AN/ I don't... THINK I have anything to say about this chapter... I mean, L was being annoying, as she always was, and for some odd reason quoting Re:CoM (quite a few of the things she said in here were direct/very close quotes. COOKIE FOR WHO CAN CATCH THEM!)

Chapter 75: A Fair Trade

"Probably because you did do something," Riku replied from behind her. "I'm not quite sure how Namine knew, but…" he laughed. "I'm not surprised either."

Namine laughed, too, wondering if she should explain it. However, at the moment, there were more pressing matters at hand.

Like the fact that there was something wrong with the way Riku stood. Something completely unnatural, but she couldn't place what…

"How are you awake!" Larxene L spat, turning around to glare at Riku.

He shrugged. "It's hard for my brain to shut off when I'm in a lot of pain," he replied simply, a touch of humor in his voice. "I mean, isn't everyone like that?"

Then it hit her. Riku was holding his blade in his left hand. His right hand was cradled closely to him, as if he was afraid he'd hurt it on accident.

"But how did you-" Larxene L began.

Riku rolled his eyes. "Get up?" he finished, and then laughed. "I pulled the knife out of my hand, duh! I'm not stupid! I mean… I might be bleeding a lot now, but…" He held his hand up then, examining it, and then grimaced.

Namine gasped in shock at the sight, and then grimaced, too. All his fingers were bent at odd angles, and his hand was completely soaked in blood. Riku shook his head and then returned to cradling his hand close to him.

Larxene L frowned, and then turned and grabbed for Namine.

"Oi!" Riku shouted, and shot Dark Firaga at her. She jumped out of the way (and a good distance away from Namine while she was at it). The Dark Firaga hit 37, instead.

"Ow!" he shouted.

Riku laughed. "Serves you right!" he called. "Chucking icicles at a door isn't going to get you anywhere, anyways!"

"Oh, be quiet!"

Larxene L groaned and rubbed her head. "Typical response…" she sighed. "He has a point though, sweetie! Chucking icicles at the door really isn't getting you anywhere! What happened to trying to hack through the door seal?"

37 glared.

"What happened to your end of the deal?" he asked slowly.

Larxene L glared right back at him. "It's not entirely my fault that they woke up," she replied, a touch of wounded dignity in her voice. "I sent enough lightning through both of them to keep them asleep for hours. I didn't expect it to last for only, what, ten minutes?" She glanced over at Namine quizzically, as if she expected a response.

"Leave," Riku said simply, glaring. "Please. Save us both the trouble and the time. Tell Saix you tried your best and it wasn't good enough."

"We haven't lost this round just yet," 37 muttered, pulling a small device out of his pocket. He placed it up against the door and began typing frantically into it. Larxene L watched him for a moment, and then summoned her knives and turned to Riku.

He groaned. "Must we? I'm not really in the mood to-"

Larxene L launched herself forward and aimed a punch at him. He ducked out of the way and then landed a rather hard blow to her side. Or, at least, as hard as he possibly could with his left hand. She gasped in shock and clutched her side, pain clearly etched on her face.

"You can fight left handed!" she gasped. "That's not fair!"

"Neither was stepping on my hand," Riku replied.

She grimaced and then glanced down at her side. Her cloak was torn, and there was blood. She looked up at Riku, fury in her eyes. "Why you little-" she began, and then made a face.

Riku laughed. "Aww," he taunted. "Can't come up with a good enough insult for me?"

She chucked a lightning bolt at him in response, but he dodged it with ease.

She glared.

He grinned.

"Toy!" she spat. "That's what you are! Nothing more than a stupid little-"

"Shut up!" Riku screamed, all the amusement gone from him now. Anger flooded through him, and his grip on his blade tightened. He rushed forward, unleashing a flurry of attacks, all of which Larxene L managed to avoid.

He glared.

She grinned.

"Stupid little toy," she laughed, as she avoided another one of his attacks. "You aren't as strong as you thought you were, huh?"

He cringed. "Don't call me that!" he snapped, attacking her again, though with perhaps a bit less force than before.

"Does it hurt because it's the truth?" she jeered, her grin growing even wider. She stopped then, resting a hand on her hip, her eyes filled with laughter. Riku paused, shaking slightly with his anger, and turned away. He squeezed his eyes shut, as if he couldn't bear the pain of the thought.

She giggled. "You were always someone's play thing, weren't you?" she asked, though it came out more like a statement. "Someone was always manipulating you, using you, playing with you. Especially her." She laughed. "She was pulling the strings of your fragile little heart like-"

"Don't talk about her!" Riku roared, an unbelievable amount of pain in his voice. He launched himself at Larxene L, pinning her to the wall. Well, as well as he could with little mobility in his right hand. He was too upset to care about the pain.

Larxene L quickly closed her mouth, trembling slightly with fear. She was doing her best to hide that fact, though, even as Riku aimed his blade at her throat.

"I will do it," he hissed. "I will kill you, right now, if you don't-"

37 cleared his throat.

"I wouldn't, though, if I were you," he said.

"Riku, don't listen to him!" Namine called. "He's not going to hurt me."

Riku turned then, despite all his anger, to look at Namine. 37 had her by the arm, ready to run at any minute. She was looking up at him, not scared, not angry, just determined.

"We're in a corridor proof area," she stated simply. "It's not like he can do anything more than physically drag me off."

37 raised his eyebrows and then summoned his shield. "However…" he said slowly. "I never did say that I wouldn't hurt you. I won't kill you, of course, but…" He glanced up at Riku, who still had Larxene L pinned to the wall. "We have a Repair Program on both sides, whatever harm I end up doing to her can easily be undone."

Riku made a face. His eyes darted back towards Larxene L. "If I let her go…" he muttered. "You'll let Namine go?"

37 nodded. "Fair trade, isn't it?"

Riku scowled. "You promise to leave, right away?"

37 scowled, too. "I suppose…" he replied.

"And not come back for a while?" Riku continued.

"Oh please," Larxene L groaned. "Don't promise him that! Saix will-"

"Yes," 37 said.

"Idiot!" Larxene L muttered, rolling her eyes.

Riku threw a glare at her, then glanced back at 37, and then looked at Namine. She stared at him with a look that clearly said: 'this is your choice, do what you will with it'. Slowly, Riku smiled.

"Alright," he said, the humor slowly returning to his voice. "We have a deal. But first-" He maneuvered himself slightly, and then drove his blade hard through Larxene L's hand. She cried out in pain, and he smirked. 37 winced.

"I think that's about even," he laughed, pulling his blade away and banishing it.

She cradled her hand close to her, whimpering slightly, though she did her best to cover it up. She glanced down at it, grimacing, and then shot a glare at Riku.

"You don't have a gash on your side," she spat.

He turned slightly and pointed to his side. Sure enough, there was a gash there.

"Tulip got me," he said.

Larxene L made a face and then stalked off, cradling her hand close to her, though she tried to keep an air of dignity about her. Namine pulled her arm away from 37, who didn't seem to care all that much. He cast merely a glance at her before following after Larxene L.