WHEW! Apologies for the delays between updates, but this chapter was a beast, again. The Disney stuff just eludes me, I don't know what else to say.
But, before we begin the show, I do have some minor housekeeping to get to. Since I am no longer working through a backlog, as I was earlier in the year, I am trying a new system where I finish all the chapters in an arc/world before I begin uploading, in an attempt to be more consistent with my publishing dates. We'll see how this goes.
She Will Light The Way
Chapter Fourteen
Deadly Games
Kairi stood there, practically frozen. Teeth clenched together, tightly, breaths kept short and sharp. That all too familiar cocktail of dread and fury took root in her heart the moment the Nobody made his presence known. She couldn't even recall that she had consciously summoned Destiny's Embrace; the weapon springing to life, as if her heart knew the danger this scenario held.
The Gullwings all had their arms out, as well, taking up a fighting stance. Even Hiro and the others stood in a much more guarded and wary pose, able to read the room, but not aware of the depths of dire danger they were all in.
Kairi's eyes remained locked on Luxord the entire time.
"Kairi..." Paine warned, through tightly held lips. The rest of her warning was unspoken, but Kairi understood what the dark swordswoman wanted to say. Even with numbers on their side, there was no way they could take on an Organization Nobody, here and now. She was more than aware of that fact, but at the same time, she couldn't just stand by and flee again, could she? The Organization were the enemy. They had inflicted so much chaos and harm on the innocents of the Realm, she had a duty to stop them, didn't she?
Not to mention, that an Organization member had been to this world. Planted the Blackheart Stone. Started the fire at SFIT. Took the life of Tadashi Hamada.
Was it Luxord? Did Luxord kill Hiro's brother? Kairi's eyes drifted over to the scrawny youth, who was baring his teeth in an anxious grimace. Yeah, he most likely had realized that, too. He most likely had a similar thought.
The stalemate between the Nobody and the various heroes continued for long while, before Luxord himself broke the detente, shaking his head and clicking his tongue in dismay.
"What a poor showing. How uncouth!" The Nobody cried, as he paced across the dusty floor of the warehouse. "To meet my foe – a Princess and Key Bearer, no less – on even footing and to be shown such a rude display, it's simply unbecoming of a young lady, such as yourself." Kairi couldn't help herself from rolling her eyes. Luxord's flowery language and false displays of emotion and propriety were still as annoying as ever.
Optics trained on Luxord, Baymax blinked, making a small, shuttering sound with each motion. "I do not detect a. Heartbeat. Or anything other life signs. From this. Individual."
"A keen observation, my cybernetic cohort." Turning on his heel, Luxord faced the group and offered a wide, sweeping bow. More mocking than anything else. "Allow me to extend a hand and make a formal introduction of myself. I am Luxord, Number X of Organization XIII. A pleasure to meet all of you, Kairi Ralleone, Hiro Hamada, and associates."
"'Associates'?" Rikku repeated, taken aback, and sounding oddly offended.
"What are you even doing here, Luxord?" Kairi finally found it within her to speak, though her body was still tightly wound up and stiff. "I figured all you cowards would stay on the sidelines and send your Silhouettes to deal with me." That was the impression she had gotten from Saix' little explanation, anyways.
As if he could read her mind, Luxord chuckled at his adversary. "Well, our dear Luna Diviner can say whatever he so desires, but that doesn't make it necessarily true, now does it?" The blond Nobody went back to fiddling with his deck of cards, splitting them into two even piles and fanning them out. "In truth,I have been waiting quite some time to match my mettle against a Key Bearer. Simply salivating at the prospect of crossing blades with Sora or Roxas." In any other situation, that last comment would have hit Kairi like a tonne of bricks. Roxas? A Key Bearer? But, in the moment, there was far too much going on for her to react or respond or register that fact. "Alas, while patience can be a virtue, it can be a hindrance at other times. I desired nothing more than to face the wielder of the Keyblade in mortal combat. But, now," Taking the pile in his left, Luxord quickly flipped the cards so that they were face down. All except one. "All I am left with is the low card in the deck."
The one remaining face-up card being the two of clubs.
It was such a basic and obvious insult, and yet, Kairi still felt the heat rise within her in response. "You really think that?" She hissed out. "Because you guys are down one member and four Stones thanks to me. Maybe you should reconsider your stupid little metaphor." The bravado was a false face, but Kairi knew she couldn't let her fear get the better of her, no matter how daunting a task fighting a true Nobody was
"Anyone else feel like they're out of the loop?" GoGo muttered from near the back of the group.
Fred nodded, frantically. "It's like coming into an anime halfway through the season. And it's a lore-dump episode!"
In addition to her speech, Kairi took a step forward, challenging her opponent. Confronting that fear within her. Trying to make herself seem bigger than she was, and hopefully make Luxord think twice about getting into a fight with her.
The moment she stepped forward however, Paine cleared her throat and grunted, disapproving of the redhead's bluster.
"Not now, Kairi..." Paine reiterated, taking a few steps backwards. Slowly and cautiously. "We can't beat him. You know that." She then turned to the members of Big Hero 6 around her. "Hey. You guys have a safe house or a place somewhere we can lay low for a while?" Both Honey Lemon and GoGo nodded, the answer Paine was looking for. "Then we need to distract him and pin him down and make a break for it. We need -"
"Leaving so soon? How gauche and brash. We've hardly even had time to exchange pleasantries."
Luxord's voice came from behind Paine, causing the woman's eyes to widen in shock. She looked back to where the Nobody was standing, and he was gone! She had taken her eyes off him for a second! Quickly, Paine wheeled around, slashing her sword at the source of the voice. For a moment, she caught sight of the goateed man in the black cloak, but only a for a moment. Before her sword could slash through Luxord, the Nobody blinked away and vanished yet again.
"I don't think we're getting out of this without a fight..." Yuna said, in a low voice, as Luxord reappeared atop a stack of palettes, standing to everyone's immediate left. Paine only cursed at her friend's dire observation.
"Correction. You will not find liberation from myself until we have a little bit of fun." Luxord waved a hand in Kairi's direction. "How about it, Princess? One game for old time's sake?"
Kairi bit her lip and growled. The only thing she received even remotely approaching entertainment when she was the Organization's prisoner, was whenever Luxord and some of the Dusks and Gamblers would challenge her to some card games. Poker. Blackjack. Gin rummy. Cribbage. Kairi lost every time – got utterly smoked every time – and Luxord was far from a gracious winner.
"No deal! I have no time for any of your games!" In spite of the fiery rage building within her, Kairi knew Paine was right. Righteous wrath or no, she was no match for a fully-fledged Nobody. They needed to retreat.
"Rejecting me out of hand? Why, I haven't even explained the rules or the wagers." Luxord smirked, slimy and gross. Kairi's rage only built at the sight of that expression. "It seems the intervening months and the rigours of combat have done nothing to improve your temperament. It's quite simple, really." Ignoring the protestation of the Key Bearer and her friends, Luxord performed a bridge shuffle, merging the two piles of cards back into a single deck. "It will be a variant on a classic, Fifty-Two Pick-Up! I'll scatter the cards about this building and your objective is to find one specific card – the King of Hearts!" As he declared the goal of the game, Luxord quickly pulled said King from the deck, holding it out for all to see. "Find the King of Hearts and then I'll free the king of your heart."
Now, Kairi blushed furiously, as she grew even more annoyed. Even the bad guys knew about her and Sora? A chill ran down her spine, as she found that fact incredibly gross and intrusive. Sora... just what have you been doing and saying since you left the Islands? When they finally did reunite, she was certain they would have a long talk about all of this...
Snapping back to the more pertinent manner, Kairi glared at the Nobody. "Yeah right! You must think I'm really stupid, don't you? There's now way I'm falling for that trick, too. You say that, but you'll probably dump him in the middle of space or something ludicrous like that." Much as Kairi would want to believe she could have Sora back by playing a simple card game, there was no way it would be as simple as that.
Luxord placed a hand over where his heart would be, looking quite wounded by the Key Bearer's words. "I am offended, dear Princess!" He feigned outrage. Kairi rolled her eyes again, this act was getting old, fast. "That you would think so little of me. That you would impugn my honour and treat my words as hollow nothings. Unlike some of the rapscallions that I work with, I am nothing if not a Nobody of my words, and someone who always pay my debts." Luxord waved the King of Hearts card about, taunting Kairi with his offer. "I do solemnly swear that, if you win, I will travel to our stronghold and bring Sora to you instantly. Perfectly safe. Not a single spike out of place.
"You have my word."
A combination of desperation and Luxord's act of earnestness caused Kairi to freeze. Could she really pass this opportunity up? A quick and easy way to free Sora. That's the entire reason she was here, after all, to bring him back. And, to have him, right now, alongside her in the middle of her quest? He could take away the burden and anxiety resting upon her shoulders, support her, heal her, fight alongside her. She could hug him and thank him and apologize and beg for forgiveness and ask him a million questions. They could fight together, adventure together, go out in search of Riku and bring him home, too. It was everything she ever wanted and more...
Not to mention, the nature of the game seemed simple. Sure, the warehouse was fairly large with plenty of places a playing card could hide away in, but it was Fifty-Two Pick-Up. At most, it would take her maybe an hour to complete this quest. Again, if she were in a better state of mind, maybe Kairi would have realized how deceptively simple this all way, but Luxord had waved the perfect carrot in front of her, causing her to slowly cast off all caution and rationality.
But, a tiny amount of apprehensiveness remained in the girl, as she looked up to Luxord, battle stance dropping, and asked in a shaking voice, "...And what happens if I lose?"
Instantly, Luxord's veneer fell away. All the flair, the pomp, the circumstance. It all disappeared, as his visage darkened considerably. The ugly true face of the Nobody emerged.
"Then I'll kill each and every last one of you."
A hard lump formed in Kairi's throat, the girl doing her best to swallow it.
"Hey! Hey, you!" Hiro called up to the Nobody, as Kairi fell silent, paralyzed with the decision place on her. There was feverish look in his eyes. "You knew my name. How? How do you know me?"
Just as quickly as it fell, Luxord's put-upon emotions returned to him. "Have you forgotten so soon?" The Nobody said, quirking an eyebrow. "Here I thought that night at the showcase had left an indelible scar upon your heart." The face of the young boy grew increasingly pale.
Most likely, when Luxord appeared, everyone could do the math. Put two and two together. But having it confirmed was an entirely different animal to deal with.
"That was you! At the showcase, the fire! That night..." Hiro fell to his knees, letting out a howl of anguish as tears began to well in his eyes. Honey Lemon scooted over to the boy, putting a hand on his back, as Baymax waddled over, as well. "Tadashi... you killed Tadashi, didn't you!?"
That smirk returned again, as Hiro howled in anger. Kairi felt hatred bubble inside of her. To hell with the game! Luxord had to pay for this...
"The Organization is always seeking for new and dramatic advancements in the scientific fields. I figured your little university would be a treasure trove of technological trinkets to help move our vaunted agenda forward." Luxord explained, in a flat tone. His words were as flowery as ever, but it seemed explaining his actions was more an inconvenience to him than anything else. "After I set up the Blackheart Stone, I paid a little visit, started the fire, and began to freely pilfer whatever I desired. Then, you brother made his presence known. Looking for stranglers in need of salvation. A noble and selfless soul." Luxord scoffed. "How pathetic." By this point, everyone (save Baymax) were glaring at the Nobody. Nine sets of angry eyes burning a hole into his being. He paid them no mind. "He spotted me, so, I did what my mission dictates. To remain invisible and unseen."
"Why? Why?" Hiro sobbed, flipping between sorrow and anger. "Why did you take him away from me? He was my brother... my only family..." Luxord observed the boy for a moment, an unerring, steely gaze, as if he was soaking in Hiro's despair and heartache.
"Why? Simple, dear Hiro, because I could!" Throwing up his hands in an overdramatic gesture, Luxord let loose a booming, belly laugh. But it wasn't cheerful, simply cold and mocking. A sneering act that allowed the Nobody to revel in the misery he had created. "I am a Nobody, a transcendent being! Perfect. Superior. Celestial. Empyrial. To us, humans are nothing more than tools at best, and insects at the worst. And if any little cretins were to cross a titan such as myself, I would be well within my rights to exterminate you, with prejudice!" Hiro covered his mouth, burying a sob with his hand. "And that is what happened. Your brother got in my way, stood between me and my mission. So I removed a piece from the game board.
"So I eradicated a nettlesome and utterly insignificant insect..."
"Luxord!" Kairi yelled, aiming her Keyblade at the Nobody. "If you think I'm just going to stand by and play your games after all you've done, then you have another thing coming!" Her need to free Sora, to see him again, to hold him in her arms... it was great. The greatest want she could possibly have. But she was blinded by her anger. Her desire for Sora and desire to get revenge for Hiro and Tadashi were in conflict within her, and even though fighting for her new friend felt right... giving up on her best friend felt wrong, too.
Focus, Kairi... The game's probably out of reach anyways. It was probably all a big con anyways. Over and over, she told herself these things, to try and assuage the guilt for abandoning Sora.
"Your participation is not requested nor required!" Luxord countered, fanning the deck of card out, again. "All of life is but a game, and you are either a player, or a victim."
With a flick of his wrists, all the cards Luxord held in his hand flew out, scattering all over the building, landing on the floor or sticking into walls or objects. As the cards launched through the air, Kairi kept her eyes on them, trying to see if she could discern which was the King of Hearts – she couldn't help herself! The temptation was too great, as her desires swung back to the personal.
"... And you, you've been nothing more than a victim your entire life." Luxord hopped down from his platform and began to strut about, addressing Kairi with a mocking tone. "But will the right impetus make you a player? Time to find out..."
"Kairi! Come on!" Paine yelled at her. The words of the white-haired woman did little to sway the Princess from her tasks. "You're not falling for this crap, are you? We need to get out of here, now!"
"Yeah, Red, Paine's right." Rikku pleaded, as Kairi's eyes were trained on a pile of cards on the floor, fifteen feet in front of her. The girl was practically mesmerized. "I know you wanna see Sora again, I do too, but there's a better way to do this..."
All the words in the world fell on deaf ears, as Kairi stood frozen again. Honey Lemon and Wasabi and Baymax were all huddled over Hiro, trying to console the poor, heartbroken boy. The Gullwings were trying to convince her to leave well enough alone and make a retreat.
...But she couldn't do that. Kairi just couldn't. She couldn't abandon those in need. Abandon her principles. To throw away such a perfect, golden opportunity standing right before her. Deal with a Nobody and heal the pain in her and Hiro's hearts! Bring Sora back and mount a fierce offensive against the Organization!
Sora gave up everything for me – twice! I can't I look at myself in the mirror if I don't sacrifice everything in return! Came one part of Kairi's mind.
How many people have the Organization hurt? Killed? How many and for how long? Sounded a second part. Well, it ends now. I don't care what I have to do... I'll burn down everything if it means I can catch them in the flames!
"I am not a victim! Not anymore!" Kairi declared, holding Destiny's Embrace aloft, voice thick with angry emotion. "I'll beat you at your own game, Luxord, and me and Sora will dismantle the Organization, and put an end to all of this!" The Nobody's smirk only grew, in both size and sliminess, as Kairi swung the Keyblade in the direction of the pile of cards on the floor.
"Aerora!"
Conjuring a whirlwind from the arc of her swing, the tornado rolled forwards, sweeping over the cards and shooting all six of them up into the air! With magic, this game would certainly be a breeze.
All of the cards tumbled end over end, revealing themselves. Kairi wasn't surprised none of them were the King, the odds weren't in her favour, but it meant six targets off the playing field. She was already a tenth of the way there...
But, then, the airborne cards began to shine with a intense red light, as the air about them shimmered. Like the air above a flat stretch of road on a summer's day...
"What in the..."
BOOOOM!
A massive firebomb ripped through the warehouse, the cards detonating with a deafening roar and unleashing their massive payload of heat and concussive force in all directions. Kairi didn't have time to react, as she was swept aside by the explosion, super-heated air singing her flesh. Baymax threw his entire body overtop Hiro, shielding the boy from the blast, but the others weren't so lucky. Paine and the others were further away from the blast radius than Kairi, but still caught within and hurled backwards by the conflagration.
"My oh my..." Over the crackling of flames and the dull throbbing in her ears, Kairi could hear Luxord's slow chuckles rain down on her. "You really thought that this game would be so simple? Better play with more caution, otherwise Sora will slip even further from your grasp..."
Kairi ignored the barbs and taunts, struggling to pick herself up, trying to gather her barrings. Towering pyres were now lit over the floor of the building, obscuring her view, with various pieces of the industrial junk blasted and strewn about. But where was everyone? Her head throbbed, as Kairi tried to push through the disorientation. She was certain everyone would be okay, she just needed to keep moving forward towards her goals. That's what she had been doing this entire time. That's what everyone had taught her. Right. Right? Keep faith. Do your best. Keep moving forward.
Taking a few uneasy steps, Kairi saw another card before her, embedded into a girder. She quickly snatched it, only to be disappointed to see it was the nine of diamonds. Expecting another bomb, she threw it away and ran as far and fast as she could with her injuries and delirium.
But, instead of glowing red, the card flashed a bright blue, before vanishing. Unexpectedly, Kairi felt her entire body being tossed into the air, as a furiously forceful geyser of scalding water erupted out of the earth beneath her feet.
"This is just depressing to watch. I suppose I might be able to liven things up by entering the game..." In a flash, Luxord appeared behind Kairi while she was floating helpless in midair, carrying with him a playing card taller and wider than his body. Kairi tried to twist her body around to defend herself, but instead was swatted out of the air by the oversized card, which felt like it were made of solid steel. The object caught the girl along her forearms and elbows, stinging her and launched her back downwards, smashing into the same support beam she had plucked the card from.
Landing ribs and stomach first, Kairi felt the agony of the impact, followed by all the air being driven from her chest. The Princess writhed on the dusty floor, painfully gasping for air, as the chaos continued to play out all around her.
-O-SWLTW-O-
"God damn it..." Paine bellowed, as she threw off piles of charred wood that had settled atop her and Rikku. This was bad. Beyond bad. Everyone was scattered about and fighting an insanely powerful foe, in an arena that benefited him.
Worse, Kairi's obsessions seem to have driven her over the edge.
"Rikku, get everyone together, and then ready some smoke bombs. Flash bangs. Anything that will cover our escape." Paine relayed her plan, as she helped the blonde to her feet. "This is... this is going to be rough, but we're out of options and time."
"And what about Red?" Rikku pointed out, catching said Key Bearer just as she was thrown into the girder. Kairi and the two Gullwings were located on far opposite sides of the warehouse, with a hellish warzone in between. Paine grunted in disgust, but shook her head.
"Just get Yuna and the kids and the robot." Dealing with Kairi would come later.
Unfortunately, as the two adventurers spread apart to recover their party, they saw the chain reaction those explosions had caused. The force of the blast had caused more of the cards to flip over, triggering their traps. More bombs. Geysers of water. Jagged stones bursting from the floor. Whirling, scything cyclones conjuring and racing about. And each trap that triggered caused more cards to turn over, perpetuating the cycle. Everywhere Paine stepped and looked was only catastrophe and calamity.
Fred and Honey Lemon were pinned down beneath several fallen girders, trapped and helpless, with Yuna trying to use her shotstaff as a lever to disbar the wreckage, but was having to survive a series of firebombs detonating in her vicinity.
"Hey... Hey! Paine, give us a hand..."
Paine whipped her head around at the sound of the faint voice, seeing that GoGo and Wasabi were also pinned down on the ground, about thirty feet from where she stood. Except, Paine squinted her eyes, peering through the orange glare of the flames, they weren't covered in debris. They were completely free and uncovered, but it looked as if they couldn't move a muscle, that just calling out to her was a great effort.
High above the two superheroes, hanging in the air like a baleful sun, was a massive black orb of dark matter, energy radiating outward from the sphere. To the eyes of a veteran like Paine, it almost looked like a Gravity spell.
The heavy, dull sound of warping steel and the sharp crackling of glass breaking told Paine that her suspicions were correct, as it looked like everything above the orb was starting to give in to the weight of the Gravity spell – more girders and glass and concrete nearing it's breaking point, about to transform into an avalanche that would bury the two!
Rushing over without a second thought, Paine entered the gravity field, immediately feeling the pressure slam into her. It took all the strength she had to fall to her knees, instead of falling flat prone, while keeping her shield arm raised. The roof gave in, debris raining down, but Paine projected the barrier of her shield, the wall of shimmering light catching everything and providing relief...
Except now Paine was stuck in the field, too, and with what felt like several hundred pounds of steel and concrete hanging above her, pushing her down, trying to squash her and the others into a pile of nondescript goo. She couldn't move. GoGo and Wasabi couldn't move. Hell, the three could barely speak or communicate, so great was the gravity in the zone.
All Paine could do was grunt and curse silently, as she watched Kairi on the other side of the warehouse make a beeline for more cards, triggering more traps, playing further into Luxord's hand.
-O-SWLTW-O-
"Hiro. Are you okay?"
Baymax pulled himself off of the young genius, the robotic healthcare companion having done his job. His massive, armoured frame covered Hiro from the entirety of the blast, leaving him unscathed...
Physically, at least. Hiro's mental state, on the other hand, was quite damaged. The genius inventor didn't answer Baymax' inquiry, staying motionless on the ground, huddled up in the fetal position, with a haunted and glassy look in his eyes. The only thing Hiro said was "Tadashi...", quietly repeating the name over and over again.
"Scanning." Baymax' systems whirred to life, as he took a quick once-over of his partner and his being. "You do not appear to have suffered. Any. Physical injuries. However, it seems you are under a great. Deal of. Emotional. Distress." Hiro didn't respond. He barely heard anything Baymax was saying. His entire world had basically been shattered. Losing his brother was hard enough, but to learn that he had been taken away for such a petty reason, in such a callous way, by this... this... this monster!
Hiro Hamada has never felt such grief in his short, fourteen years. He wanted to curl up and vanish and die.
"Is there anything I can do to improve your emotional well-being?"
"Baymax, I-" Hiro began in a small voice. He was going to tell the bot to just leave him be. There was nothing in this world – or any other – that could alleviate the pain he felt. But then he looked up, witnessing the battle that had been unfolding while he was wallowing in despair. GoGo and Honey and Wasabi and Fred – his friends, Tadashi's friends – were all in various states of peril, while Kairi was struggling on her own. She seemed to be prioritizing going after the cards, trying to win the game, while Luxord played keep away and guarded the various cards. The Nobody was assailing the Key Bearer with more cards, battering and slashing at her, with Kairi taking more and more injuries with each attack. Every so often, though, she would manage to take hold of a card, only for it to be the wrong one, triggering another trap that would blast her away, the redhead screaming in pain and frustration.
But, no matter how many times Luxord took her down, no matter how many times she fell into a trap and was blown away, Kairi got back up. She growled and snarled, facing screwing up in furious determination, gritting her teeth, before going right back to work.
Kairi. The girl that had shown up out of the blue to help them in a pinch, extend a hand of friendship, and then vow to help him find his brother's killer. To help him, even when she had her own problems to deal with.
That's right... these Organization guys took someone away from her, too... Hiro thought, glumly, as he continued to watch Kairi struggle. The Key Bearer lunged for another pile of cards, only to be intercepted by Luxord, the Nobody now wielding a series of cards stacked together like a sword blade without a hilt. One wide arc of a swipe and Kairi was sent flying. But she hasn't given up. She's not lying on the floor, having a pity party for herself. Kairi's hurting the same way as me, but she's still fighting...
"You know what, Baymax? There is something you can do to help me..." Hiro slowly stood up, his legs stiff and leaden, his body trembling from the adrenaline surge. He pointed at the preening and egotistical Luxord. "That guy? The one in the cloak. He's the source of my distress. I need you to take him out. Get rid of him. Destroy him!"
Hiro's orders hung in the air for a second, almost drowned out by the cacophony of battle, as Baymax blinked and processed the task. "I'm afraid that. 'Destruction'. Is not a part of my care-giving protocol." The robot finally answered, an answer Hiro had expected. "Might I suggest a. Joint therapy session. So that you and the man in the cloak can achieve closure on your feelings?"
"No, no... I have something for that, though..." Hiro reached into one of the compartments built into his armour, fishing out a memory card. Back when this started, when he first came up with this hair-brained scheme, Hiro knew that Baymax as is wasn't going to cut it. Even with the carbon fibre armour and rocket fists and booster jets, Baymax was not designed for superheroics. For fighting. So, in the grips of a feverish thought, the young genius had downloaded every last scrap of data on combat he could, creating a protocol that would turn the nurturing and supportive bot into a unstoppable, unfeeling engine of destruction.
Hiro's eyes flitted from the card to a small circular port on Baymax' chest, located where the heart would be on a human. As much as he wanted vengeance and closure and to put Tadashi's spirit to rest, this was a big leap to take. His brother had made Baymax to help people, not hurt them, even if this was incredibly justified in Hiro's mind...
What would Tadashi think of him, if he could see him, here and now?
"Tadashi isn't here... Tadashi isn't here..." He muttered to himself, chanting the chant to banish those thoughts from his psyche. "Tadashi is gone..."
Pressing a hand over the access port, Baymax' chestplate opened up, revealing the multiple slots, including the green card his brother had previously installed, "Tadashi Hamada" inscribed on it over a piece of masking tape. Swallowing the guilt and sadness, Hiro removed the green card before slamming his own red memory card into the slot, shutting the port back up.
"Baymax... end him!"
In response, Baymax' eyes shuttered close again, holding for a bit longer than what was considered a blink for the robot. When they opened back up, the neutral and soft blackness of the eyes were replaced with a harsh, angry red light.
Luxord was humming to himself, as if composing the chaos that had ensued around him, as Baymax lumbered towards him. The Nobody gamer was far too engrossed in toying with his prey to notice the robotic march of the now reprogrammed Baymax, chuckling to himself as a whirlwind produced by one of his cards threw her into the air once again, almost throwing her high enough to slam into the roof. Her friends were all in dire need of assistance, calling out to her, but she was far too consumed by her want, her tunnel vision too deep and dark for her to pay any attention to them and their plights.
"All these Somebodies are such simple creatures; truly pathetic. And to think, I was once counted among their num – GRAAAH!"
With a might, hammering blow, Baymax delivered a vicious right hook to the proselytizing Nobody, catching him completely unaware and sending him flying. Luxord sailed through the air, clear across to the other side of the warehouse, crashing into one of the walls and landing in a pile of industrial junk. For a brief, shining moment, it looked like the one punch had done it, man; that Luxord was out of commission – temporarily, if not permanently – and everyone would survive by the skin of their teeth.
That hope was dashed when Luxord crawled out from underneath a wrecked palette. No injuries were apparent on his body; the only difference in appearance was his cloak was slightly scuffed up.
Baymax mindlessly charged again.
"I will applaud your efforts, for scoring even a singular hit on my person." Luxord chatted, a tiny bit of a growl to his voice. Baymax was now in range, winding up for another attack. "But one blow will be as far as you go." This time, Luxord easily caught the punch with just his hands. Even with the inhuman strength and technique granted to the rampaging robot, Luxord didn't budge so much as an inch, Baymax struggling to retract his hand from the iron grip of the Nobody.
Returning the favour, Luxord booted Baymax in the gut, sending the bot flying in the opposite direction, with even greater force and intensity of the blow that launched Luxord.
"Want me to take away something else close to you, Mr. Hamada?" Luxord casually discarded two chunks of red polymer left over in his hands. Between the strength of his grip and blow, he had ripped off some of the fingers on Baymax's gauntlet. "I suppose that makes you a glutton for punishment..."
The Nobody began to stalk towards where Baymax had landed, with Hiro only able to look on in shock, paralyzed by what had just transpired.
-O-SWLTW-O-
"Kairi! Kairi! We need your help!"
"C'mon, Red! Lend us a hand, here!"
Yuna and Rikku shouted at their leader, trying desperately to get her attention and assistance, while the cousins worked on trying to free Honey Lemon and Fred. Their efforts – both in trying to flag down the hyper-focused Key Bearer, and in trying to free the two trapped heroes – had been in vein up to this point. Even with the leverage provided by Yuna's staff, and both their weight and strength they could only budge the rubble that trapped the two older teens ever so slightly. Power wasn't their forte. That was Paine's department. However...
Yuna checked over her shoulder, seeing that the dark swordswoman was still trapped under the gravity field. The pile of refuse threatening to burying Paine and the others had only grown in mass. Paine's barrier was holding up, but there was so little room available beneath the shield that Paine was now forced to her knees, torso almost folded completely at the waist. The white-haired woman was sweating and huffing, her entire body trembling from the strain. Clearly, she couldn't hold out for much longer.
Craning her head the other way, Yuna saw Kairi snatch another one of the playing cards strewn about, only for razor-sharp spires of stone to emerge from the ground around her, slashing at her stocking and legs. The girl collapsed for a moment, before using a Cura spell on herself to sew up the wounds, getting back up and going after another card.
For a brief moment, Yuna caught sight of Kairi's eyes, those indigo orbs now wide, wild, and wholly deranged. Focused on what was in front of her, but to the detriment of everything else.
"Kairi..." This time, Yuna didn't yell when she uttered her friend's name, merely said it quietly to herself. She wasn't one to question her friends and their motives, but this was utter madness. They were in trouble. Beyond trouble; they were on the verge of mortal danger! Kairi herself was clearly going to either accomplish this task, or kill herself trying.
And Yuna had a sinking suspicion she knew which of the two paths was more likely...
Redoubling her efforts, Yuna slammed down on her haft, throwing caution to the wind – if it broke, it broke, getting out of here alive was more important than a weapon – and manage to shift some of the rubble about, Honey Lemon squirming beneath the stone.
"Oh! Yes!" The bright, hyperactive girl had her arms near her waist. Near her chem-purse. "Miss Yuna, keep it like that and I can reach my..." She trailed off, as Yuna and Rikku did everything in their power to provide this tiny amount of relief. Eventually, Honey must have hit the right buttons on the device, as a bouncy ball of springy, elastic gel – coloured bright pink – suddenly appeared in the space between the girl and Fred, the force of it's emergence scattering most of the rubble from the two.
"Rikku, stay with these two, help them out, and see if you can get Paine out of that bind." Yuna told her cousin, as they pulled the young heroes out from the debris, doing a once over on their well being. Even if she wasn't a healthcare robot powered by an extensive database, Yuna was an accomplished White Mage and healer; this wasn't her first time working triage. "I'm going to grab Kairi and Hiro and put a stop to all of this."
Before Rikku could reply, an ear-piercing scream reverberated through the air, the four looking up to see the source of it.
Using his hiltless card sword, Luxord had skewered Kairi through the midsection, piercing through her breastplate and it's enchantments. Blood gushed from the wound, as Kairi stumbled backwards, dropping her Keyblade, colour slowly being leeched from her face.
Yuna flinched at the sight and the sound.
"Just be careful, Yunie..." Came Rikku's advice. "This... I never knew Red had this side to her. This is scary."
Rumbling from out of nowhere, Baymax made another move at Luxord, but was effortless parried again. This time, Luxord shielded his back with one of his giant cards, before using it as a paddle to smash into the red robot. Chips of armour flew away, as Baymax collapsed with a cloud of sparks. That last one might have damaged some of his circuitry...
"You go help GoGo and the others." Said Honey Lemon, putting a reassuring hand on Rikku's shoulders. Even if she had just met these strange girls, she could tell they were in need of a helping hand, and helping hand was what the perky scientist did best. "Freddie and I will get Hiro and try and stop Baymax."
"You guys sure?"
"Of course!" Was Fred's bold declaration, as he animatedly hopped back to his feet. "After all, can't let you guys do all the work – a key element to any good superhero crossover is that all sides contribute equally! So leave it to Fredzilla and... uh... Tall Girl!"
Honey Lemon blanched. "That's not my name..." She said in a sotto voice.
Suppressing a smile that was out of place in this moment, Yuna thought back to words Maleficent once shared with her, how Key Bearers had the innate ability to gather others to their cause. Of course, the dark faerie had meant that fact in a negative light back then, but it seemed that even on a day like this, Kairi was attracting good people to her. Finding friends.
"Okay. Let's get to work then!"
The four broke off into three directions, Yuna quickly firing one of her Haste bullets at herself. She would need every advantage she could muster if she was going to come out of this fight ahead.
Kairi had fallen to the ground, feebly trying to staunch her bleeding wound, as Luxord circled her like a shark, hurling down insults and taunts. He had been chattering incessantly since he first arrived, but Yuna could use that to her benefit, too. Running and gunning, her opponent with his back to her, unaware of what was coming, Yuna fired a sphere of blue energy that quickly formed into a jagged junk of crystalline ice, bigger than Luxord's chest! The icy chunk – a mixture of Blizzard and Slow magic – lobbed through the air, before scoring a direct hit on the Nobody. Frigid spears sunk into his cloak and flesh, as the baleful enchantments spread in the form of a freezing mist. Luxord grunted, slow to turn to face his assailant, his movements just slightly more languid and sluggish.
Yuna, though, had the opposite effect on her, allowing the gunslinger to move at high-speeds, zooming around Luxord and Kairi in a wide circle, only perceptible as a white and blue and golden blur. Even if he was running at normal speed, Luxord would have a hard time keeping up with her, as Yuna unleashed a flurry of magical pellets, firing off clouds of bullets from all sides that began to enclose upon their target. A storm had Luxord cut off from all around him, Yuna was confident she had done enough to distract the gamer.
Still slowed down by Yuna's magic, Luxord manage to raise his arms up as the bullets veered towards him. Then, suddenly, with a simple flex of his fingers, every single shot Yuna had put up froze in mid-air. Paused, as if someone had hit the remote. Luxord followed that move up with a sharp snap of his fingers, the golden light fading from Yuna. Both Luxord's and Yuna's movements returned to normal in an instant, Yuna stumbling from her rapid deceleration.
"Time magic? How quaint." Yuna had almost completely lost her balance when Luxord charged, swinging his card-sword. The first blow caught her in the shoulder, but she was able to block the others. Barely. Even if he didn't possess the overwhelming power and might of Xaldin or Lexaeus, Luxord was still a Nobody, which meant his physical capabilities were far beyond that of any human.
"I applaud your gallantry and ingenuity, but I'm afraid you're simply out-matched." Luxord said, quickly kicking Yuna in the ankle, forcing the brunette to one knee. A lightning-fast slash followed, Yuna only just able to block the strike with the haft of her shotstaff, the force of the swipe pushing both weapons up against her collarbone. "Only a Key Bearer could hope to do battle against a Nobody on an even plain, and yours, in addition to being woefully inadequate in all parameters, she seems to be otherwise occupied..."
Luxord rasped out his last comment with truly derisive form, as he eyed said Key Bearer. Briefly, Yuna and Kairi made eye contact, the mage seeing the frustration and indecisiveness reflected in her friend's eyes. But instead of reaching out to her friend, the Key Bearer kept her head down and kept moving forward.
Crawling on her hands and knees, Kairi reached out for another card – muttering to herself that this was the one, this was it, this would save Sora – but was quickly discouraged when she flipped it over. Her curse was drowned out by the roar of the explosion, as she was thrown back, crashing into another support beam, and slumping against it.
The wound in her belly was still bleeding, as more of the bright red liquid poured from the corners of her mouth.
In a flash, the cards that made the sword lost their rigidity, scattering atop and around Yuna, before Luxord lifted two of his fingers upwards. The cards multiplied and swarmed, rising up around Yuna like an updraft, propelling Yuna slightly into the air, as she had nicks and cuts rained down upon her.
"Even when seeing a friend in need, she puts her own desire first. Not that I'm criticizing, just commenting, of course..." Luxord mused in an all too casual tone, as he dusted himself off. Yuna fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Kairi had not moved from her spot. "Is this really all you can muster girl? After triumphing against Xaldin and a Silhouette, I at least expected more than a paltry amount of resilience. And even after waving Sora's freedom before you, even that didn't light the proverbial fire within your weak, fragile heart. I suppose you don't care about him..."
"Shut... up..."
"Or, rather, you care about him less than he does about you."
"Sh-shut..."
"After all he went through for you, you can't even summon the strength to win one little card game? If I had a heart, this is the part where I would laugh." Considering that comment for a moment, a small chuckled escaped Luxord's lips. "Oh, what the hell... HOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"
Luxord's ghoulish cackling brought Kairi to her breaking point. Her body and heart had given out on her, she couldn't fight back, so she did the only real thing she could do at this point.
She cried. She howled. She screamed.
She screamed for her weakness and worthlessness, that after everything she had been through, she couldn't save Sora, or avenge the dead brother of an ailing boy, or make her enemies suffer. After all this time, she lacked the strength and drive.
And she screamed, because, a tiny part of her agreed with Luxord. That, maybe, Sora cared more for her than she did for him. That, when it came down to it, she couldn't give everything up for his sake. That she would always be a victim, who suffered at the cruel hands of fate, and that Sora would have to sacrifice herself for her sake.
Kairi's anguished howl only made Luxord laugh deeper and heartier.
On the other side of the room, as Kairi's cry, Yuna's collapse, and Luxord's celebration all played out, Rikku went to work to rescue Paine, GoGo, and Wasabi.
"Alright, Paine, I know when I came up with the idea for the Dispel Dial, you gave me a lot of grief." Rikku nattered about, nervously, while fishing through her pouches for the specific device. "Y'know, 'cause Yunie knows Dispelga, and also I've never had the chance to field test it 'n all..." Said device turned out to be a silvery disk around the size of a hockey puck. Wincing, Rikku pressed a button on the Dial, causing a blue light to emanate from it. To her great surprise and relief, the light struck against the gravity orb, the black mass wavering, before poofing from existence, the gravity field going with it.
"Holy crap! It worked!" Rikku cheered. "Well, Paine, shows you what you know. I made a portable magic diffusion device and saved your bacon. So, in return, you can -" Rikku's gloating came to a skidding halt when Paine rose up to full height, glowering down at the Al-Bhed tinkerer. Paine normally wasn't in the mood for Rikku's antics, but this was a whole new level of "no". "Uh... you can thank me whenever you want. Whenever you got the time. It's fine. Inappropriate..."
Despite the injuries suffered from the gravity well, Paine quickly went back to work, surveying the battlefield. Honey Lemon had managed to grab a catatonic Hiro and was escorting him to (relative) safety, while Fred was doing his best to wrangle Baymax. But, even with the damage he had already sustained, the berserking healthcare robot was able to ward off the monster-suit wearing teen at every turn, even if he could barely walk. Meanwhile, off to the far end, Luxord loomed threateningly over a downed Yuna and Kairi; the Key Bearer remained unmoving, distraught and melting down, while Yuna feebly crawled towards the redhead.
"Okay, time to end this nonsense..." Paine huffed, laboriously, before bringing her weapons up to bear again. "You guys grab the big guy." She told GoGo and Wasabi, before motioning to her shorter, blonde companion. "We'll grab Kairi and Yuna and then lay down a smokescreen. Wherever your safe house is, we're making a beeline straight to it..."
Rikku pulled out a tubular bomb from one of her pouches, gathering what Paine's approach was. "Make sure all your visors are down, kids. In a few minutes, there's gonna be a one helluva light show!" The blonde then pulled her goggles down over her eyes.
Before any questions could be asked, Paine dashed forward, charging at the Nobody, with Rikku hot on her tail. In quick succession, GoGo and Wasabi launched into action as well, informing their teammates of the plan, before all dog-piling on Baymax. With the damage sustained to the circuitry and servos of the armour, there was no real hope the red robot could hold off all three of GoGo, Wasabi, and Fred; the two boys leaping atop Baymax, while GoGo skated low and from behind, taking out the legs of the robot with a high-speed tackle. Prone and with two humans flattening him from the top, Baymax was all but helpless, allowing Honey Lemon to quickly scramble and get her hands on his access port, removing the memory card that drove him wild in the first place.
The harsh red light in his eyes dying out, Baymax came to a sudden stop, his systems shutting down and his rampage coming to an end.
One problem solved, one more to go...
Luxord turned to face the remaining two Gullwings darting towards him, cards at the ready, before Paine and Rikku suddenly veered sharply to either side, Paine going left and Rikku going right. Paine pulled forward even more, taking deep and powerful strides on her long legs, as Luxord readjusted his position, certain that the two were going in to save their companions. A handful of razor-sharp cards were thrown in the path of either Gullwing.
However, much to the Nobody's surprise, Paine followed up one of her strides with a dramatic leap, rising high into the air while spinning about as to face him... and Rikku. The swarm of cards sailed underneath her, as Paine's shield projected it's shimmering barrier.
Paine shut her eyes, clenching them together as tightly as possible.
"Rikku! Do it!"
Tugging at either end of her canister while sliding under the cards, Rikku hurled the small device – not towards Luxord – but towards Paine. The object collided with the magical field generated by the shield, not even disturbing the surface of the energy wall, but instead broke apart to unleash it's payload: an impossibly bright flash of light! Burning white light consumed everything, as the flashbang detonated, made worse by being planted against the barrier, which served as a mirror, amplifying the burst and directing it all back towards Luxord.
The Nobody brought his arms up to his eyes, seconds to late, crying out in pain, as his vision was destroyed by the blast of light. Everything in the world vanished for those brief instances, as the gaming villain lost sight of Kairi and all the rest. Lost sight of all of his prey.
With Rikku's eyes protected by her goggles, and the various visors of their helmets shielding the members of Big Hero 6, the group began their escape in earnest, acting with breathless speed. Rikku and Paine gathered up Yuna and Kairi, respectively, GoGo took responsibility of Hiro, while Fred and Wasabi took the burden of carrying the offline Baymax. As the bright wave of light subsides, Rikku threw more bombs into the arena, unleashing a thick, dark, acrid smoke, with Honey Lemon furiously smashing on her chem-purse, throwing down smokebombs of her own.
By the time the smoke cleared, and his vision returned to normal, Luxord found himself all alone in the warehouse, no heroes in sight. Just him and the chaos he had created.
With a forlorn sigh, Luxord waved his hands, causing the bedlam and mayhem his cards had summoned to cease. The fires died out, while every last card returned to his waiting hand, assembling themselves in a neat, perfectly unblemished deck.
"What a disappointing show..." Luxord muttered to himself, idly, while shuffling the fifty-one cards about. "Though, I guess that is all to be expected." With another motion of his hand, a card shot out from the sleeve of the Nobody's cloak, sliding perfectly into the crevice of his left hand. Turning the card over, Luxord let out a bark of dark laughter.
"From a rank amateur."
It was the King of Hearts.
-O-SWLTW-O-
It took well past nightfall before Kairi and the others made their way to this supposed safe house.
The streets of San Fransokyo were just as fog-covered and abandoned as earlier in the day, though navigating them was made much easier by the presence of GoGo and the others.
Still, city guides or not, the group of nine humans and one robot made their way through the fog-choked city mostly in silence, with both their bodies and prides wounded from the conflict. Yuna had done her best to patch up those that needed it, but healing magic had it's limits, and it could only heal the body, not the mind or the heart.
Kairi trudged along at a sluggish, zombie-like pace, hardly making a sound while staring ahead with a haunted, spacey look. She was mentally replaying just what had happened and trying to figure out what mistakes she had made. What she could have done different. If there was more she could have done to save Sora.
Or was Luxord right? Can I not put it all on the line when the moment requires it? Does Sora care more about me than I about him? Am I really that awful of a person? Of a friend?
While Kairi was trapped in the despairing spiral of her own inner monologue, Hiro fumed and muttered, seething angrily with every step of the way. The entire reason he did any of this was to avenger his brother's death, and he finally had the killer right in his sights. And what did he do? He couldn't get the job done! All the work he put into this was for nothing. Hiro made a silent vow to himself that the next time he and Luxord crossed paths, things would turn out differently.
Eventually, the moody group of teens and young adults found themselves in a upscale, glitzy residential area, before arriving at a palatial estate of a mansion. Easily the biggest and most expensive-looking domicile any of them had laid their eyes on.
As it turned out, Fred's family was obscenely wealthy. This came as a surprise even to his friends.
Still, unexpected wealth or not, everyone was just finally happy to be safe and warm inside. It had a been a long, trying day – the first of many, most likely – and everyone was in dire need of food, rest, and recovery.
The members of Big Hero 6 switched out from their well-worn armour into more casual attire, while also working to reboot and restore Baymax, GoGo practically forcing Hiro to cough up his original memory card. With all of his armour stripped away, Baymax' tubby, plushy, white vinyl exterior was exposed to the world, the once heroic-looking bot now resembling a cross between a large teddy bear and a marshmallow. And, thankfully, his personality seemed to have settled back to it's original setting, no damage done there.
"My healthcare protocol has been violated." Baymax voiced soon after coming back online. The robot observed the room, with a few members of Big Hero 6 looking up at him in a more fearful manner. Seeing the normally gentle and helpful machine go off on a rampage like that had clearly left them shook. "I apologize for any distress I may have caused."
"It's fine, Baymax..." Hiro grunted, pushing past the others who had gathered about the robot, before taking a hold of one of his soft vinyl hands. "Come on, we have work to do." Hiro began to lead Baymax away, once more shoving past his friends. "We need to supe up your armour. And I need more combat data if we're going to take care of that creep..."
Not to be so easily cast aside, GoGo, Fred, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon all imposed themselves between Hiro and the exit he was charging for.
"You're not going anywhere, Hiro." Wasabi said, surprisingly sternly, too. "What you did back there was completely out of line!" Hiro shook his head, not believing what he was hearing.
"What? What are you guys talking about?" He shot back, angrily. His rage had been building since they left the warehouse, and it had just about reached critical mass. "We agreed to team up and take this guy -"
"We agreed to catch the guy. That's it!" GoGo retorted, putting a forceful hand on the younger boy's shoulders. "Not 'take out'. Or 'destroy'. Or 'kill'. And certainly not turn Baymax into a war machine and nearly get all of us killed!" Hiro just looked increasingly incredulous.
"We're suppose to be superheroes, man." Fred said next, trying a softer approach, but looking quite sullen and down. A stark contrast to his normally peppy attitude. "We're suppose to save people, not get revenge for ourselves. It isn't right..."
Anger flared in Hiro's face once more, the youthful genius spitting out, "I don't want to be a hero. I never wanted to be one. I just want my brother back!"
The Gullwings watched on mutely, as the scene unfolded itself, GoGo and the others trying to make Hiro see the errors of his ways. Trying to make him realize what was happening to him. Yuna, sweet and loving person that she was, hated to see friends fight, hated to see hearts consumed by grief and loss. She had more than a lifetime of that back on Spira. But, right now, she was more concerned that, while Paine, Rikku, and herself were observing the argument, Kairi was off in her own little world, pacing in a corner of the room, inattentive to anything other than what was on her mind.
"Kairi?" Yuna asked, softly, as to not alert the others to her meddling. "Kairi? Aren't you going to say something?" While they had only know each other for a short while, Kairi seemed to have forged a fast friendship with Hiro, and she fully expected the redheaded Key Bearer to step in and try to mediate the brewing conflict. She had gone out of her way to help ailing hearts before, why not now?
But, no, Kairi remained otherwise occupied, the only response she gave was a rapidly mumbled. "No. Not my problem. Have something more important to deal with."
Yuna felt her heart sink with the answer, and Paine's lips twitched in aggravation.
"Hiro, please." Like Fred, Honey Lemons pleas were of the softer variety, trying to appeal to the better nature of the boy. "Your brother built Baymax to help people. Turning him into a mindless monster? If Tadashi was here, he -"
"No, no!" Hiro snapped, viciously shouting at Honey Lemon, causing the sweet girl to shirk in fear. "You didn't know my brother! You don't get to tell me what he would think! Tadashi is gone, and it's all that guy's fault, and to hell with all of you if -"
GoGo stepped forward and stiffly slapped Hiro across the cheek. Everyone (save Kairi) practically jumped in shock at the sudden strike. The genius ceased his raving, quavering in fear, anger, denial, and sadness, as GoGo glared back at him.
"I never should have asked for help. Come on, Baymax..."
Sparing the others one final, dark look, Hiro grabbed Baymax and stormed off.
Just as before, Kairi did not react at all to what had just occurred, too consumed with her thoughts and her guilt. She focused her mind on recalling every action she made during Luxord's game. Every mistake she made. How close she might have come in succeeding in her mission.
How many cards did I flip over? Thirty? Forty? Something like that... I was close! Real close! If I just had a little more time, if I didn't get cut and stabbed, if Paine didn't grab me and run... Damn it all! She growled in frustration, furiously ruffling her hair. So close, so close, so close! And, yet, Sora slipped through her fingers all the same...
"Kairi..."
The Princess looked up, seeing Paine had walked over, looking down at her. Her red eyes were hard and unflinching, like fiery rubies.
"Paine, I didn't need your help back there." Kairi spoke, her voice shaking, but she was fairly calm, regardless. "Next time, I need -"
Without warning, Paine slugged Kairi in the cheek, decking the girl with a brutal right hook. The blow flattened the redhead, who stared up in pain and disbelief, as Paine scowled at her. Kairi had never realized how fearsome the white-haired warrior looked when she was angry.
"Paine... what the hell...?"
"Don't you give me that crap!" Paine's voice was a low growl. All eyes in the room were now on the two young woman. "You have a lot to answer for, considering what you just pulled..."
Kairi shook her head, not understanding what was wrong. "I-I don't understand... What's going on?" Unlike Hiro, who had replied with anger when called out, Kairi was just genuinely confused.
"Back in the warehouse, we were all in trouble... I was being crushed to death, Yuna risked her life to help you, the others were in mortal danger, and where were you? Huh? Where!?" Despite the rage coming through, Paine laboured to speak, sweating and looking flushed. The day's events had pushed her to her utter limit and it was showing. "What was the Keyblade Master doing? Playing games with that jackass! Obsessing over her boyfriend!" Kairi clambered back to her feet, feeling just the tiniest bit embarrassed Paine referred to Sora with the "b-word". Her cheek throbbed, painfully. That was certainly going to swell up into an ugly bruise.
"Yeah, of course I was!" Kairi countered, still not understanding where Paine was coming from. "The entire reason I'm here, the entire reason I have the Keyblade, is to save Sora! What else would I be doing but trying to rescue him?" Kairi honestly believed that, thinking that such an answer would satisfy her companion.
Paine punched Kairi, again, the redhead once more collapsing in a heap.
"Paine, that's enough!" Yuna called, trying to step in, but being out-muscled by the swordswoman.
"Idiot!" Paine roared over Yuna, marching towards the down Key Bearer. "Selfish idiot!" Kairi blinked dumbly, trying to chase the stars from her vision, before feeling herself being forcibly picked up. Paine had seized her by the hair and forced her to stand. "I have been trying to get it through your thick head that your obsession and idolization of Sora is unhealthy, but nothing has worked... it seems it's time for a little tough love."
This again. Kairi felt her anger rise up in response. She knew Paine didn't like it when Kairi compared herself to Sora, but this was getting out of hand. Sora was great. He was a hero. Of course Kairi idolized him. What was wrong with that? What was wrong with any of this?
Before Kairi could respond, Paine removed her hand from her hair, switching it to her face. Between the fingers of the strong woman, Kairi felt her cheeks get mushed together. She groaned in pain from the tender flesh being squashed, but couldn't otherwise speak.
"You have the Keyblade because of Sora? For Sora? Nothing else?" The two girls stood nose-to-nose, Paine's pupils narrow and sharp, while Kairi's eyes were wide in shock and terror. Truly, she was glad Paine was an ally not an enemy. Or, she had been an ally. Now... "Nothing else matter? Not anything else you've done or going to do? Just save Sora?"
Paine's grip slackened, allowing Kairi the opportunity to respond. "That... I didn't say that..." Was all she could get out before Paine cut her off, again.
"Let me tell you something, kid. The entire reason we're in this mess, Sora giving himself up to the Organization to save you? That was a mistake. That was wrong of him. He should have kept fighting and left you in that cell..."
"Shut up!" Kairi snapped. This was uncalled for. Throwing that into her face. Sora's sacrifice. It was pure and noble and good. It was proof of their friendship. It wasn't a mistake. It wasn't! "What Sora did was -"
"He gave up! That's what he did! Ask yourself, this: We've been struggling just to survive since we started this, would Sora have the same issues?" Kairi had to admit, Paine had a point there. Sora was skilled and strong. He wouldn't be barely beating Heartless by the skin of his teeth. Getting thrashed by Xaldin and Luxord. Hell, by this point in time, he would probably already be banging down on the front doors of the Organization's castle. Instead, though, it was the inexperienced and doubtful Kairi left to pick up the pieces.
"It doesn't matter if you're his friend or he loves your or whatever, you're one person. One person, where he's fighting for the entire universe." Finally Paine relinquished her grasp, Kairi taking frantic steps backwards while rubbing her sore cheeks. "Between everyone and everything and you, he chose you. He chose wrong."
Again, Kairi could feel her rage flare up inside of her. "That's not true!" She hollered, making a fist. Trembling. Friend or ally or whatever, how dare Paine throw this in her face. To make her seem like a burden and a millstone. How dare she criticize Sora, when he was only doing what anyone would in that position. "This is.. this is just how Sora is. He puts those he loves before himself, no matter what. Like... when he freed my heart on Hollow Bastion..." Saying it aloud, Kairi began to realize how feeble her arguments were. Sora dying for her sake. Sora giving himself up for her sake. What if she hadn't been able to pull his heart from the darkness and bring him back? What if she hadn't received her Keyblade and broke out of the dark realm? What kind of mess would they be in now because of Sora choosing her over everything else?
Pushing those doubts aside, Kairi tried to keep up a strong front. "Besides the point, what does any of this have to do with today? Why are you so mad at me?"
Paine's disposition shifted, her face changing from burning anger to cold disappointment. If anything, Kairi felt like this expression stung more than the other. "We were dying. And what were you doing, Kairi?"
"I was... I was... focused on the game..." She knew the others were in danger. Paine, Gogo, Wasabi, Honey, and Fred being crushed. Yuna held at Luxord's mercy. Baymax destroying himself in a blind rage. And what did she do? What did the great, heroic Key Bearer do?
Scrambled for more cards. More and more. Cared only about Sora. About myself. About making myself feel better and absolving my guilt...
Kairi clutched at her head, feeling the world come crumbling down. Oh god, what have I done?
"You were putting one person before everything else. Falling into the same cycle of selfish sacrifice that got us into this mess." Paine surmised, taking gingerly steps forward. "So, to you, is my life worth less than Sora's? What about Yuna's? Rikku's?"
"Paine, I-"
"It's okay if we die, right? We're just a bunch of thieves, and you'd get to see you boyfriend again. All that matters, right? You're just doing this for Sora, right?" Kairi shrunk away from the tirade of the dark swordswoman, but Paine was relentless. Hands grasped onto her body, forcing Kairi to turn and face the remaining members of Big Hero 6. They looked deeply uncomfortable at what was unfolding, but Kairi could sense something in their eyes and hearts. Hatred and distrust and disgust. She had abandoned them. Left them to die. They were barely older than she was and no more skilled or hardened and she left them to die!
"Look them in the eye." Paine barked, pushing Kairi forward. "Look them in the eye and tell them their lives are worth less than Sora's!" Kairi's lips quivered, as Paine continued to yell into her hear. "Do it! Say it! Say it!"
"Paine, that's enough!" Yuna's voice cut through the air like a knife. Paine turned to face the brunette, with Kairi wriggling her way out of her hands. "You've made your point, now stop." Yuna gave an uncharacteristically hard look to her companion, who seethed and glowered in response, before swaying on her feet and nearly collapsing, her exhaustion finally catching up with her.
Kairi staggered backwards, face covering her hands. She was crying again, and didn't want anyone to see it. Her face was heated and flushed, the growing bruises throbbing in time with the hammering of her heart. How could she be so foolish? So stupid!? She thought she was doing the right thing, bringing back the actual hero, and that she would give anything do so. But... but...
I don't want anyone to suffer because of my mistakes. Because of our mistakes! Luxord has accused her of caring for Sora less than he cared of her, but what exactly did that mean. What was Sora willing to give up in exchange for her safety? Sacrificing himself was one thing, but there was no way he would let innocents die for her sake.
Would he?
I did. I almost did. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine have been nothing but good friends and I almost threw that all away for a faint hope. For a promise from a heartless monster like Luxord...
Hiro and the others are just kids caught up in something far bigger than them. People in need of help. People suffering who needed a hero. And I just callously tossed them aside for my own selfish wants!
Even beyond her obscured vision, the world spun. Her stomach roiled in disgust. Kairi felt like she was going to faint.
"Listen, Kairi, I don't want you to think we hate you..." Came Honey Lemon's voice, though Kairi was far too disorientated to tell from where. "We don't. What you and Hiro are going through causes people to make rash decisions. So, let's all just calm down. There's been far too much fighting today..."
"She's right, Red." Said Rikku, oddly quiet given her rambunctious nature. "Just cry your eyes out and we'll get something to eat, get some rest, and we'll start fresh in the morning. And everything will work out. It always does for your Keyblade users. Just... listen to your heart, or whatever."
Her heart. Her heart that had led her astray and caused all this pain.
My heart is weak and fragile and stupid. Worthless... It's never done me any good. Even that Light... it's only caused others to try and harm me. I hate it... I hate it all, so much...
Against her better judgment, Kairi brought her hands down, revealing a bright red face stained with tears. Both Yuna and Rikku were smiling softly, encouraging the girl to calm down and focus, to work through this torment and pain...
But, then, Kairi caught sight of Paine, slumped against a wall and looking up at her. A decidedly withering mix of frustration and disappointment alighting her eyes.
That look was all it took to set Kairi to fleeing, tears blistering down her cheeks, as she choked through sobs of deep, inconsolable shame.
"I really screwed up this time, didn't I?"
Well, that was certainly a chapter, wasn't it? Not to toot my own horn, but I think that's a hell of a way to come back from a hiatus.
I think part of the reason why this took so long to fully form was just the sheer chaos of the action beat. It's not a straight-forward fight scene like I usually do, but just a mad melee with a lot of moving pieces. I do hope I did a good enough job, to convey that chaos but also present it as fairly clear and concise.
But the main bulk of the chapter, and the important milestone, is the final scene. The confrontation between Kairi and Paine. I've been trying with past chapters to communicate Kairi's anger towards the Organization and her obsession with Sora, and this is both those traits of hers hitting a boiling point. Also, it is my direct criticism of a part of the canon games, of Sora's constant sacrifices. That, despite him pulling this in the first game, and then trying in both COM and II, he has yet to grow out of this trait. The games have yet to grow out of this trope. That Sora's sacrifices are beyond risky, and while he always manages to come back whenever he succeeds or tries, if he didn't come back, things would be infinitely worse off.
Not to mention that Sora's sacrifices put the onus and burden on the person he cares about. On Kairi. That all Sora is doing is taking the pain he is feeling and putting it on the one person he (supposedly) cares about more than anything else. And no one ever calls him out on this! Not once! I'm not saying this makes Sora a bad guy, but the games have been beating the same dead horse since the very beginning, and his sacrifices are always presented as noble and good. But they're not. His sacrifices are well-meaning, but short-sighted, selfish, and cowardly. A sign that Sora hasn't grown as a character since the very first game.
Canon Sora is a good guy, but he's a bad friend. And an even worse boyfriend.
So, I figured, to break this cycle of sacrifice and pain, Kairi would fall into an all too similar trap as Sora, only to be shocked out of it. To be confronted with her own ugliness and shortcomings. To face her flaws and try and grow, unlike Sora (or any of the main characters, seeing as how KH characters are more static than a TV full of snow). Whether it's Sora or Kairi or whoever, singularly focusing on one person above all else is self-destructive. Kairi needs to figure out why she's out here, why she's doing this – beyond Sora – no matter how painful those questions may be.
But, before we get into (more) Kairi pain and angst, we're going to shift gears. Next chapter will cut away to Riku, and we'll be witnessing his pain and angst. Can't just torture one character, now can I?
And on one final note, I would be remised if I didn't do my public service by suggesting that no on buy the Kingdom Hearts III ReMind DLC. Clearly, Square rushed the game out with an incomplete third act and are now charging paid DLC for the proper finale, a year after launch. Regardless of your opinions on the quality of the game, that is scummy business and it should not be supported in anyway shape or form. Demand better. And, regardless of what Square does, nothing they do can fix their emotionally hollow, mean-spirited, cynical garbage heap of a game.
Until next time, let the light guide your path forward.