his hand but the grip tightened like steel. The man removed a deck of playing cards from the pocket of his shirt and an orange transparent barrier enveloped them both.
"Let's be on our way," Luxord stated and smoothly sailed through the crying, maniac audience.
"Like hell I'm going with you!" Vanitas chopped at Luxord's hand and drew it back, shaking his fingers. "Let me out." He kicked at the barrier, but like an amoeba, it extended to cover his leg and a person moved without acknowledging him. The world spun, specks of colors and the dull roar of voices mingled together and Vanitas toppled to the ground. "What..." the words slurred together, the man's face drifted in a thousand places at once, "what did you do to me?"
12:20 a.m.
Sunshine Coliseum
Park
His brother disappeared behind a sea of bodies. Sora stood on tiptoes, feet aching in combat boots and searched for his twin. He blocked out the desperate sobbing of the fans as more people dropped dead. Most of the deceased bled from their orifices. Earlobes stained scarlet, the edges of their mouth and nose spotted with blood. The fabric between their legs dripping red. A few of the victims died unexpectedly, nothing to show for the cause of death.
Where is he? Sora bunched his muffler into a mess. Trucy leaned heavily against him, eyelids drooping, her breath hot against his cheek. She groaned and Sora gripped her hand, slick with cold sweat. The first of many ambulances rounded the corner, visible through the copse of trees ringing the outer edge of the stadium.
"Are you... are you okay?" Sora asked, gathering his scattered thoughts. He led her to a stone bench and she meekly nodded. "What's going on?" he questioned. "The concert nearly finished and all of a sudden..."
People dropped dead like fumigated flies.
Police cars cordoned the streets leading to the coliseum. Whispers of a terrorist attack flitted from lips and the once happy crowd eyed each other mistrustfully.
Terror attack? Who an earth would want...
Straightening when Apollo weaved through bereaved fans, Sora scooted for his senior. Justice twisted his bangle anxiously and dabbed Trucy's face with a tissue before sitting down. "I couldn't find Vanitas," he confessed and brought out two drinks. "Drink up," he passed a can to a petrified Sora, "we're going to search for him. Maybe he's backstage, where Demyx and Klavier are being held and questioned."
Can't find Vanitas? Popping the seal, Sora took a long draught of the energy drink. It tasted like nothing. He's probably busy. Sora placed a call to his brother.
"Operator out of range," the synthesized voice said.
Out of range?
Out of... range?
Nausea soured the back of Sora's throat. If Vanitas was at the KBWA... no, he would tell me before he left. He promised he'd be right behind me.
Trees sighed in an abrupt blast of cold wind. Clouds banked the western horizon, veiling the previously bright sun from view. Bare branches creaked, a sad symphony with the pained wailing. Clusters of people sobbed over their dearly beloved deceased.
Knuckles tight, Sora shot up from the bench and an alarmed Apollo reached out to him. "Where are you going?" he demanded, arm protectively around Trucy.
Irises glazed, Sora tugged his necklace, the crown pendant slipped out from beneath his shirt. "To find Vanitas."
Brink
Late night
Radiant Garden
No stars, only the cyan beams of a heart shaped moon, slanted through the window, freezing Isa's skin. He lay exhausted and naked on a table. Wrists and ankles shackled with iron, the taste of copper on his lips.
A shock of fiery red hair lay in a gloomy corner of the chamber. Isa's mind galloped at half the normal speed, tears bled endlessly from his eyes and when he called out to Lea…
His best friend didn't respond.
Biting his cheeks, Isa whimpered when cloaked figures wheeled Lea away. He pulled the cuffs feebly, going dead limp when a man with burnished golden eyes hovered above him. Silver hair shone in the moonlight. Xehanort grinned cruelly and stalked away, the rustle of his black coat was the last sound Isa heard before pain robbed his senses.
The window cracked. A thousand glass spears rained inside. The chains holding him hostage snapped loudly, stabbing his ears. A lithe, young girl stalked along the walls of the shadowed room while hands grabbed Isa, stifling his scream.
He quivered, drawing his gangly limbs together to protect the remains of his dignity. A curtain of silky, ebony hair brushed against his skin. The vice-chief leapt out of the jagged window, Isa cradled preciously in her arms.
"Lea..." he rasped and he relished the warmth of her fingers wiping his tears. "My friend, Lea..." Isa repeated before the dark corridor swallowed them whole.
A/N: I'm not having much of a good day today guys. Kind of like Sora. Though I hope everyone else is enjoying their day.
Please read and review.