Kingdom of Loss
Chapter 5, Undercover
A/N
Lady Rittaker:
Anyway, I don't own kingdom hearts, even though, as always, I wish I did.
Hope you enjoy this part of Kingdom of Loss
Detective Axel had been undercover for so long that he actually felt like a pedophile as he came to the monthly 'Organization XIII' meeting. They had felt it necessary after their old leader, Marluxia, had been taken in by the police, and no one knew how. Not only that, but Xemnas Ansem had recently lost his favorite little pet because of it. First off, Riku had become too old for his taste, and even though Axel had tried to get his hands on the boy so that he could free him, Marluxia had the 'senior member' first choice, which made Axel feel a little sick to his stomach. Even though he had freed dozens of children from this ring, and busted over fifteen other rings, this was the worst one, and Riku was one of the worst cases. Still, there was one more that he needed to get away now that Riku was gone.
Roxas. Another one of Xemnas Ansem's 'favorites' who was getting too old. At least Marluxia was gone, but Axel still had to deal with the ten members of the group who might go for Roxas. Though Saïx was the only one he was really worried about. The other members of the group had different 'tastes' though he was about to bust the only female member of the group, Larxene, and her 'husband' Vexen. Axel had more than enough evidence to put them away for life.
Axel would have liked to bust them all on the spot, for he had more than enough information to do it, but this group was smart. Each one had more than one kid with them at any one time, and they always hid them away in different places. Axel had to figure out where all of the kids were before he could arrest any of them. He didn't want these freaks to get away with making any deals by telling where they were keeping more kids. No, Axel had to find all of them.
This job is starting to get to me. He thought to himself as he listed to the other members of the group talk amongst each other in the private backroom of an expensive restaurant that Saïx owned. I've got some vacation time coming up. Maybe when I'm done this, I'll have a real break for once. But he knew it wouldn't be a long break. These freaks got off attacking kids, and Axel got off in busting their asses straight to prison. That was the only way he could bear the job, by knowing that he was doing something right.
It wasn't like Axel had been abused himself or anything, but when he heard it happened to kids, it was his dream to put a stop to the bad guys. He only wished that he could shoot them more often, and despite the fact that he knew he wasn't supposed too think of it that way, if even one of the pedophiles gave him a reason to shoot them, he did it. He had been in front of the disciplinary committee more than once because of his trigger happy way. They almost didn't let him back on the force after the last time.
'Overkill' they called it when some guy took a kid hostage, and then Axel snuck up behind the bastard and shot him eight…or maybe nine…or ten or…fifteen maybe it was? He couldn't remember. Still, he had a good lawyer, Yen Sid, who was a friend of the family, and if one had a good lawyer, then one could do anything.
Of course, that also annoyed Axel, even though it often worked to his advantage. When a pedophile like Ansem or Saïx could afford good lawyers, he needed really good evidence to tear down the bastards. However, his startlingly great charisma had always been a big hit with juries. They often loved how easy he made it to hate the pedophiles on trial. Plus, when he slept with judges he often got his way.
Sure, it was cheating, but he didn't care as long as he could get the bad guys. He loved calling them that. 'Bad Guys' it did suit them. He could hardly wait to wipe the smirks off Organization XII's faces when he took them all down. Especially Ansem. He had seen what that guy had done to the kid, Riku…Axel had done everything he could to help him, including giving Riku some pointers on what to say at trial, and how to escape from his captors.
A momentary lapse of judgment, to be sure, but Riku had gotten away, and from Axel's latest report, he had also discovered that Riku was doing just fine. They had moved him in with 'Aeris' who also had the other star player in Axel's case against Ansem. That Sora kid, who he had never actually met, but Axel had heard he was solid, which would be perfect.
"Let us discuss Roxas." Axel immediately snapped to attention, shooting a quick glare Saïx's way to show that he meant business. He had to beat him, this time he was not going to loose this teen to one of these freak's clutches. "Axel, Saïx, you are the only ones who want him, correct?"
"Come on Xemnas!" Axel spoke up, using his whiney 'it's my turn' voice. "You let Riku slip by me already, it's my turn! Saïx didn't want him, but I keep getting outvoted here. Let me have him!"
Ansem seemed to consider this before looking at Saïx. "Your rebuttal, Saïx?"
"I am still Axel's senior, whether he missed his chance with Riku or not." Saïx said stiffly, making Axel strongly desire to shoot him. "I should have rights to Roxas."
"So what? You can beat him up?" Axel demanded. "I deserve this chance! Saïx should have taken his seniority with Riku! You know I love blonds!" God, he wanted to shoot himself when he had to talk like a pedophile. It made him feel like throwing up, but he wasn't about to let Roxas slide through his fingers like Riku had!
Of course, even though Roxas looked young he was technically of consenting age, seventeen in their city. That meant that if Roxas went for Saïx, his lawyer would be able to argue that it had been consensual sex, which Axel would rather die than let happen.
Ansem looked thoughtful, and then nodded to Axel. "I will admit I am leaning towards you. After all, Roxas does seem to like you much better than he does Saïx."
Of course he does, that's because when you thought he was with me I was telling him that I was a cop who was going to get him out instead of raping him. Stupid bastards. Axel thought to himself smugly.
"That's not-!" Saïx tried to argue, but Ansem shook his head.
"No, I think I've made up my mind. Roxas is going to go with Axel; you can have the next one I lose." Ansem smirked.
A small victory… Axel thought with disappointment, but at least he had won Roxas. By the time the next member of Ansem's stolen children was old enough to be bumped off to some other pedophile, Ansem would be in prison. Axel would have happily bet money on that one.
He wasn't going to get away with what he was doing.
After the meeting, as Axel expected, before he could see Ansem about where to get Roxas, he was cornered by Saïx. "I could have made a lot of money off that kid. He's almost eighteen but he looks sixteen, you've cheated me out of something I want for the last time Axel."
"I can't help it if the kids love me more than they love you Saïx. Don't blame me just because of Ansem's choice." Axel replied with a smirk. He loved to beat down Saïx, at anything in general, not just saving kids from him.
"Don't bullshit me, Axel. You know that I could have sold him into prostitution and made a lot of money, and I have more connections than you could ever dream of. I'll give you a good price for him; you won't get any better on your own." Saïx offered bitterly.
"Hum…wait, let me think about that. Wait for it. Wait for it. No." Axel rolled his eyes. "Roxas is all mine, and don't forget to memorize that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a prize to claim." And then Axel walked away, picturing Saïx's fuming face, but not looking back to see it. It was just too perfect that he didn't even have to look at the pedophile to make him look like an idiot. Oh, the things that can make my day. At least Roxas will be safe this way.
Axel went over to Ansem's car, which he leaned against casually. "Ah, there you are Axel. Was Saïx giving you any trouble?"
"None at all. I can handle him just fine thanks." Axel nodded, hating everything about Ansem as he spoke to him, but his eyes were traveling somewhere else. To Roxas, who sat sleeping in the back of the car.
Axel had only known Roxas for about a month, since he had been one of Ansem's more hidden projects, and Axel liked the young blond to say the least. The one issue he had with Roxas was that he worried about how being around pedophiles for so long might have affected him.
He's seventeen so he's legal, though just barely… come on Axel, you're twenty-two, he'll want nothing to do with you. He'll be eighteen next month though…great, yeah, and how's the department going to feel about that? They'll only think that you've lost your goddamn mind. Still… When Axel looked at Roxas sleeping in the back of that car, he couldn't help but like him, and he felt like there was nothing he could do about it…except find Roxas deadly-good-looking.
Axel was bisexual to begin with, and he had always liked them younger…but not illegally younger like these freaks. Technically Roxas wasn't illegal…Axel needed a vacation. He really needed a vacation.
He had dated eighteen-year-olds before, but Roxas was a traumatized almost-eighteen-year old. Axel couldn't believe he was even thinking about the boy that way. His own fault he supposed, but that was hardly the point. He should know better.
"Well, here he is. Roxas, sweetie, wake up." Ansem leaned in and kissed Roxas' cheek, making Axel feel like throwing up again, but he held himself steady.
Roxas slowly opened his eyes and got out of the car, looking at Axel with those perfect eyes of his. The ones that begged for his help when they had last spoken, less than a week before, and now Axel was keeping his promise.
"Roxas, you'll be staying with Axel from now on, alright?" Ansem said, kissing him again and making Roxas look a little sick himself.
Just a minute more Roxas…just hold on, just a minute more and then never again. Axel looked into Roxas' eyes, telling him it would all be alright as best he could. Roxas got the message.
(Switching to Roxas a bit here)
Roxas almost felt his heart leap from his chest when he saw who it was that Ansem was giving him to. Axel. Even if Axel really were a pedophile, which he wasn't, Roxas would have willingly gone with him.
After all, Roxas faced facts that Axel was hot. Nothing could be done about that much, not that Roxas ever expected Axel to want to sleep with him. Legal or no, Axel probably just saw him as someone he needed to protect.
The law saw that Roxas was old enough to make his own choices, but he had been living with pedophiles for the past four years, so no matter what it would still seem weird if he tried to date the guy who had rescued him. Really weird.
Still, the tall red-haired-green-eyed-most-gorgeous-man-candy-ever cop would not get out of Roxas's mind. He had fallen totally head-over-heels in love with Axel. He even loved the cop's name. Axel. It sounded so…cool.
When Ansem gave him the 'goodbye kiss' he wanted to die knowing that Axel was seeing it, but then Ansem let go, got in his car, and left.
"You okay kid?" Axel asked, walking up to him and putting his arm around Roxas' shoulder, steering him towards the car. Of course, Roxas knew that Axel only had his arm around him to keep the other pedophiles from realizing that he was a cop, but Roxas settled right into Axel's arm. That was right where he wanted to be.
"I'm a little sore I guess…but I'll be okay. You outbid Saïx?" Roxas asked, looking up at Axel, trying to catch his eye in any way that he could.
Axel looked down and smirked. "That stupid bastard didn't even come close to getting you, and if he did then he would never walk again after what I would have done to him."
Roxas smiled back, feeling both relieved and encouraged. As long as Axel was there, everything would be alright. He was going to be safe…but where he really wanted to be was in-
He decided to stop that thought in its tracks.
"We'll have to stay at my place tonight…I don't want to risk going to the police with Saïx so close on my trail right now." Axel told him, which certainly made Roxas give an internal cheer.
Thank you God for this chance to make him love me! Roxas thought triumphantly, though at the same time his mind was suppressing that thought even more. Come on, like that's going to happen. He's just saving you, and you'll probably just make him feel like a pedophile if you try and hit on him. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. "That's fine, I don't mind…it kind of feels right that I get to spend my first night of freedom with you."
Roxas' parents were killed in a car accident, and while emergency tried to get there, Ansem came first, yanked Roxas out of the car and carried him off. Roxas still remembered what it was like to be free, which made him fight back, which made Ansem mad, which meant that Roxas had stayed inside for the most part, locked up and unable to see anyone at all.
"That's good to know." Axel had started driving the car the moment that they stepped into it. "I'll take the couch, you can take the bed."
"NO!" Roxas said right away, suddenly terrified, but he had scared Axel so much that the cop nearly drove into oncoming traffic.
"Jesus! Roxas are you trying to scare the crap out of me?" Axel demanded, righting himself on the road, hoping that he didn't attract attention. Especially from his fellow cops.
"I can't sleep alone!" Roxas told him, more quietly but just as desperately. "I'm terrified… what if he comes back and takes me away? How will anyone come and save me if you're in the other room!" This was true. Roxas was terrified of sleeping alone, but he was more afraid of Ansem coming back, or one of the others…like Saïx. He didn't want to think about Saïx, and what would have happened to him if that man had gotten his hands on him.
"Okay, okay, you just needed to say so." Axel told him, trying to calm down the terrified teenager. "If you really need me to stay with you, I will. Promise."
"Really?" Roxas asked, trembling slightly.
"Hey, I always keep my promises kid. No one will ever hurt you again. I'll do whatever you want, if it makes you feel safer." Axel told him, trying to cheer him up now that Roxas was out of the 'terror' stage.
Wouldn't it be nice…if that meant he would stay with me forever? Roxas thought to himself.
READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES! IMPORTANT VOTE!
FIN
A/N
AHA! Okay…this chapter might not seem relevant, but it really is I swear! You'll get the plot later…I hope…if I'm not an asshole again. Guys, please review! I know a lot of you don't love me anymore but…sniff Please love me! LOVE ME! I'm trying…
Actually, I'm skipping out on doing homework. So you know, a win, win situation…even if this stuff is for university applications. Crap. I'm already having nightmares damn it!
BTW! READ THIS IT IS IMPORTANT! In ratings, we're going to have a little Axel-Roxas vote, because I don't want to seem like a pedophile, what do you guys think? Should they get together or no? If yes, you get a lemon in the next chapter! If no, then you don't…but I won't feel dirty lol, so your choice!
THIS IS A VOTE FROM THE FANS TO TRY AND GET PEOPLE TO COME BACK AND LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Next chapter will be split between Axel/Roxas and Riku/Sora, as will probably be the rest of the chapters…just so you know. Unless the vote is against Axel-Roxas… then they shall be no more. Except a little bit, for plot necessity.
I'll let the voting go on for a week or two before I start to write the chapter…unless it seems to grossly go one way or the other, then it might come faster.
For those of you who still kind of want to shoot me, you can still do it, check out the e-mail in the last chapter if that's the case.
If you don't feel like e-mailing or reviewing me…or just don't care whether or not there's a lemon, meh, that's your fault, do what you want. I'll just go cry in my corner somewhere.
