Chapter 58: Making and Breaking a Deal

"Took you long enough!" someone called. "I've been waiting here for forever!"

Riku glanced around the main room. Everyone had evacuated the center area where the couches were, resolving to just stay off to the side and out of the way of the disturbance. There were only two people that remained there. One of them was 6, who, being 6, didn't seem to care at all about the disturbance and remained in his chair.

The other person was the disturbance himself, lounging on one of the couches rather lazily. He had dark graying hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. An eye-patch covered one of his eyes, and there was a large scar on his cheek. He held a gun in each of his hands, one of which was now lazily aimed at Riku, even though its owner seemed to have no intention to shoot at all.

Riku slowly glared.

"Xigbar?" 19 asked, walking into the room. His eyes were fixed on the man on the couch. "What are you doing here?"

The man on the couch raised his eyebrows, and then laughed. "Xigbar? As if!" He rose to his feet, slowly, guns now just hanging aimlessly by his sides. "I'm his clone!" He stated this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, then glanced around the room, laughing again. "I don't see why everyone's so freaked out. I'm a Replica, just like the rest of you."

"Who's Xigbar?" Namine asked, voice quiet. She had just now caught up to everyone.

Riku cast a glance over at her in shock, realizing it probably wasn't a good idea for her to be here.

"Oh! So the little miss is here!" Xigbar's Clone laughed.

Riku's eyes widened with anger, and the thought that Namine probably shouldn't be here was blown from his mind. He took a step forward, energy sparking in his hand, ready to draw his blade-

But he never got the chance.

Namine grabbed his hand, canceling the energy out, preventing the blade from ever forming. She glanced up at him, squeezing his hand and smiling slightly. He returned that with shock, but then slowly smiled back.

"As I've already said, I'm not Xigbar," Xigbar's Clone continued, as if the short exchange between Riku and Namine had never happened. "Xigbar is the Organization's Number 2. He's Xemnas's right-hand man, always has been, always will be. He's got more important things to be doing than-" the clone stopped suddenly, frowning, thinking about that. "Well, actually, this sort of thing is right up his alley. They might have mistaken me for him again. Wouldn't be the first time."

He shrugged, a casual: "don't know, don't care" gesture.

"And why exactly are you here?" Namine asked, eyeing Xigbar's Clone with a look that suggested she wasn't quite sure what to make of him.

"I'm here to make a deal," he replied.

Riku raised his eyebrows and started to speak, but Namine said something before he had the chance.

"Can you get rid of the guns, first?" she said politely.

Xigbar's Clone raised his eyebrows, shocked by the request. However, after a moment he banished them.

Riku turned to Namine in shock, regarding her with an expression similar to the one she had been giving Xigbar's Clone a minute ago. She turned to him and smiled.

He quickly shook his head to get his thoughts to focus back where they should be. He squeezed her hand and then let go, taking a step forward.

"What sort of deal?" he asked, voice cold.

"Simple," Xigbar's Clone replied. "You leave the Organization alone."

There was an uproar among a good portion of the rest of the Replicas, but Riku remained completely calm. He waited until everyone settled before asking:

"And what exactly do we get in return?"

Xigbar's Clone shrugged again. "That's up to you. Whatever terms you want, within reason." He waved his hand and then went back to lounging on the couch. "Take some time to discuss it amongst yourselves. I'm in no hurry."

Riku was silent for a moment, thinking.

"You can't promise them that!" Joseph blurted suddenly. "No offense, Xiggy," he added, turning to Xigbar's Clone, and then back to Riku. "But you know that! You've dealt with the Organization before! If you make this deal you're going to be kicking yourself in the-"

29 covered Joseph's mouth at this, cutting the sentence off. The rest of the rant came out very muffled, as Joseph tried to speak around 29's hand. It didn't work very well, and eventually he gave up.

"Riku," 29 said. "The choice is yours. If you think this is a good idea, then-" he trailed off and shrugged.

Riku slowly smiled, getting an idea. "I think I know what to do," he muttered.

"Wait!" 23 called frantically, rushing over. "I think I agree with Joseph on this one! There's no way this can possible be a good idea. There's nothing we could reasonably ask for-"

"23," 19 said sternly, stopping him. "I'm sure Master Riku knows what he's doing."

23 scowled, and looked as if he was going to say more, but he kept his mouth shut.

"So, you've decided?" Xigbar's Clone asked, getting to his feet again.

"More or less," Riku replied with a shrug. "But I can only promise you this: if you leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone. Simple, right?"

Xigbar's Clone smiled. "Alright, that seems like a fair deal. I guess I'll be-"

"One condition!" Riku added.

Xigbar's Clone paused and slowly raised his eyebrows.

"You tell no one that Namine's here."

Xigbar's Clone laughed. "That it?" he asked. "That was easy! I was expecting to have to force you to agree!" He was grinning. "I'll go report back to HQ then, tell them what a success this was! You all be good now!"

And with that, he was gone.

Riku turned back around and grinned. "I told you I knew what I was doing!" he laughed.

23 groaned. "You do realize that Saix is included in the Organization, right? You just promised we wouldn't hurt him!"

"I did nothing of the sort," Riku replied with a smirk. "I promised we would leave him alone as long as he left us alone. And the likeliness of him leaving us alone is slim, right?"

"Well… I suppose that-"

Riku didn't want for him to finish. Without warning he grabbed Namine by the hand and dragged her around the corner. Almost as if on cue, the sound of many dark corridors opening came from not far off.

Riku glanced round the corner, not at all surprised to see 37 and the usual group of Replicas. He was, however, slightly surprised to see a few Berserkers. He turned back to Namine, who was gaping at him in shock.

"How did you know that there was going to be a raid?" she asked.

"An Assassin stopped me on my way over here, before we talked with Xigbar's Clone," he explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He just continued to grin, too, obviously really proud of himself.

"Well why didn't you just tell me?" Namine continued. "You don't have to drag me! I would have left if you had said-"

"No, you wouldn't have," Riku laughed before she could finish. "You would have asked why and how I knew about the raid, and there wasn't enough time to explain. Besides," his grin grew a tad wider. "This was more effective."

He glanced around the corner again, wincing just as Joseph got knocked back by a Berserker. He skidded along the ground for a moment before finally coming to a complete stop near the wall.

"Joseph!" 29 called frantically, rushing over. "Are you alright?" He helped Joseph to his feet.

Joseph rolled his eyes. "I'm fine!" he insisted.

"You shouldn't be fighting, you hear?" 29 said, scowling now. "You'll get hurt."

"And like other people don't get hurt?" Joseph replied, voicing rising slightly in his anger. "Riku's the best fighter we have and he gets hurt all the time! I'll even use the Repair Program if I get hurt!"

"You don't know how to fight!" 29 hissed.

"That's because you won't let me learn!" Joseph shouted.

29 raised his shield to block an incoming attack. "Just get out of here," he said over his shoulder, trying to fend off the advancing Berserker. "We'll talk about this another time."

"But-" Joseph began.

"Go!"

Joseph groaned in frustration and shoved his wooden sword back in his belt. After a moment of pouting he caught sight of Riku and Namine and walked over.

"Shouldn't you be fighting?" he asked Riku, a bit of edge in his voice.

"Ah, in a sec," Riku replied. Everyone seemed to be doing a pretty okay job at fending off the Berserkers and the random Replicas. He still had a moment before he was needed.

"What are you so happy about?" Joseph asked after a moment, his anger fading a little.

"He knew there was a raid coming all along," Namine told Joseph. "And he's bragging about it."

Riku turned to her, a bit surprised. "I am not bragging about it-" he began.

"That's why you agreed to the deal!" Joseph exclaimed suddenly, cutting Riku off. His eyes were wide with shock.

Riku grinned again. "I figured that Saix probably hadn't been expecting the specific set of terms I had offered, or us to even agree at all, and would have a raid lined up ready to go for the moment when Xigbar's Clone returned."

Joseph laughed. "Imagine how pissed he'll be when he finds out we did agree! And since he sent a raid after us-"

"He's no longer covered by the protection of the deal!" Namine finished, and then laughed herself. "Riku! You're a genius!"

Riku's grin grew even wider.

"Yeah," he laughed. "I am."

Joseph made a face. "Oh please," he muttered. "Don't start."

Riku shook his head and then drew his blade. "Right," he said. "You two get somewhere safe. I'll go help these guys out."

"Good luck!" Namine called as she and Joseph headed off.