Author's Note: Wow, thank you to all reviewers for showing such support! I really wasn't expecting so many people to like this. You made me very happy!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters – they belong to Square and Disney.
Stare Into The Abyss – Chapter FourThe Superior was standing looking out a window at the back of the room as Axel entered.
"Can I help you with something Axel?"
Where was he supposed to start? Or rather how? He had his suspicions, but accusing the Superior wouldn't be a smart move. He was incredibly powerful and Axel had no doubts that if he crossed a line right now, he'd be dead in an instant.
He picked his words carefully. "Xaldin knew about what happened at Castle Oblivion…"
"You want to know how?" The Superior faced him. "Perhaps you should ask him?"
Not exactly the answer I was looking for.
"I imagine you may wish to speak to him anyway." The Superior turned away again, gazing out the window. "You want to become complete too, don't you Axel?"
Axel didn't even bother hiding his surprise at hearing that. "…What? What's that got to do with Xaldin?"
"He seems to of got the idea that by opening Kingdom Hearts, he, and the rest of you, will be able to become complete again. That is what you wanted, isn't it? It seems you're not the only one who isn't happy with been a NEO."
This was getting a little too much to take in for Axel. He'd come looking for some answers and only ended up more confused. "Is that true? If he opens it, will we…?"
The Superior looked back at him and that smug grin spread across his face. "That's for you to find out. Will Xaldin's way work, or yours? One of you has the right idea."
"My way?" A stupid question, Axel already knew what he was talking about.
"Something involving Sora? Am I right?"
He nodded. "You won't tell me which?"
"That's not the way it works. You have a choice to make. Will you allow Xaldin to open Kingdom Hearts or not?"
Axel wasn't sure what he was going to do. "Where is he?"
"He's already left for Hallow Bastion. I imagine you'll be very interested to hear who's also there."
Of course. There's only one person that could be. "Sora?"
"Correct. You should probably leave right away if you want to catch up to them in time."
Axel hesitated a moment before leaving. Funny how nothing I wanted to know got answered… "So, what exactly are my orders?" He asked bitterly.
"Eliminate Xaldin. The rest is up to you."
"Eliminate him? Why?"
"You can open Kingdom Hearts yourself, if that's what you choose. I don't have need of him anymore. You however, have potential Axel. I'm helping you achieve what you want. Kill him."
Axel could feel his head throbbing. Thinking about this was giving him a headache. He had plenty of time to make his mind up during the train ride from Twilight Town to Hallow Bastion. The trains that ran from the station there had been designed to connect to a majority of the worlds, making for a faster and easier mode of transport between them.
By the time he arrived at Hallow Bastion, Axel knew what he was going to do. He wasn't exactly happy with how this had worked out, there was that nagging feeling that still told him all of this had been ever so carefully orchestrated.
As he headed towards the Castle, five words were repeating inside his head. "You however, have potential Axel."
What's that supposed to mean? Potential for what? Murdering other Organization members?
Axel found himself standing outside the entrance. He was sure that Xaldin couldn't be too far ahead. Pushing the door open carefully he slipped inside. The entrance hall was empty.
He'd been to Hallow Bastion once before on a much earlier assignment when he first became a member of the Organization. He had a vague memory of the layout of the castle. He figured the next best place to check would be the top floor, if Xaldin wasn't there, he'd have to start searching the entire place from top to bottom. For now, he didn't intend on walking up. As a NEO he had the ability to teleport short distances.
Much better than walking...
Arriving at the Castle Chapel, he summoned his weapons, only to find it empty there as well. Sighing, he made his way to the Grand Hall. He didn't have to search much further.
Opening the door he was greeted by the sight of Xaldin, a spear in each hand, moving towards a boy in black clothes. Sora. Surprisingly, he didn't have hold of his keyblade. The weapon was lying on the floor several feet away.
Xaldin swung a spear and Sora was able to duck under it, but the second was aimed straight for his throat.
Axel moved quickly, bringing up one of his own weapons to block the blow as he stepped in front of Sora.
Xaldin backed off as he hissed "Have you come to kill me too Axel?"
He almost laughed. Yes, yes I have. Still, before he could do that, there was something he needed to know. "Who told you about what happened at Castle Oblivion?"
The reply came immediately. "The Superior. He told me how you…"
"Whose side are you on?"
Axel glanced to his left to see Sora had retrieved his weapon and was standing there. "My own. Although it looks like I'm on yours, for the moment."
Sora smiled a little and nodded. "Good enough for me."
Xaldin picked that moment to continue his attack. He focused on Axel, his eyes blazing with rage. Axel brought his weapons up to shield himself from the blows as he backed up. Sora circled around behind Xaldin and lunged at him, but he twisted around in time to step aside. Axel took the opening to send a wave of fire his way. Xaldin waited until it was close to him before jumping, managing to clear it, but landing awkwardly as he tried to bring a spear up to defend himself from Sora at the same time.
Sora moved in to bring the keyblade down on him as he lay on the floor, but Xaldin kicked, knocking the boy away. As he rose to his feet, he swung one of his spears, but Axel struck him from behind. Staggering, Xaldin dropped the weapon in his right hand, but he still had hold of another in the opposite. He lashed out with it, the side of it striking the back of Sora's head as he tried to climb to his feet from the earlier attack.
Xaldin whirled around, facing Axel. There was just the two of them, Sora temporally out of the fight.
Axel noticed that Xaldin was leaning over slightly and breathing heavily. He realized he must have injured him when he attacked him from behind. Now he just had to finish it…But first, there was one last thing he was wondering about.
"Kingdom Hearts… How did you get the idea that by opening it, it'd make us complete?"
"What idea? The Superior ordered me to do it!"
Axel didn't have time to think what that meant. Xaldin charged at him. He shifted his weight, taking up a position he hoped would absorb most of the impact, holding his weapons tightly in front of him. The spear clashed against them and Axel stumbled from the force of the attack. It gave Xaldin a brief opening and Axel felt agony explode in his side. He gritted his teeth slashing the air with his fire wheel as he squeezed his eyes shut. He was rewarded with a cry of pain from Xaldin.
Blinking, as he tried to clear the blur from his vision, he saw Xaldin disappearing in front of him. His mind barely registered that he'd teleported away as he sank to the floor.
That… didn't go so well.
Author's Note: Now this should seem familiar! Oh, and no worries – although it may be back at the events of chapter one, there's still quite a bit to go. This is more of the "turning point" of the story.
Saddened Soul: I love you so much for your kind reviews! XD This was easier to write since I knew exactly how I wanted it to go, so here's a quick update!
AloneInDespair: Yes, it is! Hehe, poor Axel isn't getting a break just yet. I'll be looking forward to that fic from you!
ellenh92: If I was you, I'd be kinda scared! 0.o
Crisis Haylo: I have some ideas for where the BHK could fit in. "Hey you!" might work as a name! I'm pleased to see people are enjoying reading!
Morbid Dreamer: Haha, the Axel-ness? I like that word! If only everything had a bit of Axel-ness to it!
Aeshma-Daeva: Yay, another Axel fan! And here's your update!