Most Wicked of Games
"Your predecessor caused me a lot of pain."
He knew that the incomplete clone would not yet listen to him, but he talked anyway, filling the quiet of his laboratory with spoken thoughts. It's not that Vexen was narcissistic, fond of hearing his own voice, but even he eventually got tired of prolonged silence, although he always disliked making conversation. So he talked when he could.
This clone was only the latest in a line of experiments, and personally, he was optimistic about its success. Swiping Riku's memory, in the midst of the fighting, had been pure genius, even though he had been hurt by Riku's attacks by trying to get in too close. But that was only because he was too eager and had gotten careless.
"It won't happen again," he said aloud, examining the memory. It had been, perhaps, Riku's darkest moment in his short life, the memory of being taken away from everything he knew. Vexen toyed with the cloak of bravado, amused by how it had forced the terror down, almost, if not quite, swallowing it whole.
"We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"
Such a powerful memory. It made a lot of things easier, granted him a lot more access to Riku's personality than any of his other experiments ever did. Of course, the only things he did get to play with were Heartless, and the Heartless had very few memories, if any at all, and Marluxia wouldn't allow him to get near the witch to experiment with her.
At that thought, Vexen paused to glare at the clone.
"You'll show them all, won't you." He got up from where he sat, striding over to the pale-skinned boy with the ghost white hair and lifeless green eyes. "What should I give you for a personality, hmmm?"
"Kairi's coming with us!"
He fingered that flash of emotion, the desire for companionship so strong and possessive that even he was taken aback for a moment when he first came across it. But it's such a strong weakness, and now he understood why Riku had failed.
"You'd do anything for friendship, wouldn't you. It is your weakness." He let his eyes rove over the toy, admiring his work. "But this is not a place for weaknesses." He touched the body, transferring the data into the clone. The green eyes stirred, soft lashes closing and opening.
"Hello, Riku."
"Who…who are you? Is that my name? Why am I here?"
"I'm Vexen. You're Riku's twin, so your name would be Riku."
Already, the clone was displaying attributes that he'd seen in the real thing The green eyes were narrowing in suspicion. "What are you saying?"
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes in exasperation. "I created you. I took Riku's darkest memory, and from it, I made you." There was a sick pleasure he was deriving from the clone's shocked expression, bitter and tangy and just right for seeking revenge on that damned brat. "Don't look so upset, Riku."
"Give me another name." The clone's face was twisted in anger, but he continued to speak.
"Why should I? If you work hard, you can destroy the original, and become who he is. He is weak, which is why I could make you in the first place. He abhors the darkness, when the darkness is his only strength."
"I'm not weak. I'm not weak like him. Give me another name."
"You are Riku," he said pointedly. "You and him are one and the same. But as you know, two Rikus cannot exist in the same universe.
"So if you destroy him…" he left the sentence hanging deliberately, expecting the clone to complete it. But the answer stunned him.
"I want my own name."
Vexen could feel himself frown.
"You cannot have your own name," he said. "You are an exact replica of Riku. You have to accept that fact."
"No," the brilliant green eyes were shining in anger. "I am not a shadow of anyone. You can't make me into a shadow."
"I can." He could feel his irritation rise. "I am your creator. You must accept it." He moved even closer, reaching out to grip those white, perfect shoulders. His best experiment, so whole and complete and perfect. And already it was rejecting him. "You're Riku. Accept it." The clone cried out as he forced the entire memory in, forced Riku in.
"You will not fail me."
He would lose the memory he had, of course, but if all went well, he would have a newer and even better toy to play and experiment with. He shook the clone almost gently.
"Who are you?"
And smiled when the clone looked up at him, hissing breathlessly, "I'm Riku."