Chapter 147: Six

"Can't you shut off all computers in the Castle?" Vexen asked. Surely there was some way to do that; and having no computer would certainly stop Xemnas from doing whatever it was that he was trying to do.

"I've already told you, Vexen," Alpha said, sounding very annoyed. "There's nothing I can do that 26 can't just undo."

Right. Alpha had mentioned that. Because both they and 26 had access to the Main Computer—wait a minute. Vexen frowned. "26?"

Alpha didn't even glance up. "The Vexen Replica."

Vexen rolled his eyes. "I know that," he snapped. "But how did you know that that is 26?"

"Because it's highly unlikely that Xemnas would drag along a Replica who couldn't fully utilize the Program, and there are very few Replicas who know how to do that," Alpha explained. "Since that obviously isn't 37, it must be 26."

What did that have to do with anything? There can't have only been two Replicas who knew how to use the Program to its full extent. Why did this Vexen Replica not being 37 bring Alpha to the conclusion that it must be 26? Weren't there other Replicas? Or had something happened to them?

So many questions… Vexen didn't know where to start.

"How do you know that that's not-" Vexen began, but was interrupted.

"Would either of you like to tell me what's going on here? Assuming that you have a clue, that is."

Both Vexen and Alpha turned to the newcomer. Riku. Had he always been this—actually, yes he had. Vexen couldn't recall a time where Riku hadn't been rude. Or snarky. Or disrespectful.

"Axel, Xemnas, and 26 are with the Computer on Floor 13," Alpha explained. "We can't figure out what they're doing, though… I'm working on it…"

"Why are they on the 13th Floor?" Riku asked, stepping through the doorway and into the room. "What good's the computer up there?"

"It's the Main Computer," Alpha said.

Riku frowned. Vexen frowned too. But this computer was the Main Computer.

Riku had thought something along those same lines, because he said: "No it's not. The Main Computer's here. On the… 2nd Floor." He paused, probably reconsidering what he just said. "Okay… now that I've said that, I realize just how odd it is for the Main Computer to be on the 2nd Floor. Shouldn't it be on the 13th?"

"It was. I moved it."

"Why?" Vexen asked. Riku shot him a glare; evidently he'd been about to say the same thing, and wasn't very happy that Vexen beat him to it.

"Security reasons," Alpha said. "Floor 13 has almost no security at all—not around the computer, anyway."

"That doesn't make any sense," Riku argued.

Vexen shook his head to show that he agreed with Riku. That didn't make any sense at all. Why wouldn't the 13th Floor have security? Who in their right mind would've designed it that way?

"Yes, it does make sense," Alpha replied, simply. He turned away from the computer and to Riku. "Besides Master Vexen, the only people who know how to properly use the Program are Replicas who were completely loyal to him. Why waste energy protecting the Program if the only people who knew how to use it wouldn't abuse it?"

"What about 37?" Vexen asked. "He knows how to use the Program, and he doesn't seem very loyal to your Vexen."

"37's loyal to whoever's in charge."

Ah. That would explain it.

"Can Saix use the Program?" Riku asked, after a second.

"Think about why 37 has such a high position, and you'll find your answer," Alpha said.

Even though Alpha had technically been talking to Riku, Vexen took a second to consider that matter, himself. 37 had so much power because—

"Oh." Riku laughed. "Saix needs 37, doesn't he? He can't use the Program himself."

Vexen sighed. Riku kept beating him to the answer. It was slightly annoying. It also made him slightly proud…

"We're off topic!" Riku exclaimed, a bit suddenly. "What's Axel up to? I never got that answer."

"We don't know what he's up to," Vexen said. "Besides, it's Xemnas we should be more worried about…"

"Alpha?" Riku asked, practically ignoring Vexen's answer. "You're the one at the computer."

"Currently, Axel's standing guard outside the room… and 26 is at the Computer. No, I don't know what he's doing."

"What's Xemnas doing?"

"Overseeing this, I assume."

"Which can't be a good thing," Vexen muttered. "Him having a personal interesting in anything just can't be good. Not for us."

"Probably not," Alpha agreed.

"Definitely not," Vexen corrected.

"Can't we just go in there and stop them?" Riku asked. "Axel's the only security they have, and there's only three of them…"

"One of whom is Xemnas, might I remind you," Vexen said.

"Well, we don't have to do any fighting," Riku suggested. "We can just shove them all through a dark corridor."

"They'll come back…" Vexen muttered.

"The room's been corridor-proofed, anyway," Alpha said. "Now shush, I'm trying to figure out what 26 is doing…"

Vexen ignored Alpha. "Regardless, no matter how we were to get rid of them, they'd still come back."

"Then we kill 26!" Riku said, like it were obvious. "Without him, they can't do anything until they find another Vexen who can use the Program. Which, I mean, they'll only have to get a hold of 37… but…"

Vexen considered that for a second. The plan wasn't half bad. Except… "It wouldn't work. Even if we were to get past Axel, we'd still have to get through Xemnas. He won't just stand idly by while someone he has use of is about to be killed. And distracting Xemnas long enough for someone to get rid of 26 will be nearly impossible."

Riku rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "What's so intimidating about Xemnas, anyway?" he scoffed. "You all seem so scared of him—yeah, he's the leader of the Organization, and I guess he's pretty powerful, but-"

"He's Xemnas!" Vexen said, a bit surprised that Riku didn't even consider him a threat. Was that a good thing? No. No, a healthy respect for Xemnas was much better, even if you didn't always agree with him. "Do you realize how dangerous it is to go up against him? He could kill you in a second—with no effort!"

"So?"

"So?" Vexen almost wanted to whack Riku over the head. "Riku, please, I don't want you getting hurt!"

Riku's eyes went wide. He stared at Vexen, as if frozen. Vexen could almost see the thoughts churning around in his head. Shock. Disbelief. Vexen closed his eyes, silently cursing himself for letting such a thing leave his mouth.

"Wh- What!?" Riku choked, finally.

"I- I don't want you getting hurt," Vexen repeated, quietly, keeping his eyes shut so he couldn't look at Riku.

Riku didn't respond. Vexen couldn't think of anything more to say. Silence filled the room; slowly growing so thick that it almost made it hard to breathe. Vexen opened his eyes. Riku was still staring at him; his expression hadn't changed a bit. It remained a mix of shock and disbelief.

Vexen chewed his lip. Should he say anything more? But what was there to say? He could apologize… but why? He'd meant what he'd said, even though he regretted saying it—he wouldn't have said it at all, but after going and seeing Ienzo… he'd been having trouble keeping a hold of his emotions for some reason and this was all utterly beside the point. There was more going on here than this ridiculousness. "Any idea what's going on, Alpha?" he asked, to break the tension.

"I…" Alpha paused, studying the screen a moment longer. "I believe that they are creating a Replica."

Riku turned to Alpha, having snapped himself out of the tension, too. "Of who?"

Vexen grimaced. "Oh dear… you don't think Xemnas is Replicating himself, do you?"

"Why is that the conclusion you automatically jump to?" Alpha asked, throwing a glance in his direction.

Vexen shrugged. "Forgive me, but it's just like Xehanort. Really."

Riku raised his eyebrows. "Xehanort?"

"Xemnas!" Vexen corrected, feeling a bit annoyed. It wasn't his fault he couldn't keep their names straight, for some reason. And they were the same person! What was the big deal? "You know who I meant."

"What would he do with a Xemnas Replica, anyway?" Alpha asked.

"Cause havoc?" Vexen suggested.

"But that's not what the Organization is after," Alpha argued. "And they can cause havoc without the help of an extra Xemnas."

"Well, how should I know?"

"Do you think they're Replicating me?" Riku mused, a curious expression on his face.

Vexen rolled his eyes. "Please, don't be so conceited."

"What? It's logical enough," Riku said, shrugging and then scratching his nose. "Not like it hasn't been done before or anything." He turned and gave Vexen a pointed look.

"Hmph," Vexen said, turning away. "What would they do with a Replica of you, though?"

"I don't know! Send me—him after us? To get rid of the Rebellion?"

Vexen scoffed. "Xemnas doesn't need a Replica of you to do that. If he wanted to, he could kill us all in about five minutes or less."

Riku just shrugged. "Just throwing things out there," he said. "Besides, you can't tell me that Xemnas wouldn't create a Replica of me and send him after the Rebellion just because it's poetic, in a sense. Or… amusing." Riku made a face. "Not sure what word I was looking for there. But he'd do it for no particular reason, too, wouldn't he?"

Vexen sighed. It was, indeed, like Xehanort—and every other form of him—to do something like that. However. "I don't see why he'd waste the energy of coming here just for that. If he was coming here to build a Replica of you to kill us, he might as well just skip the Replica step and kill us himself since he's already here."

"Point taken," Riku said. "Still, that doesn't mean they're not creating a Replica of me."

"Doesn't mean they are, either!"

"Fine!" Riku threw up his hands in defeat. "Maybe they're not Replicating me. But who else would they make a Replica of?"

"What's the Organization after?" Alpha asked. "They're after Kingdom Hearts, aren't they? Hasn't that been their goal all along?" He glanced between Vexen and Riku. Neither of them protested; all of what he'd said was true. "They need a Keyblade wielder to do that, and, since Roxas is dead, they've been going after the… Replica Program…" His rant—if you could call it that—slowed as he realized what he was saying. "And…"

"They're Replicating Sora again, aren't they?" Riku said.

"I don't see why they wouldn't be," Alpha replied. "They need a Keyblade. That's what they've needed all along."

"Good, then they won't be Replicating Xemnas…" Vexen let out a sigh of relief. Of course Axel and Xemnas were going to Replicate Sora. It was funny how they—those with the Rebellion—had forgotten that all this—the rebellion that might as well have been a war—was so that the Organization could get the Replica Program and build another Keyblade wielder to replace the one they had lost.

But…

Why was Axel involved with this?

He only ever had his eyes on his own agenda. How did this fit into it?

"What did he say?" Vexen asked, looking at Riku.

"Who?"

"Axel," Vexen clarified, and he wasted a second to curse himself for not being clear the first time while he was at it. "What did he say? When he got here. He must've said something."

"I… don't entirely remember," Alpha said. "He mentioned that the Organization had had a change of plans—probably alluding to all this that's going on right now. I'm not sure if he said anything else of importance…"

"But you know how Axel is," Vexen said. "He'll say things. Things that don't seem to mean anything at the time, but later turn out to be vital information that he's given away. Can you… think of anything else? Anything at all."

Riku took a second to think about it; Vexen could almost see him searching through his memory to recall what Axel had said. Hopefully he remembered something.

"Mm… He mentioned that they wouldn't be going after Namine anymore."

Of course Riku remembered that bit.

"Anything else?" Vexen asked.

Riku shrugged, slowly. His face was still screwed up in concentration. "He said that, if things went well, they wouldn't need the Replica Program anymore."

"See, it's just like we said." Alpha didn't sound very worried. "They're building another Sora Replica. They won't need the Program once they have that."

"But… why is Axel involved?" Vexen said. He was a bit frustrated that he had to ask the question directly; either he was getting worse at figuring things out, or Riku and Alpha weren't giving him enough information.

"He was close to Roxas, the last Replica of Sora," Alpha suggested. "That might have something to do with it."

Riku nodded. "That's true," he said. "Even if I didn't spend much time around either Roxas or Axel, I could tell they were friends. And Axel seemed pretty pissed about Roxas's death. Said that he was going to make Saix pay. That—" Riku's eyes went wide.

From the look of it, he'd just remembered something.

"What?" Vexen pressed.

"Axel said that 'bringing a friend back sounded better than revenge on Saix'."

Vexen smiled slightly, a bit smug. There was that vital bit of information he'd been looking for. He started running over those words in his head, trying to discern what they meant; though their implication was a bit obvious even at a first glance.

Axel and Roxas were friends. As much as they could be without hearts, anyway. Except Roxas had heart… Axel… Vexen wasn't sure about Axel. Vexen was never sure about Axel.

But that was beside the point.

Axel said "bringing a friend back".

And that meant—

"He's bringing Roxas back," Alpha said.